Motorcycle Sales Rev Up, Fueled by New Products

By: Sally Shin / CNBC

Big spenders, start your engines. The roaring sound of motorcycle engines have been calling out to big spenders. After slower growth during the recession, sales are turning around and efforts to coax more women into the category are gaining traction. Harley-Davidson reported Tuesday morning (January 24) that it swung back into the black, with earnings that topped Wall Street estimates on a 12-percent increase in sales. President and CEO Keith Wandell says the growing sales in the U.S. reflect improved confidence among American consumers. Rival Ducati, whose bikes also have a hefty price tag, reported sales increased 43 percent in North America last year. The record sales also had another distinction, North America became Ducati's largest global market — the first-time ever its home market of Italy was trumped. In a world where most of luxury demand is growing from Asian, especially China, Ducati and Harley-Davidson’s exposure in the domestic market speaks loudly of the ultra-wealthy. The richest of the rich, or the "one percent" as many refer to, are exempt from trends that follow the economic indicators and spending habits diverge from the average Americans.

New Products Drive Sales. To sweep up these eager high spenders, Ducati says it continues to invest not only in rolling out new showrooms in the U.S., but also in its product line. “One of the strategies that we have added that was successful was whatever the situation the past year was, we continue to invest in product development," Dominique Cheraki, Ducati North America Head told CNBC. "That has been really important.” Indeed, sales of its Diavel, which debuted last year, and the Multistrada, which launched in 2010, helped drive its performance. Although the demand is growing, Ducati says it hasn't always been a smooth drive combating the global slowdown. While the biggest spenders in the U.S. economy continue to spend, those that fit the profile of the top 20 percent, which account for 40 percent of all consumer spending in the U.S., have not. This trend has shown up in other recent earnings reports. "Strength remains at the high-high end, because the ultra-rich haven’t lost anything," says Pam Danziger, founder of Unity Marketing and author of "Putting the Luxe Back in Luxury."

Better Days Ahead? "The motorcycle market has been automatically affected by the drop in economy for sure, but we’ve secured very good numbers during this difficult time, and we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Cheraki. Competitor Harley-Davidson is also keeping a cautious eye. “While we are encouraged by the retail sales trend, we continue to keep a close watch on the marketplace and remain cautious in our expectations for 2012,” Wandell said in a statement.

Florida man hits 311 mph, smashing motorcycle speed record

By Associated Press
LIMESTONE, Maine — A Florida man has topped 300 mph on a conventional motorcycle. Bill Warner of Wimauma hit a speed of 311.945 mph Sunday at the Loring Timing Association’s land speed races at the former Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, Maine. The association’s Tim Kelly says Warner’s run aboard a turbocharged 1299cc Suzuki is the fastest speed obtained on a conventional motorcycle. Faster speeds have been recorded for so-called streamliner motorcycles, in which drivers ride inside an enclosed missile-looking device on wheels. Warner, who is 42, says his motorcycle "is built for speed and that’s what it did." He held the previous speed record of 278.6 mph, set last October in Texas.

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Zorba's Bike Nite proven excellent entertainment value—its Free!

SCBN, Riverside, CA.—Having fun should not be rated by how much money you have or spend. But the truth is, having fun often costs more than we know. That is, unless you go to Zorba's Bike Nite on Tuesday evening; this great local event is 100 % free to attend. Men and women of all ages come to Riverside's Zorba's Burgers, to met up with or find new friends. Although the weekly gathering is based around motorcycles, you need not own or ride one to take part. Having an interest in the two-wheeled vehicles is a sure bet to increase your fun however. None of us have control over the outside world and our global economic situation. But, as life goes on we can’t let these things have more effect on us. We need to go on living and one of the ways we enjoy our lives is through outside entertainment. As most are aware, entertainment can take a significant chunk of your budget and is often the first thing that gets cut when the economy sours out-of-control. Fortunately, there is Zorba's Bike Nite, a weekly event that is free to attend. As our weather continues to warm and improve, so will the attendance. What better way to break-up a boring week then heading to Zorba's on Tuesday nights? Save your hard-earned cash, and find new friends at Zorba's Burgers. Walk the parking lot and enjoy the variety of motorcycles; new, old, cruisers, Harley's, sport bikes and yes even some scooters! Zorba's Burgers is located at 450 Iowa Avenue, Riverside, 92507. Phone: (951) 686-5830

Top Ten Fastest Motorcycles for 2010

10) BMW K1200S - 167 Mph - Even though BMV creates beautiful cars, it has not been all that successful when it comes to fast bikes. Nonetheless, the fastest models’ speed has been estimated at 167 miles per hour.

9) Suzuki GSX-R750 - 168 Mph - This racing bike was a first of its kind during the 1980s and created a revolution among the manufacturers and competitors. The engine allowed the biker to ride at a speed of 168 miles per hour and is immensely popular even today.

8) Ducati 1098S - 172 Mph - This bike is very popular and a favorite amongst hard-core bikers. This Italian bike is also known as the Ducati ten, nine, eight. It created ripples in the industry and changed the format of street biking as well as biking championships. The engine is extremely powerful and the speed of the bike has been estimated at 172 miles per hour.

7) Honda CBR1000 RR - 172 Mph - The Honda CBR1000 RR entered the markets in 2004 and was basically created for those who were interested in Moto GP races. The design of the bike was completely fresh and impressed the competitors in the market as well. The stroke and bore dimensions were new and unique and standards were set for upcoming models. The speed of the Honda CBR1000 RR has been estimated at 172 miles per hour.

6) MV Augusta F4 R312 - 176 Mph - The MV Augusta F4 R312 was introduced in 1994 and features like Euro 3 engine and 185 HP at 18000 rotations find mention when describing this bike. The characteristics of a Moto GP bike are also included in this bike, making it all the more desirable and appealing. The speed of the MV Augusta F4 R312 has been estimated at 176 miles per hour.

5) Yamaha YZF-R1 - 177 Mph - Yamaha entered this bike into the market during the latter half of the 1990s. The design of the bike as well the engine has been modified over the years, especially during 2002 till 2009. The newest model of the Yamaha YZF-R1 is beautiful in terms of appearance but when it comes to performance, the 2001 model was much better. Its maximum speed has been estimated at 177 miles per hour.

4) Suzuki GSX-R1000 - 178 Mph - This bike was introduced nine years ago and this exceptional model gained instant popularity due to its impressive engine power. The highest speed of the Suzuki GSX-R1000 was recorded at a blazing 178 miles per hour.

3) Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R - 180 + Mph - This bike entered the market during the second half of 2004 and the design was modified in 2005. While the bike is extremely fast, it is light, it is fuel efficient and the engine is very strong. Features like 4-stroke, liquid-cooling, 998 cc, 4 valve cylinders and DOHC deserve to be mentioned when describing this extraordinary engine. In 2004 and 2005 the ZX-10R won Best Superbike from Cycle World magazine and the prestigious international Masterbike competition. According to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, The ZX-10R has the highest theft and damage loss claim rate of any registered motorcycle.

2) Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14 - 186 Mph - This bike was introduced in 2006 and the response it received world-wide was remarkable, if not overwhelming. It tried to compete with the Suzuki Hayabusa and recorded over 180 miles per hour. The engine is liquid-cooled, every cylinder has four valves and other features like 1352 cc four-stroke, DOHC deserve mention as well.

1) Suzuki Hayabusa - 186 Mph - This bike is considered to be the most powerful and fastest bike worldwide. It was first introduced in 1999 and the name roughly translates to “black bird”. In the year 2000, the bike recorded over 200 miles per hour. 1350cc, 4-cylinder, 4-stroke and 16 valve are some features that describe this bike’s engine.

Steve McQueen's iconic Husqvarna motorcycle fetches $135,500 at auction

Sydney, Australia, May 21: Hollywood legend Steve McQueen's 40-year-old Husqvarna motorcycle had been sold for 135,500 Australian dollars at a recent auction in San Francisco. The iconic bike is said to have had a hard life at the hands of McQueen, who was considered so strong a rider. "McQueen probably could have competed at a professional level, had he chosen that line of work," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted motorcycle racing legend Malcolm Smith as saying. Although the Husky 400 had a reputation of being hard to ride well, Bonhams auctioneers said that the nature of the bike embodied McQueen's desire to be taken seriously as a rider and racer.

2012 Zorba's Bike Nite Event Schedule

Cinco de Mayo Bike Nite - Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Hawaiian Bike Nite - Tuesday, May, TBA

Zorba's 9th Anniversary Bike Nite Bash - Tuesday, June, TBA

SoCalBikeNite.com Viewed World Wide!

RIVERSIDE, CA. (SCBN)—Popularity of SoCalBikeNite.com has exploded, hitting an all-time high. While our visitor numbers are still growing strong, daily visits are now coming to us from over 30 different countries and several continents. Known countries including; Austria, Brazil, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Columbia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England (the UK) Estonia, France, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Japan, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates. And locally, lets not forget the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and the Riverside Police Department—yes, they have informed us they too are regular visitors on SoCalBikeNite. Many motorcycle websites from outside the United States have added links to SoCalBikeNite.com sending daily traffic from various countries to view our site here in Southern California. From within the United States and outside of our regular demographics, SoCalBikeNite receives hundreds of daily site visitors from coast-to-coast. What does this mean? And why are they coming here? Sorry, we only have the information on their visits, not the reasons. So, lets all smile and be happy... your photos and website are being viewed from around the world. Be sure and tell your friends—and thanks to all of you for helping make SoCalBikeNite.com the best on the Internet.