Industry News & Events
AMA Supercross: Dave Prater is the New VP for Monster Energy Championship
A New VP for AMA Supercross! Yesterday, Feld Entertainment, Inc. announced their new Vice President in a press release. Dave Prater, a pivotal contribution to the company, has shown his prowess in the Powersports sector – so much so, that he has been chosen to become the Vice President for AMA SuperCross, which was purchased …
Industry Insider: China Doubles Magnesium Exports, Shortage Avoided
Well. That was a close call. When we received news of the Chinese power crisis back in Q4 of 2021, we weren’t quite sure the industry’s magnesium supply would remain steady going into 2022. After all, with China responsible for production of roughly 87% of the world’s magnesium, a power crisis would spell disaster for …
Industry Insider: Damaged Supply Chains Brace for Painful Recovery in Recent Analysis
With 2021 being the rollercoaster that it was, supply chains around the world have been hit with a crisis of limited product availability – but according to a recent series of analyses, that could all be on the mend…provided the trend upward stays steady. “Starting in 2020, companies reacted to the economic downturn by cancelling …
Supply Crunch Likely to Push Increase of Dealmaking Among Business Owners
I think we can all agree 2021 was a record-breaking year for business owners in the Powersports industry. From the sky-rocketing sales experienced by big brands across the world (creating fresh potential for companies to reinvent themselves and expand their product), to the latest struggle with chip shortages and demand overwhelming supply…suffice it to say that …
Industry Insider: Autonomous Driving Concerns Among the List of Worries Taken to U.S. D.O.T.
U.S. Gov’t Members Meet with Motorcycle Industry Leaders To Talk Priorities in the Powersports Community The Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) have just hashed out a huge meet with the U.S. D.O.T. Secretary and other gov’t department staff. The topic? Big concerns about the place of …
Lightning Motorcycles Partners With Leading Supplier of Niobium Ultra-Metal
A New Deal in Metal to Aid Efforts Towards World Land Speed Record We’ve just had word that Lightning Motorcycles, in their efforts to prep to break the World Land Speed Record (WLSR), is teaming up with a unique metal supplier in the business of a substance called niobium – and they’ll be using the …
Switzerland To Consider Removing 1955 Racing Ban
We’ve just had word that Switzerland might finally remove the country’s ban on petrol motorsports – and if the revision is passed, Swiss will be able to experience fossil fuel races the like of which haven’t been present in the country since the mid ‘50’s. There’s a reason for the ban, and it’s a good …
Semiconductor Shortage To Continue Says U.S. Department Of Commerce
A survey by the U.S. Commerce Department has found that the ongoing semiconductor shortage will persist for the foreseeable future. The survey of 150 supply chain companies last fall confirmed: “there is a significant, persistent mismatch in supply and demand for chips, and respondents did not see the problem going away in the next six …
Second Annual ‘Hot Shoe’ Hall of Fame Event Includes Lineup of Racing Icons
Here in the good country of America, riders line up to pay homage to our history’s daredevil racers and their colorful careers at the ‘Hot Shoe’ Hall of Fame – a place dedicated to “Celebrating and Preserving the Memories of Great Motorcycle Racers and Motorcycle Industry Icons – Past and Present.” With the second annual …
MotoAmerica: Roadracing World Action Fund Raises Almost $150,000 In Support of Riders Safety
A hefty congrats to MotoAmerica, whose Roadracing World Action Fund secured some serious coin in the name of safety! With almost $150,000 USD raised for racers pulling the twisties, we’re told by Roadracing World that the majority of the money was raised last July at the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, when the MotoAmerica Series showcased …
Volcon: Stephanie Davis, Industry Veteran, Appointed as Chief Operating Officer
An EV industry veteran with over 25 years of experience on the job has just been hired to take on the role of Chief Operating Officer for Volcon ePowersports – and judging by her portfolio, Davis will be bringing a killer set of skills to the fast-growing EV company. “We are excited for Stephanie to …
BMW: Plans For Electrification Include Fossil Fuel Phase-Out For 2030
Our favorite Bavarian bike manufacturers are planning for a fully electric future for 2030 – and with over a million of their electric bikes sold to date, it appears that BMW Motorrad’s plans for an aggressive shift to full electrification are well-matched by the current demand for their machines. Source: CNET The report from RideApart …
AIMExpo: DISRUPTIVE THINKING
An Educational Platform Hell-Bent on Revolutionizing the PowerSports Industry Of all of the action to be had at AIMExpo, I was most excited about their DISRUPTIVE THINKING platform. The places that you can go and rekindle your passion for business numbers and company success in the Powersports industry are precious few – but that’s exactly …
Industry Insider: Global 2021 Motorcycle Sales Figures
In a report from AutoFinanceNews, we’re told that some odd 50–70% of powersport purchases were made by newbies to the Powersports Industry. That’s a massive influx of demand, and one that comes with a different set of demographics compared to the traditional buyer pre-COVID. “Many consumers were looking for other opportunities during the lockdown to …
Electric Everything: Global Low-Voltage-Charger Industry Anticipated to Reach $1.22 Billion by 2025
Here at wBW, we cater to all kinds of craft; whether it be the latest lovingly tinkered – and turbo’ed – CBR1000F from your father’s shop, Ducati’s most popular face of 2021, or that new electric machine that is taking forever to debut to the community proper, we don’t discriminate. Life is too short, too …
Harley-Davidson: “More than $500,000 Available” For H-D Racers in AFT and KOTB
With 2022 now well underway, racers worldwide are prepping for the track – and Harley-Davidson is no exception. On top of Vance & Hines offering a contingency program (their largest yet) to select racers under certain conditions for American Flat Track (AFT), MotoAmerica, NHRA Drag Racing, and the Xtreme Drag Racing Association (XDA) Series, the …
Vance & Hines Offers Their Largest Race Sponsorship Yet
Vance & Hines have just revealed the largest contingency program in the history of the brand – and with nearly $200,000 available, this season’s racers will be able to bag a pretty penny for their efforts on the circuit. In a press release issued on Wednesday of this week, the premium exhaust brand stated that …
Dainese Gear for Yamaha Champions Riding School in New Multi-Year Partnership
World-Class Safety Apparel Meets Top-Notch Rider Education On top of being on the sale block by parent company InvestCorp, Dainese has just secured a multi-year partnership with Yamaha Champions Riding School (YCRS) – and the support for motorcycle students will set standards for safety and expertise in a way that has us grinning with approval. …
Why British Bike Brands Are Coming Back
The Chinese Zodiac may have given us the Year of the Ox for 2021, but MCN thinks it should be rebranded as the Year of the British bike – and no wonder. With bigwigs like Norton, Triumph, Royal Enfield, BSA, and others bouncing back for the second millennium’s new decade, we’re more than a little …
Industry Insider: KTM’s CEO Says “There’s No Space in MotoGP For Electric”
KTM’s CEO, Stefan Pierer, is not a very big fan of electrification when it comes to bikes on the track. It’s gotten to the point where he’s flat-out said it to TopSpeed – and his perspective is a much-needed perspective when it comes to the less-said cons of electric motorcycles. “As President of ACEM, I …
St. Louis: 7th Annual Cycle Showcase At City Foundry STL for February
On February 12th and 13th, St. Louis will be hosting their 7th annual Cycle Showcase STL – and we’re told that there will be a delicious array of custom bikes from all over the world, in the celebration of motorcycle art and history. The report from RiverBender states that the cost to attend is an …
A Peek into the Future From AIMExpo’s New DISRUPTIVE THINKING Education Platform
Predictions from Experts in the Powersports Industry: Getting Over The COVID Hump This year has been a wonky one. From the multiple lockdowns, to skyrocketing prices for the Powersports industry, to material shortages and many brands capitalising on the economic advantage to expand (others, to simply survive and adapt)…the future is no longer a straight …
Harley-Davidson and Zero Motorcycles Discount Bikes Following UK Grant Cuts
When the UK stated that they would be cutting the very same grants that they had put out to encourage the masses toward electric travel, many were confused as hell – I know that I certainly was. It didn’t make sense – we even covered the reaction of Chief Executive of the Motorcycle Industry Association …
Industry Insider: European Study Shows Current State of EV Mobility
Our Current Status in the Trudge Toward Less Greenhouse, More Green A handful of big names have assessed our current status when it comes to e-mobility, with results in the manufacturer’s sector as well as business districts. It’s been a while since we covered the fact that Europe was on track to cut 78% of …
Mike Chrzanowski: Meet Yamaha USA’s New President and CEO
Yamaha USA’s got a new CEO! America, meet Mike Chrzanowski – founding member of Yamaha’s Global Manufacturing Committee and vice chairman of Global Executive Transformation for Manufacturing According to the report from MPN, Mike Chrzanowski succeeds Kazuhiro Kuwata, who has served as president of YMUS since 2018. Having begun his journey with Yamaha USA (YMUS) …
Industry Insider: Triumph and Thailand
Here at wBW, we strive to bring the very best of carefully-curated content to your day. We also love reading what you write us – and sometimes, we end up chasing a particular topic down a rabbit hole in commemoration of a really good question. Today, that really good question comes from a dedicated reader desirous …
Honda’s Self-Balancing Motorcycle is an Experimental Safety Vehicle
Back when Honda unveiled their world premiere of advanced future safety technologies and plans for zero traffic collision fatalities by 2050, the brand emphasized their part in “striving to completely eliminate mobility risks for everyone sharing the road,” – as stated by Keiji Ohtsu, President and Representative Director of Honda R&D Co., Ltd. Source: Youtube …
Industry Insider: The Win-Win of Today’s Motorcycle Market
If you’ve been tinkering about our website in the past few weeks, you’ve seen the recent news on magnesium shortages, as well as the low-down on why we haven’t caught up with the chip shortages affecting both the motorcycle and automotive industry. So how does this affect the good machines of the motorcycle industry proper? …
Recap: The 2021 IMS Outdoors in Southern California
As my fellow motorcyclists up north start winterizing their motorcycles for storage, here in Southern California, it’s a chilly 64°F (18°C for you metric folks). It’s gotten so cold, I had to close my vents on my REV’IT! Offtrack jacket! Jokes aside, I’m super excited that this year’s IMS decided to hold the event outdoors. …
10 Lessons from a Motorcycle Journalist’s Career
Being flown all over the place to ride some of the world’s most beautiful motorcycles may seem like the stuff of dreams to many, but somewhat surprisingly, it ain’t. For all the delightful, chocolate-dipped, champagne-quaffing upsides, there’s an equal amount of responsibility and straight up bullshit that comes with it. Learning how to navigate this …
