National News

MILWAUKEE – Motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson is slashing its planned models by “approximately 30 percent” under its new rewire initiative, while reducing its worldwide reach and “significantly reducing discounting and price promotions” on its products. The announcement of the retrenchment came this morning when Harley-Davidson revealed second quarter earnings that showed …

MILWAUKEE – After laying off 140 workers at U.S. plants in late June, Harley-Davidson today announced further employee cutbacks that will result in 700 jobs being eliminated by year’s end. ”Significant changes are necessary, and we must move in new directions,” said company chairman, president and CEO Jochen Zeitz in …

Sturgis, SD – COVID-19 has sidelined yet another motorcycle event. The Motorcycle Cannonball, which was set to start in just nine weeks, has now been pushed back until September 2021 by the ongoing pandemic. The biennial run that tests the endurance of extremely old motorcycles and their riders was scheduled …

STAMFORD, CT – Another motorcycle magazine has come to the end of the road. Connecticut-based “American Iron,” which has been in business since 1989, suspended publication today; a victim of the COVID-19 pandemic. “The world has changed significantly,” said its high-profile publisher and editor-in-chief Buzz Kanter in a midday statement …

It’s time again for TWIR – The Week in Review … for the week of June 21-27. TWIR is a compilation of national and regional news items that don’t warrant or receive a full post during the week for whatever reason, but are nonetheless worth sharing. Here goes: EICMA Canceled …

MILWAUKEE – In a move that the company calls “normal business,” Harley-Davidson today announced that 140 jobs will be cut at its U.S. plants as a result of reduced production in these abnormal times. The layoffs will affect 90 production workers at its factory in York, PA and 50 more …

ITASCA, IL – Fatality rates for motorists are rising in the U.S. even as miles driven plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic. And, as yesterday’s story about the impact of speeding on roadway deaths suggested, the rise may largely be due to drivers ignoring posted speed limits. The National Safety Council …

If it seems like a lot of folks in New England like to speed that’s because they do, and their haste can quantified in the high number of speeding-related fatalities. The top state in the nation with speeding-relating fatalities? New Hampshire, with Rhode Island in fourth place and Vermont in …

MINNEAPOLIS – Heated seats to keep the bum toasty in chilly weather have been around for a while, but a seat designed to cool your can when the temperatures rise? Up until now an ice pack under the rump was probably the only rash solution, but Indian today announced an …

It’s time again for TWIR – The Week in Review … for the week of June 14-20. However, being that it’s June 21, it is appropriate to begin by noting that today is the one-year anniversary of the tragic crash in Randolph, NH that killed seven members and supporters of …

HINCKLEY, ENGLAND – Motorcycle manufacturer Triumph is getting into the electric bicycle business with a Trekker GT model that has a starting price of an entry-level motorcycle – $3,750. The company says the Trekker GT, which it unveiled on Tuesday, was designed in the U.K. and is the first e-bike …

STURGIS, SD – In an 8-1 decision on Monday night, Sturgis City Council voted that the COVID-19 pandemic be damned – the 80th annual Sturgis Motocycle Rally will be held Aug. 7-16. It will likely be a much more subdued, safety-first rally with fewer events. “There’ll be several changes for …

FOSTER CITY, CA – Drivers who text are a huge concern for motorcyclists and a recently-released survey of 1,000 motorists by the website Insurance.com reports that 87 percent of them think distracted driving is worse now than it was two years ago. And the top reason for distracted driving? Texting. …

It’s time again for TWIR – The Week in Review … for the week of June 7-13.  The big story last week – well, perhaps erroneous non-story as it turned out – centered on Indian’s supposed plans for an electric version of its popular FTR 1200 model. The website Motorcycle.com …

SACRAMENTO – The parent company of RevZilla, Cycle Gear and J&P Cycles has agreed to pay nearly $2 million to settle a dispute with the California Air Resources Board and “resolve alleged violations related to the sale of non-exempted add-on or modified motorcycle parts in California.” The settlement between Comoto …