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Cleveland Moto

Cleveland Moto

By: Dustin J. Elliott
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Vintage motorcycles, motorcycles, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Moto Guzzi, Royal Enfield, Norton, Triumph, Mods, Rockers, Scooters, Wrenching, Motorcycle Tech, Riding, Reviews, Chat, Beer Drinking, Pride of Cleveland.2011 Cleveland Moto
Episodes
  • ClevelandMoto 539 What if AI designed a motorcycle Podcast?
    Feb 26 2026

    Just kidding, sleepy picked these topics and had AI add some flavor.

    This is cool anyway:

    https://www.returnofthecaferacers.com/something-different/moto-morini-ti22-corsaro/?fbclid=IwY2xjawQEZkhleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETJ1V295MmFRRDVOQmU2VVBac3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHpamHGALvCgRkivbFcRjQka9PDRaCItlfBDu20z1GwguBnP55H1Nhju3w4ah_aem_-OMJ1omFY3eD_2K0g8jVKQ



    ClevelandMoto – Feb 2026 Industry Deep Dive

    (Loose Bullet Point Rundown – No Scripted Radio Stuff)

    1) Federal Bill to Redefine “Motorcycle” (H.R. 3385)

    Source:
    https://powersportsbusiness.com/news/motorcycle/2026/02/19/bill-aims-to-redefine-motorcycles-leaving-slingshot-in-classification-limbo/

    Bullet Points:

    • Proposed federal change to motorcycle definition.
    • Could remove autocycles (like Polaris Slingshot) from “motorcycle” category.
    • Would affect:
      • Licensing requirements
      • Helmet laws
      • Registration standards
      • Federal safety compliance
    • Motorcycle Industry Council strongly opposing.
    • States often mirror federal definitions → could trigger 50-state mess.
    • Bigger question:
      • Is this about safety?
      • Or about protecting traditional motorcycle classification?

    Debate angle:
    Where do we draw the line between motorcycle, trike, and car-with-handlebars?

    2) MotoGP Moving Australian GP to Adelaide Street Circuit (2027)

    Official Announcement:
    https://www.motogp.com/en/news/2026/02/19/motogp-to-roar-into-the-city-streets-of-adelaide-from-2027/874866

    Bullet Points:

    • Australian GP leaving Phillip Island.
    • Moving to downtown Adelaide street circuit.
    • First premier-class MotoGP street race.
    • 340+ km/h bikes on city streets.

    Why This Is Huge:

    • Phillip Island is iconic. Fast. Flowing. Dangerous in its own way.
    • Street circuits = tighter, less runoff, concrete walls.
    • F1-style spectacle move?
    • Is this Liberty Media influence?
    • Will riders push back?
    • Safety vs spectacle debate.

    Discussion angle:
    Is MotoGP becoming entertainment-first like F1?
    Or is this just evolution?

    3) Harley-Davidson Scaling Back Production

    Source:
    https://www.the-sun.com/motors/15938521/harley-davidson-decreasing-motorcycle-production/

    Bullet Points:

    • Harley reportedly reducing motorcycle production.
    • Shifting focus toward:
      • Parts
      • Accessories
      • Apparel
      • Aftermarket margins
    • Higher profit per customer vs per bike.

    Big Industry Questions:

    • Are OEMs becoming lifestyle brands first?
    • Is this supply chain caution?
    • Is demand soft?
    • Smart long-term profitability move?
    • What does this mean for:
      • Dealer floor space
      • Inventory flow
      • Used market values

    Debat

    Support the show

    Remember folks...Ride Fast and Take Chances! check out our Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/ClevelandMoto

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    2 hrs and 50 mins
  • ClevelandMoto 538 How much did Harley lose in one year?
    Feb 19 2026

    HD loses $37MILLION in sales in just one year.

    https://dealernews.com/Home/post/harley-davidson-reports-q4-year-end-financials/

    Livewire #1 U.S. electric motorcycle in the on-road motorcycle market in terms of retail sales!!!

    Livewire (is that even still a thing?) They sold only 653 bikes this year. Which they're bragging about being UP over the 612 they sold last year. Great for them, so how much did they lose last year? Oh, they lost $75MILLION DOLLARS!!!!

    https://dealernews.com/Home/post/livewire-q4-financials/

    The taxpayer has supported Harley Davidson to the tune of 2.7 BILLION dollars since 2008.

    https://subsidytracker.goodjobsfirst.org/parent/harley-davidson

    Ducati Celebrates their 100th anniversary with the Formula 73 $20,000
    Now technically they were producing capacitors in their house for Manen, but we're not keeping score anymore and the facts don't matter. Their first actual motorbike was 1949.

    https://www.ducati.com/us/en/bikes/heritage/formula-73

    Sleepy will undoubtedly be making "motorbating" noises at this point.

    KTM has layed off / fired over 1500 employees. Says they were too "topheavy" with 3x more administration than actual workers.

    https://www.vikingbags.com/blogs/news/ktm-lays-off-500-more-employees-plans-restructuring?srsltid=AfmBOorgfiE7lQbu_HQTxjIQxjrDMp9YtvqNQM9AWu_0Vxv1a03gxiB3#:~:text=KTM%2C%20mainly%20Bajaj%2C%20lays%20off,He%20further%20added:

    Harley admits there's going to be a layoff. See story about $217 Million dollar loss above:

    https://www.rideapart.com/news/787052/harley-davidson-headcount-reductions-layoffs/

    Worlds Greatest Motorcycle Podcast
    Over 200 combined years of Motorcycle experience.
    Moto news, tricks, tips, insider info and more.
    We like fun, so no religious or political talk.


    Support the show

    Remember folks...Ride Fast and Take Chances! check out our Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/ClevelandMoto

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    2 hrs and 8 mins
  • ClevelandMoto 537 Marshall Thompson is here!
    Feb 12 2026

    Wait, who exactly owns Indian now? Polaris stock has gone up over $5 a share and they've appointed former HD guru Mike Kennedy to run it. The divestiture comes as Polaris refocuses on its core off-road vehicles and snowmobiles, citing Indian's 7% share of total revenue and a reported 30% drop in sales since 2020


    https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1MycgmeCDM/


    https://labusinessjournal.com/finance/carolwood-takes-helm-of-indian-motorcycle/#:~:text=Andrew%20Shanfeld%2C%20a%20Carolwood%20principal.,the%20first%20quarter%20of%202026.


    New Retro Release: Czech brand Jawa Moto revealed the 730 Twin, a modern-retro middleweight that signals a shift toward more performance-oriented designs. So what? Well, this isn't made in India by mahindra. It's actually made in Prague!



    https://www.rideapart.com/news/786062/jawa-730-twin-preview-specs-features/


    $285,000 For a Honda?


    https://www.visordown.com/news/first-ever-honda-cb750-arrive-america-sells-eye-catching-sum


    How about $71,000 for a flying dragon? There were only 4 versions available Gold/Purple, Silver/Purple, Green/Purple, and Blue/Dark Blue.


    https://www.mecum.com/lots/540152/1972-honda-cl350-k4-blue-flying-dragon/?aa_id=355947-0


    Buell scores a $10,000,000 US federal loan. What does this mean for the SuperCruiser?

    Buell claims to have taken 6000 pre-orders for this bike, they also claim to have sold $120,000,000 worth of them (which is 4633 bikes). They've just started rolling off the line, where can you buy one?


    https://www.rideapart.com/news/785905/buell-10-million-dollar-federal-loan-super-cruiser/


    Marshall Thompson will be joining us, he's just been to Viet Nam, and I'm sure he'll have a lot of stories for us.

    Support the show

    Remember folks...Ride Fast and Take Chances! check out our Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/ClevelandMoto

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    2 hrs and 21 mins
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