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News Bytes

The latest rumors and truths

Updated Friday, March 12, 2010

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.

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