Purchasing a motorcycle, parts and accessories from the comfort of home, then having them delivered to your door, is becoming more common, and now Indian has entered the online ordering market with its new Click.Deliver.Ride service. Riders have long had the ability to search for their desired model on Indian’s website and customize it to their preference, but they can now work with their local dealer, either online or via phone, to complete their purchase and have their dream bike delivered right to their doorstep.
In the same way that Click.Deliver.Ride is providing Indian Motorcycle’s customers with convenience, it is adding value to its network of dealers as well. Dealers play a crucial role in their local communities and economies, which is why Indian Motorcycle has dedicated itself to help them navigate through this unprecedented business situation, with Click.Deliver.Ride at the forefront.
“Over the last month, we’ve all had to adjust to a new way of life and have had to alter the ways in which we conduct our business,” said Mike Dougherty, Indian Motorcycle President. “Our hope is that Click.Deliver.Ride. will help bring peace of mind to both our loyal customers and our network of dealers.”
Motorcycle people and companies coming together to help.
A press release from the Motorcycle Industry Council:
We are all inundated with the impact of COVID-19. Yet, amid the devastating news, there are stories of hope; people and companies coming together to help our country’s most vulnerable, the heroes in healthcare and our brave first responders.
Within the powersports industry, we’ve seen Yamaha Motor Manufacturing of America in Newnan, Georgia, donate 380 respirators, 49,000 gloves, 325 Tyvek suits, and 18,000 alcohol wipes to the Piedmont Newnan Hospital. “We thank Yamaha for their support as we provide care to the community during this COVID-19 epidemic. The care we provide each day to our patients, especially during these times of crises, wouldn’t be possible without the support of our community,” said Vicki Kaiser, Executive Director of Community Affairs, Oncology and Support Services at Piedmont Newnan “The acts of kindness shown by our community partners helps encourage our team to push through as we strive to make a positive difference in every life we touch.”
What is Honda doing to help Americans in general during this crisis? Honda’s effort is led by an initial $1 million pledge to food banks and meal programs across the United States, Canada and Mexico and is intended to provide the most vulnerable with access to food. In addition to the $1 million pledge, the company also will implement a special matching gift program that enables Honda associates to make monetary donations to food programs in their local communities, matching up to $1,000 for each individual gift.
In addition, Honda has inventoried its stocks of Personal Protective Equipment at their North American facilities and have donated much of this equipment, including N95 face masks, to support frontline healthcare providers. They are also deploying 3-D printers to manufacture visors for protective face shields that will be used by medical providers.
Polaris, through its foundation, has donated more than $220,000 in technology to meet the needs of local students in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa as they transition to distance learning. This includes donated iPads, Chromebooks, wireless hotspots, chargers, and more. Furthermore, when learning that Smiths Medical, a leading global manufacturer of specialty medical devices, was looking to ramp up their manufacturing of ventilators and IV infusion pumps at their Oakdale, Minnesota, facility, Polaris reached out to see how they could help. This week, several employees from Polaris signed up to work at Smiths’ facility to help production efforts, with the potential to increase the workforce support as Smith continues to assess its need.
In New York City, a group of more than 60 motorcyclists collaborated with MasksforDocs.com, a grassroots campaign created to “get protective supplies into the hands of healthcare workers as quickly as possible.” These motorcyclists helped distribute personal protective equipment to some of the neediest doctors and hospitals in the city. We know motorcyclists in many other states are also working to do the same.
If you or anyone you know has a story you want to share with us, please email [email protected]. We can help you tell your story to a broader audience to provide hope to our community and demonstrate all that we in the power sports industry are doing to help.
We will get through these difficult times, working together to #RideItOut.
2020 BMW R18 “Big Boxer.” Photo courtesy BMW Motorrad.
In only a couple of hours, BMW Motorrad will be live streaming the worldwide unveiling of the highly-anticipated R18 cruiser. At 2:00 p.m. EDT (11:00 a.m. PDT), viewers can tune into BMW Motorrad’s Facebook page or YouTube channel to get a first, live look at the new “Big Boxer” R18 cruiser.
Teaser shots have been trickling in for months, after a series of concept bikes built around a new 1,800cc boxer twin were unveiled at motorcycle shows worldwide.
In response to the current COVID-19 crisis, Ural Motorcycles has announced a new drop shipping service for parts, with free home delivery (in the U.S. market only). Customers may order parts from their local (or any open) Ural dealership and the parts are directly drop shipped to their home.
Anyone looking to buy a new Ural can still do so at any dealership that’s still open. Trade-in values can be estimated online using Ural’s Get My Trade In Value tool.
The 2020 KTM 890 Duke R will be available in dealerships this spring.
We needed some good news, and KTM North America has delivered, announcing the early availability of the brand new 890 Duke R, unveiled in Milan last November and originally intended to launch in late 2020 as a MY2021 machine. Instead, KTM will be bringing in a “very limited number” of 890 Duke R models this spring as 2020 models.
Basically a more powerful and aggressive version of the impressive-in-its-own-right 790 Duke, the 2020 890 Duke R features a new 890cc parallel twin with an increased bore and stroke, higher compression ratio and redline, larger valves, a new piston design with new connecting rods and a new crankshaft, new individual mapping adjustment on each cylinder, a knock sensor and new engine cases. The new mill churns out more horsepower and torque, and KTM also says it provides better rideability due to increased rotating mass.
Brakes are by Brembo, with larger discs and Bosch ABS that includes a Supermoto setting, suspension is fully-adjustable WP Apex front and rear, and electronic rider aids include new-generation traction control and ride modes with optional Track mode and Quickshifter+, all aided by a new 6D lean angle sensor.
Befitting its “super scalpel” mission, the 890 Duke R has a lower, flatter handlebar and footpegs that are higher and more rear-set for a sportier riding position and greater lean angle. It makes no pretensions at being anything other than a twisty-munching or track-attacking machine, with a solo seat and no pillion footpegs. It’s you and Mr. Duke, that’s it.
Pricing has yet to be announced, but barring any supply chain disruptions we should see the bike in dealerships sometime this spring.
Save the date: on Wednesday, March 25, at 10:30am PDT, 1:30pm EDT, Ducati will live-stream a presentation on its new Streetfighter V4. Usually the type of thing reserved for journalists like us when we attend new model launches, this will be a unique opportunity (fueled by the coronavirus pandemic, but consider this a silver lining) for the general public to hear directly from the engineers, designers and test riders who are responsible for bringing the new Streetfighter to market.
The presentation will be live streamed on Ducati’s official website and social media channels:
Robert M. Pirsig’s book, “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance,” has achieved near-legendary status among riders and non-riders alike. Now the 1966 Honda Super Hawk featured in the book, along with other memorabilia, will take its place in U.S. history at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History will be the new home of American author Robert M. Pirsig’s 1966 Honda Super Hawk featured in his book, “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values.” Pirsig’s book, originally published by William Morrow in 1974, has sold more than 5 million copies and has been translated into 27 languages. The inspiration for Zen stemmed from a month-long road trip Pirsig (1928–2017) took with his 11-year-old son Chris in 1968. As they rode the 5,700 miles from the Twin Cities of Minnesota to San Francisco and back, Pirsig became better acquainted with his son and himself.
Stored for decades in the family’s New England garage and recently mechanically restored, the motorcycle is a gift from Pirsig’s widow, Wendy K. Pirsig. The gift includes Pirsig’s leather jacket, maps, shop manual and other gear from the 1968 ride, together with his toolboxes, a manuscript copy and signed first edition of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. The book kickstarted an international cultural movement to rethink how people interact with technology and find balance in life, as it tells a story about the relationship between people and machines that made Pirsig a pioneer in the human-technology interface and do-it-yourself maintenance and repair.
“Bob’s philosophy explored human values, and he aimed to show how quality is actually at the center of all existence,” Wendy Pirsig said. “It seems consistent with this focus on quality that his motorcycle collection joins the nation’s exemplary history museum at the Smithsonian.” The museum is located on Constitution Avenue N.W. between 12th and 14th streets in Washington, D.C., and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). Admission is free. For more information, visit americanhistory.si.edu.
A copy of the original manuscript for “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” will be included in the Smithsonian’s exhibit.
Honda has announced the colors and pricing of the 2020 Gold Wing family, which will be available in January. In addition to the new colors, some new features and refinements have been added to the 2020 models:
Fog lights standard on Tour models, for improved visibility in varying conditions
On Tour models, reshaped rear-seat grab handles provide improved ergonomics for passengers of all body types
Saddlebag-mounted USB charger on all models (previously standard only on Airbag model) joins dash-mounted charger for increased charging options
Updated front and rear suspension settings
Revised button on center storage pocket features improved action
Minor software updates on navigation system
Blacked-out engine, frame and wheels now available on Pearl Glare White Tour and Tour DCT
All-new black with anodized surfaces available on Gold Wing and Gold Wing DCT
Colors and pricing for the 2020 Gold Wings are as follows:
2020 Honda Gold Wing Tour DCT in Candy Ardent Red/Black. Photo courtesy Honda.
Gold Wing Tour
Colors: Pearl Glare White, Candy Ardent Red/Black
MSRP
Pearl Glare White: $27,500
Candy Ardent Red/Black: $28,000
2020 Honda Gold Wing Tour DCT in Pearl Glare White. Photo courtesy Honda.
Gold Wing Tour DCT
Colors: Pearl Glare White, Candy Ardent Red/Black
MSRP
Pearl Glare White: $28,500
Candy Ardent Red/Black: $29,000
2020 Honda Gold Wing Tour DCT Airbag in Darkness Black Metallic/Gray. Photo courtesy Honda.
Gold Wing Tour DCT Air Bag
Color: Darkness Black Metallic/Gray
MSRP: $32,300
2020 Honda Gold Wing in Matte Black Metallic. Photo courtesy Honda.
Gold Wing
Color: Matte Black Metallic
MSRP: $23,800
Gold Wing DCT
Color: Matte Black Metallic
MSRP: $25,000
Keep scrolling for more photos….
Fog lights now come standard on the 2020 Honda Gold Wing Tour models.Passenger grab handles have been redesigned for easier use.All 2020 Gold Wing models now include an additional USB charging port in the saddlebag.Anodized red accents on the 2020 Gold Wing.
Rolling Thunder’s seven Ohio chapters and the National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio, have announced the Rolling Thunder Ohio event to take place May 24, 2020 in Columbus.
The event, which has received approval from the National Rolling Thunder leadership, is expected to draw Rolling Thunder chapters, veterans and riders from as many as 15 states, all within a day’s ride of Columbus.
The endpoint for the ride is the National Veterans Memorial and Museum, a 7-acre historical landmark along downtown Columbus’ Scioto Mile. A 50,000-square-foot facility offers opportunities for reflection in the Memorial Grove, the Great Hall and the exhibition galleries, and to learn about the experiences of the brave men and women who serve and have served our country.
For updates and more information, call Ty Geiser at (330) 466-0086 or visit rollingthunderohio.com.
Ever wondered what it would be like to work in a motorcycle shop? Or just want to learn how to change the oil on your motorcycle but don’t have enough garage space at home?
City College of San Francisco has a course for that. The college runs several motorcycle courses every semester, and a new semester is starting up August 17, running until December. Classes last eighteen weeks. Students attend from all over Northern California.
You’ll probably want to start with the Moto 90, Introduction to Motorcycle Technology course. It will give you an overview of motorcycle history, competition, and culture in class sessions, and also plenty of time to learn how to work on motorcycles in the fully-equipped shop.
Moto 90 courses run Monday and Wednesday evenings, from 6:30 to 9:20, or Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Half the time is spent in the classroom, the other half in the shop, so there’s plenty of chance for hands-on wrenching, and also the chance to talk about motorcycles with enthusiastic classmates.
Other, more advanced courses are offered once you’ve passed Moto 90 (or pass a challenge test, if you have extensive motorcycle experience already).
Oh, and how much does it cost? If you’re a San Francisco resident, the classes may be free; residents of other California counties pay $46 per credit unit (Moto 90 is a 4-unit course), working out to about $265 a semester (still a bargain)!
