The motorcycle business is a tough one. Domestically, sales of motorcycles have been sparse, and now new emissions regulations in Europe are making the international market tricky. However, nobody was quite expecting it to hit one of America’s top motorcycle manufacturers this hard…

The End of Victory Motorcycles

Polaris Industries has just announced that it is shutting the doors at its subsidiary Victory Motorcycles. The company claims that the decision was not easy, and it was done solely for business reasons.

The announcement comes as the company reveals that the sales of its modern cruisers have been going down since 2012. Plus, the new Euro-4 emissions laws would force the company to take on new development costs that would make it incredibly hard to turn a profit in the European market. So, Polaris decided to take resources from Victory and invest them into its high-end Indian motorcycle brand as well as its Slingshot brand.

Sales for Indian Motorcycles have been steadily increasing since Polaris purchased the iconic American name back in 2011. Even the Slingshot’s sales have been on the rise since its introduction only a couple of years ago. So, where does that leave the owners of Victory Motorcycles?

Polaris says it will continue to make parts for Victory bikes for another 10 years, as is required by law. The company will also help its dealership network liquidate their remaining stock. This could mean some sweet deals will be available on brand new motorcycles for the savvy bargain hunter.

Do you think Polaris is making a mistake by closing Victory Motorcycles? Do you think this will leave a gap in the American motorcycle market? Tell us what you think on Facebook and Twitter, and keep following the attorneys who ride by following our blog.