Andretti Family sues Power Sports Factory

This Dealernews article sheds light on Power Sports Factory’s dealings with the Andretti family, and PSF’s optimistic hopes of using the Andretti brand to sell Italian-designed, Qianjiang-built Benelli scooters in the U.S. PSF introduced three Benelli models in 2008 and ceased operations in October 2010. Plans to add more Benelli models and less-expensive “Yamati”-branded scooters to the Andretti line never materialized.
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Benelli in trouble?

According to motoblog.it, Benelli sales have been lower than expected worldwide ((Google machine translation). Qiang Jiang, who bought the marque a few years ago, is threatening to close what’s left of Benelli’s Italian-based production and assembly facilities. American Benelli importer Power Sports Factory gave 2strokebuzz an Andretti 150XT (“Velvet” in Europe) to test, you may remember I crashed it in the snow on its maiden voyage, but I’ve put some miles on it lately and it’s a good bike, look for a review (finally!) soon. Surely a good review on a rinky-dink American scooter blog will immediately turn things around for QJ and Benelli.

Andretti test 1: 2sb crashes the Andretti

I’ve mentioned a few times that PowerSportsFactory has given us a Benelli/Andretti 150XT for a long-term test. I also bought a used Blur around the same time to replace the one stolen at the MotoGP race in Indianapolis, and thanks to a few minor snafus in both transactions, a busy schedule, and a little bad luck, I finally obtained plates and titles for both bikes yesterday. Yesterday it was 46°F and sunny, probably the last decent riding day we’ll see until Spring in Chicago, so it would have made sense to pick up the Andretti that’s been blocking a hallway inside my office for weeks now. But what fun is that? I decided to ride it home in the 34° sleet today instead.
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Andretti X50 at dealers soon

PowerSportsFactory tells us that their sporty Andretti Benelli X50 will join the 150XT and M50 at dealers within the next week or two. While we haven’t had a chance to ride an Andretti yet, we were impressed with their display bikes at Dealer Expo 2008. We’ll try to get over to Ace Motorcycle and Scooter and check them out soon. If nothing else, PSF timed their delivery well, Andrettis arrived at dealers just as most other brands were announcing their inventory was wiped out.

Can your bike’s “face” improve visibility?

Neat story on how some motorcycles are designed to resemble a human face:

[Honda’s tests] found that motorcycles that resemble a human face – especially an angry one evoked with diagonal headlights – are “significantly” more visible to other drivers. Measurements taken with functional magnetic resonance imaging confirm that a more lifelike front-end design “elicits a response similar to that when a human face is seen,”

So, in conclusion, The Blur rules, and Andretti’s “Happy Cyclops” just isn’t going to cut it. (Thanks for the great link, Chandler!)

Dealer Expo 2008: Andretti/Power Sports Factory

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Power Sports Factory, who recently announced a collaboration with motorsports legend Mario Andretti and Benelli, wasn’t taking any chances on getting exposure at DealerExpo. Every attendee’s badge had a PSF logo sticking out of the top and PSF ads were prominently placed in every official publication. They had an expensive-looking aluminum-and-glass booth in a great location right near the RCA dome entrance. And, of course they had Mario Andretti, in the flesh.
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“Andretti” scooters

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The latest in scooter badge engineering: PSF’s Andretti Scooters.

Yes, that Andretti.Purchase Point Media Corporation, who recently bought Power Sports Factory, (who sells Chinese-made “Yamati” and “Strada” scooters) has licensed auto-racing legend Mario Andretti’s name for a line of scooters. Continue reading ““Andretti” scooters”