PACIFIC GROVE, Calif., April 14, 2008 /PRNewswire/ — Harley-Davidson dealerships ranked highest in the newly released 2008 Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index(R) U.S. Motorcycle Industry Study, one of a series of unique national benchmarking studies which measure how consumers are treated when shopping for a new car, motorcycle, RV or boat. The independent study evaluated and benchmarked shopping experiences at 830 motorcycle dealerships nationwide, representing all major brands. (Photo: ) (Logo: )Following Harley-Davidson were Victory, Ducati, Buell and BMW above the industry average, and ten brands below the industry average. Overall motorcycle industry performance was little changed from the previous year, but seven individual brands gained ground over the previous year including Ducati, Yamaha and Honda, while Triumph, KTM and Aprilia were among the eight brands with declining scores.Harley-Davidson dealers maintained the top ranking first awarded in the 2007 Pied Piper PSI(R) study, and despite retreating slightly from their 2007 record, Harley-Davidson still leads all motorcycle brands in more than 40% of the sales process factors evaluated by the study. Examples of sales process factors dominated by Harley-Davidson salespeople include asking for contact information, mentioning the availability of financing, asking for the sale, and giving compelling reasons to buy now. Victory salespeople led all brands for mentioning features unique from the competition and for focusing attention on three to five memorable product features. Ducati salespeople ranked first for addressing features and benefits relevant to the prospect and for offering a test ride.”While industry-wide motorcycle retail sales have been declining, there are brands and dealers who are bucking the trend and increasing their sales by measuring, benchmarking and then improving their dealership sales process,” said Fran O’Hagan, President of Pied Piper Management Co., LLC. Many aspects of the typical motorcycle industry sales process offer opportunity for dealers and salespeople committed to improvement. For example, the 2008 study results show that motorcycle salespeople on average ask for contact information only 38% of the time, encourage shoppers to return only 44% of the time, ask for the sale only 45% of the time, and provide compelling reasons to buy from their dealership only 34% of the time.Telephone and Internet/Email Response Also MeasuredThe 2008 study marked the first time that PPMC measured not only a shopper’s experience at the dealership, but also a shopper’s experience contacting the dealership separately by telephone and by internet or email. Despite the knowledge that a majority of motorcycle shoppers now claim to research their motorcycle purchase on-line, dealerships were often slow to respond to on-line shopper inquiries. When dealerships were contacted by internet or email, 70% of the dealers from across all brands failed to respond in any way within 24 hours. Of those who did respond by email, only 32% offered reasons to buy from their dealership, and only 58% encouraged the shopper to visit their dealership. “History smiles on retailers who give the customer what they want, and there is no question that more and more motorcycle customers prefer internet and email communication,” said O’Hagan, “but the most successful retailers will continue to be the ones who differentiate themselves in person and on-line in areas other than just price.”The 2008 Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index(R) U.S. Motorcycle Industry Study was conducted between July 2007 and March 2008 using anonymous shopper evaluations at 830 dealerships located throughout the U.S., representing approximately one in five of all U.S. motorcycle dealership locations. Examples of other recent Pied Piper PSI(R) studies are the 2007 Pied Piper PSI(R) U.S. Auto Industry Study, in which Acura was ranked first, and the 2007 Pied Piper PSI(R) U.S. RV Industry Study (Class A), in which Monaco Coach was ranked first. For more information about the Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index (R), and the patent-pending Pied Piper PSI(R) process, go to .About Pied Piper Management Company, LLCPacific Grove, California based Pied Piper Management Company, LLC is a program development and management consulting company which creates and runs sales and marketing programs to maximize the performance of dealer networks. Go to .This press release is provided for editorial use only, and information contained in this release may not be used for advertising or otherwise promoting brands mentioned in this release without specific, written permission from Pied Piper Management Co., LLC. Contact: Jarrod Holland Holland & Holland Public Relations Office: (910) 395-4829 Cell: (910) 431-3322 Email: Pied Piper Management Company, LLC

DETROIT, April 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — The often overlooked transmission is proving to be a secret weapon for Ford Motor Company in the quest for improved fuel economy.”Transmission technology is playing a key role in bringing down fuel consumption,” said Craig Renneker, chief engineer for new automatic transmissions for Ford Powertrain Operations. “That’s why Ford is rolling out an industry-leading array of fuel-efficient, six-speed automatic transmissions on more than half of the North American product lineup, including the new 2009 Ford F-150.”And there is more to come. Later this year, Ford will begin producing a new fuel-saving, front-wheel drive six-speed transmission for use first in the 2009 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner, which go on sale this summer.Hybrids, fuel cells and advanced internal combustion engines will remain at the forefront this week when more than 35,000 automotive engineers gather in Detroit for the 2008 SAE World Congress. But the role of advanced transmissions also will be highlighted in panel discussions and technical papers at the annual conference.New transmission technologies are a key part of Ford’s strategy to deliver sustainable, quality vehicles that customers want and value. The new transmissions deliver 4 to 6 percent improvement in fuel efficiency on average compared with typical four- and five-speed gearboxes.”Ford is on the cutting edge of advanced transmission technology,” Renneker said. “We’ve introduced an array of advanced transmission from multispeed automatics to CVTs, but we’re not used to making headlines. Our objective is for the transmission to be invisible to the customer with its performance and smoothness, so I guess we tend to fade into the background.”However, Renneker and his gearbox experts have much to talk about, particularly the highly sophisticated six-speed automatic transmissions in North America and a new dual-clutch transmission called Powershift, which is already delivering diesel fuel economy improvements of 10 percent to the Focus in Europe. Powershift also is planned for future vehicles in North America.”These new technologies are all about fuel economy,” Renneker said. “Particularly, here with the six-speed autos, we’re delivering a wide ratio span that provides a high top gear for fuel-efficient cruising while delivering good launch feel for lower displacement engines. This technology will mate perfectly with the new Ford EcoBoost engines that are on the way.”The significant advancements in automatic transmission technology mean that more drivers in North America will reap the fuel economy benefits traditionally enjoyed by vehicle owners with manual transmissions.Philip Yuhasz, director of transmission and driveline engineering at Ford, will be speaking on a panel on the role of transmissions of the future on consumer buying decisions at the 2008 SAE World Congress. Yuhasz’s presentation highlights the differences in customer preferences between the United States and Europe. Yuhasz will also share his insight into the role of different government regulations and testing regimes for driving manufacturers to develop different technologies for regional needs. Ford Motor Company