New Brand Of Motorcycle

2010 Indian Chief Roadmaster

2010 Indian Chief Roadmaster red

2010 Indian Chief Roadmaster white

I know I said wouldn't talk (much) more about Erik Buell and Buell Motorcycles, but there is some speculation going on that Buell Motorcycles failed because the 1125 series was a flop. While I'm not aware of the people saying things like that actually working for Harley-Davidson or Buell, the speculation game is fun and I'm sure lots of people have their own opinions on the matter. That's cool...

But it got me to thinking about what really constitutes a flop in the motorcycling market place.

Is a discontinued bike a flop?

Fair question. The entire industry and manufacturers on every continent and in every country where bikes are produced have a long... very, very long... list of motorcycles that are no longer manufactured or sold. The venerable, game-changing CB750 from Honda is a shining and prime example of this. To date one of the most recognized, most achieved, and most sought after bikes, the CB750(pick your suffix) is considered something of a landmark on the motorcycling landscape. The CB750 helped to usher in a new era of powerful, lightweight and technology laden machines available at real-world, working man's prices. Honda's modern CBR motorcycles, and nearly every other manufacturer's 4 cylinder sport and naked street bike owe more than a little nod to Honda and the CB bikes of the 70s.

There are still a large number of these bikes operating on the roads and they were sold in large numbers for a long time (speaking in relative terms, mind you). These bikes' descendants are found in every Japanese bike-based dealership and on race tracks around the world. Yet the CB of yesteryear is gone. Gone is the steel tube frame, the solid brake discs with single-pot calipers. Gone, or nearly gone are the air-cooled four cylinder engines with inspection caps in the heads and screw-type valve adjusters. Gone are the 4-rack of carburetors and the chain and sprockets made of what now seems like concrete wrapped in lead.

The CB we all grew up on and fell in love with, clearly, is gone and has been relegated to history; notable history, to be sure, yet history just the same. Clearly that bike was a flop, right?

Do poor sales numbers define a bike as a flop?

I think I can walk into about 6 dealerships that I'm familiar with and with reasonable effort, I can scare up a leftover 2006, 2007 or 2008 Honda VFR 800 Interceptor. These machines are surely among the most beloved and fiercely appreciated cult-favorite bikes of all time. They can still be found as brand new leftovers, with zero miles in show rooms. Sometimes they can be found still crated, not having seen daylight in years. The same holds true for Suzuki's SV and DL series bikes and their flagship line of street sport bikes, the GSXR; a modern offshoot of the GSX and GS models of years gone by.

Surely we can say the famed Gixxer and the beloved VFR are flops, right? Sales numbers prove this assertion.

Are technological "issues" in a model what define a flop?

When you twist the throttle on some new, cutting edge, modern fuel injected motorcycles, there's often an issue with off-idle abruptness, "twitchy" throttle response and a general feel of "on/off" throttle response. This can be annoying and it can be dangerous. Surely such a gross oversight in design, implementation and testing means these bikes are destined to be flops, right?

What about the Hondas with certain charging system issues, or perhaps the Moto Guzzis that have miscellaneous "electrical gremlins". Aprilia surely has a flop on its hands with the RSV4 and the engines that are blowing up, right?

Maybe there are no flops... just evolution.

So, no, I don't believe Harley canceled Buell because of sales flops. Nor do I believe that with products as diverse and passionately owned and crafted as motorcycles that the conventional idea of a 'flop' really applies. Indian motorcycles is delivering new Chief models, completely hand built and assembled from their North Carolina facility to the tune of 2 per day. At that volume, it's IMPOSSIBLE to have large sales numbers. Similarly, Norton is delivering new Commandos to buyers who have already provided deposits. They're producing at a low volume but they are in a position to - literally - sell every machine they make. If that's only a few hundred units compared to, say, Honda's or Harley's numbers, sure it's a small volume. But 100% sales rate... who else has that?

Maybe the notion of a flop is justification for attrition of design and demand, and the evolution of the industry. Maybe?

Comments?

Motorcycle Season in Full Swing

Well, March was absolute chaos around here. Apparently all you riders have decided that you've been sitting tight - both weather-wise and financially - for long enough, and you're unleashing yourselves! We've been inundated with orders - so much so that we went backorder on two of our most in-demand parts for several days.

I know the feeling. Last week we had such unusually warm weather for Minnesota that I got my first ride of the season in - on April 1! (I was aiming for March just so I could say 'March' ...) I didn't even need gloves, it was so warm (although I DID have the Desert Dawgs rain guards on). Of course it didn't last - just long enough to REALLY make us impatient!

What warmer weather means for us is renewed emphasis on new products. We've got quite a list, but exploring new product ideas is a hell of lot more do-able when you can tinker with the things ON a bike and ride with them. (In fact, we don't sell a product unless WE have personally test-ridden them!) That's a big advantage of manufacturing in the USA. American-made motorcycle accessories like ours are also hands-down the best quality (just ask your mom - you get what you pay for!).

So keep an eye here, or subscribe to our newsletter so you'll be the first to hear asbout our newest motorcycle accessories!

My Country: We ain't 'fraid of no... trees.

A couple of years ago you might remember I started a series of photo posts called "My Country" where I stop and take some pictures of great things around the area in which I live. Sometimes it would be just a beautiful country road, a land mark or building, horses... whatever caught my eye as a defining quality of life in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

Today I present a few photographs of the locally famous, "Devil's Road", Cossart Road in Pennsbury Township, Pennsylvania. The road is locally famous for having an evil aura and for certain otherworldly myths and events. I leave it to you to Google up those details you may wish to read further.

It is said that the road and the fabled, near-by "cult house" are so evil, even the trees themselves grow away from them. This was also the site of much of the filming of The Village by Philadelphia area film maker, M. Night Shyamalan. The trees were already like that when I got there, so I know they're not flinching from the awesomeness of my Italian steed.

This excerpt from the delvalparanormal.org website explains a little bit about the road, the trees and the myth of the Cult House.

Though the cult house's exact location is unknown, many claim you can tell when you're close by the trees along Cossart Rd. The house is supposed to be so evil that the tree along the road grow as if they are trying to bend away from the house. The most popular of all the trees along cossart road is the one known by many as the 'Skull' or 'Devil's' tree. This particular tree earned it's nickname because some say the tree resembles a human hand reaching into the ground, while others claim the base of the tree resembles a human skull. It is claimed, though never proven, that years ago police found the remains of an small child in the base of the tree and promptly filled in part of the base with concrete.

The Devil's Tree or The Skull Tree seemed content to let me photograph it without eating my soul or swallowing my bike. I do admit, in person, its appearance is a little unsettling, though less skull-like than the name might suggest. Perhaps that's due to the story about the dead baby... Who knows?

The story goes something like this... The local police found a dead baby that had apparently been sacrificed in a nook in the exposed roots of this tree.

After the inconclusive investigation, the police had the tree's exposed roots filled in with concrete so no babies could ever again be sacrificed there, and to help minimize the feeling of evil around the tree. Or maybe it was to help stabilize the roots so the tree wouldn't fall on passing motorists. No one alive knows for sure... (insert obligatory evil laugh here).

Websites and books are dedicated to this and other supposedly paranormal locations around the state and around the country. Check them out; whether you believe in the supernatural or not, a lot of these local legends make for some great reading and, if you can spare the time (and potentially your life or soul!) might be worth a day trip or weekend trip to see for yourself!

Some sites that might be worth viewing...

http://www.delvalparanormal.org/culthouse/culthouse.html
http://www.unsolvedmysteries.com/usm380588.html
http://weirdpa.hellocai.com/home.php