RENEE MONTAGNE, Host: NPR's business news starts with skidding motorcycle sales.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, Host: Last quarter, America's iconic motorcycle maker reported a 25 percent drop in U.S. sales.
The world's second-largest motorcycle maker says sales in North America and Europe could plummet as much as 20 percent this year. Yamaha's profits are being hit by a stronger Japanese currency, and demand for motorcycles in developed countries is down. Yamaha plans to shut five factories in Japan.