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Reuters reports that according to Eurostat data, EU exports to USA increased by 22.4 % in February compared to the year ago- marking the highest exports growth rate in 13 months and totalling € 51.8bn(~ $ 60bn); imports from the U. S. rose by 2.4 % year-on-year to € 28.2bn(~$ 32bn). In February 2025, the EU as a whole posted a trade surplus of € 23bn(~$ 26bn) compared to a deficit of € 5.6bn(~$ 6bn) in January 2025. In 2024 EU exports to the U. S. had increased by 5.5 % compared to a year earlier, while imports declined by 4.0 %.
American credit card delinquencies have suddenly shot up and are now running at a 13 year high. Recent data published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York show that the proportion of American credit card debt in serious delinquency- balances at least 90 days overdue- surged to 11 % in Q4, 2024. That figure has risen by four percentage points over the past two years and is back to a level last seen in 2011, when unemployment was twice as high as it is today. The proportion of overdue debt for car purchase loans has also climbed, to a four-year high of 5 %.
The famous( infamous!) high speed, 12.9-mile Nürburgring racetrack in Germany has finally moved to ban motorcycles. Always a scary and exhilarating bucket list item, it is a combination public road and race circuit. The ban means no more motorcycles on the public access ' tourist days '- limiting PTW riders to the few track days, club days and organized race school days that are permitted each year.
Do you remember the popular range of Koni shock absorbers? Yes, of course you do! Manufactured in The Netherlands, the original 1857 founded owner( A. de Koning) established Koni in 1928 and started making friction type shocks in 1932. The company started making motorcycle shock absorbers as Koni B. V. in 1967, and was bought by the American ITT Corporation in 1972. It owned and operated Koni until 2001 when the Australian Importer( Proven products Pty Ltd., NSW- Geoff and Louise Lowe) bought the technology and designs but not the brand name- turning the Koni motorcycle suspension product line into IKON Suspension. The iconic(!) IKON coil-over shock range is still made in Australia, and is distributed in USA by Roger Kirwin; ikonsuspensionusa. com
Car ADAS Systems Still Struggling to Detect Motorcycles By Ben Purvis
Radar and camera-based ' advanced driver assistance systems '( ADAS) are commonplace on modern cars and becoming mandatory on new models in the EU under the latest New Vehicle General Safety Regulation( GSR2)- but testing in the USA shows that these systems still struggle to ' see ' motorcycles despite recent improvements. One of the elements of these driver assistance systems is Autonomous Emergency Braking( AEB), which is designed to detect obstacles and automatically apply the brakes if the driver fails to do so. While these systems are shown to be effective in reducing rear-end crashes by as much as 50 %, tests by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety( IIHS) in the USA on 30 new cars showed that a substantial percentage didn ' t react in time to prevent rear-end crashes when approaching a stationary motorcycle dummy. Of the 30 cars and SUVs tested, seven were given a ' poor ' rating and hit the motorcycle dummy even at the lowest testing speed of 50 km / h, with some barely slowing at all. And even stepping up to the cars rated as ' acceptable ', all hit the stationary bike
Janesville, Wisconsin based Drag Specialties and Parts Unlimited based parent company LeMans Corporation has hired Rob Schlueter to fill its new Director of Marketing and Brand Development role. " We ' re excited to have Rob Schlueter on board," said Paul Devine, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at LeMans Corporation. " With a dynamic mix of industry expertise and brand-building horsepower, Rob is set to drive LeMans ' marketing strategy forward, strengthening brand awareness, generating leads, and accelerating revenue growth. " His ability to amplify brands through strategic marketing aligns perfectly with our vision for the future. With Rob leading the charge, we ' re ready to push the throttle and take our marketing efforts to the next
when the testing speed was increased to 70 km / h, albeit reacting enough to reduce their speeds before impact. The results do represent an improvement over the previous IIHS tests, carried out in April 2024, when just one out of ten vehicles tested achieved a ' good ' rating. In the new test, 16 of the 30 cars were rated as ' good ', preventing or substantially mitigating crashes at up to 70 km / h. The EU ' s GSR2 rules have required new cars in the European market to be fitted with AEB since July 2024, as well as so-called ' Intelligent Speed Assist '( ISA) that warns if you ' re speeding( but can be switched off), Driver Drowsiness and Attention Warning( DDAW) intended to detect how tired a driver is, and Emergency Lane Keeping Systems( ELKS) intended to
LeMans Hires Rob Schlueter as New Marketing Director
level." Rob ' s role will be to " ensure a cohesive and compelling brand presence across all channels in this pivotal role while strategically positioning LeMans ' house brands for success in an increasingly competitive market. Think of it as fine-tuning a highperformance machine- every keep cars between the white lines. From July 2026, there will be additional requirements including more driver distraction technology and enhanced AEB specifically intended to work better when it comes to detecting small targets like cyclists and pedestrians. That should also spark further improvements in detecting motorcycles, but there are inevitable concerns that drivers may become increasingly reliant on these automated systems. At the moment there ' s little to no indication that motorcycles themselves will be forced to incorporate riding-assist technology, but the growing number of bikes fitted with radars and the rapidly improving state of the technology means it could become a consideration in the future.
element working together for maximum impact." Rob ' s career has included leadership roles at global heavyweights like Nike, Icon Motosports, Under Armour, SGK, and Saddlemen. " He has built and elevated brands across industries, blending creativity with strategic execution. His experience in design, sales, and marketing gives him a wellrounded approach to growing brands and engaging customers." Rob shares that enthusiasm: " LeMans Corporation has a legacy of innovation and passion for the powersports industry, and I ' m honored to be a part of it. I look forward to working with the talented team to build on that strong foundation and drive greater success." www. dragspecialties. com
10 AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER- MAY 2025 www. AMDmag. com