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www.PowersportsBusiness.com NEWS Powersports Business • January 25, 2016 • 5 POLARIS RECALLS 2,230 2016 RZR XP TURBOS Polaris in December issued a recall on RZR XP Turbo models after it was determined that the vehicles' oil drain line can leak, posing a fire hazard. This recall involves model year 2016 Polaris RZR XP Turbo side-by-sides with Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) 3NSVDE925GF454105 through 3NSV- DE923GF459495. Polaris is contacting its cus- tomers directing and send a recall letter to each registered owner. HARLEY-DAVIDSON DEALERSHIP CLOSES A family-owned Harley-Davidson dealership has closed its doors after 35 years in the busi- ness, according to an article in The Tribune. Kristy Bang-Popowich, manager of Gary Bang Harley-Davidson in Atascadero, Calif., said in an interview the San Luis Obispo news- paper that the local market was simply not large enough to support the business. "It's not a big enough area for our size, and we really need to have that floor traffic," she said. In past years, the dealership has sold more than 120 motorcycles a year, but recently that number has dropped to approximately 50 bikes sold, the story noted. The 27,000-square- foot facility officially closed on Jan. 3. ARI TO PROVIDE BRANDED WEBSITES FOR TORO DEALERS ARI Network Services, Inc. announced in early January that it has signed an agree- ment with The Toro Company, a global leader in the outdoor power equipment industry, to build and host Toro-branded websites for its network of residential and landscape contractor equipment dealers throughout North America. Female motorcycle ownership is at an all-time high according to the latest data from the Motorcycle Industry Council. The MIC's latest Motorcycle Owner Survey found that women account for 14 percent of all U.S. motorcycle owners, well up from the 8 percent reported in 1998. "Women continue to embrace motorcycling like never before," said Sarah Schilke, national marketing manager of BMW Motorrad USA and chair of PowerLily, a group consisting of female motorcycle industry professionals. "Of the 9.2 million owners, more of them are women than we've ever recorded. In fact, the number of female owners better than doubled from 2003 to 2014. And, among the more than 30 million Americans who swung a leg over a motorcycle and rode at least one time in 2014, a quarter of these riders were women." Among younger generations of owners, the percentage of women is even higher. Slightly more than 17 percent of Gen X own- ers, and 17.6 percent of Gen Y owners, are women. Among Boomer owners, women make up 9 percent. "It's encouraging that we're seeing more women among the riders who are entering the sport," Schilke said. "Motorcycling is for anyone, and that's being recognized by younger generations and non-traditional cus- tomer segments." The Owner Survey also revealed what type of bikes women prefer. Cruisers are the choice of 34 percent of female riders. Scooters rank a close second at 33 percent, followed by sport bikes at 10 percent. In the survey, of some 48,000 American households, women were also asked to share their top three reasons for riding motorcycles. They answered "fun and recreation," followed by "sense of freedom" and "enjoy outdoors/nature." When it comes to purchasing a motorcycle, women rate "fuel economy" and "test rides" as the most impor- tant decision-making factors. The study revealed that female riders are safety-conscious. While 60 percent of women took a motorcycle safety course, only 42 percent of men had any formal training. In some state motorcycle safety training programs, women make up 30 percent of the student population. Other key survey results: The median age for female motorcyclists is 39 versus 48 for males. More than 49 percent of women motorcy- clists perform their own maintenance or have a friend or relative do it, instead of taking their bikes to a shop. New bikes are preferred over used by 57 percent of female riders. 49 percent of female motorcyclists are married. 47 percent of female motorcyclists have a college or post-graduate degree. The MIC Motorcycle Owner Survey is free to MIC members, but can be purchased by non-members for $12,500. PSB HOT NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 More female riders than ever, MIC reports See Hot News, Page 31