Jun. 2, 2008 – Motorcycle Digest
BMW Offers Military Motorcycle Purchase Program
BMW Motorrad USA has started a special motorcycle purchase program for all active members of the U.S. armed forces, BMW said in a press release May 9.
The program, which runs through Dec. 31, is designed to help military personnel purchase a BMW motorcycle of their choice for personal use.
To be eligible for the program, purchasers must be active members of the U.S. armed forces. Eligible members include active duty (including activated reservists) of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, National Guard and Coast Guard, and those who have recently finished active service (within six months) with a current military identification card. A copy of Department of Defense form 214 might be necessary for retired service members and those who have recently been discharged from active service.
The following allowances are available on all models within every BMW model series: K-Series $500; R-Series $400; G-Series $250; F-Series $250.
Harley-Davidson Museum Announces Grand Opening
Nearly 105 years in the making, the Harley-Davidson Museum, located near downtown Milwaukee, will open its doors to the public Saturday, July 12.
Grand opening festivities will kick off with a Harley-Davidson-style ceremony at 10 a.m. and will continue throughout the weekend.
The 130,000-square-foot museum will add a new dimension to the Harley-Davidson experience. Visitors will get a feel for the freedom, camaraderie and pride that Harley-Davidson riders experience when they fire up their motorcycles.
Museum visitors will:
The Harley-Davidson Museum, located at the intersection of Sixth and Canal streets in Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley, will be open 364 days a year.
Ducati North America Hires New Marketing Chief
Ducati North America announced Jim Viola as the new head of marketing for its headquarters in Cupertino, Calif.
Viola is the second recent addition to the senior management team as Andy Williams recently accepted the CFO position. Viola had previously worked for Ducati as the marketing and events manager. Michael Lock, CEO of Ducati North America, says the company is excited to have him back on the Ducati team.
“His experience as a project manager and his passion for Ducati form the combination that we have been looking for,” said Lock. “I’m sure he will be a great asset to the team.”
Piaggio USA Consolidates Branding Efforts
Piaggio Group USA consolidated the public relations functions for its four major brands to one agency, naming Brandware the agency of record for Vespa and Piaggio scooters and Aprilia and Moto Guzzi motorcycle brands, according to PRWeek May 12.
Prior to the consolidation, Access Communications worked on the Piaggio and Vespa brands, and Brandware handled public relations for Aprilia and Moto Guzzi.
“We were dealing with two different companies, and we found that it just wasn’t efficient,” said Kevin Andrews, the brand manager for Piaggio and Vespa.
Brandware’s experience prompted the company to select it as the sole agency, Andrews said. The Vespa brand will continue its Vespanomics initiative, which touts the role scooters play in reducing energy consumption and traffic congestion.
Last June, Piaggio awarded Access a one-year renewable contract after a competitive bid with Piaggio’s former incumbent agency of record, CooperKatz. About six months later, Piaggio says, it began to discuss consolidation.
The move to consolidate was not related to the departure of Mike Kull, former vice president of marketing at Piaggio Group USA, earlier this year, Andrews said.
KTM VP Narayana Earns Lifetime Achievement Award
KTM North America’s Vice President Selvaraj Narayana was presented with the esteemed Lifetime Achievement award at the 2008 Supercross banquet on May 4.
Narayana is recognized in the industry as he received the AMA Vintage Iron Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000 and the MIC Chairman’s award earlier this year. The award was presented to Narayana by his longtime colleagues Bevo Forte and Steve Hudson. In addition to his long career with KTM, Narayana served as a contributing member to the MIC for the past 16 years (several of those years as a board member) and has nearly 40 years experience in the motorcycle industry.
“Although Selvaraj’s longevity and loyalty with KTM is well known, his contributions to the sport and industry transcend any one particular brand,” said KTM North America’s Director of Marketing Jeff Salamon.
Darwin Motorcycles Raises Quality Bar with New Tires
Darwin Motorcycles, the creator of Brass Balls Bobbers & Choppers, builds motorbikes that now come standard with premium Metzeler rubber.
“Metzeler tires are engineered to provide superior performance and custom appeal. Our customers are going to enjoy the performance of these new tires and I am enjoying modifying our design to take advantage of their zero-growth tire capability,” said Dar Holdsworth, Darwin Motorcycles’ president and master designer. One of the benefits of Metzeler tires is the ability of the tire not to grow when it gets hot. This allows custom production manufactures like Darwin Motorcycles to bring the finder closer to the tire, enhancing the custom look. psb
