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
Having bought Idaho based Timbersled in 2015, Indian Motorcycle Owner Polaris Industries has, effectively, closed the subsidiary. Timbersled snow bike production has already ended with kit production due to finish at the end of 2025. There will be no MY2026 offer.
Piaggio saw total FY2024( the period to December 31, 2024) group-wide consolidated sales revenue fall by-14.3 %, with global PTW unit sales down by a massive 17.5 % at 359,000 units( down from 436,300 units in 2023) generating net sales of € 1,298.3m. Asia Pacific region sales were hit hardest(-38.8 %) as a result in a sharp decline in demand for premium products in China and Thailand. Demand for the Aprilia RS 457 helped push sales revenue up in India by + 10.7 %. In the scooter segment, Piaggio says it recaptured the leadership of the European market with a 21.4 % share; its share of the North American market reached 28.1 %.
Founded in 2023, Dust Moto( Bend, OR) has unveiled an all-electric Dirt Bike that is claims is " redefining approachable performance on two wheels." On a mission to be the number one American moto brand globally- " with riding fun at its core "- its ' Hightail ' is a 42 hp and 660 Nm of torque slimline sub-100 kg package. " The dirt bike delivers a radically simplified user experience, compact chassis, swappable 4.4 kWh battery pack, and whisper quiet drivetrain delivering peak riding enjoyment for more riders across more terrains." Pre-orders are being taken with a fully refundable $ 100 deposit. Development has been in partnership with Bloom, a Detroitbased manufacturing platform focused on electric vehicles.
The announcement last year that Honda, Mitsubishi and Nissan had arrived at the Memorandum of Understanding stage( MOU) in respect of a proposed merger came as a surprise to those outside the Japanese automotive industry. Well, just as much of a surprise was the February 2025 announcement that the three had fallen out of love and torn up those same plans. Honda says that " going forward, the three companies will collaborate within the framework of a strategic partnership aimed at the era of intelligence and electrified vehicles. This framework was established within the MOU signed on August 1 last year, striving to create new value and maximize the corporate value of each company." Okay then, remaining friends but not moving in together.
Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Gray Ghost- 2025 Icon? By Ben Purvis
Each year since 2021, Harley- Davidson has added a limited-edition model to its ' Icons Motorcycle Collection ' range to reflect a different element of the company ' s history. Though not yet confirmed at the time of writing, it would appear that the 2025 machine will be the new Fat Boy Gray Ghost- to mark 35 years of the Fat Boy. The bike ' s existence has already been confirmed by multiple type-approval registrations across Europe and the USA, giving a strong insight into what we can expect from the machine. The name alone- spelt ' Grey Ghost ' in European markets but listed with the American spelling of ' Gray Ghost ' on documents published by the EPA in the United States- gives a strong indication of what to expect. The same name has long been an unofficial nickname for the original, 1990 version of the Fat Boy, which was launched in a silver-grey paint scheme with yellow highlights in the form of rings around the rocker covers, timing covers and ignition switch- plus a
In April 2025, Indian Motorcycle unveiled two Limited-Edition ' Elite ' Models based on its Championship winning Liquid-Cooled, PowerPlus 112 Motor- a Challenger and an Elite. Each individually numbered Elite model delivers " an extraordinary level of detail, custom-quality paint straight from the factory, high-end components, and advanced rider technologies aimed at improving rider awareness and enhancing rider convenience," said Aaron Ajax, Vice President, Indian Motorcycle. The Challenger Elite design inspiration is said to have been pulled from the legacy of Gene " Alabama
The original H-D Fat Boy in Gray & Orange from 1990
unique version of the H-D logo that appeared only on that first-year model. A myth has long swirled around this original model that the grey-andyellow colour scheme, plus the somewhat military look of tank logo on the 1990 bike were a nod to WW2 B29 bombers, and that the ' Fat Boy ' name was a contraction of ' Fat Man ' and ' Little Boy '- the two atomic bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima in 1945. Harley has always denied this, but the
Flash " Walker, who set a land-speed record on his Indian PowerPlus in 1920 and was considered the " fastest man alive." Wearing a tri-tone paint job highlighted with shattered glass particles in the paint for added brilliance and depth, in a nod to Walker ' s legacy, each Challenger Elite features an individually numbered center console with an image of Gene Walker ' s PowerPlus racer- in addition to distinctive PowerPlus 112 engine covers and Elite badging throughout. The Pursuit Elite draws its style inspiration from the production of 20,000 PowerPlus motorcycles for the U. S. Army in 1916. The tri-tone paint
Fat Boy ' s launch came just as H-D was fighting off an influx in new Japanese cruisers and even 35 years on it ' s a story that ' s still told. Harley dropped the grey paint, yellow stripes and the logo after just one year, making the 1990 Gray / Grey Ghost a collectable machine. We can be pretty certain that the 2025 Fat Boy Gray Ghost ' s paint scheme will be similar to the 1990 Fat Boy, with the same 1,923 cc ' 117 ' Milwaukee-Eight V-twin as the standard Fat Boy.
Indian Challenger and Pursuit Elite
is highlighted with the artistry of hand-painted Championship Gold accents, distinctive engine covers, exclusive Elite badging throughout and an individually numbered center console. Loaded with tech features and creature comforts only 350 Indian Challenger Elites and 250 Indian Pursuit Elites were available worldwide- starting at $ 39,999 for the Challenger and $ 49,999 for the Pursuit. Apologies for the inappropriately dark picture- this is what Indian Motorcycle ' s PR agency think constitutes good comms!
18 AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER- MAY 2025