IMS Discover The Ride reveals positive data from moto-curious participants. 

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Recent Motorcycle Survey Finds an Astonishingly High Number of Youth Plan to Start Riding

New Data From IMS’ Discover the Ride Initiative Reveals a Hopeful Future for the Motorcycle Industry

Santa Monica, Calif. (April 19, 2019) – The Progressive® International Motorcycle Shows® (IMS), the industry leader for connecting powersports’ top brands with enthusiasts and buyers, today announced data gathered from survey feedback provided by participants of IMS’ Discover The Ride initiative, which found that 81 percent of currently non-motorcycle-licensed consumers who experienced the thrill of two-wheels on the program’s New Rider Course plan to get their motorcycle license. Of those non-licensed riders, 64 percent were under the age of 35. The combined findings suggest there is a high percent of youth interested in joining the motorcycle industry.

Discover the Ride, which launched during the 2018/2019 IMS tour and has since hit seven major cities throughout the nation as well as the 2019 Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) Auto Show, is the only approachable motorcycling experience designed to give non-motorcycle-licensed consumers the experience of riding in a safe and controlled environment. The interactive program, which includes the New Rider Course, The Kids Zone, educational seminars within New To 2, and a dyno and wheelie experience, was specifically designed to introduce riding motorcycles to consumers of all ages in an effort to counteract the industry’s high barriers of entry.

“It is important for the motorcycle industry to recognize there is a deep pool of potential riders, especially within the younger generation, as Discover the Ride’s data suggests,” said Tracy Harris, Senior Vice President, Powersports, Informa. “Discover the Ride does a fantastic job providing a quick and accessible opportunity for non-riders to experience the rush of two wheels. The program additionally takes the next step in converting non-riders by providing continued education and resources to those interested through New to 2, a series of online videos and live presentations educating new riders on the world of motorcycling, and guidance from Total Control Training who provides tailored information on where one can pursue obtaining their motorcycle license.”

The Discover the Ride feedback, provided by non-motorcycle-licensed participants, was contributed by over 2,000 consumers spanning Long Beach, New York, Dallas, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Washington D.C., and Chicago. In addition to its presence at each stop of the 2018/2019 IMS tour, Discover the Ride’s feature at the DFW Auto Show resulted in a comprehensive dataset pulling from both industry and non-industry consumers.

Additional key highlights from the Discover the Ride survey feedback are as follows:

• Across the seven IMS tour stops throughout the nation and the DFW Auto Show, over 6,800 consumers participated in Discover the Ride.
• 47 percent of all non-motorcycle-licensed Discover the Ride and New Rider Course participants were female.
• More than 2,340 kids rode StaCyc bikes in The Kids Zone.

“The motorcycle industry has struggled with Millennials and Gen X’ers not entering the market at the same rate as baby boomers are aging out,” said Robert Pandya, Team Manager, Discover the Ride. “Thus, it is critical for the future of motorcycling that current industry leaders come together to bring approachable opportunities for the next generation, as well as underserved demographics, to experience and get on board with riding. As the nation’s largest consumer motorcycle tour, IMS is currently leading that effort with Discover the Ride.”

IMS is dedicated to increasing new ridership; as a follow-up to the onsite Discover the Ride initiative, IMS will be reaching out to the non-motorcycle-licensed riders interested in obtaining their license to further provide the tools they need to start their journey.

To learn more about Discover The Ride, please visit: motorcycleshows.com/content/discover-ride.

To learn more about the Progressive® International Motorcycle Shows® Tour, please visit: motorcycleshows.com.

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The 8-city tour will launch across the U.S. and Canada from May through June.

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Royal Enfield, the leader in the global middleweight motorcycle segment, will begin shipping the highly anticipated and all-new INT 650 and Continental GT 650 Twins this month to all U.S. and Canadian dealers. The MSRP for the Twins starts at $5,799 and includes standard ABS, a three-year unlimited-mile warranty and roadside assistance.

The first twin-cylinder motorcycles to be produced by Royal Enfield since 1970 — the motorcycles are the first created for the global market leveraging Royal Enfield’s world-class product development and manufacturing capabilities — are built for real-world riding with sufficient power to navigate city traffic or cruise effortlessly on the open road. The offerings will inspire confidence in new riders and satisfy the performance expectations of experienced riders.

INT 650:

Reminiscent of the street-scrambler-style motorcycle that emerged in California in the ’60s with a teardrop tank, dual seat and high, braced handlebars for a comfortable and commanding riding position. Starting MSRP $5,799 (U.S. pricing)

Continental GT 650:

Offers a more committed riding position and features a twin seat, sculpted fuel tank, rear-set footrests and race-style, clip-on handlebars for an optimum blend of steering feel and comfort with no compromise. Starting MSRP $5,999 (U.S. pricing)

Colors will be released in phases throughout the year. The first colors available will include Orange Crush and Silver Spectre for the INT 650, and Ice Queen for the Continental GT 650.

The Twins will also feature a full range of genuine motorcycle accessories and apparel.

In an effort to support the retail availability of the Twins, Royal Enfield North America is hosting a tour across North America starting in May. The tour will include demo/test rides for the Twins and other Royal Enfield motorcycles. Each city launch event will feature live music, artist murals, food and exciting giveaways.

Launch tour locations and dates:

May 11: Miami, Florida — Miami Supercar Rooms

May 18: Summit Point, West Virginia — Summit Point Motorsports Park

June 1: Milwaukee, Wisconsin — Boone and Crockett

June 8: Acton, Ontario, Canada — Town Takeover

June 15: Denver, Colorado — META Headquarters

June 22: Monterey, California — Laguna Seca Raceway

June 29: Brea, California — SoCal Motorcycles

June 30: San Diego, California — Royal Enfield of San Diego

Additional dealer dates will be added throughout the summer.

For details on locations and activities, please visit: www.royalenfieldna.com/twinslaunch.

For more information about Royal Enfield North America, please visit: www.royalenfieldna.com.

The post Royal Enfield Twins Hitting Dealerships Now And Will Launch 8-City Tour appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.

We’re glad you asked. This just in from Indian:

“Indian Motorcycle is excited to announce the FTR 1200 and FTR 1200 S will begin arriving in dealers in the U.S. and Canada in mid-May. All factory accessories, including the Tracker, Sport, Rally and Tour Collections, will also be available as motorcycles arrive in dealerships.”

For a refresher on what those Collections consist of, hop over here.

FTR1200 lists for $13,499, FTR1200S for $15,499.

The post When, O when, will the Indian FTR1200 be in Dealers? appeared first on Motorcycle.com News.

Vigil was originally going to race the Baja 1000 with the Scrambler 1200, but a training injury forced him to withdraw. Fully healed, now he’s ready to tackle Mexico.

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Triumph Motorcycles are excited to confirm their return to the off-road endurance racing world with accomplished stunt rider and racer Ernie Vigil piloting the groundbreaking all-new Scrambler 1200 XE at this year’s NORRA Mexican 1000 Rally.

Vigil is one of Triumph’s official factory riders, an experienced off-road racer, and was very likely the first person to have completed the Mexican 1000 on board a Triumph Tiger 800.

Now fully recovered and fit for action following an injury suffered during training in October 2018, Ernie has spent the last three weeks in Southern California with the race-ready Scrambler 1200 completing his final preparations for this grueling challenge.

Ernie’s Scrambler 1200 XE is in near-standard condition, with only the addition of a desert racing seat, lights, grips and extreme profile sand tires. Topping off the race-spec features, there is also a unique off-road racing scheme with Triumph’s signature black and white paint and graphics.

The Scrambler 1200 XE is an all-new benchmark-setting motorcycle that represents a first for dual-purpose capability and modern custom style. This beautiful 1,200cc scrambler delivers a category-redefining level of performance, specification and finish, fused with Triumph’s iconic scrambler DNA and all the multi-surface capability of a genuine adventure motorcycle.

The NORRA Mexican 1000 is an incredible off-road racing event that covers more than 1,000 miles of Mexico’s rugged Baja peninsula, with riders tackling rocks, quicksand, unpredictable 1,000bhp racing trucks and the unforgiving desert landscape. If you want to compete in extreme endurance races on a motorcycle, the Mexican 1000 is one of the biggest. The original 1,000-mile route (which is where it gets its name) kicked off in 1967. This year’s race begins in Ensenada, Mexico, and while the route changes year-to-year and the overall distance varies, the race  is always around 1,000 miles and broken up into multiple stages, each providing unique challenges. It promises to be a grueling test for both motorcycle and rider.

The Mexican 1000 is run on the same arduous course as the legendary Baja 1000, the same hallowed terrain that made the Triumph Scrambler name famous in the 1960s. Hence, this will be a bit of a homecoming for the Triumph Scrambler, back to prove its meddle to a new generation of riding enthusiasts.  Ernie, who was selected for both his experience and his incredible commitment to this project, recognizes the formidable challenge that lies in front of him. He’s now been in full training for months and says that he and the Scrambler 1200 XE are ready.

Ernie Vigil said: “After nine months of training, the injury, and over 6,000 off-road miles in the saddle, I’m excited to be getting to the final stage of prep for one of the most challenging off-road races you can do. I literally can’t wait to get to that starting line and fire the Scrambler up! The bike has been performing amazingly well and I’m raring to go.”

Paul Stroud, Triumph’s Chief Commercial Officer said: “Everyone at Triumph is rooting for Ernie, his commitment to returning to race fitness following his injury has been amazing and we just can’t wait to see the Scrambler 1200 in action. Baja desert racing has played such a big part in the history of scrambling and it was the spark that kicked off of our whole iconic Scrambler line-up.

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