The Motorcycle World Takes On A Pandemic

[Hugh Janus]

Cooped up by COVID? It’s a great time to get those long-forgotten bike projects in order—or start a new pastime. (Joe Hitzelberger/)

Shelter at home. Self-quarantine. PPE shortages. Social distancing.

Even if you’re hunkered down in a panic room near the basement, you’re probably hearing those ominous buzzwords on a daily basis. The ever-growing list of mandated actions (or inactions) and recommended responses to the novel coronavirus is daunting, and everyone’s still trying to figure out how their daily lives (whether personal or professional) are supposed to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic and stay sane—or in the case of businesses, solvent.

You’ve already heard some of the bigger events and companies have slowed their roll or even shut facilities—The Quail Motorcycle Gathering, Harley’s factory closures, and MotoGP season cancellation are prime examples—but for every depressing action, surely there’s a corresponding ray of light? We dug around to find more than a dozen examples of silver linings in this virus madness. Some of them are just feel-good videos, and some of them are awesome acts of generosity, but when taken together, they’ll all help get us out of this funk. Uplifting stuff, to be sure.

Working Through It

One way to deal with a stay-at-home order: Enter a bike contest. (Roland Sands Design/)

Sheltering in place? Sounds like the perfect time to build a bike. Roland Sands, bless his heart, has responded with a pitch-perfect, kick-in-the-pants activity we all needed to distract us from the deepening anxiety, and help, you know, flatten the curve. His answer to COVID-19 is the CoronaVirus Bike Build-Off (CVBB).

Sands told us, “The CVBB was a call to arms to not sit idly in your home and rot while this virus takes from each of us. At the end of this, if you are stuck in your home and you have the ability to at least accomplish something you’ve been putting off, it can turn into a positive experience. I know I started piecing together some long ignored projects and it still makes me feel good to see a motorcycle go together.”

To enter, all you have to do is post your project on social media with the hashtag: #coronavirusbikebuildoff. Various companies are stepping in with cash and prizes for the competition, including Motul, Dunlop, Bell Helmets, Fox Suspension, and Paughco, and there’s a good chance more will jump in as the word spreads, so stay tuned. Things are still pretty open-ended as the contest evolves, but as RSD puts it:

“We are all in this together; borders and oceans may separate us, but the heart of the two-wheeled culture is alive and well and lives through the CoronaVirus Bike Build-Off.”

Details will continue to come from @RolandSandsDesign on Instagram, and you can follow along with #coronavirusbikebuildoff or get more details at rolandsands.com.

Nothing like a good book to pass a rainy day—or a self-quarantine. (Octane Press/)

In a time of enforced social isolation, for some, reading can be good therapy. Octane Press, a small publishing house based in Austin, Texas, has been on the gas harder than ever. “This is no time for book publishers to sit on their heels. We are proceeding with business as usual. I’ve been through a couple of economic downturns as a book maker, and motorheads have typically bought books at solid levels when the economy is down. We’ll make some changes to price points and formats and also are actively seeking books that are good for the times, particularly compelling books that offer compelling reads about travel and adventure,” owner and publisher Lee Klancher told us.

Some shops and dealerships are open, but if they are, they probably have strict distancing rules in place. (Andrew Cherney /)

Legion Motorcycle Company, a compact DIY shop in Portland, Oregon, is normally a hub of activity, with a retail section that sells parts and apparel, a DIY garage space available for rent, and even an onsite barber shop as well as a cocktail lounge. Alas, all those sections are now closed due to public health measures, though the vet-owned business is still providing motorcycle services; Legion says it will work on bikes by appointment only, and in an email, owner Alex Glover sounded cautiously optimistic:

“Our service work has not stopped at all, but we've changed how we're working with customers by eliminating face-to-face interactions. We've moved our service to by-appointment only. Our paperwork and billing is all digital now, so all people need to do is call us and drop off their bike. It's definitely not ideal, but it's how we think we can continue to work and keep decent odds that we won't get sick. It's been hard seeing people roll up to just hang out and shoot the s—t, they see the sign on our door, and then ride away. I think we will be able to make some good moves in the coming months.”

Smaller manufacturers like Arch have more flexibility to adapt to supply chain issues and continue producing. (Courtesy Arch Motorcycle/)

And at Arch Motorcycle, the feeling is similar; representatives say Arch is operating to the best of its abilities while still recognizing and adhering to the government directives in place. Company rep Jordan Mastagni told us, “…[The pandemic]…is probably easier for an agile outfit like Arch to negotiate than it is for bigger companies. Our whole business centers around relationships—with customers, with suppliers, and with colleagues—so we are able to flex with the times. We manufacture and purchase parts in batches and expect to have enough inventory to be able to continue business for the medium term with no impact on supply. The production side of the business [is] rotating shifts to observe safe distances. Arch’s factory is over 100,000 square feet so practicing social distancing is not an issue whatsoever. The show must go on.“

Their physical locations are shuttered, but See See is still cranking out coffee. (See See Motor Coffee/)

See See Motorcycles also chose to pivot its business practices slightly. Thor Drake and his merry band of motorheads isn’t taking this whole virus thing on the chin; they’re fighting it with caffeine. More specifically, with coffee—since the brick-and-mortar side of the biz has had to shutter, they’re starting a subscription coffee model, featuring See See Scrambler Blend, which they say is “proudly roasted in the great NW with our pals at Proud Mary Coffee.” Which makes sense. After all, See See’s full business name is See See Motor Coffee Co.

A few service-oriented dealerships are open, but on a very limited basis. (Cascade Moto Classics/)

Some motorcycle dealerships have had to get creative—if they’re still open at all. Portland, Oregon, area Triumph dealer Cascade Moto Classics is disinfecting all public surfaces in an effort to still allow test rides. Even more helpful is its offer of no-contact pick-up and delivery within a 25-mile radius of the store (with a minimum purchase requirement, naturally). It’s a hell of a nice service in a time of social distancing, especially if you’re stuck at home with a non-operational bike.

Vanson Leathers has adapted by using its facilities to make protective masks for health care workers. (Vanson Leathers/)

Giving Back

After being forced to close its doors as a “nonessential business,” renowned gear company Vanson Leathers in Massachusetts repurposed its facilities to produce face masks for local hospitals. With a staff that was still willing to work, Vanson spaced its machines at least 6 feet apart and applied for consideration as an essential business. Willing employees were brought back to work and are making masks built with two layers of 152-gram cotton with rayon straps, which exceed the International Red Cross requirements. The masks have started shipping out to local hospitals. See more here.

This virus is so nasty, turns out eyewear is a crucial tool in the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) arsenal. The 100% eyewear company has stepped up to help first responders in the battle against the virus by donating eyewear in early March to over 2,000 health care and first responders. The shortage of PPE is severe so the company also sent a shipment of “performance protective eyewear” (its words) to the United Fire Fighters of Los Angeles City, and is also preparing PPE eyewear for frontline personnel in New York City, Denver, Phoenix, and others. There’s also its partnership with Goggles for Docs, an effort encouraging brands and individuals to donate new and used goggles to help fulfill demands for PPE. Get more info here.

Cycle Gear and parent company Comoto are chipping in with donations of supplies for frontline health workers. (Comoto/)

When a bunch of PPE-strapped, dirt bike-riding nurses in Central California told Rodger O’Keefe, Cycle Gear’s vice president of retail store operations, that medical staff could actually use motorcycle goggles to help protect them from the novel coronavirus, he told his higher-ups. O’Keefe’s boss at Comoto Holdings (parent company of Cycle Gear and RevZilla), CEO Ken Murphy, decided Comoto would donate $50,000 worth of inventory to hospitals and emergency management offices to help in the COVID-19 fight. Anyone interested in getting involved with further assistance can contact Martina Mansell at martina@revzilla.com.

No one’s calling Honda a small business, but it is stepping up as well. With auto production halted, Honda of America Manufacturing is putting its North American 3-D-printing capabilities to create protective face shields for medical providers, and is investigating additional ways it can help with the critical need for medical equipment. Beyond redeploying work, Honda also is redirecting supplies. The company said it has inventoried its stock of personal protective equipment throughout North America and has donated much of it, including N95 face masks, to frontline health care workers.

Kawasaki fired up its big 3-D printer to help create new face shields for local hospital staff. (Tyler Furman/)

Kawasaki’s had to adapt as well—big time. When Kawasaki Motors Mfg. Corp. USA in Lincoln, Nebraska, shut down its assembly lines last week amid escalating COVID-19 concerns and supplier shortages, the plant found a way to help one of the largest hospitals in the area by supplying them with key ingredients for hand sanitizer (the hospital was granted FDA approval to make their own). Kawasaki donated two 55-gallon barrels of isopropyl alcohol and two 55-gallon barrels of hydrogen peroxide so the medical staff could create hundreds of gallons of the much-needed sanitizer.

Kawasaki also stepped in to help the Nebraska Innovation Studio in its quest to 3-D print face shields for local hospital staff. Even though the plant had shut down, Kawasaki’s engineering group fired up its large 3-D printer and is printing face shields at a rate of about 12 a day, and will continue until other supply sources can catch up.

Doing Right

With more and more people staying at home and driving less, there have been fewer accidents and fewer insurance claims. And the prospect of paying claims is what insurers base their rates on, so some insurers are sending refunds to customers.

Allstate Corp. (one of the largest US insurers) recently said it would return more than $600 million in premiums; most policyholders will receive a “payback” of 15 percent of their monthly premium in April and May, according to the company. State Farm and Progressive Insurance, also heavy hitters in the US vehicle insurance world, are looking into “considering how to best return some premium to customers,” representatives for the companies said. We’re still waiting to hear back from them on whether this applies to motorcycle insurance as well.

Virtual Bonuses

And then there are the virtual bonuses—web content that’ll get your mind off reality, entertain you, or even smarten you up in the form of photos, videos, and music.

Indian Motorcycle has put out a series of Spotify playlists to keep DIY mechanics in the right mood while they’re wrenching away in the home garage. Listen to Volume 1 here.

MotoAmerica is streaming past races on YouTube for free. Check them out here.

While the Harley-Davidson Museum campus is currently closed, Harley has a virtual tour of its museum as well as other cool bike videos on Facebook—for free. In an effort to stay connected with fans and enthusiasts, the Harley-Davidson Museum social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter) are featuring stories and videos about the museum collection and Harley-Davidson history.

https://www.facebook.com/hdmuseum/videos/532974310691607/

Lastly, there’s Senior Editor Justin Dawes’ daily video recommendation on Cycle World, just to keep things light and beat the funk (and keep us from working—thanks!). Titled CO-VIDs, the series compiles a wide gamut of motorcycling-related videos, with virtual unknowns to big names like Keanu Reeves. It’s a tasty distraction.

Check it out here: Videos To Replace Your Rides During Coronavirus Lockdown

Resources

A lot of small businesses are crunching some difficult numbers these days, having to furlough or even lay off workers in the face of the coronavirus outbreak. The federal government has stepped in with a relief package dubbed the CARES Act, $376 billion in relief meant to support small businesses (generally fewer than 500 employees), with more on the way. Rules and details vary, so see if you qualify and get more info at sba.gov/page/coronavirus-covid-19-small-business-guidance-loan-resources.

The MIC is stepping up too, acting as an aggregator of info and resources for riders and businesses; check out its COVID page here: https://mic.org/#/covid.

Many riders are still on the road, and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation is also contributing by offering a wide variety of digital content that can help while training sites and RiderCoaches are unavailable. Get content here.

And if you’re flat out bored, our sister pub Popular Science has a handy recipe for homemade hand sanitizer. (Yeah, the commercial stuff is mostly sold out in our local stores too.) popsci.com/story/diy/diy-hand-sanitizer/

Meanwhile, stay alert, keep your distance, and ride safe. And wash your hands.

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