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Harley Davidson announced it will discontinue production of Buell motorcycles. Remaining inventories of Buell motorcycles, accessories and apparel, while they last, will continue to be sold through authorized dealerships. Warranty coverage will continue as normal for Buell motorcycles and the Company will provide replacement parts and service through dealerships.
The decision will result in a reduction over time of about 80 hourly production positions and about 100 salaried positions at Buell. Employment will end for a majority of Buell employees Dec. 18, 2009. Harley-Davidson, Inc. expects to incur approximately $125 million in one-time costs related to the discontinuation of the Buell product line. The Company expects to incur approximately $115 million of that amount this year.
Relative to MV Agusta, the Company will immediately commence efforts to sell the business, which is based in Varese, Italy. In the third quarter, Harley-Davidson, Inc. recorded a one-time fixed-asset impairment charge of $14.2 million related to Buell and a goodwill impairment charge of $18.9 million related to MV Agusta.
Read more: Harley Shuts Down Buell and Plans To Sell MV Augusta
Yamaha and Honda are recalling motorcycles the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said could cause crashes.
HONDA RECALL: 2002 VTX1800 manufactured between August 14 and October 4, 2001. The component to be replaced is the swing arm which may not have been properly welded. The swing arm could break while riding causing the rider to lose control, possibly resulting in a crash. Honda will notify owners and dealers will inspect the weld and, if necessary, replace the swing arm free of charge. This safety recall is expected to begin on or about September 25, 2009. Potentially 688 motorcycles may be affected. Owners of the 2002 Honda VTX1800 can contact Honda Motorcycle customer service at 1-866-784-1870.
YAMAHA RECALL: Three different models for the 2005 model year; the Yamaha FJR1300, the Yamaha FZS600, and the Yamaha YZF-R1. The component in all three models is the throttle position sensor which could cause the engine to stall and which could result in a crash. Yamaha will notify owners and replace the throttle position sensor free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about October 7, 2009. Potentially 180 motorcycles may be affected. Owners of these three 2005 models of Yamaha can contact Yamaha at 1-714-761-7300.
For more information about these and other recalls, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s, www.safercar.gov, or call their safety hotline, 1-888-327-4236.
Siemens has teamed up with Orange County Choppers to build the first custom electric motorcycle, The Siemens Smart Chopper. "We wanted to build this unique chopper to raise environmental awareness and reflect what the 69,000 employees of Siemens USA are doing to help America stay on the cutting edge of tomorrow's green economy," said Daryl Dulaney, President & CEO of Siemens Building Technologies.
