Classic Indian Chief motorcycle ready to roll

The revived brand, already for sale in 16 other states, clears California's tough emissions standards. But it arrives during the worst motorcycle market in decades.

The classic Indian Chief motorcycle, prized for its fanciful fenders and an American heritage different from its much bigger rival, Harley-Davidson, is back and finally ready to roll in California.

First built in 1922 and in and out of production ever since, the Chief has been ridden over the years by actor Steve McQueen and other renegades possessing fame and fortune. Now it has been overhauled for the modern era.

Although motorcycle sales are down nationwide, the Chief is already a sought-after ride in 16 other states where it has been on sale since early this year.

The Chief just hasn't been available on the West Coast. But that's about to change this spring with the 2010 Chief, selling for $26,000 plus. This month the latest incarnation of the 108-year-old Indian brand announced the names of two of its five planned California dealerships -- one in Harbor City and the other in Fresno.

"We know California is going to be a great market for us," said Steve Heese, president of the new Indian Motorcycle in Kings Mountain, N.C.

It's just taking a long time for it to get to California.

Heese said the delay was caused by the state's emission requirements and a lengthy search for the right dealers. California, which accounts for 10% of all U.S. motorcycle sales, has tougher emissions standards than the rest of the country.

For a company to sell motorcycles in the state, California's Air Resources Board must provide an additional emissions certification to the one issued by the Environmental Protection Agency that allows a manufacturer's products to be sold in other states.

Indian secured its California emissions clearance only last week. Heese is confident that the motorcycles will arrive well before the planned April openings of California Harley-Davidson Indian Motorcycle Los Angeles in Harbor City and Indian Motorcycle Fresno, based out of a car dealership, Herwaldt Subaru.

"I can't wait to get these new Indians so I can put them on the lot and buy a new one myself," said Matt Herwaldt, 30, general manager of Indian Motorcycle Fresno. He owns a Harley but is "blown away by the quality, fit and finish of the new Indian. It's the Bentley of motorcycles."

The Fresno dealer plans to have bikes at its showroom this month and will start selling them in April.

Indian was picky in selecting its dealers. From 3,500 inquiries worldwide, it has selected 22 North American dealers, with plans to open about 110 overall. The company said it received more than 30 inquiries from California, where the company plans to open three more dealerships -- one each in Orange County, San Diego and Northern California.

Quality control has been important to the new Indian, which said it has had to work hard to prove it is different from the previous owner of the Indian brand, California Motorcycle Co. in Gilroy. That company operated from 1999 to 2003, when it closed down; the 12,000 motorcycles it produced were known for their myriad problems, most notably an overheating engine, falling-off parts and cheap chrome and paint.

Although there has been a lot of enthusiasm for the new Indian, some buyers are critical. John White of Seattle said he spent $38,000 to buy one of the first Indian Chiefs made in Kings Mountain and had been disappointed. "It's an overpriced bike with many bugs that I hope Indian will work out," White said.

Stephen Julius and Steve Heese purchased the Indian brand in 2004, having had success reviving well-known, but bankrupt, luxury boat brands Chris-Craft and Reva.

Financed in part with venture capital and mostly with their own money, Julius and Heese spent four years learning the brand and the mistakes of its predecessors, building its production plant and developing the new Chief. Although that timing has landed the company in the worst motorcycle market in decades, it's paid off in enthusiast response.

"The Kings Mountain Indian is a very refined machine," said Robert Malachowski, who heads the Southern California chapter of the Iron Indian Riders Assn. A lifelong Indian motorcycle fan, he owns four Gilroy Indians and has had a deposit down on the top-of-the-line Vintage model of the Indian Chief since 2008.

"My only problem with the Kings Mountain machine is that as soon as I get one I know my Gilroy '99 will get pushed farther back in the garage," said Malachowski, a Hollywood producer. "Overall, it's just a more finished motorcycle."

Mark Ruffalo, president of the dealership formerly known as California Harley-Davidson in Harbor City, had the same reaction after seeing the bike for the first time at the Laughlin, Nev., motorcycle rally in April.

Ruffalo said he watched bikers respond favorably to its high-quality paint and leather work, as well as the chromed and entirely overhauled Powerplus 105 engine, at which point he approached the company and asked to be a dealer.

Ruffalo has been a Harley-Davidson dealer since 1976. "Indian fits nicely," he said, because, like Harley-Davidson, it is well-known and will need little marketing. Even so, Ruffalo was careful to get Harley-Davidson's blessing before finalizing the deal with Indian.

Priced at the high end of the motorcycle market, Indian is direct competition for Harley's premium, custom vehicles.

Harley-Davidson Inc. has not commented on its revitalized rival, and the company said its practice was not to comment on its competitors. The Milwaukee company reported Oct. 15 that its worldwide retail sales for the first three quarters of 2009 fell 22.9% from the same period in 2008, while its U.S. market share grew to 54% from 44.5% in the last year.

The company reported net income of $163.6 million in that nine-month period of 2009, down 71.6% from the year-earlier period. It said the income drop partly reflected lower motorcycle shipments and the effect of the economy on its retail and wholesale loan business. As a public company, Harley-Davidson's financial data is released quarterly. Indian is privately held and does not release similar information.

Indian and Harley-Davidson are long-standing combatants, dating to the manufacturers' earliest days. Indian began in Springfield, Mass., in 1901 and endured until 1953, when it went bankrupt and later was revived. Harley-Davidson started in Milwaukee in 1903 and continues today.

"They were such different companies," said Tod Rafferty, an author who has written books about both manufacturers. "Indian was a very engineering-oriented, racing organization. The neat thing about the whole Indian versus Harley-Davidson conflict was that they made each other better over the years."

Whether that will happen again is hard to know, Rafferty said. "It's such a competitive business now with the Germans, Italians and Japanese all building great motorcycles."

(reprinted from the LA Times)

There are some things you can’t buy on Sundays in Indiana: alcohol, cars, and motorcycles. But a local businessman, along with a state senator, are working for change.

There are some things you can’t buy on Sundays in Indiana: alcohol, cars, and motorcycles.

One local Harley Davidson dealer thinks the law against buying motorcycles is ridiculous, and he's teaming up with a state senator to change it.

Mark Forszt owns four Harley stores throughout the state, including one in Valparaiso and one in Michigan City.

He says the law is hurting his business, and that it makes no sense. On Sundays, he's open for business, and he can sell you everything you'd ever need to put a bike together yourself. He just can't actually sell you the bike.

Forszt says he knows his customers, and he knows how they buy.

"Sometimes they love their motorcycle more than they do their family," he said. “If a person walks in here on a Sunday and sees the motorcycle that really turns him on, he wants to buy it,” said Forszt.

Bike sales are down, on average, 27 percent from a year ago at this time at his four stores. Forszt says if he didn't have to put up orange tags on every bike that declare bike sales aren't allowed on Sunday, his overall sales numbers would be up.

“It's a huge loss to the state in terms of sales tax revenue. I'm not saying we would not have lost any sales if we could sell on Sunday, but I’m sure that we wouldn't be down as far as we are,” said Forszt.

Forszt contacted state Senator Ed Charbonneau, framing the issue as a way to help small business. When you add up all the sales tax, it’s also a way to help the state of Indiana, home to some 300 motorcycle dealerships, said Charbonneau.

“If every one of those dealerships sold one motorcycle a Sunday, or even one a month, that's a pretty sizable infusion of cash into the state coffers,” says Senator Charbonneau.

The bill to change the law has been drafted and filed, but until something changes, the Sunday choices in this store will be limited.

It is a class D misdemeanor to sell a motorcycle on Sunday.

What dealers like Forszt complain about is you could sell a bike through a newspaper, CraigsList, or eBay on Sunday, but in a store it's illegal.

Forszt and Senator Charbonneau are optimistic about the bill passing. They're hoping come January 5th, the bill moves through the system without controversy.

(reprinted from WNDU.com)

Anti-noise group raises ruckus over Harley riders

A national group opposed to noise pollution has blasted Harley-Davidson riders who ride loud bikes, saying they're bullies who ruin the quality of life for others and inflict senseless pain on our ears.

Noise Free America also says the Wisconsin Legislature has won its "Noisy Dozen" award for a resolution declaring Harley as the state's official motorcycle.

The resolution, Assembly Bill 596, is scheduled for a committee hearing Thursday at noon. Twenty legislators are sponsors of the bill that would require the Wisconsin Blue Book to list Harley-Davidson as the state's honorary bike.

Noise Free America says the legislation is offensive to its ears.

"Instead of honoring noise terrorism, our representatives should protect us from the awful noise of Harley riders," said George Atwood, a Noise Free America member from Milton.

The group, based in Albany, N.Y., says it has 50 chapters and several thousand members. Two years ago, it gave the Noisy Dozen award to Madison city officials for turning a deaf ear to noise complaints, including loud parties and train horns.

Now the group has turned up the volume on Harley-Davidson riders, rather than motorcyclists in general.

"Harley is more than a motorcycle," Atwood said. "It is a state of mind, an idea, an emotion, a brand cult. Unfortunately, the Harley cult has come to represent disorder and noise."

Atwood says the throaty roar of an unmuffled bike might bug him more than it would some people, but that doesn't excuse offensive, lawless behavior.

"People don't have to look at Harleys, but they can't avoid hearing them," he said.

"The noise stresses people. It ruins the quality of life in our neighborhoods, and it frightens and intimidates people. It leads to hearing loss, higher medical costs, lost productivity and loss of peace of mind," Atwood said.

But judging from the thousands of people who lined the streets to watch Harley-Davidson's 105th anniversary bike parade in 2008, the noise couldn't have been too bad, according to Harley enthusiasts.

And the image of Harley riders as lawless hooligans stems largely from Hollywood movies.

"Wow. I didn't know I was that bad," said Jeff Haig, a retired police chief and member of the Kettle Moraine Harley-Davidson Owners Group.

Haig said the sound of an unmuffled bike offends him, too, and it gives other motorcyclists a bad name.

"There's no question that some people go way over the top," he said. "Personally, I have a set of Screaming Eagle mufflers on my bike that are made by Harley and are a little louder. But they're street legal and have a nice mellow tone. I think most of us are aware of the noise issue and try to find some balance."

Harley-Davidson motorcycles comply with federal and international noise regulations unless the bikes are modified by their owners.

The company has coined phrases such as "throttle down through town" and "thanks for the rumble, not the roar," which encourage bike-rally participants to ride respectfully in residential neighborhoods.

"We are extremely committed to educating riders on the benefits of riding with respect," said Harley spokeswoman Amanda Lee.

Milwaukee police officers use their discretion in ticketing motorcyclists with loud exhaust pipes, according to police spokeswoman Anne Schwartz, who said the number of citations issued was not immediately available.

"We have concentrated our efforts on the loud music violations (Operation Bass Busters), which have generated the most complaints to the MPD and to aldermen regarding noise," she said.

Legislators say they have no remorse about nominating Harley-Davidson as the state's official motorcycle, putting it in the same league as the state song, ballad, dance, beverage, tree, flower, bird, insect and animal.

Harley is one of Wisconsin's largest private employers, and its activities bring thousands of tourists here.

"When I hear loud motorcycle pipes, I think of people having fun and I think of jobs," said State Sen. Jeff Plale (D-South Milwaukee), a resolution sponsor.

Noise Free America's complaints are "ridiculous in the extreme," according to Plale.

"I am proud to accept their Dirty Dozen award, and I look forward to hanging it on my wall," he said.

(reprinted from the Journal Sentinel Online)

Harley Davidson Touring Motorcycle Fuel Tank Mount Recall – Over 111,000 Units Affected

The National Highway Safety Traffic Administration (NHTSA) has announced a safety recall for 2009 and 2010 Harley-Davidson touring models including CVOs and Trikes. Under certain crash conditions the front gas tank mounts on these models may fail possibly causing the gas tank to rupture thus spilling gas. Left and right side braces need to be added to the frame and tank mounts.

Harley-Davidson is recalling certain model year 2009 and 2010 touring family motorcycles, including CVO touring and trike products, manufactured from June 6, 2008 through November 19, 2009. The front fuel tank mounts may distort in reaction to severe frame damage from a frontal collision. This condition may cause a fuel leak at the weld of the front bracket to the tunnel. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire, which could lead to injury or death to the rider.

Dealers will install a left and right brace, which are intended to reduce front mount distortion during certain crash conditions. This repair will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about December 14, 2009. Owners may contact their local Harley-Davidson dealer or Harley-Davidson at 414-343-4056.