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As per: http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/573/11987/Motorcycle-Article/BMW-2011-U-S–Motorcycle-Sales-Up-7-4-.aspx

On the heels of BMW Motorrad reporting record global sales in 2011, BMW Motorrad USA posted a 7.4 percent growth in sales in 2011, nearly double the gain posted the previous year. Sales were fueled by continued demand for BMW Motorrad USA’s best selling model, the S 1000 RR Superbike, as well as for the popular core models R 1200 RT, R 1200 GS and R 1200 GS Adventure and the all-new six-cylinder K 1600 GTL and K 1600 GT.

The company credits their sales performance to improved market conditions, a broad, continually enhanced model lineup and a strong dealer network.

“BMW had successfully weathered the downturn in the motorcycle market in recent years,” commented Mac McMath, National Sales Manager, BMW Motorrad USA. “Now, with market conditions improving and the arrival of new and updated models, we are poised for continued success in 2012.”

For model year 2012, BMW Motorrad USA is offering the all-new dual-sport G 650 GS Sertão, model updates for the F 800 R naked bike and S 1000 RR superbike, the K 1300 S and K 1300 S HP Limited Edition and the Special Edition R 1200 GS Rallye. All of these models are currently available at BMW retailers nationwide.

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As per: http://www.vegasinc.com/news/2012/jan/11/january-vegas-becoming-hot-time-motorcycle-collect/

By Ric Anderson

Record price paid for an auctioned automobile: $16.4 million for a 1957 Ferrari.

Record for an auctioned motorcycle: $520,000 for a 1915 Cyclone racing bike.

Richard Backus, editor of Motorcycle Classics magazine, says those numbers help explain a sudden rise in motorcycle auctions being staged this month in Las Vegas. Sales by three auction companies will get under way Thursday, up from one January auction just two years ago.

Backus says stratospheric increases in classic car values have prompted buyers to pad their collections and investment portfolios with motorcycles, which are relatively cheap.

“It’s like a nice watch that finishes off your tailor-made suit,” he said.

Buyers in Las Vegas will have hundreds of bikes to choose from in this week’s sales, being staged at the South Point, Rio and Imperial Palace. Machines on the blocks will include a motocross racer once owned by Steve McQueen and a 19th-century steam-powered cycle that auctioneers are hoping will break the record price for a bike sold at auction.

Although crowds at the three events aren’t likely to rival those for the annual International Consumer Electronics Show or the Adult Entertainment Expo, both heavy hitters on the January convention calendar in Las Vegas, bike enthusiasts say they expect the auctions to keep growing as an attraction. They’re also hoping sales will be up from last year’s total of more than $7 million from two sales.

“We see January in Vegas evolving into a magnet event — a global event,” said Auctions America by RM executive and principal partner Ed Cepuran, whose company is new to the Las Vegas market this year.

Bike collectors have been coming to the city in January since at least 1991, when Minnesota-based MidAmerica Auctions began staging its annual winter sale in the city.

MidAmerica remains in the game today, staging its event at the South Point and offering an inventory headlined by the McQueen motocross bike.

British auction company Bonhams became the second player in the market last year, choosing Las Vegas for its first-ever motorcycle sale. The company is back this year at the Imperial Palace, also the site of its 2011 sale.

Auctions America by RM’s sale is scheduled at the Rio, where its inventory list features the steam-powered bike — an 1894 Roper.

Backus said results from last year’s sales suggested there was enough business for another player this year — and maybe more.

“Last year’s Vegas auction netted $2.5 million for Bonhams and $4.7 million for MidAmerica,” he said. “In 2010, MidAmerica had sales of $4.3 million, so it certainly didn’t hurt them having Bonhams there.”

Backus said the trend in Las Vegas had sparked hope in the bike community that Las Vegas could become the motorcycle equivalent of Scottsdale, Ariz., which attracts thousands of visitors every January for one of the world’s largest and most prestigious series of classic car auctions. The Scottsdale scene began in the 1970s with one auction and has since grown to feature sales by at least a half-dozen major companies.

“With rising interest in classic motorcycles, it looks like the Las Vegas motorcycle auction scene could grow in a similar way,” Backus said.

One difference this year in Las Vegas is that auctions will be occurring simultaneously. Last year, Bonhams held its one-day sale at a time that didn’t compete with MidAmerica’s auction.

This year, MidAmerica and Auctions America by RM will be going head-to-head, meaning they could potentially be dividing consumers’ dollars. Bonhams still isn’t going head-to-head.

But Cepuran said his company wasn’t trying to pick off MidAmerica’s buyers. Rather, he said, it was trying to

attract newcomers by marketing to classic car enthusiasts and investors as opposed to focusing mostly on motorcycle enthusiasts.

“We’re trying to expand the pie,” he said. “We’re trying to make it bigger so everybody can participate. It’ll be a celebration.”

Ron Christenson, director of operations for MidAmerica, declined to comment on the record when asked how he

felt about Auctions America by RM holding its sale simultaneously.

Whether the growth can support itself remains to be seen, but what nobody questions is that Las Vegas is a prime place to hold a motorcycle auction.

“You don’t go to Las Vegas without gambling or bringing something home,” Christenson said. “The people who come for these sales are going to buy something. They’re not going to take a week off work and go to Las Vegas and not come home with something.”

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As per: http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120109/BIZ/301099951/1031/BIZ

Kartikay Mehrotra | Bloomberg News

NEW DELHI – Yamaha Motor Co. is joining other Japanese competitors to add motorcycle capacity in Asia’s second-fastest growing economy, betting on demand from Indians seeking personal transportation.

Yamaha’s unit will invest $151 million to triple capacity by March 2013, it said last week. Suzuki Motor Corp. will spend $19 million to produce more two-wheelers, added Atul Gupta, vice president for sales and marketing.

Honda, which reiterated a plan to almost double two-wheeler capacity in India by 2013, and other Japanese motorcycle makers have unveiled new models at the New Delhi auto show, counting on economic growth to generate demand in the South Asian nation. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said last month India will return to 8.5 percent to 9 percent trend growth after the global economy stabilizes.

“The last two years were exceptional, and we have seen a normalizing in the market,” said Roy Kurian, national business head of India Yamaha Motor Pvt. ”We have no reason to believe that our sales will tumble.”

The pace of expansion in Asia’s third-biggest economy may slow to 7.5 percent in the fiscal year ending March 31, Singh said, compared with 8.5 percent in the previous 12-month period.

“Our two-wheeler segment is in sync with the Indian economy,” said Naresh Kumar Rattan, vice president sales at Honda’s motorcycle unit. “So long as it continues to expand at its current pace, we don’t foresee any reduction in demand.”

Yamaha will raise motorcycle and scooter capacity to 1 million units from 330,000, Kurian said. The company from Iwata City, Japan, introduced its first scooter in India on Thursday.

Suzuki Motorcycle India, the wholly owned subsidiary of the Hamamatsu, Japan-based company, will increase capacity to 540,000 units by 2013 from 360,000 now, Gupta said.

Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India introduced six new models of motorcycles and a scooter Thursday, including the 110cc Dream Yuga. The unit of the Tokyo automaker is targeting 30 percent market share by 2020 from 14 percent now, Rattan said.

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As per: http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/2/11922/Motorcycle-Article/Eight-Motorcycle-Collections-to-Auction-Block.aspx

The Tony Parella Collection, featuring 35 vintage Harley-Davidsons offered at no reserve, is one of the eight motorcycle collections consigned to Auctions America by RM’s Las Vegas Premier Motorcycle Auction Jan. 12-14, at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino.

On the heels of its $3.95 million Lee Roy Hartung estate sale in November, Auctions America is fast becoming an auction house of choice for collections of private and estate vehicles – a status that attracts some of the best the hobby has to offer. In addition to select motorcycles from the recently announced Michael Jordan Motorsports and Criss Angel MINDFREAK collections, Texas-based collector Tony Parella is selling his entire 35-motorcycle collection. Parella’s offerings run the gamut from an unusual lightweight, two-stroke 1959 Harley-Davidson Hummer (est. $5,000 – $7,000) to a 1933 Harley VLD (est. $55,000 to $60,000) to an exacting replica of a 1905 Harley Single (est. $100,000 – $120,000). A 1948 Indian Chief and 2008 Buell round out the Parella collection. Each example is presented in excellent condition, with many having undergone professional restorations, creating a range of exclusive ownership opportunities for savvy enthusiasts.

California’s Cary Stanley started collecting two-wheelers at the age of 13 and later founded Diamond CS Motorcycles to facilitate his buying and selling of all brands. Carefully amassed over 54 years, Stanley is bringing 80 vintage motorcycles to the multi-day Las Vegas event to pare down his current inventory of 225 bikes. Notable entries from the Cary Stanley Collection include a 1970 BSA 750cc café racer (est. $18,000 – $20,000), a replica 1965 Norton Manx café racer (est. $17,500 – $19,500) and a 1958 Triumph Trophy 500 (est. $15,500 – $17,500). All bikes in the Stanley Collection will sell with no minimum reserve.

David Karas Consultants has 35 bikes of special interest – primarily British-made – headed to Vegas, including an expertly restored 1952 Velocette 350 (est. $14,000 – $16,000) and a 1938 Royal Enfield Model G (est. $7,500 – $10,500). The highlight of the collection is a 1938 Ariel Square Four G (est. $28,000 – $35,000) – a 1,000cc four-cylinder bike that could reach 150 miles per hour when new, making it a favorite of police departments.

In addition to these three collections, the Auctions America Las Vegas Premier Motorcycle Auction will offer select motorcycles from:

• The Art Littlejohn Collection – 32 lots carefully amassed since the 1960s, including a 1966 Triumph TT Special (est. $8,000 – $13,500)
• The Chris Dolan Collection – 21 lots meticulously collected over the past decade, including a rare 1918 Excelsior V-twin with sidecar (est. $65,000 – $75,000)
• The Christiansen Collection – eight lots collected over a 20-year period, including an expertly restored 1939 Nimbus (est. $8,500 – $10,000)

“Interest in vintage and collectible motorcycles is at an all-time high,” says Donnie Gould, president of Auctions America by RM. “The fact that so many collectors trust us to represent their bikes at our Las Vegas sale tells me that Auctions America’s motorcycle division head Glenn Bator, Wayne Pitt and our other specialists have built a strong reputation in the hobby. We look forward to welcoming enthusiasts to Vegas next week for what promises to be a great sale.”

The eight collections join more than 450 collectible motorcycles expected to cross the block at Auctions America’s debut Vegas sale Jan. 12-14. In addition to the auction, the multi-day event will include celebrity appearances and an exclusive seminar featuring motorcycle experts from across the country.

Full event details, a list of auction offerings and a digital brochure for the Las Vegas sale are available online atwww.auctionsamerica.com or by calling toll free 877-906-2437 (or +1 260-927-9797 outside North America).

• Auctions America by RM secures eight motorcycle collections for its Jan. 12-14 event in Las Vegas, Nevada
• Featured highlights include a single private collection from Texas offering 35 Harley-Davidsons at no reserve
• Private collection of 80 motorcycles from California, amassed over five decades and selling at no reserve is also part of the weekend sale.
• The collections are part of more than 450 classic two-wheelers expected to cross the block at the multi-day sale

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As per: http://montgomery.patch.com/articles/law-lets-motorcycles-bikes-run-red-lights-legally

By Shannon Antinori

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As Per: http://www.northumberlandtoday.com

By VALERIE MACDONALD Northumberland Today

Posted 3 hours ago

COBOURG — A 1970 town bylaw prohibiting snowmobiles on the streets of Cobourg is being updated to include ATVs, except for those used by police and the town’s public works department.

The draft bylaw was reviewed by members of the Cobourg Police Services Board on Thursday evening, Nov. 24. The police board is just one of a series of bodies to review the bylaw before it goes to town council for adoption.

“The process has been very inclusive,” Cobourg Police Chief Paul Sweet said.

Board member Forrest Rowden said the intent of the bylaw is not to “clamp down” on farmers in the east end (more rural area) of the municipality but added that it was important not to have ATVs appearing on downtown streets. The bylaw clearly prohibits that, citing safety issues as the catalyst.

There have been few incidents in the past and the expansion of the bylaw is a proactive, not reactive, approach, Sweet said.

Prior to the passage of the 1970 bylaw designed to keep snow machines off town roads there was a lot of adverse reaction by residents in the west end of town, board chair Bryan Baxter recalled.

He asked if the current draft bylaw presents any conflict between the prohibition of this type of motorized vehicles and those used by seniors for transportation and was assured that there was not.

Board member Mayor Gil Brocanier said that the definition in the draft bylaw addresses Baxter’s concerns so there is no issue with those motorized devises used by the elderly.

“Even in rural areas they are cracking down (ATVs),” board member Marg Godawa said of expanding the snowmobile prohibition to include ATVs.

The county-based ATV club has been lobbying at municipal and county levels to designate routes along county and municipal roads, in addition to those already designated in the Northumberland County Forest. To date, only the Municipality of Alnwick/Haldimand has complied with this request. The largest part of the forest is contained within that township.

vmacdonald@northumberlandtoday.com

twitter.com/NT_vmacdonald

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As Per: http://www.bostonherald.com

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As Per: www.sacbee.com

Zero Motorcycles recently unveiled the first mass-produced electric motorcycle capable of traveling more than 100 miles, breaking down one of the long-standing obstacles to consumer adoption.

The company called it “the largest step anyone has ever taken in production electric motorcycle technology.”

The Zero S, one of the company’s expanded line for 2012, goes faster – up to 88 mph – and farther – 114 miles – than previous bikes which generally traveled about half that distance before requiring recharging. Previous top speeds of Zero bikes were generally legal highway speeds.

A new battery cell technology is designed to last the life of the motorcycle, allowing a rider to travel more than 308,000 miles.

A revised frame, new rotor design and a larger front brake master cylinder improve handling and stopping power. The 2012 Zero S sports a new body built with aircraft grade aluminum, new components, cast wheels and graphics.

The bikes sell for $7,695 to $13,995 for all the extras and are expected to be available in February. Get more information at www.zeromotorcycles.com.
Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/11/14/4052718/zero-motorcycles-debuts-electric.html#ixzz1did1P8uS

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As per: http://www.redeyechicago.com/sports/ct-red-1104-snowmobiling-20111103,0,5033569.story

The home of the boys of summer is about to be invaded by the stuntmen of winter.

Wrigley Field normally is under wraps this time of year, but it’s the site for Saturday’s Red Bull Fuel + Fury, a freestyle snowmobiling competition featuring eight of the world’s top snowmobilers. The lineup of competitors consists of Daniel Bodin, Heath Frisby, Ted Culbertson, Fred Rasmussen, Cory Davis, Jimmy Fejas and Jeff Mullin and 2004 Fuel + Fury winner Justin Hoyer.

There are plenty of Chicagoans who might not know a Ski-Doo from Scooby Doo, but it’s an easy sport to follow, said Levi LaVallee, a seven-time Winter X Games medalist and host of the event.

“It’s not much different than freestyle motocross, where you’re trying to impress judges with stunts and jumps,” he said. “The big difference is that instead of 250-pound machines with wheels, you’re on a bigger, 450-pound sled.”

Bodin, the 2011 Winter X Games freestyle snowmobile gold medalist, said the jumps are the most fun part of the sport.

“From the takeoff to the landing, you do lots of crazy tricks and when you’re in the air on a sled, it’s a pretty amazing feeling, like you’re weightless in space and doing whatever you want,” he said.

Bodin and the other snowmobilers will have plenty of hangtime on the custom-made Wrigley course, which will consist of thousands of cubic yards of wood chips and dirt, and three steel ramps for snowmobiles to launch from. The one element that will be missing: the white powdery stuff.

“The weather is still pretty warm and there’s no actual snow, so we’re using Astroturf, which is nice because it always stays pretty consistent,” LaVallee said.

Saturday’s competition is set up as a double elimination bracket challenge in which two athletes will compete head to head, with one advancing to the winner’s bracket as selected by five judges. The loser will hit the consolation bracket for a chance to climb back into the championship match.

People who have never seen freestyle snowmobiling will be surprised at some of the tricks the riders can pull off, LaVallee said.

“The top guys will be doing backflip combinations, seat grabs, Superman flips and stuff like that. Cordova flips. They’re really tricky and really tough, but once the adrenaline comes pumping I think you’ll see a lot of cool stuff,” he said.

“The sport is growing so fast, so to win you got to do something crazy; something people have never done before,” Bodin said.

A native of Sweden, Bodin said he picked up the sport because his country has six months of winter and he wanted something fun to do. Now he’s in love with it and thinks this Fuel + Fury event may make plenty of new fans of snowmobiling in Chicago.

“People may have seen it on TV, but it doesn’t show how crazy it is,” he said. “When you see it live, you’ll be like ‘Oh my god.’”

The Fuel + Fury event takes place at 5 p.m. Saturday and admission is free.

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As Per: www.espn.com

By Colin Bane

Jim McNeil, a motorcycle rider in the FMX series and five-time X Games competitor, died Sunday from injuries suffered while practicing prior to the AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway. Watch&nbspFreestyle motocross rider Jim McNeil, 32, died Sunday morning during practice for an exhibition that had been scheduled to coincide with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ AAA Texas 500 at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. The event was one stop on the 2011 Boost Mobile FreestyleMX.com Worldwide Tour; McNeil had been a member of the Boost FMX team for the last nine years.

According to a statement released by Boost Mobile, McNeil was practicing on The Midway at the Texas Motor Speedway when he crashed. He was taken by CareFlight to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Lucas Mirtl, McNeil’s longtime friend and agent at LM Action Sports Management, confirmed McNeil’s death on Sunday and said he’s waiting for more details about the accident. “I’m heartbroken; I don’t know what else to say,” Mirtl said.

Chris TedescoJim McNeil, seen here at the 2010 Dew Tour in Salt Lake City, was a five-time X Games competitor.

McNeil, known to his friends and fans as “McNeil The Real Deal,” competed in motocross events since 1987 and made his X Games debut in 2005. He lived in Phoenix, Ariz., and was a constant presence on the FMX competition circuit, including the Red Bull X-Fighters, Dew Tour and International Freestyle Motocross Association events. He was even better known amongst FMX fans for his performances on the Nuclear Cowboyz tour and standout parts in videos like Powerband Films’ ‘On The Pipe 5.’

“Jim was truly the nicest rider I have ever filmed and didn’t have a bad bone in his body,” says Jay Schweitzer, director of the On The Pipe films. “Jim truly put the ‘real’ in McNeil The Real Deal.”

A post on the FreestyleMX.com Facebook page Sunday read: “Today we mourn the loss of Jim McNeil and remember the happiness he brought us all. You will never be forgotten because you were AND still are the Real Deal. We love you buddy.”

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