If there were a reverse gear on motorcycles, Polaris industries are searching around for it over a recent press release regarding the manufacturing and assembling of its Victory line.

Friday morning, a press release was issued regarding a ‘realign[ment of] its operations and refocus on its core strategic manufacturing processes’. Although many of the motorcycle press reported the information directly from the release, with surprisingly little speculation many, such as Clutch and Chrome have been informed by email that we were wrong.

Although Clutch and Chrome never reported what would be made in the expected factories in Mexico, ‘The Freedom V-Twin that is a proprietary and internally designed powerplant that has always propelled Victory Motorcycles will have its production moved to Spirit Lake Iowa alongside the Victory Assembly line,’ the email reads from Polaris Industries.

Press releases that outline a sensitive subject such as a corporate reorganization are often general and purposefully vague, allowing for easier negotiations of specifics and leaves various options open. Out of apparent respect for Victory Motorcycle many writers in the press who have been quick to pass comment on other manufacturers ‘reorganizations’ stayed relatively quiet over yesterday’s news.

The subject matter is a delicate one. For motorcycle manufacturers to survive in today’s economy they all have to deliver value in their products and many are looking to international markets for increased sales. Both of these require a more economic and cost-effective manufacturing process. Triumph Motorcycles, a company that proudly declares itself as British as the Queen herself said in an interview in the current issue of BusinessWeek ‘without the factory in Asia we would not be in business today. We just would not be able to build 50,000 motorcycles and still be profitable’.

The email from Polaris continues ‘this consolidation of operations will increase efficiency for Victory and still maintain the highest standards of quality as required for all Polaris products.’

Even as sources from Polaris have been quick to correct news organizations, in many cases for things that weren’t said or stated, the clarification of how much if any assembly will be completed in the proposed Mexican locations hasn't been made.

While the rush to correct what was officially released will fill the motorcycle headlines this weekend, it overshadows an ugly side to motorcycle production in the United States which is the ongoing loss in jobs. Polaris did state they were actively seeking a buyer for the plant in Osceola, Wisconsin in a hope the staff will have continued employment, but until motorcycle sales improve every person associated with the industry lives in a challenging time.

On a light-hearted note, this recent public relations flurry begs the question, ‘Who knew bikers were so darned sensitive?’