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Winter 2013
Winter 2013 Bike Reviews — The Moto Guzzi 1400 California Custom and Aprilia’s Dorsoduro 750 ABS
By David Soderholm
Moto Guzzi Offers A Sophisticated
Muscle Cruiser
Big, tough and beautiful – what a visual impact this bruiser makes! Moto Guzzi, the oldest continually operating European motorcycle manufacturer, thoroughly revamped the California for 2013. It’s now a big beefy 
classically styled motorcycle that packs a surprising wallop from beneath its 1950s muscle car looks. This is modern retro design done right.
Speaking of retro, let’s go retro with Moto Guzzi history for a moment. It’ll help give us some background on this 1400.
With five different parent companies over its history, Moto Guzzi has had some uncertain times. In the early 2000s, two big things happened to put Moto Guzzi firmly on solid financial and design footing – Miguel Galluzzi and Piaggio.
Winter 2013 — Special Section — 2014 Model Preview
MMM’s Special Section reports in 2013 heralded the start of Minnesota’s riding season and delved into the Sportbike market, Scooters, Off-Road models, Touring bikes, Cruisers, Dual Sport models and Classics. In this, our last issue of MMM until March 2014, we wanted to show you a brief glimpse of what the U.S. motorcycle market intends to offer in the New Year. Here, we have assembled 15 brands, including Aprilia, BMW, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Indian, Kawasaki, KTM, Moto Guzzi, MV Agusta, Piaggio/Vespa, Suzuki, Triumph, Victory and Yamaha, for you to peruse.
Winter 2013 — From The Hip
By Guido Ebert
guido@mnmotorcycle.com
Welcome to MMM issue #153 – the ninth and final issue of 2013 and the culmination of my first year with your free monthly paper devoted to motorcycling in our great state of Minnesota.
What a whirlwind year we have had.
MMM returned in 2013 with its traditional sections, like full-color motorcycle model profiles, “All The News That Fits”, “Geezer With a Grudge”, “The Redneck Files” and “Random Scootering”. Then, to add more worth to your reading experience, we installed a new, monthly “Special Section” to highlight market trends and the occasional “Motorcycling in Minnesota” column in an effort to share some of the best road routes in the state.
Winter 2013 — Geezer With A Grudge — Unnecessary Evil?
by Thomas Day
thomas@mnmotorcycle.com
In a recent long, sometimes emotional, occasionally irrational discussion about the superiority/inferiority of belts, drive shafts, and chains, the comments from a few of the MMM regulars illustrated how much we humans dislike maintenance. It’s messy, it takes time away from riding and other more exciting activities, and it is boring. At my age, maintenance is also painful. Getting down on my garage floor to inspect low-lying components like the chain, oil-drain and filter, wheels and tires, and practically everything below the height of the seat is a gamble. After every service interval, there is a good chance that I’ll be squalling, “Help! I’m a turtle and I can’t get up!”
Winter 2013 — Tales From The Road — Fuel Fool
by Mark DesCartes
A couple years ago, I was following the back roads toward home after a visit to the excellent aircraft museum in Liberal, Kan. Somewhere north and east of the town of Pratt, I pulled up on a guy standing over his parked FZ Yamaha.
“Need any help?”
“I think I’m outta gas”, the rider replied.
Winter 2013 — Seeing the USA ASAP
By Gregor Moe
grego@winternet.com
For 10 days I dreamt of eating a meal with a fork. I finally got to do so in Hyder, Alaska.
8,672 miles in 9 days, 9 hours and 39 minutes.
That’s where Dan Larson and I completed our “48 Plus!” Iron Butt ride, a journey that took us to all of the Lower 48 states and then up to Alaska in less than 10 days. We were both on Victory motorcycles. “Happy Dan” was on his Cross Country and I was on my 10th Anniversary Victory Vision.
For 10 days we whipped through every state on the continent, and for 10 days many of our meals were “Roller Dogs,” those perpetually rotating hot dogs at truck stops.
When we reached Hyder, I celebrated with a big slab of salmon – that I got to eat with a fork.
Winter 2013 — Random Scootering
“This is the best accelerating scooter I’ve ever been on”.
By Kevin Kocur
BMW’s C 600 Sport Looks Quick,
Is Quick.
It sounds like a bobcat trying to escape from a burlap sack – growling, snarling and sounding really, really pissed off.
Normally, the engines that make those noises are often a V-twin or V4 configuration, usually hung from a trellis frame. In this case, the engine is a parallel twin tucked under the rider and the bodywork is adorned with roundels. Also, this growling beasty isn’t the latest and greatest sport bike—it’s a scooter.
I first reported BMW’s intent to bring the C600 Sport ($9,590) and its sibling, the C650GT ($9,990), to the United States in MMM #135. I’d been (almost patiently) waiting to get my hands on one, and finally did in late summer when I rode down to Leo’s South, which graciously loaned us a bike.
Winter 2013 — All The News That Fits
by Guido Ebert
guido@mnmotorcycle.com
U.S. Cycle Sales Look Flat for 2013
Two-wheeler sales in the U.S. during the first nine months of 2013 totaled 383,524 units, up 0.5% compared to 381,785 units during the same nine-month period in 2012, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC).
Here in Minnesota, the situation couldn’t have been more difficult for retailers who were forced to weather a long-lasting winter that decimated any chance for what is usually an early-year buying frenzy.
Nationally, for the first nine months through September, sales of On-Highway models experienced a 1% uptick to 274,578 units, sales of Off-Highway models climbed 8.2% to 55,212 units, and Dual Sport sales grew 3% to 24,267 units. Scooter sales, especially hard hit by the long-lasting winter, were down 16.7% to 29,467 units through September.
Registrations of new motorized two-wheelers in the U.S. in 2012 totaled 452,386 units, up 2.6% compared to 440,899 units in 2011. On-Highway sales in 2012 totaled 318,105 units, Off-Highway sales numbered 71,535 units, Dual Sport sales totaled 28,452 units, and Scooter sales accounted for 34,294 units.
Japan’s Imports Fall
Japan’s four major motorcycle manufacturers produced 398,394 units during the first nine months of 2013, down 14% compared to 454,268 units during the same nine months in 2012, according to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association.
Honda produced 105,243 units, down 34.4%; Kawasaki produced 43,982 units, down 22.2%; Suzuki built 126,921 units, up 15.7%; and Yamaha produced 122,248 units, down 4.1%.
The four OEMs together exported 112,894 units to the U.S., down 4.7% compared to 118,160 units. While shipments of two-wheelers larger than 250cc grew 6.4% to 84,806 units, deliveries of vehicles sized 50cc & Under declined 29.8% to 6,528 units, 51-125cc plummeted 49.7% to 3,940 units, and 126-250cc fell 17.2% to 17,620 units.
Six Inducted Into AMA Hall of Fame
Six legends of motorcycling were inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame for 2013.
Honorees included AMA Supercross and Motocross Champion Ricky Carmichael; AMA and desert racing champion Danny Hamel; racer, promoter and K&N founder Norm McDonald; Ride For Kids founders Mike and Dianne Traynor; and – posthumously – AMA Road Racing Champion Randy Renfrow.
In addition to the class of 2013, the induction ceremony celebrated the outstanding careers of two existing Hall of Famers: Mark Blackwell, a pioneering American motocross racer, six-time AMA championship race team manager and industry executive; and Torsten Hallman, a four-time FIM World Motocross champion who was instrumental in introducing the sport of motocross to America and later founded the Thor brand.
Federal Task Force Mulls Mandatory
Helmet Law
A federal task force is poised to recommend that all states have mandatory helmet laws for all motorcyclists, which the task force says would reduce injuries and deaths as well as result in economic benefits.
The Community Preventive Services Task Force, whose 15 members are appointed by the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC, a federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services, makes recommendations to the U.S. Congress about community preventive health services, programs and policies.
The American Motorcyclist Association says it believes motorcyclists would be best served if regulators and legislators focus on programs to prevent motorcycle crashes from occurring in the first place. The AMA says any economic benefits would be insignificant since health care costs related to motorcycle crashes are miniscule in the context of total health care costs nationwide.
“The AMA continues to strongly encourage the use of personal protective equipment, including gloves, sturdy footwear and a properly fitted motorcycle helmet certified by its manufacturer to meet federal safety standards,” said Wayne Allard, AMA vice president for government relations. “But we also believe that adults should have the right to voluntarily choose to wear a helmet.”
Global Participation in U.S. Safety Conference
Researchers from the United States, Germany, Australia, Italy, the United Kingdom and Sweden recently assembled in Florida for the 2013 Motorcycle Safety Foundation/ifz International Motorcycle Safety Conference (IMSC).
The first safety conference of its kind in the United States since 2006, IMSC attracted safety experts from 23 countries on four continents to discuss safety technology and initiatives, rider characteristics, crash analysis and personal protective equipment.
“Our goal was to provide a forum that would assist industry, government, academic institutions and research organizations in devising and improving countermeasures to enhance the safety of all motorcyclists,” Motorcycle Safety Foundation President Tim Buche said.
Enterprise Rent-A-Cycle
Enterprise Rent-A-Car recently launched a pilot program to rent motorcycles to customers in Las Vegas. The move marks the first time a U.S. car rental company ventured into the motorcycle market.
Enterprise’s motorcycle rentals feature seven Harley-Davidson models, including the Street Glide, Road Glide Custom, Electra Glide Classic, Electra Glide Ultra Limited, Road Glide Ultra, Heritage Softail Classic and Fat Boy Lo. Fees range from $120 to $160 a day.
Enterprise says it selected Vegas because tourists are prone to take trips to outlying attractions like the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. All renters must have a motorcycle driver’s license. Makes sense. Helmets, which are required by Nevada law, are complimentary. Ick.
Motorcycle Show, January 17-19
The Progressive International Motorcycle Show (IMS) series is scheduled to make its stop at the Minneapolis Convention Center the weekend of Jan. 17, 2014. Ticket prices for the three-day event start at $15.
Brands scheduled to attend as this issue of MMM went to press included BMW, Can-Am, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Indian, Kawasaki, KTM, Suzuki, Triumph, Victory and Yamaha.
Minneapolis is one of 12 stops in the IMS series. It follows a show in Washington, D.C. and precedes a show in Phoenix.
A Triumph for DeVault
Donald DeVault, a 73-year-old from Omaha, wonders what kind of memories his Triumph motorcycle helped make in the 46 years since it was stolen.
California authorities recently recovered his 1953 Triumph Tiger 100 at the Port of Los Angeles. The bike was about to be shipped to Japan when U.S. Customs & Border Protection agents who checked the vehicle identification number discovered the motorcycle had been reported stolen in February 1967.
The bike was valued at $300 when stolen in 1967. The shipping documents listed its value today at $9,000.
‘Cop Motor, Cop Shocks, Cop Brakes …’
The Michigan Department of State Police in 2013 evaluated four motorcycle models – the BMW R 1200 RTP, Victory Commander 1, and Harley-Davidson Electra Glide FLHTP and Road King FLHP – as part of its annual Police Vehicle Evaluation Program.
As expected, the BMW turned out to be the quickest, fastest and best stopper of the four bikes, achieving a top track speed of 128 mph (followed by the Victory, Road King and Electra Glide, a fastest lap of 1:41.11 (followed by the Road King, Electra Glide and Victory), and a brake test of 143.9 feet (followed by the Electra Glide, Road King and Victory).
Testing was performed at Grattan Raceway, a two-mile road course the MSP says provides a realistic environment in which to gauge motorcycle dynamics.
Polaris Purchases Primordial
Polaris Industries has been on a tear, acquiring a variety of companies both domestically and overseas in an effort to further its technological resources. Most recently, the Medina-based company best known for its powersports vehicles acquired St.Paul-based navigation software maker Primordial, Inc.
Primordial developed ground guidance software soldiers use to navigate dangerous off-road terrain. The company later launched Ooze, a crowd-sourced mapping application it sells to businesses and government agencies.
It appears Primordial’s Ooze will play a role in improving Polaris’ Rider-X mobile apps, which snowmobilers use to navigate trails. Meanwhile, Polaris’ defense business, which makes ultra-light tactical vehicles and other products, likely will tap into Primordial’s military expertise.
Norton Again Comes to the U.S.
The first batch of the most recent iteration of Norton motorcycles has been shipped to the U.S.
For those of you who may not recall, the Norton brand has been through the ringer, sold or granted through bankruptcy to various owners throughout the years – in fact, even briefly and controversially owned by a Minnesota-based entrepreneur.
The new Norton Commando 961 motorcycles are produced at a recently completed 45,000 sq. ft. facility in Donington Park, UK. About a dozen bikes were shipped stateside. All were pre-production orders being fulfilled.
MMM
October 2013 — Bike Review — Royal Enfield Offers the Look of 1955
By Guido Ebert
guido@mnmotorcycle.com
Minnesota’s Classic Motorworks Ltd., based in Faribault, serves as the exclusive U.S. importer & distributor of Royal Enfield motorcycles – bikes made in 2013 that look like they came from 1955.
The perfect city bike.
The Background
What is Royal Enfield?