CYCLE DIGEST

MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM SOLICITS NOMINATIONS
The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame is now accepting at-large nominations for 2005 Hall of Fame inductees.
Individuals considered for induction must have made a positive and significant impact in motorcycling, according to museum officials.
Nomination forms can be requested by e-mailing museum executive director Pepper Massey-Swan at director@sturgismuseum.com.
Nomination forms must be accompanied by credentials explaining why the person should be considered for induction. Biographical information, newspaper articles, historical documents and other materials may be submitted.
Credentials should be two to five pages long, including the nomination form, according to the news release. Nominations must be received by the museum no later than Jan. 10.
Individuals chosen for induction into the Hall of Fame will be honored at a breakfast ceremony Aug. 10, 2005, during the annual Sturgis motorcycle rally.

BRITISH MUSEUM REOPENS AFTER FIRE
Britain’s National Motorcycle Museum, ravaged by a fire 15 months ago, reopened this month after a $38.1 million restoration.
Restoration included work on the facility, nearly 650 motorcycles, and included the installation of a $2.28 million sprinkler system. A larger gift shop, conference facilities for over 5,000 delegates and better access for the disabled also were installed.
The fire, which occurred Sept. 16, 2003, was started when a carelessly discarded cigarette sparked a pile of air conditioning filters and cardboard boxes.
Owned by Roy Richards, the National Motorcycle Museum is a collection of five exhibition halls. First opened in 1984, the museum near Birmingham attracted approximately 250,000 visitors in the year prior to the fire.
The museum had approximately 650 machines on display at the opening December 1. One bike per month is being restored, a museum spokesman told the BBC. He said the plan is to have 800 bikes on display by 2007.

DUCATI STREAMLINES ITS BRANDS
Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. announced that its board of directors decided to sell the Ducati Corse brand from Ducati Motor Holding to Ducati Corse S.r.l. The transaction will take place by the end of the year.
The main reason for the transaction is to rationalize management of the “Ducati” and “Ducati Corse” brands, allowing each brand to be developed economically as separate entities.
Ducati Corse S.r.l., fully owned by Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.(99% directly and 1% indirectly), is focused on the organization and management of the MotoGP and Superbike racing teams, the development and construction of racing bikes, as well as all related promotional activities which aim to increase the Company’s presence on the international circuits and enhance its brand image.
The Ducati Corse Brand has been valued at Euro 23 million, and has been calculated on a discounted cash flow of Ducati Corse’s brand royalties, related to the use of the brand by licensees and sponsors. The valuation was based on an independent appraisal commissioned by Ducati Motor Holding.

SUZUKI RM-Z450 ON WATER
Photographed December 3 at the Totyokawa Plant in Hamamatsu, Japan, the Suzuki RM-Z450 motocross bikes are coming off the production line and are on their way to dealerships across the United States.
American Suzuki says shipments of RM-Z450 motorcycles will hit U.S. shores by late December, and will arrive in dealerships beginning in January 2005.

PIAGGIO PARTNERS WITH PARSONS SCHOOL
Piaggio USA, Inc. is partnering with Parsons School of Design to create new concepts for a lifestyle collection, ranging from clothing to wearable technologies, accessories, and even new features for Piaggio scooters.
The partnership between Parsons and Piaggio is a project of the Parsons Design Lab, which brings together corporations, nonprofit organizations, and Parsons students to develop design solutions for real-world business challenges.
The designs will be unveiled at the Parsons Benefit and Fashion Show on May 9, 2005
Parsons’ BFA Product Design program trains over 130 students each year to become flexible, intelligent, innovative, technologically savvy designers. Established in August 2003, the Design Lab has coordinated interdisciplinary projects with Siemens, Fossil, PETA, Daimler Chrysler, NASA, Origins, Microsoft, UNICEF and Samsung.

VERMONT ATTORNEY GENERAL SIDES WITH BIKERS
Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell said Windham County Sheriff’s Department officers who broke up a Connecticut motorcycle club’s group ride in August made mistakes but performed no criminal misconduct.
In a complaint, bikers from the Pathfinders Motorcycle Club of Bethany, Conn., said they were confronted by about eight cruisers full of deputies as they arrived at the Townshend dam in Townshend on Aug. 8 for The Red Fox Turkey Run.
The motorcyclists said they were accused of racing without a required permit, and said the officers made a series of threats ranging from $80 tickets for vehicle infractions to arrest and impoundment of their bikes. The bikers said the event was not a race but a recreational ride.
After hearing the facts, Sorrell too said the event was not a race and found that “clear mistakes were made” by the officers.
Sorrell sent a letter to town and county officials commending the hundreds of participating motorcyclists “for their conduct in the face of what they could have reasonably perceived as an improper, overzealous enforcement action.”
“Some local and county officials don’t have a lot to be proud of in their handling of this event,” Sorrell said.

KAWASAKI RECALLS KLX110
Kawasaki Motors Corp., USA, has announced a recall of its 2005 model KLX110 off-road motorcycle.
The bikes, sold by Kawasaki dealers from July 2004 to present for $1,649, were manufactured by Kawasaki Motors Enterprise Co., Ltd. of Thailand.
Kawasaki says the rear shock unit on approximately 1,500 units may have been assembled with an incorrect o-ring, allowing fluid to leak from the shock. Fluid loss from the shock can compromise the shock’s damping characteristics, which can render the motorcycle unstable.
KMC USA says no incidents involving injury have occurred.
Consumers are asked to stop using the motorcycles immediately and to contact their Kawasaki dealer to schedule an appointment for a free replacement of the rear shock.
For more information, call Kawasaki
at 866/802-9381 between 8:30 a.m. and
4:45 p.m. PT, Monday through Friday, or visit www.kawasaki.com.