Sources: AMD, IDN, FT, Reuters, PSB, MPN, BDN, MCN, AP, Bloomberg, MSNW, Electrek, electricmotorcycles. news, RideApart. com, Motor1. com, Cycle World, motorbikewriter. com
NEWS
BRIEFS
Yamaha Motorcycle Manufacturing Corporation( YMMC) has a new president, with Bob Brown replacing Takahiro Imanishi. Bob began his career at YMMC in May 2019 as VP of Finance & Operations Support, becoming VP of Manufacturing and being a key figure at YMMC ' s largest U. S.-based manufacturing facility in Newnan, Georgia.
Having collapsed into bankruptcy liquidation in October 2024, the assets of failed Italian electric motorcycle manufacturer Energica have so far failed to find a buyer. At the auction at the Court in Medina a first-round base price of € 5.7m with a minimum bid of € 4.274m ended without bids on January 30, 2025. A second round with a reduced base price of € 4.275m, and minimum bid in the region of € 3.2m also ended without bids, on March 20, 2025. Expect a third round to be staged soon with an even further reduced asking price. The sale includes all unsold built and part-built bikes and parts inventory, equipment, tooling, Intellectual Property and much more besides.
Respected Hoya, Germany based importer and distributor Hermann Hartje AG has added the US made Maxima high-performance engine oils, lubricants and care products range. " By working with the most sought-after powersports vehicle motorcycle engine oil manufacturer in the United States we are significantly expanding and specialising our lubricant offering," stated Jens Engelking, head of MotoAuto at Hartje. Maxima offers the full spectrum of product for all applications and sectors but especially well known in USA in the off-road / MX market. Hartje already offers dealers significant brands in the dirt bike sector, including Galfer, UFO Plast, WRP and RK Chain. The best known Maxima products include its two-stroke oil and globally popular semi-synthetic blend oil Castor 927; www. hartje. de, www. maximausa. com
Italian performance exhaust system manufacturer SC-Project is the title sponsor of the 2025 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Series in the United States. A six race 2025 championship will be staged at select MotoAmerica road race weekends. The series started at Daytona at the beginning of March and will include races at the Barber Motorsports Park( Birmingham, Alabama) and the legendary WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca, California before wrapping up at the New Jersey Motorsports Park in September; www. sc-project. com
Harley Reverses Failed Price-Point Strategy
At the end of January an authorized Harley dealer in northern California got in contact to let me know that Harley had started providing inventory of new Nightsters with a retail pricepoint at the $ 10k mark after all. His contact was in response to a piece I had written extolling the virtues of the 2025 Scout and its $ 10k pricepoint. I was bemoaning and sharing dealer ' s pain at the lack of any H-D offer at that critical price-point- one which, despite the effects of inflation, remains a psychologically important barrier. Inevitably, when manufacturers reach for an important entry level price, inventory is usually scarce, and model features are limited. However, the 2025 Nightster is close enough to the 2025 Scout to be in with a shout. Fast forward six weeks to mid-March and Harley released the news formally, as a lower pricing initiative- " Dynamic Performance and Authentic Harley-Davidson Style, Now More Attainable Than Ever " at under $ 10,000. Now, some four weeks later still( mid-April as this edition of AMD went to press) is Harley arriving late to the party after all the beer has gone?
SBS and Kodlin USA Collaboration
Svendborg, Denmark based brakes specialist SBS has announced a collaboration with custom parts and accessory designer Kodlin USA, to develop a new range of brake system components for Harley- Davidson applications that combine performance with cutting edge custom design. " Combining SBS ' s expertise in braking technology with Kodlin USA ' s design excellence, this collaboration promises to elevate the riding experience by offering products that not only enhance braking power but also deliver exceptional aesthetics in design," said Emil Senf Jakobsen, SBS Aftermarket Area Manager for North America. " Featuring the unique hybrid designs of Len Kodlin of Kodlin USA, they are characterized by the distinct fit, form and functional characteristics that meet the demands of both American and European
Has Harley arrived at the party after all the beer has gone? The liquid-cooled Revolution Max 975T engine Nightster is now available at dealerships in the USA for less than $ 10,000. Marketing ' Pre-Owned ' as entry-level for a premium brand was like selling Prada in a thrift store.
Given the news that scarcity and premium pricing brand strategy author Jochen Zeitz is to leave the company, it would appear that there has finally been realization that the brand values he wanted to nurture were the wrong ideas at the wrong time. This initiative something that should have been provided for the dealer ' s locker all along. It has materialised five years too late. Harley should never have left its dealers naked.
demands." The first products to come from the partnership are these new 7XXX series rotors combining custom aesthetics with advanced coatings. Available in unique designs they are available in black, featuring a thermochemical nitride coating that improves wear resistance qualities, and in classic stainless-steel with black contrast details. Each product undergoes rigorous road and dyno testing, and all designs are available for both front and rear fitments. www. sbsbrakes. com www. kodlin-usa. com
Harley had ' owned it ' with the XL 883 / 1200( especially internationally) and threw its competitive advantage away. Loss makers are not a new concept. Global retail has been based on them for decades, centuries in fact. Failing to have an affordable pathway model that created door swings has done irreparable damage. It has cost Harley ' s dealers years that can never be recovered. It has been a major management fail.
12 AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER- MAY 2025 www. AMDmag. com