Fast Motorcycle Industry News

1- Global Market for E-Scooters and E-Motorcycles to Surge. The global market for electric motorcycles and scooters is expected to surge, with the number of vehicles projected to jump from 17 million in 2011 to more than 138 million by 2017. The two-wheel electric vehicles, which are already popular across Asia, will become increasingly common elsewhere as the rising cost of petroleum-based fuels and government incentives will drive market growth, according to the report by Pike Research. “They are relatively low cost to own, do not take a lot of space, and are easy to maintain, therefore making them attractive for city dwellers,” said Dave Hurst, a senior analyst for the Colorado-based clean-technology research firm. While the market for electric scooters will be six times greater than electric motorcycles in most markets, e-motorcycles are expected to be the more popular choice in some parts of the world, including North America, because of their improved speed and greater range. The growth of electric vehicles will spur an increased demand for batteries, with the market for lithium ion batteries for e-motorcycles expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 24 percent from 2011 to 2017, and the market for lithium ion batteries for e-scooters predicted to increase at 19 percent.

2- Harley-Davidson to resume hosting Open House at York Bike Night. After a one-year hiatus, Harley plans to bring back the Open House event during this year’s Bike Night, scheduled for Sept. 29 through Oct. The thousands planning to flock to York Bike Night this year will get a first peek inside the changes taking place at Harley-Davidson’s Springettsbury Township operations. This means Bike Night guests can take self-guided tours of the newly restructured factory, where Touring, Trike and Softail models will be made under the same roof. “Even if you’ve been to the event before, this is the first time we’re opening the doors on the newly restructured factory,” said Michael DiMauro, spokesman for the York County Harley site. “It’s the first time people will get to see what exactly we’ve been doing inside the gates for the last year and a half.” More details will be available at York Open House.

3- The Japanese motorcycle motorcycle production was down 41.5% in March after the devastating Earthquake and subsequent tsunami on March 11. For the month of March, Japanese The Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Association reported that 37,841 units from Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and Honda were produced, compared to 64,711 units in March of 2010. As for exports, 44,971 motorcycles were shipped compared to 49,792 units total recorded in March 2010, which is a decrease of 4,821 units or 9.7 percent

4- The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame just announced the 2011 Freedom Fighters Hall of Fame Inductee, Rodney Taylor of Indiana. Taylor has been actively involved in the motorcyclists rights movement since the early 1980s.  His interest was first piqued by rider education and he has worked endless hours on this community service.  He’s donated time and money to help develop motorcycle safety programs and to purchase equipment.  He paid for all of the costs of establishing the first Mobile Training Unit (MTU) for ABATE of Indiana’s Motorcycle Safety Division in 1985.  This first MTU laid the groundwork for a training program in Indiana that has trained almost 100,000 riders. As an attorney, Taylor has offered endless advice and services to motorcycling organizations around the world, all at no cost.  Rod heads up ABATE Legal Services and has helped to create Road Hazard – a website designed to allow motorcyclists an easy way to report road hazards to the appropriate agencies in various states. The Freedom Fighters Hall of Fame recognizes the commitment and sacrifices individuals across the nation, and world, have made to protect the rights of motorcyclists. In their honor the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame established the nation’s first and only Freedom Fighters Hall of Fame.

12 Responses to “Fast Motorcycle Industry News”


  1. 1 Brett Apr 29th, 2011 at 9:08 am

    5 to 10 years. e-motorcycles are coming. An e-Harley will exist one day, that you want or not.

  2. 2 zyon Apr 29th, 2011 at 9:11 am

    I will gladly pollute the world with my V-twin gas powered engine, pollute the world with my obnoxious exhaust note, burn unnecessary rubber off my tires and burn fuel just for the sake of riding nowhere until the bitter end!

    I don’t care if they go 300 miles on a single charge or offer less pollution. It I wants a motorcycle that hummed, I’d buy a honda or some other foreign bike.

    When I’m done, I’ll jump in my Mustang, complete with headers, 4:10 gearing, hallowed out cats, oversized TB, nitrous, tire burning gas guzzler and take out a few more gallons of gas.

  3. 3 Kiwished Apr 29th, 2011 at 5:02 pm

    I agree zyon, the faster we can use up the oil reserves now in our enjoyment, the quicker the future gets nice clean E vehicles. Then the i generation will feel right at home, till then V12 jags rule!

  4. 4 DJ Apr 29th, 2011 at 6:43 pm

    Obama and Al Gore need to get out of my life! I won’t have an E anything.. I will ride the wheels off the ones I got until gas is no longer available and then convert to alcohol and start buying corn and potato’s… I have all the copper tubing, barrells ad patch of woods I need.

  5. 5 Bruce Rogers Apr 29th, 2011 at 7:15 pm

    DJ with or without Obama & Al Gore, you will get e-motorcycles. Destiny.

  6. 6 DJ Apr 30th, 2011 at 5:32 am

    Bruce… You are wrong my friend. Unlike 90% of “the new biker movement” I know how to build and I will continue to. I will not give into a government that insists on putting agenda’s and special interests for poloticians to come between me and my lifestyle. Global warming is a hoax and this administration is an epic failure. If someone tried to regulate golf clubs you can bet they would be all over that

  7. 7 DJ Apr 30th, 2011 at 8:46 am

    If the market won’t support E-crap.. It won’t exist. It is up to corporate to decide what makes it to market.. It is up to the consumer to decide what stays

  8. 8 chopperfreak29 Apr 30th, 2011 at 11:07 am

    DJ – Wow. I didn’t realize you had personally disproved and dispelled the possibility of global warning by just deciding it isn’t happening. Neat. Wish I was Omnipotent and Omniscient too. Didn’t realize DJ was just another way of saying God. LOL I love my bikes and not one of them is newer than 40 years old. But if and when a decent E-alternative pops up I’ll ride it. Because I love to ride. Just because I can ride the bikes I want to right now doesn’t mean I’ll always have that chance. It’s like Mr Jagger says ” You can’t always get what you want”….I also know how to build and look forward to the challenge presented by trying to build myself an e-bike that I think looks cool and feels right. But maybe you’re right and it’s all Obama’s fault.LOL Just like them damn immigants took yer job. And women should know their place and all the other useless epithets of the ignorant.

  9. 9 DJ Apr 30th, 2011 at 6:38 pm

    Hey chopperfreak29.. You are not seriously trying to make a case for global warming existing are you? Give me a break! Hey stupid- Stop breathing cause that is CO2 coming out… Don’t mow your grass either because decomposing organic matter is the no. 1 creater of CO2. My trucks and bikes have NOTHING to do with this Al Gore farce. Go back where you came from while the adults are talking

  10. 10 Dave Blevins May 1st, 2011 at 5:57 am

    No such thing as “green” anything…
    It still takes petroleum products to make lightweight plastic parts for these vehicles, lithium is a non-renewable resource, most paint finishes are of course petroleum based or at least derived patially from petro products, mining of bauxite for aluminum and iron ore for steel is certainly not a green enterprise, and since more than 80 percent of electricity comes from burning coal… well, you see how this is going?
    I have no problem with electric vehicles, just the lie that they are eco-friendly. They aren’t.

  11. 11 DJ May 1st, 2011 at 6:19 am

    Dave.. Well said. I have always said that the dead batteries is going to be an eco disaster above and beyond anything else. This whole “green” and “E” movement is perpetuated by liars and thieves like Al Gore, Barack Obama, GE and so and so fourth. They all have financial ties and gains to be made by this at our expense. I do have a problem with electric cars… Besides the fact that I am a motor head, They are not practical for long travel, they will increase power usage to a fragile grid(anyone been in a rolling brown out?)wich by their own definition will increase “pollution”, the price of electric will be un-affordable when the utilites have to build more plants that are “epa compliant”.. The science does not support it yet they force the puzzle pieces to fit and are dragging many nieve Americans in with them

  12. 12 Wiz May 2nd, 2011 at 3:55 am

    Any kind of “GREEN” stuff we do is monumentally offset by what the “BLACK” corporations are doin’ to the planet. BP Gulf oil disaster, fer instance! Wiz

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Cyril Huze