NEWS
BRIEFS
A question mark has been thrown over the long-term viability of the versatile Greaves four-stroke singlecylinder BS III Diesel engine powered ‘ Multix ’ multipurpose personal unitality produced by Polaris and its 50 / 50 Indian joint venture partner Eicher Motors ( owner of Royal Enfield ). The vehicle may be about to fall foul of India ’ s accelerated program of emissions regulation updates as the country grapples with some of the worst urban air pollution in the world .
U . S . Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta visited BMW ’ s Munich , Germany headquarters and manufacturing plant in mid-May . The visit included an extensive tour through the production and technical apprenticeship training facility . BMW directly employs some 9,000 workers at its Spartanburg , Sc . plant - its largest production facility in the world - supporting 70,000 direct and indirect jobs in the United States . Seventy per cent of the plant ’ s production is exported , making BMW the largest exporter by value of any car manufacturer in the USA . Over the last ten years , BMW has invested more than $ 220m on training workers in Spartanburg and forecasts a further $ 200m Spartanburg workforce training investment in the coming years – given BMW ’ s stated domestic U . S . ambitions , especially with its R nineT models , it makes one wonder how much of that may now be focussed on motorcycle manufacturing training !
Harley and leading motorcycle rentals company EagleRider have entered an exclusive partnership that will allow travelers to now be able to rent and tour on the most current Harley-Davidson Touring and Cruiser motorcycles at EagleRider locations around the United States . Customers will also benefit from an expanded network of EagleRider pick-up and drop-off points , with many of them now located in Harley- Davidson dealerships .
Biker ’ s Choice has Brass Balls
When Dar Holdsworth , a former AMD Production class World Championship winner , started his Brass Balls Cycles off-shoot in 2006 , he had no idea his hobby of building motorcycles in his free time would turn into a full-time bikes and parts design business . Now , 10 years later , Biker ’ s Choice has inked a distribution deal with Brass Balls Cycles to sell Dar ’ s fast growing range of designs . “ We are grateful and super excited to be working with Tucker Rocky / Biker ’ s Choice ,” says Dar . “ The entire team embraced us as one of their own from the start and that has really added fuel to the fire and charged us up ,” he added . Brass Balls Cycles has been honored with numerous awards for their customized
Indian – “ Spirit of Munro ” program
Indian Motorcycle is to pay tribute to Bonneville legend Bert Munro ’ s historic Land Speed Record of 50 years ago , backing an attempt by the New Zealander ’ s great nephew , road racer Lee Munro , to set a new Land Speed Record at Bonneville this year ( August 13 ). “ Motorcycling is about shedding boundaries and limitations to go beyond the norm , and there is no better example of that than Burt Munro ,” said Reid Wilson , Indian Motorcycle Marketing Director . “ Driven by unparalleled determination and a legendary passion for the pursuit , Burt Munro embodies the motorcycles , including those 2011 and 2012 back-to-back Production class wins and multiple additional podiums at the AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building and elsewhere . In addition to the motorcycles they have built and customized for their customers , they have also crafted several bikes to support the troops . They are active supporters of charities such as Pros4Vets , Wounded Warriors , Intrepid Fallen Heroes and Warriors for Freedom . Now Dar ’ s attention is firmly focussed on a burgeoning program of parts and accessories that combines contemporary manufacturing precision with a convincing classic styling that is right in the crosshairs of the current retro and shed build market .
spirit of Indian Motorcycle , and we couldn ’ t be prouder to honor his legacy with an updated version of his historic record on the Bonneville Salt Flats in August .” For the updated record attempt , Lee Munro will pilot a modern Indian Scout with a powertrain modified by the Indian Motorcycle engineering team in an effort to become the world ’ s fastest modern Indian motorcycle . The attempt will not break Burt ’ s record , but instead will honor his storied legacy in the world of motorcycling . Fueled by their own ambition to push beyond boundaries , Indian ’ s team of engineers
BIKER ’ S CHOICE Fort Worth , Texas , USA Tel : 817 258 9000 www . brassballscycles . com www . bikerschoice . com
volunteered to be a part of this historic attempt , working on the project “ after hours .” The team will undergo several test runs in El Mirage , Calif ., before Lee Munro takes to the “ The Great White Dyno .” “ My uncle Burt was a significant inspiration for my own racing career , and his appetite for speed is clearly a part of my DNA ,” said Lee Munro , the grandson of Burt ’ s first cousin . “ What Indian Motorcycle is doing is fantastic , and I couldn ’ t be prouder to partner with them and pilot my own Scout at Bonneville in honor of my uncle and the 50th anniversary of his historic record .” Born and raised in Invercargill , New Zealand , the same town as his great uncle Burt , Lee Munro has captured numerous titles on every road and street race circuit in the South Island of New Zealand . With plans to race the Isle of Man , Lee attended the Manx GP in 2016 to gain knowledge of the track and better prepare himself . Most recently , Lee won the vintage class at the Methven Street Races earlier this year on a 1941 Indian motorcycle .
16 AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - JUNE 2017 www . AMDchampionship . com