Tag Archives: Motorcycle Industry

Hero is an Indian motorcycle company. We're talking Bollywood Indian, not Burt Munro Indian. Here in North America, the average non-motorcyclist may not have heard of Hero. Hell, even the average motorcyclist may not have heard of Hero. In North America we think we know what big name motorcycle companies. In North America we think we know that big name motorcycle companies sell big bikes. In North America we think the Harley-Davidson brand is the be all and end all of motorcycle marketing and merchandise sales. In North America we think we know big. We don't.

I read somewhere that fading in a great way for writers to introduce their subject. Unfortunately I'm not a writer, so I'm going to tell you how Shasta Smith of The Vintage Monkey came to be the YouMotorcycle Woman of the Month for September 2013.

When I first came across Shasta Smith, it was on YouMotorcycle's Facebook page. She left a message saying hello. I took a look at her page and came across a series of pictures of a woman surrounded by motorcycles of yesteryears, thoroughly well restored through and through, with taste, tact and terrible coolness. Nothing was chosen at random, whoever was behind all of this put some serious thought and dedication into it. I was impressed.

As I explored The Vintage Monkey, just who I had come across quickly became very clear to me. Here was a woman who could ride, wrench, run a business in the motorcycle industry and also happened to be beautiful. It was only a matter of time before I'd ask Shasta to be featured on YouMotorcycle. She was gracious enough to accept.

“I think the passion to have fun when you ride is the most important thing.” – Valentino Rossi. Since 1972, Dainese, the producer of  motorcycle gear and extreme sports wear, has been kicking ass in typical Italian fashion. Dainese’s been ...

Paraplegic Rides Again on a Trike In 2011, while working in the motorcycle industry I met Andrew Richards of Trike Zone, a motorcycle dealership in Edmonton, Alberta. Two years later I was in my home in Toronto when I happened ...

In a past life I had the opportunity to interview Sabina Heilman, Director of Finance & Communication at KYMCO Canada. Ms. Heilman was on the road, visiting KYMCO dealers across la belle province. She's in a position that's all too uncommon in the power sports industry: a woman with an upper management level position.

I asked her questions about her thoughts on riding and on her experience as a female director in the motorcycle industry. As we cruised down the road listening to the tunes of 97.3 FM, Quebec's Worst Radio Station, the conversation went a little like this...

An eye-opening look at motorcycle and scooter racing in the Philippines, the bikes used, the racing organizations, and the differences between Moto GP style events and these grassroots motorcycle racing organizations just starting to take off.

Every motorcycle business has something special about it. From the ill-fated motorcycle dealership that would publicly post their customer complaints online along with their own nasty retorts, to the successful dealership with a mechanic who's been working on motorcycles since the 1980s. There's something a little special about the motorcycle industry. Today I came across a tool that really benefits motorcycle dealerships and garages in the service they offer customers. This post shares details about the product, reflects on how far things have come, and shares funny stories from along the way.

This question jumped into my mind at 5 AM. So much for getting any sleep tonight. Think about your motorcycle. Now think about your dream motorcycle. Now look back at your motorcycle. It's not your dream bike, is it? Maybe you don't even have a dream motorcycle. Maybe you have a list of a few you'd really. I know I do.

I've been riding for 6 years now. In that short time I've owned 11 motorcycles or scooters. I've owned everything from a stable of midsize cruises, to a heavily modified 1990 Honda Hawk GT650 N, to a couple two-stroke scooters. I'm still trying to get it right, but along the way I'm learning what I like, what I dislike, what I keep coming back to, and why.

The only question left for you and I now, reader, is what are we going to ride next?

One day, Worth "E.T." Cadenhead decided to follow us on Twitter. It must've been a really slow news day because I asked if he'd like to do an interview on the site. Well, it turns out this resident Texan motorcyclist and motorcycle dealership worker is a little more interesting than his profile mug shot makes him seem!

Worth talks of growing up on bikes, motorcycle riding adventures, the Gypsy Motorcycle Club, and making the switch from cruiser to a sport bike that sportbikers don't actually consider a sport bike. Check it out:

Some people laughed when I tell them about how I got a raise, and then stopped working in the motorcycle industry a few days later. Some people also laughed when I told them I got offered a job at another company that I didn't even apply to. Unfortunately this post isn't very funny, so you should probably stop reading it.

Long story short, I'm not going to go to work anymore, I'm just going to ride my motorcycles instead.