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
PSB has reported that Canada ' s powersports industry association, Moto Canada, has seen a significant drop in first-quarter retail sales data for 15 of the top powersport brands across the industry for the first three months of 2025( vs. Q1 2024). According to Moto Canada ' s Landon French, the impact of the ongoing trade battle, driven by tariffs first imposed by U. S. President Donald Trump and Canadian countertariffs, has hit motorcycle sales the hardest, down nearly 22 % over 2024. Approx. 32 %( 45,000) of all motorcycles, scooters, all-terrain vehicles, and side-by-sides sold in Canada each year are manufactured in the U. S. In contrast, 4,000 motorcycles are manufactured in Canada and sold in the U. S; www. motocanada. com
Along with his brother Kyle, Tyler Malinky is co-Founder of Lowbrow Customs of Brunswick Ohio. Last year saw the brothers celebrate the 20th anniversary of the business. February this year saw the announcement that Chris and Heather Callen of Cycle Source Magazine fame( Mitchell, SD) had awarded Tyler with their Sportsperson of the Year award for 2024- recognizing his years of ' derring-do ' at the Bonneville Salt Flats; www. lowbrowcustoms. com, www. cyclesource. com
The California Court of Appeal ruled on March 24 that the California Coastal Commission exceeded its authority prohibiting off-road vehicles from driving through Oceano Dunes on the state ' s Central Coast.
As at April 30, an initial data read says that the U. S. economy shrank at a 0.3 % annual pace from January through March, the first drop in three years. First-quarter growth was slowed by a surge in imports as companies in the United States tried to bring in foreign goods before massive increases in import taxes were imposed. The Q1 drop reversed a 2.4 % gain in Q4 of 2024; consumer spending also slowed sharply, to 1.8 % growth from 4 % in Q4; Q1 Federal government spending plunged 5.1 %. Some analysts suggested that the 41 % surge in imports- the fastest outside of COVID-19 economic disruptions since 1972- is likely to reverse in the Q2, removing a weight on GDP with April-June growth rebounding with a 2 % gain.
Red River H-D, a family-owned dealership operating for 40 years in the Wichita Falls area, is now under new ownership, according to reporting by PSB. Sold by the Gilmore family, the new owners are Willy and Donna Sullivan, and they have renamed the store Copperhead H-D Wichita Falls. The Sullivans also own American Eagle H-D in Corinth, Texas and Diamondback H-D in Lawton / Fort Still, Oklahoma.
Richard Teerlink 1939-2025
A pivotal figure in Harley-Davidson ' s survival in the 1980s, after its emergence from under the ownership of AMF, the passing for former Harley CFO and CEO Richard Teerlink sees the V-twin industry mourning a man who played a major role in securing and shaping a future for ' The Motor Company '. In fact, the lending deals that Teerlink finally secured on December 23rd, 1985, came only days before Harley was slated to file for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy on January 1st, 1986- the paperwork was done and ready, that ' s how close it came. In the short term, the specific crisis that triggered the emergency was the decision taken by Citicorp to secure its interests from the risk of further losses by calling in its note. Citicorp had been the lead financier when the investor group of executives bought Harley out from AMF ownership in 1981. In the end, despite multiple failed attempts to raise fresh money, and with the help of Steve Deli from Dean Witter Reynold ' s office in Chicago( DWR had been asked to prepare the bankruptcy filing paperwork) Teerlink as CFO and Vaughn Beals as the CEO at that stage managed to secure a deal with an initially reluctant Heller Financial Corporation in Chicago. Citicorp had to accept a financial ' haircut ' but got $ 49m out of the deal that Teerlink had created. By way of a stunning ' sidebar factoid '- that is the same Steve Deli who went on to establish Harley-Davidson Financial Services( HDFS); and who,
Parts Unlimited and Drag Specialties have announced the return of the North American NVP Product Expo, set to take place at the Baird Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for a second time- September 6-7, 2025. " This year ' s event promises to be the most epic expo to date, bringing together top industry professionals, motorcycle enthusiasts, and dealers from across North America. " The expo will feature an expansive Bike Show Saturday evening, showcasing custom builds across Vintage, Metric, and V-twin classes. Attendees can experience these stunning machines on display at the Skyview Terrace and Baird Ballroom, both located within the Baird Center. " In addition to the bike show, the event will host a Meet & Greet with key later, with his wife and former Harley Marketing VP Ann Deli, established and still own and operate the American Road Group which owns and operates some 20 Harley-Davidson dealerships and retail merchandise stores- mostly in New England and Florida. The three secondary banks that had originally financed the AMF buy-out with Citicorp also went along with Teerlink ' s plan- First Wisconsin National Bank in Milwaukee, Mellon
Bank East in Philadelphia and Bank of New England in Boston. In his memoir ' Ride Free ', Willie G. Davidson( one of ' The 13 ') describes how Teerlink got a call from someone at Heller on New Year ' s Eve saying that they couldn ' t possibly get all the required signatures and transfer the money in time to close the deal. " To this day I don ' t know how Rich did it, but he persuaded the lender to stay open late. Many of our executives were sitting in a bank in downtown Milwaukee, pacing the floor and praying that the deal would get done.
figures from the motorcycle world, offering attendees exclusive networking opportunities. " This year we are raising the bar with new experiences designed to deliver more value, excitement, and engagement for our dealers." New format highlights are set to include a free gift for attending dealers, special show discounts and dealer incentives, exciting giveaways on Sunday, dealer training on the expo floor and a BRL Bagger Bike Build-Off.
" There were two big stacks of papers on a desk: one for refinancing and another for bankruptcy. We would be signing one of them at the end of the night. Finally, at around 11 p. m., all of the required refinancing documents were signed, money was transferred to Citicorp, and Harley-Davidson survived with only an hour to spare." The rest as they say is history, and it was certainly historic. Although, as Willie G. says, that wasn ' t the end of Harley ' s travails, and there were many tough decisions still ahead, not least a loss of some 40 percent of the headcount, it did at least give the company a foundation on which to move forward. Having initially joined Harley in 1981, Teerlink went on to head Harley as CEO until the late 1990s. Having met the short-term challenges head on, in the long run it is his leadership style, a cooperative and inclusive rather than ' command and control ' style that is widely credited with re-inventing a post AMF era Harley culture that allowed the team he built and motivated to re-build Harley anew. A culture that from Juneau Avenue right through to the Capitol Drive and York, PA. shop floors, from the unions to the dealers, brought everyone along with his vision of a team mission in which everyone could be a winner. Following the 1986 IPO, that management style saw Harley prosper and become a stock market darling and dominant global heavyweight motorcycle manufacturer of the 1990s and the 2000s. Thankyou Mr Teerlink.
2025 North American NVP Expo
Milwaukee, WI, September 6-7, 2025
" This is more than just a trade show," said Paul Devine, VP of Sales and Marketing at LeMans Corporation, " it ' s a celebration of motorcycle culture and community. " We ' re bringing together the best products, the most passionate people, and unforgettable experiences under one roof." Dealers can register to attend the NVP Product Expo with their Parts Unlimited or Drag Specialties Sales representative. www. dragspecialties. com
12 AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER- JUNE 2025