2010 US Highland 350 Trail

US Highland is set to take the offroad motorcycle market to a new level of custom fit and performance in 2010. Over the last decade the Highland 950 has become the Sasquatch of the motorcycle forum world. A big, powerful agile beast that very few have seen in real life. OK, I’m being over dramatic, some owners have posted some excellent information on the few bikes in circulation. The Highland bikes may have been elusive and hard to find but they are no lumbering oafs.

The 950 twin has been claimed capable of 120 hp on the old Highland.se site and the 1150cc engine will make 150 HP. The planned 950 Viking streetfighter will weigh 318 lbs. If they put the 1150 in it the motorcycle world could get really silly, really fast. The 450’s engines were designed with a similar philosophy of light and fast and the sharp looks come from Mikael Hallgren at Caran AB. Instead of waiting for news about the new US Highland to trickle out I got on the phone with their V.P. of Promotions Kurt King for the scoop.

US Highland was formed after a merger between ATK Of Oklahoma (ATK-OK) and Highland Group AB (Sweden). ATK-OK was an ATK Motorcycle dealer, research and development group and privateer race team. Over the last few years ATK-OK has been very busy in the supermoto race scene and has had good success with the ATK 450 and more recently the Highland 450 supermoto bikes. Race Engineer Richard Harrison has played a big role in making the bikes competitive and he remains a part of the newly formed US Highland. When attempts to merge Highland Group with ATK USA in Utah fell through, ATK-OK and Highland Group became one company called US Highland. Mats Malmberg, the founder of Highland Group AB stayed on in the Managing Director role.

King, Harrison and Malmberg are joined by an impressive list of executives including ex-Husqvarna President Bengt Andersson, CEO Steven Moel, Director Of Operations Damian Riddich and Chairman Of The Board Chase Bales. With all this brain power and experience behind US Highland it becomes obvious why they choose to do business differently than the rest of the industry.

US Highland is entering the market in a difficult time for powersports. Is a works quality motorcycle really going to bring in customers? How will dealers be willing to bring on a new product line in this economic climate? It appears US Highlancd has asked themselves the same questions. They will be taking a very unique approach to customer service and keeping traditional costs associated with dealer costs low.

The US Highland Customer
US Highlands target customers experienced riders aged 30 – 50. They have most likely owned many motorcycles and know the cost of making a stock dirtbike work for their riding style. They have been there with the current offerings and are ready for a works quality bike that stands out. Keep reading to find out more.

2010 US Highland Viking 950

The US Highland Machines
The 950 vTwin motor will be be produced first and shipped in the 950 Urban Assault, Street Tracker and a small run of Viking. The Desert Crosser is already sold out for the first run of 2011 models. The first 100 engine castings will be completed by engineers in Sweden and the second 100 will be completed by engineers in Oklahoma. Going forward from there all bikes will be built in the United States with 700 complete bikes will be built in 2010. Delivery is planned for the second quarter of 2010 as 2011 models. In 2011, Highland plans to more than double production to 1500 motorcycles and ATV’s.

US Highland recently completed the purchase of all of ATK USA ATV inventory and parts which they will use as the rolling chassis for their 450 powered ATX Quad Racer. The same 450 engine will be available in capacity from 350cc to 550cc and will ship in Supermoto, MX and Trail configurations. The Highland 350 Trail demonstrates the companies’ strong knowledge of trends in offroad riding and areas of the market that are not currently being met. KTM just released a very compedative 350 MX bike but have yet to bring the format to a trail bike format. On the trail a 450 cc four stroke is difficult to use to it’s full potential and sometimes dangerous when a rider is fatigued so a 350 may be the ticket for many riders.

Made In The USA
Engineering for the bikes will take place in Sweden but the bikes will be assembled in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Parts for the Highland will be sourced from the United States whenever possible to keep the bikes as “Made In The USA” as possible. A side benefit to supporting the American workforce and economy is If a dealer orders parts they will ship from Tulsa, OK. Delivery time will be shorter than shipping overseas so owners will get their hands on parts faster and with lest cost.

The US Highland Dealers
Dealers for US Highland will only carry demo bikes. The traditional dealer model demands dealerships have a full lineup of bikes on the floor and a certain number of bikes available to sell. This has proven to increase sales but also puts a large financial burden on dealerships who are often forced to take out loans to cover the cost. With the poor economy qualifying for these loans has become much more difficult and many dealers are closing their doors as a result. By not carrying inventory dealers can run a leaner business and still please the customer with the detailed ordering process described later.

Dealer applications will be taken in June of this year with one dealer selected for each major metropolitan area. 250 to 275 dealers is the target for the United States which is the only market US Highland is targeting at this time.

2010 US Highland Desert Crosser 950

The Highland Customization And Sales Process
When a US Highland customer gets the itch for a factory level ride he/she will jump on one of the dealers demo bikes to be sure Highland is for them. Then they will go through a thorough interview and physical measurement process. The riders riding style, skill level and physical dimensions will be analyzed to prescribe the ideal bike. Suspension spring rate and valving, bar position, power delivery, engine displacement will all be recommended based on this analysis. The rider will choose wheels, hubs, suspension, bars and other hard parts based on their preference. Want your dirbike street legal? Highland will give you a street legal VIN nicely wrapped around your last name. Yes, your last name will be in the middle of all US Highland Vehicle Identification Numbers.

All of the users’ customizations and specs will be entered into a touch screen kiosk in the dealer’s showroom. Once the order is submitted the bike will be set up in Oklahoma and shipped to the dealer in 7 days for delivery to the customer in 10 days. However, the customer experience does not end there. The customer and the dealer representative will take the bike to a local track or riding park and test ride it to be sure it is set up correctly for the rider and performing as expected.

With sales hurting at Harley Davidson it is nice to have so many new US powersports companies starting in the US. US Highland joins Motus, Fischer, Zero Motorcycles, Brammo, Mission Motors and Electric Motorsport as promising up and coming US based powersports companies. The past has shown it is a difficult world to brake into but it can’t come at a better time. Some of the most impressive companies in history were born in a recession. Google, Amazon, eBay just to name a few. Here’s to hoping the next recession success story comes from the powersports industry. We could definitely use the good news.

Check out the tour of US Highland in Oklahoma below.

Johnny Tai of Bennche on his companies Megelli 250m

The latest Megelli motorcycles are some of the sharpest looking quarter-liter bikes to hit the beginner bike scene. In 2009 QLINK had all but secured US distribution of the bikes, announced rollout plans and retail price.

Former QLINK VP Johnny Tai left the company last year and started Texas based Bennche, Inc. He and his team put together a business plan and pitched it to UK design firm Megelli and their manufacturing partner Hisun. Obviously they were impressed and now Bennche has been granted exclusive distribution of the 250r, 250s and 250m to the USA market.

The trio of Megelli motorcycles will be built in China by Hisun with Megelli employees overseeing Quality Assurance, production and other day to day processes. Quality is also a very high priority for Bennche. First off, it will allow them to provide the customer a strong 18 month limited warranty. In addition, Johnny Kim explained to OtherMakes.net that he will grow the Bennche dealer base slowly and only sign on dealers with a strong history of customer service and satisfaction. He believes strong customer service is the only way for Bennche to be successful in powersports distribution.

The 248 pound single cylinder 250r, 250s and 250m were on display at the 2010 Indy Dealer Expo last week along side Bennche’s ATV, scooter and UTV offerings. Retail price for the 250r Sportbike will remain the same as QLINK had planned. However, the 250s streetfighter is $100 higher retail and the 250m supermoto is $300 higher than QLINK’s planned retail price.

The prices of the motorcycles are still priced compedative compared to other offerings in the 250cc price range and the style is unmatched. If Hisun and Megelli do well with the quality of the bikes there is no doubt these striking machines will do well for Bennche.

QLINK was not available for comment but the Megelli bikes have been removed from the motorcycle models list on their website.

Megelli 250r Specifications:

Despite a poor economy and the absence of many big motorcycle brands Hyosung Motors America had strong presents at the 2010 Cycle World International Motorcycle show in Chicago. I chatted with Hyosung Motors America President Tony Kim and Regional Sales Manager Hyon Ko about the 2010 models and bikes in the works. Tony Kim confirmed that later this year or early next year we will see an all electric scooter from Hyosung available here in the states. The Gem 4.0 and 2.0 were first unveiled at EICMA late last year.

Hyosung unveiled the ST7 cruiser earlier this year at EICMA but the 700cc liquid cooled twin made it’s first US appearance at the Chicago show. The South Korea based company also displayed the newly redesigned GT250 and GT250R with redesigned tail section, black triple tree and fuel injection.

I captured some poor quality video on my iphone of the ST7 and Hyosung GT250R. Have a look and be sure to check the bikes out this weekend if your at the Chicago IMS show.

Check out the videos and images after the break…

2010 Hyosung ST7 GV700i cruiser video

2010 Hyosung GT250R video

2010 Hyosung GT250R and ST7 pictures

Dealers will not carry any inventory. The buying process will be automated via kiosk in the dealer’s showroom. After the customer evaluates a demo model details such as engine displacement and suspension will be tailored to the users riding style. Once the customer order is complete the bike will be shipped in 7 days as the bike is assembled in Tulsa, Oklahoma. No word on pricing or release date. Stay tuned to OtherMakes.net for updates.

More pics after the break…

Source: Motorcycle.com

It’s ironic that a bike so prone to dying would be reincarnated so many times. In early 2000 Cannondale transformed itself from US based bicycle manufacturer to US based powersports innovater with the launch of the x440s dirtbike and the Cannibal ATV. Both were based on a gound breaking programmable fuel injected four stroke with a reverse cylinder similar to the 2010 Yamaha YZ450, minus the reverse slant. Air in the front, exhaust out the back.

The all aluminum frame was covered with top shelf components from Domino throttle to Ohlins suspension to Talon hubs. The only problem was the bike had issues with the motor grenading, sealed fuel system leaks and slightly porky weight. Cannondale did a great job of servicing it’s customers (I know, I fried the ECU on my 2002 e440) but they eventually went bankrupt. ATK purchased the motorcycle rights and did a lot of work improving reliablility. Dinli purchased the ATV rights originally but ATK now sells a version of the Dale Quad.

Now it looks like the Cannondale ATV frame has made it’s way to the newly restructured US Highland group based in Oklahoma. Highland is a group of that has had it’s share of growing pains but has some amazingly powerful and lightweight engine designs. The 450 motor is now in the ex-Dale frame and will be the new US Highland ATX Quad Racer. It will also be available in a 507cc version. Cannondale quads were known for their amazing power so no doubt the chassis can handle the power of the Highland lump. I will post more details on the ATX and the Cannondale link as I get it.

Source: Highland Forum Images: QuadZone Foums

Pictures of the Highland 950 vTwin has been popping up on discussion forums for years and teasing adventure riders with it’s high capacity, light weight, 120 HP engine and dirt ready design. Now it appears we may see these bikes in dirt and gravel near you. U.S. Highland is building the 950 vTwin  dualsport in 750cc, 950cc and 1150cc capacities and multiple body styles. They also will produce several versions of a single cyinlar dirtbike and ATV from 250cc, 350, 450 and 550cc.

From what I can piece together, Highland was started started in Sweden by ex-Husqvarna employees. Later the company joined forces with Louyang Northern Enterprises Group Company, Ltd to start Luoyang Luojia Highland Motors Co., Ltd. ATK was working with Highland to rebadge the bikes but this fell through. Dirt Wheels claims Cannondale was involved along the way.

US Highland recently got their hands on the equipment to build the machines and have begun production of US made units in Bixby, Oklahoma. The US Highland machines have sophisticated and highly tunable electronic fuel injection. They also come equiped with trick features such as a “G-Meter” to record vertical acceleration and deceleration forces. The US Highland website will allow customers to built a bike with multiple choices of engine and specs to suit their riding style.

The target market for the Highland is customers from 30 to 50 years old who want more than what existing manufacturers offer. All parts will be sourced from American companies and vendors when possible.

Source: Dirt Wheels

United Motors quietly closed their doors February 1, 2010. They had what seemed to be a solid business importing Jincheng motorcycles from China after input on specs and quality and rebadging them as UM. A few years ago they began a deal with Hyosung (S&T Motors) to rebadged the 650c and 250cc models as UM. The multi-phase deal would eventually lead to Hyosung engined bikes designed by UM. The deal did not sit well with Hyosung US and rightfully so. The UM bikes began to sell better than the Hyosung brand in the states and dealer locations were not spaced far enough apart to protect Hyosung USA dealer territory.

All the details are not available about how UM met its fate. GM Money, the firm that loans money to dealers to stock the showroom, took possession of all United Motors inventory. A United Motors Group member in China called UM Global is still in business. Although this is strange it might offer hope for UM powersports owners who have warranty claims. If you have more information about UM’s fate and its possible future in UM Global please leave a comment or email admin [at] othermakes.net.

Source: Powersports Industry Daily Via: Korider

Looks like the Hyosung GV700i is official, only it will be called the ST7. The Hyosung ST7 should be on boats to dealers now and will be available in two models.  Hyosung Motors parent company S&T Motors Korea explains it this way:

At the last EICMA 2009, the most popular model ST7 was the traditional cruiser motorcycle which is more perfect for long distance cruising than the sports cruiser Aquila 650.

The name ST7 is derived from the initials of ‘SUPER & TOP’, ‘SAFETY TRAVEL’, ‘SATISFACTORY TOUR’, ‘700cc engine solely developed by S&T Motors R&D departments’ and ‘symbol of lucky’. So the ST7 represents safe travel, and that is what brings lucky driving to you. And the ST7 is stresses the best performance and top quality in its class.

ST7 has the unique appeal of a mixed classical and sports style. Installed is a DHOC 8valve 90° V-TWIN engine with expanded displacement from 650cc to 700cc. This gives impressive low and mid-range performance fit into the theme of tour/cruising.

The frame of a traditional cruiser will give a comfortable riding position, neutral handling with a powerful engine.

Twin muffler, multiple LCD meter on fuel tank (17L), clear lens multi reflector headlamps, LED etc gives ST7 a combined style of modern functionality with a classical image.

ST7 will be released and will begin exporting at the end of January. There are two type of models; Standard and Deluxe (Deluxe comes installed with full accessories), and both come in black, red and white color.

Hyosung ST7 Specifications:

Seat height: 690 mm (27.2 in)
Length: 2479 mm (97.2 in)
Wheelbase: 1675 mm (66 in)
Tires (front): 120/80 16 60H
Tires (rear): 170/80 15 77H
Dry weight: 244kg (537 lbs)
Fuel capacity: 17 l (4.5 gal)
Engine: 678.2cc

Source: S&T Motors via: Korider

2010 Megelli 250R

The market for small displacement street motorcycles is slim pickin’s in the States. Models such as the Honda Rebel, Ninja 250R, Kawasaki Eliminator 250 are somewhat exciting but sometimes go decades without redesign or major updates. They are great, proven bikes but are kind of lacking in the looks department.

About 4 years ago Hyosung showed up in the states under the Alpha Sport badge with a 250cc cruiser and fully faired sportbike. Both bikes looked good but the big story was the GT250R which looked more like a middle weight sportbike than a dated learner bike. A few years later Kawasaki redesigned the Ninja 250R. I personally doubt this was a coincidence. The Hyosung no doubt took a small bite out of the little Ninja’s sales.

For 2010 the bar has been raised by Italian manufacturer Megelli and US importer QLINK. QLINK quietly rolled out 3 liquid cooled 250cc single cylinder street bikes that bring ¼ liter styling to a new level. Steel trellis frame and swingarm, under seat exhaust, 31.4 inch seat height all delivered in a dirtbike light 248 lbs. These bikes look incredibly sexy and on paper sound silly fun to ride. A fully faired sportbike, a naked street fighter and a supermoto version is available.

2010 Megelli 250S

Compared to the 330 lb vTwin powered Hyosung GT250R’s 28 HP and 16.7 lb-ft of torque, the Migelli may be lacking in overall power with 16.2 HP. However, 17.8 lb-ft of torque coming from the SYM built motor combined with it’s light weight should provide for some great launches from the line and serious front wheel lofting. SYM, a powersports company out of Taiwan is known for building powerful engines with durable ceramic coated cylindar walls. The 2 year warranty puts the two bikes on par for coverage.

The price of the Megelli 250R sport bike is $3499 saving you $500 over the solid colored Hyosung models which could buy a good amount of safety gear for a learner rider. The 250S Streetfighter costs $3199 saving $300 compared to the Hyosung GT250 naked which is also a substantial amount of cash.

2010 Megelli 250M

The model that may have the largest sale potential is the 250M supermoto. It comes in at $2899 making it one of the best values in the US motorcycle market today. Comparing it to the Yamaha WR250X you loose some torque and a little HP but your also saving a staggering $3600. It remains to be seen how much you loose in fit and finish and component quality compared to the Yamaha but many flaws can be ironed out with 3 and a half large.

If you want all the details on how these bikes are engineered check out the Megelli Parts site for complete microfiche for the bikes.

Kellerman closes on Alter's #21 SV650

For Immediate Release

Encore Performance Racing Starts New Year With Multiple Wins

Firebird Raceway, Phoenix AZ, Jan. 17, 2010: The new year brings a new hope and a general sense of optimism for most people, and the beginning of 2010 was no different for the EP Race team and their Hyosung GT 650R. A fuel injected engine arrived over the short winter break and spirits were high that the new powerplant would help propel the team to the top step of the podium. However, as with most new projects, you have to jump a few hurdles to get to the finish line and this one was no different. It requires many additional components to switch from a carbureted engine to a fuel injected engine and as the first race weekend of the year drew near it became apparent that the swap would not be done in time. Undeterred the team went into the weekend knowing they would give it their all and hope for the best, after all it is a new year!

It looked like it might rain on Sunday, but the forecast predicted it would hold off until Monday and for once the weatherman would finally be right, as it stayed dry all weekend. The sun peeked out off and on throughout the day and pushed the temperatures into the low 70’s, not a bad day for racing. The team had skipped Saturday practice and waited until the second session to hit the track Sunday morning. With new Dunlop 211’s spooned on by Jim Cox Racing, the bike was feeling good and the grip provided, even on the cold track, was outstanding. The optimism returned and the EP Race team was looking forward to a great day of racing

Usually, each race has a different ebb and flow to it. Sometimes the results are the same, but how you get there can be dramatically different. This weekend was different, as each race for the team was eerily similar. Matt Kellerman (#63) did not get the best starts and found himself behind Kerry Alter on the #21 SV 650 going into turn one of each race. Matt followed the #21 around the track for a lap or two, judging where best to set up his pass. He was able to pass Kerry in each race and then set a couple of quick laps to pull a comfortable gap. All four races for the team seemed nearly identical, and the EP Race team was able to sweep the weekend and bring home 1st place in all four classes (Lightweight Superbike, Lightweight GP, Thunderbike, and Ultra Lightweight Superbike).

This was the first race win for the team since Las Vegas in 2006 and they were ecstatic to be back on the top step and start the 2010 season on such a high note. The team looks forward to being back on the track on February 6th in Phoenix AZ. EP Racing would like to thank all of its sponsors, PowersportsOutlet.com, Hyosung.Biz, Hyosung Motors USA, Jim Cox Racing, Dunlop tires, EBC, Silkolene, and Pit Bull for making such a great weekend possible. The EP Race team is looking forward to a very successful 2010. If you are interested in the unique sponsorship opportunities the team can provide your company don’t hesitate to call.

EP Racing is based out of Prescott, AZ and have been racing the Hyosung GT650R since 2006. They have achieved multiple victory’s, countless podium finishes, a LW GT title, and other honors, in both the CCS, and SMRI race series. For more information you can contact the team at 928-778-7910 or email: shop@epfguzzi.com