Wheelers Blog & News

Harley-Davidson, Inc. has named Matthew S. (Matt) Levatich, currently President and Chief Operating Officer of Harley-Davidson Motor Company, to succeed Keith Wandell as President and Chief Executive Officer of Harley-Davidson, Inc. upon Wandell’s retirement May 1, 2015. Levatich has also been elected, through Board action, to the Harley-Davidson Board of Directors. The leadership transition comes at a time of great brand strength and Company performance. Since early in Wandell’s tenure,...

Move over Harley! There's a new kid in town. Actually, that's not true. Royal Enfield is hardly a new kid, having been producing motorcycles since 1901. But what is new is the position the venerable India-based manufacturer now holds: In 2014, the company sold more motorcycles than Harley-Davidson.   The numbers don't lie. According to The Times of India, Royal Enfield sold just over 300,000 bikes globally, compared to Harley's 267,000. That's pretty impressive.   However, it shouldn't...

The Marketplace Events (MPE) Motorcycle Group, producers of the American International Motorcycle Expo (AIMExpo), announced plans to produce a new series of events directed at motorcycle and powersports consumers. The shows will be timed to promote 2016 model year products. Locations and dates will be announced soon.   “Since our earliest research on the viability of the AIMExpo, we’ve been continually asked by key industry players when we would produce a series of consumer-only events,”...

QUESTION: Over the last few years there have been a number of new (Victory, etc.) and revived brands (Triumph, Indian, etc.). In general, they are doing well (ignoring failures like Excelsior-Henderson and previous Indian). On the other hand, with automobiles it seems to be going the other way with some storied marques (Pontiac and Mercury, to name two) being discontinued. Why do you think the number of motorcycle makes is increasing, while automobile makes are decreasing?   ANSWER: I...

Air conditioning is a given in the MotoGP press room, as well as wifi. The environment is immaculate, the garages even more, so you can even see your reflection. Certainly, switching from MotoGP to the Dakar Rally is a big change, even for us journalists. Welcome to off-road, the world of heavily treaded tires, dust, and mud. Universally recognized as the toughest rally in the world, the Dakar is a 2-week race covering over 5,600 miles. For the riders, this means waking up at 4:00 a.m.,...

Ducati officially presented its 2015 World Superbike team, introducing riders Chaz Davies and Davide Giugliano and the livery for their 1199 Panigale R racebikes.   The new livery still features the signature Ducati Corse red as well as a healthy amount of black representing the team’s new title sponsor, Italian web hosting company Aruba.it.   Davies and Giugliano will ride the 1199 version of the Panigale and not the company’s new 1299 Panigale, as it’s engine capacity exceeds WSBK’s...

Japanese based Team Mugen has confirmed that it will make a dual assault on the electric bike class at the 2015 Isle of Man TT Races. Mugen has confirmed that their team will again be represented in the SES TT Zero Race by twenty-one time TT Race winner John McGuinness and outright lap record holder, New Zealand’s Bruce Anstey, who set the fastest ever lap around the Mountain Course, 132.298 mph (00:17:06.682), in last year’s Superbike Race. Three qualifying sessions have been confirmed...

Dr. Valentino Rossi Rossi is the most prolific motorcycle racer of all time. More than likely, if someone is riding on two wheels, they know him by his nickname Valle —especially in Europe.   Monster energy drinks, pizza boxes, apparel and knickknacks of all sorts are labeled with the magical numero 46. Best of all, Valle is easy to like and has been the face of Moto GP for over a decade, providing entertainment to fans worldwide. Rossi is an absolute institution.   With 108 wins (82 in...

All Harley-Davidson lovers know where the Harley-Davidson Museum is, and they certainly know of the role Willie G. Davidson played at the motor company – though they might not be able to tell you the exact wording of his official title. (Chief Styling Officer Emeritus and Brand Ambassador, in case you ever get asked.)   Starting this summer, visitors to the H-D Museum can learn even more about Willie G. through previously unseen historical items from his personal collection, which the...

Ricky Carmichael University will visit a new campus in 2015 when the one a one-of-a-kind outdoor motocross riding school founded by Ricky Carmichael opens instruction at Muddy Creek Raceway in Blountville, Tenn., July 10, 2015. The move marks a shift for RCU after operating at Red Bud MX for the last two years. In November, RCU will travel to Australia for the fall term where Carmichael and tenured faculty members Jeff Emig and Jeff Stanton will lead an all-star lineup of instructors,...