‘World’s Fastest Woman’ Valerie Thompson Shatters 300 mph Barrier at Bonneville
[dropcap]S[/dropcap]even-time land speed record holder Valerie Thompson earned the title of world’s fastest female motorcycle racer on September 1st at the Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials with a blistering one measured mile average speed of 304 mph riding the famous Denis Manning designed “7” Racing streamliner. After three mandatory license qualification runs, Thompson scorched the salt
Hydraulic Tappets
1. Hydraulic tappets are used to eliminate or reduce the need for valve clearance adjustment. An engine without hydraulic tappets must have a gap between the tappet and valve or tappet and camshaft to allow for the change in clearance as the engine components heat up. If this clearance is too small the valve may hang
Let Employees Find Their Way
Be A Leader Not A Dictator [dropcap]I[/dropcap] don’t know about you, but I bought my store from an owner who was ready to get out, and I happened to be in the right place at the right time, working for him. By then, I’d been employed at a half dozen other dealers, and always came
Baggers and One Uneaten Pancake
[dropcap]D[/dropcap]ear Ma, I hope you’re well up in Heaven, we are doing ok down here in Dallas. Last weekend we hosted the Baddest Bagger – Dallas edition. The show is put on by Paul Yaffe and American Bagger magazine. It travels the country and has a really good following. This was our second year to
The Pros & Cons of Micromanaging
Ummm Yeah, If You Could Just Go Ahead And Make Sure You Do This From Now On, That Would Be Great! Micromanaging, we all know the term! The word itself has a bad connotation and all employees usually cringe when hearing it. Remember the poster child for micromanagers Bill Lumbergh, (“Ummm yeah, that would be
Tradeshow Season Is Upon Us
2016 SEMA Show Preview [dropcap]C[/dropcap]an you believe it’s already October? The arrival of fall means many things, but for us here at MPN and Babcox Media, it means it’s tradeshow season. One of the big shows we attend is the SEMA Show out in Las Vegas, held this year from November 1 – 4 in
Big Bang Theory: Harley Doubles Up With Milwaukee-Eight
[dropcap]L[/dropcap]ike a July 4th fireworks display that builds to a crescendo, it seems as if the OEMs have saved the biggest booms for the end of the year. The 2017 model year had already seen some real sparklers ranging from Kawasaki’s nifty little Z125 Pro all the way up to Ducati’s monstrous Diavel, but the
Apparel Pro: Boots
[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n terms of motorcycle protective apparel, boots are often the least thought of apparel item. Apparel reviews abound on helmets, jackets, pants and race suits, but why is it that we never hear much about footwear given that riding shoes and boots are generally the one thing we wear all day without removing when in
2016: A Year of Firsts for Women in Motorcycling
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]his years marks the 100th anniversary of Adeline and Augusta Van Buren each riding her own motorcycle across the United States. In 1916 the two intrepid sisters set out from Brooklyn, New York, riding a series of farm roads and tracks that had just been conceptualized as the Lincoln Highway a scant three years earlier.
Barb’s Harley-Davidson
Barb’s H-D owner Barb Borowiec began her career in eastern New Jersey, skirting metro Philadelphia, back in 1983. That was the year 21-year-old Barb Borowiec bought a Sportster at Harley-Davidson of Camden County and every time she came in to make her $79 payment she begged for a job at the small shop. “The owners
End of Summer Leaves Industry Sluggish
[dropcap]O[/dropcap]ur latest survey of powersports dealers indicates that the retail sales environment in the powersports industry was sluggish in August. While dealers received a lift in traffic early in the month from end-of-the-year sales promotions, consumer traffic trailed off as the month continued. As a result, dealers were not able to materially improve their inventory
September Average Wholesale Prices In Review
A summer came to an end, September Average Wholesale Prices (ASP) were mixed. In comparison to the prior 3-month average, Domestic Cruisers declined notably, Metric Cruisers and Sportbikes declined moderately and Off-Road products were flat to up. Wholesale prices in September fared similarly but slightly better than last year, with Off-Road categories up nicely, Metric
