Aprilia USA recorded a 66.4% increase in U.S. sales despite the slumping economy, and the company says it expects further growth in 2009.
Aprilia credits a strengthened dealer network, the introduction of several new models and success in racing events including first place in the 2008 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb 750cc class and a second-consecutive MOTO-ST title for the growth.
“Our 2008 sales results are remarkable, especially in light of overall declining motorcycle industry sales… Details
Harley-Davidson may have a winner with its “trade in, trade up†marketing strategy, which the company says is moving bikes in a desperate economy. It almost makes you wonder: Would such an idea work with cars?
It wasn’t that many years ago that H-D couldn’t keep up with demand for its motorcycles. In 2006 it shipped nearly 350,000 bikes. But as the economy started to tank last year, so did H-D sales.
Harley-Davidson’s 2008 sales were down more than 7 percent, after a 5.3 percent drop in 2007…. Details
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I thought it would be out of scale, like a Hummer at a drive-in, but within a few minutes of collecting it Yamaha’s second-generation V-Max demonstrated enough poise and low-speed controllability to slice through the 5pm traffic like a bike half its size.
And it had enough instantaneous acceleration to grab the gaps before the car drivers even knew they were there.
I’d ridden the V-Max on the SA launch at Tarlton drag strip, which showed the assembled scribes that it has awe-inspiring acceleration and decent brakes (thank goodness) but not much else, so I was keen to see how it would handle the real world where the roads aren’t always straight …. Details
… Brammo Motorsports getting $10 million in venture capital funding, part of which came from Best Buy Capital. The obvious speculation was that Best Buy would carry the Brammo Enertia when it went on sale. Well, sure enough, that’s what is about to happen when the Enertia will go on sale in May at 5 west coast Best Buy stores with plans to eventually sell them through Best Buy locations all over the U.S. and possibly even in Europe and China…. Details
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