American Motorcycle Dealer 328 November 2026 AMD 328 Nov 2026 | Page 8

NEWS

BRIEFS

The Lost Decade? When CEO Matthew Levatich unveiled his " More Roads to Harley-Davidson " strategic plan in July 2018, it contained various hugely ambitious plans and target metrics. Those included forecasts for 2027 such as building two million new Harley-Davidson riders in the U. S.; grow international business to 50 % of annual volume; launch 100 new high impact Harley- Davidson motorcycles and deliver a level of superior return on Invested Capital that would see HDMC performing within the top 25 % of S & P 500 listed businesses. Just sayin '!
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Leader at S & S added that " S & S Cycle remains integral to the V-twin performance landscape and drag racing has always been an important
MK 136 engine
part of who we are. Becoming the title sponsor of AMRA is an opportunity to invest in the racers, support the growth of the sport, and connect with the people who push these motorcycles to their limits. " We ' re especially excited to introduce
the MK136 Challenge Class and create more opportunities for racers to compete with S & S performance. We ' re looking forward to working with AMRA and its racers to make the 2027 season a great one." www. sscycle. com
Sources: AMD, IDN, FT, Reuters, PSB, MPN, BDN, MCN, AP, Bloomberg, MSNW, Electrek, electricmotorcycles. news, RideApart. com, Motor1. com, Cycle World, motorbikewriter. com
Seven Hills Harley-Davidson in Cincinnati has closed down after nearly 40 years in business, ending the run of a dealership that began as Eastgate Harley-Davidson in 1986. The closure comes about a year after the dealership was sold to new ownership and rebranded. The announcement was abrupt( twodays ' notice) and unexplained. Customers are being redirected to nearby CinCity Harley-Davidson for ongoing service and support / PSB.
The United States has won the FIM Enduro Vintage Trophy( EVT) for the first time. The American trio of Fred Hoess( Husqvarna), Billy Burns( Can-Am) and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Terry Cunningham( Husqvarna) took the Vintage Veterans Trophy at the tenth running of the event in Zschopau, Germany.
National Powersport Auctions( NPA) has hired Four-time Superbike World Champion Carl Fogarty as a brand ambassador for the American auction and remarketing specialist ' s European business. NPA opened its dealer-only auction platform in Germany in early 2026( Dusseldorf and Hannover), has now commenced operations in Spain( Madrid) and is targeting Italy and France next / B & B
AIMExpo 2027( Florida, March 3-5) is offering attendees two new VIP Daytona Supercross packages at Daytona International Speedway. For those who plan to combine being at Daytona Bike Week with a visit to AIMExpo, the Daytona Starting Gate Experience and Daytona Checkered Flag Experience will offer race access, trackside viewing, premium hospitality, an exclusive track walk, and a Friday night industry party.
For the record, in 2006 HDMC shipped 349,196 motorcycles, hoovered up $ 5.8bn in revenue( at 20-year-old MSRPs), and delivered a 24.4 % Operating Margin- more than any other motorcycle manufacturer globally. Just sayin '!

Indian Motorcycle Racing Caps Historic 2026 KOTB Season

New Jersey Motorsports Park Season Finale, September 25 – 27, 2026
In what will go down in the annals as the final time that the Indian and Harley Factory Bagger Racing teams faced off, the Vance & Hines Motorsports-Built Indian Challenger secured the 10 th win of the seven-Round, 14-Race season, with a Podium Sweep in the first of the weekend ' s two races, setting a new record of 24 Podiums for the series. The team said it has already set its sights on a 2027 pursuit of back-to-back championships, and remains committed to Hyden Gillim and Troy Herfoss. However, although MotoAmerica is holding its cards close to its chest at present, and even though the Indian Challenger has been dominant, the absence of Harley does question the viability of the series for 2027 and beyond. Especially as a resurgent Bagger Racing League ' s command of the ' Grass Roots ' of Bagger Racing looks set to grow stronger. " When you consider that we entered Daytona back in March with only a single testing session under our belt, it ' s pretty amazing to think about what we were able to accomplish," said Mike Kennedy, CEO of Indian Motorcycle. " When you break it all down, this season is the ultimate testament to the superior performance of the Indian Challenger and the broader PowerPlus platform, and to the collaborative power of Indian Motorcycle and Vance & Hines Motorsports." After clinching the 2026 KOTB championship with Hayden Gillim at Circuit of the Americas earlier in September, the J & P Cycles / Motul / Vance & Hines Motorsports Factory
Indian Motorcycle Racing team carried its momentum into the season finale. The team " delivered an unparalleled season of record-breaking success," including an individual record eight wins for Gillim. " This season was incredible, and we ' re proud of everything this team accomplished, but our work doesn ' t stop there," said Kennedy. The results marked a historic first season for the new partnership with Vance & Hines Motorsports, " which came together ahead of the 2026 season to bring a proven performance platform and decades of race development expertise together under one program. At the heart of the effort was the Indian Challenger, powered by the liquidcooled PowerPlus 112 engine, giving the team a strong foundation to develop and refine a purpose-built race package throughout the season." In New Jersey, Herfoss closed out the season with a statement in Race 1, charging from the back of the pack to take his second victory of the season, followed by Gillim in second and Tyler O ' Hara in third to complete the Indian Challenger podium sweep. In Race 2, 2026 Champion Gillim added another podium to his season, bringing his No. 69 home in third to close out the 2026 campaign. " King of the Baggers represents the largest class of motorcycles sold in the United States, and this season has invigorated excitement and enthusiasm for American V-Twin riders all around the globe," said Kennedy. " At the end of the day, it ' s the average rider who benefits most from the competition between Indian Motorcycle and Harley-Davidson. We ' re extremely proud of our success this season but certainly expect the team from Milwaukee to be ready to fight for that No. 1 plate come Daytona 2027." Gillim ' s championship marked Indian Motorcycle ' s fourth King of the Baggers title, joining O ' Hara( 2020, 2022) and Herfoss( 2024) as Indian Motorcycle champions.
8 AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER- NOVEMBER 2026 www. AMDmag. com