THE AMERICAN REPORT
In a major coup, Indian Motorcycle Company has hired Ola Stenegard away from BMW as the company’ s new Director of Product Design. Stenegard brings Indian nearly two decades of product design experience, a lifelong passion for American V-twins and a proven record of success in designing motorcycles that resonate with a global audience.“ Stenegard’ s unique combination of domestic and global expertise aligns perfectly with Indian ' s long-term strategy of driving global growth.“ Ola has been incredibly successful in helping brands expand into new product categories and appeal to a wider variety of riders, which is exactly what Indian will be focused on in the coming years,” said Steve Menneto, President, Indian Motorcycle
Company. Stenegard previously led product design for BMW Motorrad. There he played a critical role in designing several motorcycles, including most recently the BMW R nineT. While his professional focus has largely resided in European motorcycles, Stenegard’ s personal passion has been the design and customisation of American V-twins.“ I couldn’ t be more excited to be joining Indian Motorcycle at a time when the brand has successfully returned itself to prominence and is powered by an increasing level of momentum. There is no brand any more historic to American motorcycling than Indian.” Stenegard took first prize at his first motorcycle show in Stockholm at age 15 with a moped he’ d modified into an
Arlen Ness inspired chopper. He initially worked for SAAB, doing freelance work for Ohlins Suspension, Unique Custom Cycle and MCM Magazine. In 2001, Stenegard returned to the United States( having studied Design in California) to join the then Indian Motorcycle
THE AMERICAN REPORT
Business opportunity: Antigravity’ s all new RE-START Li-Ion battery
Gardena, California based Antigravity Batteries has released what it describes as an all-new“ gamechanging” RE-START series of lithium-ion starter batteries for motorcycles and powersports vehicles. The new RE-START battery, with“ built-in jump starting”, makes being stranded by a dead battery a thing of the past. For example, if a rider left his / her lights on overnight, this would normally be a dead battery emergency requiring jump-starting, push-starting or assistance. But with the new RE- START batteries, you simply press the RE-START button located on the top of the battery to access the battery’ s reserve energy, then start the vehicle and drive away. There will also be a remote key fob button available, which will allow the rider to trigger the RE-START feature without having to remove the seat or a fairing to access the battery.“ The new RE-START batteries are the most technologically advanced motorcycle / powersports batteries ever built,” says CEO Scott Schafer.“ They are the first lithium-ion powersports batteries with a full Battery Management System( BMS) that actively balances the lithium cells while protecting the battery from overcharge, over-discharge and overtemperature conditions.“ These built-in protections make for the longest service life possible, up to two times the life cycle of lead / acid and other lithium starter batteries on the market. We’ ve all been left stranded by a dead battery. It’ s awful, frustrating, and in some situations, if you’ re in the middle of nowhere, it can be very dangerous.“ Our objective as a leader in lithiumion technology for motorsports was to create a vehicle battery that the customer can rely on and not worry about getting stuck in the middle of nowhere with a dead battery, and I’ m happy and proud to say we have done it with this new battery!” All Antigravity RE-START batteries have a new 4-terminal-post design, which allows for easy connection for the user, and the ability for the dealer to carry less stock since one battery will work for right or left side connections on the vehicle. They also come in direct-fit OEM sizes, so there is no foam needed for installation as required by other brands. All the new RE-START batteries come with a 3-year warranty. Sizes are available for most modern motorcycles and powersports vehicles, and also race cars. Established in 2009 offering high power, lightweight and compact
lithium-ion batteries for racing motorsports vehicles, Antigravity has since grown into a leader in lithiumion battery products for all channels of motorsports. Located in Los Angeles, California, Antigravity Batteries” is a company dedicated to building the best in lithium-ion products for the motorsports community,” says Scott.“ We offer the highest quality, most
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innovative and diverse line of lithiumion battery products to meet the demands of all motorsports and powersports enthusiasts and beyond- from our multi-award-winning MICRO-START mini jump starters to our wide range of lightweight, highpower lithium-ion starter batteries for motorcycles and more.” www. antigravitybatteries. com
Indian names Stenegard as Director of Design
in Gilroy, California( under a previous ownership group in the pre-Stephen Julius / Stellican days). In 2003, he joined BMW Motorrad where he would become one of the brand’ s most influential designers over the next 15 years, ascending to Head of Vehicle Design and working on virtually every significant new model programme, ultimately helping the company successfully increase its relevance with a wider range of riders. Over the years, his custom builds have been featured in hundreds of magazines across the world and earned numerous awards at some of the world’ s most renowned motorcycle shows, including the AMD European Championship of Custom Bike Building and Mooneyes, Yokohama.
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