American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 248 March 2020 | Page 16

NEWS
BRIEFS
Ambitious British motorcycle maker
Norton has filed for bankruptcy amid
a flurry of accusations of pension
fund misuse and general financial
malfeasance. It looks highly likely that
some kind of Phoenix Norton project
will emerge, with several motorcycle
industry and former investors
rumored to be trying to rescue the
brand. Norton's Chinese proto-
collaborator Zongshen could be a
candidate, and while Triumph have
ruled themselves out of the running,
their Indian partner and KTM
shareholder Bajaj Auto may be
another.
Polaris announced a +2% in its
regular quarterly cash dividend,
raising the payout to $0.62 per
share. This increase represents
the 25th consecutive year of
Polaris increasing its dividend
effective with the 2020 first
quarter.
The tough times for newstrade
dependent print magazine publishers
continues with leading German
custom motorcycle and tattoo
magazine publisher and event
operator Huber Verlag filing for a
form of bankruptcy protection. It is
expected to emerge from what is
essentially an administration process
with the most popular of its
publishing assets and its annual Bad
Salzuflen Custombike Show
(December) intact.
Industrial Opportunity Partners
(IOP), an "operations-focused"
Evanston, Illinois private equity
investor which owns Torrance,
CA. based Edelbrock LLC, has
bought the COMP Performance
Group - aka Competition Cams
of Memphis, TN. Best known in
the V-twin market for its V-
Thunder range of cams and
valvetrain components, initially
at least the respective
management teams will operate
as independent organizations.
Vic Edelbrock was a legendary
automotive aftermarket
performance parts engineer
(best known for Edelbrock
heads), racer and one of the
founders of the American hot
rod movement. On his son Jr.'s
watch the company was active
within the V-twin market for a
decade or so around the turn of
the century - especially with
Twin Cam EFI Performer RPM
kits for Twin Cam Big Twins. Vic
Sr. was famous for being the
first man to get one horsepower
per cubic inch from a 283 Chevy
small-block in 1958.
16
Vance & Hines - AFT SuperTwins
Class Sponsorship, Operation
of H-D Team
Vance & Hines has been named the
presenting sponsor of the American
Flat Track (AFT) SuperTwins class, the
premier AFT racing class, and has
confirmed that it will continue to
provide 'end-to-end' support for
Harley-Davidson's three riders in the
series.
Team members include former
Champion Bryan Smith, Jarod
Vanderkooi and Dalton Gauthier, who
will ride Vance & Hines-tuned Harley-
Davidson XG750R motorcycles.
"It's natural for us to dive deeply into
this series. Vance & Hines was built on
making motorcycles go fast. Our
partners at Harley-Davidson, our
customers and our employees know
how passionate we are about racing,"
said Terry Vance, the Hall of Fame drag
racer who founded the company with
his tuner/partner Byron Hines in 1979.
Vance & Hines President Mike
Kennedy, who during his tenure at
Harley-Davidson launched the
company's highly successful efforts in
NHRA Pro Stock motorcycle drag
racing, feels just as engaged. "Our AFT
Starting with the season’s first race in
Daytona Beach, AFT has renamed the
premier class as the AFT SuperTwins
presented by Vance & Hines.
www.vanceandhines.com
Hall of Fame drag racer and Vance &
Hines co-founder Terry Vance will
continue to lead Harley-Davidson’s
efforts to win another championship
in American Flat Track racing.
sponsorship program places our brand
prominently in front of our fans and
running the Harley-Davidson racing
program puts us right there on the
track. This is who we are," said
Kennedy.
"We make great performance
products, and we do that because our
racing DNA guides our product
development and our production. No
other company in the industry is as
engaged in racing performance as
Vance & Hines, and we're really proud
of that."
Harley-Davidson factory team
member Jarod Vanderkooi (#20) will
begin this year’s campaign to win
AFT’s SuperTwins presented by
Vance & Hines at Daytona in March.
FTR 1200 Rally - a Scrambler with
Cruise Control
Indian Motorcycle used the occasion of
being returning presenting sponsor for
the 11th annual One Moto Show
(Portland, Oregon, February 7-9) to
follow up Drake's 2019 unveiling of his
custom Indian FTR 1200 hooligan race
bike with a new model for the North
American market, alongside the debut
of a custom Indian Challenger by
motocross icon and custom builder
Carey Hart.
The 1200 cc FTR Rally is described as
combining "Scrambler styling with
modern performance." Launched
internationally in Milan at EICMA in
November 2019, the FTR Rally is now
shipping to Indian Motorcycle dealers
throughout the U.S. and Canada.
"With an urban Scrambler aesthetic
that's certain to turn heads, the FTR
Rally takes a step in a new direction
while still maintaining some of the
original styling DNA of the FTR 1200.
The FTR Rally features Titanium Smoke
paint on the Indian Motorcycle
headdress graphic, aluminum wire
wheels with stainless steel spokes and
a red pinstripe, brown aviator seat, a
new rally windscreen and Pirelli
AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - MARCH 2020
Scorpion Rally STR tires.
Reid Wilson, Vice President of Indian
Motorcycle, said: "We're excited to
offer North American riders a new take
on the FTR 1200 that combines the
unmistakeable look and stance of the
FTR with the more classic, rugged
elements that have made scramblers so
beloved to city riders. The FTR 1200 is
as much about style and self-expression
as it is about street-oriented
performance, and the FTR Rally delivers
that combination in a totally unique
way."
Said to "combine responsive handling
with upright ergonomics to create a
commanding riding experience suitable
for urban environments or backroad
adventures," the FTR Rally is equipped
with cruise control [a bit weird - Ed.], a
USB fast charge port, new two inch
higher ProTaper handlebars and an LED
headlight and turn signals.
"The 1203 cc V-twin engine features a
smooth power delivery with loads of
low-end punch. The engine produces
123 horsepower, 87 ft-lbs of torque,
and features a flat torque curve to
deliver a fun riding experience in all
conditions. The engine is housed in a
black trellis frame and the FTR Rally will
continue to feature an inverted front
suspension with radially mounted dual
Brembo brakes for exceptional control
and stopping power." Pricing will start
at $13,499 MSRP.
www.AMDchampionship.com