Fast Motorcycle Industry News

cyril-Huze-fast-newsGoodbye Star Motorcycles. Yamaha created the Star Motorcycles sub-brand about 20 years ago to attract US consumers not inclined to buy Japanese motorcycles. In other countries, the same Star motorcycles were sold under the Yamaha name. Although Star Motorcycles became a separate company in 2006, the strategy had little success and sales remained poor. Yamaha states that it will focus on his sport heritage models like the successful Bolt model.

The New EBR Motorcycles Announced 11 US Dealers. After being bought by Liquid Asset Partners, Erik Buell Racing now rebranded EBR Motorcycles, is rebuilding its dealers network and announced 11 EBR dealers in the US. They are located in California, Texas, Indiana, Wisconsin, Arizona, Washington, Pennsylvania, New York, and Nebraska. Erik Buell is the Chief Technical Officer.

The Evel Knievel Museum To Open End Of The Year. Historic Harley Davidson of Topeka is building a museum to house the daredevil’s performance leathers, jump bikes and other memorabilia. The 13,000 sq. ft. museum will feature interactive displays offering education opportunities for kids and adults. For example, about the physics of a motorcycle jump.

Powersports Recruiting Company Lonski and Associates, LLC Announced Addition Of former Harley-Davidson Rider Services Regional Manager Paul Nuccio. A native of Chicago, Nuccio was recruited by the Motor Company in 2000 to help develop the successful  Harley-Davidson Rider’s Edge Academy of Motorcycling (now Harley-Davidson Riding Academy), training and managing the programs with dealers across the country. After five years of developing Riders Edge dealer personnel and assisting with the experiential marketing, he was promoted to Dealer Operations, where he recruited dealers for both the Rider’s Edge and, later, the Harley-Davidson Authorized Rentals programs.  Besides the continued domestic dealer management, Nuccio developed dealer interest in Canada and the Pacific Rim, while simultaneously seeking possible markets for Rider Services in Europe, India, and the Middle East. Nuccio is a certified Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) Instructor / RiderCoach since 1998.

9 Responses to “Fast Motorcycle Industry News”


  1. 1 MDSPHOTO May 15th, 2016 at 2:38 pm

    Sad to hear about Star bikes, I’ve owned a Warrior for 11-years and was thinking of trading it in a Raider, guess not now.

  2. 2 Jim Tom May 16th, 2016 at 6:36 am

    I wouldn’t have thought sales were poor. I see Star bikes everywhere.

  3. 3 Matt W. May 16th, 2016 at 7:25 am

    With rumors that Yamaha was going to release a lot of new/updated models in the next couple of years I was kinda hoping one of them would be a return to the touring cruiser market to replace the discontinued Venture. There were a couple of spy photos circulating the web that made me suspect they were developing one but now I guess the future of such a model is even more uncertain.

  4. 4 RBinTEX May 16th, 2016 at 7:34 am

    Jim Torn, it must be a dealer salesmanship thing in your area of the woods.

    Where I live, I have never seen one on the road that I was aware of it being a Star brand.
    Go Figure!

  5. 5 CW May 16th, 2016 at 8:58 am

    I wonder if the value on used Star Motorcycles is going to rise now? Where I’m at you see quite a few but no one can get book value for them

  6. 6 Woody's May 16th, 2016 at 5:54 pm

    Never could understand the whole Star concept, seemed as dumb as Acura and Scion and other spinoffs, except in the Star case it always felt like Yamaha was ashamed of their own heritage and tried to make some phony company. Yamaha has a long reputation for great design and build quality and flawless paint, along with a very diverse line up of bikes. They should have just spent the makeover budget on better advertising. Honda is almost out of the US big street bike market, maybe Yamaha is following suit?

  7. 7 Steve The Producer Johann May 17th, 2016 at 7:04 pm

    Sorry to see Star Go. – they were nice well priced machines reflected their very first Specials which came out back in 1978 – which was the first Japanese bike to mimic the H-D styling.

    Woody – As for “spin offs” Lets see GM makes Chevy cars, Polaris makes Indian Motorcycles, Ford made mercury and the list goes on and on. Brand Spin offs have been around for several decades its all part of creating more platforms to reach a diverse group of buyers.

    As for sending more on Advertising, I agree with you 100%.

    For that matter all manufactures do a dismal job at marketing to non riders. They can’t seem to raise a big enough budget to do a good job other than continuing to advertise to current riders and hope to capture their nearest competitors market share.

  8. 8 Woody's May 19th, 2016 at 9:35 am

    2 Steve, understood, but there was nothing different about the Star-they just rebranded their cruiser line. As for the auto makers you mention, those multiple brands were from combining existing nameplates. Not spinoffs like the ones I mentioned and questioned.

  9. 9 takehikes May 24th, 2016 at 12:38 pm

    I own a 2005 Road Star and its s superb bike because its a Yamaha. Never understood why they did the whole name game thing.

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Cyril Huze