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BRIEFS
The battle lines for the middle ground continue to be drawn up - Triumph ' s new Trident 660 is described by MCN in the UK as " triple treat ," achieving that much sought after " balance between performance and usability " that is becoming the price-point holy grail as the back-to-basics " motorcycles of character " ethos matures .
For 2021 , Ducati has abandoned the primary design signature that informs thirty years of Monster worship with the signature trellis style frame jettisoned in favor of a lightweight stressed member aluminum monocoque , similar to the one developed for the Panigale . Also gone is the equally emblematic 90-degree 821 cc engine in exchange for an updated Euro 5 version of the higher hp 937 cc Testastretta 11-degree engine .
The new incarnation of Norton Motorcycles ( TVS , India owned ) is inviting official ' registrations of interest ' for two versions of the long-planned 84 bhp and 650 cc parallel twins - the Atlas Nomad and Atlas Ranger - modern iterations of two old Norton model names that were first announced by ' Old Norton ' in 2018 . In other news , ' New Norton ' is about to abandon its idiosyncratic Castle Donington , England home for a new facility at Solihull , Birmingham , England - less than ten miles from where ' Pa ' Norton started it all in 1902 .
Legendary wheel maker Roberto Marchesini passed away in Italy after a long illness . The former Campagnolo man started his own business as an aluminum and magnesium foundry in 1988 with his lightweight , highstrength magnesium wheels famously being adopted first by Ducati , then by dozens of race teams , privateers and OEMs worldwide . The company he founded became part of the Brembo Group in 2000 .
Backed by Triumph Motorcycles , The Distinguished Gentleman ' s Ride was a solo riding effort in September 2020 , but still managed to raise over € 2m for charitable causes ; over € 20m has been raised since 2012 . For 2021 the date has been brought forward from its usual end of September date and will now be staged in May each year - Sunday , May 23 in 2021 .
Polaris Chairman and CEO Scott Wine Has Moved On
Minneapolis based Polaris Industries Inc ., the parent company of Indian Motorcycle , has confirmed market expectation that that long-time CEO and Chairman Scott Wine would soon leave for challenges new and is to do so at the end of December 2020 . He is to take up the CEO position at Case New Holland ( CNH Industrial ) - the huge UK headquartered , American-Italian , NYSE traded , $ 28bn a year turnover agricultural and industrial equipment and On-Highway transport vehicle manufacturer . Wine , 53 and a former U . S . Navy officer , joined Polaris twelve years ago just as the company was laid low by the global financial crisis . He steered Polaris through the fall-out from the crash in powersports industry unit sales and had masterminded sales growth in that time from some $ 1.9bn to around $ 7bn last year ( higher than primary motorcycle rival Harley- Davidson ), and establishing Polaris as a global powersports industry powerhouse .
Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2020 , Salt Lake City , Utah based Vortex-EK North America ( Vortex Racing ) has added North American distribution of the full range of SBS brake pads and rotors , including the company ' s popular V-twin brake pads . Vortex sales of SBS products is being headed up by Chris Jensen , the former brand manager for SBS in the U . S . He joined the Vortex-EK team in June of 2020 as director of sales and brand management and brings more than twenty years of motorcycle racing industry experience to the position . " We are pleased to become an SBS distributor and to have Chris join our team to facilitate the expansion of our growing product offering ," says Matt Griffin , president of Vortex-EK .
The growth propelled Polaris into the Fortune 500 ( PII ) and established the company as America ' s leading powersports industry manufacturer . It was under Wine ' s management that Polaris bought Indian Motorcycle in 2011 . Wine drove a strong , some would say aggressive , mergers and acquisitions program during his time . He leaves Polaris with a portfolio of 30 + active brands . Three months ago Wine confirmed that Polaris was to finally make a play for the burgeoning EV market by announcing an innovative relationship with Zero that will drive vehicle electrification across several Polaris markets . " For the last twelve years , I have had the extraordinary honor of leading the best team in powersports , and it is incredibly rewarding to reflect on all that we have accomplished together ," said Wine . " I am most proud of the team and the culture that have made working here so gratifying . Having witnessed first-hand the ingenuity , passion and drive that permeates the
SBS Adds Vortex Racing as a North American Distributor
" SBS Friction is happy to join forces with Vortex Racing as new distributor for the North American market . Vortex has been an SBS partner for many years and we are certain that the SBS brake pads , clutch kits and products in general , fully equipped with indestructible NUCAP NRS bonding and R90 quality certified , can support their position in the American motorcycle aftermarket ", says Christel Munk Pedersen , CSO of SBS Friction A / S . Vortex is also a manufacturer in its own right and is well known for its lightweight aluminum racing sprockets . These days the company also makes racing foot controls , levers , fuel caps and
As Chairman and CEO of Polaris , Scott Wine oversaw the acquisition of Indian Motorcycle and saw annual sales more than triple in his twelve years from $ 1.9bn to around $ 7bn .
company , I leave with complete confidence that Polaris ' future is bright . I also want to offer my sincere thanks to my incredibly talented colleagues and to the Polaris Board for their guidance and leadership during my tenure ." Wine ' s new bailiwick is being by some as a possible steppingstone to eventually securing the CEO post at Fiat Chrysler , or one of its principal rivals in the United States or Europe . CNHI is the product of a merger between the Case New Holland business and the Agnelli family ' s Fiat Industrial group . www . polaris . com
SBS 830 V-twin brake pads are a popular brake pad performance upgrade among Harley riders as they provide " superior brake control in both wet and dry conditions ." Features include advanced NUCAP NRS backing plate bonding technology .
other billet aluminum parts and accessories and is the sole importer of EK Chain in North America . www . sbs . dk www . vortexracing . com
16 AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - JANUARY 2021 www . AMDchampionship . com