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
The inaugural, 2025, 4-Round, eightrace European Bagger Racing Cup saw Italy ' s Manuel Grandi take the Championship win on the raceprepared Indian Challenger, following the final races at Jerez, Spain in November 2025. The second year is expected to see the series expand to five race weekends. Former MotoGP and World SBK star and Bagger Racing convert Ruben Xaus( of Fueling race team fame) and primary sponsor Motorcycle Storehouse will now look to build on 2025. The plan is to continue to develop the independent, multi-brand format Bagger Racing series, with the Championship visiting at least one additional market; www. baggereurope. com
MIC announced that AIMExpo has officially sold out all exhibitor space for the 2026 show at the Anaheim Convention Center, January 7-9.
Among the slew of recent authorized Harley dealership transactions, Junge Automotive Group has acquired Coralville, Iowa based Hawkeye Harley-Davidson, from Mike and Pat McGrath of the McGrath Family of Dealerships. The store will continue to trade at its present 46,283 sq ft facility- as Junge Iowa City Harley- Davidson). Hawkeye was McGrath ' s first motorcycle dealership, in 2013.
In October, American sub-prime car loan lender PrimaLend Capital Partners filed for bankruptcy after missing interest payments on its debt. Car loan defaults and repossessions are on the rise among lowincome Americans. In September two other car loan lenders, First Brands and Tricolor, went bust. In October this was in addition to instability again seen in the domestic US regional banking sector. Canaries / coal-mine?
Presented by Harley-Davidson, the 33rd edition of the Durango, Colorado based Four Corners Rally will be on Labor Day Weekend, September 3-6, 2026; www. fourcornersmotorcyclerally. com
In a year ending update MIC President and CEO Christy LaCurelle pointed to " a year of meaningful progress " with important issues confronted including " keeping youth OHVs out of PFAS bans, opposing proposals to sell off large sections of public land, continuing to push for tariff relief, and working with agencies and coalitions for sensible, industry-friendly regulation."
Custom Chrome Europe " Back on Track " with Two New European investors
Custom Chrome Europe had a strong presence at the Custombike Show in Bad Salzuflen during the last weekend in November, showcasing its new ownership with attending investors Reinhard Thor and Reinhard Lidy.
After its ' self-administration bankruptcy protection ' in June, Custom Chrome Europe( CCE) is now poised to emerge from the process and set to resume its comprehensive show program with booth space at the Custombike Show at Bad Salzuflen in northern Germany at the end of November( November 28-30). The new owner is one of the partners in Austrian engineering and manufacturing company RWT Hornegger & Thor GmbH – " a worldrenowned high-tech CNC machine company active in the production of aviation, automotive and motorcycle prototypes and components, owned and operated by Managing Directors Hannes Hornegger and Reinhard Thor. Founded in 1999, RWT moved to new purpose-built manufacturing facilities in 2003 that were further expanded in 2023 to offer over 2,000 sq m of manufacturing space( approx. 20,000 sq ft) for its team of around 30 employees- with RWT AG becoming a new supplier for Custom Chrome Europe, " continuing and strengthening the strategy of having a strong Europe based supply chain that alongside being able to present the many of the main names brand names in the V-twin industry." This marks a new chapter for a business that traces its origin story right back to the earliest days of the V- twin parts and accessory aftermarket in Europe itself- as Tom ' s International. Tom ' s was acquired by the then Morgan Hill, California based Custom Chrome Inc.( aka Global Motorsports Group) business in 1996. The identity was
changed to Custom Chrome Europe in 1997 with the first parts catalog to carry that name being published in Europe in 1998. custom-chrome-europe. com
14 AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER- DECEMBER 2025 www. AMDmag. com