In a major development for the American motorcycling world, Polaris announced on October 13, 2025 that it will sell a majority stake in Indian Motorcycle to private-equity firm Carolwood LP, spinning the storied brand off into its own standalone company. Polaris — which acquired Indian in 2011 — will retain a minority equity stake after the deal closes, expected sometime in the first quarter of 2026.

Indian Motorcycle contributed roughly $478 million in the 12 months ending June 30, 2025 — about 7% of Polaris’s total revenues.

From a business standpoint, Polaris says the sale will improve its profitability — boosting adjusted EBITDA by an estimated $50 million and raising adjusted earnings per share by roughly $1.00.

But what does this mean for Indian as a brand, and for riders? There are both potential upsides and risks.

What Could Be Good for Indian — An Independent Comeback

🔹 Dedicated Focus & New Leadership

With Carolwood at the helm and a new CEO appointed — industry veteran Mike Kennedy (formerly of Harley-Davidson, Vance & Hines, and RumbleOn) — Indian now becomes a standalone operation.  That means no more competing for resources inside Polaris alongside side-by-sides, snowmobiles, and off-road vehicles. Instead, Indian can focus solely on cruiser and touring bikes — potentially allowing faster innovation, improved product development, and renewed emphasis on quality and brand identity.

🔹 Stability of Workforce & Operations

According to the agreement, approximately 900 employees — including engineers, designers, manufacturing staff — will transition to the new Indian entity. Production facilities (in Spirit Lake, Iowa and Monticello, Minnesota) and the design and tech center in Switzerland remain intact.

🔹 Brand Heritage & Possible Growth

Indian already carries a legacy muscle: “America’s first motorcycle company,” rich in history and rider loyalty. Freed from Polaris’s broader corporate constraints, Indian could double down on heritage — perhaps new cruisers, updated classics, modern powertrains, and renewed marketing to reclaim or expand its place in the U.S. and global cruiser market.

What Could Go Wrong — Risk with Private-Equity Control

⚠ Private Equity Doesn’t Always Ride for the Long Haul

Carolwood LP, like many private-equity firms, may prioritize short- to medium-term returns. That can pressure the brand to cut costs, limit R&D, or emphasize volume over long-term investment. If sales disappoint, core models might get delayed or scrapped.

⚠ Uncertainty About Quality, Parts Supply & Dealer Network

While Indian says it will continue sales, service, and support for dealers during the transition, the supply chain might tighten. If the new owners push hard for profit — parts availability, warranty support, or aftermarket support might suffer, at least initially.

⚠ Risk of “American heritage” being diluted

With private equity influence, there’s always the danger of cost-cutting or platform sharing that could undermine Indian’s identity among riders who bought into heritage and brand authenticity.

Polaris Keeps a Minority Stake — Why That Matters

Polaris maintaining a minority interest could be a stabilizing factor. It gives Polaris a continued financial tie to Indian’s success. It also may offer continuity in parts of production, supply chain, or resources during the transition. For riders, that could mean less disruption, and the benefit of a partially “seasoned” corporate spine behind a newly independent brand.

At the same time, because Polaris still holds a stake, there is added incentive for Carolwood to honor Indian’s legacy and maintain (or grow) value — which could bode well for long-term stability.

Final Thoughts

As a personal note, I bought an Indian Roadmaster new in 2017, and I absolutely love the motorcycle. In fact, I have never received as many compliments about a bike in my life, and I certainly didn’t buy it for attention—but that’s exactly what it gets everywhere I go. The only ongoing complaint I personally have is that the Indian dealer network is nowhere near as widespread or convenient as Harley-Davidson’s, which means I sometimes have to travel quite a distance just to obtain service. Also, for the last couple of years, the stereo system on my Roadmaster has had consistent Bluetooth connection problems with my Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, and Indian still has not come up with a fix. For a motorcycle in this price range, the Bluetooth should work properly—just like it does on all of my vehicles and other devices.

The sale of Indian Motorcycle may well mark the beginning of a new chapter — possibly one where Indian thrives free from the constraints of a diversified parent company. For riders and enthusiasts, this could bring renewed energy, refreshed models, and greater brand focus.

But with private equity now in the driver’s seat, there is risk. Riders should watch closely — for how Indian handles product quality, parts supply, dealer support, and the preservation of the brand’s heritage.

As always, time and execution — not headlines — will tell whether this deal is a rebirth for Indian Motorcycle… or just another corporate detour.

About the Author

Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq.
California Motorcycle Accident Attorney
Founder – The Law Offices of Norman Gregory Fernandez
Biker Law Blog – Protecting Injured Riders Since 1997

📞 1-800-816-1529
🌐 https://bikerlawblog.com
🌐 https://thepersonalinjury.com

If you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident anywhere in California, contact me personally for a free consultation.

The post Polaris Sells Majority Stake in Indian Motorcycle — What It Means for Riders first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

The post The Future Is Now: Top Technological Advances in Motorcycles for 2025 first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

** March 19, 2020 Update: The entire State of California is now under a stay at home order. Our law firm will remain open during this crisis; however, all law firm employees shall be working from home. There may be slight delays during this time. We pray for all of you and wish you well during this crisis.  

As you know a state of emergency has been declared as a result of the Novel Coronavirus pandemic which is presently spreading around the world.

As of 3/18/2020 most California state courts and Federal Courts, have either closed temporarily, limited access, continue cases (postpone), or have taken other actions, you may click here for a list of all California Courts. You may go to their website to see their specific restrictions. Most courts are still available for emergency hearings such as Domestic Violence, Criminal Matters, and Probate Matters involving elderly or mentally ill persons.

Many courts only have courtcall (phone) or video appearances. Some have no restrictions as of yet.

We will notify you if there have been any significant Developments in your case.

Some of you have informed us that you do not want to travel or present for depositions, court hearings, independent medical examinations, etc. because you are in the high risk group, or you want to socially isolate due to the current pandemic.

We will do everything we can to protect your interests during this time.

Our law firm is dedicated to obtaining justice for our clients and we will continue to do so during this crisis.

Our state-of-the-art computerized management system allows you to interact with us telephonically, through videoconference, through email, or secure messages via our online portal.

Our staff will communicate with you as we have always done.

Our firm will remain open and working during this time. We will continue to keep you updated as the situation develops.

As of now medical professionals are recommending that you; try to socially isolate; wash your hands frequently, for at least 20 seconds; do not place your hands to your face, mouth, nose, eyes, or ears if they have not been washed. If you cannot wash, use a hand sanitizer that has at least 60% alcohol. Wipe off frequently used items such as doorknobs, toilets, or anything that people touch with a disinfecting alcohol wipe; and do not gather in groups larger than 25 people.

Further, stay away from people who are sniffling or coughing, and keep a distance of 6-9 feet from other people if you can.

We also recommend that you start checking you, your family members, people who live with you, or people that work with you in the same office, temperature(s) at least twice a day.

If you have a high temperature, or if you’re sick, you should contact your primary doctor for advice before you present to your doctor’s office. If you have a life-threatening emergency, you should call 911.

Above all, you should not go out in public and risk infecting everyone else. Your doctor will tell you what to do. If you do not have medical insurance, you should contact any local emergency room by telephone and ask them what you should do. You can also pay for doctors’ consultations online if you do not have a primary physician or medical insurance. Simply search for online medical consultations.

If someone you live with or work with has a high temperature you should also contact a doctor for advice. If it is a worker in the same office, they should not be allowed to stay within the office and they should be instructed to seek medical advice.

Although we are not a medical office, you may call us at 800-816-1529 for a free consultation if you have any questions or concerns regarding this announcement.

We pray that you and your family and your loved ones make it through this crisis, and we will see you on the other end.

Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq.
Law Offices of Norman Gregory Fernandez
www.norman-law.com

The post To all clients of The Law Office of Norman Gregory Fernandez, 3/19/2020 Update. first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

Everybody has heard that as of January 2019, California went from giving fix it tickets, for motorcycles that were deemed to be too loud by law enforcement, to outright tickets resulting in fines for motorcycles which they deemed to be too loud.

Before January 2019 you can simply fix the problem, take your motorcycle to a law enforcement inspection center, where they would either approve of the correction and write off the ticket, or require you to do additional work to get the problem corrected. You were not issued any fine.

Now after January 2019 law enforcement can simply give you a ticket in which you can be fined up to 00, whether or not you fix the problem. They can still require you to fix the problem, but the fine will still stand.

As with any ticket, or infraction, you may fight the ticket in court, but I would not do so unless you have a competent attorney like myself at your side in court. There are many ways to beat such a ticket in court.

Although I handle personal injury and motorcycle accident cases all over the state of California, I will limit my excessive noise ticket legal defense practice to courts in Los Angeles and Orange county, California. I will provide consultations to people outside of the area where I am defending these tickets.

The general rule for motorcycles manufactured after 1985 is that the motorcycle cannot emit noise above 80 dB, the exhaust system must not be modified, and all aftermarket replacement parts must have EPA certifications on the equipment. Many aftermarket exhausts will not have EPA certification markings on them. Some will say for off use only; others will say for racing only.

There are many jurisdictions in California that do not put up with loud pipes either from motorcycles, or cars. You can do a Google search on which cities do not like loud exhausts to get an idea of where to be careful.

Frankly, it is really easy for me to determine whether or not a motorcycle is too loud. Before I became an attorney, I was an engineer, and I dealt with decibel readings. If a motorcycle is obnoxiously loud, most people including motorcycle riders can tell right away. There are motorcycles just above 80 dB that you might not be able to tell without a decibel meter.

A decibel meter measures the loudness coming from the exhaust.

If you are pulled over, and law enforcement is alleging that your motorcycle is too loud, and they try to measure the loudness of your exhaust with the decibel meter, try to videotape them if you can, but do not get yourself arrested for obstruction. Try to remember everything that you see. Any facts and details you can remember, will help us defend your case in court.

As I stated previously, law enforcement can still require you to fix any exhaust problem they allege you have, but the monetary fine is not fixable unless you fight it in court and win. Many courts will require you to pay the fine as a bail, before they will allow you to appear before a judge.

Hopefully law enforcement is not going to use the new law to try to line their coffers with money, or to harass bikers and motorcycle club members. This type of law which even with a decibel meter is subjective, meaning it really is up to law enforcement judgment to determine if you are in violation, unless your exhaust system flat out does not comply with EPA regulations.

I recommend that if you’re going to modify your exhaust system, that you keep the stock exhaust system in your garage or other storage location, just in case you have to go back to a stock set up. I myself have my entire stock exhaust set up just in case law enforcement thinks my motorcycle is too loud. I myself believe I am in full compliance.

Another rule of thumb is to not be a frigging idiot on the road. When you pull up to an intersection, do not sit there like a moron and rev your motorcycle. If you’re going through a town on city streets layoff the throttle and rev the engine at the minimum required to not draw attention to yourself.

Modern motorcycles do not have to be reeved when the motorcycle is stopped, with fuel injection and modern engines, you are just wasting gas, and being a noisemaker by revving your motorcycle at a stop sign or light. Now if you have an old pan head you may have to rev it to keep it from stalling, that is a different story.

There are guys on touring motorcycles, cruisers, sport bikes, you name it running open pipes, who have basically ruined it for all of us. Do not give law enforcement an excuse to pull you over for a noise violation because let me tell you something, at a 00 a pop, you will be back to running stock exhaust very shortly if you run up 1 or 2 of these violations. This would suck for guys who have paid thousands of dollars for performance modifications on their engines that require a more open exhaust system.

If you use common sense, I doubt law enforcement is going to mess with you, unless you’re in one of those jurisdictions that harasses bikers and does not tolerate any excessive noise.

If you’ve got dinged with an excessive noise ticket after January 2019, and they are coming after you for a fine, and you want representation in Los Angeles or Orange County, give me a call at 800-816-1529. If you’re anywhere else in the state, you may call me for a consultation.

If you have had a motorcycle accident anywhere in California, give me a call at 800-816-1529. We will take care of you. As usual, don’t be fooled by fancy advertisements from non-riding personal injury attorneys, they have no clue how to ride motorcycles, or deal with the prejudice we motorcycle riders face in court.

By California motorcycle accident attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., April 2019.

The post What is the real truth about the new California 2019 motorcycle noise law; will you get a $1000 fine? By California biker lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq. first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

Approximately 7 weeks ago I thought I would install a battery tender harness on the convenience battery of my sports car which happens to have 2 batteries, one in the engine compartment which controls starting the car, and one in the trunk which controls the electric roof, and electrical components of the car.

I am not a mechanic by any means, but I do minor wrenching around on my motorcycles and my cars from time to time. As a matter of fact, I have done some major modifications to some of my motorcycles. Probably the biggest modification I’ve done a motorcycle, was to add a 2^nd gas tank onto a Suzuki LC 1500 intruder which was an utter nightmare. I’m surprised that I did not blow the damn thing up at the time. Anyway, getting back to the debacle of the battery tender harness install….

So, I managed to get the battery tender harness hooked up to the convenience battery, but I dropped one of the nuts to the negative lead post into the spare tire wheel well. In order to get to it, I would have to lift the spare tire out. This car happens to be a Mercedes-Benz 500 SL which you can see in the picture above, with me sitting in it in Newport Beach, California.

Nobody told me that in order to lift the spare tire out, I was supposed to deflate the spare tire first. So, me, being me, a guy who has been lifting weights since I was a teenager, and a guy who most would consider to be a pretty strong guy, proceeds to start trying to lift the spare tire out of the trunk. I should have realized something was wrong when the spare tire did not lift straight out like it’s supposed to.

Rather than analyze the situation, which at this point I wish I would have, instead I lifted with my palms facing up with much more strength, the back end of the car started coming up, it was at this point that I felt a popping sensation in my left arm between my forearm and my bicep. I said to myself immediately “oh shit.” Immediately after saying that, the pain began.

Now of you know what it’s like when you kick something barefooted like a kitchen table or something and you dance around for a couple of minutes in agony, well the pain was so bad after I popped my arm out, that I danced around the driveway for about 15 minutes. The pain was excruciating.

At my age, 55 years old, I have practice martial arts for 50 years, played varsity football, pop warner football, ran track, played baseball, play basketball, threw the shot put in high school, wrestled in high school, was in the military, and have done bodybuilding much of my adult life. I have pretty much sustained all sorts of injuries all over my body.

This injury, i.e. popping something in my arm, was like nothing I have ever felt before. I knew something was seriously wrong. Stupid me, I still managed to get the spare tire out by letting the air out, I got the dam nut out of the wheel well, completed the installation, and got back into the house, but I was suffering.

Without going into the details, it took approximately 5 weeks to find out I had a partially torn bicep tendon, and I was scheduled to go in to surgery to repair it pretty quickly on the 6^th week. I was told that most people who have this type of tear can lead normal lives without the surgery, but they have to limit what they lift, the tendon can completely tear in the future, and there is permanent loss of strength in the arm for the rest of your life. I was unwilling to live as a cripple the rest of my life.

Good thing I chose to have surgery. My surgeon after the surgery told me that I can expect a full recovery, but that the tear was worse than he thought. He stated that the tendon was 70% torn and that had I not got the surgery there was a strong likelihood that the ligament would have torn completely with very little force in the future. There was so little of the tendon left attached, the he just decided to disconnect it totally, and reattach the entire tendon through an anchor in my forearm bone.

Here I am sitting using dictation software, exactly one week after the surgery, typing this article through the miracle of modern technology. My wife and I have done a ton of research on this injury since I was injured. It turns out that this is a common injury for men over 45. Usually the bicep tendon tears at the shoulder where it connects there, and not the elbow on the bottom part were mine tore.

The injury usually happens when a man lifts something that is heavy palm up. It is more common for men to sustain this injury then women. Since I sustained this injury, I have since found out a few of my friends have had the same injury, as well as some of my Facebook friends.

I have been told by my doctor that I will be in a splint and a brace for at least 3 months, and I will have to undergo physical therapy. Through my research, I have found out that the physical therapy is really painful for this particular injury. I am not looking forward to it. My surgeon told me I can expect a full recovery, and I should be able to lift the normal weights that I am used to.

At this point sitting here suffering, waiting to go to the doctor for my post operation appointment to get the cast off and to look at the wound to make sure it is healing correctly, although what I am really worried about right now is just getting the damn cast off so I can scratch my skin.

I will tell you what, a major decision in getting the surgery was the fear of not being able to ride motorcycles anymore. Had I not got this surgery, my bicep tendon could have ruptured completely at any time by pushing or pulling on a motorcycle while parking, or even riding it.

My doctor told my wife and I that we will be able to go to Sturgis this year which is basically in 4 months and I am looking forward to it.

So, to all of my readers out there and to all of you, if there is any lesson to be learned here, is be careful lifting heavy things if you are not in shape, especially with your palms up. Ask for help if you need to. Otherwise you could tear your bicep tendon and be stuck like me with only the use of one arm for about 3 months.

By California motorcycle accident lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez, March 27, 2019

The post Nothing like losing the loss of an arm for a while to remind you how much you love riding motorcycles first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

November 19, 2018, For Immediate Release. The Law office of Norman Gregory Fernandez, a California law firm, will immediately begin to help victims of the Paradise Fire Disaster that has ravaged Paradise, California, and other areas in and around Paradise, by providing expert legal assistance.

It has been reported that PG&E, the utility that handles the local area, reported a fire due to faulty equipment right before the fire broke out, and it is more likely than not that PG&E will be held responsible for starting the fire.

What this means to you is that you and your family can do a third-party claim for damages against PG&E, for all damages proximately caused by the fire.

You and your family may be entitled to substantial damages as a result of the fire. If a loved one was injured or killed in the fire, you may be entitled to substantial damages for personal injury and wrongful death.

We at the law offices of Norman Gregory Fernandez understand that many of you are homeless now, are staying in temporary shelter, and/or otherwise displaced.

You will be able to sign-up with us via any cell phone so that you do not have to come into our office or meet one of our staff.

Even if you have fire insurance for your home, you should contact us for a free consultation at 800-816-1529 for a free consultation.

We offer our prayers and condolences to the victims of this fire and are here to help you in your time of need.

Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., Attorney at Law, helping Paradise Fire Victims.

The post Paradise, California Fire Lawyer to handle your losses Related to the Paradise Fire first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

As you can tell the Biker Law Blog has undergone a complete remodel and face lift. When I began blogging over 12 years ago and 2006, I never expected to be blogging 12 years later. Back then, a Law blog was known as a Blawg, now the term blog is synonymous with all types of blogs including law blogs.

Many attorneys and legal organizations began writing about all types of legal topics. Many of the original bloggers are no longer blogging, and there are many new bloggers writing since I began. The blog has taken me to many places including the American Bar Association convention to give a speech, the Sandra Day O’Connor school of Law to give a speech, and I have been in many media, and TV newscasts.

With the over 500 articles that I have written over the past 12 years, the old Biker Law Blog format was just not conducive for what has become a site that has over 1 million visitors a month, to be able to find the articles, and information that is presented here. We have therefore converted the Biker Law Blog into a magazine format that makes it easier to find recent articles by category, and to search for articles that already exist.

With the new format, I am looking forward to producing more quality articles for everyone to read.

Stay tuned.

By Injuredbikers.com founder and motorcycle accident lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., October 2018

The post We have undergone a complete Biker Law Blog remodel. first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

404 errors, content not found

A lot has been happening behind the scenes with the Biker Law Blog. Months ago, we updated the site to give it a fresh look and a little modern technology. We just recently discovered that the company who did the updates changed the URL structure of all the posts in the site. What that means is twelve years of articles and links, suddenly changed URLs. A URL is like a phone number. So basically, all the old incoming links to the Biker Law Blog come up with a 404 content not found error. Further, all the internal links from articles within the Biker Law Blog, before the upgrade come up with a 404 error as well. I just discovered the problems and have contacted the developer for a quick solution.

In the meantime, if you’re looking for an article, use the search box to find it.

New Cloud Server

We have migrated the Biker Law Blog to a new Cloud server that has much more memory, and more processing power. This should result in faster load times for the blog, and a better faster experience. The migration was just completed in the last twenty-four hours. If you see any errors, please contact us through the electronic form on the website and report them to us.

SSL security

We have implemented SSL security on the Biker Law Blog. It is the same type of security that banks and web commerce sites use to protect users from having their data hacked. SSL stands for secure socket layer. In a nutshell when you open your browser and connect to the Biker Law Blog, an encryption key between your browser is exchanged, and the data between your browser and the Blog is encrypted so that nobody else can decipher the data between the two. It has been estimated that it would take a supercomputer thousands of years to break the encryption, and it may still not be able to hack the encryption present in SSL. You can be sure you surf the Biker Law Blog, or contact us through the blog, your data is secure.

By Norman Gregory Fernandez, motorcycle accident lawyer, September 2018

The post Technical News about the Biker Law Blog first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

We have been informed by the company that provides the server that runs Biker Law Blog, that in the last 3 days, a patch was put on the server to protect against a meltdown virus vulnerability. Unfortunately, the patch causes 30% degradation in the server. This goes for most Internet servers and not just the one that runs the Biker Law Blog. We have been told that the powers that be are working around the clock to fix the issue.

What this means for you Biker Law Blog readers is that especially during the day when you try to connect to this site there will be intermittent connectivity problems. It might say unable to connect to the database, or give some other error.

All you need to do is refresh your browser, and the sites should come up. Worst-case scenario you might have to refresh your browser a couple times to get the site up. We have been assured that the probably be fixed as soon as possible.

Biker Law Blog Staff

The post Biker Law Blog temporary connectivity problems first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

Injuredbikers.com founder Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq.

As you can see The Biker Law Blog has undergone a face lift.

When I started the blog over 11 years ago, I had no idea that I would still be blogging over a decade later. Many of the people who I met when I started blogging, either stopped blogging, or significantly slowed down. Most are gone. I am glad to still be here.

Over the past 11+ years the Biker Law Blog has had many different looks that have changed over the years due to technology upgrades, platform changes, etc. We have just undergone a new change to how the blog looks and operates, that has been in the planning stages for the past year.

We are still working out some of the kinks, but this will be our new look at least for now.

The Biker Law Blog over the years has become a recognized and respected motorcycle industry publication, with a dedicated and loyal readership. I really appreciate all the people who have subscribed and have kept in touch over the years.

I hope you like the new look of the Biker Law Blog, and that you will give me any feedback as to what you think. Please give it a week or so for all the bugs in case to be worked out.

See you soon, Motorcycle accident lawyer, and Injuredbikers.com founder, Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq.

The post The Biker Law Blog has undergone a facelift first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

My mother passed away on May 5, 2017. Words cannot describe the pain in losing your mother just before mothers day. Below I am posting links to her online obituary, the text of her eulogy, a link to her tribute website, and a tribute video I created for her.

Click here to go to Ann Lorraine Latman’s official online obituary.

Click here to go to Annlatman.com

Below is the text of Ann Lorraine Latman’s Eulogy:

Ann Lorraine Latman Eulogy, May 12, 2017

The children of Ann Lorraine Latman, Norman Gregory Fernandez, her son, and Debbie Louise Fernandez, her daughter, have asked me to tell you about the life of their mother Ann Lorraine Latman.

Ann, Norman, Gilbert

Ann Lorraine Latman, was born on July 22, 1944, in Los Angeles, California, to Nathan & Elsie Latman. Ann was the youngest of three children.

She has an older Brother named Barry Latman, and an older sister named Carolee Latman, who later after getting married, changed her name to Carolee Kish.

Ann has two children, Norman Gregory Fernandez and Debbie Fernandez. Ann has three grandchildren, Carolee Fernandez, Elsie Chacon, and Jacob Fernandez. Ann has two great grandchildren Nathan and Isabella Chacon.

When Ann was a young school girl, she started collecting dolls from all over the world. She would write letters to the leaders of countries from all over the world asking them if they send her a doll and many, if not most of them, in response would send her letters and dolls.

When she wrote a letter to Nakita Khrushchev, the leader of the Soviet Union, in the 1950’s a time when the Soviet Union was a bitter enemy of the United States, and the Soviet leader actually sent her a letter and a doll, it made real waves.

I am quite certain that it caught the attention of the FBI as well, we will never know.

It was such a major deal in the 1950’s that the leader of the Soviet Union sent a young Jewish American school girl named Ann Latman, a doll, that the newspapers, and a major magazine picked up the story and published it.

You will see some of the pictures of Ann’s world class doll collection featured in her tribute video that is scrolling here.

When Ann was a teenager, she was run over by a car.

The car tire ended up on top of her body after the accident, and it took some time before they could lift the car off of her.

It was a miracle from God that she was not killed in the accident. She was told after the accident that she would never have children.

Obviously, god ensured that that prediction was not accurate. However, due to the accident, Ann had pain in her body throughout her life.

Ann’s father passed away while she was young and her big brother Barry became a father figure to her.

Ann graduated from Fairfax High School in Hollywood, CA in 1962. She shortly thereafter married Gilbert Fernandez. They had two kids, Norman and Debbie.

Ann loved her family. She idolized her big brother Barry, and looked up to her big sister Carolee.

Ann, being the youngest of Elsie Latman’s children, was real close to her mother and her sister Carolee.

Barry was off playing baseball in the major leagues, but after he retired from baseball, Ann became close to him as well.

Ann told her children Norman and Debbie tales of her family all through their childhood.

She told her children about her brother Barry who was a star Pitcher in Major League Baseball, about her sister Carolee who was the first woman butcher at Safeway markets, she told her children about cousin Raymond who was fighting in Vietnam, her cousin Julian who was an attorney and she told her kids about her mom Elsie’s sisters, Tessie, Bettie, Lee, and Elaine.

The greatest joy in Ann’s life was family. When we were young, we remember constantly being at Aunt Carolee’s house.

Norman and Carolee’s son Mark Lawrence although cousin’s, basically grew up like brothers. Ann became like a 2^nd mother to Mark, Carolee became like a 2^nd mother to Norman and Debbie.

Mom made sure that we always made the rounds as children to all of our uncle’s and aunt’s houses, and that we spent time with our cousins.

We remember always visiting Barry and Lynn, Nat and Ricky, Aunt Elaine and Marla, Lori, Bruce, and Frank, Aunt Lee and her kids, Aunt Tessie up in the Hollywood Hills, Aunt Bettie and her kids, Aunt Ann and uncle Maury, and others. We had a very full childhood filled with love and family, our mom made sure of that.

Ann instilled in her children a sense of honor, to not lie, steal, or cheat.

My mom holding me when I was a kid

Ann and her husband Gilbert are probably the most honest people you will ever meet in your life. Salt of the earth kind of people. Very humble, loving, and giving people.

Ann would literally give you the shirt off the back if she could.

Ann was the type of loving and dawdling mother that everyone would like to have. She was funny, direct, and instilled a sense of decency on us.

From as early as I can remember, my mother taught me what it was like to be Jewish. Although we are reformed Jewish, we are Jewish nonetheless. My mother made sure we knew what it was to be Jewish. She taught us about the Holocaust, she taught us songs, and taught us that we are among the chosen people.

My mother loved the holiday season. Although we were Jewish, my mother being a 2^nd generation American, also integrated other holidays into our repertoire.

Growing up we not only had a menorah for Hanukkah, with our mother making sure we had Hanukkah gifts every year, but we also had a Christmas tree. We did not really know what Christmas was about, to us it was about the tree and Santa Claus. My mom also gave us Easter baskets and Easter eggs on Easter. We did not know what Easter was about, to us it was about a bunny and the eggs.

Basically, my mom loved to celebrate any holiday because it gave her an excuse to be the loving mother that she was. She always had presents for all the kids on Hanukkah, Easter, Christmas, you name it. She was the stereotypical mother when I came to giving gifts.

Ann also loved to prepare meals for her family. My mom made the best Thanksgiving dinner you could ever possibly want. She used her mother Elsie’s recipe for stuffing. My mom made Thanksgiving dinner, until she was physically unable to do it anymore, and then Debbie took over.

Although grandma Elsie was a fantastic cook who made homemade Verenicas, latkes, and matzo ball soup, my mom made one hell of a fried matzo breakfast. Her noodles and cottage cheese were not bad either. We loved our mother’s cooking it was from her heart.

My mom love being with her family more than anything in the world. Elsie Latman, our mother’s mom, always seemed to be at our house. Elsie Latman was like a 2^nd mother to not only Norman and Debbie, but to also Mark as well. We were a close family.

My mom on left with family at Elsie’s H.S. graduation.

Ann and her husband Gilbert always made sure that there was food on the table for their children, always provided Norman and Debbie with love and affection, and provided a good life to Norman and Debbie. They were not rich, but they always did the best they could.

In the 1970s, under the guidance of her brother Barry Latman, Ann, along with her husband Gilbert Fernandez, moved us up to San Francisco and started to business called Gil’s Hallmark card and gifts.

During this time in Ann’s life, she had a great time owning her own business, and being her own boss. Our mom loved to go with my dad to nice restaurants, and she loved Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas.

Ann loved to play blackjack in Las Vegas probably more than anything else.

Although Ann loved San Francisco, she missed her family in Southern California.

Eventually in 1975 Ann and her family moved back to Southern California.

It was at this time that she became a marketing manager in a telephone sales company in Hollywood California. Ann literally had hundreds of people come through her company attempting to become salespeople, but few made it.

As the marketing manager in this telephone sales company, Ann used the moniker, Mary Nevins.

Ann had many future celebrities come to work for her in this company. She had Mickey Rourke, the band Poison, and many others come work for her before they made it as huge celebrities.

She would tell stories of people that are huge celebrities now begging her to keep their jobs, and offering to do crazy things in return. My mom loved her management job.

Ann would basically give anybody who could speak clearly a job, but if they did not make sales, they would be fired within a day or two.

Ann with Debbie and Norman at Los Torres

Norman knows this well. Before he went into the military, he went to work for his mother, waking up at 5 o’clock in the morning to drive to Hollywood, California to sell office supplies to the Midwest, and to the East Coast. Norman was fired by his mother after 2 days because he did not make any sales. It was a very difficult job. Some of her previous employees may be here today. She was loved by all that worked for her because she was a good person.

Many people were able to survive and pay their bills, because my mom gave them jobs in Hollywood during this time.

During this time of the 1970s, my mother, Ann, and her big sister Carolee, tried several business ventures together, including a knitting mill in Los Angeles. There were sweaters everywhere.

Ann on her wedding night

Finally, our mother and her sister Carolee decided to go into comedy, and formed a comedy group called “The embryo twins.” I remember them practicing their act all the time. A big part of their act was when one of them would sit on a whoopee cushion. When they did this, it made a loud farting sound, which made everybody laugh. My mom performed at the Comedy Store and other venues with her sister Carolee. She met Robin Williams, Gallagher, and other comedians who later became major celebrities.

Unfortunately, one weekend we were all at a pool party at Barry Latman’s house in Northridge California, and a couple of days later Carolee was found dead.

In the 1970s, when Ann’s big sister Carolee Kish passed away suddenly, it hit her very hard. It hit all of us hard. It hit Carolee’s son Mark the hardest obviously.

Ann never really recovered from the death of her sister, they were that close. For a time, Mark came to live us, but then went on his own way too young.

Unfortunately, with the death of her sister, Ann could not continue with the embryo twins, and her comedy career was over before it really began.

My mom and I back in the day.

When the company that Ann worked for as a marketing manager went under, Ann experimented with other ways to earn a living.

She went into retail for a while, where she sustained a head injury that caused her to be permanently disabled and not able to work anymore.

When Carolee Fernandez, Ann’s son Norman’s daughter, suddenly stopped breathing in 1985 due to an illness, Ann came to the rescue and saved her life by grabbing her by the feet, holding her upside down, and patting her back until she started breathing. Ann was a hero.

A short time after Ann’s mother Elsie passed away suddenly. When Ann’s mother passed away it was utterly devastating for her, and she never fully recovered from it. She lost two of the most important people in her life.

Today with her passing, Ann will be reunited with her father Nathan, her mother Elsie, and her sister Carolee all of whom are interned here at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Ann will be laid to rest next to her sister Carolee and her mother Elsie.

Ann with her sister Carolee Latman, father Nathan Latman, and mother Elsie Latman in the 1950’s

In 1993, when Ann’s son Norman obtained custody of his daughters Carolee and Elsie, while he was in Law School, Ann without hesitation agreed to take them in and raise them as if they were her own daughters even though they are her grandchildren.

She raised them as great kids, to adulthood. Ann is for all intents and purposes the mother of Carolee Fernandez, and Elsie Chacon.

It is children and being a mother, that above all gave Ann the most satisfaction in life.

Ann cared very little for herself. Everything she did was for other people. Ann was a woman of very modest means, yet she always bought cloths and gifts for others, forsaking herself. She was always a giver.

When her daughter Debbie had a son named Jacob, Ann cared for him as an infant while Debbie was at work.

Words cannot describe how much Ann Lorraine Latman will be missed by those who knew her and loved her.

In the final years of her life, Ann had debilitating pain in her back and other serious health issues.

A few years ago, she suffered a stroke and almost died.

When she was unable to care for herself anymore, she lived in a skilled nursing facility.

When she was taken to the hospital in her final days, her final words before being put on a ventilator were her calling out for her mom, Barry, Carol, and Mark.

None of us realized just how sick she was.

Ann passed away on May 5, 2017, on the Sabbath, with her son Norman and her daughter Debbie by her side. A Rabbi came earlier in the evening and said the appropriate prayers.

Just before she passed Norman said the appropriate prayers.

Ann was 72 when she passed. She missed 73 by two months.

I believe that when a righteous and good person passes, god put clouds in the sky to signify the passing of a righteous and good person. This was true when our grandmother Elsie passed away, and this was true when our mother Ann Latman passed away. It was cloudy and rainy for two straight days after her passing, last week just after May 5. Usually it is sunny and hot in May.

We are all glad that you could make it here today to pay tribute to the life of our mom Ann Lorraine Latman. She may be in heaven now reuniting with her family and god, but she will never be forgotten by those who knew her. She lives on in her progeny now and hopefully to the end of time.

When you go outside today take a glance at the trees, the sky, and the beauty one last time for Ann Lorraine Latman, a righteous and good woman, whose spirit has now left this world, and reunited with the lord for eternity.

Thank You, Norman and Debbie.

Written by Ann Latman’s son Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., May 12, 2017

Below is a tribute video I made for my mom.

Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., May 13, 2017

The post Ann Lorraine Latman, July 22, 1944 – May 5, 2017, Rest in Peace Mom first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

The Biker Law Blog has been named 1 of the top 100 motorcycle sites and blogs for motorcycle riders on the planet by Feedspot.com .

Some of my competitors appear on the list as well, frankly I do not know why, there’s much better content and pictures on my site 🙂

all kidding aside, I have been so busy with litigation lately they haven’t been putting a lot of content on here, that soon will change. The biker Law a is getting a minor makeover to make it compliant with the new standards, and so that will be much easier to read with a cell phone.

I would like to thank Anuj for bestowing this honor to the Biker Law Blog.

By California motorcycle accident lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez.© March, 2017

The post The Biker Law Blog has been named 1 of the top 100 motorcycle sites and blogs for motorcycle riders in the world first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

Polaris Industries, the parent company of Victory Motorcycles announced yesterday that they were ceasing operations as a January 9, 2017. Victory Motorcycles is no more.

The CEO of Polaris industries, Scott Wine, stated that it was a difficult decision for the Board of Directors and he, but Victory Motorcycles despite significant investment by Polaris industries, was never profitable.

The last few years Polaris Industries shifted much of its attention to getting Indian Motorcycles restarted to compete with Harley-Davidson. Some believe that this shift was responsible for the demise of Victory Motorcycles.

Victory Motorcycles was one of just a few American motorcycle brands on the market today.

I know this news will be a shock to many people who have gone out and purchased a Victory Motorcycle. I personally thought that the victory motorcycle was a good concept, but never actually rode one.

On a personal level, it is kind of upsetting to know the Victory Motorcycles did not make it. I think Victory put Harley-Davidson on notice that they had to make changes to make their motorcycle more competitive on a technological basis.

Goodbye Victory Motorcycles. What we have left is Harley-Davidson, and Indian Motorcycles with respect to American brands.

By Norman Gregory Fernandez, Motorcycle Lawyer.

The post After 18 years in operation Victory Motorcycles is no more first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

Visibility is one of the biggest concerns when it comes to the hazards of riding a motorcycle, however a new product introduced at the Consumer Technology Association (CES) 2017 promises to solve that problem while adding even more passive features.

For the first time, there is now a smart helmet accessory that provides the first wearable brake light linked to smartphone application.

Developed by a French startup that are experts in the development of interconnected objects for motorcycle safety, it is called the Cosmo Connected.

The device has a straightforward as well as clever design, which can fit on all kinds of helmets using an adhesive and a special clip-on support so that you’re able to attach it to your helmet, and conveniently remove it if not required, it can also be worn on an additional helmet.

The Cosmo Connected emits a red signal light at visual eye level towards the driver of the vehicle behind the biker for additional visibility while braking. When not decelerating, the device continues to flash so the rider can be seen.

The braking light will switch itself on even when slowing down without having utilizing the brakes. We all know how dangerous it is when we downshift on our motorcycles when there are cars behind us, because even though we are slowing down by using engine braking, there is no brake light. Maybe in the future motorcycle manufacturers will design the brake light on a motorcycle to come on during deceleration, this is a critical feature.

Produced from durable plastic to withstand all-weather conditions, the gadget weighs in at no more than 200 grams and is designed to easily detach from the helmet in case of an accident.

On the subject of accidents, the Cosmo Connected will through your smart phone app call rescue personnel within 3 minutes, giving them the emergency alert plus, the GPS coordinates from the rider’s location, as well as the rider’s health profile. As a possible option, the app can be set-to alert friends or family in case of accident as well.

This device will have the ability to hook up with your smartphone through Bluetooth and will give low-power notifications once it is time to recharge the battery. If all works out, the Cosmo Connected will be on sale as of May 2017.

Below is an advertisement video from the company.

As a longtime motorcycle rider who rides thousands of miles per year, if this device is a simple and inexpensive as I think it will be, I will be the 1st one to buy this device and attach it to my helmet. Even with a ½ helmet, or a beanie helmet, this device could not hurt at night.

I am excited about some of the new things I’m seeing on the motorcycle market these days.

By California motorcycle accident lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez, January, 2017

The post A new helmet mounted wireless braking light is coming out! first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

Well folks it’s been a real interesting year.

I am announcing the termination of my partnership with Lawrence A. Moy.

I have been friends with Mr. Moy for many years. They say friends should not go in the business together, and I fully agree. If any of you have any questions regarding the termination of my partnership with Lawrence a Moy, give me a call to discuss.

The Law offices of Norman Gregory Fernandez & Associates is back. We aim to provide excellent customer service to all of our clients.

We have meeting locations throughout the state of California, and have a central prelitigation office in Huntington Beach California.

I just got back from the 75^th annual Sturgis motorcycle rally, in Sturgis, South Dakota. Although it was not as good as previous years, it was definitely more crowded, and it was a blast. I will be writing about it soon.

It appears there are 2 primary marketing outfits advertising to bikers at the motorcycle rallies.

I am not going to name them, but one of them says they are tigers, and the other rhymes with rust.

The last I checked the one that’s named after the animal, is an association of attorneys that does marketing for lawyers, and that anyone can join for an annual fee. Basically they are marketing for those that pay the annual fee. The other signs up cases, and refers them out to associated attorneys, in return for a referral fee. Both of these outfits make it appear to bikers that they will be represented by real biker lawyers from their organization. I think their advertising is grossly misleading to the biker community.

I am sure there may be legitimate motorcycle riding attorneys associated with either one or both of these outfits, but as for me I think it is absolutely disgusting for attorneys to be advertising in this misleading manner at motorcycle rallies, I think it’s bad karma.

As for me, I am the real deal. I ride and I do motorcycle cases. I’m an expert in motorcycle cases. If God forbid you have a motorcycle accident call the guys I mentioned above, and then call me. I’m sure you want to sign up with me after talking with me.

With respect to the biker law blog, thank goodness, we are on a new server. You may have noticed delays with comment moderation, load times of the blog, and my flat out not updating the blog very often anymore. The fact is the biker law blog has become a huge monster. At the present time it takes up about half a terabyte of bandwidth per month, and is almost 2 GB in size. Our previous web host severely limited what I could do with the blog. Many times it was suspended for using too much bandwidth. Hopefully this problem has been resolved.

I look forward to writing many new articles in the near future. I look forward to hearing any feedback.

California Personal Injury Attorney, Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq.

The post Law firm and Biker law blog news first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.