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BRIEFS
Authorized Harley dealerships continue to tumble like ninepins as changing market conditions continue to affect the network . One of the latest has been Brian Bentley ' s Brian ' s Valley Forge H- D ( Norristown , PA .). Bentley is keeping his primary store open - Brian ' s H-D at Langhorne PA . - and is quoted as saying that the decision has nothing to do with COVID-19 and that he thinks he can continue to serve his catchment areas from the primary store .
PSB reports that authorized Harley dealership closures in the USA announced since June this year ( for various reasons ) include H-D Southampton , Greenfield , MA ; Barnett ' s Las Cruces , NM ; Calumet , Munster , IN ; Goe H-D , Angleton , TX ; Iron Town H-D , New Berlin , WI , and , controversially , Abernathy H-D at Union City , TN .
Just as H-D pulls its own manufacturing facility from the Indian motorcycle market , news that following a decline triggered by India ' s economic downturn in 2019 , the market there has grown strongly this year despite the COVID-19 emergency . Market leader and H-D proto-partner HERO Motocorp has reinforced its market leadership there with sales up by + 16.1 % to 697,293 units for September alone . Honda India is in second spot , with newly minted Norton owner TVS third , KTM and Triumph partner Bajaj in fourth and Royal Enfield fifth .
As this edition of AMD went to press , PSB ' s Dave Mahon had additionally reported that owner Shelly Embrick had ended the 45-year relationship that her Cycle World of Athens , Georgia store has had with H-D . Embrick said the decision to part ways was driven by market sales and Harley ' s plans to " drastically " reduce the number of motorcycles it produces annually . The store will still continue to sell and service preowned Harleys along with new and used Honda , Yamaha , Suzuki and Polaris vehicles and remains a Honda , Suzuki , Yamaha and Polaris partner .
We here at AMD magazine were saddened to hear of the death of industry veteran , custom bike builder and 2020 Sturgis Hall of Famer Skeeter Todd .
2021 Louisville Spring NVP Product Expo Canceled
LeMans Corporation , the parent company of Parts Unlimited and Drag Specialties , has announced that its annual Spring NVP Product Expo is canceled . Slated for February 13-14 , 2021 in Louisville , KY ., the event has grown substantially since the company first dropped anchor at Louisville two years ago , and with only AIMExpo still in play , has quickly established itself as the largest of the new generation of distributor operated dealer exhibitions that have filled the void left by the demise of independent , generally media outlet owned events such as the Dealernews ' Indy ' Dealer Expo ( Advanstar ) and V-Twin Expo ( Cincinnati / Paisano / Easyriders ). LeMans has been taking its responsibilities for the safety of its employees , dealers and vendors very seriously and , wisely , acted equally as decisively and early when canceling the annual Madison , Wisconsin NVP Product Expo ( August ). The company says that " following continued uncertainty regarding the
Reuters reported that a United States judge approved a revised settlement with Harley-Davidson Inc . over excess emissions - after four years of wrangling , the new settlement dropped the originally included requirement that Harley spend $ 3m to reduce air pollution . In August 2016 , Harley agreed to pay a $ 12m civil fine and stop selling illegal aftermarket devices that caused its vehicles to emit too much pollution . It also agreed to spend about $ 3m to retrofit or replace woodburning appliances with cleaner stoves to offset excess emissions . In July 2017 , the Justice Department cited a new policy by then U . S . Attorney General Jeff Sessions and in proposing to drop the $ 3m mitigation project set in motion an ongoing review of the penalty by a government auditor . Finally , U . S . District Judge Emmet Sullivan approved the
global COVID-19 pandemic , we felt this cancelation was in the best interest of our company and industry colleagues alike . Parts Unlimited and Drag Specialties continue to navigate
Harley Escapes $ 3m Air Pollution Reduction Sanction
settlement over the objections of environmental groups and a group of ten states , including New York , Illinois , Maryland , Vermont , Washington and Massachusetts . While the earlier agreement " containing the mitigation project might have been the
A Screamin ' Eagle " super tuner "
' best ' resolution of Harley- Davidson ’ s alleged violations , the Court cannot say that the decree lodged before the Court is not within ' the reaches of the public interest ," Sullivan wrote in approving the consent decree . The settlement resolved allegations that Harley sold
these unprecedented times with respect for the health , safety and wellbeing of our teams , dealers , vendors , the industry and our communities ." www . dragspecialties . com
about 340,000 " super tuners ," enabling motorcycles since 2008 to pollute the air at levels greater than what the company certified . Harley-Davidson did not admit liability and has said it disagreed with the government , arguing that the tuners were designed and sold to be used in " competition only ." Even
A wood burning stove
though the settlement had not yet taken effect , Harley- Davidson has said that since August 2016 , it sold only tuners certified by the California Air Resources Board and halted sale of the tuners in question and destroyed tuners returned by dealers .
12 AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - NOVEMBER 2020 www . AMDchampionship . com