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June 30, 2009
Red Hills Track & Trails
This new place to ride was added to our database anonymously.
Type of Ride: OffRoad
Anthony Red Hills Track & Trails offers over 60 acres of off road riding. There is a one mile motocross track, creek, hills, and some trees.
The facility is new and is a work in progress but it's a fun, family friendly place to ride.
View more details and all the newest places to ride.
Type of Ride: OffRoadAnthony Red Hills Track & Trails offers over 60 acres of off road riding. There is a one mile motocross track, creek, hills, and some trees.
The facility is new and is a work in progress but it's a fun, family friendly place to ride.
View more details and all the newest places to ride.Add your favorite motorcycle ride or hangout now!
Labels: ride
June 25, 2009
Harley-Davidson Reaches Out
In these troubled times even women and minorities are on the Motor Company's radar.
Harley-Davidson's recent marketing efforts were the subject of an article in the latest issue of Chief Marketer magazine. Yeah, yeah... I can hear the yawns all the way from here. Most people think marketing is about as fascinating as outdated road maps. I just happen to be fascinated by both.
But this article was interesting- not so much for what Harley is doing with their marketing, but what their marketing says about motorcycling in these United States. Hear me out.
Full disclosure: I'm not a big fan of H-D. For me they cost more yet do less. Paying more for something that's slower, heavier and less maneuverable doesn't make much sense to me. It's hard to make a case for a Harley purchase if you look at tangible numbers like horsepower, stopping distances, curb weight, price, etc.
That's no secret to executives in Milwaukee. That's why the image of their motorcycles drive most of their advertising. Why sell the steak when you can sell the sizzle? Think about it- when have you seen a recent Harley ad that quoted a single spec? Other than APR, I can't think of any.
This approach requires tremendous brand allegiance from your customer base. And when it comes to marketing their "brand" Harley is up there with the best. Selling a lifestyle, so it seems, is much easier than designing a practical bike. They're so good at this it's not uncommon for college business classes to study H-D's marketing strategies. But hard times make selling solely on brand loyalty a hard sell.
Drastic Measures
Over the last several months we've seen more Americans buying generic brands at the grocery store, driving their cars less and fixing broken things instead of throwing them away. Along with this Cultural Revolution we've seen purchases of discretionary items plummet. Motorcycle sales have dropped off 30% on average this year. Harley sales have fared far better (closer to 9%) and it's partly due to their new marketing initiatives.
Beginning last year Harley-Davidson began a concerted effort to reach out to younger riders, women and Hispanics. Two of those are demographics long ignored by most motorcycle manufacturers- not just Harley. Attracting younger buyers has involved de-chroming some of their hardware and using names instead of their legendary alphabet soup. Part of their reasoning is it will be easier to draw in a new rider than convert an old one.
But once again we're talking lots of snake oil and very little gear lube. Aside from the XR1200R these efforts are almost exclusively fueled by aesthetics.
I do applaud Harley's efforts to foster women riders and help them feel more comfortable in the "mans world" of motorbikes. But, beyond social functions, the effort is limited to accessorizing their current lineup with lower bars or different seats. God forbid they'd actually design a bike tailored to fit the fairer sex.
It also concerns me that newbies, with very little experience, are plunking down serious coin to waddle about on some very heavy machinery. It would be far more beneficial to see these rookies fall off a dirt bike or Ninja 250 a couple of times before hitting the open road feet first.
Harley-Davidson's recent marketing efforts were the subject of an article in the latest issue of Chief Marketer magazine. Yeah, yeah... I can hear the yawns all the way from here. Most people think marketing is about as fascinating as outdated road maps. I just happen to be fascinated by both.But this article was interesting- not so much for what Harley is doing with their marketing, but what their marketing says about motorcycling in these United States. Hear me out.
Full disclosure: I'm not a big fan of H-D. For me they cost more yet do less. Paying more for something that's slower, heavier and less maneuverable doesn't make much sense to me. It's hard to make a case for a Harley purchase if you look at tangible numbers like horsepower, stopping distances, curb weight, price, etc.
That's no secret to executives in Milwaukee. That's why the image of their motorcycles drive most of their advertising. Why sell the steak when you can sell the sizzle? Think about it- when have you seen a recent Harley ad that quoted a single spec? Other than APR, I can't think of any.
This approach requires tremendous brand allegiance from your customer base. And when it comes to marketing their "brand" Harley is up there with the best. Selling a lifestyle, so it seems, is much easier than designing a practical bike. They're so good at this it's not uncommon for college business classes to study H-D's marketing strategies. But hard times make selling solely on brand loyalty a hard sell.
Drastic Measures
Over the last several months we've seen more Americans buying generic brands at the grocery store, driving their cars less and fixing broken things instead of throwing them away. Along with this Cultural Revolution we've seen purchases of discretionary items plummet. Motorcycle sales have dropped off 30% on average this year. Harley sales have fared far better (closer to 9%) and it's partly due to their new marketing initiatives.
Beginning last year Harley-Davidson began a concerted effort to reach out to younger riders, women and Hispanics. Two of those are demographics long ignored by most motorcycle manufacturers- not just Harley. Attracting younger buyers has involved de-chroming some of their hardware and using names instead of their legendary alphabet soup. Part of their reasoning is it will be easier to draw in a new rider than convert an old one.
But once again we're talking lots of snake oil and very little gear lube. Aside from the XR1200R these efforts are almost exclusively fueled by aesthetics.
I do applaud Harley's efforts to foster women riders and help them feel more comfortable in the "mans world" of motorbikes. But, beyond social functions, the effort is limited to accessorizing their current lineup with lower bars or different seats. God forbid they'd actually design a bike tailored to fit the fairer sex.
It also concerns me that newbies, with very little experience, are plunking down serious coin to waddle about on some very heavy machinery. It would be far more beneficial to see these rookies fall off a dirt bike or Ninja 250 a couple of times before hitting the open road feet first.
Labels: article
Seventh Annual Jalana Palma Benefit Motorcycle Run
This event was added to our database by Sandra Chortie.
Event Starts: 8/02/2009
Location: Buffalo, NY
Jalana Palma was a beautiful 16-year old girl who lost her life on October 21, 2000 to meningitis.
Jalana was a student at Kenmore East High School and a scholarship has been established in her name to help other students fulfill their dreams.
Run begins at 8:45 AM Wegmans Plaza @ Dick Rd & George Urban Boulevard and Ends @ Legion Hall 535 Amherst Street, Buffalo, NY where the Benefit starts at 2PM
Cost $20 per person There will be a Chinese Auction and 50/50 drawing at the Benefit. Contact Sandy at 716-471-4797 or Al at 716-417-1607
View details and all the newest event listings.
Event Starts: 8/02/2009Location: Buffalo, NY
Jalana Palma was a beautiful 16-year old girl who lost her life on October 21, 2000 to meningitis.
Jalana was a student at Kenmore East High School and a scholarship has been established in her name to help other students fulfill their dreams.
Run begins at 8:45 AM Wegmans Plaza @ Dick Rd & George Urban Boulevard and Ends @ Legion Hall 535 Amherst Street, Buffalo, NY where the Benefit starts at 2PM
Cost $20 per person There will be a Chinese Auction and 50/50 drawing at the Benefit. Contact Sandy at 716-471-4797 or Al at 716-417-1607
View details and all the newest event listings.
Post your motorcycle event on the Places 2 Ride motorcycle events calendar!
Labels: event
June 19, 2009
New Test May Curb Loud Pipes
Last month the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) announced a new sound level test for street motorcycles. The test, touted as simple and economical, is based on a procedure that originated for off-road motorcycles.
Over the last few years it's become increasingly evident the motorcycling community will not police itself. Replacement or removal of stock mufflers has become the norm for retro bikes and cruisers. The practice is further perpetuated by the myth that "loud pipes save lives." A simple and consistent method to measure tailpipe noise has been sorely needed.
The American Motorcyclist Association hailed the news:
"The AMA maintains that few factors contribute more to misunderstanding and prejudice against street riders than excessively noisy motorcycles," Ed Moreland stated. "With the new SAE J2825 standard, street motorcyclists can now determine how quiet, or loud, their bikes really are."Recently we've seen cumbersome regulations enacted as communities across the country seek to curb excessively loud bikes. Several states and municipalities have considered or enacted regulations to nix any aftermarket muffler or pipe. But these outright bans on any modification to an OEM exhaust system are hard to enforce and virtually impossible for many owners to comply with. Hopefully this test will offer a viable option to such ordinances.
The standard is identified by SAE as J2825, "Measurement of Exhaust Sound Pressure Levels of Stationary On-Highway Motorcycles." This new test requires holding a calibrated sound meter
20 inches from the bike's exhaust tip, then taking readings at various RPM ranges. A magic number of 92 decibels at idle and 96 dBA or 100 dBA at higher RPM, depending on the number of cylinders, is recommended by SAE.June 14, 2009
37th Annual Missouri State BMW Rally
The Springfield BMW Road Riders are preparing for their 37th Annual Missouri State BMW Motorcycle Rally to be held at Crane City Park in Crane, Missouri. June 26-28, 2009.
"The Missouri State BMW Rally held in Crane, MO is perhaps one of the best kept secrets in rallies," says Mark Rundel of the Springfield BMW RoadRiders.
Located in the city park in Crane Missouri, on State Hwy 413, just 30 miles southwest of Springfield or 35 miles northwest of Branson, MO. Beautiful shaded, creek-side camping, bean pot on Friday night, BBQ dinner on Saturday with endless coffee and drinks. Self-guided tours and a Saturday group ride on beautiful Ozark Mountain roads or trails to Bentonville BMW for lunch. There will be Bingo and other events for those who want to enjoy the park.
For more information and a registration form visit www.motomo.org.
"The Missouri State BMW Rally held in Crane, MO is perhaps one of the best kept secrets in rallies," says Mark Rundel of the Springfield BMW RoadRiders.Located in the city park in Crane Missouri, on State Hwy 413, just 30 miles southwest of Springfield or 35 miles northwest of Branson, MO. Beautiful shaded, creek-side camping, bean pot on Friday night, BBQ dinner on Saturday with endless coffee and drinks. Self-guided tours and a Saturday group ride on beautiful Ozark Mountain roads or trails to Bentonville BMW for lunch. There will be Bingo and other events for those who want to enjoy the park.
For more information and a registration form visit www.motomo.org.
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