S & S Cycle Announced the Passing of Warner Riley
Warner Riley was " the complete package ". His relationship with S & S Cycle began back in the mid-1960s, first as a customer and then as a friend. Early on, he had purchased some parts from S & S to build a larger displacement Sportster and doing some weekend racing at local drag strips around Chicago. During construction of the engine, he ran into a problem when fitting the intake manifold to his cylinder heads. Thinking there was a problem with the machining, he called S & S Cycle owner George Smith. After talking for a while explaining what he encountered, Warner asked if he could bring his engine so George could look at everything at his home in Blue Island, Illinois. After inspection, George determined that the problem was not in the machining of the manifold, but in the way the aftermarket big bore cylinders Warner was using were made. Warner, a graduate mechanical engineer, immediately understood after the problem was diagnosed. At the time, George was working on a new project- a high-performance carburetor for Harleys that was his life-long dream, so some trips to the racetrack seemed like a great idea. It wasn ' t long before a friendship evolved between the two. Warner ' s love for competition and going fast and George ' s suggestion soon lead to racing at the " great white dyno," the Bonneville Salt Flats. It turned out to be the perfect venue for S & S Cycle to test the durability of its products and for Warner to satisfy his " need for speed." Quickly George saw the complete package in Warner. He was a smart, college trained engineer, with a good knowledge of the motorcycle industry, Harley- Davidsons and racing, and was articulate- so he could put his thoughts and actions into words. During the first few years of racing at Bonneville, the pair established themselves by setting record after record, at least 16 total at one time, with the highlight being Warner ' s entry into the coveted motorcycle 200 mph club. Along the way, they
both were part of the Harley-Davidson team that sponsored the Denis Manning motorcycle streamliner in 1970 that set the motorcycle land speed record, which still stands, with
Warner building and supplying the engines, George supplying his new carburetor and doing the tuning. Warner became news for the motorcycle publications, and because
S & S Cycle Sadly Announces the Passing of Warner Riley
of his ability to convey a message, he began writing a monthly magazine column. His knowledge about the magazine industry and association with the publications enabled S & S Cycle to more efficiently advertise on a broader scale, making the public more aware of the company, and that greatly helped sales of S & S products. Meanwhile, Warner ' s relationship with the Harley-Davidson factory and racing department blossomed beyond his primary interest of simply going fast. His training as a mechanical engineer and ability as a motorcycle rider put him in a unique position to test and evaluate Harley handling characteristics, performance, and features. He retired from active Bonneville racing for S & S Cycle shortly after George Smith Sr. passed away in 1980. His friendship with the business and family did not end there though, and nor did his enthusiasm for the sport.
Tax Credits for American-Made Motorcycle Purchases
In the United States, the MRF reports that when Donald Trump ' s ' Big Beautiful Bill ' finally made it through all its legislative stages, from the motorcycle industry ' s perspective, it did so with one very important provision still intact. Anyone buying a new motorcycle made or assembled in the United States can treat any interest paid on the finance as a tax-deductible. Here are some important points to note. The deduction has a cap of $ 10,000 and the benefit phases out based on increasing income levels. The change creates an " above-theline " deduction for vehicle loan interest, meaning it reduces the adjusted gross income before calculating the taxable income.
The position of the deduction is important because it will be available to most taxpayers, even those who do not itemize deductions. The bill states that vehicles impacted must be " manufactured primarily for use on public streets, roads, and highways " and are " a car, minivan, van, sport utility vehicle, pickup truck, or motorcycle." This policy is temporary, with an expiration in 2028, but the MRF recommends that if you or one of your customers or anyone you know is in the market for a new bike over the next three years, they should be sure to do some research to see if this new policy will benefit them. At the time of writing, some of the American Made / Assembled full production motorcycles reporting 2025 production that the MRF says it could apply to include( but not necessarily limited to) Buell Motorcycles, Harley-Davidson, Indian Motorcycles and Zero Motorcycles. Some of the Bespoke / Boutique / Limited Production Motorcycles that it could apply to include ARCH Motorcycle, Boss Hoss Cycles, Cleveland CycleWerks, Combat Motors Motorcycles, Curtiss Motorcycles, Janus Motorcycles and Lightning Motorcycles. www. mrf. org
10 AMD- AUGUST 2025 www. AMDmag. com