Cyclerides.com Weekly Update
7/19/06
 

Greetings Riders,
 
Well, for those of you that are new to the Valley, we are now officially in the midst of the "dog days" of Summer. Those times when you think it can't get any more hot or uncomfortable, and then the next day it somehow finds a way to do just that. What will soon become even more frustrating is trying to plan your rides around the monsoons. Especially if you go up North and plan to drop back into the Valley late in the day. But hey, this is the price we pay, 2 months of brutal weather for 10 months of weather that has been the reason for over 3 million people to move to this area. Hang in there, only another 6 weeks to go.
 
A lot of you might have heard by now that this past week was the Harley-Davidson dealer meetings and introduction of the 2007 model year motorcycles. The big news this year was the introduction of the new 96 cubic inch motor that will be standard on the Dyna, Softail and Touring motorcycles. This will also be combined with the 6 speed transmission. Quite a step in the right direction in my opinion. As most of us know, when you get the 88 inch motor loaded down with the bags full, a full T-Bag and a passenger on the back, you pretty much have to make an appointment to pass a car on the open road. It can be a pretty frustrating proposition to finally pass a car without getting a running start. From what I have read, the new 96 inch motor will be a big help in that area.
 
That was all good news for Harley fans, but you probably know by now that I am kind of a numbers guy, and what I found really incredible was reading the earnings report to see how much money that HD is making. Harley reported 2nd Quarter revenue of 1.38 Billion dollars. Yes that is with a "B". And that is for a period of only 90 days. It is tough for me to grasp what that kind of money really means, but if you break it down, that is over 15 million dollars per day and assuming the average dealer is open 10 hours per day, that would be 1.5 million dollars per hour hitting the HD cash registers every hour that the doors are open. And of that $1.38 billion in revenue, they were able to profit a nifty $243 million for the shareholders. Not a bad little business all in 90 days.
 
Now that I have peaked your interest with the numbers, you are probably wondering how this all breaks down. The company reported second quarter revenue from HD motorcycles was 1.02 billion dollars and that it shipped 82,034 Harley motorcycles and expects to ship over 350,000 for the year. I don't know if this next statistic is because of the recent rise in gas prices, but the dealers had an especially good quarter moving more than 125,000 motorcycles off of the show room floors.
 
What might be even more impressive and encouraging for the company is that International sales of Harley-Davidson motorcycles grew 17.3 percent (21,744 units) during the second quarter of 2006 compared to the second quarter of 2005. Second quarter retail sales increased 15.8 percent in Japan; Europe was up 15.6 percent; Canada was up 13.4 percent and all other international markets combined were up 33.5 percent. What that means to us is that the "Fly and Ride" program will be expanding as well.
 
You are now probably wondering where the other $320 million came from. Well, all of us probably donated to this line item. $230 million were generated from parts and accessories. You know, all those neat little chrome parts that I like so well. Not to mention, seats, wheels, tires and those "hop up kits" that we need to pass cars in a timely manner. The last large part of revenue we also probably had a big hand in is the $53 million from general merchandise such as apparel and collectibles. This number is also pretty amazing. If you did just a crazy little calculation that would be 2,65 million t-shirts or 176,000 leather jackets. The rest of the earnings came from the interest that you and I are paying Harley-Davidson Financial Services, the financial arm of the company.
 
Are you curious as to the breakdown of the models sold? The best statistic I could find on this was 34% touring models, the fastest growing segment of HD, 20% Sportsters and 46% custom shipments. However, there were some mix changes between two of the firm’s custom motorcycle families. More specifically, the company shipped a higher percentage of Dyna motorcycles compared to soft-tails this year versus last year.
 
What do all of these numbers mean to us? Not much unless you are a stockholder. But what is does tell us is that the pastime and lifestyle that we all enjoy now is growing at a rapid pace. When you look at the sales of Harley's, growing at a rate of over 18% for the quarter, and then add in all of the other brands probably growing at a similar rate, we are going to be seeing and welcoming a lot of new riders on the road.



As I mentioned a month or so ago, Mrs. C. and I will soon be embarking on Road Trip 2007. This year we will be leaving from Spokane, Washington immediately after the OCC show there and heading North to the Banff National Park area for a couple of nights before riding back to the East side of Glacier and across Montana to ride the Beartooth Pass and then through Cody on our way to Sturgis. I have heard nothing but good things about Banff, The Beartooth Pass and the riding around Sturgis. So we are excited to finally be able to see and ride in these areas. If anyone has any tips on side trips or roads to take along this route, please email them to me at info@cyclerides.com . As usual, I will have the new camera in tow and will come back with some good pictures.
 

 

This Week's Bike Night Events 

Tuesday Nights 

Chester’s Harley Davidson Biker Night at the Tilted Kilt in Tempe!  If you are looking for some fun on a Tuesday night, With 2 outdoor patios and plenty of excitement, This place is a good time! The Tilted Kilt is home to the best Scotch-Irish experience in Arizona, with an award-winning menu, classic pub fare, and signature Kilt items sure to please any palate—not to mention twenty four globe-spanning beers on tap!  Biker Night Tuesdays also mean $3 Jack Daniels and half-price appetizers.  And, with a Tilted Kilt Biker Night Card, you receive 15% OFF your total bill.  So what are you waiting for? Come on down and have a craic with Chester’s Harley-Davidson! The Tilted Kilt is located at 660 W. Warner Rd. in Tempe, AZ. Just 1.5 miles East of I-10 on Warner Rd. 480-592-0102. Click Here for Map. 

Thursday Night 

Casey Jones Grill Bike Night. A valley favorite bike night for over 3 years. Ride in and sit out on the patio for what I call the Best Cheesesteak Sandwich in town. This thing melts in your mouth.  They have 3 new pool tables, darts and foosball. Located in the Mervyns Shopping Center on the SE corner of 43rd Ave. and Thunderbird Rd. Casey Jones is a great place for a bike night featuring a large outdoor seating and over 150 people inside. And for those of you that want to watch a sporting event they have 50 TV's scattered throughout the restaurant connected to satellite to get any game you can think of. They have a full menu for lunch, dinner and a Happy Hour from 11:00AM - 7:00PM and a reverse happy hour from 10:00PM - 12:00 Midnight. $1.75 domestic bottles and $2.00 Jacks. There are always a lot of bikes showing up for bike night at Casey Jones Thursday night. Join them for open mic night on Wednesdays. Sunday. You can always count on lots of bikes here.

The Bike Night At The Billet Bar. Voted "BEST BIKER BAR IN PHOENIX" by New Times. There is no better place to watch all the Bikes ride down Scottsdale road than from The Billet Bar Patio. The Billet is ALWAYS packed with bikes Every Day. Stop by and take a look at the New Flamed Booths on the Paradise Patio. The new bars front and rear provide spacious seating, fresh air atmosphere, perfect temperature and courteous staff. The food is amazing and always the latest in cold libations await. You can sit at the back bar and watch your favorite TV on any of the seven big inch televisions. Play pool, listen to the latest music and socialize. The front patio seats over 75 people and is perfect for people watching on Scottsdale Rd. The Billet Bar is located right next to Genesis Custom Cycles on 3752 N. Scottsdale Rd. Check it out this Thursday night and all weekend long. Info: at 480-941-1876. Click Here for the New Billet Bar Page with pictures. 

Every Saturday and Sunday  

The "Hog Pen" at the Roadhouse Bike Weekend. Take a ride and stop by the "Hog Pen" at The Roadhouse, the Hottest New motorcycle patio in Cave Creek where every weekend will be Bike Weekend. Now Featuring a new Breakfast Buffet from 8am - Noon on Saturday! Grab a seat at the new Hog Pen bar rail and watch the bikes ride by. There is plenty of new concrete motorcycle parking right out front. CCR is located on Cave Creek Rd. in the heart of Cave Creek directly across from Harold's. It is a restaurant and bar that focuses on a broad menu of good food and has a large bar for socializing with your riding pals for a good time. It is built to look like something out of the 1800's, but it is brand new. Stop by this weekend for lunch, dinner or just to have a drink and take a look at the place. I can tell you that their hamburgers and steak fries are exceptional. Mrs. C. had the swordfish and said it was very good.
Live Music Every Weekend:

Friday: Live Music with "Easton Ashe" 9pm - 1:30am

Saturday: Live Music with "Mistress" 9pm - 1:30am

Sunday Evening: Live Music with "Walt Richardson" 1-5pm

Click here for the Cave Creek Roadhouse website.  480-575-3098

Sunday

Sugar Daddy's Blues Biker Sunday Brunch.
Looking for a place to start the day for brunch or to just cool down? Enjoy Sugar Daddy's patio for brunch ordered off of the menu, a $2 Mimosa or a $4 build your own Bloody Mary bar from 10am - 4pm. You will also enjoy 
Live Music while dining from 10am on the patio.
Our 5,000 sq. ft. temperature controlled patio has six air conditioning units, misters, and plenty of shade. Sugar Daddy's patio, food and entertainment is becoming a regular Sunday stop. If you haven't tried it yet, give them a try. Complimentary coffee is now served. Make Sugar Daddy's Blues your stop on your ride down Scottsdale Rd. for Brunch or Lunch from 10am - 4pm. Or maybe just relax on the patio with your favorite beverage and watch the bikes roll down Scottsdale Rd.  Click here to see the awesome pictures and details of Sugar Daddy's located at 3102 N. Scottsdale Rd. between Indian School and Thomas on the West side of the road. Stop by and check it out. A great place to hang out. Plenty of Bike Parking. If you have suggestions, email them at sugardaddysaz@aol.com . 480-970-6556.

This Week 

July 21st - 23rd
Too Broke For Sturgis 2006. Presented by ABATE of Arizona at Mormon Lake Lodge in Mormon Lake, AZ. $25 per person for the entire weekend. $15 per person for Saturday & Sunday. $5 discount for ABATE members. Kids under 17 are free. Poker Run, Live Music, Bike Games, Bike Show, Poker Walk, 50/50, People Games, Wet T-Shirt, Tattoo Contest, Miss TBFS Contest, Motorcycle Raffle for a 2006 FLSTC, Kids Games, Camping, Food, & Libation. Rooms are available for a 10% discount if you mention ABATE, Call 928 354-2227 or fax 928 354-2356 and mention ABATE. RV Spots, Log Cabins, Restaurant, Bar, Gas, General Store, Groceries, Beverages, & Ice, Coin Laundry, & Horseback Riding. Visit www.mormonlakelodge.com. Vendors are welcome, $75 per space, call 602 242-8812. For more information call 602 570-6839. 

Next Week 

Saturday, July 29th
Buddy Stubbs Hogs & Paradise. Looking for a party to ride to AND a place to keep cool? Stop by Buddy Stubbs and enjoy Live Music with Dok and Gal, Pool Tournament, Motorcycle Museum Tour (at 1:30pm) 50/50, Raffles and Free Food. It ALL Happens Inside! Ride by Buddy Stubbs at 13850 N. Cave Creek Rd. in Phoenix, AZ. 602-971-3400.
 
Sunday, July 30th
The Billet Bar Mid-Summer Bash. Stop by the Billet Sunday night at 7pm to enjoy Live Music with by The Chuck Hall Band and to welcome "The Hamsters", the group that you have seen profiled on Discovery Channel that will be on their way to Sturgis. The parking lot will be full of Custom Bikes for your viewing pleasure. You can also take advantage of $2.00 Heinikens and register for a free trip to Amsterdam sponsored by Heiniken. The Billet is located at 3752 N. Scottsdale Rd. in Scottsdale. 

Extras 

Need a nice inexpensive trailer for a Summer trip? Look no further than Buggmann Trailers. Dual & Single Rail motorcycle trailer kits with all the accessories.  Can be modified to accept up to 108" wheel base. Powder-coated steel and aluminum construction.  Quick delivery; assembles in about 6 hours.  Can be seen at www.BuggmannTrailers.com  or call 480 699 4776 and ask for Buggmann.  Only $1295/$1195 at your door.
 
I have some good videos this week. If you get a kick out of watching people that have been captured on video doing stupid things, you are going to like these.
 
Here is a bike jump that I don't think Evil Knievel would even try. Click Here.
 
Here are 3 kids that didn't wasted a lot of time thinking about what they were about to try. Click Here.
 
This is a funny collection of calamities. Click Here. 
 
Until Next Week,
Blessings and Safe Riding To All, 

Barry Caraway
"The Road Is Yours -  Take The Ride"

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