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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.,...

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,...

In 1940, Harley produced a special police model for the country of Chile. Built around a 74" model U, the bike featured a steel front fairing and armored sidecar. Just to show that the police in Chile meant business, a .30 caliber machine gun was mounted to the sidecar. A similar model showed up at a US trade show, but unfortunately no police departments felt the need to patrol the streets with something that could fire 600 rounds per minute.   Indian Motorcycles closed their doors in 1953...

Ernest Hemingway, that American author dude you should have read in high school when you were instead salivating over a glossy car rag, suffered from severe paranoia. He was convinced the Feds were hot on his tail, tracking his location and bugging his phone. No one believed him until an FBI file was released detailing Hemingway’s surveillance by the bureau. Oops.   Fast forward a half-century later and we’re at a tippin’ point where everywhere we go, everything we do, say and search for...

It’s certainly the most important Ducati in America and, really, might be the most important Ducati of all (behind only perhaps Paul Smart’s ’72 Imola winner), since it was the V-twin, this very bike, that really put the Italian company on the map in the US and helped establish the worldwide performance reputation still enjoyed by the company. And you can own it if you’re willing to hit the Buy It Now button on eBay, provided you’re approved to spend $1 million. All the better if you don’t...