Etc.
etc.
NORTON CEO CHARGED
Robert Kilpatrick, CEO of Norton Motorcycles, Inc., has been charged with credit fraud and forgery. According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the Eden Prairie, Minnesota, resident is suspected of filing false tax information in hopes of obtaining more than $860,000 in home mortgages last summer. He is also said to have written two checks totaling $24,000 on the account of a previous employer.
As for Norton, the company reportedly has outstanding debts of more than $2 million, and is on the verge of bankruptcy.
FORD’S FREEBIE
Ford’s first limited-edition HarleyDavidson F-150 is in good hands. Comedian Jay Leno received the keys to the $32,995, chrome-and-black, Triton V-Eight-engined pickup from Ford when he visited its Detroit factory last March. Another example will be auctioned off online in June, with proceeds going to Leno’s favorite fund-raiser, The Love Ride Foundation, and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, one of Ford’s top corporate causes.
AMA TOPS 250K
The AMA has reached another significant milestone: 250,000 members. During the past year alone, more than 21,000 people joined. “I’m very encouraged by our membership growth,” said AMA President Scott Thorton. “The association’s rising membership sends a strong message of unity to places where a large voice matters most: state legislatures and the federal government.”
EARLY RETIREMENT
Old-bike guru Dale Walksler is retiring from motorcycle retailing to pursue his first love: restoring vintage machines. In 1977, at age 23, Walksler became one of the youngest Harley-Davidson dealers in the country when he opened Dale’s HarleyDavidson in Mount Vernon, Illinois. Walksler’s neighboring museum, Wheels Through Time, currently houses more than 180 rare and significant motorcycles.
FOX PULLS PLUG
Besieged by negative press over its “Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire” television show, Fox has sworn off exploitive programming, a genre it pioneered. The decision comes on the heels of Robbie Knievel’s 200-foot ramp-to-ramp jump of a moving locomotive. Previously, Fox likened Knievel’s highly rated stunts to watching a circus tightrope performer.
BARBIE’S NEW BOYFRIEND
Watch out, Ken! Doll-maker Jakks Pacific has inked licensing agreements with AMA 125cc Supercross stand-out Travis Pastrana, jump-video superstar Seth Enslow and freestyle motocross champ Mike Metzger, among others, to develop a line of action figures and accessories. Jakks will also produce a series of Suzuki and Yamaha motorcycles. Look for them on toy-store shelves this summer.
TOUR WITH PROS
Lookin’ for fun on your Polaris ATV, snowmobile, watercraft or Victory motorcycle? PRO Adventure Tours has something for everyone. Long-time motorsport enthusiasts Harlan and Bev Mannigel host the multi-day trips, which run throughout the year. Offered Harlan, “We love the spirit and attitude behind Polaris, and look forward to seeing PRO riders create memories and friendships that last a lifetime.”
For further details, contact Polaris at 715/693-6903, or online at pro@polarisind.com.
LONG LIVE LIMEYS
Brit-bike riders unite! The British Biker Cooperative, which is devoted to the preservation of English motorcycles, will hold its annual rally at the Eagle Creek Cave Natural Park in Blue River, Wisconsin, on July 21-23. Triumph is the featured marque. For more information, contact the club at RO. Box 17014, Milwaukee, Wl 53217, or log on to its website at www.britishbiker.net.
