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Finnish electric motorcycle manufacturer Verge has opened its first German retail store , in the centre of Oberhausen . Stores have also opened in UK and USA . The store designs have been masterminded by George Blankenship , who supervised retail store design at Apple and dealership design at Tesla .
When Ducati secured the WorldSBK Manufacturer ' s title at Jerez de la Frontera , Spain , in October , it secured the 20th Manufacturer ' s WorldSBK title in its history , and the third consecutive won with the Panigale V4 R - confirming its status as the most successful manufacturer in the history of WorldSBK . In fact , since the first edition in 1988 , more than half of the Superbike World Championships manufacturer ' s titles ( 20 out of 37 ) have been won by Ducati riders . 2025 will see the debut of another iconic Italian brand , as the newly branded BbKRT Bimota KB998 team makes its ' powered by Kawasaki ' debut .
In USA , regulators have given a strong push to the prospect of seeing electric-powered air taxi services in operation soon . They have issued a final rule for operating the aircraft and how pilots will be trained to fly them . The head of the FAA said the rule recognises air taxis as an entirely new type of aircraft that will soon join airplanes and helicopters in the sky . These aircraft take off and land vertically , like helicopters , but fly like fixed-wing planes . Many companies are working to get them on the market , but until now , they have been held back by the lack of clarity over regulations to govern their use . For the FAA , these ' Powered-Lift Aircraft ' are the first new category of aircraft in nearly 80 years ( since helicopters ) and this rule will now allow for their widespread operation , carrying people and cargo .
BRP said it hit a " milestone " with the production of half a million snowmobiles at its Rovaniemi facility in Finland . " This achievement not only reflects the success of its two flagship brands , Lynx and Ski- Doo , but also testifies to the expertise and know-how of BRP Finland ' s close to 500 employees ." BRP Finland has now started producing all its electric snowmobiles for every BRP market worldwide . BRP has nearly 500 dealers and distributors in EMEA , 150 dealers in Scandinavia , around 40 dealers in Finland , with products sold in over 15 countries worldwide . BRP launched its first electric snow models in 2023 .
Harley-Davidson Reveals Select 2025 Motorcycles - Already Available at Worldwide Dealerships
With additional new models slated to be revealed later in January , Harley used the start of the new year ( January 02 , 2025 ) to unveil " selected " MY2025 initiatives that were already available through its worldwide dealer network - having used a similar twostage strategy last year . Harley also announced Harley- Davidson Factory Custom Paint and Graphics , a new program offering highly desirable paint-and-graphics schemes on select motorcycle models . Additional 2025 Harley-Davidson motorcycles , including the 26th annual installment of the limited-production Custom Vehicle Operation ( CVO ) collection , will be revealed on H-D . com at 5 p . m . CST on January 23 . In the company ' s Grand American Touring line , the company that " invented the cross-country experience confirmed returning models , including the Street Glide , Road Glide , and Road King Special ." In Trike model terms Harley says that returning models - " for those who appreciate the confidence of a threewheel platform " - include the Road Glide 3 , Freewheeler , and Tri Glide Ultra . Harley-Davidson Factory Custom Paint and Graphics " offers premium paintand-graphics schemes on select motorcycle models for customers who crave a unique , show-stopping finish . When ordered through an authorized dealer , a Harley-Davidson Factory Custom Paint and Graphics finish is applied by Harley-Davidson to components installed as the motorcycle is assembled . The customer receives a motorcycle with exclusive paint-and-graphics , backed with a full factory warranty , without the expense or downtime associated with custom paint applied by a third party ." For 2025 , three Harley-Davidson Factory Custom Paint and Graphics offerings will be available on select models . Each paint set features a special black tank medallion with chrome accents and a mother-of-pearl textured background in either purple or orange . Designed to be appreciated in full sunlight ' Mystic Shift ' offers a " dramatic hue shift which travels from a dark gun metal to purple to blue to almost orange ." In what is not perhaps the best branding choice , given recent and developing events in certain parts of the United States , ' Firestorm ' responds to a " current custom trend for flame details in paint . Harley-Davidson offered its first factory flame paint scheme on the 1980 Wide Glide model and has reprised the look several times , most notably on the 2011 Wide Glide model ." The ' Firestorm ' schemes feature a " ghost fade " or inner fade effect - the fade color is slightly brighter than the basecoat . " In certain angles , the flames pop dramatically but are subtle in others . " The ' Firestorm ' schemes are available in two popular colors - ' Midnight Firestorm ', " a dark flamed paint scheme featuring ghosted flames over a Vivid Black base with a charcoal inner glow , and ' Whiskey Firestorm ' features an added midcoat for a deeper orange shade with Ember Sunglo ghost flames with a brighter orange inner glow ." Comment : The uncharitable might be tempted to suggest that Harley has fallen back on that old staple of Harley marketing - ' when you can ' t sell the metal , sell ' em some paint instead '.
2025 Harley-Davidson Touring and Trike Models
16 AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - FEBRUARY 2025 www . AMDmag . com