2013 Harley Davidson Street Glide Flhx, Red, 1833 Miles, Abs Brakes, Security on 2040-motos

Moto blog

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.

Antiques Roadshow Visits Sturgis Motorcycle Museum

While on location in the Black Hills of South Dakota, PBS’s Antiques Roadshow stopped by the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum to film a segment on motorcycle toys. In the segment host Mark L. Walberg talks with vintage toy expert Noel Barrett about various American-made, antique, cast iron motorcycle toys. Barrett shares the history of these early toys, some tips about how one might tell a reproduction from the real thing, and offers his valuation on several highlighted examples. Walberg also takes a ride on a vintage Harley-Davidson Servi-Car.

Harley-Davidson in China

Harley-Davidson opened its first dealer in China in 2005, they now have four dealers operating nationwide (Shanghai, Beijing, Qingdao and Hong Kong). Harley reported that sales had doubled in China last year and plans to open four new dealerships this year (Wenzhou, Xiamen, Dalian and Chengdu). According to Rodney Copes, Harley’s Vice President of international sales, China is the fastest growing market for the American motorcycle manufacture.