The mild fall weather has been well timed for the motorcycle industry that’s been stuck in low gear much of this year.
Three times this fall, Robert Miranda has nearly put his Harley-Davidson motorcycle into winter storage — only to bring the bike he calls “beautiful beast” out again for one more ride.
The extended warm weather has kept him riding in November, weeks later than usual. It’s been that way in other states, too, with more than 200 record-high temperatures for October — resulting in October and early November feeling more like September.
“I am loving it,” said Miranda, a member of the Latin American Motorcycle Association chapter in Milwaukee.
Motorcycle dealers are loving it, too, with higher-than-normal customer traffic for this time of year as people squeeze in a few more rides before the weather turns cold.
Quiz:Will you continue riding into the colder months?
“It’s like extra innings of summer. I think people are holding off on winter storage, making sure they’ve exhausted every last 60-degree day. We are seeing a lot more people this fall than we did last year,” said Jeff Binkert, president of House of Harley-Davidson on W. Layton Ave. in Greenfield.
Suburban Harley-Davidson, in Thiensville, had some large groups of bikes pull into the dealership last Saturday.
“It was one of the strongest Saturdays we have had in years, for November,” said Suburban sales manager Todd Berlin.
This winter, Harley is offering a warranty extension so that customers who buy a new motorcycle before April will have added coverage.
“That way, the guy who buys now isn’t going to lose time on the warranty while the bike is in the garage,” Berlin said.
The mild weather has been well-timed for the motorcycle industry, which has been stuck in low gear much of this year.
