American Motorcycle Dealer 326 September 2026 AMD 326 Sept 2026 | Page 3

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ROBIN BRADLEY robin @ dealer-world. com

GENERAL MANAGER

SARA VINEY sara @ dealer-world. com

DESIGN & PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

BEN OAG ben @ dealer-world. com

PHOTOGRAPHERS

ONNO WIERINGA MADNESS PHOTOGRAPHY, NL www. madnessphotography. eu

HORST RÖSLER www. motographer. de

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SEPTEMBER 2026(# 326)

COMMENT: Harley Could Unleash a Tsunami of Goodwill........................................ 4

This month ' s Comment was written before news about Harley-Davidson’ s 2027 Model Year news had dropped. Having listened to his dealers, CEO Artie Starrs stated that he intends to reverse the change in MY launch cycle timing implemented by his predecessor. But until we know, we won’ t know just how quickly‘ Milwaukee’ has been able to respond to this particular‘ new broom’ wish-list item.

CUSTOM NATIONALS: Geiselwind, Germany, July 31-August 1, 2026.............. 10,12

An AMD World Championship Approved Custom Bike Show, the huge Autohof Strohofer concert and event hall was packed with more than 160 custom-built motorcycles( and restored or re-imagined classics) from all eras and built on an impressively diverse range of platforms. In what was only the show ' s second year, it was definitely a ' proof of concept ' for the organizers.

AMRA: Going Big at Byron.............................................................................. 42,44

When the PennGrade1 American Motorcycle Racing Association( AMRA) Harley-Davidson drag racing series visited the Byron Dragway for the first time last year( alongside the Rock River west of Chicago in northern Illinois), raceday was a total wash-out. A few sprinkles made for only the slightest of delays this time around, as eliminations ran seamlessly to great side-by-side conclusions.

INDIAN ' ARO ': American Racing Operations........................................................ 48

The formation of an all-new Race Department – Indian’ s American Racing Operations( ARO- pronounced‘ arrow’)- is a powerful signal of just how central racing is to CEO Mike Kennedy ' s vision of the opportunities that await the newly-independent manufacturer. Building on the brand ' s race heritage with new dramas and writing new stories will honor its past and nourish its future.

STURGIS HALL OF FAME: Reimagined Ceremony Marks a Next Stage............ 16

The management board of the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum are to be congratulated for the progress made there in the past two years. Marking the 25th annual Hall of Fame awards breakfast with a reimagined and upgraded status cannot have been an inexpensive undertaking, but for sure is a move that will do much to secure the future of an important program.

INDIAN CHIEF STURGIS: The Battle of the ' Specials '........................................ 18

In advance of new Model Years, OEMs often seek to keep the cash registers ringing by celebrating their heritage and raiding the parts bins( or not). Harley recently gave a debut to its first step towards lower cost entry points with their stripped down ' Deadwood ' Softail and, having announced a new top-end ' Signature Series ', Indian leveraged its 125th brand anniversary with a ' Chief Vintage ' special.

US SALES STATS: MIC Reports Half Year Motorcycle Sales of + 1.9 %.............. 16

The news that 2026 half year on-highway motorcycle sales were + 4.6 % compared to last year( 163,082 units), has provided some reassurance to a sector that has been eying the current market conditions and future trends with no small amount of trepidation. Conversely, having been the ' star of the show ' for some time, off-highway sales were down(-3.3 %/ 66,541) but with dual sport / ADV sales growing again at + 2.2 %( 39,276).