PNWMoM is on the move - The Pacific Northwest Museum is
on the move. A new board is in place and several projects are
under way. Look for a new website shortly and a Sound RIDER!
feature story about the museums 2010 plans and beyond. Stay
tuned.
Skagit Goes #1 - Congratulations to Skagit Powersports
for winning Dealer of the year in the 2010 Top 100 Dealernews
Awards ceremony held in Indianapolis in early February. Skagit
has won many Sound RIDER! Dealer Survey awards over the years
and placed many times in the Dealernews Top 100.
Other Northwest dealers who placed in the Dealernews Top 100
this year include South Sound Motorcycles (formerly South Sound
BMW), Downtown Harely-Davidson and Renton Motorcycles of
Washington; Rexburg Motorsports of Idaho; and Motocorsa and Bend
Euro Moto of Oregon.
Clout Works - By utilizing the online CLOUT system, WOHVA
has managed to get HB2480 amended in Olympia. The bill would
have forced ORV tag holders to pay additional fees to ride on
DNR land. For more information about the bill and how to join the CLOUT list in
so you can participate in future legislative issues visit
www.whova.org.
Trouble at Reiter - The Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
has released its Draft Reiter Foothills Forest Recreation Plan.
While approximately 4,000 acres of the 10,000-acre area being
studied have seen off-highway motorcycle use in the past, the
new DNR plan proposes limiting motorized use to 1,100 acres.
That would represent a 72.5 percent reduction in available
riding opportunities despite a DNR survey that showed
motorcycling is the most popular use for the area (60 percent of
user groups surveyed). The DNR admits that the 1,100 acres
proposed is inadequate to accommodate existing use, and their
own research has identified an additional area suitable for OHV
use. Furthermore, because the plan does not explicitly identify
motorized single-track motorcycle trails, there is no guarantee
that there will be any left open to motorized use.
A "Save
Reiter" Facebook page has been created and the
Northwest
Motorcycle Associations website has the latest information.
Blow to Lehman -
Harley-Davidson has moved
production of its Tri Glide and Street Glide trikes in-house,
ending its manufacturing deal with Lehman Trikes, which had been
supplying components, paint and conversion services to the Motor
Co. The decision is effective this summer. So does anyone
remember when Honda had Isuzu build their first SUV's and after
learning all they could took it in-house the same way?
Ride West Rides High - Despite slow economic times Ride
West's final numbers indicate 2009 was a better year for the
dealership than 2008. The BMW OEM ranked #4 in sales of BMW
motorcycles across the US. Rolling into 2010 the Seattle dealer
has hired SR! contributor Dave Preston who was laid off after a
ten year stint at Cycle Barn in December.
New Kymco Dealer - Seattle Cycle Center has purchased the
Kymco franchise that was at Interbay Scooters. They will be
carrying the entire line of Kymco scooters as well as the other
two wheels street mounts.
David Hough Rocks Hard - Several Sound RIDER!
contributors attended the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame induction
Saturday December 5th at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. Hough
delivered an emotional speech accepting the induction on behalf
of every person who has or is a motorcycle safety instructor, or
has contributed to increased skills awareness over the years.
Hough was introduced by long time friend, MCN editor Fred Rau.
Hough and Rau both rode Can Am Spyders from California to Las
Vegas for the induction ceremony.
Six new street models from KTM in 2010 - While the
Austrian horsepower machine continues to reel from slow sales,
the R&D department inside has been putting together six new
street models that will be on the floors of dealers in 2010.
With so many street models on the way we ask the question? As
the off-road market in the Northwest languishes, the dealer
network couldn't ask for anything more from KTM. We're pleased
to see the company diversifying into more road bikes.
WSBMWR Goes All Digital - December 2009 will be the last
month the Washington State BMW Riders will publish their monthly
newsletter on paper. Although the club has been publishing the
newsletter in both print and PDF formats for a number of years,
the cost has become significant with higher printing and postage
costs. "This will allow us to save money and not have to raise
membership rates in the near future" said club co-president John
Willox. In addition, the future PDF newsletters will be
available for public reading each month at the clubs website,
www.wsbmwr.org.
Looking for Twisties? - Take a
ride on the Lobster Valley Road southwest of Corvallis.
