http://www.newschannel5.com/story/14544904/gas-prices-could-be-behind-rise-in-motorcycle-scooter-theftsHigher gas prices appear to be to blame for a sudden surge in the theft of motorcycles and scooters. - This is an article that just came up online. Funny, seems like around this time with every gas price increase we see this. Below you see me show a real life scooter theft on Miami Beach where someone...
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Motorcycle USA picks up the Malaguti article
This was pretty awesome the fact that the number one site in the country picked up the blog and the story on Malaguti Moto- a big thank you to Motorcycle USA.http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/7/9852/Motorcycle-Article/Italys-Malaguti-Scooters-on-the-Brink.aspx www.malaguti....
New Items at MRP for 2011 ZUMA 125, BW100, Gianelli, Doppler, Race Exhausts, Vespa and more!
So we keep finding new items to add to the MRP parts department. Over 300 boxes got counted this week, a new record. Truthfully I realized that to an outsider this sounds like an easy job, but most times we invest more time into the parts not knowing if they will sell or who needs what. We are still counting parts from Diamo from 2009 that are sitting in pallets everywhere. So no its not an easy job, but someone has to do it....
Made in America is what we need - Gerbing's Heated Clothing to move 150 jobs from China to N.C.
I really liked this article on Dealer News today. I hope we start focusing on this again.Local cities need to put the incentives in place, the banks, lenders, and industry needs to work together to bring jobs back to America. On Dealer News Gerbing's Heated Clothing to move 150 jobs from China to N.C.http://www.dealernews.com/dealernews/LATEST+NEWS/Gerbings-Heated-Clothing-to-move-150-jobs-from-C...
How a $100 million dollar company ends up broke
Dow Jones is finally reporting on the situation at Malaguti this morning.http://www.borsaitaliana.it/borsa/notizie/mf-dow-jones/italia-dettaglio.html?newsId=853079&lang=itSo more drama in the quest for Malaguti ( www.Malaguti.com) as Chase pulled out or more like they lost interest because nobody picked up the phone. None of the US distributors have the cash to help re-start the brand. I gave...
The Hype brings more hype MIC reports 50% increase in scooter sales
I'm the first to love any marketing that brings more money and attention to scooters, but playing with numbers isn't one of them.That's like saying Dealer Expo attendance was up this year or the year before. Better yet it's like saying scooter sales are up 50%. Wait the MIC just made a press release saying that. Yes, they are up I give them that much, but by how much?The Motorcycle Industry Council...
2011 Message from the Scooter Maven
This summer the industry is set to explode with sales. After two terrible years, the stores are coming back.Two trends we see.1. A repeat of the Chinese buying frenzy of 2008 with stores stocking more low end bikes instead of building the store destination.2. Stores that were Chinese only that don't have any experience picking up Vespa, Genuine, and other brands that have had to buy back many of their...
Honda dealers are out of scooters for 2011
Great story on a Honda dealer that sold out of all his Honda scooters. I just mentioned this in my blog this morning, so who will the Honda/Yamaha dealers turn to?CF MOTO? Kymco? The door is open now. Let's see who takes advantage of the boom of 2011.http://clipsyndicate.com/video/playlist/20694/2394631?wpid=9...
Moto Morini and Malaguti headed to the museums....
There is no news this Monday morning since everyone is still basically on vacation in Italy from the holidays.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdC6kcq2ovgOver in Italy you can read at Affair Italia (http://affaritaliani.libero.it/economia/bologna_crisi_industria_moto.html )that there is no political willpower to do anything, it's not even an election concern. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dglveFWHAnk&feature=player_embeddedLa...
Free Gasoline and other promotion ideas for summer 2011
The season is upon us and the stories are starting to appear in the press. Just taking a look at what's going on in the industry Kymco USA has shot the first salvo with free gas and no downpayment on a new scooter. Read more at KYMCOUSA.comKYMCO $100 Gift Card will buy you about 25 gallons of gas.At an estimated 85 MPG, that's practically a year's free gas!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rKb0eqzmOcHonda and Yamaha are both pushing...
Protests in Italy to keep production open at Malaguti
This whole thing makes me extremely sad. I wish everyone the best out there and that they can convince the powers that be to give the investors the incentives to keep the factory open and for Malaguti Moto to come under new management. Some of these workers have put 30 years into the factory. I would go as far to say they love the scooters, some of them ride the scooters, and they love the brand more than even some of the family...
Happy Easter plus more protests in Italy
I finally heard back from the secretary General office in Emilia Romagna. No news for the US investors because they have to be contacted by the new firm Malaguti hired after firing the last firm they had hired to find a buyer. So we still have two groups interested in Malaguti, but without the cooperation or an understanding of who exactly is in charge in Italy nothing can be done.Anarchy is pretty funny when your watching protests...
Support for Orphaned Brands
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9UH8Zl6DfALots of brands come and go from the US market. Korean scooter parts? Last we checked were the only distributor with them in stock. Taiwanese SYM? ADLY ATV? United Motors? Italjet? MRP is your only source that is helping dealers find those hard to find parts http://www.mrp-speed.comHere's a link for all the brands we support:http://www.martinracingdealer.com/WSWrapper.jsp?mypage=Manuals.htmQLINK...
Chinese ATV parts support - Question
Question on Linhai ATVs and Support--------------------------------------------------------------------------------From: ashley hefner Below is the result of your feedback form. It was submitted by:Friday, Apr 22, 2011 at 16:25:19 -0500-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------comments: i was justing wanting to know why only dealers can get parts? I myself...
Ten Evil or Good Signs we are in Scooter Season!
I know there's a flood of people interested in scooters when the following starts happening. Scooter Season is finally here, I'm in a great mood because dealers are buying again. That's good.Take advantage, stock, promote, get the hype out!Gas is the driving factor. Gas goes up almost $5 = Phone calls like crazy. So I won't be sad about sales, but I will be going crazy over the crazy calls we start...
Bolgona still in Crisis, $30 million dollar deal falls short
The Malaguti Moto Crisis Saga continues....I've personally written and made an appeal to the powers that be in Italy. So far I've gotten some responses, but in typical bureaucratic messes the hedge fund we were talking to in New York has lost interest in Malaguti Moto. We have some offers to help rescue the firm, how long those offers will be on the table is anyone's guess since nobody knows what to do about making the offer in...
I'm happy gas is at $5 a gallon
Maybe I'm one of the few people out there that get's happy when gas prices go up. When I see pictures like this one I just can't contain the happiness. After two horrible years of terrible sales in America, its amazing to hear the phone ringing off the hook.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rKb0eqz...
Kymco Number One Scooter Brand in Australia with 20% share and 5% of ATV market
Ok, this just came out and it only reinforces what I just said about Kymco USA.So Kymco has 20% of the down under market, why doesn't that surprise me?A follow up to this blog report http://martinracingperformance.blogspot.com/2011/04/kymco-usa-is-now-100-factory-owned.htmlWith its rapidly growing range of motorcycles, scooters and ATVs, KYMCO Australia and New Zealand celebrated its most successful retail month ever in March...
Kymco USA is now 100% Factory Owned
Most Kymco dealers already know this, but I figured I would break the news since no other press outlet has reported on it. Kymco will have an official press release sometime this week, but I figure let me give it a shot and explain why this is such an awesome thing.Back when I first got into the business we had STR. From the original bunch that started at STR several companies emerged ( some former employees went on to start Eton...
Scooter Sales up in MIC numbers for 2011, but still down compared to past
Scooter sales were up a whopping 81 percent in March 2011 compared to March of 2010.Dealer News just posted some interesting infoHowever, most of this is old inventory in my opinion. Probably 2008-2010 inventory sitting on floors. I've always said a 10% increase in the Japanese brands translates into a 25% increase for the Chinese / Taiwanese. So it means a lot of dealers are starting to move 2008-2009 models still on the floor.Only...
Volkswagen follows MINI into the EScooter market
The new trend in the auto industry seems to be entering the EV motorized industry. Pretty cool for anyone like MRP that is pushing accessories for these bikes.Volkswagen is only the latest of the car makers to jump in and they look pretty cool.About the VW EScooter.Weighing around 44 pounds excluding the nickel-metal hydride battery, it features a top speed of 30 miles per hour. Regenerative braking will be introduced shortly...
