NEWS
BRIEFS
In collaboration with the Congressional Motorcycle Caucus in Washington, DC., the MIC has briefed on“ Intelligent Transportation Systems and Automated Vehicle Applications Impacts on Motorcycle Safety”- specifically on vehicle-to-vehicle technologies( V2V). The benefits of such tech to the motorcycles and riders of the future include collision mitigation and avoidance, something that speaks with a loud voice to emerging generations of consumers. Hitherto the U. S. motorcycle industry, and specifically Harley-Davidson and( less so) Indian Motorcycle / Polaris, are notably some years behind the developments and concepts that are being actively researched and tested in Europe, Japan and elsewhere in Asia.
BRP reported a + 16.4 % increase in Q1 revenue( for the period ending April 30), up by CAN $ 159.8m to CAN $ 1,136.7m- largely attributed to increases in sales of‘ year-round’ products. North American powersports vehicle retail sales were + 9 %, largely driven by increases in SSV sales. Gross profit was up by CAN $ 54.5m( 28 % of revenues); EBITDA was CAN $ 126.6m( 11.1 % of revenues).
Sumax Cycle Products of Oriskany, NY,( Kirk Van Scoten) has‘ passed the flame’ for sales and manufacturing of its high strength, lightweight fenders and bags to well-known glass fiber manufacturer Oldy’ s Custom Composites of Hull, Iowa. With its origins in 1978, Oldy’ s has been fabricating motorcycle parts since 1995 and are best known as HD Bagger parts. Its bestselling fender, the“ Bear Claw”, has been in production for 20 years and the company estimates it has produced somewhere between 25,000 to 30,000 fenders since 1998, acquiring the fender product line of Classic Motor Works of South Dakota in 2010. Sumax will continue as a powder-coater and designer and master distributor of its Taylor spark plug wires and battery cables programs.
West Bend H-D is the latest store to fall within the gravitational pull of Ozzie and Jill Giglio’ s Milwaukee Motorcycle Company( MMC), an affiliate of Windy City Motorcycle Company, which now owns some 15 authorized Harley-Davidson dealerships in Illinois and Wisconsin.
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began to experiment with electric motorcycles and built a bike that set a land speed record of 165.387 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats. In 1975, he built a Yardney battery-powered street prototype that climbed New Hampshire’ s Mt. Washington, and then developed the“ City Bike,” an electric bike available to consumers. He also developed electric conversion kits for the VW Beetle. In the late 1970s, Corbin Gentry was split into East and West Coast divisions, and the eastern operations were sold. Mike retained ownership of the West Coast operations, which were renamed Corbin Pacific. He turned his attention to the physical fitness market and began working with Don Schoeck to design bodybuilding machines. Soon after, they patented and produced several lifting and rowing machines. The early 1980s saw Corbin continue to develop quality bodybuilding equipment, endorsed by professionals such as Arnold Schwarzenegger. At the same time, motorcycle seat sales soared with the creation of the“ Gunfighter” model, an innovative rumble seat. The company expanded again in 1989, setting up a new factory in Castroville, Calif. During the 1990s, Corbin Pacific experienced even more growth. Distribution expanded to Europe, and
The‘ Wall’ saddle for’ 07-’ 16 Sportsters
a showroom was opened in Daytona Beach, Fla.; saddlebags and boots were added to the product line-up. The company moved into an 80,000 plus
‘ electric land speed record’
square-foot facility in Hollister, Calif., and Corbin Pacific became a major sponsor and organizer of the 50th Anniversary Hollister Motorcycle Rally. In 1996, Mike and his son, Tom, began to develop the Sparrow— a singleseat, enclosed electric vehicle that
The‘ Widowmaker’ Touring saddle
would be registered as a motorcycle. The new company, Corbin Motors, also developed a V-twin powered threewheel vehicle named the Merlin. Unfortunately, due to large development costs and the downturn of the U. S. economy, Corbin Motors was forced to file bankruptcy in 2003.“ Electric vehicles have always been central in my career,” Corbin said.“ Sparrow was my best product ever, but with the poorest business plan.” Corbin then enrolled in the Owners and Managers course at Harvard.“ Business is a word using many esses, because business keeps twisting and turning. I had a very difficult time becoming a‘ business’ guy, which I needed to do in order to be sustainable,” he said. Corbin and his companies have been awarded over 70 mechanical patents, trademarks and copyrights.“ I guess the focus has been the sheer joy of serving motorcycle riders through product invention and development,” he said. Corbin was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2000; fast forward to 2018 and those fifty years have flown by. Nowadays his company has seat designs either in inventory or patterns stored for some 1,200 motorcycles. www. corbin. com
The‘ Sparrow’ ZEV design was awarded a US patent
22 AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER- JULY 2018 www. AMDchampionship. com