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Harley-Davidson Drops Sidecars for Trikes

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Harley-Davidson is further consolidating its business categories, as the Milwaukee brand announced last week that it would be discontinuing its sidecar line. Interest in Harley-Davidson sidecars has been waning over the years, and with the introduction of the Tri-Glide family of trikes, Harley-Davidson has seen its sidecars sales plummet. The 2011 model year will be the last year the Harley-Davidson sidecars will be available, and the company plans on shutting down production once the forecasted 2011 number of sidecars is finished at the factory.

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Rumors

Ok Buell, We’ll Bite…

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The question is a bit rhetorical in nature since it’s the company who is asking it, but why would Erik Buell Racing be putting turn signals and radiator fans on an EBR 1190RR race bike? Well if you were a company that was rapidly approaching the rumored end of a non-compete agreement, wouldn’t you like to get ready to stick it to the man? We’re still not sure about the whole rock band thing though. Maybe if Erik played Freebird more often we could get into it.

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Bikes

2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R Teaser & Concept

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Kawasaki has released a glimpse to its all new 2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R sport bike with this concept sketch. While it’s hard to say how closely the production bike will be to this still artistic sketch, we do know the new 2011 ZX-10R will have a new motor, new frame, and new suspension.

After holding-off on bringing us new sport bikes for 2010, Kawasaki seems ready to gear up for production again (another sign the economy is getting better), and has seemingly re-done the 2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R from the ground up. Promo video after the jump.

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News

Royal Enfield to Double Production Capacity

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Royal Enfield Motors has released a statement saying that the historic company is getting ready to double its current production levels in the coming years. The proposed expansion, which would see the company’s current production level of 52,000 yearly motorcycles get bumped to 70,000 units in 2011, 90,000 units in 2012, and finally 100,000 units in 2013, stems from the positive response the company has seen to its fuel-injected motorcycles. This would seem to be refinement of Royal Enfield’s similar announcement 6 months ago, where the company also said it planned to double production.

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News

Mission Motors Raises $3.36 Million Round

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Mission Motors has submitted an SEC Form D filing that shows that the San Francisco based company has raised $3.36 million in a $4.67 million investment round. While Mission Motors won’t comment on the SEC filing, the use of the funds is presumably to go towards bringing production of the Mission One and subsequent Mission motorcycles into reality, as the Mission Motors team gears up to bring its creations to market and establish a production facility.

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News

Moto Morini Purchase Almost Complete

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After getting his first offer to purchase Moto Morini rejected by the local unions, Paolo Berlusconi looks to have overcome the setback, and could finalize the purchase of the other Bologna brand by as early as next week. This news comes after provincial administrators called an emergency meeting, which resulted in some concession by Berlusconi.

At the center of the controversy is the number of workers Berlusconi will keep on at the Bologna-based plant. According to reports, this number has been increased from 20 to 26, out of total of 57 workers who worked at the plant before it entered into receivership. This concession does not come without consequences though.

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News

Honda Constructing Second Production Plant in India

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Honda has announced that it intends to build a second production plant in India in order to meet the rising demand in the world’s second largest motorcycle market. Located in western Rajasthan, the production facility will cost Honda over $100 million, but will also allow the Japanese firm to churn out an additional 600,000 units per year starting in the second half of 2011.

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Bikes

Mission One Deliveries Delayed Until Q2 2011 – “Mission Two” in the Works

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In conjunction with its announcement that Forrest North has stepped down as CEO of Mission Motors, the San Francisco based company is also announcing that the delivery dates for the Mission One electric superbike have been pushed back from Q4 of 2010 to Q2 of 2011. Mission Motors attributes the deadline push-back to the unforeseen economic collapse in both the motorcycle industry as well as in the capital markets. Despite these setbacks, the company is still on track to deliver the Mission One in a timeframe quicker than or equal to the industry norm, and has also revealed that an addition to the Mission One (which we’ll dub the Mission Two until we hear otherwise) will be announced later this year.

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News

Dainese No Longer “Made in Italy” – Moves Remaining Italian Production to Tunisia

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Italian apparel manufacturer Dainese, (who also owns Mavet and AGV) is shutting down its Molvena, Italy plant, and moving the bulk of its production to Tunisia. The move is presumably to help lower costs to the Italian brand, as sales have slumpped during the industry-wide economic slowdown. It’s unclear whether Dainese will open a new factory in Tunisia, or add the capacity to one of its two factories already in the North African country.

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News

Reports of Moto Morini’s Death Appear to Be Un-True

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After we posted yesterday that Moto Morini had shut down its production line, amid the Italian company’s financial problems, other publications began covering the company’s complete closure. This caught the folks at Moto Morini off-guard, who while on an extended day-off, insist they are still keeping the production line functioning, if admittedly at a significantly reduced capacity.

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News

Moto Morini Production Shuts Down

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UPDATE: Moto Morini has responded to other reports that the Italian company has shut its doors, and instead says its production line is at a greatly diminished capacity.

After going into receivership a few months ago, Moto Morini has found its financial stability withering away as time marches-on. With no end in sight for the company’s blight, Moto Morini has shutdown its production line, and will remain in that state until a new buyer or group of investors emerge and breath life back into the small Italian brand.

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