Powersports Year in Review, 2009
Guido Ebert - Jan 11, 2010

Editor’s note: In a selection of news that impacted the powersports industry in 2009, Guido Ebert provides documentation of some of the most critical events and news headliners from 2009.  This record serves to archive powersports industry history, and provides a context for understanding some of the industry’s struggle.  

• Suzuki celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2009, Kawasaki celebrates the 25th anniversary of its “Ninja” brand, and Honda celebrates its 50th year of doing business in the United States.
• Organizers of the Dakar Rally hold the inaugural event in South America.
• Motorcycle industry stakeholders in Europe announce a plan to update current EURO 3 emissions standards to more stringent EURO 5 standards by 2015.
• Daytona Motorsports Group (DMG), doing business as AMA Pro Racing, introduces three completely new class structures for the 2009 season.
• The American Motorcyclist Association writes to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) opposing a plan to impose a 100 percent import duty on more than 100 European goods - including motorcycles – in retaliation to the EU’s continuing import ban on American beef treated with growth hormones. The USTR ultimately decides not to include motorcycles on the list.
• BRP says the global economic recession is forcing it to take conservative actions that include a 20 percent reduction in production and the elimination of 980 jobs. 
• BRP establishes a network of direct sales for Can-Am and Sea-Doo products in Mexico.
• BRP wins a lawsuit to refrain SQM Jetpower (SQM), a UK re-seller, from illegally importing Sea-Doo personal watercraft (PWC) purchased outside the EU.
• Campagna Motors, producer of the three-wheeled T-REX, settles into its new 24,000 sq.ft. headquarters facility in Montreal.
• Honda of South Carolina Mfg., Inc. ceases production of ATVs and PWC for three months beginning in March. However, company leadership says it does not intend to lay off workers or shutter the facility.
• Honda Motor Co., Ltd. says it is developing a battery-powered electric motorcycle for 2011.
• Honda Motor Co. Ltd. President and CEO Takeo Fukui says the financial crisis has forced the OEM to radically update its business plan over a very short period of time.
• The first retail location to sell product from the new Indian Motorcycles opens in Lowell, N.C.
• The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) says “the harsh economic climate prevailing in late 2008 will continue” into 2009, and says the four major motorcycle companies from Japan will continue to combat stagnant corporate earnings, sluggish consumer spending and other adverse trends.
• Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. decides to suspend its factory MotoGP racing activities for the 2009 season.
• KTM files a patent for a two-wheel-drive motorcycle with a front wheel driven by an electric motor and a rear wheel that’s driven by an internal combustion engine.
• A judge declines to stop Myrtle Beach from enforcing new ordinances the city passed in an attempt to reign in motorcycle rallies.
• The Off-Road Business Association (ORBA) cancels the 2009 San Diego Off-Road Super Show in San Diego.
• Polaris Industries, Inc. launches its first webcast training sessions for dealers.
• The Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association (ROHVA) is formed to serve the needs of manufacturers that produce ATVs and SxSs.
• Harley-Davidson Kansas City Vehicle and Powertrain Operations produces its one-millionth motorcycle, a Sportster 883L in Red Hot Sunglo.
• Japan’s four major motorcycle manufacturers produce 87,667 units, down 23.2 percent compared to the 114,214 units produced in January 2008.

• The sale of youth motorcycles, ATVs and snowmobiles becomes illegal as a part of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act.
• Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) voters re-elect Tim Buche as President, Larry Little as Chairman and Roger Hagie as Vice Chairman; and elect Eric Anderson as Secretary/Treasurer.
• The Italian Government offers €500 ($640) to anyone who replaces a Euro 0 or Euro 1 emissions class motorcycle or scooter with a new Euro 3 emissions class vehicle under 400cc.
• The board of directors for Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. vote to make president Tadaharu Ohashi the company’s chairman and Satoshi Hasegawa the new president.
• Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announces that Takanobu Ito, the company's Senior Managing Director, will become the seventh President & Chief Executive Officer of Honda Motor while Takeo Fukui will remain on the board and assume the post of Director and Advisor to Honda Motor.
• The Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) launches a new website to help riders verify the helmet they own, or are considering for purchase, complies with the U.S. Department of Transportation's safety standard (FMVSS218). 
• Victory Motorcycles begins offering a five-year limited warranty on bikes.
• Cycle Country Accessories Corp. begins offering aftermarket accessories for CFMOTO products.
• Harley-Davidson, Inc. moves to attain $600 million to fund lending activities for Harley-Davidson Financial Services (HDFS).
• Japan’s Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. says “severe business conditions” have resulted in reduced pay for company directors, executive officers and managers.
• KTM reveals a plan to cut motorcycle production by 25 percent and lay off more than 60 workers in 2009.
• British entrepreneur Azhar Hussain announces a plan to produce the TTXGP – a time trial competition open only to two-wheelers powered by clean emissions technologies – at the Isle of Man TT.
• American Suzuki recalls 26,082 model year 2005-2006 GSX-R1000 motorcycles because of an issue with the motorcycle’s frame.
• Polaris Industries, Inc. says it will reduce its workforce by 460 positions as part of a response to weakening retail demand and a “realignment” of its production resources and capacity.
• Kawasaki approves Cycle Trader online banner ads as a sanctioned cooperative advertising item.
• Suzuki Motor Corporation plans to close each of its plants in Japan for several days in February.
• Yamaha Motor Corp., USA asks for 100 of its approximately 1,000 employees nationwide to take voluntary early retirement in a move “to ensure the company’s health and competitive ability during these difficult times.”
• Yamaha announces a 200,000 sq. ft. expansion of its PWC and boat parts depot in Kennesaw, Ga.
• Triumph Motorcycles launches Triumph Premier Group (TPG), designed to recognize dealers who surpass key performance goals and create an outstanding customer experience.

• A Japanese neuroscientist working in conjunction with Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd. says he believes riding motorcycles helps riders invigorate brain function.
• Ducati North America partners with FreedomRoad Financial, a national powersports financing company, to provide Ducati customers with additional financing options.
• Bajaj Auto International Holding B.V. raises its stake in KTM Power Sports AG from 26.22 percent to 31.72 percent.
• Polaris Industries, Inc. and Bobcat Company announce a “long-term partnership” to share technology and co-develop and supply specialized work vehicles.
• The American Recovery and Reinvestment bill signed by President Obama includes a 10 percent tax credit toward the purchase of all-electric two-wheelers.
• Colorado’s House of Representatives on March 10 gives preliminary approval to a proposal giving motorcycle dealers greater freedom in dealing with manufacturers.
• Federal lawmakers approve a bill that closes more than 2 million acres of public land nationwide to powersports and other motorized vehicles.
• Harley-Davidson officials meet with two top-ranking Chinese diplomats in an effort to reduce restrictions regarding heavyweight motorcycles in China.
• Malcolm Smith sells banned youth-sized motorcycles and ATVs as a sign of protest to the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008.
• Polaris’ sales for the first quarter, ended March 31, fall 20 percent compared to sales during the 2008 first quarter.
• Worldwide retail sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles for the first quarter, ended March 31, drop 12.0 percent compared to sales during the prior-year quarter.
• Honda Motor Co. Ltd. net income for its business year ended March 31 falls 77 percent from the previous year; revenue drops 17 percent.
• Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries ends its business year March 31 with net sales down 10.8 percent compared to the previous fiscal year. Net income plummets 66.6 percent.
• The Piaggio Group’s first quarter unit sales fall 20.3 percent compared to the first three months of 2008. First quarter two-wheeler sales in the United States fall 29.1 percent compared to the same three months last year.
• Two-wheeler and ATV production during the first three months of the year for Taiwan’s three most prolific vehicle manufacturers – San Yang (SYM), Kwang Yang (KYMCO) and Taiwan Yamaha – falls 40.3 percent compared to the same three months of 2008.
• BMW’s first quarter net profit for its motorcycle business drops 22.2 percent during the same three-month period last year. Motorcycle revenue slides 15.9 percent.
• Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. motorcycle sales revenue for the first quarter, ended March 31, falls 29.4 percent from the previous first quarter. Motorcycle sales revenue drops 13.5 percent in North America.
• Suzuki Motor Company’s motorcycle sales for the year ended March 31 fall 23.2 percent as a result of a “large” sales decline in North America and Europe as well as the exchange influences by a stronger yen. 
• Arctic Cat experiences a net loss of $9.5 million on sales of $563.6 million for its year ended March 31, down compared to a net loss of $3.3 million on sales of $621.6 million last fiscal year. 
• Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha together produce 220,755 powersports vehicles in Japan during the first three months of the year, down 39 percent compared to 362,090 units during the same three-month period in 2008. The four manufacturers shipped 86,339 units to the U.S., down 17.8 percent compared to 105,136 units shipped stateside during the first quarter of‘08.

• Suzuki releases nearly 100 employees in the United States.
• Powersports dealers and enthusiasts join others on Capitol Hill to call on lawmakers to fix the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).
• Yamaha Motor Corp. U.S.A. offers a free repair program to address what the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission calls “safety issues” regarding the Rhino 450, 660 and 700 off-highway recreational vehicles. Yamaha also agrees to voluntarily suspend sale of these models immediately until repaired.
• Suzuki Motor Corp. (SMC) says it plans to shut down some operations at motorcycle and auto factories in Japan for up to eight days in April.
• Members of ACEM, the professional body representing the interests of 12 motorcycle manufacturers in Europe, call for the European Commission and EU member states to help the industry defy the economic crisis with measures similar to those devised for the car sector (ie, fleet-renewal programs and easier access to loans). 
• Fairchild Holding Corp. files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with assets of about $100 million and debts of about $500 million.
• Former Grand Prix racers Martin Wimmer and Ralf Waldmann announce a plan to revive the MZ brand.
• GS Yuasa Corporation and Honda sign a joint venture contract to establish a new company for the manufacturing, sales and R&D of lithium-ion batteries for hybrid vehicles.
• James Ziemer, president and CEO of Harley-Davidson, Inc., visits the MV Agusta headquarters in Schiranna, Varese, Italy, for his first time – nine months after H-D’s purchase of the Italian brand.
• The Piaggio Group reveals a plan to focus on the re-launch of the Moto Guzzi brand, consolidation of the scooter business in North America and Europe, expansion of the Aprilia motorcycle range, and a concentration on new investments such as hybrid engines.
• Don Lemelin, dealer principal of Scuderia West in SanFrancisco, is appointed chairman of KTM North America’s Dealer Advisory Council.
• Brake specialist Brembo SpA plans to temporarily lay off up to 1,840 workers to help align production output with falling demand.
• The Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) the world governing body for motorcycle sport, endorses the TTXGP on the Isle of Man.
• Organizers of the Legend of the Motorcycle Concours d’Elegance, announce a decision to cancel the event for 2009.
• California State Senator Fran Pavely (D) introduces legislation that would require motorcycles to participate in the state's vehicle "smog check" program.
• Polaris Industries, Inc. names Wes Barker as vice president of operations.  
• Moto Honda da Amazonia Ltda. (HDA), the Honda subsidiary in Brazil, begins offering the CG150 Titan Mix, the first flex-fuel motorcycle in the world to come from a major supplier.
• Piaggio Group Americas, importer and distributor of Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Piaggio and Vespa brands, opens a new national Technical Center in Costa Mesa, Calif., to help train the company’s 500 dealers in North America. 
• Continental introduces its new anti-lock braking system (ABS) for motorcycles.

MAY

• Legislation being considered in Texas would force those who purchase a “high-performance” motorcycle to take a training course within six months of the purchase. 
• Electric scooter maker Vectrix Corp. dismisses about 60 employees to cut costs and plans to seek “strategic alternatives, which could include a merger or sale of the business.”
• KYMCO USA signs on as a sponsor to teams competing in the IndyCar series, the National Hot Rod Association Pro Stock Motorcycle series, and the AMA Pro Racing SunTrust Moto-GT1 class.
• Harley-Davidson, Inc. names Keith E. Wandell as president and CEO following James L. Ziemer’s announced plan to retire.
• Bombardier Recreational Products, Inc. (BRP) says it seeks to raise between CA $50 to $100 million ($40.27 million to $80.55 million) of new capital to help reduce its overall debt.   
• An estimated 17,000 global procurers of motorcycle parts and accessories attend the Taiwan International Motorcycle Industry Show, a trade event featuring 185 exhibitors displaying their wares at the Taipei World Trade Center.
• Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing (KMM) offers buyouts to 320 workers in Lincoln, Neb.
• KTM motorcycle and ATV sales for the first nine months of its fiscal year, ended May 31, total 46,026 units, down 19,896 units compared to the same nine-month period in 2008. The Austrian manufacturer’s vehicle sales drop 27 percent in the United States.

• KTM says its 125cc street bike co-developed with India’s Bajaj Auto Ltd. will enter production in 2010 for the 2011 model year.
• KTM confirms plans to produce its previously unveiled electric off-road bike in 2010 for the 2011 model year.
• The Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Associations (FEMA) elects Gerard Livett as its new president.
• Summit Racing Equipment launches mail-order, SxS, ATV and on-road and off-road motorcycle parts operation.
• MV Agusta incorporates MV Agusta Corse into the parent company to develop custom esthetic and performance parts and accessories. 
• Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd. sets aside $210.3 million to fund what it calls “product liability responsibility” associated with claims logged against its Rhino side-by-side vehicles (SSVs).
• Classic Motorworks, the Minnesota-based exclusive U.S. distributor of Royal Enfield motorcycles, introduces the Bullet Classic C5 andthe Bullet G5, both featuring electronic fuel injection.
• Cobra Scooters LLC files a lawsuit against Taiwan Golden Bee Co. Ltd. alleging that the manufacturer improperly broke a contract to supply ATVs and scooters to the importer/distributor.
• Suzuki Motor Corp. says it may not be able to recover $305 million in outstanding debt from General Motors Corp. and its affiliates following the U.S. automaker’s bankruptcy filing on June 1. 
• Working under what it describes as “very harsh business conditions,” Japan’s Yamaha Motor Co. Ltd. records a net loss of 74.7 billion yen (approx. $783.68 million) on a 33.3 percent drop in sales revenue for the first half of the year ended June 30.
• Kawasaki Motor Corp. USA releases more than three-dozen employees June 25, many of those at the OEM’s headquarters facility in Irvine, Calif.
• The City of Boston enacts an ordinance outlawing motorcycle exhaust systems that are not approved for on-road use by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA).
• Polaris Industries’ sales for its second quarter ended June 30 total $345.9 million, a decrease of 24 percent from second quarter 2008 sales of $455.7 million.
• Arctic Cat, Inc. experiences a net loss of $5.9 million on sales of $69.4 million for its first quarter ended June 30.
• Worldwide retail sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles for the half-year ended June 30 decline 23.6 percent compared to the prior half-year.
• BMW Motorrad sells 46,974 units during the first half of the year, down 16 percent compared to 55,932 units sold during the same six-month period in 2008.
• Honda’s motorcycle and ATV sales for its first quarter, ended June 30, total 2.252 million units, a decrease of 17.1 percent compared to 2.715 million units during last year’s first quarter. 
• Piaggio’s first-half consolidated vehicle sales total 314,200 units, down 15.6 percent compared to 372,700 units sold during the first half of 2008.
• The seven major manufacturers in Brazil sell 731,968 units during the first six months of the year, down 29.6 percent from 1,040,027 units sold during the same six-month period in 2008.
• Sales of powered two-wheelers in the United Kingdom during the first six months of the year total 62,412 units, down 14.8 percent compared to 73,243 units sold during the same six-month period of 2008. 
• Registrations of new two-wheelers in Italy during the first six months of the year total 240,088 units, down 2.4 percent compared to 234,326 units registered during the first half of 2008.
• Japan’s four major motorcycle manufacturers – Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha – produce 360,981 units during the first six months of the year, down 39.2 percent compared to 593,384 units during the first six months of 2008. Exports to the U.S. total 126,250 units, down compared to 169,755 units during the same six-month period in 2008.

• Polaris Industries, Inc. creates an On-Road Vehicle Division to help establish what the OEM describes as “a significant on-road presence.”
• Arctic Cat’s Ole Tweet announces that he plans to step down from his position as General Manager, ATV Division. Claude Jordan, the OEM’s president and COO, takes over as interim GM of the ATV division.
• Japan’s Kawasaki Heavy Industries partners with Taiwan’s Kwang Yang Motor Co., Ltd. (KYMCO) to produce a series of general-purpose engines in China.
• It’s revealed that Enrico D' Onofrio, the newly placed head of MV Agusta, is being investigated for violation of industrial secrets, illicit competition and aggravated theft after leaving Ducati to join competitor MV Agusta.
• Mark Blackwell, formerly in charge of Polaris’ Victory Motorcycles business, steps away from the brand’s day-to-day operations to devote more time to the OEM’s global motorcycle strategy.
• Quebec’s provincial auto insurance board debates a registration system that would ban riders under age 25 or with less than five years of motorcycling experience from owning large displacement motorcycles. It’s a move that has many riders participating in protests.
• Arai ranks highest in satisfying motorcycle helmet owners for an 11th consecutive year, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2009 Motorcycle Helmet Satisfaction Study released today.
• Polaris says it plans to expand its pilot Maximum Velocity Program (MVP) to more dealers. MVP emphasizes retail sales rather than wholesale fulfillment in an effort to improve Polaris’ relations with its retailers.
• Arctic Cat, Inc. eliminates 60 positions, or approximately 5 percent of its 1,200 employees, as part of the company’s efforts to reduce operating expenses and align production with anticipated product demand.
• Mail order parts, garments and accessories purveyor Dennis Kirk aims to gain more dollars from scooterists via a new, specialized website: www.dkscooters.com
• KYMCO USA taps The Glenn Roller Institute (GRI) to offer dealers The Educational Program, a comprehensive sales training program that promises to take any salesperson from a basic to an advanced level of sales competency.
• American IronHorse’s bankruptcy liquidation sale begins July 15.
• California State Senator Fran Pavely’s plan to require smog checks for motorcycles is dropped.
• KTM announces its intention to withdraw from Dakar rally competition following the organizing body’s decision to allow only bikes with a maximum displacement of 450cc. KTM says it will no longer be represented at the rally in South America either with an official factory team or a KTM-supported team.
• Bombardier Recreational Products, Inc. (BRP), a privately held company, raises CAN $130 million ($117.5 million) to support its operations.
• KTM CEO Stefan Pierer says the company has initiated the development of even more powerful, quieter and less polluting two-stroke powerplants.
• Genuine Scooter Co. and KYMCO USA team with insurance provider Progressive to market insurance opportunities to consumers through the OEM dealer networks. 
• Husqvarna Motorcycles NA uses the 2010 Endurocross series in Las Vegas as the focal point for the company’s national dealer convention.
• Electric scooter purveyor Vectrix Corp. lays off all but the most essential staff and begins preparing for a bankruptcy filing.
• Harley-Davidson announces a plan to cut motorcycle shipments 25 to 30 percent compared to last year and reduce its workforce by an additional 1,000 employees.
• The Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS) Act, commonly referred to as the “Cash for Clunkers” program, does not offer vouchers for motorcycle purchases.

• Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A., launches www.TruthAboutRhino.com 
• KYMCO USA and SHAD USA ink an agreement to develop a line of items to be branded with the KYMCO name.
• The European Commission agrees to aid Europe's motorcycle industry through scrapping schemes, supporting demand through fleet renewal and easier access to financing in an effort to help combat the effects the economic crisis has had.
• Piaggio & C. S.p.A. formally opened its subsidiary in Vietnam to produce the 125cc and 150cc Vespa LX.
• GE Money - Sales Finance, a provider of consumer financing programs, launches a new Web-based portal, the Business Center, to offer dealers the ability to more easily manage their credit programs.
• Martin Racing Performance purchases three 53-foot containers filled with parts from the recently shuttered CPI warehouse in Dallas.
• Piaggio & C. S.p.A. hopes to attain a unit sales volume of 750,000 vehicles by 2012. The company’s brands together sold 648,600 vehicles in 2008, down 8.5 percent compared to 708,500 vehicles sold in 2007.
• The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) decides to create a series for electric bikes in 2010.
• Organizers cancel the 2009 Paris Motorcycle and Scooter Show, formally called the Mondial du Deux Roues and initially scheduled to be held Oct. 1-8.
• Polaris Industries, Inc. introduces a low emission electric powered vehicle called the Breeze, which is the first new product to be launched by the company’s recently formed On-Road Vehicle Division.
• Harley-Davidson plans production shutdowns and line rate adjustments at powertrain operations in Menomonee Falls and Wauwatosa, Wis., and at motorcycle assembly operations in York, Pa. and Kansas City, Mo.
• EICMA SpA, the China Chamber of Commerce and Genertec International Advertising & Exhibition Ltd. set up a joint venture to launch a motorcycle trade show in Canton, China.
• Ducati North America combines its sales and marketing functions into one group, consolidates two of its sales territories and reduces its staff by six employees.
• The South Dakota Department of Transportation (DOT) says traffic counters at eight entrances to Sturgis tallied 394,009 motorcycles for the seven official days of the rally, Aug. 3-9, a decrease of 2.8 percent compared to 405,475 bikes in 2008.
• KTM’s sales revenue for its 2008-09 fiscal year, ended Aug. 31, slides 24.9 percent compared to its 2007-2008 fiscal year.

• Yamaha wins the first ever lawsuit trial associated with the Rhino side-by-side vehicle after a jury in the case of Ray vs. Yamaha, in Orange, Texas, found no design defect with the product.
• Goodyear Tire& Rubber Co. says it has reached a tentative agreement with the United Steelworkers (USW) union on a new contract covering about 10,300 employees at seven tire plants in the United States.
• Honda’s second quarter motorcycle and ATV sales total 2,407,000 units, a decrease of 16.8 percent from the same three-month period last year.
• Honda Motor Co., Ltd. unveils a fully automatic dual clutch transmission for large-displacement sport bikes.
• Yamaha Motor Corp., U.S.A. (YMUS), takes a new approach to its annual dealer business meeting by hosting 26 simultaneous regional and district events across the country.
• Yamaha’s motorcycle sales in North America for the first nine months of the year total 81,000 units, down 30.7 percent compared to 117,000 units.
• Kawasaki’s consumer product sales for its recently ended six-month period fall 40.7 percent compared to the same six-month period last year.
• Suzuki’s global motorcycle revenue for the first six months of its 2009 business year fall 49.6 percent compared to the first half of its 2008 business year.
• BMW’s motorcycle deliveries in the United States during the first nine months of the year total 7,556 units, down 10.5 percent compared to the same nine-month period in 2008.

• Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki attend the 41st Tokyo Motor Show from Oct. 24 to Nov. 4. Kawasaki decides not to participate.
• KTM announces it is dropping out of the 125cc Grand Prix World Championship with its factory team.
• Husqvarna Motorcycles hits a major production milestone on Oct. 2 with the production of the 25,000th motorcycle produced in the Biandronno factory in northern Italy since BMW took over the company in Oct. 2007.
• Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. starts production at a new motorcycle plant operated by its Brazilian subsidiary, Kawasaki Motores do Brasil Ltda.
• The National Park Service releases an Environmental Assessment (EA) that cuts daily snowmobile access into Yellowstone from 540 snowmobiles in 2007 to 318 sleds this winter.
• Arctic Cat, Inc. taps GE Capital, Commercial Distribution Finance to become the exclusive provider of floorplan financing for the OEM’s dealers in the United States.
• KTM-Kühler GmbH is sold to automotive industry supplier MAHLE.
• A Lightning XB12Scg rolls off Buell’s assembly line on Oct. 30 and becomes the last of the 136,923 motorcycles built in the company’s 26 years of operation.

• A pared down Cycle World International Motorcycle Show series starts Nov. 13-15 in Dallas.
• Arctic Cat, Inc. finalizes a three-year, $60 million senior secured revolving credit facility to fund the company’s ongoing working capital needs.
• Korea’s S&T Motors, producer of Hyosung motorcycles, partners with ATK Motorcycles in a deal that both companies say is scheduled to ultimately include supplying bikes to Harley-Davidson dealers.
• American IronHorse Motorcycles’ intellectual property is put up for sale.
• Tony Murr, VP of sales and marketing for Kawasaki Motors Corp., USA retires after 35 years with the company. 
• Harley-Davidson, Inc. selects the investment banking firm BNP Paribas to assist in the sale of MV Agusta.

• Erik Buell establishes Erik Buell Racing, an independent motorcycle race shop, on Dec. 1.
• Harley-Davidson, Inc. says it will keep its motorcycle operations in York, Pa., and move forward with plans to restructure the facilities.
• Japan’s Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. taps “acting” president whileTsuneji Togami is hospitalized for treatment of an undisclosed medical condition.
• Suzuki Motor Corp. announces a plan to sell off its 50 percent ownership in CAMI Automotive, Inc. to General Motors of Canada Ltd.
• Volkswagen AG announces a plan to buy a 19.9 percent stake in Suzuki Motor Corp. for $2.5 billion.
• Harley-Davidson recalls 111,569 model year 2009 and 2010 motorcycles for a fuel tank that may leak as the result of a frontal collision. 
• KYMCO USA becomes the official scooter and ATV sponsor of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA).
• Power Sports Factory, Inc. (PSF) owes creditors nearly $5 million and company officials say there is “substantial doubt” they’ll be able to payoff their debts and continue as a going concern.
• Honda opens a new training center in Erlensee, Germany, to help train sales associates and service personnel of all product from throughout Europe.
• Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. restructures its Public Relations Division, Finance & Accounting Division, General Affairs Division and Brand Management Division.
• Advanstar Communications moves to shut down its Off-Road.com website by the end of the month.
• Tank Sports, Inc., a distributor of scooters, motorcycles, ATVs and buggies, closes unexpectedly, leaving hundreds of dealers without replacement parts and support.
• Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. says it will not participate in the AMA Pro Racing road racing series in 2010.
• The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) votes unanimously (5-0) to extend a stay of enforcement on testing and certification for a number of children’s products regulated by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA).
• Despite an earlier vow to distance itself from the 2010 Dakar Rally following rule changes, KTM says it will be present to help riders planning to take part in the event.
• Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. takes action to reorganize its management team, placing Hiroyuki Yanagi as president in place of the hospitalized TsunejiTogami.