DEALER NEWS
M&P closes Cardiff store
TT attendance hits near record
MANUFACTURER NEWS
Triumph gets five-dealer boost
New Jersey dealer for KTM
DEALER NEWS
Lloyd Cooper shuts after 125 years
Enfield reveals electric prototype
REGISTRATION DATA
Full year DfT sales figures by brand
£650m grant for electric cars, but government ignores motorcycles – again. Full story on page 12
HEAD OF CONTENT
Andy Mayo: editorial@dealernews.co.uk
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M&P Direct, which was taken over by new management earlier this year, announced the closure of its Cardiff branch from 4 July. The firm says it will concentrate its efforts on the original, long-standing operation in Swansea, where it’s poised to open a new superstore at a brand-new location.
The new M&P Swansea store, located just two miles from the current base, is set to be a multi-brand and multiactivity superstore in new premises, alongside cafes, restaurants, and associated retailers. The firm says it needs
M&P says it will concentrate its efforts on the original, longstanding operation in Swansea, where it’s poised to open a new superstore in February
to combine all operations at its current Swansea base, where the e-commerce and warehouse operations are located, in preparation for relocation to the new site in February 2026.
The company has confirmed redundancies at the Cardiff store, which opened in 2019 and served as the base for its Ducati Cardiff, Royal Enfield,
and MotoGB franchises. However, it says it will try to offer suitable roles in Swansea, where possible. In the meantime, customers are advised to visit the Swansea store at Phoenix Way, Gorseinon, Penllergaer, or call 01792 224400.
Peter Graves, M&P CEO, said: “I want to thank our Cardiff colleagues for the
THE FALLOUT FROM THE FINANCIAL collapse at Pierer Group continues, with another one of its former partners moving on. Chinese bike manufacturer CFMoto, which had formed a strong relationship with the KTM parent firm, has appointed a new UK and Ireland distributor, replacing the deal it had with KTM UK to bring in its products.
The new importer is no stranger to CFMoto – it’s Quadzilla, which has been the UK agent for CFMoto’s ATV and side-by-side machines since 2006.
The brand relaunched its two-wheel UK
exceptional work conducted so far. For M&P as a whole, it is necessary to plan for our future, as we build an impressive centre for motorcycling in Swansea. We are confident that this will represent a next-level experience for our loyal client base, as we remain committed to offering an excellent service to the motorcyclist community in Wales.
“And we’d like to thank manufacturers and other commercial partners for their willingness to go with us on this journey to a strong motorcycling business fit for the future.”
operations at the ABR Festival, showing off a full range of bikes, including the 125NK learner-legal naked bike, the 450MT adventure-tourer twin, 675NK naked and 675SR-R supersport triples, plus the 700MT and 800MT-X adventure bikes.
CFMoto has confirmed that Quadzilla will begin building a progressive and customer-focused dealership network. Customers awaiting pre-orders of the 450MT were also informed that their bikes would arrive in August, with the rest of the line-up available from
September this year.
Quadzilla MD Harry Hinkley said:
“We’ve been proud to represent the CFMoto brand for nearly two decades, and this next chapter is a natural evolution. CFMoto Motorcycles offer unbeatable value, technology, and design – and we’re excited to bring that to UK riders with the level of support and service they deserve. I can’t wait to get out on these bikes myself!”
More information on CFMoto at: www.cfmoto.co.uk/motorcycles.
MANY CAFFEINE ADDICTS
will be familiar with loyalty cards and discounted refills for their own cups – most coffee shops operate schemes to keep customers happy, ensure repeat business, and help the environment.
Now, British cleaning kit specialist Muc-Off has launched its own version, with a new Refill Station setup for dealers. The new in-store system allows riders to refill their own spray bottles with Nanotech Bike Cleaner while collecting stamps on a loyalty card. It’s been designed to be a massive attention grabber, with a large, bright pink design. Aimed to boost footfall while also cutting plastic waste, Muc-Off says its new station combines a tough stainless-steel design with plug-and-play simplicity. It comes with promotional tools and POS assets to help retailers maximise visibility and uptake and only needs a mains power source and refill concentrate to start operations.
More information is available from area sales representatives or at: www.muc-off.com.
No, not a Sopranosthemed American retailer for the orange brand, but a new store in the Channel Islands. KTM, which has been short on good news lately, was pleased to announce a new outlet for the brand last month. The Mansell Collection in Jersey, a premium car and bike dealer, is taking on the Austrian brand from this month.
Greg Mansell, CEO at The Mansell Collection, said: “Both The Mansell Collection and KTM have racing etched into their DNA. I’m very excited to see what we can achieve together moving forward, not only for the consumer market but within local motorsport, supporting current KTM racers and new ones.”
KTM UK MD, Matt Walker, said: “Expanding our presence in the Channel Islands presents an exciting
opportunity to engage with a wider community of riders and invite them into the KTM family. The promising future ahead is an exciting one, and I look forward to a successful and lasting partnership with the Mansell team.”
The Mansell Collection is
now open as an authorised KTM dealer, offering new and used motorcycle sales, KTM parts, clothing, and accessories, as well as technical and service support for current KTM owners. More information: www.themansellcollection.co.uk
Suzuki has cut up to £1300 off its big bikes, with novel capacitybased discounts across the range. The GSX1300R Hayabusa gets £1300 off its OTR price of £18,599, while the GSX-S1000GX, GSXS1000GT, GSX-S1000, and the Katana come with £1000 savings. The GSX-S950 sees £950 knocked off the OTR price, while a handy £800 can be saved on the award-
winning GSX-8R and GSX8S, plus both variants of the V-Strom 800: the DE and RE.
And on the larger V-Strom, £1050 has been shaved off the 1050RE and 1050DE models, while buyers of the SV650 and V-Strom 650 will save £650.
In addition, the GSXS1000GX adventure tourer, featuring Showa semiactive suspension and a comprehensive electronics package, is available with 0% finance, as well as the £1000 saving, meaning punters can ride off for £109 per month over three years with a deposit of £2775.
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We’re seeing a lot of ups and downs in the bike trade these days, so it’s good to report some positive news. Ducati UK recently announced (reported in our July issue) a brand-new retailer in East Sussex, and BDN’s Alan Dowds travelled there to attend the grand opening of Ducati Hailsham last month.
The dealership is a partnership with Sykes Motorcycles, which has been operating in
the area for more than 20 years under the ownership of John and Denise Sykes. Sykes currently operates HarleyDavidson and Royal Enfield franchises, and the Ducati store is in a new location, a couple of miles down the road from the Harley store.
The opening day was a big success for the firm, with a massive turnout from local fans. Carl Fogarty was star guest, and it’s fair to say that the WSBK ace remains a big draw, with punters queuing up all morning for selfies and getting signatures on caps, T-shirts, Shark replica helmets and even their motorcycles. I spoke to one 916 owner who
was already working out how to lacquer over the precious autograph on his tank…
Aside from top celebrities, the store is a very high-end operation, with ample floor space, a large brand-new workshop installation, and plenty of room in a fullsized unit next door (there are plans to expand with a used bike outlet there in the near future).
I spoke to Steve Willis, dealer principal and MD of Sykes, at the opening event. Willis has been with Sykes at the HarleyDavidson branch for 23 years and is also
heading up the new Ducati operation. He was a man with plenty to do on the opening day, but was keen to talk about the experience. I asked him where the Sykes relationship with Ducati began, “Ducati came to see us. Sykes HarleyDavidson is situated on a two-acre site; we’ve a 10-bike bay workshop, separate from the showroom, and a separate facility at the bottom of the yard, which houses 80 bikes. So they were impressed, we’ve put a lot of time, energy and investment into it; we wanted to be a partner, and we were attracted to each other from the word go. The relationship’s been very good. “It all started when I went to Misano in 2022 [for World Ducati Week]. I remember
being in a hotel, and I was Billy no-mates, but there was a group of people from Manchester, and they were all having a laugh. They said, ‘Join us!’ And I sat with them and I thought, this is just like our community down at Sykes, but they’ve got red and black on, not orange and black. But they’re the same: the same humour, the same community spirit – the fact they were riding Multistradas, rather than Street Glides, was the only difference! Everybody loves riding together, having fun, and socialising, so I decided Ducati would probably be a strong brand for us. Plus, it’s a luxury brand, and we like doing customer service.”
We knew Ducati would probably be the strongest brand for us. Plus, it’s a luxury brand, and we like doing customer service
wasn’t a smooth one, though, with the firm’s original location ruled out due to environmental concerns. “It took three years to get here. Planning permission took over a year and cost 10 grand for a building that we didn’t own. Our application failed: they did forest searches on erosion and traffic count and all that stuff.”
Steve Willis, MD, Sykes Motorcycles
The final location, which has six new staff members plus additional roles planned, is situated within a trading estate, allowing for existing planning to be leveraged.
The route from 2022 to now
Willis outlined the work put into making the new store that bit more special. “We’ve got a fantastic relationship with Henry Pearman who has a superb collection of Ducati racebikes now on display in the showroom. Without them we would be like any other Ducati dealer: same bikes, same clothing, same wall cladding! So, our niche has to be high-end, with amazing-looking bikes like the Rossi, Stoner and Capirossi race bikes. We also have three Superleggeras and two Desmosedici RRs as well.”
Ducati Hailsham stevew@ducatihailsham.com www.ducatihailsham.com
Despite poor weather, and an unexpected dose of rider risk-aversion, pulling the Senior TT race plug, spectator attendance for the 2025 TT still reached record figures.
The Isle of Man Steam Packet ferry predicts its finalised exit data will show more than 39,400 passengers travelled by boat to the island during the 22 May-9 June TT period. This will represent a 5% increase on 2024’s total of 37,808 – which was itself a record outside of the 2007 Centenary TT, when the Steam Packet operated a fleet of five vessels to bring in more than 47,000 fans.
Given advance ferry bookings are already at record levels for TT 2026, Steam Packet managing director Brian Thomson was understandably effusive. “This has been a great result for us and the wider Isle of Man economy,” he said. “We work closely with TT organisers, teams and marshals to help make the event successful and we’ll be looking to build on
this success next year and into the future.”
However, the Isle of Man’s Ronaldsway Airport admitted to suffering a “modest” 3% decline in overall flight passenger numbers in the 22 May-9 June slot. Ronaldsway dealt with 1236 aircraft movements (a 1% increase year-on-year) and handled 52,785 passengers. Commenting, airport director Geoff Pugh said: “Despite a slight dip, TT-specific charters achieved a 94% load factor.
EasyJet led the way with 34,976 passengers across 272 flights, Aer Lingus and Loganair carried a further 15,600 passengers, while private jet and charter traffic remained steady. We are pleased to see such solid load factors from our key carriers and a huge thank you is due to all our airport teams, airline partners and support staff for making TT 2025 another successful year.”
Both the Steam Packet ferry line and Ronaldsway Airport are wholly-owned Manx government corporate entities.
MAJOR UK PARTS AND accessories distributor Hoco Parts has taken on the full range of SBS Friction products. The Huddersfield firm says the new deal is a significant milestone in its development, and that it further strengthens its position as a key supplier within the UK motorcycle industry.
Under the new exclusive agreement, Hoco Parts UK is now delivering the full SBS Friction range, including brake shoes, discs, and pads, as well as clutch kits, from its central warehouse in Huddersfield, and will serve both the road and off-road markets.
“We are delighted to be working closely
with SBS Friction,” said Mark Fenwick, UK country manager at Hoco Parts. “SBS is a globally respected brand, known for its quality and performance, and we are proud to make these products more widely available to our customers.”
SBS Friction, a Danish manufacturer of motorcycle brake parts, was acquired by Brembo, the Italian maker of automotive and motorcycle braking systems, for £26.9m in 2021.
For more information on fitment details and pricing, contact 01484 641073; www.hocoparts.com
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Even the Labour government’s best friends would probably agree that it’s not having a great time at the moment. However, it scored a win last month when it announced another tranche of cash to support electric vehicles. Transport secretary Heidi Alexander, handed out £650m in new electric car grants but made no mention of any help for the moribund electric bike sector. The current basic Plug-in motorcycle grant, which offers up to £500 off an electric motorcycle valued at up to £10,000 (mopeds are excluded), continues until April 2026. There was no word of expansion or renewal.
Both the Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCIA) and the National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) have criticised the lack of any new investment for electric two-wheelers and light vehicles. The MCIA welcomed the announcement as far as it went, but bemoaned the exclusion of bikes and light L-category vehicles.
“The announcement sends a strong signal to car manufacturers and buyers, but once again, the government has failed to recognise the enormous environmental and economic potential of zero emission L-category vehicles,” said MCIA CEO Tony Campbell. “With the Plug-in Motorcycle Grant set to end next April, and no alternative incentives on the table, there is now a serious policy gap. Electric motorcycles and scooters are already roadready, affordable and ideal for urban and last-mile personal and delivery transport, yet government support is vanishing just as it is expanding for cars.
“We urgently call for a bespoke incentives programme for L-category vehicles, both
for consumers and businesses. These should include point-of-sale grants, access benefits to zero-emission zones, parking advantages, and charging support, especially for fleet, logistics, and delivery users, where electrified light vehicles can make an immediate impact.
“If this government is serious about net zero, levelling up transport, and tackling congestion, it cannot continue to ignore our sector.”
The NMC issued a detailed critique of the plans and called for an increase in the level and scope of support for riders changing from petrol to battery power. It also pointed out that a decline in past support, especially for mopeds, has contributed to a serious sales slump in the electric motorcycle sector.
NMC executive director Craig CareyClinch said: “With new grant support made available for electric cars, the government now has the ideal opportunity to support zero CO2 motorcycling by both renewing and strengthening the grant framework for motorcycles next April, so providing proper support for riders who choose to make the switch. Flexibility is needed for the motorcycle grant, so that the full range
LONG OVERDUE STEPS TO REGULATE the use of e-scooters could be on the way. A report in the Daily Mail (23 July) says that the government plans to force riders to display licence plates, reduce the speed limit from 15.5mph to 12.5mph, consult on a minimum age limit of 14, make insurance compulsory and introduce mandatory rider training. Attributed to a government source, the Mail says the police will welcome the crackdown. Over a three-year period, the
police estimate e-scooters have been linked to more than 20,000 crimes, many of them drug-related.
Around 1.2 million e-scooters are in use. Only machines operated by approved rental companies can be legally used on the road; non-rental bikes can only be used on private land.
Margaret Winchcomb, of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, said: “Bringing in long-
of alternatives, both currently available and also future products, can be supported in a technologically neutral way.”
Carey-Clinch also pointed out that the lack of any support for electric moped purchases has further exacerbated the problem with illegal e-bikes.
“The rise of illegally used high-powered e-bikes in recent years, particularly within the gig economy, is causing a great deal of concern given the safety implications of these bikes being used without registration, licences or insurance. The removal of the moped grant had a part to play in this, and it makes sense on several levels for the government to make legal electric mopeds more financially attractive to those on low incomes working within the gig economy and also to vehicle-dependent households where an electric moped would offer a sensible alternative to the car.”
Both organisations also emphasised the significant role motorcycling can play in reducing pollution, congestion, carbon emissions, and journey times, especially in urban areas where more support for electric bikes would help mobility.
promised legislation will mean the UK, now the last country in Europe backing e-scooter regulation, will be able to deal with irresponsible sales to children and improve safety for all road users.”
The longest day is only a few weeks past –but the thoughts of would-be exhibitors are already turning to the flagship event of the year –Motorcycle Live at the NEC in Birmingham.
Alan Dowds asked the organisers, MCIA Events, about its plans for 2025 and how the show is looking so far.
Show boss Finlay McAllan, told him: “Last year’s show saw us press the reset button, delivering new content, live music, street food and an exciting new feel to the show. Plans for this year are already well in hand, and visitors can look forward to visiting the Festival Zone, which will include the awesome FMX action and a bigger, more exciting Moto Trails show. Grace Webb will once again host the Expert Lab, delivering interactive interviews with guests, riders, celebrities, and industry specialists. The MotoGP race simulators will also offer free rides for visitors.
“Those looking to experience the various street food outlets can also look forward to live music, from local bands in The Live Lounge – sponsored by Yamaha.
“As the UK's biggest and best live motorcycle event, it’s one not to be missed!”
McAllan added that the event also has new branding for this year: a “modern and clean logo to reinforce a new invigorated show”. The logo retains its red, white, and blue colours to denote its place as the UK’s largest motorcycle show and to maintain some association with previous logos.
Bikesure Insurance has also signed up again as the “in association with” sponsor, while Black Horse continues to sponsor the headline entertainment Black Horse Stage, hosted by James Whitham and located in the Festival Zone.
Businesses which want to be part of MCL 25 as an exhibitor or sponsor, and haven’t already registered interest, should contact Penny Kidson on: p.kidson@mcia.co.uk
MOTORCYCLE LIVE HAS LAUNCHED AN EARLY-BIRD OFFER, giving visitors who purchase advanced tickets online an exclusive free Roadskin T-shirt worth £24.99. Ian Wilson, CEO of Roadskin, said: “We are very pleased to be a partner of MCL. It’s an incredible event that brings together the motorcycling community, and we’re looking forward to showcasing our protective gear to riders who value safety and style as much as we do.”
The Labour government, which has been in place for just over a year, is intent on shaking up the economy. The creation of a new body, Skills England, is just one part of its legislative programme.
Skills England has been given a clear goal – “to transform opportunities and drive growth… to bring together key partners to meet the skills needs of the next decade across all regions”.
And it’s needed because, as the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) said in October 2023, “The lack of a strong system for retraining and upskilling workers to operate effectively in the workplace and take advantage of changes in the economy and technology is one of the main contributors to the skills crisis.”
According to the Productivity Institute, the idea for Skills England isn’t new; it was first mooted in Autumn 2022 when a report by David Blunkett and the Council of Skills Advisers on skills in the UK was published.
As the institute commented: “The idea was for “Skills England [to] bring together central and local government, businesses, training providers and unions to meet the skills needs of the next decade across all regions, providing strategic oversight of the post-16 skills system aligned to the government’s Industrial Strategy.”
The problem seems to be fragmentation in skills strategy caused by multiple organisations and regulators and various forms of funding and accountability.
Education News, commenting on the subject, said multiple overlapping funding streams, blurred responsibilities between national and local agencies, and frequent policy churn create uncertainty and discourage long-term investment.
“Learners, employers, and providers alike struggle to navigate this complexity.”
The result is skills mismatches, which manifest in underskilling and overqualification for some. Too many people are in jobs that fail to fully utilise their skills and experience.
However, for Skills England to function, it needs to be able to link skills training to industrial strategy, local priorities, and the work of the Migration Advisory Committee, which determines the priority of workers given the right to work in the UK.
Time will tell if Skills England will bring proper change, but something needs to be done
In practical terms, as a House of Commons Library report outlines, Skills England will take over the functions of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE).
IfATE works with employers to develop, approve and review occupational standards; create and maintain occupational routes into occupations; oversee the technical qualification to T Level; approve technical qualifications; and develop, review and approve apprenticeship standards.
Skills England will go further to look at where skills gaps exist. It will also oversee training through a new Growth and Skills Levy, which will replace the Apprenticeship Levy. The new levy will “allow employers to access a wider range of training with their funding. Under the [old] apprenticeship levy,
employers [were] only able to spend their apprenticeship levy funding on apprenticeship training and assessment costs. Skills England will determine which training will be eligible for the expanded levy.”
The Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) reckons that “Skills England will be in a battle for relevance from day one.”
A report from that institute, published at the end of March 2025, commented: “This government agency is likely to face an uphill struggle as it seeks to become a credible and respected organisation both within and outside government.”
It worries that “Skills England’s new CEO role occupies too junior a position within the Civil Service to have sufficient visibility and impact elsewhere in government”. It is also concerned the Department for Education has repeatedly talked about Skills England as an internal agency that will merely “inform” and “feed into” ministerial decisions about funding and policy changes. In other words, it may not have sufficient gravitas.
HEPI also highlights a range of contradictions related to Skills England – its national goal will clash with the government’s devolution agenda, which will be amplified when training funding is distributed along lines that don’t align with local needs.
Time will tell if the new body will bring proper change, but something needs to be done for the country and its businesses.
If Skills England can work with employers, unions and education and training providers, as well as local and national policymakers, and improve standards across the UK, it’ll be a welcome boost, but don’t hold your breath!
With an expanding model range, high customer satisfaction, and excellent customer retention thanks to targeted sales campaigns and an industry-leading up to 7 year warranty, our partners can revel in the benefits of being a Suzuki dealership. We are looking to grow our network and have key open points, nationwide.
Like most of the big bike manufacturers, Triumph suffered from the rash of dealer closures at the end of last season. Since then, the Hinckley team has been working to repair the damage to the network and has now announced the opening of five new dealers across England. Birmingham West, Chester, Nottingham and Plymouth all get new dealerships, while Triumph’s Newcastle dealer is moving location to a new flagship store. Triumph’s total number of dealers now totals 47.
Alan Dowds spoke to Triumph UK’s general manager, Devron Boulton, about the changes. “We’re quite keen to shine a bit of a spotlight on the fact that there are now some good
things happening”, said Boulton. “Obviously, it has been a difficult time for the industry over the last 12 months: businesses have closed, and there has generally been a downbeat narrative.
Motorcycles, who had been a Honda dealer in Tamworth. They joined us a few years ago to take on Triumph in the area and fully completed their store development just over 12 months ago. They’ve got a
We’re quite keen to shine a bit of a spotlight on the fact that there are now some good things happening
Devron Boulton, general manager,
We’re very mindful of that, and we’re doing what we can to try and move things in a more positive direction.”
Giving some background information on the new dealers, Boulton said: “The Birmingham West opening came about from a conversation with Sutton
Triumph UK
beautiful showroom, and have done very well with the brand. They consistently rank in the top five by volume, and are pleased with the results that Triumph has delivered. When an opportunity arose on the other side of Birmingham, where they already had facilities, they were keen to
seize it. They made quite significant changes to their business to accommodate us. It had previously been a Honda site, and they decided to reconfigure that business, put Triumph at the heart of it and take on Suzuki as a second brand.”
Moving on to Chester, Triumph has rekindled an old relationship with Bill Smith through a new company, Smiths Triumph Chester. Triumph had split with Bill Smith a few years ago, but the failure of Completely Motorbikes and its Triumph Chester branch left a gap, so Triumph welcomes Bill Smith back. “Previously, we parted ways because we needed to move on, and they weren’t in a position to do that. When the opportunity came round
a second time, they were keen to get back with us; they never wanted to depart in the first place. They always did a good job for us.”
Nottingham is another existing partnership, this time with the Stoneacre Automotive Group, which also runs Triumph World in Chesterfield and the Robin Hood Harley-Davidson outlet in Nottingham.
“The new Triumph store is located next to Harley, which offers some advantages. We had a conversation with them about the potential to do something in that location as a side-by-side. They were keen to look at that opportunity, on the strength of what they know their Triumph business does, but also because Harley is in a slightly more uncertain position at the moment. Triumph improves the viability of that location for them.”
The new Plymouth outlet is a completely new operation, though, and is an important move for the Hinckley firm. It lost local representation when the Plymouth Marsh Triumph outlet closed, and Triumph owners in the South West faced massive journeys for service.
“We had a lot of interest in representing us in Plymouth and there were some strong candidates,” said Boulton. “Ultimately, Ocean came to the fore. They are a BMW car and bike retailer, so they’ve got the benefit of scale, but they really understand bikes. The owner of the business, Graham, is a biker; they understand the difference between bikes and cars, and bikes excite them. They were reconfiguring their business,
which meant we could explore an option with them, and it quickly became apparent that it would benefit both parties.
“We were very keen to get that up and running as quickly as we could, so they got a temporary showroom and workshop facility opened in super-quick time to be able
Triumph’s product lineup, brand strength, and loyal rider community made it an easy decision for us
Graham De Val, MD, Ocean Triumph Plymouth
to start looking after people ahead of a full fit out, which they’ll do over the winter.”
Graham De Val, MD at Ocean Triumph Plymouth, said: “Opening a new Triumph dealership is a significant commitment, but one we’re making with confidence.
Triumph’s product line-up, brand strength and loyal rider community made it an easy decision for us. We’ve seen first-hand the high demand for the brand, and we’re excited to bring that experience to riders
in the Devon and Cornwall area. It’s a great time to be joining the network.”
Triumph Newcastle is an existing business relocating into an ex-Harley-Davidson showroom as its “forever home”, as Boulton puts it. “We’ve been with our Newcastle partner in the current location for about seven years. That was only ever supposed to be a temporary home, but actually finding the forever home had proven particularly difficult. It’s an unfortunate reality that we’ve ended up capitalising a little bit on the weakness of Harley-Davidson: they had a beautiful showroom that became available, and it absolutely ticked the boxes in terms of what we’d been looking for.”
Craig Smith, Triumph Newcastle, said: “We opened our dealership in 2017 and have rapidly outgrown the site. Sales growth, driven by relentless new product development, has enabled us to create something truly special with our new site. We’ve invested with real confidence in the product, the backing from Triumph, and the strong connection customers have with the brand.”
Is Boulton happy with Triumph’s dealer list now?
“Traditionally, the network in the UK has been pretty stable at around 50; that gives us an optimal balance of coverage and viable territories for dealers. We’ve come back to 47 at present, slightly less than where we would have traditionally been. I think the only genuine active open point we have at the moment is in West Wales.”
With the 75th anniversary of Formula One taking centre stage, bikes had a slightly smaller role than usual, at last month’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. But there were still plenty of highlights for twowheel fans, including an homage to King Carl Fogarty, 30 years on from his second WSBK title in 1995. Foggy was guest of honour, riding one of his famous Ducati title-winning world superbikes up the legendary hillclimb course.
On a slightly more prosaic front, both Honda and BMW had impressive motorcycle displays as part of their main four-wheeled mega-stands. Honda had a “movies” theme for its stand, where it showed off its electrically supercharged
V3 engine and chassis prototype for the first time in the UK. The stand also celebrated 50 years of the Gold Wing, and the firm’s first battery-powered machines – the EV Fun Concept and Urban EV Concept – were also on show. Meanwhile, at the hillclimb, John McGuinness rode his limited-edition Fireblade as part of the WSBK superbike celebrations.
Hans de Jaeger, senior VP, Honda Motor Europe, said: “We are excited to return to the Goodwood Festival of Speed with a dynamic pan-brand showcase of everything Honda has to offer our European customers. Our business is about more than our products alone, but how our customers feel when they are using them, and this has been the inspiration behind
Our man Dowds got a proper bucket-list ride at Goodwood: a run up the hill on the Norton NRS588 White Charger – the original 1992 TT winning rotary ridden by Steve Hislop. “It was a last-minute thing,” said Dowds. “So I didn’t have time to be as terrified as I should have been on such a historic machine. It’s like riding a mad old two-stroke, with zero engine braking. But such an amazing thing to be on.”
The annual Goodwood Festival of Speed was the usual massive, glossy, highbudget, posh petrolhead blowout. Our man on the spot, Alan Dowds reports on last month’s shindig
our stand design this year.”
BMW had a full range of premium M-machines on its enormous stand. The firm’s Concept RR superbike prototype was also there and was ridden up the hill by Motorrad CEO Markus Flasch.
Harley’s electric offshoot, LiveWire, was in attendance, showing off the new S2 Alpinista battery-powered bike. LiveWire Europe marketing manager Niels Kleinlooh said: “We attended Goodwood for the first time in 2022, where we took our custom LiveWire ONE up the hill. This year we return to give the public a chance to see our brandnew LiveWire S2 Alpinista. We not only had Shaun and Aaron Guardado, brothers and owners of the Suicide Machine Company, to demonstrate the capabilities of the bike, but we also offered eight journalists the chance to ride our bike up the hill.”
The motorcycle mix was rounded off by Royal Enfield, which showcased a series of custom bikes on the course, and the National Motorcycle Museum, which brought the impressive Norton Nemesis V8 and other historic machines to participate in the hillclimb.
Royal Enfield has launched a new series of customer ride-outs in partnership with selected dealerships. The “Journey, Destination, Memories” (JDM) events are taking place across the country this summer, having kicked off at the beginning of July at Cooperb Motorcycles in Wellingborough. The event provided riders with the opportunity to test Royal Enfield motorcycles, focusing on the Shotgun 650 and Super Meteor models, on a ride to the Brewpoint Brewery in Bedford.
The day included presentations about the Royal Enfield custom program as well as a display of official accessories available for the Shotgun range, with refreshments
provided throughout the event. The ride out was open to 50 customers, who reserved their spots through the Royal Enfield Riders Club. Additional events are planned for the remainder of the season.
Royal Enfield UK marketing manager, Becky Blackmore, said: “JDM events aim to offer our riders a real insight into the passion behind everything we do. We are nothing without our global community. Being able to host events like this –where riders can learn more about the Custom Team and then hit the road together –is a fantastic opportunity for us all. We can’t wait to meet and ride with everyone who joins us.”
www.royalenfield.com/uk/ en/rides-and-club
ROYAL ENFIELD HAS ALSO ANNOUNCED A NEW nationwide courtesy bike scheme. Owners having their bikes serviced or repaired at official Royal Enfield dealers will be offered the use of a Guerrilla 450 roadster.
Martin Marshall, Royal Enfield UK’s dealer development manager, commented: “We constantly strive to make sure the customer experience is of the highest standard at our authorised dealers, and making the service and maintenance process as smooth as possible is a fundamental part of this. With the nationwide courtesy bike scheme, customers should not only experience a greater level of service, but will also get to experience the great performance and agility that the Guerrilla 450 has to offer for the first time too.”
UK riders’ rights group the National Motorcyclists Council (NMC), has issued a clarification on proposals for ‘End of Life Vehicle’ (ELV) regulations in the EU, and their impact on the UK. ELV rules are intended to properly manage the scrapping and recycling of road vehicles and have only applied to four-wheel vehicles up till now. But proposals in Brussels could extend the regulations to two- and three-wheelers, meaning bikes, outfits, and trikes could become subject to the rules. There are concerns about how these rules, designed for cars and vans, could impact the bike world, with heritage machinery, second-hand parts supply, and customising all potentially being harmed.
But the NMC says the rules may not be adopted in the EU. The Federation of European Motorcyclists (FEMA) is fighting the changes, pointing out that the bike trade is already extremely good at recycling and re-using parts from scrapped machinery. More than 60% of bikes are recycled in the Nordic
countries, but new rules could disrupt these existing arrangements.
However, the NMC says that even if the EU adopts the rules, they’re unlikely to affect the UK. NMC executive director Craig Carey-Clinch said: “It’s important to recognise that in the first instance,
The NMC recognises the potential threat that these regulations, once they become EU law, represent
Craig Carey-Clinch, NMC executive director
these proposals will not, on the face of it, affect the UK – they are EU proposals, not Westminster ones. Sadly, this distinction has not been made clear in several media reports about ELVs. However, the NMC recognises the potential threat that these regulations,
once they become EU law, represent, with them possibly being implemented through the back door as part of a revision of domestic ELV regulations.
“As such, we fully support the work of FEMA and also the FIM to ensure that the new laws should they eventually be adopted, do not take away rider choice and decisions about the future of their motorcycles once they are approaching the end of their initially useful lives. Protections that allow the continued sale and trade in used components and restoration projects must also be put in place.
“The current UK ELV regulations for cars and smaller vans are managed across several government departments (but not the Department for Transport) and the NMC is liaising with these, so that a greater understanding of the long terms plans for UK ELV regulations can be gained and that the position of motorcyclists in relation to any future updated UK ELV regulations can be properly understood by the government.”
IT’S BEEN MISSING FROM THE UK FOR 15 years, but Buell is set to relaunch here with new importer Rainbow Moto, based in Newton Abbot, Devon, taking on distribution. And Rainbow appears to be getting the basics sorted early on, with a new warranty program from Warranty Solutions Group (WSG). WSG will supply its Platinum Cover for years two and three, extending the original manufacturer’s 12-month warranty.
Simon Drown of WSG said:
“Partnering with Buell Motorcycles at such a pivotal moment in their UK return is incredibly exciting. This is a
brand known for engineering excellence and bold innovation. Our Platinum Cover ensures that Buell riders can enjoy the thrill of the ride with confidence that their bike is comprehensively protected.
We’re proud to be part of this new chapter for Buell in the UK.
Ian Johnson from Rainbow Moto said: “This partnership is a game-changer for us as we bring Buell back to UK roads. Buell riders are passionate about performance, and they expect the same level of confidence from their aftersales support. By including a comprehensive three-year warranty as standard, we’re making sure that every customer gets a premium ownership experience from day one.”
For more information, contact: 01364 652321 or visit www.rainbowmoto.co.uk.
It was the oldest bike shop in the UK, but Lloyd Cooper has closed its doors for the last time. The Watford store, which opened in 1900, was still located in the original premises set up 125 years ago by Richard Cooper at 61 Queens Road. It was most recently a Motorcycles Direct branch, featuring one of Kawasaki’s largest showrooms, until its closure last month.
Des Gregory, took on the business with Gordon Heal in the late 1970s, running it with their sons Luke Gregory and Jim Heal until now.
There has only ever been four owners of the business in 125 years and those owners, bar the first, had all been employees. This gave the business continuity, which contributed to its long-running success.
Lloyd Cooper Motorcycles was originally started by Richard Cooper in 1900, followed by Ernie Dell in the 1930s to the late 1960s, when Charles Heal, who had worked for Ernie, took the shop over with his son Gordon. Des worked for ‘Charlie’ and took over the business with Gordon from the late 1970s, when Charles finally retired. Sons, Luke and Jim, joined in the late 1990s and remained until the end.
The shop has sold most brands of motorcycles over the last 100-plus years, originally all British, like BSA and Triumph, eventually to be replaced by Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki.
“The business experienced so much history,” said owner, Des Gregory.
“From the mods and rockers, the café racers at the famous Busy Bee Cafe and the ‘Fizzy’ generation of the 70s, to the sports bike craze, which saw the same customers return as born-again bikers many years later. The Busy Bee was a popular meeting place in the 1950s and 1960s on the A41, heading north out of London. Cafe racers attempted to get to the nearest roundabout and back before the record on the jukebox finished!
“Watford was a huge newspaper print town, and many of the workers, especially the night shift, kept the store busy buying Honda C90s, as did the London cabbies doing the ‘knowledge runs’. The amount of business generated was immense in the 1970s
and 1980s. When larger bike sales slowed, that side kept us going.
“We had quite a few WW2 Japanese POWs who resisted the first Hondas and Suzukis at first, but eventually, when there was no alternative, they came to love them. Some interesting customers included F1’s Damon Hill and many of the Eastenders cast – we often supplied bikes for the programme.
“Other customers included Lewis Collins from The Professionals, footballers like Vinnie Jones, and singer Ronan Keating. One of our technicians built Eddie Kidd’s engines for him.
It was a bittersweet experience turning those lights off on the last day after 50 years
“Our most famous customers were the Rolling Stones, who didn’t buy any bikes but bought the 1930s fitted kitchen we had upstairs for their world tour. I saw it on display in Vegas, which was an odd experience. My kitchen was living the rock’n’roll life that we all dream of, touring the world with the Stones!
“It’s been a fantastic place to work, and the support of generations of bikers from Watford and its surrounding areas
has seen the store through both good and difficult times. It was fairly common to have grandads, sons and grandsons from the same family, all riding bikes supplied from us at Lloyd Coopers.
“Gordon and I had reached that point in life where we wanted to retire from retail, and as Luke is now running Lukas Distribution for BSA and Royal Alloy from Coventry, the overall decision was to close the doors at Lloyd Coopers for the final time. It was a bittersweet experience turning those lights off on the last day after 50 years of working there, but ultimately, it was the right thing for everyone involved, and 125 is a fitting number to finish on.
“The huge amount of lovely messages of support and memories from old customers are still continuing to pour in, and even from those outside the biking community who just window shopped or felt the store was part of Watford’s history. We have finished on a high note, and that’s all we ever wanted to do. We all enjoyed the ride.”
MAG BEMOANS INACTION
THE MOTORCYCLE ACTION GROUP (MAG) says that the government is ignoring the needs of motorcyclists when it comes to parking. A recent policy consultation on private parking practices largely ignored two wheels, according to MAG director Colin Brown. MAG is urging the government to ensure motorcycle parking is properly addressed in its national parking policy and consultation.
ACEM NEW TRAINING GUIDELINES
THE EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OF Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM) and the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) have announced new guidelines to enhance voluntary advanced rider training. This initiative is part of the safety campaign “Learn – Ride – Enjoy – Repeat.” Developed with input from certified training schools and academic institutions, the guidelines address common motorcycle accident scenarios based on scientific analyses by the Connected Motorcycle Consortium. They aim to equip riders with the skills needed to anticipate and avoid road hazards. The Instructor Guidelines are available for free at motorcycle-training-label.eu/ learnrideenjoyrepeat.
DVSA ADDS MORE BIKE CONTENT
THE DVSA HAS ADDED NEW MOTORCYCLEspecific content to its official driving theory test app. The app now offers nearly 800 practice theory test questions specifically designed for motorcyclists, as well as mock tests, progress tracking, interactive hazard perception clips, and a voiceover feature to support those with reading difficulties. More information is on the app at www.safedrivingforlife.info.
MV OPEN HOUSE EVENT
THE MV AGUSTA FACTORY AT VARESE has just hosted its first ever Open House event, inviting customers, enthusiasts, collectors, and partners to visit the plant at the end of June. Held to celebrate the firm’s 80th anniversary, it drew more than 5000 people from 36 countries, offering test rides, guided tours, and other activities. “I want to sincerely thank everyone who contributed to the success of this event. A concrete commitment to the future, driven by the same passion that has fuelled the MV Agusta dream for 80 years,” said Luca Martin, executive director of MV Agusta Motor.
The Fleet Auction Group’s July sale featured a reduced inventory compared to June’s. Nevertheless, 46 late-model, low-mileage units were available, and 38 lots were successfully sold. The sale achieved an average CAP valuation of 95%, further confirming strong demand from dealers for used bikes.
Suzuki was the star of the sale, featuring many demo fleet bikes registered for the recent ABR Festival. All of these bikes had been ridden for fewer than five hundred miles around the festival’s Ragley Hall home. However, the lowest mileage model offered was also the most expensive: a 2024 Ducati Panigale 998 V4R, which had just one mile on the clock from its single previous owner. It sold for £28,700.
“We’re pleased to report a near 83% conversion rate for the July sale, with just shy of 100 dealers logging in to bid,” commented Andrew Walker, CEO of the Fleet Auction Group. “The August sale line-up is already looking strong, as we just couldn’t get a few bikes here in time for this month’s sale. If any dealers have overage stock that they would like help with, please give us a call!”
Trade buyers are welcome to inspect stock in person at the Fleet Auction Group’s
Ducati Panigale V4R 998 2024 1 £28,700
Harley-Davidson XL883L
Honda
Honda
Honda
£9900
Honda CB1000 2022 3320 £7100
Honda CB1000R 2022 2094
Honda
Honda
Honda
Honda
Honda
Honda
Loughborough site prior to the next sale, which is scheduled for 21 August. Sale catalogues are available now, and can be downloaded from www.fleetauctiongroup.com.
Fleet Auction Group 01530 833535 info@fleetauctiongroup.com
FELIXSTOWE-BASED PARTS
distributor Bickers has added yet another accessory brand to its burgeoning line-up. The firm has begun importing BS Battery products (www.bs-battery.com) from its headquarters in France and will carry a full range of batteries for motorcycles, scooters, ATVs, watercraft, and other powersports applications. BS Battery offers a full range of battery technologies, including lithium ion, lead-acid, AGM, dry and VRLA.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome BS Battery to our growing family of brands,” said Rob Sheldon, Bickers Powersport’s national sales manager. “BS Battery’s reputation for quality and innovation is second to none, and we believe its extensive range will be a huge asset to our customers. This partnership further strengthens our position as a one-stop shop for all powersports needs.”
For more information see: www.bickerspowersports.co.uk.
Ignition Agencies has launched a new clothing brand and helmet range, along with a business-tobusiness online ordering portal.
The new clothing brand is SECA Motorcycle Gear, from Poland, which has specialised in quality textile kit since 2010. The headline product is the new Arrakis III jacket – a £249 textile adventure touring CE AA-rated design featuring removable thermal and waterproof liners, D3O armour at the elbows and shoulders, multiple ventilation panels, and adjustable fit straps. There are also matching trousers available. Ignition will be bringing in the full range.
On the helmet front, Ignition has revealed the new £179 Goliath full-face lid from French firm Exklusiv Helmets, available in a range of graphics and colourways.
In addition to the new brands, the firm has launched a new B2B online ordering
portal designed to simplify operations for dealers. This system allows dealers to easily browse and order products, as well as access real-time stock checks and product updates.
“Our goal is to provide dealers with a hassle-free, efficient ordering experience that supports their business growth,” said Mike Fernandez, director at Ignition Agencies.
“By combining ease of use with flexible payment solutions, we’re helping our retail partners manage their operations smoothly and stay ahead in a competitive market.”
Ignition Agencies 01865 965053 www.ignitionagencies.co.uk
This year’s ABR festival had everything going for it – much more than just a few motorcycles. It appeals to outdoor adventure enthusiasts with a two-wheel bias. Festival goers can get astride an impressive number of bikes for test rides on various terrains, plus there’s clothing, camping equipment, and luggage. For those who want to get their hands dirty, there are bushcraft and outdoor skills workshops. Additionally, more than 4500 motorhomes and camper vans were on site.
The long weekend’s sunny weather at the end of June contributed to the warm atmosphere, and the Ragley Hall estate’s features, such as the lake, which offered paddleboarding and kayaking, added to the experience. The Glastonbury influence was also evident, with more than 20 bands performing across three nights, including some notable DJs in the mix. In the tradition of the event, various speaker stages were home to the likes of Itchy Boots, Lyndon Poskitt, Austin Vince and Adam Riemann, to name but a few.
All that didn’t detract from what might be described as the core business, getting bums on seats. Of the 17,392 ticket holders, more than 10,000 took advantage of the guided and solo test rides on offer. More than 100 of the latest adventure
Right from the start eight years ago, Alun Davies, creator of the ABR Festival, had plans for it to become the bikers’ Glastonbury. And the success of this year’s event, which ran over the last four days of June, means his vision is becoming fact. With a record 17,392 bikers through the gate and more than 10,000 test rides taken, what’s not to like? Rick Kemp reports
motorcycles were available for visitors to experience firsthand, providing a hands-on opportunity to experience the new technology in real-world conditions. There was also four-wheel action available through Ineos Grenadier test drives on an off-road track, and CFMoto buggy test drives.
Honda Adventure Centre, Triumph Adventure Centre, and Sweet Lamb Adventure Bike Academy were also present.
This year, Honda sponsored a couple of open-top doubledecker buses, so public transport was available for the first time. They ran around
The fact that we’re growing isn’t something we take for granted; it’s a sign that the motorcycle industry is alive, evolving, and looking for something it can feel part of
Alun Davies, ABR Festival
impressed and enthusiastic regarding the format of this year’s festival. The size was impressive, and the content was enough to keep visitors occupied for the four days. On-site accommodation was flexible enough to suit most people, ranging from tents to pre-pitched tents, motorhomes, and campervans. Food, drink, music, ablution areas... it was all there – you didn’t have to go off-site for anything. A unique experience with lots of smiling faces. Additionally, this year, there appeared to be a significant increase in bikes with EU number plates, suggesting that the word is spreading overseas.
Ragley Hall and its surrounding road network offer a good blend of trails and tarmac, allowing for several sponsored circuits. Additionally, training facilities were available in the Phoenix Trails Off-Road Training Zone, and representatives from organisations such as BMW Off-Road Skills, Desert Rose Riding Academy, Ducati Adventure Academy, HarleyDavidson Riding Academy,
the site every half hour, and, judging by the queues, proved to be very popular, particularly for people with mobility issues, as the festival site was considerably larger than in previous years. On the flip side, mobile phone communication was still an issue, unless you had Starlink on your phone, but fortunately for traders, card payments weren’t affected.
Most people I spoke to were
“This festival has always been about celebrating what we love. The fact that we’re growing isn’t something we take for granted; it’s a sign that the motorcycle industry is alive, evolving, and looking for something it can feel part of,” said Alun Davies, the organiser.
“We set out to create an event that delivers exceptional value, entertainment, and a sense of community spirit. We will continue to grow as long as visitors keep telling us they had a good time. Judging by the smiles, we’re on the right track. The future of the festival is, as it has always been, about
producing a show that the entire motorcycling industry can be proud of. It’s about carefully managing our growth while creating an experience that appeals to motorcyclists both old and new.”
Chris Lippitt, marketing manager of Bikerheadz, is one of the festival’s official supporters. “It’s our second year of being a headline sponsor. The main thing we do is talk to people who are using or aspiring to wear our brands. The event started in one field and now covers a massive acreage and it’s the biggest motorcycle show in the country, not necessarily in attendance figures but in physical size. I think the retail section is about the right size. All of us retailing are competing against each other for the same customers.”
Ian Wilson of Roadskin Motorcycle Wear said: “We’ve been attending ABR since Covid, and this year we saw a 20% increase in sales compared to last year. However, compared to other shows this year, that was nothing special. Maybe that was down to the fact that there were double the number of traders this year. The value is having more time to talk to customers and find out what they want. It’s difficult to quantify as it’s more market research orientated than, say, Motorcycle Live.
“The hot weather did play a part because people don’t like to try clothes on when it’s hot and sweaty; however, we did find that internet sales were up when we got home. It’s a really enjoyable show because everyone’s in a good mood, compared to somewhere like the NEC, where people are more focused on the cost of car parking or food. I think that next year the attendance could go up to 20,000 and
given the number of people who have already booked, there won’t be too many empty spaces. Overall, we had a fantastic time and we’ll definitely be back next year.”
Dean Clements, Clements Moto MD, said: “This was our third year at ABR. Previously, we had only been involved in the off-road trail rides, but this year we focused more on road rides. We took two brands, Fantic and Zontes. Fantic was doing escorted rides on competition enduro bikes and ‘soft’ trail rides. We also had the new Fantic Caballeros – the 500 road bike, and the Scramble 700.
appeals to the older rider.
“The festival has now got broad appeal and has become more like a summer motorcycle festival with an adventure feel to it. We had people riding our bikes from 8am to 9pm and we picked up a lot of valuable customer information.”
Chinese adventure and offroad specialist Kove released another new machine at the festival: the 800X Rally. Kove Moto UK’s Steve Collett, said: “We were delighted to launch the new 800X Rally and there is nowhere better to do it than here. Last year, ABR showcased the arrival of our 800X Pro model, but now
Over the weekend, more than 20 bands performed at Ragley Hall, attracting a record-breaking ABR attendance. Who said motorcycling is dead?
“On the Zontes side, we’ve recently launched the new ZT703-F adventure tourer and several dealers were present with demo bikes, which generated a lot of interest. The festival is a great event; it’s nice to see people willing to pay up to £200 for a ticket and still be smiling.
“With Zontes, we took the 125 and the 350 adventure bikes, but there is a limited interest in A2 adventure bikes. Bizarrely, it’s not from youngsters progressing; it’s older men and ladies who don’t want a hugely heavy, powerful bike. There’s also the 350 adventure scooter, which has just arrived. It has bigger wheels to handle the trails and can cruise at motorway speeds on tarmac, which again
we go more hardcore with the 800 XRally, a true adventure middleweight with real offroad ability.”
Amidst the recent drama around the KTM brand, there were some stoic efforts to operate as normally as possible. It was good to see KTM UK with a big presence at the festival, featuring models ranging from the 390 Enduro/SMC and Adventure to the 450 Rally, 790 and 890 Adventure, as well as the 890 SMT. The orange brand also showcased a brand-new bike –the 2026 690 Enduro R.
Next year’s ABR Festival will run from 25-28 June at Ragley Hall. Nearly 70% of tickets have already been sold. For more information, visit www.abrfestival.com
LONG-SERVING SALES agent Dave Priddle is taking early retirement after 33 years in the bike trade. Priddle has been on the road for the last quarter of a century, starting at Lloyd Lifestyle in June 2000 and ending at LS2 Helmets, where he has been a self-employed agent covering the South West and South Wales.
“I’ve driven around 700,000 miles in nine cars, two vans, and five motorbikes,” Priddle told BDN. “That’s around 175,000 gallons of fuel! My favourite rider to work with was Steve Hislop, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have presented trophies on podiums at World Superbike and British Superbike events.
“I’ve been lucky enough to work at loads of motorcycle shows and dealer events in the UK, Germany, China, Las Vegas, Gran Canaria and Spain, and have covered the Italian Eicma show in Milan 21 times.
“I’ve also worked for some great companies alongside some fantastic people: George and Cath Lloyd; the great Gavin McCaffrey, who gave me my first break in the trade side of the business 25 years ago; Todd Rutt at Pirelli Tyres; Arthur, Paul, and the Liao family at LS2; and my friend Paul Haskins, with whom I have worked for nearly all of these 25 years.
“Thanks also to everyone at the LS2 Helmets warehouse and office and all of my dealers over many great years. Alan Garrett, Andy Mayo, and all at BDN, as well as the team at Staniforth Wholesale and Central Wheel Components. I’m retiring to Greece with my wife Lisa and our dog Cooper.”
Hugo Wilson, one of the longest-serving motorcycle magazine editors, is leaving his position as the editor of Classic Bike. Over his 27-year career at publishing firm Bauer, Wilson edited both Bike and Classic Bike magazines, producing an impressive total of 275 monthly issues.
Wilson says that he plans to continue writing as a freelancer, so will no doubt remain a familiar name in the pages of Bauer’s various titles.
The Classic Bike hot seat has been taken over by Mike Armitage (right), the current editor of Bike magazine. Armitage has worked
in the Bauer motorcycle division (and EMAP before that) for 24 years and has extensive experience at Classic Bike, where he served as executive editor in 2018.
Richard Newland, head of Bauer’s motorcycling division, said: “Classic Bike is in rude health right now thanks to Hugo’s passion for the market and the title – and I’m delighted that Mike will be following in his footsteps and guiding Classic Bike to its next chapter. Mike has done a fantastic job on Bike magazine, paving the way for the new editor to keep feeding its momentum. We hope to announce Bike’s new editor imminently.”
THE MOTOR CYCLE INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION (MCIA), HAS announced the appointment of a new head of communications and sector projects. Siobhan Kirk has extensive experience in marketing and events, including previous work at Piaggio Group, and will report directly to MCIA CEO Tony Campbell.
Kirk’s new role will focus primarily on driving ‘current sector projects forward’, including careers in the industry, the Elite Rider initiative, and MCIA Secured. She’ll also oversee the MCIA’s communications strategy, encompassing social media, press office, member communications, and websites.
Kirk’s communication responsibilities are limited to the trade association part of the MCIA – Gina Evans will continue to oversee Motorcycle Live, as well as marketing and communications related to other major events.
She is at: s.kirk@mcia.co.uk or 07835 146155.
Top helmet and clothing firm LS2 has appointed a new area sales manager for the South West and South Wales, after the retirement of veteran sales guru Dave Priddle (see page 26). He is Al Scott (right), who has won the Sales Representative of the Year award twice and a commendation at the British Dealer News Awards.
Commenting on his new role, Scott said: “I’m looking forward to reconnecting with old and new customers in my area to introduce the new ranges of LS2 apparel and helmets. LS2 is a growing brand, and I’m thrilled to be joining them at this exciting time.
“My recent trip to the MHR factory in China, where I attended their distributor conference and celebrated the parent company’s 35th birthday, was a highlight of my sales career. I saw new products and met the people behind the LS2 brand. MHR treats each employee, agent and distributor as a member
of their family, and I was very humbled by this experience.”
Paul Haskins, LS2 sales director, said: “We are excited to have Al on the team, he has fitted straight in. It was a steep learning curve as we headed out to China on his first day, but the trip did show him the scale of our manufacturing centre and the number of staff and resources behind the brand.
His experience working with other apparel and helmet brands, along with his contacts at dealer level, will make him a valuable asset to LS2 UK.”
Scott can be contacted on 07730 563991 or a.scott@ls2helmets.com.
Contact Alison Payne on: 01237 422660 | adsales@dealernews.co.uk www.britishdealernews.co.uk/jobs
We are looking for an experienced parts person. Preferable with knowledge of Italian brands & eBay/online selling.
Please send CV to: martin@ultimateparts.net Official Piaggio motorcycle parts wholesaler
Company supplying our own brand of off-road motorcycle seat covers
• Popular eBay products with good margins.
• Good levels of stock for Japanese and Euro MX & Enduro bikes in various colours & styles.
• Sale includes all logos, packaging designs, photos & introduction to our trusted supplier.
• Would be an ideal addition to an off-road accessories website and/or eBay shop.
• Proven sales for over 10 years.
For further information, contact Neil on 07941857164
Long established Motorcycle and scooter dealer for sale due to retirement
Great business opportunity ready to move in and take into the future. Fully equipped workshop, large showroom and big forecourt. Long lease available.
Business available at £59,995 plus stock at valuation. Contact David on 01925 828787 or 07484 519004
The consumer law provisions of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 came into effect on 6 April 2025. As well as new rules on pricing, fake reviews and subscription contracts, B2C businesses will face a much tougher enforcement regime – with the prospect of fines of up to 10% of global turnover.
CHANGES OUTLINED
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCC) makes a number of changes to UK consumer law:
y Tougher enforcement regime
Under the DMCC Act, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) gained a range of game-changing enforcement powers, including the ability to impose fines of up to 10% of a business’s global annual turnover for infringements of consumer law. However, it’s important to recognise that fines are not the only risks facing B2C businesses.
y Renewed focus on pricing
The DMCC Act tightens up the law on misleading pricing practices, particularly around
New legislation has given consumers more protection, and has created higher risks for businesses that flout the rules
headline prices which do not reflect the true cost of products or services and “drip pricing.” This is where a lower price is used to get consumers interested, only to discover that it doesn’t take account of unavoidable further charges, which are typically only disclosed later on in the purchase process.
y New rules on contracts
Businesses will be required to provide more information to consumers before entering into a contract, send reminders before a contract “rolls over” into a new term (auto-renewal), and allow “cooling off” periods. Whilst these provisions are not expected to come into
The DMCC Act tightens up the law on misleading pricing practices, particularly around headline prices which do not reflect the true cost of products or services
y New rules on fake or misleading reviews
The DMCC Act effectively prohibits the submission or commissioning of fake reviews. It also requires businesses to ensure that they do not publish consumer reviews in a misleading manner. Further, they must take “reasonable and proportionate steps” to prevent fake reviews and avoid misleading presentation of reviews more generally.
effect until 2026, they may require significant changes to internal processes and systems.
In the past, infringing consumer law has often been seen primarily as a reputational risk for businesses – especially as most CMA investigations resulted in voluntary undertakings not to repeat the conduct in future and nothing by way of sanction. However, in
the post-DMCC Act world, B2C businesses face a much higher risk of a substantial financial hit from serious non-compliance.
y Fines for past conduct
Previously, regulators have had very little scope to impose meaningful sanctions for past conduct. However, the DMCC Act will give the CMA the power to impose fines of up to 10% of global turnover. This is higher than in most EU countries.
y Redress orders
The CMA will also be able to impose “enhanced consumer measures”, which could require compensation to be paid to consumers, or the early termination of contracts. Even where it’s willing to close a case based on voluntary undertakings, the CMA is likely to expect businesses to make an offer to “right past wrongs” as part of any deal to avoid a formal decision and imposition of fines.
y Private enforcement
Consumers have always had rights to seek redress privately, through the courts, for infringements of
consumer law. A more recent development is the rise of law firms specialising in bringing group litigation on behalf of consumers, most notably in the competition law field but also in the consumer law space – such as the group litigation being brought against various vehicle manufacturers over the diesel emissions scandal. The DMCC Act is likely to encourage claimant law firms to explore more opportunities to bring claims in this area.
The risk for all business-toconsumer organisations is on the rise. Consider a business which has a product which is priced very simply and is well understood by consumers, but when it comes to handling defective product claims, consumers often get frustrated and feel they are being given the “brush-off”.
The CMA may well view such conduct as making it unnecessarily difficult for consumers to exercise their statutory rights to obtain a refund, repair or replacement for defective products – and, therefore, a serious breach of consumer law. Indeed, previous cases have shown that all it takes is one bad actor for an entire sector – including businesses which are broadly compliant – to come under scrutiny from regulators.
Under the DMCC Act, the CMA can impose significant fines for failure to respond to information requests or provision of misleading information.
Given the new landscape, businesses need to consider a number of key issues. In particular, they need to consider if they are in a higher risk category and whether they are sitting on any “ticking time bombs” in terms of any existing practices and processes involving consumers.
Next, they need to examine existing processes – such as customer sign-up – and whether they are likely to remain compliant. If they are not, businesses need to think about how easy it would be to upgrade them to, for example, meet the new rules on subscription contracts or misleading/fake reviews.
At the same time, thought needs to be given to whether relevant staff – particularly those in sales roles – are aware of the risks that infringing consumer law poses to the business. It may help to give staff a refresher course on what types of behaviour or practices are likely to be problematic.
The business also ought to have a plan for how it would respond if investigated by the CMA for breaches of consumer law. As noted above, the DMCC Act also significantly strengthens the CMA’s investigatory powers and fines can be imposed for non-compliance.
Lastly, the legislation could and should be looked at in the light of understanding how a business may be able to use it for commercial advantage in certain situations. This may apply where, for example, it plays by the rules, but competitors don’t; in this instance, it may be worth considering making a complaint to the CMA or Trading Standards.
Now that the rules have changed, it’s essential that businesses take the time to understand how the legal landscape has evolved and make adjustments to comply with the law accordingly. While some may not be concerned about the regulator’s powers, it will undoubtedly be keen to demonstrate that it now has teeth and is ready to use them.
RICHARD OFFORD
Richard Offord is a senior counsel at commercial law firm Travers Smith.
150 lines associated to over 25,000 different models
203 lines associated to over 27,000 different models
111 lines associated to over 17,000 different models
375 lines associated to over 164,000 different models
808 lines associated to over 100,000 different models
396 lines associated to over 9,000 different models
With financial editor Roger Willis
Flagged from the somewhat bizarre source of an “Art of Mobility” private holding company, the Sardarov family has announced its full reacquisition of MV Agusta ownership, finally terminating a two-year dalliance with KTM – although there is a measured degree of qualification.
“The partnership with KTM brought meaningful contributions in areas such as dealer network development and production technologies. So as part of a smooth transition, certain operational functions will continue to be jointly managed to ensure continuity and efficiency until the end of the financial year.”
However, there were other strangely close connections, as Art of Mobility chief executive Timur Sardarov confirmed his full confidence in a new MV Agusta leadership team and its vision for the future. In line with this strategic direction, he has appointed Luca Martin as MV Agusta chief executive. Martin had previously served in the roles of
chief operating officer and deputy chief executive during the fairly brief KTM management era. And an even more established KTM veteran, Hubert Trunkenpolz, has become chairman of the MV Agusta board of directors. He is a direct descendant of Johann Trunkenpolz, pre-war founder of Kraftfahrzeug Trunkenpolz Mattighofen (KTM), when it first got into the motorcycle business. Prior to being parachuted in to handle the dysfunctional MV Agusta takeover,
WHEN PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP launched his barrage of punitive “reciprocal” tariffs against US trading partners throughout the world back in April, most of them were initially aghast. But they needn’t have worried. Judicious interventions detailing the painfully inevitable inflation impact on US consumers, most notably from leading Wall Street bank JP Morgan, swiftly led to a 90day pause on tariff imposition. However, the threat didn’t actually go away. Revised deadlines in July and August then emerged (which may or may not be yet another movable feast).
The latter was set to finally target European Union countries with 30% tariffs, and should the victims attempt retaliation, Trump has said the penalties will be much higher. After the original threat in April, European Commission president Ursula von
Trunkenpolz had been a long-term senior executive board member of KTM parent Pierer. Filippo Bassoli was also elevated to MV Agusta executive board membership, with the working rank of chief brand and marketing officer.
Finally, we learnt that Timur Sardarov and his brother Ratmir will only sit in the C-suite as non-execs. That didn’t stop Timur from waffling on endlessly about his pride in the progress and outstanding work of the entire MV Agusta team, the commitment to innovation, craftsmanship, and performance of which apparently remains stronger than ever. He’d obviously been briefing Luca Martin in the motorcycling verbosity stakes too. Stretching their joint press release towards oblivion, the latter added: “Everlasting beauty beyond performance is not just a vision – it’s our reality, a timeless aesthetic shaped by the harmony of form and function, and a riding experience that goes beyond raw numbers to deliver true emotion precision and control.”
der Leyen had put in place a plan to react through €21bn in tariffs on US exports into the EU, with a bizarre mixed focus including motorcycles, chickens and apparel. These, due to come into effect on 14 July, were suspended until “early August”.
Explaining her climb-down, Von der Leyen said: “We have always been clear that we prefer a negotiated solution with the US. This remains the case.” And she’s not alone in getting cold feet about a direct challenge to Trump. German finance minister Lars Klingbeil, with an extensive domestic automotive industry to defend, prefers to keep on talking: “Nobody needs new threats or provocations right now. What we need is for the EU to continue serious and targeted negotiations with the US. But if a fair negotiated solution cannot be reached, then we must take decisive countermeasures to protect jobs and companies in Europe.”
In that direction, the European Commission is already consulting on an extended package of tariffs to hit a further €95bn of US imports, including aircraft and alcohol, going above and beyond the first plan. The biker presence within that will be a revival of punitive counter-tariffs on HarleyDavidson and Polaris Indian Motorcycle products sold into Europe during Trump’s first term in office, when he also introduced heavy taxation on EU steel and aluminium exports to the US.
Should this all unravel into tit-for-tat tariff warfare, apparently the US is prepared to apply levies amounting to around €380bn on annual imports from the EU. On the motorcycling front, that could drastically inflate US market costs for every major European motorcycle manufacturer, including BMW Motorrad, Ducati, KTM, Piaggio, and Triumph.
Long term trends for PTWs across key European markets took a downward turn during the first quarter of 2025, as the fall-out from wholesale pre-registration at the end of 2024 became apparent.
Motorcycle registrations across the five biggest markets (France, Italy, Germany, Spain and the UK) fell by 19%, the first
Q1 reduction in five years. Electric motorcycles fell by 17.6%, and ICEpowered machinery by 19.0%.
Mopeds (measured across the six biggest markets of Belgium, France, Italy, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands) dropped by 17.4% overall, bolstered by electric sales which only fell 7.1% against an ICE reduction of 22%.
Commenting on the figures, Antonio Perlot, ACEM secretary general, said: “Registration figures for the first quarter of 2025 reflect an anticipated European market short- term adjustment, following the strong pre-registration effect of vehicle stock observed at the end of 2024, linked to the transition from Euro 5 to Euro 5+ regulations.”
A snapshot of motorcycle and ATV industry share performance across key manufacturers and major global markets at the trading week closure on Friday 18 July.
BDN financial editor Roger Willis reports
With tariff impacts now starting to nudge US inflation upwards, pressure is growing to cut interest rates. But US Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell remains reluctant to do so, increasingly annoying President Trump. Reports then emerged midweek that Trump had approached Congress to ask if he could unilaterally dismiss Powell – thereby completely demolishing the independent central banker role.
Wall Street investors were troubled by the prospect of such direct White House interference and market indices see-sawed throughout the week. The S&P 500 eventually closed just 0.6% up, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was a marginal 0.1% down. S&P’s MidCap 400 was similarly afflicted by slight negativity. However, the NASDAQ Composite closed 1.5% higher.
Among forthcoming MidCap biker results, it looks like both Harley-Davidson and Indian Motorcycle parent Polaris are likely to be on the receiving end of spankings, their share prices slumping in advance. But Harley’s LiveWire electric bike spin-off was contradictory, perking up on the back of anticipated new-model revelations.
European Commission presidential supremo Ursula von der Leyen has yet to decide whether she’ll fight off Trump’s imminent tariff aggression with “proportionate countermeasures”. Against this weakening background, key eurozone market indices struggled for traction but managed to stay shiny side up. Frankfurt’s Xetra Dax and the FTSE MIB in Milan respectively closed on 0.1% and 0.6% gains. The Wiener Börse ATX in Austria finished positive by 0.1%. BMW and Volkswagen, which will face US tariff walls for their motorcycling sidelines, both suffered sliding share prices.
Tokyo and Osaka’s Nikkei 225 market index continued to decline, falling again by 0.6% as Japan’s Liberal Democrat government shows signs of imploding, with prime minister Shigeru Ishiba’s future apparently on the line since he abjectly failed to reach a trade deal with the US after extensive negotiations. Ishiba describes the tariff threat as a “national crisis”.
While Mumbai’s BSE Sensex 30 and NSE Nifty 50 indices continued to deteriorate, copping respective 0.9% and 0.7% losses, at least India’s five leading motorcycle manufacturers managed to drag themselves out of a hole and enjoyed across-the-board share price recoveries.
The release of China’s Q2 growth data contained a striking dilemma. While real economic expansion was strong and steady, widespread falling prices meant nominal growth was pathetic. Solid growth reflects the expansion of Chinese industry and exports, but nominal growth is the pain workers feel in shrinking pay packets and companies see on thinner bottom lines. Given this grief, China’s stock markets faced increasing pressure. Shanghai’s all-share SSE Composite indices put on 0.7% and the blue-chip CSI 300 added 1%. But half of the 10 listed Chinese motorcycle manufacturers incurred losses.
PERFORMANCE 18 JULY 2025
Japan
India
China (yuan)
There was plenty of new production machinery on show at the ABR Festival last month, but there were also some interesting concept and prototype bikes on display. This one caught our eye – it’s called the Flying Goat and is one of a fleet of prototype test mules made by Royal Enfield to explore possibilities for future EV two-wheelers. Styled to look like the Himalayan adventure bikes, it’s actually a super-trick hand-made custom, produced by the firm’s R&D team using a powertrain borrowed from the Stark Varg motocross bike. That means a high-tech carbon-sleeved motor which makes an impressive 80hp with 275Nm of torque.
The chassis is a work of art: a bespoke hybrid main frame uses a pair of gorgeous aluminium swingarm pivot plates, bolted to a pair of Stark battery packs, which double up as frame members. The finned air-cooled magnesium casings feature a honeycomb structure with a pressure relief system and
IP69K waterproofing for the cells inside, complete with cooling air channels in between and a fan to reduce heat during charging. At the back is a braced aluminium swingarm which wouldn’t look out of place in the MotoGP paddock, and the suspension front and rear is semi-active Öhlins electronic kit, with long-travel USD forks. There’s a Nissin radial front brake caliper on a small wavy dirt bike disc, and SM Pro Platinum MX wire-spoked wheels, with Bridgestone adventure tyres.
The R&D team has been test riding the bikes around the Himalayas, capturing onboard video of a very fast descent on a stunning mountain pass. Of course, an electric powertrain is unaffected by altitude, so the EV bikes have the same performance as at sea level, whereas petrol-powered bikes are wheezing away with the reduced air pressure.
The Flying Goats are clearly not a production item –they’re estimated to cost more than £60k each just to build. Rather, they’re a research exercise to explore the
opportunities and downsides of battery power going forward. Enfield is very much an internal combustion brand at the moment, though its Flying Flea sub-brand will be launching lightweight urban mobility electric bikes soon. However, a factory insider told us that Royal Enfield is looking ahead, and sees global legislation on the way that will cover things like average fleet fuel consumption figures – meaning full electric or the halfway-house of hybrid powertrains might become essential.
AUSTRALIAN ELECTRIC BIKE FIRM BENZINA Zero has appointed Spanish firm Torrot as its European distributor. The Brisbane-based company (its name is Italian for zero petrol) makes a range of urban-mobility centred products: e-scooters, e-bikes and full-sized battery-powered moped/scooter models. It focuses on fleet business – including food delivery, post office/courier services, and ecotourism – and Torrot will now be its official partner in the EU.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome Torrot as our distribution partner in the EU,” said Joe D’Ercole, co-founder and co-CEO of Benzina Zero. “Their deep understanding of the European e-mobility market and their extensive dealer network make them the ideal partner to grow the Benzina Zero brand across the continent.”
LNick Spilger, delivery emissions lead at Uber, said: “Uber’s mission is to help cities tackle air pollution and move toward a zero-emission future, and making it as effortless as possible for couriers to switch to electric is a crucial part of that. We’re proud to partner with Vmoto to help couriers get access to cleaner and more affordable vehicles.”
eading urban mobility specialist Vmoto has completed a new deal with Uber’s delivery division, which will see its electric bikes and scooters offered for purchase, rent, or lease to couriers and food delivery riders across Europe. The agreement means Vmoto will supply its products to Uber partners in several European cities, to be used for transportation and logistics services via the Uber platform. Uber aims to transition 100,000 motorcycle couriers to electric mopeds or motorcycles across seven European markets by 2030.
Together, we are shaping a smarter, cleaner, and more connected world
Charles Chen, MD, Vmoto
Vmoto’s local partners will offer discounts, as well as maintenance and charging contracts, to couriers. Bikes will be made available through partners such as Zenion, Zoomo, and Ride Today. Discounted scooters, such as Vmoto’s CPx – the most popular electric bike in the UK – will be available in Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Lisbon, London, Madrid and Paris.
Vmoto MD Charles Chen said: “Vmoto is proud to partner with Uber to deliver advanced, integrated technological products and solutions. Through constant innovation and technological development, Vmoto is working towards a more sustainable, electric future, laying the groundwork for more advanced ways to manage electric fleets and delivery, including the utilisation of artificial intelligence to increase efficiency. Together, we are shaping a smarter, cleaner, and more connected world –in line with the global push for lowcarbon urban transformation.”
“I am thrilled about this partnership and grateful to Benzina Zero for entrusting us with their distribution in the EU markets,” said Torrot CEO Mark Franklin. “There is significant synergy between our two companies, as we both operate in the e-mobility sector and have a solid understanding of the landscape. By combining Benzina Zero’s industry-leading products with our extensive dealer network, we aim to leverage the strengths of both our businesses to achieve a common goal.
“We look forward to utilising our European network to provide comprehensive distribution coverage for the robust delivery products that Benzina Zero offers. With a strong track record and global experience from clients such as Domino’s Pizza, we are confident in the suitability of the Duo and Duo+ models for highuse delivery markets in the EU,” he added.
www.benzinazero.com
SALES OF ELECTRIC BIKES
could be better, but US manufacturer Zero Motorcycles continues to work hard at promoting its range of full-powered machinery, as well as the new lightweight models launched earlier this year, with a series of dealer support demo ride days. Last month, there were events at Magnet Motos in Berkshire, Oily Rag in Gloucester and Baffle Haus in Cardiff. Riders tested models including the fully-faired SR/S, the new DSR/X adventure bike, the CBT-compliant S and DS, and the SR/F roadster. Dale Robinson, UK country manager for Zero, said: “We’re now fully into the 2025 riding season, and there’s no better time to experience a Zero. These demo days are our favourite way to connect with riders and let them feel what electric is about. Our guided rides and expert team bring the experience to life, and we’re excited to welcome riders at events across the country.” Alongside the demo events, Zero has extended its Go Electric promotion to include 2024 models, with discounts of up to £5000 on 2022-24 year bikes.
Alternative powered two wheeler registrations for June 2025
The MCIA’s battery-electric sideline took another bashing in June. Total volume plunged by 33.3% to just 290 units and year-on-year market share slumped from 3.4% to 2.8%.
The up-to-4kw moped segment fell by 49.1% to 84 units. An 11-strong handful of these were Talaria TL5500 Sting Pro products, qualifying as “best sellers”. Approximately 125ccequivalent machines in the 4-11kW range declined by 28% to 183 units. A fleet of exactly 50 Stark Varg Ex products provided segmental leadership. As usual, power segments then became thinly represented. The 1135kW slot posed a
fanciful 87.5% increase. But this actually translated into eight units rising to fifteen. Ten of them were 15kW BMW CE 04 maxiscooters. Motorcycles above 35kW boasted notional 100% growth, which meant two bikes instead of one. They were both LiveWire One steeds from Harley-Davidson’s struggling sparky spin-off. The Exempt category dived by 57.1% – volume sinking from seven to three units, none of which were brandidentifiable. A further three machines of unknown origin completed the tally.
For the first half of 2025, total batteryelectric registrations have deteriorated by 18.2% to 1576 units. Market share stands at 3.2%.
Acerbis has signed up as the main partner and official racewear supplier for the 99th edition of the FIM Enduro of Nations Six Days, to be held in Bergamo, Italy, from 24 to 29 August. To celebrate, Acerbis has launched an official 6Days 2025 collection, which features a jersey, trousers, and gloves. “Being the official supplier is a great honour,” said Acerbis CEO Guido Acerbis. “This collection combines performance, comfort and Italian style, distinguishing us in the global market.” SRPs are £29.99 for the jersey, £99.99 for the trousers, and £39.99 for the gloves.
Acerbis UK; 01582 491076; www.acerbisb2b.co.uk
STARK FUTURE HAS CHOSEN Dunlop’s Geomax MX34 as the OE tyre for its all-electric VARG MX motorcycle. The tyres are available in sizes 80/100-21 for the front and 110/90-19 for the rear.
Launched in 2022, the VARG MX features an 80hp singlespeed electric powertrain offering performance said to be comparable to traditional 450cc bikes, while providing lower running costs and nearsilent operation.
The collaboration with Stark Future marks the first time Dunlop has supplied a motocross tyre as standard equipment for an all-electric off-road motorcycle.
correspondent Rick Kemp
The FIM X-Trial World Championship is set to make its long-awaited return to the UK in 2026, ending a 10-year absence. On 24 January the First Direct Arena in Leeds will host the world’s top indoor trials riders in a high-stakes round of the championship series.
This world-class event, brought back to British soil through the efforts of ML Events in partnership with the Auto-Cycle Union (ACU), is being celebrated as a landmark occasion for fans and the UK off-road and motorsport industry.
Running alongside the championship, the Trial Expo will return as the UK’s only dedicated indoor off-road exhibition, now expanded to three full floors of the arena. Fully accessible with lift services to every level, the expo promises increased visibility for brands and “an immersive experience” for attendees.
For the first time, access to the Trial Expo is now included with a new full-access ticket. This change enables both fans and trade professionals to transition between watching competitions and visiting the exhibition seamlessly.
Even before its main promotional phase begins, the event has already secured early support from major industry players. Confirmed exhibitors and partners include Beta, Honda, Sherco, TRRS, Vertigo, Oset,
E-Motion, Amped, Hope Technology, Inch Perfect Trials, John Shirt Motorcycles, Ride Nutrition, Michelin, Rock Oil, Road and Trials, TMX, and S3.
With consumer and trade attendance expected to be high, the events will present an excellent opportunity for product launches, B2B networking, media engagement, and retail partnerships.
“The return of the X-Trial World Championship to Great Britain isn’t just a sporting event – it’s a significant commercial platform for the trials and off-road sectors,” said a spokesperson for ML Events. “We’re providing a complete ecosystem that includes elite sport, a trade hub, and a fan experience, all in one venue.”
As the off-road market continues to grow – especially within electric trials and youth segments – the timing of this event positions it as a powerful launchpad for 2026.
Companies interested in exhibiting, advertising, or sponsoring are being encouraged to secure their space early, as premium placements are already in high demand.
24 January 2026
KAWASAKI HAS INTRODUCED TWO NEW models for 2026, one in the 250cc category and another in the 450cc category.
French rider Mathis Valin is riding in the MX2 class this year on the KRT KX250-SR, showcasing its performance. The 2026 model features, according to Kawasaki, “race development, innovative engineering, and technology designed for both professional and amateur racers”, including selectable power modes and traction control. A symmetrically aligned intake and exhaust claim to provide strong over-run performance and smooth low-end torque.
A flagship model, the KX450, has helped rider Romain Febvre achieve red plate status in the 2025 MXGP season. Its optimised chassis improves front-end feel and cornering across various conditions. Additional features include Brembo brakes, Showa suspension, and ODI Lock-on grips. Smartphone connectivity also allows riders to adjust engine mapping directly from a mobile device.
Both bikes are available in Kawasaki’s signature Lime Green, with the KX250 available now priced at £7799, while the KX450 will debut later this year at £8399.
Two new machines from 10Ten have hit the trails. The 110R offers junior riders a 110cc air-cooled, four-stroke engine with electric start, 14in front and 12in rear wheels and disc brakes. Weighing 58kg and with a seat height of 70cm, it has an SRP of £799.
The 300R is a full-size machine powered by a 280cc water-cooled Zongshen motor delivering 25hp and 22Nm of torque. A six-speed manual gearbox, electric start and adjustable suspension, complete the £2699 package. www.dualways.com
Suzuki GB has announced pricing for its DR-Z4S and DR-Z4SM models, both of which will come with an OTR price of £7999.
Unveiled at last year’s EICMA, both bikes feature a new 398cc singlecylinder engine and a twin-spar steel frame, accompanied by a separate, bolt-on, aluminium subframe and swingarm. The DR-Z4S comes with 21in and 18in spoked wheels and long-travel suspension from KYB, which offers 280mm of fork travel, 296mm of rear wheel travel, and 300mm of ground clearance. The SM is equipped with 17in wheels and has 260mm of front suspension travel and 277mm of rear wheel travel.
When the bikes arrive in dealerships at the end of the summer, buyers will benefit from Suzuki’s standard threeyear warranty and can enjoy an extended seven-year service activated warranty if they have their DR-Z serviced at an authorised Suzuki dealership.
Suzuki GB’s head of motorcycles, Jonathan Martin, said: “These may be spiritual successors to the DR-Z400S and DR-Z400SM. They take everything that made those bikes popular – such as their robustness and reliability – and build on that foundation and
reputation with a brand-new chassis and a new version of our 400cc single cylinder engine.
“Delivering superior levels of performance in their respective categories was our aim; for instance, ensuring the DR-Z4S is equipped with a suspension package that can take on the roughest of trails and will perform for an experienced rider off-road, while also remaining friendly for a newer rider. The engine capacity remains the same as that of the previous DR-Z models, but cumulative torque has been improved, resulting in a linear throttle response and predictable power delivery. This is particularly important for negotiating tougher trails or accelerating out of corners on the track.
“We’re looking forward to seeing the new bikes in dealerships, and we’re sure buyers and those taking a test ride will feel the high quality and impressive performance, but also our commitment to providing value.”
On balance, probably not. For bike dealers the best way to keep customers coming back is to give good value and great service
There must be a dozen coffee shops in the medium-sized market town that I call home, including the bigname national chains and a wide choice of local independents. Almost all of them offer customers a loyalty scheme. Even if you don’t possess a loyalty card for a coffee shop, chances are you’re a member of at least one of the top three schemes in the UK, possessing a Tesco Clubcard, Nectar Card or Boots Advantage Card.
Loyalty schemes aim to increase customer retention and spending by rewarding repeat purchases and fostering a sense of value. They give customers an incentive to choose a particular business over competitors and can also provide valuable data for targeted marketing. It might therefore seem obvious that every retail business needs a loyalty scheme, but before jumping aboard this bandwagon, consider what the above examples have in common. They are all places where people shop frequently. Every time you visit, you’ll remember to take your card and collect your points. Before considering a loyalty scheme for your own business, ask yourself how often you expect customers to shop with you. Let’s say you run a tyre depot or make made-to-measure earplugs – it’s unlikely that most customers will visit more than once a year. By the time they’re ready to make their next purchase, they’ll have forgotten you offer rewards and can’t find the card you gave them.
Should you decide to press ahead, there are other questions to reflect upon;
1. Do you have the technology to implement a loyalty programme and the time to run it? If not, you need to factor in the cost to set up and run a scheme
A well-designed loyalty scheme can make a business stand out from competitors
2. Will the potential increase in sales compensate for the discounts and rewards offered through the scheme? If not carefully managed, this can erode overall profit margins. As the saying goes, turnover is vanity, profit is sanity
3. Is it likely that customers will only engage with you for the rewards?
Over-reliance on loyalty programmes can create a dependency, whereby some customers may remain loyal only as long as the rewards are attractive, leading to churn when the programme changes or a competitor offers better incentives
A well-designed loyalty scheme can make a business stand out from competitors, providing unique benefits and strengthening the emotional connection with customers. However, there are potential drawbacks. Loyalty schemes can be costly, require significant effort to run, and impact profit margins if not managed effectively. They can also create dependency and not necessarily guarantee long-term loyalty.
One final thought. Very few of my favourite pubs, restaurants and cafes offer a loyalty scheme. Sometimes the best way to ensure repeat business is simply to offer excellent value and great service!
We investigate the best ways to attract new customers to your business.
Narayan Subramaniam, co-founder of Ultraviolette, and Jan Ykema, MD of UK distributor
India is a country of 1.4bn people, with a strong culture of selfimprovement and a belief in the power of education and learning. This has lead to people from across the subcontinent travelling the world to study, learn and work in blue-chip companies. And traditionally that is where they would have stayed, but with India now undergoing something of a manufacturing and technology revolution some of the vast diaspora is now returning to use their qualifications and experience to create new high-tech businesses.
And that is the back story of motorcycle manufacturer Ultraviolette. In 2016, a pair of ambitious young engineers, with experience gained working in the automotive and computing domains, returned to India and settled in the city of Bangalore with the dream of creating a high-tech, high-spec electric motorcycle that would conquer the world.
Ultraviolette founders Narayan Subramaniam and Niraj Rajmohan took their experience of working at
companies such as Volvo, Toyota and Yahoo! and applied it to designing and developing a motorcycle from scratch, following a philosophy of “form and function coming together” as they built models and prototypes and gradually increased the size of the Ultraviolette team, bringing in experts in engineering, electronics and software design. It took seven years to finalise a production-ready design, but Narayan says they were determined to produce a fully-finished and usable machine from the get-go. “We didn’t want to emulate some Chinese companies’ attempts at making an electric bike,
Dutch distributor MotoMondo already has several well-known brands in its UK stable, and now there’s a new addition – Indian electric brand Ultraviolette. Colin Williams crossed the Channel to learn about the ambitious brand
simply retrofitting a battery pack and motor into an existing ICE chassis, as that hasn’t worked.”
The headcount at the factory now amounts to nearly 500, with more than half of those in the R&D department, and 100 working on the production line. They are proud of the fact that they don’t outsource any production. Manufacturing, assembly and testing are all completed in the factory, which has the capacity to make 50,000 units a year in its current guise.
The battery pack design is Ultraviolette’s own and it has been designed to be long-lived – it is confident enough to
offer a 100,000km warranty on it – by using an array of sensors, fuses and failsafes to make sure the 800 individual cells are thermally equalised. The pack has been rigorously tested to work at temperatures between -14oC and 50oC – necessary for a home market where a decent day’s ride can take in both the chilly peaks of the Himalayas and the scorching deserts of Rajasthan. India is also a country where monsoon season brings regular localised flooding, so the pack’s IP67 rating against water ingress is not just reassuring, it means the bike can keep going in water deep enough to cover the wheels. When it comes to the tech, a lot of thought and effort has been put into making it all work seamlessly, and thoughtful details abound. The customisable digital dash shows range remaining, energy consumption, speed, tyre pressure and whether the bike is in its very useful reverse gear. There’s also a “walk along” mode that make manoeuvring the bike while on foot an effortless process. A smartphone app ➥
Despite being, legally, A1 category machines, the F77 Mach 2 and Super Street are closer to A2 machinery in terms of performance
controls the built-in security features – an alarm sounds if the bike is moved and it sends a notification to the phone, and then provides tracking information. When in regen mode the brake light activates in a flickering mode to warn drivers behind that the bike is slowing, and there is an automatic “hill hold” feature that means you can release the brakes on a slope and the bike just stays put.
Ultraviolette already has a strong dealer presence across India, with 19 “Space Stations” and a single “Space Hanger” which have been selling the bikes for the last two years. Bringing the bike into Europe is the first part of Ultraviolette’s mission to become an international brand. Europe has some of the most stringent regulations and also has a population of bike enthusiasts, meaning that, according to Subramaniam, if the F77 can succeed here, it should succeed anywhere.
The UK distributor is Netherlands-based MotoMondo, which already supplies 60 UK dealers with the Moto Morini and Mash brands, and is also the Benelux agent for Royal Enfield, QJMotor and Hyosung. MotoMondo MD Jan Ykema approached Ultraviolette and was
impressed by the brand’s innovation and devotion to producing quality engineering – illustrated by it holding several records for the fastestever Indian motorcycle (258kph, 10.712 standing quarter).
He is aiming to create a network of around 25 dealers
for Ultraviolette across the UK, starting with the obvious target of urban commuters, so will be looking to find showrooms around major towns and cities to cater for that demographic. London is already on board, with the signing of Krazy Horse, which has four branches in
and around the capital, as are dealerships in Plymouth (Macpherson Motorcycles), Swansea (All Revved Up) and Kent (Evolution Kustoms). Dealer requirements are relatively low, only requiring enough space to display one of each model and to have a demo of each for customers to try.
Currently there are two models in the range – the F77 Mach 2 and the F77 Super Street which differ only in handlebar position and paint scheme. More are due to follow in the near future, with the factory working on an adventurestyle machine using the F77’s chassis; a tech-infused commuter-friendly super scooter that will feature radar obstacle detection, a weathermonitoring dashcam and vehicle proximity warning mirrors; and a lightweight urban off-road style machine.
Both of the F77s have a UK retail price of £9199, putting them slightly above the (slower and lower range) £7495 Maeving RM1S, but considerably cheaper than the £15,300 Zero S and the new £13,899 CanAm Pulse, which offer similar performance and range.
Is the UK e-PTW market ready for an Indian takeover? Ultraviolette is certainly going to spice things up! MotoMondo; 01429 650555; eathan.cooper@motomondo.com
MY FIRST IMPRESSION ON
approaching the Ultraviolette F77 is that, despite being an A1-category motorcycle (equivalent to a 125cc in licensing terms) it is a proper, full size machine, feeling more akin to a mid-capacity naked than a learner legal steed. It looks stylish, and feels reassuringly sturdy, with a neatly welded steel frame, solid plastic panels and a classy single-sided swingarm.
Once given a quick lesson in operating the controls we set off for a tour of the lanes, roads and highways around the Dutch town of Zwolle. The F77 immediately feels well balanced, making it a breeze to trickle along at walking pace as we navigate the hotel car park. At 207kg it’s not overly heavy, and the centre of gravity has been carefully positioned to give it a stable feel. Acceleration from low speeds is exceptionally smooth, with a nicely weighted throttle action, and is accompanied by a rather pleasing sci-fi whistle as the speed increases. As we progress on to faster roads it becomes apparent that the 40kW (53hp) peak power machine is more than capable of keeping up with the traffic, sweeping past dawdling cars and trucks.
Swooping our way along the winding back roads I take the opportunity to have a play with the settings via the 5in digital display. There are three power modes –Glide, Combat and Ballistic – which alter the amount of power and the throttle mapping from urban-friendly to sporting, and 10 levels of dynamic regen. Changing the regen settings can be done on the move, with the lowest setting causing the bike to roll on unimpeded when shutting off the throttle, giving a nice smooth flow to the ride, especially on faster dual carriageways, whereas at the top setting it gives an engine braking effect similar
The Ultraviolette F77 Mach 2 made the most of its snappy acceleration and progressive throttle control on the tight and twisting track
to a big V-twin, making the actual brakes almost redundant. The top setting also provides the highest level of regen available on any production electric motorcycle, returning up to 30% of the power used back to the battery to extend the range. Talking of range, Ultraviolette claims up to 231km, which is a bit optimistic if you make use of the bike’s speed and acceleration, but my average consumption of 58Wh/km over a 60km ride means it should manage 175km (about 110 miles) of reasonably spirited riding before the 10.3kW battery needs recharging – which takes 2.5 hours to get up to 80% capacity.
When the brakes are required they pull the bike up with alacrity, which was fortunate for one fellow rider who narrowly avoided a head-on collision after forgetting
Acceleration from low speeds is smooth, with a nicely weighted throttle action, and is accompanied by a rather pleasing sci-fi whistle as the speed increases
they drive on the right in Europe. A bit of clever programming means that the Bosch-sourced ABS doesn’t get confused by the operation of the regen, and the ECU also provides the four selectable levels of traction control.
After a brief stop for lunch, it was time to take to the track. Unfortunately, this wasn’t an opportunity to try for a lap record at Assen, but a session around a tight and twisty kart track. This meant top speed
wasn’t an issue, but brisk acceleration, nimble handling, and good balance were. I tottered around enjoying myself while the ex-racers and track day specialists gave it the beans. As they came off track, they spent their time discussing the best lines to take and braking points rather than any shortcomings of the bike – their silence a pretty good endorsement of the F77’s innate ridability.
Post-track it was good to get back onto the open road as the temperatures rose. This session took us on to the dual carriageway, giving the opportunity to see how the F77 measures up against other traffic. Pulling away from junctions on full throttle the digital speedometer becomes a pleasing blur as the speed rises. Official acceleration figures claim a 0-100kmh time of 7.7 seconds, putting the F77 ahead of ICE machines such as the Triumph Speed 400 and Honda GB350S. Cars were left well behind as we reached the 120km/h speed limit with ease, and there was still plenty to go. The bike’s maximum speed is a claimed 155kmh (96mph), and the F77 felt comfortable, and remarkably quiet, pushing towards it. It’s never going to be challenging sportsbikes and supernakeds in the traffic light Grand Prix, but there is enough oomph to keep up with, or ahead of, normal vehicles.
Overall, I came away impressed by the F77 Mach 2 and Super Street models. They look great, the build quality feels reassuringly solid (if it’s good enough for Indian roads it should be good enough to survive our pothole strewn highways), and the on-road performance was extremely impressive for an A1 machine. And that is without considering either the environmental or cost-saving benefits of it being an electric bike – it’s good enough to stand on its own up against ICE competition for any commuter wanting something fun and flickable.
Contact 01237 422660 or adsales@dealernews.co.uk
The latest news and views in the world of business
Poorly handled sexual harassment complaints can land an employer in front of a judge
According to a recent Acas survey, 14% of employers and 6% of employees have witnessed sexual harassment in their workplace. [1]
By now, most businesses should be aware of the new legislation introduced last October (2024), which requires employers to take “reasonable steps” to prevent sexual harassment.
Sexual harassment, defined by the Equality Act of 2010, includes any unwelcome behaviour of a sexual nature, whether verbal or physical, and can occur both in and out of the workplace.
To qualify as sexual harassment, the behaviour must violate someone’s dignity or create an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment, even if unintended. It can consist of a single incident or a pattern and may occur through phone calls, online, via email, or in person.
Examples include making sexual remarks about someone’s appearance, asking about someone’s sex life, telling offensive jokes, displaying pornographic material, touching someone without consent, and sexual assault or rape.
Crucially, what some people might consider joking can still be sexual harassment.
Employers need to be aware of two key pieces of legislation:
The Equality Act 2010: This is designed to protect people against various forms of discrimination and harassment, including sex discrimination and sexual harassment.
The Worker Protection (Amendment of Equality Act 2010) Act 2023
Which came into effect on 26 October 2024, and focuses on preventing sexual harassment. If it has already happened, an employer should take action to prevent it from happening again.
Under the law, employers have specific responsibilities related to preventing and addressing sexual harassment. They must take steps to prevent sexual harassment from occurring and have a duty of care to protect the well-being of their staff, ensuring a safe and supportive work environment.
Where harassment is committed by a third party, such as a customer, supplier, or contractor, it should be treated as seriously as if a colleague committed it.
As to the risks employers face in relation to sexual harassment, very simply, failing to prevent and address sexual harassment in the workplace properly can lead
to disputes and Employment Tribunal claims, including:
Sexual Harassment Claims: Employers can be held liable for harassment that occurs during employment.
Constructive Dismissal:
Employees may claim constructive dismissal if they feel forced to resign due to the employer’s failure to address harassment or ensure a safe work environment.
Discrimination:
Both employers and individual employees can face complaints of discrimination. Employers must ensure that staff understand their responsibilities and the consequences of their actions.
with Adam Bernstein www.abfeatures.com
When faced with an allegation of sexual harassment, employers need to act.
Take it seriously
When an employee, contractor, or applicant reports sexual harassment, the complaint must be taken seriously. Employers are legally required to conduct a thorough investigation and should not let personal beliefs influence their response.
Maintain fairness and sensitivity
Employers must address complaints fairly and sensitively, while also ensuring the protection of all employees. This may require action even if the complainant does not wish to pursue it. Support options, like employee assistance programs and counselling, should be available for both parties.
Ensure confidentiality
Confidentiality must be respected by all parties, and everyone involved should be reminded to do the same to prevent misinformation and ensure fairness. Breaching confidentiality may lead to disciplinary action.
Investigate promptly
Allegations of sexual harassment are stressful, and delaying the investigation can worsen the situation. Employers should address complaints quickly and without unnecessary delay.
Speak to the complainant
Employers should listen to the complainant’s account and keep records of the conversation. This factfinding process aims to collect information and
identify witnesses for the investigation.
If the complaint involves a possible criminal offence, discuss with the individual whether they want to report it to the police and offer support. This may affect the investigation, as they might need to pause the process to avoid interfering with a criminal case.
Address the matter in line with internal procedures
For employees, addressing the matter is likely to involve the grievance procedure; however, the employer may also have a separate antibullying and harassment policy or a sexual harassment policy and procedure.
But for the employer, in addition to speaking with the complainant to understand their concerns, the procedure is likely to include notifying the individual accused of the allegations against them, investigating the concerns with the accused and any potential witnesses, gathering evidence such as emails, phone records and recordings, and checking relevant policies; holding a formal meeting with the complainant with the right to be accompanied; providing a written outcome letter to the complainant with the right of appeal; and providing a written outcome letter to the alleged harasser.
If circumstances require, the employer may also need to consider suspending the alleged harasser or making other temporary changes to working arrangements pending the outcome of the investigation.
Taking appropriate action
The way in which the issue is resolved will depend on the facts of the case, but options include an informal discussion, counselling, mediation, or formal disciplinary procedures. Serious cases may result in dismissal for gross misconduct.
However, if a disciplinary process is followed and a sanction is imposed, the accused employee must be given the option to appeal against the disciplinary sanction.
Evaluate the process and consider recommendations Once the process has concluded, the employer must consider any lessons learned and implement necessary changes to its policies and procedures. Managers and staff should be informed of these updates and provided with training to reinforce expectations and prevent future issues.
Allegations of this nature are serious and require proper and fair handling. However, whatever is alleged, the employer should not brush the allegations under the carpet, downplay the concerns as ‘banter,’ and neither should they discuss the matter with anyone who doesn’t need to know.
MELINDA CLEMENTS
Melinda Clements is an HR consultant at Employment Law firm WorkNest.
All the latest products, with Colin Williams
THE ST-2 AIR IS A SUMMER TOURING JACKET, DESIGNED TO keep a rider cool in the hottest of conditions. Large mesh panels on the chest, back and arms channel airflow across the body, while laser cut perforations help to give an all-round cooling effect. Because it is designed for long, hot days in the saddle, comfort has been made a priority, with details such as stretchy softshell construction, soft edged collar and plenty of adjustment on the arms, waist and cuffs. The outer shell is CE rated AA for abrasion resistance, and Alpinestars’ Nucleon Flex Plus level 1 armour is fitted at the elbows and shoulders – no back protector as it would interfere with the mesh panel on the back, although it is Tech-Air ready. It comes in sizes S-4XL for men, in a choice of four colours for an SRP of £189.99. The Stella ST-2 Air has the same spec but with a ladies-specific cut for a more flattering fit. It comes in three colours in sizes S-2XL, also at £189.99 SRP. Alpinestars; 0039 0423 5286; sales@alpinestars.com
OXFORD PRODUCTS HAS DEVELOPED A NEW ACCESSORY TO spare hapless bikers from the pain of using a standard aerosol. The Mint Aerosol Trigger is designed to work with the Mint range of cleaners and degreasers, but should work equally well with any aerosol product from polish to paint. It simply clips over the nozzle and provides an ergonomic handle with a grip-action trigger. It has an SRP of £5.99, and should keep hands clean and help to prevent index finger strain.
Oxford Products; 01993 862300; info@oxprod.com
EVERY ADVENTURE BIKE RIDER WANTS A NICE BIT OF aluminium luggage strapped to their bike, but Bike It is confident that scooter and delivery riders will be equally enamoured of its aluminium top boxes. An aluminium outer skin is fitted onto contoured edging frame for added rigidity, and there are polymer corner bumpers too. Inside, a diamond-stitched padded faux leather liner protects both contents and the box. They come in 36, 45, 65, 80 and 100-litre capacities and each includes a universal mounting plate with a lockable quick release buckle. Pricing starts from £159.99, topping out at £299.99.
Bike It; 02380 658700; tradesales@bikeit.co.uk
THE RISE OF ELECTRONIC DIAGNOSTIC equipment has made the work of workshop technicians and home mechanics both quicker easier – plug a bike in and you can instantly read and reset error codes from the comfort of a laptop, smartphone or tablet.
Surrey-based experts HEX Innovate is a specialist in the field, with a range of GS-911 diagnostic tools specifically designed for BMW CAN bus-equipped bikes, covering pretty much every Motorrad machine from the early 2000s up to the present day, as well as a couple of BMW-derived Husqvarnas and even the rare and esoteric Campagna T-Rex trike, powered by the K1600 flat six engine.
Three versions of the hardware exist –two with ODB-2 connectors with a choice of USB or WiFi interfaces, and one with a round 10-pin connector compatible with older models, although it can be used with newer bikes with an optional adapter cable. Two licences are available: Enthusiast, which is limited to 10 different VINs, or ProUnlimited for usage on an unlimited number of machines.
To give the GS-911 a challenge, I plugged it into my elderly BMW F800 ST with well over 60,000 miles on the clock. My garage is out of WiFi range, but a button on the GS-911 allows it to switch to D2D mode to connect directly with a smartphone, which is ideal for diagnostics while out and about on a ride. Once connected, I ran an Autoscan, which pumps back reams of data trawled from the
various ECUs on the bike: everything from date of manufacture to mileage covered, ABS details to VIN. It also shows all the faults present and lets you clear the codes: I was surprised to see that my bike only came back with a couple of historical fault codes, and they were quick and simple to clear. It was also straighforward to turn out the service overdue light on the dash, which has been warning me of dire consequenses for several years! Live data is available, so you can view stuff like battery voltage, fuel pressure, coolant temperature and Lambda sensor readings in real time to try and track down issues, and there are technical functions such as operating the ABS system to allow proper bleeding protcols to be followed, and calibrating the idle actuator to improve running.
The software is constantly being updated, so it will always give the maximum number of functions available for the model being examined – generally speaking, the newer the bike, the more the GS-911 can test and configure.
It’s proved to be a very useful bit of kit, providing a huge amount of control over the dark art of electronics, and the £366 SRP is almost worth it just for the ability to turn out the service warning light. It does take a bit of fiddling to get it set up and talking to everything properly, and it is obviously of interest only to BMW owners and repairers, but for them the GS-911 is pretty much a no-brainer.
HEX Innovate; 01372 364100; www.hexezcan.com
Designed
LS2 IS MOST KNOWN FOR ITS range of helmets, but it has also been selling a range of clothing alongside for some years. It’s now making a big push on its apparel, with a shift towards higher spec kit such as the Apollo adventure suit.
The Apollo jacket is something of a rarity, as it combines waterproof laminated construction with an AAA CE rating. For the shell, triple-layer Cordura shell is combined with stretch fabric in strategic areas, and the laminate claims to be waterproof up to 21,000mm (for the uninitiated, that is a lot!), all secured with a waterproof main zip and storm flap. For colder months there is a zip-in thermal lining, and when the weather turns warm there are large ventilation panels on the chest which can be secured open with Fidlock magnetic fasteners, plus more vents on the cuffs to facilitate a breeze up the sleeves. A four piece CE Level 2 armour set comes with the jacket as standard, and there are pockets for optional chest and back protectors. Other practical features include multiple waterproof pockets, a removable storm collar and a kidney belt to support the lower back. It comes in two colour options – both in shades of grey with red or hi-vis yellow trims – in men’s sizes up to 5XL for an SRP of £499.99. The matching trousers are made of the same Cordura laminate, with a synthetic leather reinforced seat panel, a removable thermal layer, and CE level 2 armour on hips and knees. They come in a black/grey that will match with either colour jacket for an SRP of £299. LS2 Helmets UK; 01670 856342; ukservice2@ls2helmets.com
Vespa looms 4 NOTHING FILLS A WORKSHOP TECHNICIAN’S HEART WITH JOY more than a hard-to-trace electrical fault, especially on an older machine with a loom that has had years of repairs, additions and random butchering to contend with. VE now has complete replacement wiring looms for Vespa Rally 200 scooters that will rapidly remove electrical uncertainty, as they are made to OE spec, with original-style connectors for a plug and play replacement. They’re made in Italy, and come in two versions for non-battery scooters: one suitable for machines with a kill button, the other for machines with a kill switch. Both versions have an SRP of £33.60. VE (UK); 01159 462991; sales@ve-uk.com
Givi projector lights
CREATING A ‘TRIANGLE’ OF LIGHTS ON THE FRONT OF A motorcycle is known to make it easier for other traffic to judge speed and distance, improving safety and reducing the chance of someone pulling out of a junction at the wrong moment. The other advantage of fitting a set of auxiliary lights is making it easier to see what’s ahead in the dark, an important component of “making progress” at night. Givi’s S312 projector lamps promise to improve both aspects of riding, thanks to 25W of LED power each side giving up to 6000 lumens and a range of 380m. The watertight outer casing is designed to be slim and compact making them easier to fit to crash bars of 21-25mm diameter. They wire direct to the battery, and come with a handlebar-mounted switch to operate.
Available in black only, SRP is £179.10.
Givi UK; 01327 706220; info@givi.co.uk
R&G HAS ADDED EAZI-GRIP SCUFF GUARDS to its bodywork protection range. The guards are made from a durable silicon material and are custom-shaped for each application. They protect the swingarm and parts of the frame from being rubbed by the rider’s boots while riding. They are self-adhesive, and a cleansing wipe to prepare the surface for application is included in the kit. Prices start from £22.49 SRP. R&G; 01420 89007; info@rg-racing.com
WITH HONDA’S CB1000 HORNET FLYING OUT OF SHOWROOMS AS QUICKLY AS dealers can get hold of them, it’s a no-brainer for accessories manufacturer Pyramid to add to the range of products it provides for the popular naked. To add a dash more practicality there are £104.99 SRP ABS plastic handguards which stop wind, rain and debris from hitting the hands, and a £159.99 glassfibre spray guard which bolts to the swingarm via a CNC aluminium bracket and deflects mud water and stones away from the rear light and number plate area of the bike. Alternatively, there is an £89.99 matt black powder coated steel tail tidy which tucks the lights and plate closer in behind the seat for a sportier look. Cheapest of all the upgrades is a £16.99 SRP horn cover, that does what it says on the tin – protects the Hornet’s exposed horn from debris thrown up by the front wheel. Pyramid Moto; 01427 677990; support@pyramidmoto.co.uk
Oxford Kickback 3.0
IT’S BEEN MORE THAN FOUR YEARS SINCE the Kickback 2.0 armoured riding shirt was launched, so an update has long been on the cards. The new Kickback 3.0 doesn’t try to reinvent the successful format of its predecessor, it has just been tweaked to improve protection and to bring it up to date. The biggest change is that it is now CE AA rated, an important upgrade from the A rating of the 2.0. The armour has also gone up a notch, with CE level 2 fitted at the elbows and shoulders. There is also a new zip to attach the shirt to suitable jeans, a new ventilation panel on the back, and some zipped pockets for essentials.
It comes in both men’s and ladies versions, with the gents getting four colour options (grey, khaki and navy check, and black) in sizes from S to 5XL, and the ladies limited to just a grey check colourway in sizes 8 to 22. SRP is £139.99. Oxford Products; 01993 862300; info@oxprod.com
RS BIKE PAINT
EVERY YEAR SEES NEW BIKE LAUNCHES, along with new liveries to freshen-up the existing ranges, all resulting in a raft of new paint colours that will be needed for repairs and resprays. So RS Bike Paint has updated its website with new colours for 2025 machinery from all the major brands, and many of the smaller ones too. In total there are now more than 60,000 colours on the database, all of which can be mixed to be supplied as 25ml touchup bottles, 400ml aerosols or in larger tins for professional spraying. Prices start from £10.50 SRP, with worldwide delivery available.
RS Bike Paint; 01707 273219; sales@rsbikepaint.co.uk
TOURATECH AVENTURO PRO 35 TO CELEBRATE ITS 35TH ANNIVERSARY, German adventure touring specialist brand Touratech has launched a range of ‘merch’. Most of the special-liveried clothing is casual –including a softshell jacket, T-shirt, polo shirt and various hats and caps – but topping the range is a special Anniversary Edition 35 model of its Aventuro Pro Carbon helmet, which comes in a limited-edition sand colour with white/blue/yellow graphics and lots of exposed carbon weave. Features include a drop down sun visor, removable peak and a brace of included camera mounts. Price is £601 SRP.
Touratech UK; 0208 089 9692; info@touratech-uk.co.uk
SUZUKI HAS BEEN ENJOYING GREAT SUCCESS with its 800cc platform, with a range of naked, sport and adventure models all using the 776cc parallel twin motor. Now it has added two new retro-styled models: the GSX-8T naked and the GSX-8TT, which has a bikini fairing. Both bikes share a twin-spar steel frame, along with new fuel tank, seat unit and handlebars. Lots of retro styling cues are used on the bikes, including a
round LED headlamp, bar end mirrors and a tuck-and-roll inspired seat cover. The GSX-8T comes in Candy Burnt Gold, matt metallic green or metallic matt black for an OTR price of £9599 for the 8T, while the GSX-8TT come in metallic matt black or pearl matt green complete with some race-inspired stripes for an OTR price of £9999.
Suzuki; www.bikes.suzuki.co.uk/franchise
SECURITY IS A BIG ISSUE FOR BIKES, WITH NEARLY every one requiring some sort of lock, chain or alarm to comply with insurance demands, especially commuters and city riders. Lockforce chains are a traditional, chunky and heavyweight security method, featuring 10mm hardened steel links which should slow down any ne’er-do-well with an angle grinder. The links are covered with a nylon sleeve to help prevent scratches and scuffs, and there’s a built in lock so no padlock required. Three lengths are available – 1.0m, 1.5m and 1.8m – at £31.19, £37.35 and £46.95 SRP respectively.
VE (UK); 01159 462991; sales@ve-uk.com
KAPPA HAS GONE FOR A VERY MODERN VIBE for the styling of its latest flip-front helmet – the KV55. It’s got dual type approval, so can be used in both the full-face configuration or with the chinbar flipped back 180o to make it a jet-style open-face. The shell is thermoplastic, and it comes in five solid colour choices – matt black, titanium, gloss white, burgundy and matt blue. The Pinlock-ready clear visor is backed up by a drop-down sun visor, and ventilation is helped along by chin and crown air intakes and a pair of rear extractor vents. Inside is a removable and washable liner. The KV55 comes in sizes XS to XXL for an SRP of £250.
Hoco Parts UK; 01484 641073; info@hocoparts.co.uk
WHEN IT COMES TO ADVENTURE BIKE LUGGAGE, OFTEN
bigger is better. That’s certainly the tactic that Wunderlich has adopted with its X-Case X55, which is a 55-litre behemoth capable of storing two full sized helmets, with space to spare. The chamfered corners claim to improve aerodynamics, add stiffness and also make it look slightly less bulky than it might. It comes with a choice of lock – coded to the vehicle key or a standard cylinder lock, is sealed against dust and water ingress, and has four lashing eyes on top to add extra storage capacity.It comes in raw aluminium or black powder coat finishes for an SRP of €429 or €469 respectively. Wunderlich; +49 2641 3082-703; sales@wunderlich.de
HEX ezSwitch 5
AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE ubiquitous blue or black biker jeans, Weise Garrison are protective cargo pants, providing some individual style and plenty of pockets. The material used is a combination of 185gsm cotton twill with 250gsm Kevlar which helps it to achieve an AA rating for abrasion resistance, and there is a mesh liner to improve comfort. Accordion panels provide some extra flexibility at the knees and the waistband is higher at the rear for an improved fit (and also helps to safely avoid the “builder’s bum” look). Impact protection comes from a set of four slim Re Zro biodegradable flexible armour pieces, all rated to CE level 1. The knee armour fits into externallyzipped pockets for easy removal during off-bike use. Thigh vents provide some airflow in critical areas, and there are six pockets in total. The Garrison comes in men’s sizes 30-42, and ladies’ sizes 1022, in a choice of black or sage green for an SRP of £159.99.
The Key Collection; 01179 719200; sales@thekeycollection.co.uk
HEX INNOVATE HAS CREATED THE NEW EZSWITCH TO provide users of its ezCAN accessory manager with an simple way to operate any auxiliary accessories plugged into it. The ezSWITCH simply fits to the handlebars or mirror shaft using a cable tie to secure, and then gives fingertip control to switch on lights, or adjust their brightness level, as required. The switch itself is illuminated, with a choice of red, blue, green or yellow LEDs, and is claimed to be especially useful for bikes with limited-CANbus systems, such as the Yamaha Ténéré and KTMs. SRP is £69. HEX Innovate; 01372 364100;www.hexezcan.com
WHEN IT COMES TO REBUILDING A DODGY REAR SHOCK, OEM parts can be pricy, so Larsson has produced a range of more economically priced shock seal heads under its own-brand JMP branding. The shock seal head has two functions – to guide the rod within the body in a nice linear fashion, and to stop the oil and gas used in the shock from getting out – and on motocross and other off-road machines that take a pounding, they can need replacing on a regular basis. A complete aluminium unit with all the seals in place that press fits onto the rod can make the whole rebuilding job quicker and easier than having to spec and replace a raft of seals, washers and spacers. The range fits shocks from Kayaba, Sachs, Showa and WP, covering a wide range of off road machines from KTM, GasGas, Honda, Suzuki and Rieju, and even the BMW R1200/1250 GS and Adventure! SRP is £31.74. Larsson UK; 01536 265633; info@larsson.uk.com
THE LATEST BIKES TO BE ADDED TO THE roster of machines protected by R&G cover both ends of the motorcycle performance scale: at the lower end is Honda’s fun and frugal MSX125 ‘Grom’, while at the upper end is Aprilia’s aggressive and powerful Tuono V4 1100 Factory. Both of the 2025 models can be fitted out with crash protectors, fork protectors, bar end sliders, a tail tidy and more. Prices vary, but as examples, the tail tidy for the Grom is £133.99 while the one for the Tuono is £124.99 SRP. R&G; 01420 89007; info@rg-racing.com
IF YOU’RE A SUPPORTER OF HAVING A BIT on the side, or have customers who enjoy some extra, then you can advertise your deviant ways to the world with a new range of T-shirts and merchandise from sidecar specialist Watsonian. For the most public displays of affiliation, there’s a T-shirt emblazoned with the coat-of-arms logo (£25 SRP) and a selection of bobble hats and caps (from £18 SRP), while for the more reserved there is a £9 ceramic mug and a £40 vintagestyle distressed sign to hang on the garage wall. Watsonian Squire; 01386 700907; www.watsonian-squire.com
THE TRADITIONAL THREE-LAYER SUIT OF thermal layer, waterproof membrane and armoured outer jacket is increasingly being turned on its head for the latest generation of adventure suits. In a quest to cater for a wider range of climatic conditions suits like the new Tectonic H2O have an armoured and abrasion resistant layer, with a removable, relatively lightweight, waterproof outer layer to don if required. The mesh ventilated base layer of the jacket and pants is AA rated and can be worn on its own in warm and dry conditions, as it is fitted with CE level 2 armour. If (or when) the weather turns, the triple-layer Hydratex shell fits quickly over the top providing a wind and waterproof outer, with zipped vents to allow air to circulate if needed. The jacket comes in sizes S to 3XL in a choice of black/grey, black/ blue or black/brown, and the pants come in sizes ranging from S to 4XL in three leg lengths in black only. SRPs are £499.99 for the jacket, £389.99 for the pants.
Rev’It! info@revitsport.com
To be blunt, most of us in the motorcycle business couldn’t give a flying f-word when US entertainment billionaire John Malone’s Liberty Media Corporation coughed up £8bn to add Formula 1 motor racing to its portfolio of brands in 2017. And the fact that it has since virtually doubled annual revenues through judicious employment of Netflix documentary-style “Drive to Survive” television programming, to inflate the egomania of Formula 1 drivers as demigods, doesn’t engender much biker interest either, given that we generally view them as a bunch of four-wheeled twats anyway.
Indeed, Liberty executive supremo Derek Chang prefers to describe the F1 acquisition as a “streaming content producer” rather than sport. Similarly, F1’s chief media rights officer Ian Holmes characterises the championship’s squads of race team personnel as its “cast”. Essentially, Holmes is well aware that he’s managing
nothing more than a realityTV show crossed with significant soap-opera input. Sporting pedigree is on the back burner.
Sadly, though, we can no longer ignore Liberty Media and its motorised antics, because it has now encroached onto blue-ribbon motorcycling territory as well. In April last year, Liberty pitched for an 84% stake worth €4.3bn in MotoGP and WSBK rights
Liberty’s takeover, after conducting what it described as “an in-depth review” that failed to raise any competition concerns.
As soon as he’d got the EC go-ahead nod, it then took Dorna head Carmelo Ezpeleta no time at all to flaunt a fulsome picture of his intentions. Following in the skidmarks of F1, he announced that: “Growing in America is our main goal for MotoGP. We will do as much
“Growing in America is our main goal for MotoGP. We will do as much as we can to be increasing our popularity in the States”
Dorna head, Carmelo Ezpeleta
in Austin, Texas – already shared with MotoGP – the F1 franchise has now added new permanent Grands Prix track presences in Las Vegas and Miami, with more to come. And a US-branded Cadillac race team is set to join the F1 grid next year. Expeleta’s immediate priority will be to up-scale the profile of MotoGP’s solitary starspangled showcase at COTA in Texas and urgently hunt for other appropriate venues elsewhere in the US.
owner Dorna. Initially, this bid was referred to the European Commission’s competition regulator, and there were those among us who hoped it would be unceremoniously chucked out. No such luck. In mid-June this year, the Commission finally approved
as we can to be increasing our popularity in the States.”
There was nothing particularly new about this plan. “Americanisation” has been at the core of Liberty’s F1 development too. Building on modern Circuit of the Americas (COTA) facilities
This won’t be as easy as it sounds. Liberty’s Derek Chang has noted that MotoGP can only become more accessible to American audiences by domiciling championship rounds closer to urban centres. “There’s a big difference between having a race track three hours away from a major city, instead of 15 minutes,” Chang has pointed out.
And the greater safety issues now restraining motorcycle sport in terms of run-off and shock-absorbing installations protecting both riders and spectators mean
Market analysis with financial editor
Roger Willis
that MotoGP is physically incapable of replicating pussy-footed F1’s success with “around the houses” street circuits in cities. Furthermore, historic US venues that featured spectacular motorcycle racing action right up to the recent past – Daytona, Indianapolis and Laguna Seca spring to mind – no longer pass any sensible scrutiny.
Of course, in parallel to “Americanisation” opportunities, Liberty and Dorna still have plenty of wiggle room to crank up cashflow by growing their extensive MotoGP events portfolio in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Dorna’s management team, with a delightfully Spanish injection of nepotism in the shape of Carmelo Ezpeleta’s son Carlos as chief sporting officer, has also been keen to take on board Liberty’s televisual expertise.
TV streaming junkies will take to the plethora of greasy foreigners infesting MotoGP’s paddock and pitlane, with weird and often unpronounceable names and a desperately weak grasp of the English language, is open for debate.
But there is, in addition, another strangely unspoken issue. To the best of our knowledge, the WSBK championship’s future – like money – appears too tight to mention. For several seasons, Dorna has seemed reluctant to address lamentably erratic crowd attendances and questionable participating manufacturer commitments.
The survival status of a gloriously competitive sporting motorcycle environment, which once easily outpaced MotoGP audience adherence through its direct link to bikes that an ordinary punter could ride on the road, appears to be under threat.
Ezpeleta Junior has swiftly become a dedicated admirer of F1 “Drive to Survive” programming and its subsequent F1TV streaming service where subscribers can immerse themselves in related documentaries and analysis shows. Taking his cues from David Chang, who believes MotoGP’s pay-toview VideoPass version will benefit from Liberty’s technological talents in this area, Carlos has adopted an instant guru status. “It’s critical to tailor content to specific markets, with an emphasis on story-telling that brings to life MotoGP’s high-speed action and the sport’s characters,” he opines fervently. To what extent your average bug-eyed American
Distressed paddock gossip and rumour-mongering are legion. Could “World Superbikes” degenerate into a much cheaper secondtier “World Superstocks” mockery of its former self, aided and abetted by the increasingly confusing mixand-match melange of “World Supersports” machinery, before its proprietor quietly shuts down extraneous distractions?
Or maybe we’ll just have to accept that Liberty Media, principally an entertainment group after all, has got all of the skin it needs in this game, now owning the world’s premier motor and motorcycle racing championships, and nothing else will really matter. Shame…
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Full year Jan-Dec 2024 new registration figures from the Department for Transport
After a long wait, end of year figures have finally been released by the DfT, and they make for sobering reading, showing an overall decline of 3.14%.
Triumph Street Triple 859 13. Kawasaki Ninja 1000 SX 816 14. Honda NC750X 798
15. Honda CBF125 772 16. Yamaha MT 125 756
KTM 125 Duke 742
18. Honda CRF300L 730
19. Royal Enfield Meteor 350 698
20. Honda NSS125 (Forza 125) 695
Of the top ten manufacturers, Triumph stood out with a 23.5% improvement, much of which can be attributed to the success of its 400cc Street and Scrambler models, both of which were top ten best-selling models. Lexmoto also had a good 2024, more than 30% up year-onyear. Predictably, KTM dropped sales, losing nearly 20% as punters steered clear following the brand’s autumn insolvency announcement.
Further down the top 50 list, there were big success stories for the new wave of larger-capacity Chinese brands. CFMoto shot up from 44th position in the list in
2023 to 19th in 2024 as it enjoyed a near four-fold increase in machines sold. Adventure bike rival Voge also enjoyed sizable gains, and Kove came in at 48th position from a standing start. Smaller capacity commuter and scooter fare from the Far East had a mixed year, with Sinnis and WK Bikes knocked back by more than 60%, while Kymco more than doubled its registrations.
The cracks were beginning to show at CCM, which recently went into administration, as registrations dropped by 22.5%, with Q4 so bad it only yielded six registrations for the Bolton-built bikes across the entire country. Retro brand Mutt, which closed in February, was also showing signs of ailing sales, with a loss of 24.5% coming on top of a 43% decline the previous year.
651-1000cc Total: 22,634
1. Triumph 4412
2. Yamaha 4167
3. BMW ....................... 2888
4. Honda ..................... 2584
5. Suzuki 1686
6. KTM 1411
7. Kawasaki ................. 1286
8. Ducati ......................1263
9. BSA 455
10. Benelli .......................428
Highest Registering
1. Triumph Tiger 900 1393
2. Yamaha MT-09 ............863
3. Triumph Street Triple.... 859
4. Honda NC750X 798
5. Honda CB750 (Hornet) 688
Over 1000cc Total: 14,864
1. BMW 4882 2. Triumph 2692
3. Harley-Davidson ........ 1765
4. Honda ..................... 1420
5. Ducati 1078
6. Kawasaki 1056
7. KTM .......................... 770
8. Indian ........................ 461
9. Suzuki 261
10. Moto Guzzi 247
Highest Registering
1. BMW R1300 GS 1526 2. BMW R1250 GS Adv .... 1513 3. Kawasaki Ninja 1000 SX 816 4. Triumph Tiger 1200 GT 576
5. Honda Africa Twin 1100 517
IT’S BEEN A SIZZLING JULY for most, and we’re seeing loads of interest in the reviews and bikes for sale sections of the MCN website.
took pole position in reviews, accounting for 18% of overall sessions, followed by Yamaha, BMW and Suzuki.
It’s interesting to see Suzuki move up the leaderboard –perhaps this is partly due to the announcement of the new GSX8T and 8TT stirring interest?
category within bikes for sale was naked, with a 23% share of overall traffic, followed by adventure bikes at 19% and sports bikes at 14%.
Digital reviews editor, MCN HONDA
Honda led the brand charge with the most traffic in the bikes for sale section, with 17%, but that wasn’t the only area where it stood out. Honda also
1. Honda NC750X
2. Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade
3. BMW S1000 XR
4. Kawasaki Z900RS
5. Yamaha R1
6. BMW R1250 GS Adventure
7. Honda GL1800 Gold Wing 8. Honda VFR800
9. Triumph Bonneville T100
10. Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa
The most popular style
The most visited model pages in terms of bikes for sale were a perennially popular trio of the Honda NC750X in pole position, followed by the Honda
CBR1000RR FireBlade in second, and the mighty BMW S1000 XR sports tourer in third
ADAM OLDFIELD
IN JUNE, USED BIKE SALES ON the Autotrader Bikes website saw a 12% increase compared to June 2024, the 19th consecutive month of growth in the used market, with 15 of those months showing double-digit advances: a clear indicator of sustained used bike sales momentum.
The overall health of the used
bike market in June was rated at 22.5%, a slight dip compared to May. This was due to a rise in demand coinciding with a shortage of quality used stock. According to sales data, used bikes are, on average, selling within 27 days – the fastest rate in nearly two years!
The number of 125cc
motorcycles in the top 20 fastest-selling bike models has increased significantly, now comprising 65% of the list. Leading the chart for June was the Yamaha YBR125, which sells, on average, in just six days. Following closely were the Honda CRF300L, which took on average just 12 hours
longer to find a buyer, and the Benelli BN 125, which takes just over a week to sell.
EDDIE BAHN
Account director, Autotrader Bikes
HAVING FINALLY ABANDONED LAST year’s pre-registrations excuses, acceptance that we are now experiencing significant overall market shrinkage has to be acknowledged. To be clear, it was already obvious in the MCIA’s May data and has now been underlined more emphatically by June figures.
Total registrations in June fell by 18.6% to 10,361 units (against a headcount decline of 12.3% to 9800 in May). Motorcycles and scooters were 18.3% down to 9957. Mopeds sank by 27.3% to 354 and trikes were 21.9% in arrears on 50 units. Setting aside gestural batteryelectric performance, which had shrivelled by 33.3% to just 290 units, the petrolfuelled core of our business was 18.1% down to 10,071 units. Every single capacity segment posted losses of varying degrees.
In the basic mobility and delivery arena, 0-50cc machines dropped by 16.1% to a mere 270 units, 28 of which were “bestselling” Lexmoto Diablo products. The otherwise much broader 51-125cc offering was 18.7% down to 2836. A 266-strong fleet of Honda PCX 125 scooters topped that pile. The previously attractive budget-oriented 126-500cc segment became a prime loser, plunging by 31.4% to 1531. Honda’s ultracheap GB350S maintained sales leadership status but the brand sold almost a hundred fewer, totalling 159, than it had in May.
The 501-750cc segment dropped by
17.1% to 1321, headed up by 94 samples of Honda’s NC750X. Then the 751-1000cc slot claimed best of a bad job, only falling by 5.3% to 2327 units. Triumph took bestseller accolade, plating 152 Tiger Sport 800 models, but was closely pursued by 148 Honda CB1000 Hornets. Finally, the premium 1000cc-plus segment was struggling, 19% down to 1786. Fortunately for BMW Motorrad, 231 of those were minted R1300GS Adventure kit.
Surely it’s time to ditch the MCIA’s adherence to green mobility agendas and get on the gas?
And when we arrive at the MCIA’s best-selling brand chart for ‘Flaming June’, notionally a peak-season month, there’s no point in trying to conceal the evidence: BMW credibility extended to being the solitary brand to achieve a monthly gain year on year – 12.3% up to 1383 units plated. Before that gong was heralded, we knew that Honda was 9.7% down to 1893 units and Triumph, despite pulling all sales stops out in the final month of its fiscal year, had suffered a 15.8% slump to 1389. There was worse to come. Yamaha got away with being 10.3% in arrears at
1104 but Kawasaki sales had absolutely plummeted by 55.1% to 538. Moving from the not-so-top five to also-rans, Lexmoto was only adrift by a comparatively mild 9.2% to 446 and Ducati saw its sales volume drop by 12.9% to 316. KTM, surrounded by desperate dealers dreaming about customers and stock they haven’t got, dived by 39.6% to 299 registrations. Royal Enfield, which apparently hasn’t got much stock either, was another painful diver, 51.7% down to a lamentable 294 sales. Last in line was Suzuki, a grievous 38.7% in arrears with just 265 bikes ridden out of showrooms. Half a year into 2025, total registrations are now 20.1% down at 49,411, or 20.1% down to 47,835 if remaining focused on popular products with internal combustion engines – rather than the green-skinned failures promoted by Ed Milliband and his ilk. Roughly speaking, the UK motorcycle industry has lost around 12,000 customers primarily geared to a leisure pursuit. Surely it’s time to ditch the MCIA’s adherence to green mobility agendas and get on the gas?
RIDERS’ RIGHTS GROUP THE NATIONAL Motorcyclists Council (NMC) is calling for caution when it comes to new self-driving vehicle technology being launched on Britain’s roads. The group is concerned that proposals to fast-track pilot schemes for driverless taxis and buses might pose a risk to motorcyclists unless vital safety rules are put in place beforehand.
The call came after transport secretary Heidi Alexander announced a spring 2026 launch for a series of commercial selfdriving pilot tests on English roads. The schemes will allow firms to try out smallscale bus and taxi services without having a safety driver in place at all times – a first
in Britain. And the schemes will kick off before the relevant law, contained in the Automated Vehicles Act, has been enacted.
According to the NMC, the move risks reducing safety for motorcyclists and other vulnerable road users in a “rush” to deliver driverless public services. In its statement, the NMC says it cannot support the proposals unless it’s clear that driverless vehicles will not increase the risk to any other road user. It also adds that automated vehicles must always be capable of correctly identifying and responding to motorcycles, which regularly change lanes and position on the road whilst completing overtaking and filtering manoeuvres.
Automated vehicles must also be able to detect low-impact collisions on any part of the vehicle, while reliably recognising motorcycles at junctions.
NMC executive director Craig CareyClinch said: “It is essential that the government gets this right. A thirst for growth cannot come before safety, particularly for the most vulnerable on the UK’s roads and ‘fast tracking’ inevitably means compromises. We urge the transport secretary to carefully consider her next steps and not fast-track pilots before the Statement of Safety Principles is fully developed and implemented on a proper timescale under the AV Act.”
Alack of consumer confidence continues to affect the motorcycle market”, said Symon Cook, head of the National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA), commenting on the latest figures published by the MCIA.
New registrations in June dropped 18.6%, which is down 6.3% compared to May’s -12.3% figure. Meanwhile, the year-todate total is down by 20.1%, highlighting the market as being significantly below 2024 levels.
Symon Cook concluded: “We are concerned by such a sharp decline, particularly during a period of warm weather, which typically acts as a conduit for higher motorcycle sales and registrations. This makes June’s result even more surprising and concerning for the sector.
“Like the wider automotive industry, the motorcycle market faces economic uncertainty, and many dealers are struggling to match the volumes seen in 2024. With Q2 closing negatively, we anticipate this month will prove to be an outlier and that the market will resume its upward trend.”
Sales activity for used machines in June remained buoyant, with many dealers experiencing a stronger year compared to 2024, particularly in recent months. Consumers are turning to the used market as a more affordable alternative, even after considering manufacturer promotional campaigns for new bikes. However, this is not the case for all dealers, with some reporting that used sales are slightly down from last year.
A broad mix of machines are selling well, from smaller scooters to mid-range machines, particularly adventure and modern classics. Expensive, larger capacity machines are more of a challenge to sell, due to size and affordability constraints.
Consumers are turning to the used market as a more affordable alternative, even after considering manufacturer promotional campaigns for new bikes
The majority of dealers report they are satisfied with their stock levels, with no major concerns.
Data published by the Motor Cycle Industry Association showed another month of decline, with June registrations 18.6% lower than last year. Once again, road sports was the biggest style category casualty, suffering a decline of 32.4%, while touring was the only category to see growth, increasing by 21%. Meanwhile, year-to-date registrations to the end of June were 20.1% behind last year.
Recent feedback from dealers suggests a challenging market, characterised by low consumer spending confidence and interest rates that remain too high for some. Although manufacturers’ deals and campaigns are boosting enquiries, there are suggestions that they are not having as much effect as hoped. Insurance premiums continue to be a major obstacle, with dealers having orders cancelled because of the high premiums being requested. However, it was not all bad news, with some dealers only marginally down on last year, whilst others had a stronger June. That said, some of the growth could be attributed to there being fewer dealers this year, giving each a wider catchment area.
The warm weather continues, with June being the hottest on record for England and the second hottest for the UK. July has started on a similar note, and the weather has been a huge boost for the industry this year, highlighted by more riders out on their machines.
Glass’s expects residual values to remain firm across most sectors in the coming weeks.
Paul McDonald
Senior residual value analyst
