Yamaha reported a 5.3% decrease in worldwide motorcycle sales over the first quarter of 2012 despite a 25% increase in North American sales.

In the quarter ended March 31, 2012, Yamaha sold 1.599 million motorcycles worldwide, down from 1.689 million motorcycles sold over the same quarter in 2011. Most of the decline was due to Yamaha’s performance in the Asian market. Though net sales increased in Thailand, Vietnam and India, sales declined in Indonesia as Yamaha is starting the transition of introducing fuel-injected models. Yamaha also saw a decline in sales in Brazil, another large motorcycle market.

Sales in the U.S. on the other hand are up to 20,000 units from 16,000 units. Sales in Europe saw a small increase to 45,000 units from 44,000 units, as Yamaha introduced the updated 2012 TMax and the new Xenter scooters. Continue Reading »

Yamaha has received approval from the government of India to build a new factory in Chennai in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. Joining an existing factory near New Delhi, the new Chennai plant is expected to increase Yamaha‘s production capabilities in India to 2.8 million units a year by 2018.

The new factory will be built on a 109-acre lot in Vallam Vadagal on the outskirts of Chennai. Set to open in 2014, the Chennai plant will have a production capacity of 1.8 million units by 2018.

The Chennai plant will primarily be used for manufacturing parts and assembling scooters. Yamaha’s facility in Surajpur, outside New Delhi, will focus on producing motorcycles such as the YZF-R15 and the FZ-16. The Surajpur plant currently builds 600,000 units a year but production is expected to increase to a million units a year by 2018. Continue Reading »

Bell Helmets and Transitions Optical have announced their company’s co-sponsorship of AMA Pro Road Racer Josh Herrin for the 2012 season. The protective ensemble puts the head of one of North America’s premiere racing talents inside one of the world’s most iconic helmet brands featuring the latest in advanced photochromic faceshield technology.

Herrin won the 2010 Daytona 200 wearing a Bell helmet with a Transitions faceshield. Transitions adaptive faceshields automatically self-adjust from clear at night and in low light conditions to dark gray in bright sunlight. The shields eliminate the need for motorcycle riders to carry two shields.

“With so much going through my mind on the racetrack, having equipment that works with me to reduce distractions to an absolute minimum is critical,” said Herrin. “My Bell Star helmet with a Transitions adaptive face shield gives me an edge over the competition.”

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Ryan Dungey scored his fourth win of the season but it was not enough to take second place in the points race behind champion Ryan Villopoto. That honor went to JGRMX Yamaha‘s Davi Millsaps who placed second to Dungey in the season-ending race at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas.

Dungey took the holeshot and led every lap to take the win for Red Bull KTM. The victory was his fourth in 12 rounds, giving him 257 points on the season. Dungey also missed five rounds due to injury, during which time Villopoto scored four of his nine victories for Monster Energy Kawasaki. The championship would have been much closer if Dungey had remained healthy. Instead, Villopoto ran away with the championship and clinched the title back in March at the Houston round. Continue Reading »

Harley-Davidson dealerships topped the rankings for the 2012 edition of the Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index, an industry benchmarking study examining how well dealerships treat customers, and turning shoppers into buyers.

The Pied Piper PSI rated different manufacturers’ dealerships in a number of categories to produce an overall score. The study was conducted between July 2011 and April 2012 with 1,653 anonymous “mystery shoppers” gathering information at different dealerships across the U.S.

The study gave Harley-Davidson dealers a score of 108, a four-point improvement from 2011 and five points above the industry average. According to researchers, Harley-Davidson dealers scored the highest of all brands in 16 different categories, including offering test rides, obtaining contact information and asking customers if for the sale. Continue Reading »

James Stewart and the Joe Gibbs Racing MX (JGRMX) Yamaha racing team have agreed to cut ties, ending their multi-year contract after a single AMA Supercross season. Stewart almost immediately signed a new multi-year deal with Yoshimura Suzuki to compete in both the AMA Supercross and AMA Motocross Championships.

Stewart had a promising start to the season with JGRMX but wasn’t as competitive as eventual champion Ryan Villopoto or Ryan Dungey. After winning the Daytona Beach, Fla., round, Stewart was injured in a crash at the following round in Indianapolis. Since then, Stewart has missed several rounds, scoring only a single point in the final seven rounds. Continue Reading »

Star Motorcycles will be auctioning this Stratoliner Deluxe at the annual STAR Days rally in Reno, Nevada this July. Proceeds from the auction go to Feed the Children charity. The custom 2010 Stratoliner Deluxe wears a Benny Flores paint job, PM wheels, fairing lowers, a Garmin Zumo 665 GPS unit as well as a variety of Star accessories.

“The annual Feed the Children auction at STAR Days each year generates thousands of dollars to help feed and clothe children who so desperately need it,” said Alan Cease, President of Star Touring and Riding. “And this beautiful Stratoliner Deluxe is sure to the key attraction at this year’s annual auction.”

 

Ryan Dungey returned to the top of the podium for the first time since late February with a victory at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. With the injured Ryan Villopoto already crowned the 2012 AMA Supercross Champion, the win put Dungey back in contention for second overall.

The Red Bull KTM last tasted victory Feb. 25 in Atlanta, Ga., but missed five rounds due to injury. Dungey returned to action last week in Seattle, Wash., placing sixth, but staged a late come-from-behind win in Utah for his third victory of the 2012 AMA Supercross season.

For most of the race, it looked like a sure victory for Davi Millsaps. The JGRMX Yamaha rider took the holeshot and led the opening 18 laps. Monster Energy Kawasaki‘s Jake Weimer was second for most of the race with Dungey biding his time in third. Continue Reading »

Former 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz headlines a star-studded group of racers taking part in a parade lap during the 2012 Isle of Man TT.

Schwantz leads the group of six racers, past and present, selected by helmet-maker Arai to take part in the parade lap of the Isle of Man’s Mountain Course. Schwantz has visited the Isle of Man before, but this will mark his first closed lap of the circuit.

Joining the 1993 World Champion will be fellow American Randy Mamola, former TT racer Phillip McCallen, former British and World Superbike Champion Neil Hodgson, eight-time TT winner Ian Hutchinson, and MotoGP racer Cal Crutchlow. Continue Reading »

Given the choice of what motorcycle to ride when surrounded by bikes including the VMAX, Raider SCL and the rest of the 2012 Star model line-up will usually leave the V Star 250 unchosen. An ingenious idea at a recent Star press junket, however, ensured a journalistic derriere in the 250’s seat by making it the most valuable bike available.

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