Sturgis Here We Come! – By the time you read this we will be nestled in our cozy campgrounds in Nemo, SD. As most of you who read Quick Throttle on a monthly basis know, we will be hosting our 1st Annual Customer Appreciation/Reader Party at the Nemo Guest Ranch. For those of you who have never ridden the roads between Rapid City and Deadwood, well…..you are missing some of the best “unknown” roads in the Black Hills. So if you are heading to this year’s Sturgis Rally and are looking for something to do on Tuesday the 5th, we’d love to see you stop by and enjoy a good old fashioned barbeque lunch.

Harley Releases 2009 Models – Usually around this time….our August issue….we are releasing the new Harley-Davidson models. This year however, the folks at HD decided to wait until their semi-annual dealer meeting in Las Vegas, NV to do so. At this time we were unable to put together what we felt would be a comprehensive and accurate feature. But fear not….we will have the new models and all of the changes in our September issue. Just a hint….there will be a “factory” trike in this year’s lineup as well as a new frame for the touring bikes.

What Does The Immediate Future Hold for the Motorcycle Industry? – Well that is the question that we would all like to know the answer to, especially those of us who rely on this industry to make a living. In talking with several of our advertisers and promoters, there seems to be a common theme…..not great right now. Certain aspects of the industry have been stable, mostly the service side and used bike sales, but new bike sales have been down for most all makes.

Events have seen a minimal decrease in attendance, especially the local events, but even though attendance at these events has been good, vendors have experienced a pretty substantial de crease in sales. As for the larger events such as Sturgis…..well it seems that most people believe that this year’s attendance will be down. Many of the campgrounds that are typically booked years in advance have availability, especially for the big RV and motor home types. Not surprising considering the fuel costs. All of this being said…..most people in the industry believe that things will turn around and somewhat stabilize…..it always does….probably not until after the election. Our industry is based on a “lifestyle” that has endured and grown for many years and will do so once again!! I gotta believe it….cuz otherwise I might actually have to get a real job!!

Until next month….keep the faith…live the lifestyle…
Hope to see you in Sturgis!

Scott May, Editor
877-770-9866
midwest.edition@quickthrottlemag.com