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BMW Motorrad Sales Dropped 3.4% Worldwide in 2020

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As we saw with the Ducati Motor Holding’s sales report from earlier today, 2020 was an obviously tough year for the motorcycle industry, and that trend continues with the BMW Motorrad’s results for the year.

In its preliminary report on the BMW Group’s annual sales, the German brand quotes that it sold 169,272 motorcycles and scooters to customers in 2020.

Despite BMW Motorrad spinning this as its second-best sales year ever, this number of bikes sold is a 3.4% drop compared to 2019’s sales volume, and it is the first time in nine years that sales for BMW Motorrad have not grown.

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News

Ducati Sales Dropped 9.7% Worldwide in 2020

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The beancounters are working hard to close the books on 2020, which means we are starting to see our first reports on the total economic situation from last year.

With factory closures, disrupted supply chains, and stay-at-home orders featuring heavily in the first-half of the year, the coronavirus decimated motorcycle sales worldwide.

Then, the second-half of the year saw a huge bump in two-wheel interest, buoyed by economic relief efforts, delayed sales trends, and a renewed interest in the ultimate social-distancing machine.

This makes for a grab bag of perspectives when it comes to motorcycles sales, and nothing could be more true than what Ducati Motor Holding is reporting today.

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Dirt

Toby Price Fixes Slashed Tire with Zip-Ties an Duct Tape, Still Finishes 2nd

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Toby Price, you are a damn legend. Anyone who wins a Dakar Rally is truly worthy of such praise, but this year Price really earned the mantle.

After a rest day on Saturday, Sunday’s Stage 7 was always going to be a tough one, as it is what the Dakar Rally calls a “marathon” stage.

On top of the usual difficulty one finds racing in The Dakar, competitors are left at the end of the day to fix their own machines – their mechanics cannot help them. 

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News

Ducati North America Office & Employee Homes Raided by the FBI

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On December 17th, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) raided with armed tactical agents the offices of Ducati North America in Mountain View, California.

Though only a handful of employees were in the Mountain View office because of COVID restrictions during the time of the raid, it is being reported that roughly 30 agents stormed the building with a search warrant in hand.

An account of this happening was posted by a Ducati North America employee to the Bay Area Riders Forum, with RoadRacing World subsequently publishing the news.

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Bikes

The Aprilia Tuono 660 Is Finally Here – $10,499 in the USA

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When we first saw the Aprilia RS 660, we knew that the parallel-twin platform would be used on a variety of bikes, one of which being a “naked” Tuono 660 model (as well as an ADV-styled Tuareg 660).

While the RS 660 took a little longer than expected to go into production, thanks largely to the coronavirus outbreak, the Italians in Noale have caught back up with things, and today we see the Aprilia Tuono 660 debuting as a 2021 model – ready in dealerships in just a couple months.

Announcing deliveries of the bike for the “end of Q1 2021”, the Aprilia Tuono 660 is a model that we have been eagerly awaiting for this year.

Pricing starts at $10,499 in the USA ($12,795 for our Canadian readers), and you can tack on another $200 if you want it in the “Acid Gold” color scheme (Canadians are looking at $13,095 for this Mountain Dew green livery).

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Recall

Over 18,000 Yamaha Motorcycles Recalled for Switch Failure

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Fresh on the heels of the recall of the Yamaha FJR1300 for its gearbox issues, Yamaha has another recall on the books with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, this one affecting over 18,000 motorcycles.

At the core of the problem is a faulty brake light switch that is used on seven different models: the Yamaha FJR1300, Tracer GT, Niken GT, Super Ténéré, Star Eluder, and Star Venture.

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