IN
THE
WIND
P34
LIKE A SHOOTING POLARIS
I
t's good times at Polaris right now with the Ameri-
can powerhouse reporting a 50-percent sales
increase for Indian Motorcycles and a six percent
growth across all four-wheel and two-wheel plat-
forms in North America.
Polaris recently reported a net income of $46.9
million for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 com-
pared to $88.6 million reported in the first quarter
of 2015, which, according to Polaris,
was in line with company predic-
tions. However, motorcycle segment
sales increased 18 percent in the
2016 first quarter to $188.2 million
primarily due to continued strong
retail sales for Indian Motorcycles.
Victory has also been part of the
party, with the Octane—Victory's first
midsized machine—making its public
debut at the midway part of the first
quarter, although it's too early to see
how this machine has impacted the
market. CN
VINALES FAVORITE
FOR THE HOTSEAT
W
ho will take Jorge Lorenzo's place along-
side Valentino Rossi? The unprecedent-
edly early grinding of the who-goes-where
rumor mill continued with few changes at
Jerez, and most of the grist concentrated on
Maverick Vinales, favorite for the role.
The rider admitted he was considering the
move while also under pressure to stay with
Suzuki, where he is very happy. "I will decide with
my head," he said.
Yamaha's Lin Jarvis also admitted he was on
the list, saying, "Maverick has great potential as
one of the new future talents. But there are other
options with different profiles."
The Ducati situation rumbles on, with the two
Andreas—Dovizioso and Iannone—the only names
on the list to ride alongside Lorenzo, according to
the Italian squad. Both, meanwhile, remain high
on Suzuki's shopping list, while Vinales' probable
departure makes Aleix Espargaro's seat at Suzuki
more secure.
Ducati also disclosed they had approached
Marc Marquez as well as Lorenzo, but boss Gigi
Dall'Igna admitted that negotiations had not gone
very far.
Michael Scott
Maverick Vinales
may not be in
Jorge Lorenzo's
(background)
shadow much
longer.
When you're
selling bikes
you can afford
to burn rubber.
