Thanks to our friends of at Burly Brand for posting this on Twitter!

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In customer surveys,  free shipping has come up many times. Old Bike Barn is happy to announce, Fast Free shipping on all orders over $79 3-7 days in the lower 48 (from time of order processing)

If you have a machine more than 10 years old there is only one site for you, www.oldbikebarn.com. Oh yeah we carry parts for the new stuff too

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Special Bike’s Fuel Tank Was Signed By Victory Bike Assembly Team in Spirit Lake, Iowa.

MEDINA, MN (March 31, 2011) – As part of its ongoing recognition and support of United States military personnel, Victory is sponsoring the MilitaryTimes.com “Warrior Made” series that recognizes the 12 greatest innovations in military history, and is giving away a special 2011 Vegas 8-Ball.

The fuel tank of the “Warrior Made” Vegas 8-Ball was signed by the entire production team that built the bike at Victory’s Spirit Lake, Iowa, final assembly plant. Several of those team members are military veterans themselves.

“Knowing the bike they were building would be awarded to the winner of the ‘Warrior Made’ give-away, the Victory team built the bike with a special sense of gratitude for our nation’s military personnel,” said Victory General Manager Steve Menneto. “We have the greatest respect for our military’s service and sacrifice, and are honored to support them through this and other Victory promotions.”

Registration for the “Warrior Made” bike give-away is available at MilitaryTimes.com, which also has complete contest details. The entry deadline is June 4, 2011. The website currently features the Victory-sponsored “Warrior Made” series, which recognizes “12 icons of American fighting forces that have come to symbolize true-grit ingenuity and the can-do spirit.” These innovations include the Jeep, the continuous track, camouflage, Kevlar, the Global Positioning System (GPS) and more.

Victory Military Support

Sponsorship of the “Warrior Made” series and the special Vegas 8-Ball give-away are the latest examples of Victory’s continuing support for active U.S. enlisted personnel. Victory has also teamed with Operation Gratitude to collect personal items for troops deployed worldwide, made a special contribution to Fort Hood in Texas in the aftermath of the 2009 incident, and featured military personnel and their motorcycles in Victory Rider magazine and on the Victory website.

Victory is currently offering the “Victory Full Throttle Salute,” which provides enlisted personnel with $1,000 cash back on the purchase of any new Victory motorcycle. This offer has been extended through June 30, 2011. Details and a downloadable coupon are available at www.victorymotorcycles.com.

The Vegas 8-Ball

The “Warrior Made” Vegas 8-Ball is a custom cruiser that’s long on style, value and performance. The Vegas 8-Ball is sleek and stylish, with a raised spine on the bodywork running the length of the bike, a split-tail fuel tank, and a tall front wheel. It is powered by the Victory Freedom 106/6 engine with a displacement of 106 cubic inches and a 6-speed transmission. The black bodywork and numerous blacked-out components give the Vegas 8-Ball a distinctive look, and make it an ideal candidate for customizing.

Like every Victory motorcycle built since the first bike rolled off the assembly line on July 4, 1998, final assembly of the “Warrior Made” Vegas 8-Ball took place at the Victory plant in Spirit Lake, Iowa.

About Polaris

With annual 2010 sales of $1.99 billion, Polaris designs, engineers, manufactures and markets off-road vehicles (ORVs), including all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), the Polaris RANGER® Side x Sides, snowmobiles and Victory motorcycles for recreational and utility use and has recently introduced a new on-road electric powered neighborhood vehicle.

Polaris is a recognized leader in the snowmobile industry; and one of the largest manufacturers of ORVs in the world. Victory motorcycles established in 1998 and representing the first all-new American-made motorcycle from a major company in nearly 60 years, are rapidly making impressive in-roads into the cruiser and touring motorcycle marketplace. Polaris also enhances the riding experience with a complete line of Pure Polaris apparel, accessories and parts, available at Polaris dealerships.

Polaris Industries Inc. trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “PII,” and the Company is included in the S&P MidCap 400 stock price index.

Information about the complete line of Polaris products, apparel and vehicle accessories are available from authorized Polaris dealers or anytime from the Polaris homepage at www.polarisindustries.com.

Article by : Press Release Victory.com
Viewed Article on www.roadracingworld.com

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Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (KHI) motorcycle production facilities, located in Akashi, did not sustain any damage from the recent, tragic earthquake centered in the northern part of the country.

However, the company obviously relies on a large number of outside component suppliers and vendors in order to complete and deliver finished products. While normally relying on “just in time” daily deliveries from these business partners, KHI is understandably sensitive to the issues that many of them could be facing as a result of the recent tragedy. KHI will, as circumstances dictate, make adjustments to fit the needs of all concerned.

At this time, no long-term production stoppages are planned for the Akashi plant and Kawasaki plants in Thailand and the U.S. are in full operation.

Obviously, the tremendous devastation that has occurred in Japan, and the subsequent humanitarian issues, must take precedence, but KHI will strive to maintain successful business operations during this difficult time.

To provide support to those affected by the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, the presidents of all of the U.S.-based Kawasaki entities are collecting donations from employees and forwarding them to the American Red Cross. The U.S. organization will then forward the funds to the Japanese Red Cross, assuring distribution where help is needed most. Individual contributions by Kawasaki employees will qualify for the Kawasaki matching gift program.

The Kawasaki Good Times Foundation is contributing $50,000 to initiate the charitable giving campaign.

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Economy, gas prices and competition from other areas cited

DAYTONA BEACH — Brook Judy looked out at the rumbling motorcycles as they headed out of Bike Week’s traditional epicenter Sunday.

An annual visitor to Main Street since Jimmy Carter’s presidency, Judy hitchhiked from Ohio in 1977 at age 15. Now 49, the Sarasota mechanic makes the annual pilgrimage aboard his Harley in good times and bad.

“It’s changed dramatically. But you never know what to expect. That’s why I keep coming back,” he said, sitting on his motorcycle. “It was great. Just the ambience of being around other bikers. But it did seem a little shy of people this year.”

The consensus Sunday among most bikers, as well as merchants, was the recession and possibly skyrocketing gas prices hurt attendance and business this year.

“It was slow, very slow. I’d say we were off 20 percent,” said Tommy Smiroldo of Edgerton, Mo., as he wrapped up his 10th Bike Week selling T-shirts on the busy corner of Main Street and Peninsula Drive. “Last year was bad, too. It just seems to get worse every year. I’ll probably take a hard look at coming back. ”

Bob Davis, CEO of the Volusia County Hotel and Lodging Association, said it was “way too early” Sunday to determine if Bike Week was successful in terms of visitors filling rooms.

“I have no impression yet, not until I sit down with people (hotel owners) and get numbers,” he said. “I have no figures.”

Manoj Bhoola, president of Elite Hospitality Inc., said Sunday occupancy at his company’s area hotels was mixed during Bike Week, depending on the city.

Around Daytona International Speedway, he said there was about a 20 percent drop compared to recent years, while Ormond Beach occupancy was up about 10 percent. He said the majority of those reservations were made about a month ago, before the recent spike in gas price, and right in the middle of several blizzards in the Northeast.

“There is a lot of competition for Daytona’s bikers by the surrounding cities, including Sanford and Orlando,” Bhoola said. “… Our St Augustine hotels also performed better by 15 percent, so the higher cost of fuel did not affect us there.”

The owners of Bike Week businesses specializing in food and alcohol said sales were down compared to the pre-recession years.

“I’ve seen better and I’ve seen worse. But a lot of people haven’t seen better,” said Rick Johns, the owner of the Main Street Station Bar of his 20th Bike Week. “I’d say ’09 was the worst. We’re building steam.”

Gregory Firestone, 51, the owner of Golden Gate Food, a street concession tent, said there were more Europeans and fewer bikers this year from outside the state.

“I ask people where they are from, and a lot more were from Florida,” he said.

Firestone said he’s seen the “same drop-off” because of the economy, and now higher gas prices, at other popular motorcycle festivals including Sturgis, S.D.

Locally, bikers have more options. They can travel outside Daytona Beach’s traditional Bike Week strips to venues that didn’t exist a few years back — such as Destination Daytona on U.S. 1 north of Ormond Beach.

“The numbers seemed smaller this year,” said John Johnstone, a 51-year-old-realtor from Tampa, attending his 10th Bike Week and first in a few years. “But it could be because things are getting spread out more.”

In Flagler County, a handful of motorcycles passed through downtown Bunnell on Sunday afternoon. A few were parked at the Dog Pound Pub.

“I think there is still a good crowd,” said Zoren Popovich, as he filled his bike with gasoline in Palm Coast. “I’ve been to Main Street and as far south as New Smyrna Beach. I think things are just more spread out than in the past.”

The parking lot and deck at Finn’s in Flagler Beach was packed, but the downstairs section of the restaurant was nearly empty.

“I’ve worked here for five years,” said bartender Joell Collins. “I think things were slower than in years past.”

But Fred Ingalls, visiting from Potter County, Pa., didn’t mind the apparent lighter crowds.

“All I know is it’s been an enjoyable trip,” he said of the five days he spent in the area with several friends. “I like Main Street and I like it up here where it’s quiet. The whole thing has been nice.”

Back on Main Street, Phil McAllister, 27, an Atlanta chiropractor, said his 12th Bike Week and first in a few years, was much quieter than in the past. He said there were fewer women in bikinis on the streets and more restrictive dress codes in strip clubs.

But mostly, he blamed the economy.

“People just don’t have as much discretionary money to spend on a bike. And let’s face it, this is a frivolous vacation,” he said, pausing before adding, “But it’s still a lot of fun.”

By RAY WEISS, Staff Writer

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DAYTONA BEACH –Among the sea of motorcycles that is Bike Week, 10 Russians don’t stand out from their American counterparts. Harley-Davidson shirts are the uniform and, like everyone else, they came to ride.

“Obviously every biker — if he really considers himself a real biker — has to be at least once in Daytona,” Sergey Alekhin said. “It’s the mecca of bikers. Everybody knows.”

That global common bond means you may not always realize just how far that biker standing nearby at the turkey leg stand or motorcycle dealership drove, or flew, to get here.

An estimated 500,000 bikers invade the area for Bike Week, which ends Sunday. Tallies on international bikers aren’t formally tracked, although a Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce world map under a tent at North Beach Street is speckled with pins all over Canada, Europe and even Afghanistan, Japan and Thailand.

The 70-year Daytona Beach tradition is the main calling, but with the U.S. dollar worth much less than the Euro or pound, that also means shopping.

This week, Stoppel Juestel, and his wife, Karin, checked the world map only to find someone else pinned Germany.

“I stop here every year and put my needle on,” said Juestel, 49, who has been coming to Bike Week since 1985. The couple lives in northern Germany in the Harz mountains.

Their biannual riding vacation — which includes Biketoberfest — is partly a business trip.

“We buy some used bikes here in Daytona and parts also and we send it to Germany to our shop,” Juestel said.

Most international visitors are buying bikes that are 8 years or older because it is easier for customs, said Mandy Rossmeyer Campbell of Destination Daytona Harley-Davidson.

Jim Gear, who’s in sales, said foreign customers shop here because Harleys can be hard to come by in their native countries. Gear said he had a Norweigan customer who bought a $10,000 XR1200 on Tuesday. Air shipping to European countries generally costs about $2,500, he said.

“The dollar has been relatively weak and we are seeing a lot more international interest,” Gear said.

But even if they’re not bike shopping, inspiration is everywhere, as some of the visiting Moscow bikers found.

Russian native Tatyana Stanchick, who lives in New Smyrna Beach, organized their tour and translated for the group Tuesday in the vendor area of Daytona International Speedway.

Alekhin, 33, said he’s gotten plenty of new ideas for the bike he’s building at home.

“He could not even imagine what he really wanted, but he looked around and now he can exactly picture what he wants,” Stanchick said.

Stanchick and her husband, Steve, organized the group’s travel logistics through their company, Steve Super Tours. The mostly self-guided 14-day Florida riding trip culminated with the Bike Week experience.

The bikers are equipped with Global Positioning Units, though those gadgets won’t tell them secrets of the road. That’s where the Stanchicks come in, with travel support and ocean-view drives along State Road A1A before cutting over to the Ormond Beach Loop on their way to the Iron Horse Saloon on U.S. 1.

Most of the group’s riders said they are spending about $10,000 here.

“It’s a big deal for them to say back home that they just came from Daytona,” Tatyana Stanchick said.

Bragging rights will also include alligator sightings in the Everglades for Igor Yakimchuk, a construction company owner whose hands were adorned with skull rings and sunburn from riding gloves with slits.

Yakimchuk said the trip is all about the ride, though Yuri Romanov said they’ll also be on the lookout for a wet T-shirt contest.

With everything in Russia about three times more expensive, Romanov said they stock up on necessities, such as $200 helmets that would have cost $2,000 back home.

Romanov, who works in real estate and with dressage horses, said motorcycle culture started to become popular in Moscow about five years ago. So on first impression, the 48-year-old said he was in awe by the “unbelievable amount of motorcycles.”

Bikers from the United Kingdom were also quite impressed.

“It knocked seven bells out of them,” said James Easter, owner of Travel Plus tours, who guided 25 bikers who did not rent motorcycles through town and other Florida destinations.

They’ll be coming back next year, though, with plans to ride.

“The English are going to invade again,” he said.

Article Written by: KELLY CUCULIANSKY

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