Giselle Briden is a mother, rider and blogger. I came across her Motorcycle Memoirs site when I asked a mutual friend for recommendations for women to have on the podcast, and Giselle answered the call! Well, the email, but still.
We talked about her numerous trips across North America, including one last year all in Canada due to the pandemic-related border closures. We also talked a lot about motorcycle culture, and that is where I think the gems in our conversation are. Giselle was also featured on a recent episode of Arrive Alive, hosted by my friend Len Bilello, so check that out as well, as they get into a few things Giselle and I didn’t talk about.
You can follow Giselle through her various social media channels, all of which are accessible from her website.
The news this time is a bit Harley heavy, but hey – it’s not my fault they finally held a press event for the Pan America in the US! So sure, BMW patented gesture technology designed to let you adjust your mirrors by wiggling your fingers, but as you know, I’m paying attention to Harley lately to see how they’re doing.
How they’re doing is both good – their stock price is up thanks to a 9% rise in sales overall in Q1 – and bad, since the EU is slapping a 56% tariff on all imported Harleys starting in June 2021. Not everybody is sure the sales rise and stock increase are signs of real recovery, though, so stay tuned. Oh, and they’ve also officially launched their Certified Pre-Owned program for used bikes; tapping into the used market is sure to earn them some money.
Over in the electric world, where the semiconductor shortage hurting the auto industry is starting to cause problems for motorcycle manufacturers, Honda made a major wave by announcing the company would be going emissions free by 2040, and entirely carbon neutral by 2050. That’s the whole company, including motorcycles! Ducati decided to go the opposite direction by saying they won’t be going electric any time soon. It was a disappointing announcement to say the least.
Thanks to webBikeWorld for funneling news our way, and be sure to check out their website for the latest motorcycle news and in-depth product reviews.
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