It’s time for TWIR – The Week in Review, news items and other tidbits that somehow don’t rate or receive a full post (or fall through the cracks) but are nonetheless worth passing on. Here’s some of what happened between March 17 and 23: Road Fatalities Rise During Pandemic The …
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SANTA MONICA, CA – A switch from a multi-city tour in 2020-2021 to an online/virtual event may be in the making for the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows. That possibility is suggested in a new online survey being conducted by the company that stages the tour. While many motorcycle events in …
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RIDE-CT & RIDE-New England readers are split on whether BMW’s new R 18 heavy cruiser model (pictured above) will be a hit or a miss. While 35 percent of voters view the massive R 18 as a “retro work of art,” a total of 27 percent think it’s a “ghastly …
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MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson has turned to a native of Germany to revive the iconic American brand. Less than three months after being named acting president and CEO of Harley-Davidson following Matt Levatich’s departure, Jochen Zeitz has now been awarded those posts, effective immediately. The 57-year-old executive will also continue as …
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MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson’s sales nosedived in the first quarter of 2020 due to COVID-19, dropping 15.5 percent in the United States and 17.7 percent worldwide when compared to the first quarter of 2019. The company’s U.S. market share in the heavy cruiser market dropped 2.2 percentage points to 48.9 percent. …
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CHENNAI, INDIA – The Norton motorcycle brand has been saved from the dust bin. TVS Motor Company announced today that it has spent £16 million in cash, signed an asset purchase agreement, and acquired the Norton name and other assets of the bankrupt British motorcycle manufacturer. “This is a momentous …
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MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson today announced extensive salary cuts for executives and a hiring freeze as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and in an effort to lower costs. According to a press release, acting president and CEO Jochen Zeitz and the company’s board of directors will forego salary/cash compensation, while …
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A sizable 48 percent of RIDE-CT & RIDE-New England readers who voted in the latest online poll say the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will likely prompt them to ride more than usual during to the 2020 riding season. An additional 21 percent reported that they will likely ride the same amount …
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It’s The Week In Review for the week ending April 4… The lawyer for the truck driver charged with homicide for the crash in New Hampshire last June that killed seven motorcyclists claims one of the riders was drunk and actually caused the accident, not his client. Attorney Jay Duguay …
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MILWAUKEE – Harley-Davidson has joined the Big 3 automakers in Detroit in shutting down production, a move that affects about 2,000 union workers at its three plants in the U.S. The company has 5,000 total employees. The shutdown will run from Wednesday night through March 29. Employees have been placed …
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Indian’s timing in debuting a new advertising campaign might not be propitious – what with the COVID-19 pandemic getting most everyone’s attention – but the company is out today with a new TV ad urging shoppers to “Choose Wisely” when buying a new motorcycle. Not surprisingly, the 30-second spot takes …
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MILWAUKEE – Executive shakeups don’t come cheap, and a compensation breakout by the “Milwaukee Business Journal” reveals that the new acting CEO of Harley-Davidson as well as the exiting CEO will get their pockets lined. The publication reports that Jochen Zeitz, who became acting CEO on Friday after Matt Levatich …
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MILWAUKEE – After years of declining sales, slow development of new product and facing an urgent need for “new leadership to recharge our business,” Harley-Davidson on Friday announced the departure of Matt Levatich as president and CEO. A news release issued after the stock market closed said the board of …
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It’s The Week In Review for the week ending Feb. 22, with items from the movies, Triumph and a jail in Arizona. James Bond Now Rides A Triumph A new poster for the upcoming James Bond movie “No Time To Die” is out, and 007 is now riding a Triumph …
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It has taken more than 6½ years, ever since Indian was re-launched under the ownership of Polaris, but Harley-Davidson has finally taken a big swipe at the revived brand that was its head-to-head rival back in the early days of motorcycling more than 100 years ago. Social media has provided …
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