Polaris Industries, a global producer of motorcycles and off-road vehicles, is pulling the plug on its Iowa-made Victory Motorcycles brand, the company announced Monday. The brand launched in 1998 and attempted to compete head-to-head with Harley Davidson. Victory assembles its motorcycles at its Spirit Lake plant. It was not immediately clear how many local jobs would be impacted by Victory’s elimination. In April 2011, Minnesota-based Polaris acquired Indian Motorcycle, the nation’s…
Read MoreRare Ducati Bikes to be Auctioned at Bonhams
For Ducati collectors, the seventh-annual Bonhams Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction may cause serious heart palpitations. The event, set for Thursday, January 26, at the Rio Casino & Hotel, will offer 38 of the rarest Ducati bikes built from 1948 through 2001, including 125 GP singles, Scramblers, Supersports, and Works Racers. Included in this collection, which should bring in over $1 million, are 15 Ducati motorcycles from the Silverman Museum Racing…
Read MoreHonda’s Autonomous Self Balancing Motorcycle
For years, Honda has shown off its Uni-Cub, a kind of motorized unicycle that balances itself, as a personal mobility device. At CES 2017 Honda showed how it leveraged that technology to make a self-balancing, semi autonomous motorcycle, something likely more relevant in the real world. During Honda’s press conference, a riderless Uni-Cub rolled out from backstage, followed by a motorcycle, which accomplished the same self-balancing trick while free of…
Read MoreBurglars Try to Rob Honda Motorcycle Dealer
On Sunday, Police arrested two burglars who they said were seen breaking into a Honda motorcycle and off-road vehicle dealership before leading police on a pursuit. The Melbourne Police Department said officers were called to Honda of Melbourne at 1240 S. Harbor City Blvd. after two men were reported seen using a sledgehammer to try to knock out a wall to the dealership. “Crime is probably not a a good…
Read MoreAMA Asks DOT to Include Bikes in V2V Technology
Mandating vehicle-to-vehicle communications technology in new cars can benefit all road users, but motorcyclists demand to be included in the discussion, planning and implementation of the policies and regulations governing the rollout, the American Motorcyclist Association said today. “We have been representing the interests of the motorcycling community since Day 1 on this issue,” said Wayne Allard, AMA vice president of government relations. “We certainly recognize and appreciate the potential…
Read More3 Arrested in Victory Motorcycle Fraud Scheme
Only nine months after police began investigating the possibility that a local company was committing fraud and larceny, three people have been arrested. After a joint investigation between Connecticut State Police, Department of Defense, U.S. Army Criminal Investigative Command, two employees and the owner of Shark Cycle, a former Stafford Springs business, have been charged with identity theft, fraud and larceny. Police arrested owner Robert Charland, 53, and employees Risa Bazinet, 26, and…
Read More2013-2016 KTM Super Adventure 1190 & 1290 Recall
KTM North America, Inc. (KTM) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 1290 Super Adventure motorcycles manufactured December 1, 2014, to March 10, 2016, and 2013-2016 1190 Adventure and Adventure R motorcycles manufactured November 20, 2012, to April 25, 2016. In the affected vehicles, the wiring harness can fray and contact the ABS modulator. If the brake line is electrically conductive, the brake line may overheat and melt. CONSEQUENCE: If the…
Read MoreIndian Recalls 23,746 Motorcycles for Fuel Leak
Indian Motorcycle Company (Indian) is recalling certain model year 2014-2017 Chief Classic, Chief Dark Horse, Vintage, Chieftan, Chieftan Dark Horse, Springfield and Roadmaster motorcycles manufactured April 15, 2013, to July 15, 2016. In the affected motorcycles, the fuel rail may contact other components and result in a fuel leak. CONSEQUENCE: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire. REMEDY: Indian will notify…
Read MoreStolen Bike Craigslist Ad Leads to Police Chase
A man was sent to the hospital after he crashed an allegedly stolen motorcycle early Tuesday morning while leading police on a chase in southwest Houston. The incident began about 4 a.m. near Woodhead and West Gray near the River Oaks Shopping Center, said Lt. Larry Crowson of the Houston Police Department. Crowson said a man told investigators his motorcycle had been stolen a few days ago and he noticed…
Read MoreMotorcycle Shop Scams Customer on $10,000 Bike
A Granville motorcycle shop owner faces three felony charges after he allegedly scammed a man out of a $10,000 Harley-Davidson motorcycle and forged documents to get the bike’s title in his name, police said. Donald A. Connolly, 41, of Granville, was charged with third-degree grand larceny and two counts of second-degree forgery after an investigation by State Police, authorities said. He said Monday that the case was the result of…
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