Final week’s record of intrigue provides technique to one other record of residuals, beginning with Harley’s CEO hunt:
- A few of Harley’s Shareholders try to make sure that Jochen Zeitz isn’t in a position to be reelected to an Govt place because the CEO hunt continues ( they usually’re so pushed they’ve even made an internet site you may go to)
- Honda is dedicated to getting the worth of their electrical bikes on par with that of fuel bikes, and to try this, they’re opening up a brand new plant in India within the subsequent three years.
- EV bike model Verge has formally made it to the Guinness World File books by beating the world’s longest EV trip on a single cost – they usually made it with 7 minutes to spare!
- Indian Bikes has simply given us a take a look at their new 2025 Challenger and Pursuit Elite fashions!
May as nicely begin with the Roarin’ Orange Board Room for particulars on Harley’s incubating govt energy, sure?
Business Insider: Harley-Davidson Shareholders Name to Take away Zeitz Instantly
The Winds of Change have been Blowing a Little Tougher in Milwaukee…
Keep in mind when Jochen Zeitz stepped down from his position as Harley-Davidson’s CEO with the completion of his five-year Hardwire Technique? Properly, Harley-Davidson has apparently been out of a CEO because the finish of 2024… and but, regardless of the necessity for a brand new Chairman, we’re advised that sure board members have the opinion that no CEO is – at present – higher than having Jochen again.
In line with protection from CycleWorld, a New York funding fund by the title of H Companions has held its place as certainly one of Harley-Davidson’s most vital shareholders for nearly 5 years. H Companions has a major 9.1% stake within the legendary American bike model, in order that they get a bigger portion of the choice for issues like – say – electing a brand new CEO.
The issue lies within the rumour between 2022 and now, and we’ll record it in level type right here for simpler entry:
- Jared Dourdeville, a principal at H Companions who has been concerned with Harley since 2022, resigned from his board place on April fifth of this yr. An SEC submitting confirmed that Jared resigned as a result of his most popular alternative for Harley’s new CEO wasn’t chosen (presumably by Harley’s facet of the board desk). You will need to notice that Zeitz nonetheless has appreciable affect over the board right now
- After this affair, H Companions was presupposed to have despatched an open letter to different shareholders citing “main execution points overseen by an absentee CEO,” an absence of transparency from the CEO and Presiding Director in direction of the remainder of the board, and an unwillingness from some long-standing board members to carry the CEO accountable for what H Companions describes as “extreme worth destruction and the cultural depletion of this iconic American firm.” Briefly, Powersports autocracy meant H Companions didn’t have the management over selections that they wished; Zeitz and Linebarger, nevertheless, did.
H Companions has since launched a marketing campaign to forestall Zeitz, together with two different board members, Thomas Linebarger and Sara Levinson, from being reelected. The marketing campaign contains:
- A name to different shareholders to vote “Withhold” on the reelection of Zeitz, Linebarger, and Levinson.
- A name to take away Zeitz as CEO, efficient instantly, with an interim CEO elected to serve till a brand new CEO is chosen.
- A name to shareholders to demand that the brand new CEO be somebody who can “restore the connection with sellers, have interaction with riders, respect and strengthen the model, enhance the company tradition, restore the bodily presence of the Firm at its historic Milwaukee headquarters, and return Harley-Davidson to greatness.” (This one’s our favourite)
Briefly, H Companions wasn’t feeling heard on the board and Harley-Davidson didn’t select H Companions’ most popular candidate, so H Companions is pushing to cease Zeitz n’ associates from getting again in, including in a politely-wrapped accusation of unhealthy govt behaviour with a requirement to stability the board out and a plea to reconnect with the Harley-Davidson neighborhood.
Suffice it to say that Harley-Davidson’s 2025 annual assembly of shareholders on Could 14th will serve to be an eye-opener for the way forward for the model.
Whereas we’re ready, make sure you try and share the web site – sure, a whole devoted web site – that H Companions created to rally shareholder assist to avoid wasting Harley-Davidson in the best way that they finest suppose will protect the model: www.freetheeagle.com
For some other particulars, make sure you additionally head over to CycleWorld’s extraordinarily thorough protection beneath:
Electrical The whole lot: Honda is Working Towards EV Bikes at ICE Costs
Electrical Bike Manufacturing Plant in India to Start in 2028
Large Pink continues to be centered on electrical transportation choices being the long run; as such, new targets have been shared of their latest press launch, nd with it comes a aim to carry down the worth of electrical machines.
In line with Honda’s release, our favourite multi-conglomerate producer is making important strides in its quest to make electrical bikes a viable choice for the plenty. Honda admits on this launch that one of many predominant struggles with the transition to electrical bikes has been the Complete Price of Possession (TCO); electrical bikes are too costly for the ability and accessibility that they afford riders throughout the globe.
Honda acknowledges this latency within the EV market and is actively working to bridge the hole. Their formidable aim is to carry the three-year TCO of their electrical fashions in step with that of comparable gas-powered bikes, factoring in issues like operating prices, machine upkeep, and battery lifespan.
To attain this holy grail of aggressive pricing, Honda is laying down some severe groundwork – and by severe, we imply a multi-million greenback manufacturing plant in India. The plant is ready to be erected by 2028 and can deal with producing a variety of EV fashions (presumably the two-wheeled form) at an especially aggressive price.
Right here’s the order of assault:
- Deal with TCO
- Set up a devoted manufacturing facility in India
- Commonize modules
- A safe and stabilize battery provide
Briefly, Large Pink goes to make use of the identical sort of battery or the identical type of motor in a lot of completely different bikes. By utilizing the identical components for a lot of bikes, Honda can:
- Make issues sooner (It’s faster to construct bikes if a few of the components are at all times the identical)
- Make issues easier (The factories don’t have to learn to construct 1,000,000 completely different components)
- Make issues cheaper (Shopping for a lot of the identical half makes every half price much less cash)
The thought is that India-manufactured bikes will price Honda much less to make the bikes; they will then promote for about the identical worth as common fuel bikes in order that extra individuals can attempt electrical bikes.
Neat.
As an extra replace, we’re reminded that Honda has been working with a number of battery partnerships to construct top-tier batteries (in addition to a steady and dependable provide chain) completely suited to the bikes quickly to be inbuilt India.
For extra particulars on Honda’s EV technique, make sure you try the protection on the producer’s web site:
For the File: Verge Hits the Books for New Single-Cost Vary
Guinness Ebook of World Data New Profitable Try with 7% to Spare
Vary anxiousness is actual, particularly on an electrical bike – however for Verge, vary fear is quick shrinking to nothing.
In line with a latest report highlighted by ADVPulse, Finnish EV bike model Verge Bikes made a World File try at EV bike vary lately and received, setting a brand new Guinness World File: The “Longest Journey by an Electrical Bike on a Single Cost.”
All advised, a formidable 193 miles have been coated in metropolis circumstances, with the bike breaking the document with 7% battery life to spare. As Verge CMO famous, the bike might have gone even additional, however the staff prioritized information reliability with the trip taking an agonizing 16 hours to finish.
Listed below are the small print of the profitable document run:
- The document try happened in London on March 22, 2025
- The bike was an unmodified Verge TS Professional
- Piloting duties have been shared by EV advocates Sam Clarke and Sara Sloman, whereas Guinness World File officers meticulously verified monitoring, battery monitoring, and route validation components.
Naturally, all members concerned are enthusiastic about what this implies for EV motorcycling in non-city-dependent circumstances (hills, maybe?).
For these of you who aren’t but conscious, the Verg eTS Professional carries a monster of a battery channeling 137 horsepower and a staggering 738 lb-ft of yanquedos; that is accompanied by a metropolis vary of 217 miles and freeway vary of 124 miles, beating out that of Zero Bikes’ DSR/X.
With Tesla’s North American Charging Normal (NACS) now suitable with Verge’s TS Professional, speedy charging permits TS Professional riders to get from 0 – 80% cost in a exceptional 35 minutes.
Yay, Verge!
For the total story on Verge’s record-breaking trip, head over to ADVPulse:
Indian Bike Exhibits Off New Challenger Elite and Pursuit Elite
Exclusivity at Indian’s Most interesting.
It’s 2025, and you already know that which means: New restricted version machines from Indian Bikes!
Because of a press launch revealed to PRNewswire, we’ve gotten a transparent take a look at Indian Bike’s limited-edition Elite Challenger and Elite Pursuit bikes. Following the custom of earlier Elite fashions, each the 2025 Challenger Elite and Pursuit Elite come totally loaded with the potent and compulsory PowerPlus 112 engine in addition to premium options like a PowerBand Audio bundle with 4 100-watt audio system for the Challenger Elite and 6 100-watt audio system for the Pursuit Elite.
We’re advised that these unique beauties could have some candy custom-quality paint jobs and be produced in small numbers. Solely 350 Challenger Elite bikes and 250 Pursuit Elite bikes can be rolling out to markets at a worth vary of $39,999 and $44,999; that’s $6,500 and $9,500 greater than their commonplace counterparts, respectively.
Past the attract of exclusivity, standout options for these fashions embody the next:
Indian 2025 Challenger Elite
- Multi-layered paint end with shattered glass particles for added depth (impressed by AMA Corridor of Famer Gene Walker).
- A “nod” to Walker’s PowerPlus racebike on the middle sprint.
- Particular person numbering
- Particular Elite badging
- Blacked-out Darkish Horse finishes
- 5-spoke forged aluminum wheels
- Electronically-adjustable suspension system, managed through TFT sprint
- Heated grips and seats
Indian 2025 Pursuit Elite
- Multi-layered paint job with hand-painted gold accents, drawing inspiration from the PowerPlus fashions constructed for the US Military in 1916
- Particular person numbering
- Particular Elite badging
- Blacked-out Darkish Horse finishes
- 5-spoke forged aluminum wheels
- Electronically-adjustable suspension system, managed through TFT sprint
- Heated grips and seats
The above packages translate to a really good energy bundle of 126 hp and 133 lb-ft of torque – a slight improve over the PowerPlus 108
Riders trying to additional soup up their trip will have the ability to pull from Indian’s intensive components accent catalog, which incorporates nifty additions like Pathfinder Adaptive LED headlights, driving lights, LED saddlebag lighting, headdress floorboards, and Flare windshields (the latter being on the Challenger Elite solely).
With the entire good bits out of the best way, Indian is proud to proceed to assist unbelievable ‘ware – smooth and arduous – within the following lists:
SOFTWARE
- Indian’s Rider Help Bundle (Bike Maintain Management, Digital Mixed Brake System, Blind Spot Warning, Tailgate Warning, and Rear Collision Warning)
- Indian’s Good Lean Expertise (an IMU-managed suite of rider aids)
- cruise management
- 7-inch touchscreen
- Bluetooth Connectivity with Apple CarPlay assist
- USB charging
- keyless ignition
- distant locking storage
HARDWARE
- Non-adjustable inverted forks
- Brembo M4.32 brake calipers
The discharge factors out that whereas the Elite fashions supply a step up in exclusivity and styling, the efficiency and core elements are largely in keeping with the higher-spec commonplace fashions; in brief, consider these bikes as “turnkey customs with distinctive aesthetics.”
The Challenger Elite and Pursuit Elite are slated to start transport to dealerships this month, so keep tuned.
For a better take a look at the brand new Indian Challenger Elite and Pursuit Elite, make sure you try the press launch from PRNewswire:
*Media sourced from Indian Motorcycles, Honda, ADVPulse, and MotoGP*
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