New Indian Riders Group

Attention all riders! Dick Scott’s Indian Motorcycle Detroit is going to establish a chapter of the Indian Riders Group. We will be holding an informational meeting at 7:30 on Monday, April 20th.

The first mention of an Indian Riders Group goes back to 1907, when a group of motorcyclists loosely banded together to go riding. The founding fathers of Indian Motorcycle recognized this loyalty, and wanted their dealers to help promote this feeling by urging them to help form local Riders Clubs. They felt that the association of likeminded individuals would increase the overall experience in riding the motorcycle, foster camaraderie among owners, and give hands-on feedback to the dealer on the good and bad points of the bike.

In the 1920’s the motorcycles had ceased being looked upon as pure transportation, but as a sport. Motorcycling was fun and riding a motorcycle was an experience that you could share with your family and friends. The brand of motorcycle one rode gave you bragging rights over your buddies that had the other one and good-natured (most of the time) competition could only make riding better.

A Riders Group reinforces the strong loyalty amongst its family of riders and can better plan and promote activities for all of its participants. Local and regional rallies can be planned and organized and as the organization grows more benefits can be offered to each member so that the Indian experience gets better and better.

We are looking for all riders; all brands are welcome. The only requirement is that you like to ride and have a good time. If you would like to attend and find out more, please RSVP to Jeff Scott at (734) 398-5454 or send an email to jeffscott@dickscott.com

2010 Nissan GT-R Premium arrives at Automobile Magazine!

Automobile Magazine takes delivery of the 2009 Automobile Magazine Automobile of the Year, the 2010 Nissan GT-R Premium, and they are looking forward to their year-long test.

Read carefully for mention of Dick Scott Nissan, an authorized GT-R agent!

5 Star Safety Ratings for Entire 2009 Ram 1500 Lineup

By Emily Zahm

Safety is a priority for Dodge. That was made clear this week when the all-new 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 Regular Cab and Quad(R) Cab earned 5-star ratings for driver- and front-passenger protection in a frontal crash, the highest ratings in the U.S. government's safety crash test program. Not only that, but the 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 Crew Cab had received the same five-star rating earlier this year, so that now these ratings apply to the entire all-new 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 lineup.

The all-new 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 offers more than 35 safety and security features. Some of the most impressive include the ParkSense(R) Rear Park Assist System, ParkView(R) Rear Back-up Camera, and Trailer Sway Control System. Check out the full list of safety and security features here.

Strong Retail Sales for Chrysler LLC

By Emily Zahm

Over the last month, Chrysler LLC’s sales throughout the Midwest, the Rockies, and the plains areas of America posted a 31.5% retail increase, and also outpaced industry retail sales by 9%. In addition, for only the second time in history, Chrysler LLC outsold Ford Motor Company, placing Chrysler LLC in the top three volume automotive manufacturers in the United States.

How did Chrysler manage this feat in the face of the current economic climate? "Overall, our retail sales position in February can be attributed to an increase in awareness of our Employee Pricing Plus Plus program. It truly gives our dealers a message that resonates with consumers. We will continue this program in March. In addition, March is Dodge Truck Month, and we will add the availability of 'no charge HEMI(R) on the Ram 1500,'" said Steven Landry, Executive Vice President, North American Sales. Employee Pricing Plus Plus offers qualified buyers employee pricing, as well as zero percent financing for up to 48 months through Chrysler financial. These great deals should encourage tentative buyers to conclude that buying a Chrysler, Jeep, or Dodge vehicle now is a smart move, both for themselves and for the economy.

New Nissan vehicles in 2010

By Emily Zahm

It begins with an $118 million dollar expansion of a Canton, Mississippi auto plant, and will end with the production of one of Nissan’s planned line of light-commercial vehicles. This new line, according to Nissan’s vice president of manufacturing, Dan Bednarzyk, “will put them in the right position for the market” come 2010. This extensive expansion includes a new assembly line, a larger paint shop, and a larger assembly area. While Bednarzyk declined to comment on which of the planned 3 light-commercial vehicles would be assembled at the newly expanded plant, there is speculation that it will likely be the NV200 work van, which recently debuted in production form. For more information, see this article.

Nissan Planning Electric Vehicle Charging Network

by Tim Joseph

In 1996 we started seeing a small, funny looking car driving around the highways of Detroit. It was the GM EV1, an electric vehicle that would only be made for 3 years. As part of the lease on the EV1 you had to install a charging station in your home. The driver would be able to travel about 55 to 75 miles between charges making the EV1 an excellent commuter vehicle.

There were so many great things to say about GM's first electric car but there were also some draw backs. You could not travel any further than your battery range and battery technology did not progress as quickly as General Motors had expected. After building 1,117 EV1's and leasing them in California, GM took the vehicles back and destroyed them. This was about the same time the Hybrids came along.

Nissan has an answer the problems GM ran in to a decade ago. Their new electric vehicle will go one sale in the United States in 2012 and will no doubt raise some eye brows. A 30 minute charge will provide the owner with 80% battery power, approximately 80 more miles.

Mark Perry, Nissan's director of product planning and strategy has said that "It will take three layers of charging: home chargers in the garage; workplace charging, including parking lots and garages in downtown business areas; and a public infrastructure built around the normal transportation areas, shopping malls, movie theaters, restaurants, and airports."

Nissan is also asking their dealers to install charging stations as a courtesy to customer who are passing through. This demonstrates Nissan's commitment to the Electric Vehicle program. Nissan's Electric Vehicle will be a 5 seater that uses next generation lithium ion batteries to delivery a range of 100 miles.

Daytona Beach Bike Week: Indian Motorcycle

If you happen to be in Daytona Beach, FL for the 68th Bike Week, stop by the International Speedway to check out Indian Motorcycle. They will have the truck there with the 2009 Chiefs on display.

If you happen to get some good pictures please head over to our Photo Gallery and email us the pictures!

If you aren't able to make it to Bike Week, Indian will be stopping by June 27th with the truck. They will be giving test rides to licensed riders.