Cyclerides.com Weekly Update
1/28/04 

Greetings Riders,
 
BRRRR! That would be about the best way to describe the riding weather last weekend. Mother nature never really gave us a chance to get going real good. The good news is that February is within sight and with that comes average temperatures in the 70's. For those of you coming to visit for Arizona Bikeweek you will find the average temps to be around 80 degrees.
 
Most of you know my enthusiasm for riding. Whenever possible I will take the bike for my primary mode of transportation. Last Friday I was going to look at a new Wednesday Bike Night location in Tempe. I started to get my gear to ride and Mrs. C. asked me why I wasn't taking the car. I said why would I? There is a perfectly good motorcycle sitting right there not being used. Apparently a lot of other people are adopting that same line of thinking. Being so close to the sport I sometimes don't really understand what motorcycling has become. 
 
But you don't have to look very far these days to see where it is going. I'll give you a few examples that I have noticed lately. One of the biggest phenomenon's of late is the Orange County Choppers show on The Discovery Channel. These guys have taken the country by storm and crossed over into all walks of life, to bring the idea of motorcycling to the masses. Even people that are not riders and will never be riders can tell you about the Teutal's and the awesome bikes these guys build. Who would have ever imagined that the highest rated show on Discovery, bringing in over 2 million viewers per week would be a show about building motorcycles? You can even buy their gear at a mainstream store like Dillards and they are doing commercials for the Super Bowl. Jesse James got the ball rolling 4 years ago with his first show on Discovery and it has been gaining momentum ever since.
 
Jay Leno has been a motorcycle enthusiast for some time now. He has done a lot for bringing motorcycling to the mainstream. Many celebrities claim to be riders, but he is one that actually rides. Politicians are now even getting into the act. About 5 weeks ago I was watching the Leno show and Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry comes riding into the studio and onto the stage atop a Harley-Davidson Wide Glide. Was he going for some of our votes? Maybe, but the observation I made was that he wasn't shying away from aligning himself with the motorcycle riding population. I'm sure that move will get him a few votes. A few years ago we would never have seen something like that.
 
The story that prompted me to talk about all of this was the recent earnings report from Harley-Davidson. On January 22nd Harley announced record 4th quarter revenue of $1. 16 Billion Dollars. Yes that is with a "B" and it is only for one quarter. Revenue for the full year was $4.62 Billion Dollars, up 13% from last year, and was the 18th consecutive year for record revenue and income. Now, I don't know about you, but I have trouble to relating to numbers in the Billions. Heck, I'm still trying to get a good grasp on the thousands. So I decided to break it down a little and see what it really looks like. Harley sold 77,056 motorcycles in the 4th quarter. Can you believe that? They expect to sell 317,000 next year. Compare that with Bourget that would sell around 3,000 in the whole year. Wow! Now I'm starting to understand where all the interest is coming from. You add up all the motorcycle manufacturers sales and you'd have around 600,000 new cruisers per year. Obviously more people now own motorcycles, which is driving the overall interest in the sport. 
 
Ok, that is a lot of motorcycles, but now everyone has to wear some gear to ride them. Revenue from HD General Merchandise, which consists of MotorClothes apparel and collectibles, totaled $50.7 million for the 4th quarter. Putting it in terms that we can relate to, that's about 2.5 million T-shirts at $20 each or 169,000 leather jackets at $300 each. That's a lot of stuff for just 3 months. Here's another way to put this into perspective. American Ironhorse is one of the fastest growing motorcycle companies out there right now with a five year growth rate of 1445% and a record $42.7 million in sales last year. Their revenue in motorcycles for an entire year did not even equal what Harley sold in Apparel for one quarter. Pretty amazing when you look at it that way isn't it?
 
Yes, Harley-Davidson has been on a roll for 18 years now and they are amazing. But it isn't just Harley sales that are going crazy, it is just about every other brand as well. The metric cruiser market with Honda leading the way is growing rapidly with 20% increases, Polaris announced a 24% increase in Victory sales, I mentioned the American Ironhorse juggernaut and local company Swift is also growing rapidly. Where are the pundits that said the Harley/Motorcycle craze would fade away? Probably the same guys that didn't buy IBM stock or invest in the internet because they thought computers were a fad that wouldn't be around for the long run.
 
As you can see by what you have read so far, the love for motorcycle riding is here to stay and is growing by the day. It is really exciting to me to see all of the new walks of life joining the riding community and getting involved in all that we do. In my eyes, I see a whole bunch of future new friends that I will meet at a gas station, a restaurant, an event, or out on the open road. I love being able to spend some time talking about our machines and our love for riding. If you ask Mrs. C. she would tell you that I have a tough time not sharing a few minutes with anyone on a motorcycle. If you haven't tried riding yet, now is the time. Go to your local dealership and dip your toe in the water. You will be hooked for life. I was.
 

3 Great New Stops!

If you already have a bike and want a good excuse to get out, I have 3 new ones for you. There are 3 new Bike Nights starting next week and they are really nice. Wednesday night February 4th we will kick off the Margarita Rocks Beach Club Bike Night. This is a very cool place for a Bike Night with a beach theme that everyone will enjoy. And since it is the beach, all the waitresses wear bikini tops. You have got to check this out. It is located just West of Mill Ave. on 4th St. in downtown Tempe. Parking right in front of the patio. Click Here for Pics.
 
Thursday February 5th will kick off one new and one comeback location. A lot of you have been to Jilly's in the Scottsdale Airpark. They are now going to have a regular Thursday Bike Night. The food at Jilly's is excellent and would be a great place to start off your night on the outdoor patio. Or in the dining room with your own personal TV and sound. Motorcycle parking will be provided. Check their Bike Night dinner specials. Click Here for Pics.
 
Thursday February 5th. Jetz Americana is back with a bang. Ruby Cheeks of KDKB, teams up with Jetz Americana, Sam Adams, and Jack Daniels for "Bike Night Thursdays" beginning February 5th at 7pm.  KDKB and Sam Adams will host the party in full force with great drink specials and giveaways.  DJ Swerv rocks the house with nonstop music and classic videos. Stop by and join the party on your way down Scottsdale Rd. Click Here for Pics.
 
Thursdays are really great in Scottsdale now. We now have 4 places for you to ride to. And as the weather gets better, the bikes will be coming out. Visit all Four! Make the "Scottsdale Rd. Run" next Thursday night to Jilly's, Jetz, Acme Bar and Grill and The Billet Bar. Check out the new Rides and Events Calendar on www.cyclerides.com for all of these events.

In This Issue: 
Saturday - Chosas's 1st Annual Customer Appreciation Sale in Apache Junction

Saturday and Sunday - Hacienda Harley Make an Offer Sale and Swap Meet

Sunday - A.B.A.T.E. Superbowl Poker Run