Sources : AMD , IDN , FT , Reuters , PSB , MPN , B & B , BDN , MCN , AP , Bloomberg , MSNW , Electrek , electricmotorcycles . news , RideApart . com , Motor1 . com

Paul Veracka has acquired a seventh Harley-Davidson dealership . After 13 years of ownership , Hendrick Automotive Group has sold its only H-D store , Old Glory Harley-Davidson of Laurel , Maryland , to Paul . He and his brother Michael split the Veracka family H-D dealer group between them last year . Paul additionally owns High Octane H-D of North Billerica , Massachusetts ; Palm Beach H-D ; Rockstar at Ft . Myers ; Motown H-D in Michigan ; Alligator Alley of Sunrise , Fl . and Manchester H-D in New Hampshire . The dealership will retain the Old Glory name and remain at its current location .

Reports suggest that H-D has gone ahead with closure of its Bawal , India factory and may therefore be set to drop its Street 500 / 750 line , at least in Europe . Asian Pacific operations will likely be focused at its Thailand plant . Meanwhile Hero MotoCorp has emerged as Harley ' s most likely new distribution ( and manufacturing ?) partner in India - presumably using CKD kits .

It is thought that the Chinaexclusive model 338R being designed by Geely subsidiary and Benelli owner Qianjiang Motorcycle will go ahead , with the Bronx Streetfighter definitely not seeing the inside of showrooms until 2022 at the soonest .

Bonnier Corp has been sold , with the remnants of its powersports publishing operations , to New York based online consumer credit platform provider Octane . Founded in 2014 and known in Wall Street circles as a ' Fintech ', it would appear Octane wants to leverage the Bonnier brands to generate powersports vehicle lending leads . That is known as click bait to more traditionally minded mortals . The brands sold include Cycle World ( RIP ), Motorcyclist , Dirt Rider , Motorcycle Cruiser , UTV Driver , ATV Rider and EV website Cycle Volta .

The Performance Racing Industry trade show ( PRI ) has announced cancelation of its 2020 Trade Expo . Due to have been staged at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis in December , PRI President Dr . Jamie Meyer stated : " Our goal is to always do what is best for the motorsports industry , and PRI will continue to lead with business solutions for an ever-changing future ."

Minnesota based Indian Motorcycle manufacturer Polaris Industries has signed a 10-year exclusive partnership agreement in off-road vehicles and snowmobiles as Polaris embarks on a new EV strategy that it is calling ' rEV ' d up '. Polaris says that this " transformative partnership " will combine " Polaris ' industry leadership with Zero ' s proven technology in electric powertrains " with codevelopment of the first of several electric vehicles to debut by the end of 2021 already underway . ' rEV ' d up ' aims to " position Polaris as the powersports EV leader " with the plan to be in a position to offer customers an electric vehicle option within each of its core product segments by 2025 . " Thanks to advancements in power , pricing and performance over the last several years , and with customer interest surging , now is the right time for Polaris , with Zero Motorcycles as a key strategic partner , to implement our ' rEV ' d up ' initiative and aggressively accelerate our position in powersports electrification ," said Scott Wine , Chairman and CEO of Polaris . " Zero Motorcycles ' pioneering electrification experience , proven leadership and electric powertrain technologies are unmatched in the market . We believe this transformative partnership will enable us to leapfrog technological hurdles around range and cost while providing a tremendous speedto-market advantage – an instant offense . Leveraging the strengths of our teams and a shared culture of innovation and passion for this industry , Polaris and Zero will collaborate to shape the future of powersports ." For Zero Motorcycles CEO Sam Paschel is quoted as saying : " All of us at Zero Motorcycles are delighted and honored to be a part of this industry-changing strategic relationship with Polaris as we collaborate and co-develop the technologies and vehicle platforms that will power the future of electrification in powersports .

" This revolutionary partnership is bringing together two incredibly talented teams aimed at dramatically expanding the electric options in powersports . Our EV expertise and millions of miles of real-world , rubbermeets-the-road EV experience , coupled with Polaris ' broad product portfolio , scale , supply chain and market leadership , makes this a game-changer for every powersports enthusiast ." Polaris went on to say that " with our scale and broad product line-up , this strategic partnership will be the largest in Zero Motorcycles ' history .

Scott Wine , CEO Polaris Industries : " Thanks to advancements in power , pricing and performance over the last several years , and with customer interest surging , now is the right time for Polaris , with Zero Motorcycles as a key strategic partner , to implement our ' rEV ' d up ' initiative and aggressively accelerate our position in powersports electrification ."

Under this 10-year exclusive agreement , Polaris will develop , manufacture and sell electrified ORVs and snowmobiles using Zero ' s powertrain technology , hardware and software . Zero Motorcycles has been designing , manufacturing and advancing electric motorcycles since 2006 , and this partnership gives Polaris access to more than 14 years of unmatched experience and intellectual property . " Zero Motorcycles is the only motorcycle company to successfully bring an entire electric product line to market and is regarded as the leader in motorcycle EV technologies , subsystems , components and designs .

" As the global leader in powersports with nearly a decade in the electric vehicle space , Polaris is well positioned to accelerate the development of its premium electric vehicle offering across its product lines and to lead the powersports industry in electrification . Building on Polaris ' past experience in electric , ' rEV ' d up ' will accelerate customers across Polaris ' positioning within the industry by launching a new electric option to each of its core business segments by 2025 . " rEV ' d up ' is about more than just having a presence in the electric vehicle space ; this is about leveraging the next generation of technology to develop industry-leading electric offerings within the right vehicle segments for our riders and our business . This is about taking a bold step to do big things ," said Wine . " With over $ 1bn in electric vehicle sales over the past decade , we have built a valuable foundation in both the commercial and passenger vehicle markets . By leveraging capable partners , like Zero , we will expand on that groundwork to profitably deliver electric vehicles with the range , value and performance characteristics that both existing and prospective customers want ." Polaris ' past and current product portfolio includes several electric options . In 2011 , Polaris acquired both Goupil , a French manufacturer of on-road , commercial light duty electric vehicles for the European market , and GEM street-legal passenger and utility electric vehicles . Four years later , the company acquired Brammo Electric Motorcycles whose technology was leveraged in the RANGER EV . The RANGER EV was one of the first electric vehicles in the off-road industry and is the No . 1 selling electric off-road vehicle in North America to date . With its broad range of electric commercial and industrial vehicles , Taylor- Dunn was acquired by Polaris in 2016 .