True Love

Motorcycle Superstore launched a Valentine's themed ad campaign.

 The topic of "motorcycle love" is a common one. Certainly many of us riders feel very passionately about our motorcycles.

Here's a link to Motorcycle Superstore.

What other Valentine's ads have you seen this season?

15 Great Motorcycle Safety Ads

Motorcycle safety ads in the United States? You betcha. The folks at motorbiker.org found and published 15 great motorcycle safety ads like this one...



See the rest of them at motorbiker.org...

Cool Husqvarna Motorcycle Ads

Check out the rest at ... motorbiker.org

Honda V65 Magna Television Commercial

One of the original Honda television commercials featuring the V65 Magna.



Will history repeat itself? Will Honda put the 2010 VFR1200's power plant in a cruiser frame again? Please?!?!

I have a new dream

Honda Pan European Ad...

Don't Ride Ugly

The folks at Fulmer Helmets are sponsoring this website, www.dont-ride-ugly.com. It has some humorous photos.

Putting my advertising/marketing analyst hat on, I can see that the subtext of this website is a marketing message. Fulmer wants to associate themselves with moto fashion, and wants to use humor to communicate the message -- that not wearing your helmet is a fashion faux pas. They don't say it in as many words, but "Don't ride ugly, ride fashionably. Wear Fulmer Helmets."

I like ad campaigns that are indirect like this; viral campaigns that use humor. The website doesn't have any traditional ads. No marketing copy. Just a brand name in the logo. Just funny pics that will make you send the web address to your friends.

This is how it came to my attention -- a fellow rider sent it to me. And as a result, I have more awareness of the Fulmer brand than I did before.

Marketing 101.

Sneak Peek: 2010 Buell Blast

Buell introduced their 2010 models just like the Motor Company, but they're showing the Blast after having been through the crusher.

They issued a press release: "We’ve turned a limited number of Blasts into colorful metal cubes, each numbered and signed by Erik Buell himself"

Full article at kneeslider.com

New Honda V4

Honda Europe has posted this video on youtube, touting their new V4 bike. I wish I could see the whole bike, not just closeup shots of it.

There's cool music and cool graphics, but not much substance yet.

I am hopeful.

Check out the Honda V4 site

Or the new Feel V4 site

Aprilia Ad --

It's a guy-and-his-motorcycle thing, you wouldn't understand.

Great Motorcycle Ad

The female rider applies make-up. Instead of a mirror, she uses her reflection in the air filter cover on her Harley Davidson Dyna.

The text of the ad sums up her attitude.

"Do this. Do that. Don't do this. Don't do that. Blah blah blah."

I'm tired of doing what folks tell me to do. I'm going to ride.

This ad resonates with its audience, and evokes the classic "Wild Ones" motorcyclist-as-rebel aura. It also shows that motorcycle riders can be feminine.

Spit And Polish

That Harley Rider that I'm married to put a lot of spit and polish into cleaning up her old bike.

It's currently listed on eBay. Already the high bid is higher than the purchase price from five year's ago.

Sleep Well

See the next generation of Harley Rider.

VTEC Everywhere? What?

Reading the Honda.com promotional information about the VTEC engine, I spotted a blatant factual error.

You'd think Honda would get the facts right in their own propaganda.

"Indeed, VTEC today serves as the foundation of every Honda 4-cylinder engine in the world. "

I can think of lots of four-cylinder Honda engines on the production line today, in the dealers showroom today, that do not have VTEC.

Big Dog Motorcycles

This happens to me on a more or less weekly basis, since I've been riding.

Take the wife asphalt dancing

• Treat the Trans-Canada Highway like the back straight
  
• Ride until English becomes a foreign language
  
• Do in a few days what took Lewis and Clark a few years
  
• Briefly imagine competing in MotoGP
  
• Take the wife asphalt dancing
  
• Seek out questionable hotel rooms everywhere
  
• Make the entire country your racetrack
  
• Have more weather protection than most homes
  
• Scream through the twisties with 35 liters of stowage space
  
• Go somewhere for a change
  
• Realize that a touring bike doesn't have to handle like an oil barge
  
• Look sensible. Ride maniacal
  

--

Grab the missus and hurry in to your BMW dealer to see the new 110-horsepower R1200RT with electronically adjustable suspension. For more information about the most exhilarating sport tourer on the road ... bmwmotorcycles.com.

You don't need a hibachi to cook Japanese

You don't need a hibachi to cook Japanese.

So I'm riding through the city and I pass this guy over the bridge. Apparently, he wasn't too happy about it, because he wound up trying to pass me back. Guess he saw that BMW logo and decided to put me in my place.

Well, that didn't happen. Because I shifted up a gear, flicked the throttle, and there went Mr. Hot Shot Racer Boy, disappearing in my rearview mirror. I guess he didn't know that I was packing 163 horsepower.

But you know what? He knows now.

The K1200R is the most powerful naked bike ever.

The ride is on. BMW.

If it was another woman, at least I could compete

If it was another woman, at least I could compete.

It's not like I'm asking him to stay in bed all weekend and cuddle. I'd just be happy to roll over and hear "good morning." But he's off at the crack of dawn.

And when he finally comes home, all he can talk about is her.

Her smooth powerband, her seamless torque, incredible cornering, and worst of all, how she makes him feel inside.

I wouldn't mind if he was up that early cleaning the garage, but he's out there having fun with her.

A little too much fun.

Triumph Rocket III

Harley Ad

Regardless of what you think of their bikes, I think you'd have to admit Harley does a good job of marketing.

I like their ad with a motorcycle drawn out of a bunch of words and phrases arranged to make a picture. It's art! Like a Claude Monet or something.



I could spend hours picking phrases out of the composite picture. It's like looking for easter eggs.







Here's what I've got so far:

This really doesn't need to be sooooo difficult.
I swear I just did laundry last week.
Is it naptime yet?
Take it all in
You can never repeat the first time
Rude children suck!
My back is killing me.
Be here at 6:00 pm.
No bubbly music
You might want to stand back.
This beer tastes like swill.
If you don't vote, don't complain.
What a horrible movie.
Do cats come with girls? If not I don't want one.
Thick and delicious.
It would seem that she has a soul of pure blackness.
I think it's about time you leave.
I'll just go ahead and sweep this under the rug.
Chocolate doesn't really taste that great.
Take a L then a R
Clean is relative
Is it naptime yet?
I live in the details.
I've seen bigger.
Punk is dead.
Nag nag nag.
How great would it be to date her?
I don't want to keep...
Pull it apart and put it back together.
I'm totally sick of the dog eating out of the trash
Curves or straight legs.
Just another prank caller.
Life is better on the couch.
Should I stop smoking this weekend?
1/2 cup of sugar
Thin crust all the way.
I prefer the glass cup to the plastic cup
There is no way of knowing where this will go
Don't forget to feed the dog.
What do you think?
What should be doing now
The boredom is killing me
It's always easier to do
Why did that dog puke on my shoe? I should have punted it.
Just another pain killer.
I don't want to know.
She has bad breath
No you're not tough as me
The lies that come from her mouth
Sweating on dates is not cool
There must be a catch.
You always have a choice. Don't always make the right one.
There is likely more than one solution to this problem.
Ask Jennifer what she's doing this weekend.
1979 Great Year
1977 Better Year
What we need is pretzels.