2009 A Cruiser Year in Review

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness..."

The opening lines to Charles Dickens 'A Tale of Two Cities' seem apropos for the year that was 2009. The shifting economic tides taxed the spirits of the industry and put many under, but motorcyclists are a resilient bunch. If anything, it inspired more people to pick up a wrench and do things for themselves. It was still another incredible year in the cruiser realm of the motorcycle industry. So as a new annum begins, Motorcycle USA takes a moment to reflect on the year that was 2009.

It started more with a whimper than a bang. The usual anticipation that a new year brings was met with trepidation over what 2009 would have in store.

The reverberations of the down economy and its effects on the motorcycle industry were first noticeable at the February Cincinnati V-Twin Expo. Exhibitor numbers were down, attendance was down, and the tone was somewhat subdued in comparison to year’s past. At the Expo, it was evident that motorcyclists were returning back to the basics, looking for more bolt-on stuff and do-it-yourself projects to inject new life into their rides rather than buying new bikes. Even the high-end, custom-production houses realized that in order to survive that they needed to drop price points. Big Dog and OCC both introduced bikes in Cincy with a little less flash and a more modest price in the mid-$20K range, but even this was still beyond the resources of most.
 
The downsizing trend continued at Bike Week. There weren’t quite as many motorcycles at the Rat’s Hole Custom Bike Show and Main Street might have been just a little bit less crowded, but this could be seen as a good thing. Traffic was more manageable and it was easy to get face-time with manufacturer reps at the Midway. A cold spell at the beginning of the week got things off to a slow start, but by the time we hit up Sopotnick’s midweek for some coleslaw wrestling the action was heating up.

We did run into Chopper Inc.’s Billy Lane at the Biker Fusion party in Daytona. Lane was donating a 1976 Harley-Davidson Shovelhead that he’s had ‘forever’ to a man called Leon, a two-tour Vietnam vet, at the charitable event. Despite the upbeat tone at the Dog House, it was evident that Lane was troubled. On August 14, Lane went before Viera County Circuit Judge Robert Burger and was sentenced to six years in prison for charges stemming from the vehicular homicide case of 2006 and the death of Gerald Morelock. Maybe restitution can bring all parties involved a sense of peace.

Bike Week still fared better than the other popular rally right up the Atlantic coast, Myrtle Beach Bike Week. Quite a stir was created when the mayor of the South Carolina coastal town declared the city would no longer host motorcycle rallies. To back this up, the city imposed a bunch of local laws aimed at discouraging bikers from visiting their town. It caused a huge rift in Myrtle Beach itself. Establishments that filled its coffers from the money the rally generated were furious. Sedate MB citizens were mirthful. In the end, bikers still showed up, but in meager numbers. They also moved the party to biker-friendly outposts like North Myrtle Beach and Murrells Inlet, but overall the long-time rally suffered.

The modest turnout for Myrtle Beach Bike Week was still better than the fate suffered by other popular rallies. The Hollister City Council voted to cancel the 2009 Hollister Rally that usually takes place over Independence Day. The California town will forever be engrained in biker lore after the infamous Hollister Incident and unforgettable photo in Life magazine, but not even history could save it from the pangs of financial crisis. Another California-based rally took a hit when the Love Ride was cancelled after 25 years, much to the dismay of event organizer Oliver Shokouh. Even the popular Honda Hoot got cancelled after a 15-year run, leaving gaggles of Gold Wingers with no place to go.

Rallies weren’t the only ones to take it on the chin. Motorcycle manufacturers suffered huge losses and scrambled to stay afloat. Even industry giant Harley-Davidson struggled to make ends meet. It started off with 1100 job cuts at the beginning of the year and declines in first quarter results. But the 12% drop in sales during the first quarter was nothing compared to the 84% drop in third quarter profits. Welcome to your new position as Harley-Davidson CEO and President, Keith Wandell. Glad I didn’t have to bear the burden of layoffs, plant closings, and plunging sales.
 
These events forced Harley-Davidson to sound the death knell of Buell Motorcycles. October 15, 2009 was a shocking day in the motorcycle industry. In an unexpected move, Harley-Davidson closed down its subsidiary and announced that it was also dumping MV Agusta, its most recent acquisition. All this after Buell produced probably its best motorcycle, the 1125CR, the same bike that Danny Eslick piloted to the AMA Daytona SportBike Championship. Desperate times call for desperate measures, but this was one move that few saw coming.

Harley wasn’t the only one suffering. Big Dog Motorcycles also divulged it’s scrambling for suitors after 15 years in the biz. BDM recently announced hiring the services of the investment banking firm of William Blair & Company to broker a merger, partnership or sale of the company. One of its competitors, American Ironhorse, has ridden an even rockier roller coaster after filing bankruptcy, being bought out, only to have the new owners file bankruptcy, too. And these two examples of the recessed economy don’t even take into account how many of the small shops and garages that had to close their doors in 2009.

Even Sturgis was surreal this year. First, Bruce Rossmeyer, the affable owner of the world’s largest Harley-Davidson dealership, was killed while riding on his way to the rally. His legacy and Destination Daytona live on, but his untimely death initially cast a pall over the event. But Sturgis is Sturgis, and the party went on, despite a wrath-of-God-like hailstorm that damaged bikes and flattened campgrounds. Daily thunderstorms meant by Saturday the mud in front of the stage at the Buffalo Chip was almost ankle deep. This didn’t stop the oldest bunch of rockers on the lineup, the Guess Who, from outplaying Buckcherry and Aerosmith. Buckcherry’s lead singer had the crud and cut the set short while Steven Tyler made headlines when he fell off-stage trying to entertain the crowd after the speakers went out. On the bright side, an American won the AMD World Championships for the first time when Dave Cook of Cook Customs out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, took home the title. MCUSA also had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know old-school custom bike builder and metal master Ron Finch at the 7th Annual Metzeler Custom Bike Show.

And despite the many adversities that ’09 had to offer, we worked hard to cover more events, test more bikes, meet more friends, conduct more interviews and to bring readers more breaking news than ever before. One of my personal highlights was riding down Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras on the Victory Cory Ness Jackpot with a GoPro Camera on my head and watching the irreplaceable reactions of people on the street as I rode by. This comedic moment was quickly outshined by my ride over to the Mississippi Gulf Coast where I discovered that our old home that we thought was destroyed by Katrina was still standing. Another one of my most memorable moments was when I got a chance to travel to Boston and interview Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler at the Dirico Motorcycles press launch. What an honor! Tyler was supposed to ride with us that afternoon, but had to decline after moanings from his insurance company. Considering what happened at Sturgis, he should have just gone ahead and ridden. One of my other memorable rides came at the tail end of summer piloting the 2010 Indian Chief Roadmaster to the Crazy Horse Memorial at Sturgis. It was a memorial ride for the Tribal Hope Foundation on a misty, grey morning. But by the time we hit the Crazy Horse Memorial, the clouds had broken, the beauty of the forest-covered Black Hills came into full view, and you could feel the sacredness of this land of the Sioux.

It’s hard to believe that 2009 has already come and gone. Who knows what 2010 has in store. The V-Twin Expo is right around the corner, which usually serves as a good barometer as to the state of the industry. Bike Week will be here before you know it. So Climb On with Motorcycle USA, let’s gear up for another year. Happy trails - here’s to keeping the shiny side up.