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Car & Automotive

U.S. Motorcycle Sales Continued To Rise Across All Segments In 2021

By Matthew A. Garcia 5 months ago

Dual-sport and off-road bikes proved especially popular once again.

On February 2, 2022, the Motorcycle Industry Council announced that 2021 motorcycle sales in the U.S. continued their rise across all segments. While bike sales continue to improve, it’s also worth noting that the Motorcycle Safety Foundation saw enrollment in its basic rider courses grow significantly in 2021, as well. With new riders (and their bikes) comes new responsibility, to paraphrase Uncle Ben Parker, so it’s good news all-around.

Overall motorcycle sales rose 14.2 percent over 2020, and 21.8 percent over 2019 figures, across all segments. That includes scooters, which by themselves rose 19.6 percent over 2020, and 31.4 percent over 2019 numbers. On-road bike sales rose 12.9 percent over 2020, and both of those things are certainly great to learn, as well.

What’s especially encouraging, however, is sales of dual-sport and off-road

Car & Automotive

Cases in South Dakota rise nearly sixfold after annual Sturgis motorcycle rally

By Matthew A. Garcia 10 months ago

Two weeks after the annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, reported Covid infections in the state have risen nearly sixfold.

South Dakota counted 3,819 new cases in the past two weeks, including seven deaths, up from 644 cases in the 14 days preceding it. That makes it the state with the largest percent increase in Covid cases in the past two weeks.

The state’s rate of Covid-19 infections per capita in the past two weeks is in the bottom half of the country, but it’s the sharp and sudden increase in case counts that sets it apart.

Meade County, home to Sturgis, has counted 330 new cases in the last two weeks, up from the 20 reported in the two weeks before the rally, according to Johns Hopkins University’s case count. The 1,550 percent increase comes after the motorcycle rally, which usually draws around half a million people, possibly

Car & Automotive

Fatal motorcycle crashes on the rise in Washington, data shows

By Matthew A. Garcia 11 months ago

TACOMA — There have been 755 motorcycle-involved wrecks in Washington this year, 34 of which were fatal, according to state Department of Transportation data.

Six of those fatal crashes and 40 of the state’s 250 wrecks that were thought to involve serious injuries happened in Pierce County this year, according to WSDOT’s Crash Data Portal.

The past two years were particularly deadly for motorcyclists in the state.

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission put out a news release in May, National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, about an increase in fatal wrecks in 2019 and 2020.

“We are concerned about the high number of motorcycle rider deaths and we know that we can all work to prevent these deaths,” Shelly Baldwin, director of the commission, said in the release. “Drivers can watch out for motorcyclists. Riders can improve their skills through training. All of us can respect speed limits and ride and

Car & Automotive

Summer rise in motorcycle crashes hits home with daughter | News

By Matthew A. Garcia 12 months ago

ANDERSON — Nearly a month after her father was struck by an SUV while riding a motorcycle, his daughter says he is still receiving care for his injuries.

Tasha Gilbert, of Anderson, said her father was released from the hospital into a rehabilitation facility last week.

“He still has bleeding in his brain, but they did end up taking the ventilator out.”

Anderson police say Corena Swain was intoxicated and driving an SUV when she struck Lawrence “Kelly” Jones, 47, and his passenger, Lisa Widener, 51, at 11:05 p.m. June 10, Anderson police said.

Swain, 49, is charged with a Level 5 felony causing serious bodily injury when operating a vehicle while intoxicated.

A portable Breathalyzer test showed Swain’s blood alcohol content was 0.205% — more than twice the legal limit — shortly after the accident. She was uninjured.

“It feels like the number of motorcycle accidents is rising,” Gilbert