Harley Davidson 2008 Annual Report Download - page 7

…PUSH THE EDGE.
08 > H AR L E Y-DAV I DS ON, I NC. 2008 A NNUA L RE P ORT
THE 2009 SPORTSTER®
XR1200™
FPO
MV AGUSTA
EXPANDING OUR REACH > Italian
motorcycle maker MV Agusta is revered for its
racing heritage and prowess, and for its
luxurious dream machines. MV Agusta offers
two families of motorcycles: MV Agusta,®
a line of premium, high-performance sport
machines; and Cagiva,® a line of lightweight
motorcycles. Harley-Davidson, Inc. acquired
MV Agusta in August, strengthening our ability
to fulll customer dreams
— no matter
how they translate.
BUELL
RACE-BRED TURNS STREE T LEGAL > It started
as an icon. The legendary XR750 has dominated
American dirt-track racing for more than 30 years.
Among motorcycle adrenaline junkies, the two
letters “XR” are as worshipped as “H-D.”
Inspired by that legacy, Styling and Engineering
tamed the small, light XR750 racer into a
comfortable and durable street-legal motorcycle:
the XR1200,
™ an aggressive-minded bike for
riders who are all about the giddyup.
The XR1200 achieves its performance with
larger than normal intake and exhaust
systems that deliver the cooling and airflow
the engine demands. On the intake side,
Styling and Engineering creatively tucked the
gulping air intake under the fuel tank. On
the exhaust side, Styling designed a unique
upswept, straight-shot exhaust system that
looks compact but delivers the right volume
— of
exhaust and sound.
Initially released solely in European markets,
the XR1200 kicked up so much interest from
U.S. riders that it’s now available stateside. In fact,
hundreds of XR1200s were ordered by both
Harley-Davidson and competitive brand riders before
they even arrived in dealerships. Now, a whole
new XR legend is taking shape.
INTRODUCING A LIQUID COOLED
STREETFIGHTER > Buell Motorcycle Company
celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2008 with
the introduction of the 1125CR™ motorcycle
to rave reviews by the motorcycle media. Styled
with a nod to the nostalgic era of the café racer,
the 1125CR wields the muscle of a powerful,
liquid-cooled V-Twin engine and is one of nine
2009 Buell ® Sportbike, Streetghter, Adventure
Sportbike and Blast ® models. Riders with the
streetghter attitude have responded feverishly
to the year’s lineup
— in North America, Buell
retail sales were up 10 percent in 2008.