Pewter Pearl 2009 Harley-davidson Xl 883c Sportster 883 Custom (palatine 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.

Harley-Davidson World Ride Scheduled for June 22–23

There’s something about sharing in a popular consciousness. Participating in an activity that is also taking place at the same time all over the world adds a special meaning to the event. Begun in 2008 by the Harley Owners Group as Million Mile Monday and renamed and enlarged in 2012 toHarley-Davidson World Ride, this event simply asks all “friends of Milwaukee” to get on their hogs and ride on June 22–23.

Harley-Davidson Opens First Showroom in Vietnam

Harley-Davidson has opened its first dealership in Vietnam, the world’s fourth largest market for motorcycles. Located in Phu My Hung in District 7 of Ho Chi Minh City, the new Harley-Davidson of Saigon opened its doors this past weekend with a full lineup of 27 models. Vietnam is one of the world’s largest markets with sales of 3.1 million two-wheelers in 2012, trailing only China, India and Indonesia.