2014 Harley-davidson Breakout 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.

Q1 2013 US Motorcycle Sales Results – Sales Down 14.7% from 2011

U.S. motorcycle sales were down 14.7% over the first quarter compared to the same period last year, reports the Motorcycle Industry Council. The industry group, which collected data from 20 reporting manufacturers, says American consumers bought 93,375 motorcycles and scooters in the first three months of 2013, down from the 109,425 vehicles purchased in the same period of 2012.

Ohio Man to be Buried on 1967 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide

Billie Leo Standley died last weekend from lung cancer, but before he died, the 82-year-old wished for the world to know he was going to ride off to heaven. To accomplish this wish, Standley and his family made arrangements for him to buried in a Plexiglas casket riding his 1967 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide. Warning: A graphic photograph of Standley in his casket can be viewed on the Dayton Daily Times website.