The storied Indian Motorcycles brand will enter a new era this August at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally with the debut of the 2014 Indian Chief. Powered by the  all-new Thunder Stroke 111 engine, the new Chief will be the first new Indian motorcycle introduced after the company was acquired by Polaris Industries in 2011.

To prepare for the launch, Polaris has released a new image and video of the new Chief, and announced it will be available in North American dealerships later this year with prices starting at $18,999.

The teaser images offer up some details, though nothing not entirely unexpected. We already knew about the Thunder Stroke 111 engine and the Indian head fender light has been a long-time feature on Indian motorcycles. We can also see the silhouette of the headlight with smaller, auxiliary driving lights. The studs on the rider and pillion seat stand out clearly in the teaser image, as does the long, straight exhaust pipe. Continue Reading »

American motocross pioneer, race team manager and motorcycle industry executive Mark Blackwell is getting another honor: being recognized as an AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Legend. Blackwell, who was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2000, will be feted alongside the 2013 induction class during AMA Legends Weekend, Oct. 18-19 at the Green Valley Ranch Resort, Spa and Casino in Las Vegas.

Blackwell will be honored alongside Torsten Hallman, another member of the of 2000 class, who will be recognized as a Legend for helping introduce motocross to America and for founding gear maker Thor. Like Hallman, Blackwell excelled at several different facets of the motorcycle industry.

As a racer, Blackwell was one of America’s first motocross racing stars, competing in the late ’60s and early ’70s. In 1970, Blackwell was hired to ride for Husqvarna and traveled to Sweden to train with the factory riders. He came back to the U.S. the following year and raced in the Trans-AMA series, winning the American class title by beating Brad Lackey by a single point. In 1972, Blackwell won the prestigious Daytona Motocross before returning to international racing in Europe. Continue Reading »

Harley-Davidson dealers outscored dealers from other brands to take the top spot in the Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index U.S. Motorcycle Industry Study for the second consecutive year.

The annual study measures the effectiveness of motorcycle dealerships, rating them on how they perform in different categories, such as inviting customers to sit on a floor model, offering demo rides and asking for a customer’s contact information. The study was conducted from July 2012 to April 2013 with data collected by 2,503 hired “mystery shoppers”.

We’ve included the full scores below as well as the scores from past years. One caveat however: Pied Piper PSI has rejigged its study questions and adjusted the weighting and scoring for the 2013 study to achieve an average score of 100. This resulted in a significant scoring changes compared to last year’s study and a wider range between the highest and the lowest scores.

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Polaris Industries reported a 26% increase in net income over the first quarter of 2013, but a 2.9% decline in on-road vehicle sales (comprised almost entirely of Victory and Indian Motorcycles).

The company’s first quarter filings report a net income of $75.5 million, up from the $60.1 million reported over the same period in 2012. Much of the increase can be attributed to a 217% increase in net sales from its snowmobile division, spurred in large part by increase in snowfall across many regions of North America.

Unfortunately, the prolonged snowmobile season also means a delayed start to spring which had a negative impact on motorcycle sales. Polaris’ on-road division reported net sales of $62.9 million over the opening quarter of 2013, down from $64,7 million reported in the first quarter of 2012. Unseasonably warm weather last spring also helped buoy sales in the first quarter of 2012, further affecting the percentage decrease. Continue Reading »

Polaris has added another brand to its growing list of acquisitions, buying out Aixam Mega S.A.S., a French manufacturer of light-duty commercial vehicles and quadricycles – small four-wheeled enclosed vehicles that can be driven, in some markets, without an automobile driver’s license.

Aixam Mega joins Polaris’ portfolio which already includes Victory Motorcycles, Indian Motorcycles, electric vehicle makers Global Electric Motorcars and Groupil. Like GEM and Groupil, Axiam Mega produces small vehicles, though its products include both electric and diesel-powered vehicles. The company sells quadricycles under the brand name Axiam, as well as commercial vehicles under the Mega brand. Its vehicles are sold primarily in Europe with sales reaching US$110 million in 2012. Continue Reading »

Victory Motorcycles stands behind its products, and is taking great efforts to prove it. In recent years, Victory had been running a promotion where people can test a Victory motorcycle and, if they end up buying a competitor’s product, Victory gives them $100. Victory is taking things to a higher level offering a full money-back guarantee for 2013 models.

“We’ve been saying ‘Ride One and You’ll Own One’ for over a year, and we’ve seen thousands of riders take the challenge and join the Victory ranks,” Fulkerson said. “We’re so confident you’ll enjoy riding a Victory that we’re stepping up to our own challenge and putting our money where our mouth is. If you buy a new Victory and aren’t completely satisfied riding the best, just bring it back.”

There are some restrictions, of course. The “Victory Guarantee” offers applies only to new 2013 models purchased in the United States or Canada from March 1 to April 30. Customers must own the motorcycle for at least 30 days before they can take advantage of the guarantee. They then have another 30 days to return their motorcycle for a refund. Continue Reading »

Victory Motorcycles has released a series of videos showing a behind-the-scenes look behind its 2013 product brochure. This year’s brochure was notable for Victory‘s tie-in with Playboy magazine, including a photoshoot at the famous Playboy mansion.

The brochure featured three Playboy models, Miss November 2011 Ciara Price, Miss January 2011 Anna Sophia Berglund and Miss April 2012 Raquel Pomplun. Victory selected one photo from each model and had fans vote for which one they want to appear on the cover of the brochure, with fans picking a picture of Pomplun on a Sunset Red Victory Cross Country.

The three models later autographed that Cross Country which Victory will auction off, with all proceeds going to Operation Gratitude, a non-profit organization that sends care packages to deployed members of the U.S. military.

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Polaris plans to bring its Victory Motorcycles brand to India by the end of the year, says Pankaj Dubey, managing director of Polaris India.

“Yes we have decided to launch in the market by the end of 2013,” Dubey tells the Press Trust of India.

The American company entered the Indian market in 2012 at the New Delhi Auto Expo. Polaris displayed a Victory Vision at the Expo, but the launch was primarily focused on the company’s off-road product lines. Polaris ATVs and UTVs have since been available at Indian dealerships and the company now appears ready to introduce its motorcycles. Continue Reading »

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Filmed at the 2013 Progressive International Motorcycle Show in New York City, the “Indian Motorcycle Summit” press conference featured celebrity panelist Mike Wolfe and top executives from Indian Motorcycle including Steve Menneto, Gary Gray and designer Michael Song. Moderated by Robert Pandya, panelists discussed everything from Mike’s favorite picks to the company’s exciting plans for the upcoming launch of the all-new Indian Motorcycle – one of the most anticipated and historic events in motorcycling history. Continue Reading »

Victory Motorcycles is celebrating the company’s 15th anniversary with a special limited edition Cross Country Tour. Unveiled at the New York City stop of the International Motorcycle Shows tour, the 15th Anniversary Cross Country Tour Limited Edition comes in an Antares red over Gloss Black paint scheme, just like the original 1998 V92C that was the first motorcycle to roll off the line at Victory’s factory in Spirit Lake, Iowa.

The 15th Anniversary model also features a custom seat, billet wheels, chrome details, removeable saddlebag and trunk liners, a Garmin GPS navigation system, XM satellite radio, Kicker speakers, black windscreen and an iPhone/iPod connector. The limited edition model also features special badging including red-lettered cam badges and an individually numbered plate. Continue Reading »