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