WHEELS

Trying to rev up motorcycle sales in a depressed economy, Harley-Davidson Inc. is guaranteeing the trade-in value of some Sportsters when they’re traded for more expensive bikes.

Harley riders who either buy a new Sportster or trade in their recently purchased one between Dec. 26 and March 31 will get the bike’s original manufacturer’s suggested retail price credited toward the purchase of a qualifying Harley Big Twin or VRSC motorcycle.

It’s similar to previous promotions Harley has used to stimulate motorcycle sales through trade-ins.

The good thing about the program is it doesn’t diminish the brand’s value and it reinforces used motorcycle prices, said analyst Craig Kennison, with Robert W. Baird & Co.

“Of all the things that Harley can do to be promotional, leveraging the fact that its bikes hold their value well is a strong message,” Kennison said.

Showroom traffic at some motorcycle dealerships has slowed to a crawl in recent months as unemployment and recession fears have kept even the most loyal enthusiasts from getting new bikes.

It’s probably the leanest time Harley has faced since the company went public in 1986, according to analysts.

“My sense is, you would have to go back before then to find a more challenging business environment. It’s one heck of a downturn, and it’s getting worse,” said analyst Edward Aaron, with RBC Capital Markets.

For the second year in a row, Toyota Motor Corp.’s namesake brand likely will beat Chevrolet and Ford as the top seller in the United States.

Prior to 2004, Ford had been the top-selling U.S. brand for 18 years, and Ford and Chevy have jockeyed for the top spot since then.

But both domestic brands lost it last year when Toyota topped Chevy by 41,296 vehicles in 2007, selling 2.3 million vehicles.

Plummeting SUV sales that came with spiking gas prices earlier this year helped widen Toyota’s margin over Ford and Chevy.

Through November, Toyota sold 1.8 million cars, 185,200 more vehicles than Chevrolet.

Even when excluding Toyota’s Scion brand – which sold 109,777 vehicles through November and is included in Toyota brand sales – Toyota leads the industry, with 1.7 million car and truck sales.

From wire reports