2005 Harley-davidson Flhrs/flhrsi Road King Custom on 2040-motos

Moto blog

2012 US Motorcycle Sales Results – Industry Reports 2.6% Increase

The Motorcycle Industry Council reported a 2.6% increase in motorcycle sales in the U.S. market for 2012. According to the industry group’s figures, American consumers purchased 452,386 motorcycles in 2012 compared to 440,899 motorcycles in 2011.

Would you pay £160,000 for this?

Pretty it may be, but you wouldn't catch me spending £160,000 on this 1915 Harley-Davidson 11-F Twin that's coming up for sale at a Bonhams auction. It's allegedly one of the most sought-after Harleys and has buyers from around the world itching to splash out on it. Not literally, you'd hope.

Vespa goes back to the future

IT'S been a while coming, but the gorgeous Vespa 946 - EICMA 2012's Best of Show - has finally introduced something to the two-wheeled world that our four-wheeled counterparts have had for a while.  I call this 'reverse retro-futurism' - the art of borrowing lines from models past and imbuing them with a sleek sense of future direction (as opposed to retro-futurism, the pre-1960s design trend of depicting the technology of the future. The term 'decopunk' may come close, but feel free to tell me if there's a more exact term.) It's what the New Mini and the New Beetle (both 1997 and 2012 versions) have done so well, and so successfully: building an all-new model as a tribute to a classic, something that's modern yet already timeless, with a widely-appreciated, inclusive aesthetic (and here we eliminate the Plymouth PT Cruiser from the conversation). The biking world is great at retro, indeed thrives on it, but not so good at adding in a taste of the 21st century.