2011 Harley-davidson Softail on 2040-motos

Moto blog

Vespa goes back to the future

IT'S been a while coming, but the gorgeous Vespa 946 - EICMA 2012's Best of Show - has finally introduced something to the two-wheeled world that our four-wheeled counterparts have had for a while.  I call this 'reverse retro-futurism' - the art of borrowing lines from models past and imbuing them with a sleek sense of future direction (as opposed to retro-futurism, the pre-1960s design trend of depicting the technology of the future. The term 'decopunk' may come close, but feel free to tell me if there's a more exact term.) It's what the New Mini and the New Beetle (both 1997 and 2012 versions) have done so well, and so successfully: building an all-new model as a tribute to a classic, something that's modern yet already timeless, with a widely-appreciated, inclusive aesthetic (and here we eliminate the Plymouth PT Cruiser from the conversation). The biking world is great at retro, indeed thrives on it, but not so good at adding in a taste of the 21st century.

H-D Confirms Road Glide Dump

In a conference call with investors yesterday, Harley-Davidson Inc. admitted the rumors are true: the Motor Company is dropping the Road Glide. According to the Milwaukee Business Journal, during the investor call Thursday discussing second-quarter results Harley-Davidson (NYSE: HOG) Senior Vice President and CFO John Olin publicly confirmed the previously reported model dump to the Motor Company’s Touring lineup.

Harley-Davidson Recalls 250,000 Motorcycles for Rear Brake Light Switches

Harley-Davidson is issuing a recall for 250,757 units from its Touring, CVO Touring and Trike line from model years 2009 – 2012. The rear brake light switch on the models in question may become degraded due to the heat from the exhaust systems. This may affect brake light function and may result in a brake fluid leak.