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Showing posts with label Harley-Davidson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harley-Davidson. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Harley-Davidson Blackline

Harley-Davidson has unveiled a new addition to its Dark Custom range.



The Blackline Softail ‘celebrates three fundamental elements of motorcycling: mechanical beauty, internal combustion, and the long black line of the road ahead.’





Fair enough, but even without the marketing spiel the result is a neat looking bike with a notable lack of chrome.



Other design highlights include the rear coil-over dampers, which are hidden beneath the power train to give a hardtail look, a bobtail rear mudguard and the lowest two-up seat ever seen on a stock Harley. With a rider on board, its height is just 24 inches (609 mm) from the floor.



The overall effect is completed by the Black Denim powdercoated frame and swingarm, spoked wheels with black anodised rims, mini 5.75 inch (146 mm) headlight and Split Drag handlebars.



Power comes from a rigid-mounted, counter-balanced, fuel injected Twin Cam 96B V-Twin engine that generates peak torque of 89 lb/ft (120 Nm). Drive is via a 6-speed Cruise Drive transmission.



In the United States, the 2011 Blackline Softail has an MSRP of $15,499 which excludes taxes, licenses, freight, dealer preparation and other fees.



A price for the UK has yet to be confirmed.



Sunday, August 29, 2010

Aston Martin is coolest

For the fourth time in five years, Aston Martin has been named the UK’s coolest brand in the CoolBrands survey. The 2010/11 poll, which sought the opinions of members of the public as well as a panel of experts, placed the British car maker ahead of brands such as BlackBerry, Google and Dom Perignon.



The other automotive companies that made it into the top twenty were Harley-Davidson (6th), Ferrari (9th) and Mini (16th).



Speaking of the award, Aston Martin CEO, Dr Ulrich Bez said, “Once you can define precisely why a brand is cool, then it no longer has the magic that earns it that label. There has to be an element of mystique, something that eludes definition. In order for a brand to have that quality, it needs people behind it with a passionate, creative vision who care for and nurture it.”



Quite right too. Let’s see if Aston Martin can retain the title after the Cygnet arrives.



The 2010/11 CoolBrands Top 20:

  1. Aston Martin (Automotive - Cars)

  2. iPhone (Technology - Telecommunications)

  3. iPod (Technology - General)

  4. Blackberry (Technology - Telecommunications)

  5. Bang & Olufsen (Technology - General)

  6. Harley-Davidson (Automotive - Motorbikes)

  7. Nintendo Wii (Leisure & Entertainment - Games & Toys)

  8. Google (Online)

  9. Ferrari (Automotive - Cars)

  10. Dom Perignon (Drinks - Champagne)

  11. BBC iPlayer (Online)

  12. Vivienne Westwood (Fashion - Designer)

  13. Apple (Technology - General)

  14. Tate Modern (Leisure & Entertainment - UK Attractions & The Arts)

  15. YouTube (Online)

  16. Mini (Automotive - Cars)

  17. Chanel (Fashion - Designer)

  18. Ray-Ban (Fashion - Accessories, Jewellery, Watches)

  19. Alexander McQueen (Fashion - Designer)

  20. Jimmy Choo (Fashion - Footwear)

Friday, July 9, 2010

MV Agusta sold

Back in 2008, Harley-Davidson spent around £65 million buying MV Agusta from the Castiglioni family. But now it’s selling it… back to the Castiglionis.





The disposal of the Italian firm is part of Harley-Davidson’s strategy to concentrate purely on its core brand, something the now defunct Buell fell victim to last year.



Keith Wandell, Harley-Davidson President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "Our decision to divest MV Agusta reflects our strategy to focus our efforts and our investment on the Harley-Davidson brand, as we believe this provides an optimal path to long-term growth." However, he didn’t disclose what the sales proceeds were.



It’s not as if the Castiglionis will have to re-familiarise themselves with the business. Claudio Castiglioni - who along with Giovanni Castiglioni and Massimo Bordi will be running MV Agusta - remained as the company’s chairman throughout the short period of Harley-Davidson ownership.



MV Agusta also owns the Cagiva brand.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Harley-Davidson Superlow

The existing Harley-Davidson 883 Sportsters - the Roadster and Iron - already have comparatively low seats. For 2011 though, there’s a new addition to the line-up.



The Superlow, as its name implies, boasts a seat height of just 695 mm (27.4 inches) unladen, which sinks down to 648 mm (25.5 inches) with a rider aboard. Ideal then for those with shorter legs, or indeed for anyone who just likes to be able to plant both feet firmly on the floor.





Changes over the Roadster have all been made improve handling, comfort and manoeuvrability, especially at low speed. These include a lighter feeling front end, which is combined with an 18” front wheel, and revised suspension geometry. At the rear, the suspension is lowered, but it has been given a longer travel to maintain ride quality.





There’s also a bespoke final drive ratio for the Superlow. This is geared towards smoothness, again with the aim of increasing rider confidence. Similarly, the footrest position and design of the handlebars have been altered too. Nevertheless, it’s still quite a heavy bike, weighing in at 260 kg ready to ride.





UK prices for the Harley-Davidson Superlow start at £6,150 on the road. For that, it comes with Vivid Black paintwork. Colour options are Cool Blue Pearl, costing an extra £150, or the Merlot Sunglo / Vivid Black and Birch White / Sedona Orange two-tone finishes. They take the price of the bike up to £6,550.