British Dealer News Jan 2023

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There have been several big continental buyouts of UK bike firms recently. And now another British brand is set to become part of an international group of companies. This time, it’s Helmet City, which has built up a sizable retail helmet business over the past 18 years, growing to five physical stores in the south of England and one of the biggest online e-commerce shops. Owner Graham Dobney has decided to (semi) retire and is selling the business to the Curas Investa Group. Curas, based in Nieuwkuijk in the North Brabant region of the Netherlands, owns several businesses in Holland and Germany, including Chromeburner, Biker Outfit, Motorstroom, Revshop and Batavi Trading.

Dobney started out in the bike trade in 1992 after taking voluntary redundancy from his job as an engineer at British Telecom. “My brother, a friend and I travelled to the USA and bought containers of motorcycles. After realising just how cheap they were in the States, we took delivery, doubled our investment, and started a company importing motorcycles

New owners for Helmet City

The family business is obviously close to his heart, so he was careful when considering selling up. “I wanted to sell to someone who would continue to build the brand, continue to increase retail and internet sales, keep all my exceptional and very loyal staff, and continue with my daughter Jen (now managing director) to build the company to the next level.”

The answer to this came from

increasing sales, and they met all my strict selling requirements.”

Curas Investa seems happy with its new acquisition. Rob Hannink, the group’s founder, said, “We are very pleased with this addition to the Curas Investa Group, once again strengthening our international portfolio.

Helmet City fits nicely with the other companies within the group, and of course, we see the opportunity for growth within the

the retail market. The imposition of non-tariff trade barriers between the UK and the EU has meant an increase in customs charges and slower delivery for firms selling across the border.

Taking on a UK-based firm allows EU companies to operate more easily within the UK, centralising administration and simplifying logistics.

Dobney concluded: “After 30 years in the industry, which I have enjoyed immensely and during which I made many

prospered to what we have today.”

I wanted to sell to someone who would continue to build the brand, continue

From left: Jan van Rijswijk, Rob Hannick,Jenny Holmes, Graham Dobney, Nicky Verkvijlen, Jeffrey van Bergeijk

Motorcycle Live is back on track

Organisers have confirmed that just under 90,000 enthusiasts attended Motorcycle Live for the 2022 showcase event, which closed its doors on Sunday, 27 November.

That’s an increase of more than 36% when compared to the 2021 event, during which compulsory mask-wearing was introduced for the final three days in response to the imminent arrival of the Covid Omicron variant.

The final 2022 attendance figure is also only 15% behind the pre-pandemic edition of the show held in 2019, despite nationwide rail strikes in operation on the last Saturday of the show.

Whether they were fans of petrol or electric-powered machines, visitors of all ages could get on two wheels, with more than 650 visitors taking their first ride, over 500 taking part in a group test ride and more than 1000 trying electric bikes for size.

More than 50 manufacturers showcased new 2023 models and line-ups, retailers offered showgoers a chance to pick up a bargain, riders and celebrities from the motorcycling world were out in force, and live entertainment ran throughout the nine days.

Finlay McAllan, managing director of Motorcycle Live, said: “It was an absolute pleasure to see the halls packed with visitors taking the opportunity to jump on two wheels. I’d like to say a huge

thanks to everyone involved – and to all the visitors who chose to join us. Here’s to next year!”

BEHIND THE SCENES

In some ways, the relationship between the UK biker and the annual NEC bike show is a bit like an old married couple. The punters moan about the car parking charges, the entry costs, and the price of a burger. Meanwhile, the trade rolls its collective eyes at canny customers trying to get massive discounts and pales at the sheer cost of running a stand with up to 50 staff for nine days. But every year, both parties return for more, again and again –because they love each other, despite it all…

The past few years have been different, of course. The Covid-19 pandemic loomed a couple of months after the 2019 show – a rather good show as it happened –and closed the whole thing down for 2020. As we huddled at home, waiting for a vaccine, the NEC was re-purposed as a massive, dystopian emergency hospital, with lines of beds and ventilators and RAF planes practicing medevac flights at the airport next door.

Then, last year, the 2021 show went off a little bit at half-cock.

Normal life had seemed on the cards at the end of that summer – but as Motorcycle Live kicked off, the new Omicron variant of Covid hit the headlines. It turned out to be far less dangerous than feared: but the whole show was at risk of being closed down with zero notice, and compulsory mask wearing was imposed for the last few days. Many punters stayed at home, and the turnout, while impressive considering the circumstances, was slightly disappointing.

The 2022 Motorcycle Live had a fair crack of the whip, though. Covid has moved into the rear mirror for most people and, while there’s no shortage of dark clouds on the horizon, there seems to have been a ‘calm before the storm’ effect. The raw numbers were good: almost 90,000 through the doors over the nine days, and plenty of smiles on organisers’ faces as the doors closed at 5pm on the last Sunday.

ORGANISER’S VIEW

Finlay McAllan was a happy man when BDN spoke to him a few days after the show closed. “For the whole team, it was a pleasure

to be at the show. A lot of pressure was off because we were just concentrating on doing the job, whereas last year, everyone had an opinion about what I should be doing about Covid and how I should be doing it. We all got on with the job that we were there to do, so yes, the fun was definitely back in Motorcycle Live.”

Were the numbers what the MCIA was expecting? “As a company, we plan for certain numbers and budget for certain numbers. There’s no point in us comparing what happened in any previous years because the whole commercial landscape has changed. Consumer behaviour has changed, and everything else. So, every day for me was another brick in the foundations for 2023 and beyond. Is it where I wanted to be? As an event organiser, you always want more, but what we ended up with were completely happy visitors and happy exhibitors. So, yes, it’s been good.”

Did the MCIA approach the show in a different way this year?

“In terms of the operational aspects of the show, what was really good was there was no second agenda, there was no

The raw numbers were good: almost 90,000 through the doors over the nine days

subtext going on. In 2021, any conversation I had with anybody was either followed up with, or started with, something to do with Covid. And the thing about this event was there was nothing taking anybody‘s eye off the ball. We were all there to concentrate on the job in hand, which was to make this industry shine and make every customer who’s there feel special. I think that’s what changed. So it was much smoother with less pressure for us, and it seemed to be a more enjoyable experience both for the visitors and exhibitors.”

The retail exhibitors are always a good barometer of how a show has gone: how did McAllan feel they got on? “They’re quite vocal when things aren’t going their way, and quite vocal if I’m not out there every day to say, ‘good morning!’. So I go through all the retail sections every day, and

when you’re getting a ‘good morning, how’s it going Finlay?’ then you know they’re doing alright. We’ve had no complaints. And contrary to what you might believe, that’s exactly what I want: if they’re making money and the manufacturers are having a great time, and consumers are having a great time, then that’s job done, isn’t it?”

A bit of time for McAllan to put his feet up, then? Maybe, but not for long. “We’re already planning 2023. It’s one of those things. From day one, I’ll be looking at it from a completely different point of view from anybody else, as will

WE SPOKE TO MANUFACTURERS, TRADERS, AND

marketing gurus about how the show went for them. Here’s what they said.

Simon Roots, head of marketing, KTM UK commented: “For KTM and Husqvarna, Motorcycle Live 2022 was our opportunity to engage with nearly 10,000 potential customers a day. For us, it delivered from an awareness, consideration, conversion and loyalty perspective – as well as being simply a great show to spend a day at.”

Craig Watson, sales and marketing manager for Kawasaki UK, said: “It was great to be back at Motorcycle Live with the issue of Covid-19 somewhat behind us, and it was apparent from day one that the visitors were flocking back to the show in great numbers. We had one of our biggest-ever stands to display our 2023 range of machines which also gave a glimpse into the future, with our EV and hybrid bikes creating a great deal of interest. For our Club Kawasaki VIPs we had a special hospitality area on the upper floor to look out on the show from a fresh perspective. We can happily report that the show was a great success for Kawasaki UK.”

Arthur Macdonald, owner of Moto Legends Distribution remarked: “Visiting Motorcycle Live so soon after the Milan show has, in the past, been a huge disappointment. But in recent years, that has not been the case. Considering the overall political and financial

my team. We see things we could improve, and that’s what we’re setting about doing for 2023.

“I’m looking forward to it. I think we’ve laid a really solid platform from which to redevelop Motorcycle Live and take it into whatever it’s going to become over the next decade or so.”

Motorcycle Live 2023 will take place at The NEC, Birmingham, from 18-26 November.

climate, I thought the show was an excellent effort. The free trade tickets were also appreciated. High marks all round.”

John Hogan, Norton Motorcycles, noted: “The Norton stand felt busy for the duration of the show. Interest in the V4SV and the V4CR was higher than expected, perhaps in part down to the demographic in attendance. There was a positive vibe throughout and this new chapter in the Norton story appears to have been well received.”

A Honda spokesperson said: “Motorcycle Live 2022 was a fantastic event for everyone involved at Honda. With almost 100 Honda motorcycles across the show, we took part in almost all of the activities, from the TryRide zone, to the on road test rides and the off-roading in the Experience Adventure area. Every day was really busy, and it was great to see that the attendance numbers improved significantly from last year. We were delighted to feel a real buzz around all of our latest 2023 models on show, particularly the CB750 Hornet, XL750 Transalp and CL500.”

Harley Stephens of Holeshot PR concluded: “Shows are great for content gathering, so we had six of us there to feed those always-hungry social media animals… well, at least for a few days! It felt like some manufacturers had really upped their game in terms of engaging on-stand activities…. and, maybe I’m biased, but the Kawasaki mega-stand really smashed it!”

Motorcycle Live – Hot metal

MUSCLING INTO THE ADVENTURING touring sector with an electric powered bike could be a challenge, but Italian manufacturer Energica is prepared to take on the task with its Experia. The Experia (right) is a distinctively styled machine powered by a 60kW motor, giving it a top speed of 112mph and achieving a range of up to 160 miles on the combined cycle from the 22.5kWh lithium battery. Side panniers and top box provide 112 litres of storage space, and are included on a limited number of First Edition models, while up front there is a lockable compartment for gloves or cables, with two USB charging ports incorporated. Prices start from £27,790.

With what appeared to be the entire UK stock of Gold Stars on display, the BSA stand was attracting a lot of interest from riders of a certain age. BSA dealers must be hoping that stock arrives soon to fulfil orders for the classic-style single, which comes in a variety of colour options but currently only in one model style. BSA staff are well aware that in order to increase market share the brand will need to expand its model range to appeal to different demographics, and its first step in that direction is a Scrambler-style concept bike (above) designed by the UK Design Centre in the West Midlands. The design uses the same 652cc engine, suspension and frame as the Gold Star, but with a shortened seat subframe, revised rear shocks, off-road styling and chunky tyres. Currently it is officially only a concept, but it would be no surprise to see it in dealer showrooms in the not-too-distant future.

It was launched at the Milan show, but Motorcycle Live was the first opportunity for UK dealers and bikers to feast their eyes on Royal Enfield’s longanticipated Super Meteor cruiser (above). It uses the parallel twin 650cc motor seen in the Interceptor and Continental models, housed in a Harris Performance designed tubular steel frame tailored for a longer and more laid-back stance with, in a first for RE, upside down forks. it will come in two versions – a standard model and a more touring-oriented version with a bigger dual seat, backrest, windscreen and panniers. Prices to be confirmed.

“The world’s first all-electric adventure bike” was the claim trumpeted on the Zero Motorcycles stand. The DSR/X (above) ticks all the boxes when it comes to the adventure market – weight and performance are broadly comparable to petrol-powered rivals, and the tech is all present and correct. There are five riding modes to suit various riding scenarios, including off-road options, as well as lean- sensitive ABS, but it can all be switched off if so desired. The frame is specific to the bike, but the 17.3kWh battery pack is shared with other premium models from Zero and claims to provide up to 180 miles of range, although this drops to 85 miles for higher-speed motorway riding. The obvious downside to the electric powertrain is the two- hour recharge time, which might be a concern for buyers with ideas of trans-continental trips. Price is £24,150.

Importer MotoGB has a new Italian brand that owes its existence to Eastern manufacturer Keeway. Created earlier this year, Keeway set up MBP to be a bridgehead into more style conscious and larger capacity market sectors. It has launched with a twelve-strong range of scooter, naked, adventure and cruiser models ranging from 125cc up to 1000cc. The biggest model is the C1002V (above), an imposing V-twin cruiser with a neo-retro vibe, powered by a 997cc liquid cooled motor putting out 94hp. That’s enough to haul the 262kg bike to a top speed of more than 120mph via a six-speed gearbox and belt drive. Brand names abound – ABS brakes are by J.Juan and Bosch, suspension is by KYB, and the connectivity unit from Motwi provides a built-in movement sensor alarm, remote shutdown, and access to navigation, group chat and more from its own internet connection.

Electric scooter firm Silence had two new models that use its swappable battery technology, the SO1+ and the SO4. The SO1+ scooter has new sharp-edged styling bolstered with wavy brake discs and adjustable suspension. There is also a new “push to pass” button, which gives a temporary power boost taking top speed up to 68mph for overtaking manoeuvres. Its 7.5kW hub-mounted motor allows it to be ridden on an A1 licence and provides a range of up to 85 miles.

The SO4 fits into the four-wheeled quadricycle category, epitomised by the Renault Twizy and Citroen Ami, and uses twin hubmounted motors in the rear wheels to give it a top speed of 56mph and a range of up to 93 miles from a pair of the same 5.6kWh batteries as used in the SO1+ scooter. These can be recharged from a normal 13A UK socket or swapped at a roadside charging station, and come with a set of wheels so they can be easily removed for charging in a flat or office if needed. It should be arriving on UK shores in March, and will come in a choice of grey or white at an expected price of £13,500 OTR.

Harley was going for a mean ’n’ moody vibe on its stand, with subdued lighting, plenty of black decor and a few custom specials and racers to grab the attention. New metal on the stand included the Low Rider ST – a 1923cc, 101hp, V-twin powered sports tourer with a blacked-out everything – and the £13k entry-level Nightster 975, which uses a 975cc version of the Revolution Max engine used in the Sportster S and Pan America models. It pushes out 89hp, which is reined-in by ABS-equipped Brembo brakes and switchable traction control.

BSA and Peugeot tie-up

THEY’RE BOTH GREAT HISTORIC European brands and both owned by the massive Indian parent firm Mahindra, and now Peugeot and BSA have gone a step further by announcing a partnership deal for distribution in Europe. French marque Peugeot Motocycles (sic) will use its existing infrastructure in the EU to help supply the new BSA Gold Star 650 single across the continent.

Ashish Joshi, CEO of Classic Legends (a unit of Mahindra), and director at BSA, said: “This is the next exciting step for us to bring BSA bikes, a great British brand, to the rest of the world. Peugeot Motocycles share with us a long history of the love of two wheels and their extensive European network provides the perfect route to get the new BSA Gold Star into the hands of customers.”

FANTIC HAS BEEN MAKING THE MOST OF ITS BUY-OUT of Motori Minarelli early in 2021, which gave the Italian manufacturer access to engines that Minarelli had been manufacturing for Yamaha. It has selected the Japanese brand’s 689cc twin, as used in the MT-07 and Ténéré 700 models, to power its new Caballero 700 Scrambler – the 75hp twin providing a useful boost in power compared to the 45hp 500cc Cabellero that has been around for a few years. Other than the engine and a slightly longer swingarm, the two bikes are otherwise similar, both using a steel backbone chassis and sporting 19in front and 17in rear wheels. Another first is the inclusion of cornering ABS, which uses lean-angle sensors to adjust the braking response, and a three-mode traction control system. Price is expected to be around £8500-£9000 when the bike arrives in dealerships in April.

Also on the Fantic stand was a new electric scooter, which takes the aluminium frame of the firm’s Issimo pedelec and builds it up with a bigger 3kW motor, suspension, lights, and shaves off the pedals to create a more commuter-friendly PTW. The L1 version adheres to moped rules, so is restricted to 45km/h, while the L3 version gets up to 65km/h. Both use a single 2.2kWh battery and there is an option to have a second battery of the same size to increase range. Pricing is yet to be finalised, but it should arrive in dealerships in April.

Gurpratap Boparai, CEOautomotive at Mahindra and president of Peugeot Motocycles, states: “The partnership with BSA is an outstanding opportunity for Peugeot to build on its history in the motorcycle sector. Peugeot has always had motorcycles in its DNA, launching its first model in 1898. The story goes on! Thanks to this partnership we are strengthening our expansion on the European market and continuing to enlarge our product ranges.”

NEW WEBSITE FOR FURYGAN/COVEC

French kit maker Furygan is continuing to set up new British logistics arrangements following the end of its distributor deal with Nevis Marketing last year. And now it’s launched a brand-new business-to-business portal specifically for UK retailers. It has also refreshed the consumer side of its online presence with a new website.

The new site, www.furygan.co.uk,was set up in partnership with UK distributor, Covec, and promises to be a “one-stop shop for UK dealers”, with all the information and details needed to sell Furygan products. It will also take new dealer applications, and is being maintained and managed by Covec itself, so the communications will stay with the UK operation.

Motorcycle Live – Hot metal

3kW

No changes on the retro-inspired styling front for British brand Herald, but a few under-the-skin upgrades should help to tempt more riders into the small-capacity brand’s clutches. The Brat 125 has been one of Herald’s most popular models, and now its 9hp air-cooled motor has been junked for an altogether more peppy water-cooled lump which provides a far more competitive 14hp. Price is £3295. For even more power, there is now a Brat 250 providing a heady 18hp from its air/oil cooled engine. The motor is unusual in that it is carbed, rather than fuel injected, giving it a proper old-school aura but necessitating an SVA before each bike is allowed on the road –hence the Brat 250 is a limited edition model. It comes with a smattering of other upgrades including Renthal bars, LED lights and Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres for an SRP of £3695.

For riders needing a step-up in power, the Maverick 250 is a bigger capacity version of the brand’s biggest-selling Maverick 125 with a water-cooled single cylinder motor providing 24hp in a scrambler-inspired chassis. Knobbly tyres and number boards give it the off-road looks, while LED lighting brings a touch of modern tech. Price is £3595.

Alongside all the latest versions of the core Kawasaki range of muscular nakeds and chunky adventure bikes were the brand’s first production-ready looking electric machines. The Ninja EV and Z EV models are still pre-production at the moment, but Kawasaki says they will be in dealerships some time this year. Details on the new electric machines are scant, merely revealing that both machines are A1 licence compliant, meaning they can have motors providing up to 11kW of power. However, despite the 125cc- equivalent performance in terms of speed and acceleration, range is likely to be extremely limited as the removable batteries in each machine are only 3kWh.

Glinting spectacularly under the spotlights of the NEC was the full set of Triumph’s recently-launched Chrome Collection (BDNDecember page10-11), a set of modern classic models with added shiny bits that kept the attendant staff busy polishing away lingering fingerprints.

Also attracting the crowds was veteran racer Randy Mamola, who regaled race fans with the story of his hot lap on the new Street Triple. The 765 Triple comes in three versions – the R, RS and a limited Moto2 Edition – with prices starting from £9595. As well as tweaks to the styling, the new model has more power, more torque and improved responses compared with its predecessors, helped by new tech in the shape of cornering ABS and cornering traction control with four levels of intervention.

Cutting an idiosyncratic dash, Stirling’s electric machines all have a low-slung cruiser stance with a fat back tyre and a gaping hole where an engine would traditionally be. Taking the range into a more powerful future is the new Sinatra, which mirrors the house style but on a bigger scale, with a larger frame, a 19in front wheel and a rear tyre that wouldn’t disgrace a drag bike. The 11kW motor means that it is still A1 licence friendly, and it can be delivered with a custom paint option (by Dave Bristow at Extreme Paint Studio), although that isn’t included in the £9999 OTR price.

THE MAEVING RM1 IS THE BIKE PHILEAS FOGG WOULD RIDE AROUND THE WORLD ON his next adventure! The steampunk styling of the Coventry-built two-wheeler bears echoes of pre-war machinery, but the technical underpinnings are bang up-to-date. The battery is a removable 42Ah cell, which gives a range of up to 40 miles when fully charged from any 13A socket, and it powers the

Bosch hub motor up to a top speed of 45mph for the full fat version, or 28mph for the moped-licence version. Urban commuters who are looking for retro looks paired with low maintenance and green credentials will be well served as long as they can stump up the £5995 SRP.

AND SHARE OUR SUCCESS IN 2023 BECOME A SUZUKI DEALER

Suzuki UK is looking to increase sales of its Motorcycle and Scooter ranges through an expanded dealer network. With growing market share, high customer satisfaction and excellent customer retention, our existing Suzuki dealerships are making good profit from our franchise but there are more opportunities to be had in key territories across the UK.

A Suzuki franchise gives you and your customers access to some of the most exciting motorcycles in the market and creates genuine opportunities for those who share our passion for motorcycles and putting customers first. If you can commit a dedicated showroom display area, a bright enthusiastic dealer team and create something special for Suzuki customers in your area – then we’d like to talk!

If you share our vision, drive and ambition and want to partner with an established, global manufacturer who supports its dealer network without onerous franchise standards and promises a bit of fun along the way, please send details through to mark.hallam@suzuki.co.uk

Seven Shows for ELK

THE BIKE SHOW AND autojumble world has had a torrid few years thanks to Covid, so it’s great to see South East show firm ELK Promotions has a full calendar of events for this year. The company has seven shows planned, running from March until October, at all its regular venues in Ardingly, Ashford and Romney Marsh.

“Seven events is a significant commitment for a small business like ours,” said show organiser Julie Diplock. “But people seem to like the fact that we run bike-only jumbles, combined with a classic motorcycle show. Our research shows that 80% of visitors return and we’re fortunate to have a loyal band of regular stallholders.”

www.elk-promotions.co.uk

SHOW DETAILS

y South of England Classic Show & Bikejumble: 26 March. South of England Showground, Ardingly, Near Gatwick, RH17 6TL

y Ashford Classic Motorcycle Show & Bikejumble : 10 April at Ashford Livestock Market, Ashford, Kent TN24 0HB

y Romney Marsh Classic Bikejumble with RideIn Show: 7 May at Hamstreet, near Ashford, Kent TN26 2JD

y Romney Marsh Classic Bikejumble with RideIn Show: 25 June at Hamstreet, near Ashford, Kent TN26 2JD

y

South of England Classic Show & Bikejumble: 30 July. South of England Showground, Ardingly, Near Gatwick, RH17 6TL

y Romney Marsh Classic Bikejumble with RideIn Show: 17 September at Hamstreet, near Ashford, Kent TN26 2JD

y

South of England Classic Show & Bikejumble: 29 October. South of England Showground, Ardingly, Near Gatwick, RH17 6TL

Suzuki apprentice scheme graduates

Suzuki has a well-established apprentice training scheme in the UK, which covers the firm’s car, ATV, marine and bike businesses. And the latest scheme graduates have been celebrated at a recent ceremony at the British Motor Museum. Out of the 26 graduates, there were three new motorcycle specialists: Barnaby Ingham, Joe Phillips and Oliver Radley, who qualified as motorcycle technician, motorcycle aftersales parts consultant and motorcycle customer service advisor respectively.

The newly-qualified students received their certificates from Suzuki GB’s managing director, Nobuo Suyama, and director of aftersales, Denis Houston. Also

in attendance were three other members from the Suzuki board of management as well as the apprentices’ families and their

employers. Each of the employees undertook a mix of practical learning and expert tuition at the Bosch-run Doncaster training centre in South Yorkshire.

Denis Houston, director of

aftersales for Suzuki GB, said, “The graduation ceremony is the culmination of many years of hard work and dedication. It is always a proud moment for not only the apprentices themselves, but also for their families and employers who have played a pivotal role in supporting each of the individuals. They should all be commended for the great lengths that they have gone to in order to enable the learning and development of these young trainees. We would like to congratulate the graduates on their achievement, and they are certainly destined for very bright futures as they continue their professional careers within our dealerships.”

Yamaha R1s for Whitham track school

LEGENDARY EX-RACER, COMMENTATOR AND ALLround good guy Jamie Whitham has signed a deal with Yamaha to supply instructor bikes for his Track Training events for 2023. Held at circuits across the UK and Spain, the James Whitham Motorcycle Track Training school provides top-class rider coaching from a stable of massively experienced ex- and current racers.

Kicking off at Guadix in Spain in March, there are dates throughout the season at Anglesey, Knockhill, Mallory Park, Croft, Cadwell Park and Snetterton.

Whitham said, “I rode Yamahas for half of my racing career so it’s a brand that means a lot to me. Yamaha have always had a track and racing mindset and the R1 is the best bike for the job. It’s got the power and speed, but it’s so rider friendly and the

electronics package is brilliant. You see so many R1s on track days and there’s a reason for that, so it’s great to be using them as the official instructor bike on our days.”

Jeff Turner, marketing manager at Yamaha Motor UK said: “James has a long history with Yamaha in his race career and has been a valuable ambassador for the brand ever since. His Track Training days provide an intimate and relaxed environment to get on track with small rider numbers and he hires some of the most experienced riders to offer expert tuition. We’re delighted to be teaming up with him and his team, with James Whitham Track Training joining an extensive catalogue of Yamaha Experiences.”

www.jameswhitham.com/track-training

The graduation ceremony is the culmination of many years of hard work and dedication

Royal Enfield sets up dealer direct network

BDN last featured Royal Enfield in the October 2022 issue, reporting on the brand’s expanded model range, its increased market share, and the success of its UK research and test centre at Bruntingthorpe. Since then, the UK operation has continued to flourish, so much so that the factory has announced that it will establish a wholly-owned subsidiary distribution and direct network from May this year. The new operation will be headquartered in Camden, north London.

Commenting on the announcement Arun Gopal, Royal Enfield’s head of business markets EMEA, said: “The United Kingdom is a key home market for Royal Enfield, having a long legacy of cooperation with India and a rich history. From the foundation of the brand in 1901, to the first UK import sale of India-produced motorcycles in 1977 and the sales growth in recent years with the assistance of MotoGB, Royal Enfield has seen good sales momentum and acceptance in the UK market. We will continue to make investments in the UK, localising our operations and giving our stakeholders the best possible brand experience.”

Speaking to BDN, Gopal went on to explain, “I think the production team and the manufacturing and supply teams have worked extremely hard over the last few years to maintain supply. We have dual suppliers for each motorcycle part, which means our production is less affected than some other producers. Who would have thought that the Meteor and the rest of the 350 platform would have done so well in the UK? I have been talking to many dealers all over Europe,

and some of our distributors produce their own brands, like Mash in France, and I know they’ve been struggling, whereas I know that if I put in an order for a Royal Enfield by the 15th of the month, it will be on the sea by the end of the following month – without fail.

“The decision to go direct is no reflection on MotoGB. We sell direct in quite a few markets, including India, North America,

choice is the UK. We will have a fully-fledged team with a country manager, and we are setting up a marketing and sales division so we can hit the ground running.

“The UK direct operation will be something of a test bed for the rest of Europe. If it works here, then the same formula can be rolled out in other European countries. We also have a global brand team being established in the UK, so together with the Technical Centre, we can react to customer demand for new models, which we can then roll out to other markets.”

Brazil and Thailand, so it’s not a new concept for us. We’ve got good market shares, good momentum and product is doing really well for us across the region, so there should be at least one market in the whole of Europe where we are closer to the customer. You have to be there to understand what’s happening – if we go through a distributor, it just takes so much more time to understand if there are any issues happening.

“We’ve achieved 23% market share in the UK mid-sized motorcycle sector, and we’re also doing very well in other European countries, but in order to be quicker reacting to consumers’ requirements, we should be direct in at least one market, and the obvious

Royal Enfield anticipates that the existing dealer network will continue after MotoGB’s contract comes to an end, and in addition, it will be looking to fill any open areas. Gopal summed up the situation: “It’s hard work at the moment, but the future is definitely bright.”

Royal Enfield has two highly rated technical centres, one at Bruntingthorpe and a second in Chennai, India. The company’s three stateof-the-art production facilities are located near Chennai and globally Royal Enfield has three modern assembly facilities in Thailand, Argentina and Colombia. With more than 37% Compound Annual Growth Rate for the last five years and sales in international markets up 108% in 2021-22, Royal Enfield can claim to be the leader in the global midsize motorcycle market.

Royal Enfield sales@royalenfield.com www.royalenfield.com

Arun Gopal

New borders advice from the NMC

SINCE THE UK LEFT THE EU, MANY RIDERS HAVE REPORTED PROBLEMS taking their bikes abroad – particularly if they’re transporting the bike in a van or motorhome, if the machine is a competition or trackday bike, or if a third party is moving the bike for them.

Leaving the EU meant UK riders went back to a customs regime last seen before 1972, where arcane concepts like carnets made life much harder. Transporting a bike into the EU when it’s not being used as transport means customs officers have to decide if it might be being imported for sale, especially if the owner of the bike isn’t present. That’s a common situation with trackday bike transport, where a single truck might be taking dozens of bikes to Spain or France, all with different owners who will fly out to the track separately.

The National Motorcyclists Council has been working to get UK and EU authorities to agree on the rules for all these scenarios and, more importantly, make sure that border officials know the situation, and apply the rules properly. It’s had some success, with both the UK and EU issuing guidance and attempting to resolve problems. But there are still some fairly strict rules which riders have to observe around the use of ATA carnets, paperwork and importation of competition bikes and parts. So the NMC has prepared a guidance document, aimed at preventing problems for riders, and offering sensible practical advice for entering the EU from the UK on a bike (and vice-versa).

The new advice is available direct from the NMC at www.uknmc.org/ downloads, and includes the usual advice to carry insurance, MOT, tax, V5 document, driving licence and other paperwork, as well as return tickets to the UK. There’s some more arcane advice as well, including details of “a form-inventory to support an Oral Customs Declaration for Temporary Admission (Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/2446 Articles 136, 163 and 165) (page 537)”, which must be submitted to the customs authorities if you’re transporting a bike in a van, even for tourist purposes.

There’s also advice on what to do if a friend is transporting a bike for no cost, and the ATA carnet system used if you’re transporting a bike for work or competition purposes. Good luck!

ULEZ expansion gets the go-ahead

Transport for London and London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, have confirmed that the capital’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) will be extended in August 2023. The zone currently covers the area inside the North and South Circular roads, but will expand to cover all of Greater London, meaning almost all the area inside the M25 will be part of the ULEZ.

Petrol cars and vans older than 2006, and diesel cars and vans built before 2015 will have to pay a £12.50 charge per day, and for bikes, the rules apply to pre-Euro 3 emissionscompliant bikes. That means machines built from 2007 onwards are permitted, but older bikes will pay the same £12.50 charge. Some earlier bikes are actually compliant as built, and testing centres like Riverside Motorcycles in Bow

issue compliance certificates for older machines, even cleaning up older machines’ emissions with aftermarket catalysts.

The aim of the ULEZ –originally planned by Boris Johnson when he was Mayor –is to improve air quality inside London, particularly levels of nitrogen oxides, which have been linked to serious health problems. But riders’ rights groups have pointed out that there are minimal ‘real-world’ urban emissions, even from older motorcycles.

Through new eyes

Head-hunted from outside the industry, Norton’s new chief commercial officer, Christian Gladwell, has radical plans for the ongoing relaunch of the historic brand. He caught up with Alan Dowds at Motorcycle Live to discuss them

It’s an interesting counterfactual to consider, but what if John Bloor, in the late 1980s, had set his sights on buying the Norton marque rather than Triumph? We might now be seeing a slew of big-bore parallel twins powering a range of adventure bikes, with a Britishbuilt 850cc twin running in Moto2, and a V4 superbike winning at the Isle of Man, WSBK and BSB – all with the Norton badge on the tank. Meanwhile, fans of the old Meriden Triumph brand would be gnashing their teeth and wailing at yet another false dawn as the latest smallscale firm to own the Bonneville motorcycle trademark went under once again.

As we all know, John Bloor didn’t buy Norton though. And the real history of British bike brand ‘N’ since the 1980s has been complicated – it has certainly lived in interesting times, as the apocryphal Chinese curse goes.

But now, the times look to be a bit more ‘interesting’ in a positive sense, with massive investment from the new owner, Indian giant TVS. A new senior management team has replaced the previous disgraced regime. There’s a shiny new bespoke factory that’s just been built in Birmingham. And while there’s not a lot in terms of fresh metal on show just yet, it seems only a matter of time before a few more Norton’s are launched.

I spoke to one of those new senior managers,

Christian Gladwell, on the firm’s stand at the NEC show. He’s every bit as charming and immaculately turned out as you’d expect from a chief commercial officer at a large bike brand. But there’s also the hint of something very different, which is underlined when we speak about his pathway to this job. “It’s an unusual

journey, and I don’t come from an automotive background or a motorcycle background. I come from a luxury, marketing, customer experience, and branding background. So I’ve been involved in things like setting up Bulgari hotels, Burberry’s digital transformation, and Breitling. I did a lot of work with LVMH Chanel, Gucci, Sergio Rossi and Valentino (the fashion brand, not Rossi!). I also have the dubious honour of having launched Jay-Z’s cologne…”

Rather than working his way up from the press fleet workshop or parachuting in from a job at a car importer, Gladwell has come via the Scots Guards and Saatchi. And it’s fair to say that his ideas (and, you have to assume, the views of TVS) of what Norton should be are just as unusual, especially compared to the mainstream motorbike world.

That starts with the very ethos of the brand. Gladwell speaks enthusiastically about a vision for so-called ‘modern luxury’ and a modernist approach to design. “Modern luxury is very much misunderstood. People think you’re going to charge a lot of money for stuff with some writing on it, and really, it’s not about that. It’s about constructing a range of products which lifts the soul, and really makes people feel a certain way, and that’s people who design, people who make, people who buy, people who covet it and want to buy it. There has to be a story around it, and if you look at one of the reasons why I am at Norton, I thought there was a real opportunity to draw on the past without being completely constrained by it.”

What about this ‘modernist’ mindset? “When we talk about modern luxury, for us, it

Christian Gladwell, Norton’s chief commercial officer, checks out the recently relaunched Commando

actually means an intellectual understanding of modernity and modernism. So we don’t mean ‘new’. We mean modernist in the same way as Piet Mondrian was a modernist painter. Imagine that all you’ve ever seen is Vermeers, Gauguins and Van Goghs, and then suddenly you’ve got Composition Number III in Blue, Yellow and Red! The Citroën SM is my favourite car of all time, and it still looks modern today, it still looks new, you don’t know when it was made. So, when we look at our sales partners, our retail partners, and we say that we want modernity expressed in our physical spaces, that’s what we mean. We want people to walk in and go, ‘Wow! This is amazing’.”

But what about the mundane practicalities of a motorcycle business in the UK? How does Gladwell see Norton’s distribution evolving? “We are working through a third-party sales partner strategy at the moment, so it is our ambition to work with the trade. We’re not calling them dealers; they are sales partners. We are looking to work with people who understand customer service and the focus on customer-centricity. If you look at the background I have in retail luxury, you know that’s what I would expect our corporate identity, stores and retail spaces to look like.

We will have our own very limited – I’m talking one or two – stores that we’ll sell directly out of. But yes, we will lean on a few super high-end partners – and by high-end, I don’t mean expensive. I mean people who understand customer service. They are existing motorcycle dealers, and we’re going through a selection process. We are setting the criteria at the moment. We’re calling these guys partners because we want partners for the long-term, and we want to build sustainable businesses with them.”

But Gladwell is pretty scathing about the current retail model in both automotive and bikes. “We are looking to revolutionise the retail experience. I don’t come from an automotive background. Still, if you were setting up the automotive industry now, knowing what you know about how important customer relationships are, there is no way you would set up the way they do it. What, you’re going to give the customer away to a third party? Historically they did that because OEMs were full of engineers who didn’t want to speak to human beings…

“Take, for example, a business I worked with, Bulgari. If you walked into the boardroom at Bulgari and said, ‘I’m going to set up a wholesale model, and all of our stores are now going to be on the outskirts of regional cities. I mean, it’s nonsense. Look directly at the retail experience in cars – I’m painting with very broad-brush strokes. I’m not mentioning names, but historically, the way you buy a car, even a luxury car that you’re going to spend, say, £85,000 on, is you take time out on a Sunday morning and drive to the outskirts of a retail estate. You drink terrible coffee and have someone try to upsell you on the accessories pack. That is not the customer experience I recognise in any way, shape or form. So we are looking to evolve that in a much more customer-

centric, a much more empathetic way, albeit while saying, look, this is a luxury brand. We know what we’re doing in terms of the creative direction and the duration of this brand, but we are going to put you at the centre of it.

“The world is changing, but equally, we want to work with partners. Honestly, if my shareholders gave me a blank cheque and ten years, I’d probably own the entire point of sale, but that’s not the case, so there’s going to be some form of partnership. I want the best in the business, and I want them incentivised in the best way to provide the best retail experience.”

straightforward. I’d like a Norton branded Sprinter van to turn up at the customer’s convenience with service at your property or your work wherever, and you’re good to go.”

What about spares support? “We’ve got good parts availability for the Commando, more challenging parts availability for the SV. But we still offer it. It’s the supply chain, the same thing that’s biting everyone. We’ve actually got two engineers on the ground in Taiwan, and we’ve got two engineers on the ground in South Africa who just literally moved there so that we can guarantee spares volumes. For Öhlins and Brembo, those guys are the easy bit. Those guys are fine. But when you’re handmaking carbon fibre tanks from one supplier in South Africa, you know you’ve got to send your guys out there to ensure that there is quality.”

Fine words – and an impressively ambitious vision for sure. But again, we go back to practicalities. With this new model of a retail network, how would things like servicing and spares support work? Currently, the plan is for the factory to run the servicing, taking bikes back to the HQ for work. “Yes, we’ll come and pick it up. A Norton van will collect your bike and bring it back to you. We realise that’s unsustainable and not massively costeffective, but various other brands have done it. In the medium term, what I’d like to do is servicing in vans. It isn’t easy to do mobile servicing with the V4 platform because it’s a complex engine, but on a £44,000 motorcycle, yeah of course we come and pick it up and take it away. With the Commandos, it’s a bit more

Where would Gladwell position Norton in the UK market, ideally? “The challenge is, if you want 20% market share, then your retail network sort of wags the dog because it’s all about the volume, but it’s not about volume with us. Now we do want a sustainable business, and we want to sell more than 8000 motorcycles a year. It’s a sustainable business, but equally, I am not looking at saying to my partner network, ‘I need 15% market share. I need the top 5%, and we’re going to offer something that the top 5% really want, and we are able to deliver given the scale of our business and given the scale of manufacturing capability and the scale of the investment.

“We are never going to be Honda, and we don’t want to be Honda, and that’s nothing against Honda. They do things brilliantly, but we don’t want to sell that kind of volume, neither are we Brough Superior: we’re not 1000 bikes a year. We want to be in the middle, you know, peak production for us looks like 40,000 motorcycles a year in six or seven years – which is a decent business, right? I mean, it’s not Ducati; it’s two-thirds of Ducati in terms of volume, and it wouldn’t be a product range exactly like Ducati. They

Master baker Paul Hollywood was at Motorcycle Live eyeing up a new ride on the Norton stand in the company of head of communications John Hogan

have a lot of different products. Obviously, we will have a much broader product range than we have at the moment, and up to 50% of that may be electric.”

What is Gladwell riding himself at the moment? “I’ve got an MV Agusta Turismo Veloce Lusso, and it’s a great bike, wonderful quick shifter, best on the market for me. I have a Norton, and I also have my name down for a Commando, but if I want a bike that I can blast around, and I can put my wife on the back of, it’s the Agusta.

“If you looked at me through the marketing lens, I am a dyed-in-the-wool Ducati Multistrada customer, 100%. But I’d rather walk. Not because the bike’s not great. It’s a great bike, but because it’s unbelievably obvious. It’s the motorcycle equivalent of a dozen red roses for your wife; ‘I’ve never had a creative thought in my mind in my life but I’ve been told I have to buy this’. Ducati does a wonderful thing, and the brand equity is entirely built around racing and MotoGP. They do a wonderful job. They’re incredibly successful, but it’s not what we want to do with Norton. We’re not in the business of aping other people’s business model. They do a great thing, but it’s not for us.”

What is Norton planning in terms of product development, then? Will the prototype Atlas 650 twin ever see the light of day, or has it been completely cancelled? “Look, it’s a tough decision to make. In a perfect world, we would do everything, but we’ve only got a certain amount of resources. We need to focus on what’s doable and not let people down by saying yeah, we’re going to do all of this and then deliver something at 60%.

“If the question is ‘are there plans in the future for a fully homologated twin scrambler and derivatives?’ then yes, for sure, but we’ve made a decision. We had a number of people that put down deposits on the Atlas, and we made the difficult call of actually fronting up and saying look, we’re not going to make that in the foreseeable future, but if you want to switch to a Commando, we will honour the deposit. When you’re fair and reasonable and when you communicate like that, the vast majority of people understand. Of course, you get people saying you said you were going to make an Atlas – well, okay, we never said that it was other people who owned the company. We’ve actually come out and said we appreciate you want this, but we are not in the market of making a parallel twin 650 super light at £12k. We understand it’s going to disappoint some people, but we just have to be honest.

“Of course, our product range is going to get bigger. So, think about families; we’ve invested in the V4, and of course, there’s going to be a V4 family. At the moment, we’ve got two there’s going to be more. Without going into specifics, there are going to be more versions of the V4 family that are homologated for the largest markets in the world around 2024/25 time.

“Similarly, the Commando is really important not just as a motorcycle for us

but as a family, and you will see a family of Commandos based on a new twin. What that new twin is, we don’t know. But it’s definitely Euro 6, and Federal homologated.”

Gladwell is well aware that the future for petrol is limited, especially a platform as old as the 961 air-cooled twin in the Commando.

“I’ve bought one of those, and the reason I have is that, for us to access the key markets in the world, we can’t make that twin anymore. So [a new twin] isn’t going to have those characteristics because it can’t, because we’ve been told we can’t do it, the same as every other manufacturer. It’s the noise; we talk about the emissions, but it’s mainly the noise. So if you love that and want to have it, get them while they’re hot because we can’t continue to make them.”

How involved is India in Norton’s day-today work? “Really involved in engineering standards, processes, really involved in things like procurement, really involved in things like business planning. Okay, I’m the chief commercial officer, and it’s a start-up, and we’re running at pace, and we’re growing, and I’ve got two people in my business planning department. TVS I think has got 55 people so we’ve got some ways to go and you know I’m out in India every other month and it’s wonderful having that resource and that support.

“I mean, it’s a key reason why I’m here, honestly speaking, when I got the phone call from a recruiter at my lovely desk at Saatchi in Soho saying, ‘would you like to join Norton?’ I laughed. I mean, I laughed and said absolutely not. You know that’s a company famous for three things; innovating, winning motorcycle races and going bust, especially its recent history. I knew that it had gone into administration, and I knew with certainty

that there would be a whole host of people who wanted to buy it. Of course, they would; who wouldn’t? And I thought it’s going to be bought by an individual, some oligarch or some form of private equity that’s got a three-year plan that wants me to come in and work some brand magic and flip it, so I was immediately nervous. But the recruiter said, ‘no, no, you’ve got to meet these guys at TVS’. They are the fourth largest manufacturer on the planet and are a serious long-term player.

“Over time, as we begin to grow the range, there will be some models that are made on the Norton line in India. Bear in mind that in terms of engineering capability, TVS makes all the baby [G310] BMWs; they’re made on the BMW line in India, so you know this is a sophisticated engineering company.”

We round off our chat with some thoughts on the overall future of Norton and the whole bike world. “We’re going to look to do some really interesting brand extensions in areas that people don’t expect a motorcycle manufacturer to go. It’s all about pulling the brand in a different direction and opening us up to a new audience: this is something people need to appreciate. If you look at the data in the developed world for 500cc plus motorcycling, it’s declining. If we keep making motorcycles for people who just like motorcycles, there will be no industry in 50 years, maybe less. So when people say hang on a minute, you’re taking the brand in a different direction: yes, we are, and it’s not my idea. We have to do this we have to innovate, and we have to expand. It’s not some horrible Machiavellian marketing trick. We’re trying to extend this brand, stretch it, curate it. Because we know that we are guardians of it and want to be around for another 125 years.”

We’re going to look to do some really interesting brand extensions in areas that people don’t expect a motorcycle manufacturer to go

Norton’s stand at Motorcycle Live attracted a lot of interest in both production (right) and concept (above) models

2023

Trade Directory:

get listed, be seen!

TO BE DISTRIBUTED WITH THE May issue of British Dealer News and with more than 650 suppliers listed in a dealer-friendly, easylook-up layout, the BDN 2023 Directory is well underway and, until the end of February 2023, BDN is offering a healthy 10% “early bird” discount.

The supplement will be available in print and digital format as well as being hosted on www.britishdealernews.co.uk for dealers to reference all year round. The 116-page bumper 2022 edition reached more industry professionals than ever before, with a combined record reach of more than 13,000 users in both print and digital versions. Andy Mayo, head of content at BDN, was delighted by its performance. “We put everything into last year’s supplement, improving the print base and developing the online platform, and opened the promotional taps to ensure the Directory was visible and usable all year round. We were delighted with the outcome. Average read time doubled to over nine minutes per unique user, and we reached an all-time record of 70,000page impressions online and still counting! It’s proof that the industry uses the Directory as the go-to source for new suppliers and brands.

“The 2023 edition will be enhanced even further, taking advantage of some new digital advances here at BDN. With more than 30 full company profiles and nearly 130 companies upgrading their listings, we are expecting a busy start to the season.”

It’s easy for suppliers to highlight their 2023 Directory entry by adding full contact details and logos or by running a full company profile feature. There is also advertising space available at very competitive rates, with some new sizes and positions available for 2023. Simply contact 01237 422660 or adsales@dealernews.co.uk.

Honda hits the north

The inexorable march of the big H continued apace this autumn, with two important new dealerships opening in the north of England. Youles Honda in Manchester and Staffordshire Honda in Stoke are both expansions by some of the most experienced operators in the business.

First up is Youles Honda, located just north of Manchester city centre. It’s a brand-new, purpose-built facility that covers nearly 8000sq.ft and will house the entire range of Honda road bikes. The firm has also invested heavily in service and repair technology, with four main workshop ramps and all the latest Honda diagnostic equipment.

The new Manchester store is owned and run by massively experienced dealer Phillip Youles, who already successfully operates several motorcycle dealerships in the area. The business employs more than 40 people and is very much familyrun, with his wife Louise and their son Joe playing a big part in the development of the new Honda facility. With nearly 40 years in the industry, Phillip will be leading the experienced team at the new location in Fairy Lane, Manchester.

Youles Honda opened just a few months after the launch of another state-of-the-art showroom on the outskirts of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire Honda. Converted from a former car showroom, which sits on a three-quarter acre site in the centre of Newcastleunder-Lyme, the 14,000sq.ft premises has generous parking, with a mezzanine floor and enough space to show off 200

new and used bikes. There’s a comprehensive clothing and accessories area, plus a purpose-built workshop, and the Staffs Honda demo fleet is now available, with machines including the Africa Twin, CMX1100 and CB1000R.

As with Youles Honda, Staffordshire Honda is owned and run by a highly experienced businessman, Bob Sheldon. Sheldon has been successfully managing motorcycle dealerships for the past 30 years and is looking to cement a strong Honda foothold in the area. Staffordshire Honda is based at Blackfriars Road, Newcastleunder-Lyme.

Speaking to BDN about the two new dealerships, Neil Fletcher, head of Honda UK motorcycles, said, “We’re absolutely delighted to welcome such experienced individuals as Bob and Phillip to the Honda brand. They both have an outstanding record of running successful motorcycle dealerships, and we are sure that Youles Honda and Staffordshire Honda will follow that tradition. Bob and Phillip are well known across the industry, with Phillip also being the chairman of the NMDA. We look forward to working with them at their respective brand-new facilities. Their modern approach will

provide first-class service to new and existing customers.”

Phillip Youles added, “We’re delighted to join the Honda network. This brand-new dealership has been laid out to give the best customer perception possible and is all about creating the right retail experience. The timing for the opening couldn’t be better, particularly with the arrival of the new Hornet, Transalp and CL500. Plus, as we all know, Honda is the world’s largest producer of internal combustion engines, so if any company is going to be in the best position to move into the next generation of motorcycles, Honda will surely be at the forefront. To say I’m excited for the future is an understatement”.

And Bob Sheldon is just as positive, “We are really excited at coming on board with the market-leading Honda brand. It’s a cold territory, as there has been no Honda representation in the area for more than 20 years, but we certainly are up for the challenge. A strong model range has enabled us to have a good start, and our already healthy deposit list for the coming season has been further enhanced by the introduction of new models at the recent NEC bike show.”

Youles Honda, Manchester

Staffordshire Honda, Stoke-on-Trent

MAG welcomes bike theft action

Welcome news from the Motorcycle Action Group this month, as the riders’ rights group reports a positive result from a meeting with government and police. This time it was a meeting with a member of the Scottish Parliament, Daniel Johnson, Police Scotland and City of Edinburgh council, which supplied the good news. Police Scotland had previously launched an anti-bike theft campaign over the summer, Operation Soteria, which resulted in 36 arrests and the recovery of 131 motorcycles between June and September.

Daniel Johnson, Labour MSP for the Edinburgh Southern constituency, spoke in favour of more action. “Motorcycle theft and motorcycleenabled crime is a growing problem in our capital city,” he said. “It’s crucial that we treat this issue seriously and put a coordinated system in place that helps tackle it.”

quite brazen thefts of motorcycles in Edinburgh. This has had a huge impact on Edinburgh’s biker community. Given the seriousness of the situation, I was happy to give @MAGUKCentral an assurance that I would request a review of secure motorcycle parking in Edinburgh.”

It resulted in 36 arrests and the recovery of 131 motorcycles

MAG’s director of campaigns and political engagement, Colin Brown, said: “I was pleased to take part in this important meeting. There was much ground covered and some tangible action points came from the meeting. We know the issue will not be solved easily, but I am glad to report that the need is recognised and the will to get results is there.”

Covec back on course after a disaster at sea

SOUTHAMPTON-BASED BIKE KIT FIRM COVEC HAD

And councillor Scott Arthur, convener of Edinburgh council’s transport committee, tweeted afterwards about the event. “Many thanks to @DJohnsonMSP for hosting a meeting on motorcycle thefts in Edinburgh. I was quite shocked to hear details of some

MAG has also recommended a full review of the UK’s motorcycle licencing regime. According to the group, British riders are passing their full bike test later than car drivers –aged 24 compared with 17 – and for every five CBT certificates, only one full licence is issued. The result is a suppression of rider numbers as people move on to cars, and as MAG points out, it’s hard to refute a connection with the higher casualty rates for younger riders as compared with younger drivers.

a bit of an ocean-going calamity earlier this year when a container of protective riding jeans sprung a leak at sea. The shipping unit took in seawater during its voyage from the far east, ruining the entire consignment of Bull-It denim. The firm was insured, so it has ‘weathered the storm’, and now has full stocks of all its CE-approved kit, ready for dealers to order.

“A load of stock was wrecked due to a leaky container, around 1500 pairs of jeans, and many of these had been on backorder. Dealers were waiting for them, which makes it immensely disappointing as it greatly impacted our service,” said Covec sales manager Elliot Bloxsome. “It was stock that would have sold over summer, so new stock had to be made to fulfil dealer orders – Covec would like to thank its dealers for their patience and loyalty.”

01489 582 707; info@bull-it.com

Mood swing in dealer survey

The Autumn NMDA’s Dealer Attitude Survey (DAS) attracted an improved response rate of 32%, up by 5% from the Spring DAS.

The survey provides an overview of PowerTwo-Wheeler dealers’ satisfaction levels on key business issues affecting the relationship with their manufacturers.

Symon Cook, head of NMDA, commented: “The dealer attitude survey is a benchmark report for the industry, offering an overview of the retail bike sector. The survey recorded an improved average score across all questions, which is incredibly positive and shows the resilience of retailers through a difficult period.”

OVERALL FRANCHISE VALUE

The autumn edition of the NMDA Dealer Attitude Survey revealed satisfaction levels with the value of holding their franchise at 7.5 points out of 10, an increase of 1.5 from the previous survey.

y Triumph (9.1), BMW (8.8) and Royal Enfield (8.5) were the three highest-rated franchises.

y Piaggio (5.8), Honda (6.4) and HarleyDavidson (6.4) had the lowest ratings, yet all three improved their score from the last edition.

PROFIT RETURN

When asked “how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the profit return representing your franchise?”, dealers recorded an average of 3.4 point out of 5. This represents an increase of 0.4 compared to last year.

y The top three performers were Triumph (4.3), BMW (4.0) and Kawasaki (3.6).

y The lowest performers were Piaggio and Yamaha at 2.7.

ABILITY TO DO BUSINESS WITH MANUFACTURERS

The average score when asked about dealers’ ability to do business with their manufacturers on a day-to-day basis was 3.7. This represented an increase from spring 2022’s score of 3.2.

y Lexmoto (4.4) and BMW (4.3) had the highest scores.

y Piaggio (2.3) and Ducati (2.9) recorded the lowest scores.

The average score in response to “the dealer standards expected by your manufacturer” question was 3.4. This represents an increase from the spring survey of 0.6 points.

y Lexmoto (4.0) and Suzuki (4.0) had the two highest scores.

y Honda (2.6) and Piaggio (2.6) received the two lowest scores.

ELECTRIC PTWS AND NET-ZERO TARGETS

For the first time, the NMDA introduced a range of questions relating to the electrification of the market and the influx of electric Power Two Wheelers (ePTWs).

When asked “How satisfied are you with your manufacturer’s strategy for the zero emissions deadline?”, the average score returned was 3.2 out of 5.

y BMW (3.7) and Lexmoto (3.5) recorded the two highest scores.

y Royal Enfield (2.8), Suzuki (2.9) and Triumph (2.9) received the lowest scores.

Retailers were also asked “How satisfied are you that your manufacturer’s current product line-up reflects the current market requirements with regards to electric PTWs?” The average score returned was 3 out of 5.

y Lexmoto (3.7) and Royal Enfield (3.5) recorded the highest return.

THE NMDA HAS UPDATED SOME OF THE questions asked in its biannual survey. Out goes a query asking dealers about their thoughts on the fairness of warranty claim settlements, and in come a new query about the “Frequency of introduction of new models” along with a pair of new questions which refer to manufacturers’ strategies towards the 2035 Zero Emissions targets and their provision of electric models in their current ranges respectively.

Even taking into account the revised format, BMW again tops the overall chart when we combine the scores from across the whole survey, as it did in the Spring survey. Triumph moves up a position to second, and new entrant Lexmoto occupies a creditable third.

Among the mid-table brands KTM has obviously made changes to its dealer relationships which have met with widespread approval, as its overall score saw the biggest improvement of any brand by some

y Harley-Davidson returned the lowest score with 2.2, whilst Honda, KTM and Suzuki all returned the second lowest score at 2.6.

Symon Cook concluded: “OEMs and retailers continue to work under increasingly difficult circumstances relating to economic turbulence and on-going supply constraints. Therefore, NMDA is extremely pleased to see that the survey has returned improved responses from six months ago.

“The response rate of 32%, up 5% from the last edition, is also extremely encouraging and is evidence that we are receiving more engagement from dealers reflecting the importance they place on this survey. It is crucial that manufacturers and retailers continue to work in a mutually beneficial way and use the survey responses as a mechanism to see which areas may need improvement.”

margin. In contrast, Ducati tumbled three places, as did Honda – but the biggest loser was Harley-Davidson. For some time in previous surveys Harley used to top the satisfaction charts, but its previously loyal dealers are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the brand’s performance and reflected this in low ratings, sending it down to eleventh place on the overall score table.

Aspects of the business that particularly raised Harley dealers’ ire included the bikes’ pricing compared to rivals, current and future profitability, and its stocking policy.

Only just below Harley was perennial bottom of the table occupant Piaggio. Despite being handed the wooden spoon yet again, the multi-brand group can take some solace in the fact that it actually improved its dealer ratings in every single question (KTM was the only other brand to manage this), but starting from an low base meant that this leap in scores was insufficient to propel it any higher in terms of position.

The problem with Bounce Back Loans

All in all, the pandemic, Brexit, high inflation, and war in Ukraine, has made the 2020s a decade to forget. But if there is one ray of light, it is how the government supported businesses – and employees – during Covid with various financial aid programmes.

The Bounce Back Loan (BBL) is one to highlight in particular. A scheme that ran between March 2020 and March 2021, it helped SMEs borrow between £2000 and £50,000 at a low interest rate, over 6 or 10 years, and was guaranteed by the government. Importantly, no personal guarantees were required.

And it was successful; according to a July 2021 release from the government more than 1.56 million loans to the value of £47.36bn were granted. A year later, a government report – published in September 2022 – noted that around half a million firms would have failed if it hadn’t been for BBLs.

In contrast, the same report noted that £28.3bn of loans were being paid off normally, £4.7bn were fully repaid, £3.2bn were in arrears, £1.4bn had defaulted, and £1.1bn were suspected as being fraudulent. However, a December 2021 report from the National Audit Office thought that the fraudulent element of BBLs could be as high as £4.9bn.

In defence of the government, the report

still relatively early in the life of the scheme, and therefore it is too soon to definitively assess the performance of the BBLS scheme as a whole.”

The government also commented that “it is unfortunate that some have taken the decision to take advantage of this vital intervention by defrauding the scheme for their own financial gain. The government has always been clear that anyone who sought to do so is at risk of prosecution.”

The problem appears to be that while processes were put in place to reduce the risk of fraudulent applications being successful, the government relied on lenders to make ‘know-your-customer’ and anti-money laundering checks while using fraud bureaus to screen applicants against potential or known fraudsters. The government says that lenders prevented more than £2.2bn of fraudulent applications as a result of such checks.

But that still leaves the problem of both fraudulent applications and non-repayment to the public purse. These borrowers are being pursued by HMRC, the National Crime Agency, the National Investigation Service, and the banks.

Of concern to businesses that took out BBLs is anti-corruption campaigner, Spotlight on Corruption. In late November it appealed a

oversaw BBLs and refused to reveal the names of some or all or the 1.7m businesses that borrowed money.

Spotlight on Corruption is pushing the bank to comply with a freedom of information request it lodged two years ago which was rejected – a decision upheld by the Information Commissioner’s Office. The refusal is based on applicants not agreeing at the time to the possibility of being publicly named following a successful application. Worse, if named borrowers could be at risk of attack by fraudsters.

If Spotlight on Corruption wins the appeal, and names are published, then borrowers –subject to being cautious in relation to fraud – have nothing to worry about, assuming that the money was correctly spent by their business. However, if the money was spent in breach of the terms of the scheme, on, say, personal items, then they would be best advised to make good the breach.

In the longer term, if the loan cannot be repaid, and the business fails, then the Insolvency Service is likely to investigate the failure and the use of the BBL. If misconduct is found, it may wind up the company, disqualify directors, and obtain a Court Order for directors or sole traders to personally pay compensation to creditors. There is also the

New recruit and Datatool security deal for Kymco

Kymco is continuing to push ahead with its new UK setup, with a new national sales manager role for the firm’s Neil Keeble, and a wide-ranging security deal with Datatool.

Keeble had already been working as the central area sales manager for bikes, mobility and ATVs, but it was announced on 1 December that he’s moving up to the national sales manager role across all products. This internal restructure means there are now two new area sales managers being recruited.

The staff announcement came alongside a new Datatool security deal for Kymco, with the new strategic partnership aiming to bring enhanced protection for its customers. The Datatool Stealth tracker unit boasts a 96% recovery rate and was available as an OE dealer fit on all its bikes from December 2022.

Mark Hermolle, Kymco UK’s

MD, said, “Protection and security of our customers’ coveted products has never been more important, and Kymco endeavours to continue to add value to its offerings. We are delighted to partner with Datatool, whom we feel will provide us with the added security and protection our customers need. We feel this strategic partnership further enhances our product and will differentiate us as a leading provider in the marketplace.”

Datatool sales operations manager Dan Balsamini added:, “We are incredibly proud to partner with Kymco to protect their customers from vehicle theft. Not only will customers benefit from the wide range of features by fitting our tracking device, they will also have peace of mind knowing that their vehicle is protected 24/7, all year round, by our dedicated monitoring team.”

Strength in numbers

AN UNUSUAL MOVE FOR GERMAN LUBRICANT MAKERS LIQUI MOLY, which has announced a new managing director – while also keeping the old one in place! Its current commercial director, Dr Uli Weller, will become the second managing director of the group of companies at the start of 2023, alongside current MD Günter Hiermaier.

“My responsibility is to lead our company into a secure future. For me, a second managing director means perfect strategic support,” says Hiermaier. “Dr Weller is one of the people who shaped Liqui Moly. For more than a decade, he has made a reliable contribution to our success. He has internalised our values, helped shape our strategies as commercial director and knows the company like nobody else.”

“I’m looking forward to helping shape the future of Liqui Moly from the top,” said Weller. “As long as I’ve been working for the company, I’ve been well aware of the fact that success is ultimately always a team effort. And we have an extraordinary team and I would like to be part of leading it.”

Mark Hermolle, left, and Neil Keeble

Universal intercom partnership

with any UCS intercom – while still complying with the ECE 22.06 helmet safety standards.

The LS2 4X intercom can be used with any of five UCS compliant LS2 helmets, including the new Advant, Infinity and Infinity II designs. Developed by Cardo, the LS2 4X connects up to four riders across Bluetooth within 1.2km/0.75 mile while featuring Sound by JBL, Natural Voice Operation, Open Bluetooth intercom and a fully waterproof design. It will be available in April, for around £250.

Dan Emodi, chief marketing officer at Cardo said, “We’re proud to be the communicator of choice for LS2 Helmets. As a company, we pride ourselves on innovation and quality and to work with another brand so closely aligned with these philosophies is a pleasure. We look forward to the millions of LS2 customers enjoying communication by Cardo.”

LS2 has released the first of a new generation of in-helmet audio/ intercom systems. Developed in association with Cardo, the new LS2 4X intercom is built to the latest intercom industry standard – the Universal Communication Solution (UCS). The UCS has been

compared with the widely used DIN fitment for car radios, which specified a standard size, shape and connector setup so that audio systems could be swapped between cars. With UCS, the inhelmet equipment complies with size, weight and connector specs, so any UCS helmet can be fitted

Giuseppe Porcu, CEO at LS2, said: “We chose Cardo Systems because of the company’s forward-thinking and reputation for reliability, values that perfectly represent our brand. We want to work with experts, and they are the most qualified in their sector.”

Government’s CE replacement on hold for two years

SHARP update

The Department for Transport’s SHARP helmet rating scheme has been around for 15 years now, awarding simple star ratings to helmets based on the DfT’s own test criteria. The test grabbed a lot of headlines when launched, but has fallen off the radar recently.

But now the Transport Research Laboratory and DfT are consulting on how to update the SHARP test in the light of more recent research into head injuries and helmet design. One aspect where the scientists are seeking to improve SHARP is in the area of rotational forces experienced in real-world impacts. The TRL has also found that up to 25% of bikers wear incorrectly-sized helmets, increasing the chance of a helmet coming off in a crash. Both bodies are keen to improve the SHARP regime in light of all the recent findings – and TRL will collect, review and evaluate all of the data to feed back to the SHARP system.

In a move that surprised hardly anyone with an interest, the government has extended the deadline on using the widely accepted CE marking scheme for personal protective equipment in Britain for another two years. The supposed replacement, the UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) mark, will now not be mandatory until after 31 December 2024.

Brought in after the UK left the EU, the UKCA was planned to replace CE marking, so that there would be a UK body in charge of safety standards. The obvious flaw for motorcycle kit makers – potentially having to re-test kit which would already have been CE tested, increasing costs and red tape, seemed to be ignored by backers of the UKCA scheme. The scheme would also only apply in Great Britain, leaving Northern Ireland bikers under the CE scheme, and further complicating logistics for kit makers.

CE marking is required for goods sold in the European Economic Area, so isn’t directly linked with the EU – but it seems to have been caught up in the post-Brexit drive to eradicate all European regulations from the UK/GB, regardless of how practical that might be. It remains to be seen if the UKCA will ever become the only statutory standard allowed in GB – or if another extension will come along in 2024.

From left: Dan Emodi, chief marketing officer of Cardo Systems and Phil Ammendolia, president and CEO of LS2 Helmets USA

Straightforward stock with Best Bike Bid

Most online auction platforms focus on the seller, but what the UK dealer network really needs is a platform exclusively focused on providing fresh daily stock, at trade prices, direct to dealers.

Bestbikebid.com is an all-new online platform that aims to provide a link between trade buyers and the selling public within the motorcycle marketplace. The consumer-facing platform will be launched in Q1 2023 to attract stock, with the dealer-facing platform launched ahead of that to allow dealers to register. The two will link together to form www.bestbikebid.com

This trading platform is the first of its kind in the motorcycle industry. It doesn’t buy or sell motorcycles, but it does introduce sellers that are looking to shift their motorcycles to

the trade after receiving the best bid.

This will provide a means for dealers to access prime quality UK stock at the best trade prices without competition from the general public. At a time when quality stock can be hard to find, the new platform will allow dealers access to a flow of available stock which will be offered

A SELLER WISHES TO SELL THEIR BIKE – WHY WOULD THEY use bestbikebid.com?

y It’s completely free – no hefty advertising costs or auction fees – zero cost.

y No tyre kickers, timewasters, etc. – hassle free.

y Sellers receive numerous bids for their motorcycles so they can be sure they are achieving the best price in the industry.

HOW DO SELLERS KNOW THE TRADE PRICE OF THEIR BIKE?

The seller inputs their registration number into the platform, which will generate a value using an algorithm powered by Live Market valuation software that gives the seller a trade value range that they can expect for their motorcycle.

HOW DOES THE SELLER’S MOTORCYCLE APPEAR ON THE Best Bikes Bid platform?

y The software ensures that each motorcycle is fully profiled with an accurate description, detailed photos, spec, service history, condition and region – everything the dealer needs to know before making a bid.

y After all details have been uploaded and the bike goes live, registered dealers will receive an alert and the auction begins. Once the seller is happy with the highest bid, they will confirm the offer on the platform and the winning dealer is automatically informed. From here it is up to the dealer to make direct contact with the seller and purchase/collect the motorcycle.

through daily alerts that the dealer can receive on any device. Dealers and other organisations can also use the platform to sell surplus stock, on a B2B basis.

Bestbikebid.com will only allow genuine motorcycle dealers to register, so the trade can be assured that they are only bidding against other UK motorcycle dealers. And ahead of the public launch, Bestbikebid.com has chosen to launch its “dealer onboarding” phase here in the January issue of BDN Dealers are encouraged to visit www. bestbikebid.com and register now. It’s completely free.

The platform has two faces to it. The public facing one and the dealer facing wrapper, each has their own journey as explained below.

Best Bike Bid dealer@bestbikebid.com www.bestbikebid.com

THE DEALER JOURNEY

HOW DO I RECEIVE ALERTS OF fresh stock?

y The dealer simply registers on www.bestbikebid.com – Free registration is available now.

y Daily alerts will be automatically sent to the dealers’ device with full details of the motorcycles as they are uploaded to the platform, along with an invitation to bid.

HOW DO I PROPERLY ASSESS THE background of the motorcycle and make a bid?

y In addition to the accurate description and photos provided by the seller, each dealer has tools within their portal that allows them, at no cost, to run a HPI check on the motorcycle by typing in the VRM.

HOW DO I GET THE CONTACT details of the seller to arrange purchase and collection?

y Once the bid price is confirmed by the seller, the winning dealer can pay by credit card (a small

introduction fee will be added to the sale price). Once the payment has cleared, an automatic email will be sent to the dealer with the seller’s contact details.

y From there it is up to the dealer to arrange collection from the seller.

WHAT IF UPON INSPECTION THE accuracy of the description is not representative of the motorcycle?

y If upon inspection the motorcycle is not what was expected, then the dealer will have the chance to adjust their final bid to the seller to reflect any condition.

y If the purchase is unsuccessful the dealer will be entitled to a full refund of the introduction fee, less a standard admin fee, providing the dealer has acted within the T&Cs.

y Full T&Cs, data sharing agreement and Privacy Policy are all available at www.bestbikebid.com, which dealers will need to agree to on registration.

THE PUBLIC JOURNEY

International news

With financial editor Roger Willis

Take AIM for Vegas

FANCY A WINTER WORKING break in sub-tropical sunshine, with some spectacular night life thrown in for good measure? Then it’s time to pencil the American International Motorcycle Expo (AIMExpo) into your diary.

The 2023 edition of North America’s biggest bike trade show is set to take place on 15-17 February at the resort city of Las Vegas, in the heart of Nevada’s Mojave desert. Venue is the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Open only to dealers and industry professionals, for whom attendance is free with pre-registration, AIMExpo bills itself as an immersive experience for the global powersports business – a platform for key brands, manufacturers, dealers, distributors, media personnel and influencers to engage with all the important issues and opportunities, in a US market that generates an estimated $39.9bn of annual consumer spend.

For accommodation, AIMExpo organisers have contracts with The Sahara Las Vegas and Renaissance Las Vegas hotels, offering exclusive discount pricing to attendees. For details of this and required proof of trade or media affiliation for advance registration, browse: www.aimexpousa.com

Eicma declared trade winner

Exit data, issued by event supremo Pietro Meda immediately after the annual Eicma Milan international motorcycle industry showcase closed its doors on 13 November, underlined the extent to which it has comprehensively spanked biennial competitor Intermot in Cologne.

Six pavilions at the Fiera Milano exhibition centre occupied 35% more space than the 2021 Eicma show and effectively doubled the size of three Koelnmesse halls employed by Intermot two months earlier, which German organiser IVM had struggled to fill anyway. The Italians featured 1370 brands – 59% from overseas exhibitors representing 45 different nations.

Most telling Eicma statistic was registered visitor footfall by 38,747 trade and industry professionals, a 35% increase over 2021, more than half of whom came from abroad. Intermot, returning from a four-year hiatus, had only managed to attract approximately 20,000 business representatives, with about 30% of them from outside Germany.

Overall Eicma attendance by the paying public was 38% up, with the majority buying their tickets online. And media presence for its exclusive press-only opening day pulled an enhanced total of 6900 accredited journalists, photographers and TV crews. The number of new model launches by manufacturers also massively eclipsed the subdued mood at Intermot, where several major brands had been no-shows.

Unsurprisingly, Meda and his chief executive Paolo Magri effusively claimed this performance had once again asserted Eicma’s global leadership

Royal Enfield hunts on home turf

Riding on the success of its new entry-level Hunter 350 offering and an expanding domestic retail network, Royal Enfield is well on the way to achieving highest-ever sales in its ongoing fiscal year to March 2023, and potentially selling about one million units in the following 12 months.

The brand sold a record 82,235 bikes during October, mainly to Indian customers, and has alerted dealers to prepare for shipments of 100,000 per month from January onwards. Even if the company only manages to ship motorcycles at the current monthly rate of 80,000, it is likely to hit annual sales of 880,000 – 47% more than in the fiscal year to March 2022, and about 7% higher than its previous all-

time record of around 822,000 units in the fiscal year to March 2019.

This welter of good news comes after almost three years of weakening sales, when inflated prices and rising fuel costs put Royal Enfield motorcycles out of reach for many Indians. And a lot of the company's turnaround has hinged on introduction of the Hunter, its most affordable proposition to date.

Advance orders for this key model have exceeded 50,000, accounting for a third of total pre-booked commitments. About 18% of domestic-market sales now come from first-time motorcycle buyers, compared to 13% before the Hunter’s launch. Also significantly, two in every five Hunter buyers are in the 18-25 age group.

and Milan as the undisputed world capital of the motorcycle industry. “Eicma unquestionably remains on the highest step in the entire international scene and this is where we will stay,” opined Meda, modestly.

Magri added: “Opportunities to encourage the meeting between supply and demand, and facilitate the development of concrete business openings, have increased disproportionately, confirming Eicma as a unique place able to profitably unite the B2B and B2C spheres.”

Dates for Eicma 2023 are 7-12 November.

Have your Cake and PCP it

AUTOMOTIVE CONSUMER

finance provider FCA Automotive Services has signed up as the official finance provider for the Swedish electric bike maker Cake. FCA is set to offer HP and PCP deals on the full range of Cake machines at all the firm's retailers and its main Shoreditch showroom.

And the icing on the, er, cake, is that FCA also has the option to expand to other European markets where its parent firm FCA Bank is already operating.

Christian Gorton, senior marketing manager at FCA Automotive Services, said: “Our financing solutions are designed to simplify the purchase process for customers, and our range of Hire Purchase (HP) and Personal Contract Plan (PCP) terms will make the latest range of Cake electric motorbikes even more accessible – for work or pleasure.”

Electric news

Disappointment as council ends trial

The UK government’s failure to resolve the legal position of e-scooters continues to have an effect as another one of the temporary rental trials closes down. Sandwell Council in Birmingham has refused to extend a local scheme run by Swedish e-scooter rental firm Voi, which ended on 25 November. The council hasn’t given a reason for ending the scheme.

Voi said it was “disappointed” the West Bromwich service hadn’t been extended. A Voi spokesman told the Birmingham Live website, “We’re proud of the safe and convenient service we have delivered to the people of Sandwell, so it’s disappointing to announce the sad closure of our operations in the town. We’ve been delighted to have played our part in helping riders ditch nearly 7000 petrol-powered car journeys since launching two years ago.” Similar Voi schemes nearby in Birmingham and Coventry are not affected by the decision.

Legislation to normalise the legal status of

e-scooters was expected in a transport bill before last summer, but the chaotic state of the UK government at the time scuppered the transport bill, leaving e-scooters in a curious limbo state: legal to sell but not to use on public roads, yet available in various areas as part of trial hire schemes, which are now being extended or closed down, seemingly at the whim of local government.

Energica opens direct web store for bike accessories

Italian premium electric bike maker Energica has opened a new online store where owners can buy bolt-on OE accessories for their machines. Backed with web store specialist E-tailor technology, the Modena firm offers parts like hard luggage, windscreens, carbon body panels, paddock stands, and much more. The site also provides a new bike configurator service to spec up your own custom build.

“We are very pleased to provide customers with a new tool that will further expand our sales capability,” said sales director Giacomo Stefano Leone. “This is an important step for Energica,

which further proves our commitment to meet the needs of our customers.” shop.energicamotor.com/en

Alex Hughes, FCA Automotive Services UK MD (left) and Drew Heddart, CAKE UK MD

Although battery-electric bike registrations took a 5.2% share of the PTW market as a whole in November, both were characterised by decline. And the ePTW slump –34.7% down to a mere 346 units – was far more severe.

Within that, both the higher-volume kilowattage bands became badly unplugged. Up-to-4kW machines ridden on AM licences dropped by 22.9% to 155, while 4-11kW products on A1 licences plunged by a fiercer 43.3% to 170. A suspiciously round number of 50 Maeving RM1 retro electric motorcycles, which smacked of dealer demonstrators rather than purchases by the public, took highest-registered

honours in that category.

A meagre three registrations “filled” the A2 licence sector spanning 11-35kW products. Two of these were premium-priced 15kW exmples of BMW’s CE 04 scooter. And another three bikes requiring full motorcycle licences occupied the over35kW slot in its entirety. Two of them were eccentric Swedish-made Cake Ösa+ confections.

Farsta all the time

Styled for utility rather than beauty, just two examples of Cake’s quirky OSA+ made it the UK’s best-selling over-35kW machine in November.

For the 11 months of 2022 to date, overall ePTW registrations have risen by 9.1% to 6128 units, equating to a 5.5% market share. Some 92.2% of them – 5647 – are in the up-to-11kW range geared to short-haul mobility and lastmile delivery fleets. The market for larger enthusiast products still barely exists.

WE’RE OLD-FASHIONED around here, so when we get a release for a new bike called the ‘Farsta 10000’, we genuinely started wondering how they got a 10,000cc engine into it! Of course, the 10,000 in the title refers to the electric power output of this new bike: 10,000 watts, or 10kW – around 13.4bhp. So the Farsta 10000 (an update of the Farsta 6000) is a new 125-class bike from the Electric Motorbike company, with a 120Ah battery and an onboard Type 2 charger that allows fast charging from a suitable charging point, filling the battery from empty in less than four hours.

Performance is solid: 75mph claimed top speed and a ‘real world’ range of 120 miles. Not revolutionary, but another step forward for battery power. It’s pricey though: £8795, including the government grant discount.

The firm’s MD, Perry Burns, said “We are thrilled with this new model. As well as its stunning good looks, we have been able to include a number of technical improvements which give the bike really outstanding performance, including class-leading range and speed. Since its launch last year, the Farsta has proved extremely popular for the mid-range commuter market and we are looking forward to yet another exciting season selling this brilliant bike”

The Electric Motorbike Company 0330 1654 133 www.thelmoco.com

Anew range of off-road bikes rarely appears on the UK market, but 2022 was an exception: the young American brand GPX Moto now has a UK distributor based in Petersfield, Hampshire. The models cover the full off-road spectrum from trail to hard enduro, and the company ethos is that high quality, high specification and competitive motorcycles should be reasonably priced. Customers don’t have to sacrifice quality for a lower price point, according to GPX Moto, you can have both.

The backstory goes like this: GPX Motorcycles is an American family-owned company based in Utah. The original motorcycle company, Pit Star Pro, was formed in 2003. In 2017 GPX initially looked at developing a range of affordable off-road enduro motorcycles in the USA but quickly found that the cost of manufacturing in the US made this unfeasible. They then established a partnership with a factory in China to have motorcycles developed to their exact specifications.

GPX HQ and the distributors have daily contact with the factory, which takes on board any suggestions and makes modifications quickly, producing updates every few months. For example, recently, reports came back from customers that the speedo cables were a little too short and could get snagged behind the headlight, damaging the wiring. The factory

Off-road news

With off-road correspondent Rick Kemp

immediately made them longer and pre-installed them to prevent potential damage from dealer assembly. Other improvements include O-ring chains, updated mapping and alloy intake manifolds instead of rubber. These were all recommendations from GPX in Utah. Even now, the TSE 300 two-stroke is undergoing power-valve modifications. GPX says the Chinese factory is very responsive and is run by longterm motorcycle enthusiasts who

New kids on the dirt

sponsor teams in Chongqing. The company claims the quality is now on par with anything produced in Japan or Europe.

James Brown from GPX Moto UK says that part of the reason why prices can be kept down is the fact that there is no major sponsorship programme in the USA, no massive headquarters with crippling staff overheads, no shareholder dividends to pay and no desire to dominate the market. “GPX is unusual in the

United States in that they don’t advertise, they keep themselves to themselves,” says Brown. “That’s the main reason why GPX hasn’t been imported into Europe or elsewhere. I’ve been competing in off-road events since I was 14, and I’d never heard of them. When I stumbled across the brand, I thought it was a great opportunity to get a decently priced bike over here for the average rider to buy.”

Brown has got the European rights for GPX Moto, and he’s busy making sure that the brand is much more high profile than it is in its home country.

New dealer applications are welcome, particularly in Scotland and the Home Counties. Contact 07411 364803 or gpxmotouk@ gmail.com.

GPX 250E

Air-cooled, four-stroke with electric start. Key ignition. LED speedo and data terminal. Zongshen makes the engine. Price £4950 with six month warranty.

GPX 250 TSE

Counter-balanced, two-stroke Yamahalicensed, Loncin-made engine with electric and kick start. Key ignition. LED speedo and data terminal. Radiator fan kit. Price £5150 with six months warranty.

GPX 300 FSE

Liquid-cooled DOHC fuel-injected four-stroke. Radiator fan kit. Key ignition. LED speedo and data terminal. Zongshen engine. Price £5695 with six months warranty.

GPX 300 TSE

Two-stroke, counter-balanced engine with electric and kick start. Radiator fan kit. Engine by Zongshen. Key ignition. LED speedo and data terminal. Price £5950 with three months warranty as this is a full-on race bike.

GPX 450 FSE

Liquid-cooled, fuel-injected four-stroke. Electric start. Radiator fan kit. Key ignition. LED speedo and data terminal. Zongshen engine. Price £5750 with six months warranty.

ALL OF THESE MOTORCYCLES, APART from the 300 TSE, can have the seat height lowered by 40mm at no extra cost. All models can be road registered by the dealer, and GPX UK has full parts backup.

When I stumbled across the brand, I thought it was a great opportunity to get a decently priced bike over here for the average rider to buy

Latest KTM updates

KTM is justifibly proud of its LC4 motor, the latest version of which, after 30 years of evolution, features in the 2023 KTM 690 Enduro R and 690 SMC R models. KTM claims that the LC4 is the most powerful production singlecylinder engine currently available.

The Enduro R is resplendent in full orange, while the Supermoto SMC R has a new blue and orange finish. Both machines are equipped with a simple but effective LCD screen providing rider information and an array of essential warning lights. The dashboard’s slimline design also means the line of sight forward is clear of any obstructions.

Both bikes benefit from cornering ABS, which allows riders to use full braking power in all conditions, even at big lean angles. This is supported by Offroad ABS on the Enduro R, which reduces

A good read

NO REGRETS IS a look back at the life and career of Dave Thorpe, the three-time FIM 500cc Motocross World Champion, a feat not achieved by any other British rider. This biography recounts Thorpe’s career and provides an insight into what made him a triple champion.

Written with the guidance of established motorcycle writer and broadcaster Jack Burnicle, the book explores the highs and lows of a career that has seen Thorpe travel the world and ride with the very best, but also recounts some of the hardest moments in a career that achieved much success. But, as the title suggests, Thorpe has “no regrets” about the choices he made throughout his career.

Should you want one for the showroom, they are available from www.davethorpe.co.uk

ABS on the front wheel and disables it on the rear, allowing riders to lock up the back wheel into a tight turn. Supermoto ABS is featured on the SMC R, which enables it to slide and smoke the rear tyre.

Also updated for 2023, the KTM 890 Adventure retains its 105hp LC8 motor and lists more features than the average combat aircraft. KTM says the highlights include upgraded ergonomics and bodywork for more protective and comfortable riding, low weight, a proven race-derived chassis for the perfect mix of performance and practicality, revised WP Suspension settings and adjusters for more response, better TFT menus, more app options, reworked Ride Modes, a higher screen and a more comfortable two-piece seat. Pirelli Scorpion STR tyres are now fitted as standard, and two fresh colour options and new racier graphics set are offered.

Rally Edition Ténérés

Since its launch in 2019, the Yamaha Ténéré 700 has sold more than 40,000 units throughout Europe. For 2023, the Ténéré 700 and Ténéré 700 Rally Edition feature several upgrades and refinements that add value to the overall package. These include a new 5in dual-theme TFT dash, smartphone connectivity, quick shifter pre-wiring to accept a genuine Yamaha sensor, threemode ABS, a USB socket, LED indicators, a new front brake lever design to prevent it breaking when the bike falls over, and last but not least, new colours in the shape of Icon Blue and Tech Kamo.

V-Strom Prices

SUZUKI HAS ANNOUNCED PRICES FOR ITS BIGGEST V-STROM models due in the Spring. The V-Strom 1050DE will come with a price tag of £13,699, and the standard 1050 model has been confirmed at £12,999.

Essentially the two models differ in focus, with the DE having more of a go-anywhere specification. This includes a 21in front wheel, Dunlop Trailmax Mixtour tyres, increased suspension travel and ground clearance, and revised chassis geometry. It also has wider handlebars, steel footrests, a different seat, and a lower screen. The DE has an additional gravel mode for the traction-control and its rear ABS can be disengaged.

For riders who prefer their adventures on asphalt, the standard 1050 shares the TFT screen, bi-directional quick-shifter, three power modes, cruise control, cornering ABS, linked brakes for load and slope-dependent control, hill hold, and three traction-control settings.

Putting classics in the picture

It remains a multi-million pound industry, but during 2022 the classic scene started to shift from a seller’s to a buyer’s market.

In general terms it is becoming harder to sell a classic bike. It takes longer and the market is becoming very price sensitive. British classic prices are easing –our research estimates a general drop of approximately 20% in values. There are now plenty of British bike private sellers sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring. It’s a cold wind feeling.

Other emerging trends during the year include:

• Unpredictability in what will sell and how much it will fetch

• Greater price sensitivity.

• Falling prices for popular British motorcycles

• Growing influence from the Japanese classic market.

• Greater use of no-reserve and lower bottom estimates by auction houses

• Increasing interest in topflight Italian performance classics

• Increasing interest in lightweight classics

• Growing international

interest as pound weakens

“Nobody needs a classic bike,” says William Dawkins of Classic Bike Imports, Worcestershire, who started dealing in 2001 and importing in 2004.

“We’re selling a product that people don’t need, and this year has been challenging to say the least. Our costs have gone up because of the weak pound against the dollar and the cost of shipping.

“In lockdown we did insanely well, but since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war and the cost of living crisis, prices have been rising and everyone is nervous. That said there still seem to be plenty of people eating in restaurants. We may simply be talking ourselves into a recession.

“2023 prospects? I think it’s a

case of survival for the next 12 months.

“But there’s a plus side. Our customers are mainly 50 to 65-year-olds and they are the wealthiest they have ever been. They’ve paid the mortgage and the kids have gone. It’s the wives who are nervous!”

Chris Bunce of Classic Super Bikes in Hampshire says: “Buyers are scarce. 2022 was quiet, and it’s now a buyer’s market. Lots of people are thinning their collections.

“At Stafford in April I took five

2022 because the pound was weak against the dollar, and the UK is attractive to overseas buyers.

“2023 prospects? God knows. But classic buyers are passionate enthusiasts who will find any excuse to buy. Given hard times they are just as likely to treat themselves with a comfort buy.

“The early Japanese market is pretty good, and some bikes have come back in reach for some buyers. Investment collectors are more likely to be affected by the world economy. Interest rates are going up so they will be looking to invest their money other than in bikes. If they do buy bikes, they will be looking for bargains. They are ruthless in what they are willing to pay. I don’t think we will see much of collectors

Classic buyers are passionate enthusiasts who will find any excuse to buy. Given hard times they are just as likely to treat themselves with a comfort buy

In a year that has produced one shockwave after another – war, raging inflation, instability within government, climate anxiety – the traditionally firm bedrock of the UK classic motorcycle market has started to show some cracks. Brian Crichton investigates an industry that buys with its heart

Mortons Media Group events director Nigel Hole on a works Cagiva at October Stafford

back into enthusiasts’ hands.

“Interest is growing in smaller bikes. We all had to start on smaller machines and when you get older you want to go back to them. It’s a big thing at the moment with mopeds. It’s mental – £10,000 for a Yamaha FS1-E! But it’s not going to last. In 15 years time it will all have gone and they will be worthless.

“I think 125s have a future, and bikes such as LC Yamahas and Suzuki triples. Some are already crazy money, but at the same time they are still affordable. And trail bikes are a bit of a thing – XT 500 Yamahas, DT 175s and so on.”

Classic trials rider Bunce started trading in 2007. “A clever dealer would be buying now,” he adds.

Andy Smith at Kettering Classic Motorcycles in Northamptonshire reports a significant slowdown in sales in 2022 following fair sales in 2020 and 2021 when owners and buyers had time on their hands to indulge during Covid lockdowns.

Steve Randall who runs Jampot Spares for AJS and Matchless owners tells the same

recruit younger riders to the classic scene.

AUCTIONS – BONHAMS

Auctions in general had a reasonable time in 2022, though prices were falling at the end of the year.

Auction activity was bolstered during Covid when more buyers took the auction route rather than the usual private sales route.

Sensitive to a changing market, the auction houses have been persuading more vendors to put bikes in at no reserve or at lower estimates. It’s not a new tactic, but it has taken on more relevance, and it has worked. A recent Pugh auction eschewed any reference to values, letting the market find its own way.

Bonhams proved that a rabbit can still be pulled out of the hat by scoring an autumn near record sale – £3.66m gross, 96% sell through – at the October Stafford Show. The house previous best was £3.9m (April 2019 Stafford).

Lead bike was a 1974 Ducati 750 Super Sport at £172,500 (including premium) illustrating just how much some topflight Italian bikes have become a new elite in the classic world.

Kettering Classics – 750 Matchless and 650 AJS CSR in foreground

Twenty years ago, £25k would have seemed an all but impossible dream. Bonhams had pitched its superb example at £140-£170k estimate and proved it was no pie in the sky evaluation. The biggest surprise was £88,500 for a 1956 Jawa 500 GP DOHC fourstroke road racer which had been estimated at £14-£16k.

Bonhams attracts an international clientele and had interest from 29 countries in October including India and South Africa, indicating a growing global interest in classic motorcycles.

“The sale demonstrated the strength of the worldwide market for classic motorcycles,” commented Bonhams chairman Malcolm Barber.

A Ducati also headlined Silverstone Auction’s 12-13 November NEC Classic Show sale. This one a low mileage 1995 916 SP2 at £42,750. Silverstone lists this as a world record for the model. It was backed up by a 2006 999R Ducati at £29,250, illustrating serious interest in more modern classics.

In Yorkshire, TV regular Mathewsons (Bangers & Cash) brings far more classic bikes to auction than its programmes reflect. The family’s October sale included 105 bikes of which 79 sold under the hammer. Star turn was a 1982 Triumph Bonneville Royal Wedding at £8100.

Family head Derek Mathewson says some previous auctions have topped 120 classic bikes, 2015-2016 being their best bike years so far.

“2023 will prove as difficult as ever and interest in heavy British bikes will continue to diminish,” he forecast, reflecting the ageing following for British classics.

MORTONS MEDIA

The classic show scene has been more upbeat and faces 2023 with optimism. Following the shutdown of many events during the 2020-2021 Covid years, just being able to put events on has been a relief.

Lead player Mortons Motorcycle Media plans a full calendar in 2023.

“There’s significant appetite in the classic world for events,” said MMG commercial, events and marketing director Nigel Hole. “Enthusiasm remains high. People are still investing and buying and selling. The market is still very buoyant and the autojumble scene is still strong.

“October Stafford [which included the Bonhams auction] was back to rude health. It wasn’t the biggest, but it was one of the best shows we have put on. We had more clubs than ever before and had to turn some away. Stafford showgoers spend a lot of money. They have disposable income and are not tyre kickers. Their pensions are going up and the audience that makes up the classic sector is better off than other sectors.

“We are driving hard at getting a younger audience. We saw more in the 30s and 40s age bracket at Stafford than ever before. Modern classics and interest in modern retros are growing trends.

“We are firing on all cylinders. I think this year will be a good year for classic and vintage.”

MMG publishes 23 regular frequency magazine titles of which eight are devoted to the classic two-wheel scene.

ELK PROMOTIONS

Independent show promoter Julie Diplock of ELK Promotions, relieved to be getting back to some form of normality following the Covid void, said: “2022 was hard work and I have had to make some changes, but the market started to come back quicker than I thought it would.

“Trading is still difficult because Covid is still having an effect, but overall 2022 was a very good year. People want to get out there, buy, and socialise. It’s a big market and traders with high value stock are in demand.

“While everyone is still jittery about imminent recession, the market is not collapsing. The classic bike market has been overheated and some bikes have been over-priced. So some prices have come down. But the demand is still there.

“There has been so much doom and gloom. It’s not going to be an easy ride but the classic bike market is still strong.

“I’m running my usual seven events in 2023 [Kent and Sussex] and I have some ideas in the pipeline.”

CONCLUSION

There is no question that the classic bike scene came down a gear in 2022. And based on the hard

evidence of inflation at more than 10% and the alarming jump in the cost of living, prospects for 2023 don’t look as rosy as they might.

The British movement is eroding. Age, Covid, deteriorating roads, driving standards and ambulance response times have made many owners lose confidence.

But while the older British brigade goes over the hill, the younger rising sun riders are going for the bikes they dreamed of in their youth. So Japanese classics are taking up much of the slack.

The classic scene is down, but a long way from being out. Overseas interest is a positive factor and Great Britain is replete with desirable classics, some at extreme high value. Bonhams scored more than £200,000 each for two Brough Superiors in April, for example.

The classic scene defies logic and cold analysis. It runs on a warmer, emotion driven level.

Dealer Williams Dawkins is right when he says nobody needs a classic bike. But the passion to own, buy and sell classic bikes burns with a deep-seated heat. The market buys with its heart rather than its head. It’s impossible to predict what is going to happen in 2023 in any sphere of life, judging by current events. The classic scene has taken a knock but it’s a long way from being destabilised. A classic bike provides a great escape from the woes of the world.

The classic market, now in its fifth decade, will surely retain its multi-million pound status and remain a vibrant part of the UK two-wheel industry.

Julie Diplock oversees trophy presentations by Mike Jackson (right) at October Ardingly show

Bonhams chairman Malcolm Barber

H&H auction at National Motorcycle Museum – 291 lots entered for 7 December end of year sale

Catastrophes have a habit of occurring at the most inopportune of times. While most organisations do their best to plan for most eventualities, for everything else – flood, fire, or act of God for example – there is insurance. Specifically, business interruption insurance.

WHAT INTERRUPTION INSURANCE DOES

Also known as business continuity insurance or business disruption insurance, business

BUSINESS INTERRUPTION INSURANCE EXPLAINED

interruption insurance doesn’t pay to replace buildings or contents. Instead, it covers any insured lost income as well as the additional costs of keeping an organisation going during the interruption – even if it’s the result of the action of a public authority. Put simply, business interruption insurance protects against potential financial losses and/ or additional costs that follow on from an unexpected event.

Cover varies according to the policy and so

the exact wording must be checked. When buying cover, it helps to understand what underwriters will consider when accepting a proposal and setting premiums.

HOW PREMIUMS ARE CALCULATED

There are three key elements that play a role in the underwriting process.

The first is the indemnity period – the time span that a policy will cover and pay out over. This should be based on how long

Insurance is one of those things that is bought under sufferance until such time as it’s needed –when it becomes a Godsend

it will take an organisation to recover from an incident and will be based on industry specifics such as staffing needs and the need for specialised plant.

Secondly, there’s the amount of gross profit that is to be insured. This will require a declaration of expected gross profit by the proposer.

Lastly, there are any likely additional costs that will be incurred while the business is closed. This may include advisor fees, hiring alternative equipment or buildings and so on.

No insurance policy will cover every eventuality and so it’s important to understand what is excluded. Policies may exclude communicable diseases – especially in light of Covid, terrorist acts, and where the business is in insolvency proceedings.

Not every insurance is mandated by law and business interruption insurance is an example of this. This further adds responsibility for considering this form of insurance – and checking that adequate cover has been obtained – on directors and trustees. It is therefore important that the organisation examines all likely and unlikely situations and takes appropriate steps to protect business income. Thought will need to be given to those who could be impacted by a catastrophe – customers and employees for example.

It’s important to remember that business interruption insurance won’t cover all types of disruption. Rather, it only protects against the risks specified in the policy.

THERE ARE LIMITS TO WHAT BUSINESS INTERRUPTION INSURANCE COVERS

While cover will vary according to policy and insurer, business interruption insurance provides cover against risks that include extreme weather events such as flooding; cyberattacks; fire; electrical failure or equipment breakdown; denial of access –where customers or staff are unable to enter the premises; loss of customers following on from events within a specified distance – bomb threats or physical damage in the

locality for example; utility failure – gas, electricity or water supplies; and the failure of telecommunications and internet service providers.

Of course, there are a multitude of other risks that can be covered too.

Business interruption insurance can be bought from a broker, details of which can be found on the British Insurance Brokers Association website: insurance.biba.org.uk

agencies and key suppliers. Details of the accountant, solicitor, the tax/VAT office (with references), and insurers should also be included as should neighbouring businesses in case they need to be informed.

Lastly, organisations should consider how they would keep communications running while ensuring that customers are kept informed. And naturally, the plan must be regularly checked and tested.

SUMMARY

Insurance is an intangible that is rarely desired until it’s too late to buy. With the world being what it is, it’s never been more important to ensure that the organisation considers emerging and potential risks to the organisation.

RISKS

IMPLEMENT A BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLAN

In tandem with a business interruption insurance policy organisations would be advised to write a business continuity plan that not only considers the potential risks, but which also puts in place detail behind possible recovery solutions. Every possible scenario – no matter how inconceivable it might be – should be considered and planned for.

Once the organisation and the threats it faces have been analysed it’s likely that some risks will be accepted and ignored while others will be accepted but countered with a mutual arrangement with another organisation. Alternatively, the organisation may attempt to lower risks and possibly become self-sufficient.

Regardless, policies should be written that contain all the necessary emergency contacts for key staff, the utilities, employment

AND ACCORDING TO INSURER ALLIANZ’S Risk Barometer 2020, fires and natural catastrophes are the major causes of business interruption losses – which can cost as much as 45% more than the corresponding property damage from such incidents. However, more exotic triggers like digital platforms and supply chains, political risks and environmental factors are also becoming more relevant for businesses. In 2020, fire was the cause of 30% of business interruption claims, storm was next with 21%, water damage was behind 12% of claims, machinery breakdown led to 5% and flood 4% of claims.

Interestingly, the biggest fears of those surveyed is quite distinct from the claims made. Cyber incidents worried 55% of respondents, fire and explosion – 46%, natural catastrophes – 43%, machinery breakdown – 30%, supplier failure – 25%, and economic policies and sanctions – 13%.

The report noted that environmental issues are rising up the risk ladder as result of extreme weather. This may mean the need to relocate because of flood risks, the encroachment of residential properties.1

It’s important to remember that business interruption insurance won’t cover all types of disruption. Rather it only protects against the risks specified on the policy

Marketing

MATTERS MARKETING

Expert advice to improve how you promote and sell productsyour servicesor

In a new series, Dan Sager looks at the specific challenges of marketing in a harsh economic climate

They say that a problem shared is a problem halved, but all too often we try to fix business challenges on our own. When faced with rising costs, the focus tends to be on making savings, which means there is less money to play with. Slashing your marketing budget will almost certainly lead to reduced sales, putting even more pressure on company finances. It’s a vicious circle.

Faced with such a dilemma, who are you gonna call?

How about your suppliers? After all, they’ve got a vested interest in you selling as many of their products as possible.

Before making that call, you’ll need to think about what sort of help to ask for. Broadly speaking, there are three choices – financial, physical and practical. In all three cases, the key to a successful outcome is convincing your supplier that they will increase sales of their products by supporting you. A quid pro quo arrangement. Hopefully several quid!

Asking for money is always a delicate business. Suppliers reasonably assume that you buy their products in trade quantities at a discounted price and sell them at a profit. They will spend money on national marketing and it’s your responsibility to advertise your

own business. Having said that, perhaps they could be persuaded to contribute to an advertising campaign you’re planning if you offer to feature their products exclusively and commit to increasing your turnover with them. If they can’t be induced to hand over hard cash, they might be willing to provide financial support in the form of free product or additional discount to the same value.

Alternatively, they might be in a position to offer physical support. Promotional merchandise – things like neck tubes and beanies – can be used to stimulate sales in-store (free gift with every purchase this weekend, etc) or as competition prizes on social media or to newsletter subscribers. Maybe your supplier would be willing to dual brand these items with your logo? It’s got to be worth asking the question. Along similar lines, sometimes suppliers will offer products to be used as competition prizes, if there is

a particular line they are pushing, or items associated with teams they are sponsoring, such as tickets to events or VIP hospitality. This is all free stuff that you won’t have to dip into your stretched marketing budget to buy. Then there is practical support. Things that save you a huge amount of valuable time, like social media assets, which are basically readymade posts. They might also be able to supply interesting features for your blog or customer newsletter or templates for adverts, so you don’t need to pay someone to design them. Thinking outside the box, could they deliver some staff training for your marketing team?

It’s easy to get stuck in a rut with suppliers, focussing on getting the best deal for the products you sell. Ask the right questions and you might find they can deliver some extra marketing value too. 

NEXT MONTH

DAN SAGER FOUNDED THE FAB-BIKER PR AGENCY IN 1996 AND HAS been advising businesses in the motorcycle industry on marketing matters ever since. fab-biker.co.uk

The Business

The latest news and views in the world of business

It’s a question of degree

With extreme weather apparently becoming more common, employers need to understand the impact that different conditions can have on their employees and take steps to ensure that employees are protected where necessary.

TEMPERATURE

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE)’s Code of Practice suggests a minimum temperature of 16o Celsius in an indoor workplace (13oC if the work involves rigorous physical effort). In addition to bearing in mind the legal minimum, employers should also carry out risk assessments to identify any specific issues that might arise from working in cold conditions.

There is, however, nothing set down in law for a maximum working temperature.

MPs have previously called for a limit to be introduced. In 2016, a motion was called in parliament calling for the government to limit temperatures to 30oC, or 27oC for more strenuous work. The motion suggested that employers would have to introduce control measures, such as breaks, access to water or air conditioning in the event that the above thresholds might be met or exceeded. The motion has not found its way into statute, however.

In the meantime, employers should be aware of the effects of heat stress on employees and look to reduce the risks where possible by removing or reducing sources of heat. Practical steps suggested by the HSE include controlling the temperature;

providing mechanical aids; preventing dehydration; providing PPE; training; acclimatisation; identifying those at risk; and monitoring health.

Identifying those at risk is likely to be important. In particular, employers need to be aware of their obligations in the Equality Act 2010, particularly with reference to the obligation to make reasonable adjustments in respect of any elements of a job which places a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage compared to someone who is not disabled. It may be that additional measures or actions need to be put in place to combat the challenges posed by working in hot conditions. Again, a risk assessment would be appropriate in order to recognise

risks and identify measures to reduce or avoid those risks.

More generally, employers must be careful to consider health and safety issues. Section 44 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 gives employees and workers the right “not to be subjected to any detriment by any act, or any deliberate failure to act, by his employer done on the ground that:

• in circumstances of danger which the employee reasonably believed to be serious and imminent and which he could not reasonably have been expected to avert, he left (or proposed to leave) or (while the danger persisted) refused to return to his place of work or any dangerous part of his place of work; or

Employers should also carry out risk assessments to identify any specific issues that might arise from working in cold conditions

The climate can play havoc with the workplace and the wrong temperature can affect productivity

Essentials

• in circumstances of danger which the employee reasonably believed to be serious and imminent, he took (or proposed to take) appropriate steps to protect himself or other persons from the danger.”

This protects employees against, amongst other things, being subjected to a detriment (such as losing pay) when they leave the workplace or propose leaving the workplace where they reasonably believe there to be serious and imminent danger. This might include circumstances where an employee reasonably believes that the temperature in the workplace is so low or high as to create serious and imminent danger.

MANAGING A REDUCED WORKFORCE DURING PERIODS OF BAD WEATHER

It is important for all employers to have a strategy in place to deal with the effects of a reduced workforce on a bad weather day, as well as HR and payroll issues that follow on.

Employers should adopt a policy which makes expectations clear. It might confirm that it is the responsibility of all employees to make every effort to attend work – even in exceptionally severe weather conditions or where other unusual travel difficulties arise such as rail strikes. These efforts may include taking a different route to work or using alternative transport, such as lift sharing, public transport, or walking.

Policies might also state that employees should listen out for information about local conditions and transport services; detail the circumstances in which working from home will be authorised; and when absences will be paid or unpaid.

To manage risks, the policy should be clear that it does not expect employees to put their own or others’ safety at risk. Where severe weather is forecast or other travel difficulties are expected, employees should (if possible) make suitable plans for travel and work in advance.

There is no automatic right to payment for time lost due to severe weather conditions

with Adam Bernstein www.abfeatures.com

or other travel difficulties – the terms of the employment contract should be reviewed to understand the specific position. Generally, employees who find it impossible to reach the workplace and who cannot work from home will usually be expected to take annual leave. Employers may also suggest that if an employee does not want to take annual leave or unpaid leave that they make up the lost time on other days.

That said, careful consideration should be given to what payments should be made to employees who do not attend work because of bad weather. Reducing pay may create animosity between employees who were able to work from home and still be paid and those who were not and lost out. There may also be a risk of creating negative publicity by reducing pay for reasons outside of an individual’s control. In its guidance in relation to this issue, ACAS says “the handling of bad weather and travel disruption can be an opportunity for an employer to enhance staff morale and productivity by the way it is handled.”

Where employees are faced with childcare issues due to school closures, this is likely to constitute a domestic emergency entitling

the employee to take unpaid leave in order to look after their children or other dependents. Employees are entitled to a reasonable amount of time off to deal with the emergency. There is no obligation on an employer to pay an employee during emergency leave.

BEST PRACTICE

Employers should risk assess the workplace, paying specific attention to risks that arise from employees working in hot or cold conditions.

Employers should develop a strategy for dealing with travel disruptions. It is important that a bad weather policy is finalised and made available to employees prior to the event. In this way, employees will understand in advance their employer’s approach and the consequences of their absence.

Wherever possible it is advisable to collaborate with employees and they should be appreciative of those who have made the journey in and seek to agree alternative working arrangements with those who cannot attend. Such arrangements could include remote working, making up hours at another time, or working from another location. 

Employers should adopt a policy which makes expectations clear. It might confirm that it is the responsibility of all employees to make every effort to attend work

Products

The latest products for your showroom

ByCity The Rock

Dot4Distribution; 0203 514 2413; info@dot4distribution.com

KTM swingarm 5

THE KTM SX50 IS A POPULAR CHOICE FOR THE JUNIOR motocrosser, used extensively for leisure and competition use. To improve the performance of the mini machine Talon has developed an extended aluminium swingarm. It is CNC machined from aerospace grade aluminium alloy which helps with the 27% reduction in weight compared to the OE item, despite it being longer. It is said to improve tracking and damping performance, and to reduce “bounce” and heat generation in the damper, as well as being 18% more compliant to give more feel. The swingarm comes with a lower shock bolt in a choice of silver/black or anodised in various colours with prices starting from £1095.

Talon Engineering; 01935 471508; enquiries@talon-eng.co.uk

LiteLok X1 and X3

BRAKING BRAND BREMBO HAS INTRODUCED ITS FIRST SIZES OF NEW high-performance brake pads with improved environmental credentials. The Greenance pads will gradually be rolled out to replace the whole range of aftermarket pads, and claim to be better performing at higher brake temperatures and also offer a higher coefficient of friction. Wear is said to be reduced by 15%, meaning less harmful brake dust in the atmosphere, and damaging elements such as copper, asbestos and antimony have been eliminated from the compounds. The pads all comply with ECE-R90 standards and come in a range of compounds for road, off-road and scooter usage.

Brembo; www.brembo.com

WHILE EVERYONE ELSE IN THE SECURITY FIELD SEEMS TO BE following the “bigger is better” mantra by creating super-sized chains and padlocks you could use to secure a battleship, new entrant to the market LiteLok has instead invested its R&D budget into creating a new material to battle the determined thief. Barronium is a ceramic/metallic composite which is fused to a hardened high-tensile steel core before the whole lot is coated in a soft, plant-based rubber protective layer. This combination of materials gives, according to the maker’s tests, an unparalleled resistance to attacks, while remaining relatively lightweight. The steel core secures against boltcroppers and levering attacks, and the Barronium wears down angle grinder discs at a much increased rate, meaning that a change of discs, and a lot more time, is required to cut right through. A video of an angle-grinder attack, showing how much longer it takes to sever, is available on LiteLok’s website, and testing has shown that most batterypowered angle grinders don’t have enough torque to cut through so keep stalling and eventually run out of battery.

The British manufacturer currently uses its new material in the LiteLok X1 and X3, a pair of D-locks which have passed Sold Secure Diamond rating for motorcycles and are ART4-rated for insurance purposes. The X3 also benefits from a pick-proof Abloy Sentrylock cylinder. The X1 claims to be five-times more secure than competing locks, weighs 1.7kg and has an SRP of £149.99. The X3 claims a to be fifteen times more secure, weighs 1.9kg due to being slightly thicker and has an SRP of £249.99. Both come with a frame mount for carrying. Currently they are only available direct from the manufacturer, although there are plans to set up retail distribution in the near future.

LiteLok; 01792 712539; hello@litelok.com

A FULL-RACE RETRO STYLE HELMET FOR THOSE WHO WANT THE hipster street cred with better safety and comfort, the ByCity The Rock has a fibreglass shell and a protective inner shell to take it up to ECE 22.05 standards. Multi-density padding and a removable and washable liner provide the comfort, while the wide visor aperture and vented chin guard add practicality. Universal poppers are provided to add a peak or visor, and there is a strap on the rear to retain goggles. It comes in gloss black in sizes XS-XL for an SRP of £165.

Brembo Greenance 56

Engine covers

MORE NEW MODELS HAVE been added to GBRacing’s already extensive catalogue of engine covers for performance bikes. Ducati’s Supersport 937 can be fitted with an alternator cover (£94.12), clutch cover (£97.33), oil inspection cover (£81.91) and water pump cover (£74.71) or the whole set is £330.67. If naked bikes are more your bag, then GBRacing has you covered with a three piece protection set for the 2018-on Honda CB1000R. The neo-retro design bike can be fitted with an alternator cover (£88.03), clutch cover (£95.78) and pulse cover (£73.64) or the whole set is £244.58.

GBRacing; 020 8275 2630; enquiries@gbracing.eu

Age of Glory 54

FRENCH FASHION BRAND AGE OF Glory produces casual clothing inspired by 1970s flat track racing, but brought up to date. The new Team Stripes long-sleeved sweater is made of cotton with elbow pads and screenprinted graphics, and combines the style of classic motorcycle wear with a hint of Dennis the Menace chic. It comes in sizes M-2XL for an SRP of £75.

Dot4Distribution; 0203 514 2413; info@dot4distribution.com

Aprilia Electrica 5

THE PIAGGIO GROUP DIDN’T TAKE A STAND AT MOTORCYCLE LIVE IN the autumn, so British bikers didn’t get to see the new Aprilia Electrica concept bike. The Electrica indicates Aprilia’s intentions in the move towards a battery-powered era, and is said to embody the brand’s youthful and fun ethos in a sustainable way. Piaggio is looking to the future and seeing an increasingly digital world that requires fewer commuting journeys, which is obviously a concern if your bread and butter is urban scooters. So the Electrica majors on being easy to ride for new bikers – it’s small in form, with a low seat height and the brakes are bicycle-style levers on the handlebars. Other than having a centrally mounted motor and battery which power the rear wheel via a chain drive, further details are scarce.

Piaggio Group; 00800 818 29800; www.piaggio.com

Oxford Lockwire

KITS TO SECURE NUTS AND bolts have been around for years, but now Oxford has made a small and affordable locking tool that comes complete with 30m of 0.8mm stainless steel wire. Said to be ideal for trackday enthusiasts, long-distance touring, and off-road greenlaners and motocrossers, the wires prevent fasteners vibrating loose in extreme conditions. SRP is £14.99.

Oxford Products; 01993 862300; info@oxprod.com

Directaction

Returning to their preCovid face-to-face format for the 2023 collection previews proved to be a welltimed move for Moto Direct.

The strapline on the invitations read “We can’t wait to welcome you back!” and the enthusiastic reception given by the Moto Direct team was appreciated by all those taking up the invitation. Dealers and journalists alike turned out in good numbers to attend their respective gatherings over seven busy days at the Derbyshire HQ, with visitors not only enjoying an advance glimpse of the new products but also the chance to chat and converse after more than two years of Zoom and Teams meetings.

More than 300 dealers attended the previews and a further 20 journalists representing titles such as MCN, Visordown, Classic Bike and British Dealer News took part in a dedicated press launch, all taking the opportunity to see Moto Direct and Race FX, which are both owned by Belgian distributor Bihr, which is now part of the US giant Arrowhead group, showcase their collections and see the increase in the brands’ portfolios now on offer – in both road and

off-road sectors.

As the RST products were rolled out one by one, it was plain to see that an emphasis on quality at affordable prices had been the key focus in developing new products, and this focus was also evident in the further refinements and details added to existing lines.

The In&Motion airbag system employed by RST can now be fitted in an increased number of

garments, delivering the latest technology to an expanding market of safety-conscious bikers. The airbag technology is moveable between twelve RST jackets, meaning a one-time purchase of the airbag for the rider. This, alongside a textile clothing range that has achieved an AA safety rating, plus an improved fitting ladies’ range, a number of limited-edition designs for one-piece leather suits, and the launch of new garments, including the RST Pro Series Ranger jacket, will surely leave the dealer network with a sense of optimism for clothing sales coming into 2023.

The Pro Series Ranger is designed with high mileage riders in mind and employs a new philosophy in waterproof garments, using a triple-layer design. Unlike other waterproof garments produced by RST, the waterproof layer is worn over the jacket and features high levels of both elasticity and breathability.

Plastic tooth zips, vents galore, airbag capability and an inner thermal destination jacket

designed to be worn with or without the outer layers makes this feature-packed jacket a standout piece for the touring market It is available in limitededition Digi Camo (shown) and black priced at £399.99 SRP.

New products aimed at the now very competitive classic and metropolitan market include an increased number of Isle of Man TT branded jackets. The desire for TT-branded clothing lives strong, and these new additions are sure to prove popular with style-conscious customers. The retro styling of the Brandish 2 leather jacket in oxblood, petrol and black colourways features soft leather and is complemented by a chequered lining, whilst the Crosby 2 canvas jacket boasts a waterproof liner and is available in khaki or black. SRPs are £299.99 and £199.99, respectively.

Also in the RST range, the Tractech Evo 4 leather glove has multiple high-end features, including an integrated floating carbon fibre knuckle, kangaroo leather and DuPont Kevlar. Now available in nine designs, it will continue to be popular for riders favouring the track as well as the road and retails at £99.99 SRP.

RST customers benefit from the trickledown of high-end spec and design

to the more affordable

Moto Direct took the covers off its new ranges for 2023 at a series of busy showcase events at its Derbyshire HQ

The RST Pro Series Ranger jacket’s triplelayer design brings a new philosophy of weather protection to the RST textile range

From left: Darren Thipthorpe, Arai brand manager, and Sander Van de Water, sales manager, Arai Europe

items, as can be seen in the S1 glove, which benefits from 90% of the features of the Tractech Evo glove for just 60% of the price.

MASS OF HELMETS

Following the RST launch came presentations from helmet brands Arai, AGV and Novic – Bihr’s in-house brand. Arai will be offering a condensed range in 2023 to ensure product support following a number of Covid related production issues.

The new Arai Concept-XE is an updated version of the Concept-X retro-styled full-face model, and becomes the third helmet in the brand’s range to conform to ECE 22-06 regulations, sitting alongside the Quantic and the range-topping RX-7V Evo.

For the RX-7V Evo new racer-replica graphics have been added to the options, including homages to Vinales and Rea, along with an awesome rising sun samurai design (SRP £799.99

graphic, £699.99 solid). Novic provides entrylevel helmets but with a style and quality which ordinarily demands a much higher price tag. They offer a polycarbonate construction full-face lid for £89.99 SRP, a flip front design for £99.99 and a dual-sport peaked helmet option for £109.99.

AGV has hit the ground running with an impressive four ECE 22-06 approved models ready for 2023, including the sports touring K3. Retailing from £199.99, it will boast a lightweight thermoplastic outer shell, re-designed visor system, exhaust vent and twin wire sun visor.

BIGGER PORTFOLIO

New brand Quad Lock has been added to Moto Direct’s portfolio of parts and accessories products. Quad Lock is the current market leader for phone protection and mount systems and boasts a whole range of mounts suited to every brand of motorcycle and phone.

Speaking following the successful series of presentations Terry Birtles, managing director, said, “Coming back to this face-to-face format post Covid, we were conscious people may just want to converse remotely. However, we were delighted to see more people attending the press previews and, importantly, an increase in the number of dealers attending the 2023 collection previews across September and October.

“It was an excellent

opportunity to showcase the collections and for guests to see the increase in our brands, from both a road and off-road perspective.

“Alongside offering AGV, Arai, Motul and own-brands RST and Wolf through Moto Direct, we now have access to a number of other brands via Race FX. These include house brand RFX, Bell, Oakley, Fly and Seven, along with an increase in parts and accessories brands, including Quad Lock, Maxima, GBRacing

and NGK – just to name a few!

“Alongside this exciting news, we have expanded our motorsport offering. Joining Arai car helmets, we have secured the distribution of Bell car helmets and Motul car lubricants.

“Powered by Bihr and our new parent company Arrowhead, this is just another step forward to expanding our offering and supporting UK dealer sales. We look forward to a UK launch of some of the 500,000 products Arrowhead has in its portfolio.”

Moto Direct sales@moto-direct.com 01773 864420 www.moto-direct.com

Race FX sales@racefx.co.uk 01254 311222 www.racefxb2b.com

CARDO SYSTEMS IS REPLACING ITS PACKTALK BOLD COMMS KIT WITH the new Packtalk Neo. The Neo offers improved dynamic mesh connectivity, giving up to one-mile range for intercom chatting to other riders, and also has faster-pairing Bluetooth and improved sound quality thanks to JBL speakers. There are three different sound profiles to suit different scenarios, and voice operated controls make it a hands-free operation for music or phone calls. The Neo has a slimmer design with no external aerial and can be fitted to any helmet using a clip-in cradle. The rechargeable battery gives up to 13 hours of use. A single device is €369.95 (£320) and a twin pack is €679.95 (£587).

Pama & Co; 0161 494 4200; cardo@pama.co.uk

New Suzukis 46

UNVEILED AT EICMA, AND SEEN AT Motorcycle Live, were Suzuki’s two new mid-range models, the GSX-8S naked and V-Strom 800DE adventure touring bike.

Both use a new 776cc parallel twin engine fitted into a steel frame, with each machine having a bespoke subframe, swingarm and suspension. In the GSX-8S the motor produces 82hp, with forks and rear shock from KYB, and there’s a bi-directional quick shifter fitted. A 5in TFT screen displays the usual range of riding metrics as well as indicating which of the three throttle modes and three traction control settings have been selected. It comes in pearl cosmic blue, pearl tech white or sparkle black colourways, with prices starting at £7999 when it arrives in the spring.

The 800DE fills the void between the V-Strom 650 and 1050cc models in Suzuki’s line-up, competing in the mid-capacity adventure market with rivals from Triumph, BMW and Yamaha. In this configuration the motor pushes out 83hp – a fraction more than its naked sibling – but with the same 78Nm of torque. The 21in front and 17in rear wire-spoked wheels are shod with Dunlop Trailmax Mixtour tyres and the suspension is provided by Showa, with fully adjustable forks and rear shock. Like the GSX-8S, the 800DE has three road modes for its traction control, but with the addition of an off-road mode which allows more rear wheel spin. It also has two ABS settings, plus the option to turn off ABS to the rear wheel for trail use. It comes in yellow, black, or grey, at £10,499.

Suzuki; mark.hallam@suzuki.co.uk; www.bikes.suzuki.co.uk

Rev’It! Horizon 6

AN ADVENTURE-STYLE SUIT FOR ALL SEASONS, THE HORIZON 3 IS, AS you would expect, an update and upgrade of a long-serving Rev’It! perennial. The Horizon 3 is billed as year-round biker wear, so incorporates features for each season – Hot? There are large chest vent panels and back vents. Cold? There are thermal liners for both jacket and pants. Wet? There is a laminated Hydratex Lite waterproof layer to keep the rain out.

Seeflex CE-Level 2 armour is fitted at the shoulder, elbows and knees along with CE-rated thin protectors on the hips, plus there are optional chest and back protectors. As you would expect with an adventure suit, there is a plethora of adjustment straps, buckles and clips to finetune the fit plus numerous pockets to store the paraphernalia of a long trip. Both jacket and trousers come in black/white or black/ white/red, in men’s or ladies’ specific sizes, for an SRP of £399.99 for the jacket and £269.99 for the trousers. Rev’It!; info@revitsport.com

Packtalk Neo

Keis Extreme

A NEW JACKET HAS BEEN ADDED TO THE KEIS range of heated clothing. The Premium Extreme is said to be 25% warmer than previous generations, and is designed for riding in extremely cold conditions. It uses Micro Carbon Fibre heat panels, which are thinner and more flexible than traditional wired systems, across the chest, back, arms and collar to provide an even spread of heat. The jacket plugs directly to the bike’s battery, drawing up to 6.5A when on its highest 78W setting, and temperatures can be regulated by a supplied controller or an optional Bluetooth controller (£59.99 SRP) which allows phone app based adjustment. The Premium Extreme is designed to fit under a regular motorcycle jacket so is made slim fitting, with elasticated panels to allow some freedom of movement. Connectors are provided in the arms to attach to heated gloves, and a waistband connector for trousers or socks, which can all be powered and controlled from the single connection to the battery. It comes in black with red highlights, in sizes XXS-XXL, for an SRP of £225.

Motohaus; 01256 704909; info@motohaus.com

Smart

fingers 6

OPERATING A SMARTPHONE OR NAVIGATION SYSTEM WHILE ON A motorbike (obviously when safely stopped) usually necessitates either a pair of gloves with compatible fingertips or taking the gloves off, which can be time consuming, inconvenient and cold at this time of year. To save bikers from freezing digits or having to buy a new pair of gloves, Oxford Products has devised the cunning Smart Fingers – stick-on conductive stickers that will adhere to leather, neoprene, cotton or polyester gloves and allow swiping to continue unabated. They are machine washable and come in a pack of six for £14.99 SRP.

Oxford Products; 01993 862300; info@oxprod.com

Tucano Good Wheels 56

FLEXING YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL MUSCLE seems to be the done thing in the current climate, and Italian clothing manufacturer Tucano Urbano is not one to miss an opportunity. Good Wheels is the firm’s first range to be made using fabric derived from recycled plastic bottles and recycled polyamides such as industrial fibres, fishing nets etc. Each garment needs approximately 30 bottles-worth of material, and it comes in packaging made from recycled materials and uses ecosustainable water repellent finishes.

As part of the Good Wheels range, the Monte is a mid-length jacket with a removable thermal liner jacket – which can be worn separately for off-bike use –extending its practicality for all-year use. The cuffs are windproof with thumb loops, and the hood is adjustable to reduce flapping. There are a variety of interior and external pockets, including a microfibre-lined glasses pocket. The Monte comes in dark blue, in sizes S-3XL for an SRP of £249.99. The ladies version is called the Stella, and it comes in dark blue or Airborne green in sizes XS-2XL, also at £249.99 SRP.

The Orbis is a laminated mid-length jacket with a lightweight inner thermal vest incorporating a windproof panel on the front and a mesh insert on the back to regulate core temperatures throughout the year. It come in black or airborne green for an SRP of £249.99.

Completing the Good Wheels collection are the Globis gloves, which are winter-ready, CE-certified gloves with a stretch polyester back and a leather palm. A breathable waterproof membrane keeps digits dry, and soft CP armour will help to keep knuckles intact in the event of an incident. Available in black for an SRP of £57.99. Tucano Urbano; 07799 626635; info@tucanourbano.com

Orbis

Orbis

Globis

Monte

Motorcycle trainers

KAWASAKI HAS TEAMED UP AGAIN WITH sportswear brand Adidas to produce a themed trainer. The Adidas ZX22 Kawasaki is described as a “future ready sneaker”, with a design said to have been inspired by the powersports output of the Japanese giant. It’s made from metallic-finished silver leather with black and Kawasaki lime green detailing, and comes in UK sizes 3-13 for an SRP of £120.

Kawasaki; 01628 856750; www.kawasaki.co.uk

HJC updates

HJC HAS A FEW UPDATES TO ITS RANGE OF helmets ready for 2023. The V60 is an off-road helmet with classic looks, a fibreglass shell and a clip-on peak. The retro appearance hides some modern tech in the shape of a drop-down sun visor and built-in speaker pockets for a comms system, and of course it is ECE 22.06 compliant. It now comes in gloss black, matt black or white for an SRP of £269.99. Further up the range, there is a choice of new graphics. Fans of the How to Train Your Dragon films will be delighted to know they can

Corazzo luggage

64

NEW IN TO VE’S WAREHOUSE IS AN EXTENDED range of Corazzo scooter luggage. The throw-over universal panniers will fit many scooters, and are made from water-resistant nylon with reflective detailing. Each pannier will hold just over 20 litres, and is closed with a wide access zipper and twin straps. SRP is £62. The Nomad is a handlebar mounted bag for holding travelling essentials that can be quickly removed for off-bike use. A clear pocket allows a phone to be visible for navigation, and there is a convenient handle. SRP is £38.88. Finally, for the well-prepared scooterist, there is the Corazzo Tool Roll which has 11 pockets and a zippered pouch to accommodate a variety of spanners, screwdrivers and other roadside essentials. SRP is £41.80. VE (UK); 01159 462991; sales@ve-uk.com

now buy a RPHA 11 full-face sports lid with a “Toothless” graphic, styled after the Night Fury dragon character of the same name. SRP is £549.99. For those who prefer to emulate their racing heroes there is a new Pol Espargaro replica livery on the top-of-the-range RPHA1, which retails for £749.99.

Oxford Products; 01993 862300; info@oxprod.com

Yamaha Niken

YAMAHA HAS UPDATED ITS NOVEL NIKEN THREE-WHEELER. AIMED AT the sports touring market, the revised GT model gets more power from a bigger 890cc engine and a range of changes to make it more suited to longdistance rides: a new 7in TFT screen has three modes to show different riding data depending on the scenario, and it can also display information from a Bluetooth or USB connected smartphone. Garmin navigation can also be shown on the screen via the Motorise app, including real-time traffic data and weather information. The adjustable windscreen has 70mm of vertical movement for better protection, while the comfort seat has been reshaped for improved reach. Also updated is the electronics package, which provides three rider modes (sport, street and rain) and three levels of intervention from the traction control system, as well as cruise control for long jaunts. The new model only comes in black with bronze wheels and details, pricing and availability yet to be confirmed.

Yamaha; 0203 0275116; www.yamaha-motor.eu

RMStator regulators 4

HEAT IS THE NO1 ENEMY AGAINST A LONG lifespan for a regulator, so these new regulators from RMStator use a Mosfet circuit for lower operating temperatures, along with a machined billet aluminium housing which further improves cooling abilities – the manufacturer claims up to 33% better. They also have a bypass design, which lets them connect directly to the battery with ring terminals for the best possible connection. The first of the two new models fits 2000-2009 models of Honda’s CBR600 and VFR800, plus the 2006-2020 Triumph Daytona 675R, the second suits 2006-2020 models of the Triumph Daytona 675/675R and Street Triple 675/675R.

Moto-Electrical; 01953 603420; www.motoelectrical.co.uk

Stylmartin Vertigo

IS IT A MOTORCYCLE BOOT, OR IS IT A HIKING BOOT? WELL, THE answer is a bit of both, as the Vertigo claims to combine the stability and flexibility of an a classic walking boot with the protection needed to be a CE-certified biking boot. Manufactured in the EU with a leather upper, including a reinforced gear shift area, and a “special grip sole” the Vertigo has a waterproof and breathable inner membrane for added practicality and D3O protectors fitted in the ankle area for impact protection.

It comes in a choice of black or brown in EU sizes 38 to 47 for an SRP of €219.

Dot4Distribution; 0203 514 2413; info@dot4distribution.com

TRADE CLASSIFIEDS

On the Money

On the Money

Generational shifts, commercial pressures, miscalculations and downright incompetence have repeatedly changed the UK retail motorcycle trade’s face, even at an apparently rock-solid highest level. And it’s currently on the move again at a fast pace.

The latest network ethos runs on a “take no prisoners” basis. Dealers are obliged to comply with every branding ID, showroom configuration and inventory requirement, alongside location suitability and often solus factors, imposed by suppliers. If they don’t, sooner rather than later, they’ll be out on their ear.

Against this background, I was surprised that nobody queried how a yawning gap in Triumph’s dealer network coverage had emerged last autumn on the Wirral, to be efficaciously filled by the burgeoning Completely Motorbikes chain with a brand-new Triumph Chester showroom. The back story to that, of course, was Hinckley’s decision to abruptly withdraw its franchise from legendary local dealer leviathan Bill Smith Motors after 25 years of representation.

Current business supremos Mark and Karen Smith, offspring of eponymous veteran founder Bill Smith, weren’t happy but must have seen the writing on the wall. It amounted to a sizeable bite out of their franchise-heavy status, but Bill Smith Motors’ heritage has dealt with worse disasters. Not least of these was the loss of the original Honda concession upon which its fame and fortune had been built.

From the 1960s onwards, the company grew relentlessly. At one point, it had halfa-dozen large Honda outlets spread across both sides of the Mersey and North Wales and

was probably among Honda’s biggest single sources of revenue in Britain.

Hark back to those halcyon days! By 1981, Honda had a grand total of 860 dealerships throughout the UK and held a 55%-plus overall share of the market, stretching to more than 300,000 units that year. Association with the brand was a licence to print money. Bill Smith benefited plumptiously.

However, all good things come to an end. What could be politely described as a clash of personalities saw Bill shown Honda’s door in short order as 21st century reputational rules were applied. The franchise only returned in a Smiths Honda guise occupying stand-alone premises after he retired, having handed the business reins over to Mark and Karen. Now 86 years old and reportedly in poor health, the shock of losing another premium franchise is unlikely to be a comfort for him in his dotage.

RISE AND FALL

Since I moved to London as a refugee from the comparative wilderness of North Yorkshire in 1970, every major bike dealership in the Big Smoke and its suburbs vanished during the subsequent two decades or so I remained a resident. Hubris collapsed in successive waves.

My arrival was too late to admire the full majesty of Pride & Clarke’s Stockwell Road domination. But the palatial Comerfords emporium in Thames Ditton, shifting hundreds of bikes per month, was just down the road from my first digs.

Migrating north of the Thames, a nextdoor neighbour for me in Kentish Town became Powerhouse Motorcycles, fashionably employing the cavernous street-level former entrance and booking hall of a redundant Underground railway station as its operational

realm. Powerhouse packed this space with upmarket Harley-Davidson, Ducati and Moto Guzzi steeds from the Coburn & Hughes distribution stable – known colloquially as the Luton Mafia – supported by a Kawasaki franchise’s steady earner. It flowered for several years until sudden disappearance.

Similarly, south of the river, the lavish Mocheck showroom on Clapham High Street churned out Hondas like there was no tomorrow. At its peak, Mocheck boasted more than 60 staff, costumed in bright yellow sweatshirts that were more Baby Grow than Star Trek, and a short-lived West London outpost. Flamboyant proprietor Ian Tay was a leading trade personality, carousing with rich and famous friends.

Then the fickle hand of fate decreed that there was indeed no tomorrow. Tay drifted off to enjoy a new life in the Shropshire squirearchy. Mocheck and other aforementioned edifices, plus a long list of fellow defunct dealerships across the metropolis, fell victim to circumstances beyond their control. Rapidly falling bike sales, engendered by punitive motorcycle licensing reforms in the 1980s, combined with egregiously rising high-street retail property rents, killed the golden goose.

HEAVYWEIGHT CONTENDERS

Once trade had been refreshed by the 1990s’ born-again biker phenomenon, accepted wisdom swerved towards might is right. Consolidation into muscular dealer chains, capable of screwing preferential bulk discounts out of supplier brands to undercut the customer loyalty of small fry tied to SRPs, became the alleged path to success. In retrospect, it was imbued with inherent dysfunctionality, only feeding get-rich-quick

International Share Prices

USA – LACK OF XMAS

CHEER

Repeated data dumps underline how the US economy is still over-heating. The warnings these flash up remind investors that central bank policy will therefore keep interest rates higher for longer, to curb inflation. As a result, risk appetite is increasingly thin, as evidenced by weakening Wall Street market indices.

The past week’s dose of doom saw ignominious retreats for all of them. The blue-chip S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average posted respective 3.4% and 2.8% declines. S&P’s MidCap 400 fell by a harder 4.1% and the Nasdaq Composite incurred a 4% loss.

Biker stocks weren’t popular inclusions on Yuletide shopping lists. Harley-Davidson’s twin listings, represented by its petrolhead HOG and electrified LVWR tickers, both took more severe

spankings. Indian Motorcycles parent Polaris plunged by almost 10%.

EUROPE – BABY, IT’S COLD OUTSIDE

Freezing winter weather swept across the UK and mainland Europe, menacing already threatened energy resources. The only warm glow came from missiles and artillery raining down on the increasingly desperate battlefields of Ukraine.

As European domestic and industrial consumers began to burn off their gas reserves, markets inevitably fell. Frankfurt’s Xetra Dax closed 1.1% in arrears while the FTSE MIB in Milan sank by 1.4%. Motorcycle-related shares turned consistently negative by varying degrees

JAPAN – SOME LIGHT RELIEF?

Asian stocks got a boost from

relaxation of China’s zero-Covid stance, as investors bet on signs of recovery for the world’s second-biggest economy early in the New Year. Japanese sentiment reacted accordingly, and Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index returned to positivity by 0.4%. However, the messages from motorcycle manufacturers were decidedly mixed.

PARTY Indian stock markets endured their worst week since the end of September, as Mumbai’s BSE Sensex 30 index finished 1.1% down. Primary influence was a massive jump in government borrowing, equivalent to $40bn, to cope with farming fertiliser and pump fuel prices running amok owing to unforeseen knock-on effects from the Ukraine war.

INDIA – NOT INVITED TO THE

fantasies as long as there was plenty of excess inventory around.

When there wasn’t, this business model hit tilt, with a succession of spectacular failures. Who remembers the union between myriad Carnell and Motorcycle City outlets, culminating in brief Dixon family hegemony under the Riossi banner? Gone and mercifully forgotten. Or BikesUK, buying out dealerships all over the country? And when that particular house of cards disintegrated, erstwhile owners buying them back at bargain prices? The last vestige of such an illusion was George White’s demise.

THE GOOD GO TOO

More recently, Northern England has been deprived of two of its longest-established major dealerships, as generational shift collided with chosen development paths and inheritance obstacles.

Following the death in 2015 of hugelyrespected Colin Appleyard, founder of the wildly successful Appleyard multi-franchise motorcycle and car dealer chain centred on the Yorkshire town of Keighley, his business empire passed to equally well-known son Robin Appleyard. But following a careful review of its future, Robin eventually sold the motorcycle retail sites and franchises to MotoGB six years later, to concentrate on cars. However, he did continue running the Appleyard Yamaha British Supersport bike racing team – dear to both his and his father’s hearts – for another season, before severing this final two-wheeled connection last autumn.

Poignantly, Colin Appleyard had entered the trade in 1951 as an apprentice mechanic at Allan Jefferies Motorcycles in nearby Shipley, rising to sales manager before setting up on his own in opposition 20 years later. Thirdgeneration Allan Jefferies owner Tony Jefferies sadly died in December 2021. Embittered by the loss of his son David, killed in a controversial practice

accident at the 2003 Isle of Man TT, Tony had increasingly relied on hands-on management from his daughter Louise, as they together elevated the business into BMW Motorrad’s largest UK dealership and one of the most successful in Europe.

Louise Jefferies, left as “last man standing” with no real prospect of familial continuation, decided to sell, ending a 120-year trade pedigree in October 2022. The new proprietor, Vertu Motors, immediately abandoned Allan Jefferies branding and the company’s showrooms in Shipley and Rotherham became Vertu BMW Motorrad outlets, joining an existing Vertu BMW Motorrad operation in Sunderland and a trio of Vertu Honda motorcycle retailing presences.

THE BIG LEAGUE IS BACK

Without the dubious baggage of previous biking dealer-chain incarnations, Vertu Motors and Completely Motorbikes parent Completely Motoring Group are firmly rooted in the wider world of automotive retailing. These are properly capitalised corporate entities holding cash in the bank and no need to rely on concealed debt mountains for growth.

Vertu, which has more than 160 car dealerships nationwide, financed its £4.2m Allan Jefferies acquisition from existing cash resources. It has a London Stock Exchange listing and market-cap presently riding around the £170m mark, with an enterprise value of about £235m. Completely Motoring has been coining it from large-scale new and used car sales across the Midlands for years.

They signify a fresh wave of input for the motorcycle trade, armed with the sort of professionalism often sorely missed in our arena. Corner-shop mentalities just don’t figure anymore. 

India’s three largest indigenous motorcycle producers, a common bellwether for investor confidence (or lack of it), all lost value in response

CHINA – BACK IN BUSINESS

China’s sudden move to ease stringent Covid lockdown requirements and get its industrial heartland back to work drew widespread applause. Market indices certainly hailed approval. Shanghai’s SSE Composite put on 1.6% and the blue-chip CSI 300 climbed by 3.3%. The Beijing government also helped by relaxing some corporate lending controls to further promote economic recovery.

However, these policy shifts weren’t immediately rewarded by raised sentiment for bike industry prospects. A minority of manufacturers benefited from improved share prices.

China (yuan) Qianjiang 19.95 -5.9% -10.3% Zongshen 6.35 -2.5% -1.2% Sundiro 2.45 -1.2% -0.4% CETC (Jialing) 15.39 +4.1% +7.6% Lifan 4.22 -0.9% -6.4% Loncin 5.03 -3.5% -14.0% Linhai 10.46 +4.1% +13.1%

Guangzhou Auto 12.10 +0.8% +0.3%

CFMoto 116.62 -8.6% -16.1% Xinri E-Vehicle 19.53 -4.3% -8.3% China

Markets remain steady in Q3

ACEM’S LATEST THIRD QUARTER figures for the European PTW market show that it has remained remarkably stable through the lockdown-ravaged Covid years and beyond.

Cumulative registration figures for the motorcycle sector across the continent’s biggest markets (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK) for the January to September period fell by a relatively trivial 1.4% year-on-year. France fared worst of the five, losing 7.9%, while Spain improved most, rising by 6.2%. Within those figures, overall sales of electric-powered motorcycles nearly doubled compared to the same

period of 2021, taking a new high of 4.2% of the total market, but they still represent a hard sell to more committed bikers.

Europe’s largest moped markets (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Spain) were dead level with 2021’s nine-month total on 206,912 – the two-unit difference being statistically irrelevant. In this lower-powered, commuter-friendly sector where trips are shorter and ultimate performance is less of an issue, battery powered machines are far more prevalent, making up 32.7% of the market. France is currently making the most progress here, with a 34.5% increase in e-moped sales.

New registrations

Cautious optimism for the new season

Data published by the Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCIA) show that registrations in November fell short of 2021’s tally by 8.7%. However, for the year to date between January and November 2022, registrations remain ahead of last year by 2.1%.

Recent feedback from dealers suggests that demand for new machines was reasonable in November, a month when the market typically begins to slow. Dealers remain cautious about the year ahead due to the rising cost of living; however, some dealers

report taking orders for machines to replace some households’ second cars, so this is a positive.

Motorcycle Live took place at the NEC in Birmingham in November and saw an increase in attendance of 36% compared with 2021, albeit it was still 15% behind 2019’s pre-pandemic show total. The show certainly had a positive vibe, with manufacturers cautiously optimistic about 2023, and many reporting strong levels of interest in new model launches.

There remains hope throughout the industry that supply will improve next year, too.

Paul McDonald Leisure Vehicles Editor

Registrations shrinkage unabated

BDN analysis of the MCIA November 2022

registration statistics

AS WIDELY ANTICIPATED AFTER anecdotal evidence from dealers of progressively declining footfall towards the end of October, November MCIA registrations data got worse. BDN financial editor Roger Willis does the sums.

Total monthly headcount fell by 8.8% to 6647, with a 13% increase for scooters to 1717, propping up really lacklustre performance elsewhere. Motorcycles were 13.9% down to 4455. Mopeds plunged by 20.5% to 423. Trikes took a 23.5% dive to 52.

Up-to-125cc entry-level mobility

and delivery fleet machines actually grew by 13.5% to 3882 – 58.4% of the entire market, as a big contribution from eighthlitre scooters mainly destined for professional purposes overwhelmed the sub-50cc sector shortfall. Some 410 Honda PCX125 models, 31.6% of Honda’s monthly registrations, took much of the credit.

The 126-650cc band, spanning A2 entry/mobility and budgetconscious enthusiasm, had no such excuses. Numbers sank by 27.6% to 1254. Royal Enfield’s Classic 350 claimed highest-registered status thanks to just 52 units. An unlikely squad of 40 Beta RR300 stinkwheel enduro irons,

The

GSXR-1000 saw a boost in sales as consumers rushed to buy legacy models

presumably pre-registered for discount disposal, helped to pad out the field.

Larger 651cc-plus profit centres held up better, only 0.7% down to a tally of 2125 units. In the 651-1000cc slot, 44 samples of the premiumpriced World Raid version of Yamaha’s Ténéré 700 were highestregistered, obviously settling a tranche of long-awaited back orders. BMW Motorrad’s R1250GS Adventure worked the same trick for over-1000cc, a lucrative 96 of them accounting for 10.3% of that market segment.

The major brands chart was very much a tale of stock availability or otherwise – essentially, the top three cashed in. Honda boasted a muscular 36.2% increase to 1297 units. Those PCX125 scooters and a 176-strong phalanx of CBF125M motorcycles were responsible for almost half of this total. Yamaha put on 21% to 794 and BMW was 13.2% up to 472.

A long list of losers followed. Triumph fell by 13.8% to 394. KTM was 24.1% in arrears on 321. Lexmoto plummeted by 49.1% to 256, unsurprising given the industrial chaos induced by Covid lockdowns afficting its Chinese source. Kawasaki was 13.8%

down at 249 units, despite having reportedly told dealers that its high season supply shortages were largely over.

Royal Enfield suffered a dramatic reversal, 60.9% lower on a mere 179 bikes. Whether this was a reflection of the forthcoming demise of MotoGB’s inventory warehousing, product and parts distribution relationship remained unclear. The company is also presently awaiting the European debut of a new ultracheap Hunter 350 model too.

Finally, Suzuki surfaced for a rare chart appearance, having plated 159 units. A rush to buy legacy GSX-R1000 stock approaching its ultimate sell-by date, as the brand exits its historic sporting profile, may have helped.

For the 11 months of 2022 to date, overall registrations have risen by a now almost negligible 2.1% to 110,608. 651cc-plus cash cows are just 1% up at 40,078. To achieve break-even versus 2021, dealers will need to register a minimum of 3763 machines during December, against a background of seriously shortened Yuletide opening hours. Tidying up derogated Euro 4 remnants through pre-registration and a spot of bonus-hunting should narrowly facilitate that outcome.

Weaker demand and supply shortages hit

Powered two wheeler registration figures in November fell for another month. Retailers, however, are not concerned as this likely reflects seasonal demand and supply shortage, as opposed to wider issues relating to the macro-economic climate.

Total registration figures across all types suffered an 8.8% deficit in sales compared to the same point last year. However, year-to-date figures reveals 2.1% more motorcycles are on the road in 2022, from 109,383 units to 110,608.

Motorcycle registrations fell across the majority of categories except Scooters (+13%) and Touring (+27.2%). Mopeds followed a similar trajectory, with total registration figures in November falling from 532 units to 423 units (-20.5%).

Unfortunately, the electric Powered Two-Wheeler (ePTW) sector fell again by -34.7%. Electric bikes are still suffering

acute restrictions in supply, limiting the stock available for retailers’ forecourts, making it harder to sustain the levels seen last year.

The Honda PCX 125 retains its position as the most successful PTW, registering 410 new units in November and helping Honda to continue to be the highest registering franchise with 1297 new bike sales.

Novembers registration figures may have fallen, but yearto-date reveals the motorcycle market is still up from last year, so the market is in a good position. The NMDA recently attended Motorcycle Live in Birmingham. It was exciting to see the products looking to enter the market in the coming year to meet the strong consumer demand.

Symon Cook Head of the NMDA

Used bike data

This month we look at the fastest-selling used bikes over 125cc on Auto Trader, based on the median number of days the bikes were on-site during the period between 1 October and 11 December 2022.

The KTM 890 Adventure leads the top 30, spending an average of just 12.5 days on the site before finding a new buyer, but Honda prove to be the marque of the moment with a total of eight bikes in the top 30.

Used bike pricing for the last four weeks compared to the same period in 2021, still shows year-on-year growth, with the average used ICE bike at £8000 (an increase of 3%) but the electric market stayed static with an average price of £11,000. Going deeper into the data and analysing YOY price growth

Used bike data

What’s hot and what’s not in the used-motorcycle world

through with finance enquiries since August. One in four bike leads now request finance details from dealers with finance quotes displayed on bikes for sale adverts.

PAUL EDMONDSON Product lead, Auto Trader Bikes

enquiries

by brand shows that Lexmoto saw the biggest increase at 8%, followed by Honda with a 6% rise. Kawasaki’s average sold price gained 5% and MV Agusta’s rose by 5%.

When it comes to the different methods of purchasing bikes, we’ve seen strong growth in the proportion of leads coming

The fastest selling bikes on Auto Trader

Average days advertised before sale

USED MARKET STRONG AS NEW MARKET IN DECLINE

SALES AND DEMAND IN THE used market held up quite well in November, although there were reports of a general ease as is typical for the time of year. Stock availability continues to improve with reports of more offers of machines from the public, and dealers are generally satisfied with their stock levels for now.

Although there is a good deal of uncertainty, the outlook for the used market through 2023 generally remains positive, with

increases in the cost of living and interest rates potentially steering consumers towards the used

market as a more affordable option compared to buying new.

OUTLOOK

Following an exceptionally mild autumn, December started on a much colder note, with ice and snow making for challenging conditions and generally keeping bikers indoors. However, considering prices remain strong for the time of year and show little sign of significant change, Glass’s expects values to hold up across all segments.

Fastest selling used motorcycle was the KTM 890 Adventure – the Austrian manufacturer’s first time at the top of the chart

PAUL McDONALD Leisure vehicle editor, Glass’s

Stock availability continues to improve with reports of more offers of machines from the public

We’ve seen strong growth in the proportion of leads coming through with finance

GARETH EVANS Online editor,

Market Watch

Trade & industry report with cap/hpi motorcycle editor Alan Elsworth

NEW MARKET

NOVEMBER IS THE LATEST MONTH OF MCIA registration figures and, yet again, it’s a game of two halves. November’s results continue the declining pattern seen every month since May, except for a positive blip in August sales. The year-to-date figure is still favourable compared to 2021, with the 2.1% increase equating to 2225 more bikes sold than the 108,383 last year. A big winner during lockdowns, mopeds saw a resurgence in fortune during the Covid years with increased use in commuting and delivery sales after many years of decline. But after that rush, we are now in the middle of a return to perhaps more typical buying levels, with a significant percentage drop of 20% for the sector. As with the rest of the market, year-to-date sales are still marginally up.

Overall motorcycle numbers are 520 units

MOTORCYCLE FUTURES

THE EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION OF Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM) recently held its annual conference on the future of the motorcycle industry, and it should come as no surprise that there was a particular focus on decarbonisation.

Discussions revolved around both positives and negatives of the move away from ICE-powered two wheelers, including the costs and acquisition of raw materials, increasing investment in R&D, and intensifying cross-company standardisation through, for example, the Swappable Batteries Motorcycle Consortium (SBMC).

The electrification of motorcycling is already well underway, with many of the big name brands soon to be offering battery powered machines which

USED MARKET

THE WORD ON THE STREET IS of slower winter retail activity, which is pretty much the case every year! What appears to be a change from what we have seen over the last decade is where the early birds try to catch the trade worms for the new season. As

lower than in the same month last year, a decrease of 7.8%. In terms of sectors, losses are found virtually across the board, with custom seeing the biggest drop at 55.9%, reflecting a poor yearto-date performance. Naked, one of the largest classifications, is the only other sector in a negative position for the year with just over 1000 bikes fewer registered than the 23,517 of 2021.

After an extended period when the evergreen Honda PCX 125 was unavailable, it was almost inevitable that once stock arrived it would again be the best-selling PTW in the country. November’s sales represented a third of the Honda’s total for the month, helping the brand to yet another dominant performance.

Although year-to-date registrations are still positive, there is increasing wariness around the

will add to the growing number of models already available from specialist manufacturers. However, there are other ways to reduce the use of fossil fuels in engines, with manufacturers also exploring alternatives such as hydrogen and synthetic fuels. Although uncertainty still surrounds their use, especially for motorcycles, they may appease the leisure rider who will have to go green eventually but still wants the noise and traditional character of a reciprocating engine. However, as was discussed at the conference, both hydrogen and synthetic fuels will suffer from a similar problem as electrics do with charging, which is the creation of sufficient infrastructure to support widespread use.

Moving on to safety, attendees at

there is an element of uncertainty around, there is a feeling that the search for stock going into the upcoming season has not hit a brick wall, but has slowed. This month has seen some easing back of prices, mainly in the larger engine machines that attract

economy, which feeds the feeling that demand is still under a cloud of uncertainty. As the possibility of recession increases, expectations are for a slower start to the year as far as new bike sales go.

the ACEM conference were pleased with the increased attention to twowheelers in the new Euro NCAP roadmap 2025-2030, particularly the recognition of motorcycle and scooter riders as vulnerable road users (VRUs). The inclusion of evolved two-wheeler scenarios for car Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in the Euro NCAP’s roadmap will help drivers avoid hazardous situations in many traffic situations. It will also contribute to a decreased number of collisions with two-wheelers. This level of recognition also extends to the inclusion of twowheeler scenarios for assessment in commercial van safety ratings and the further development of truck safety around crash avoidance technology.

AUCTION OVERVIEW

AS WE MOVE CLOSER TO THE new season, the chance of dealers disposing of quality machines grows less. But there has been an increase in entries of later-plate examples from PCP hand-backs. Most of this year, there have been more of the end-of-term models being snapped up by dealers before they get to the return to funder option. This has been the case while prices have been high and availability low, but with the concerns previously mentioned, the likelihood of a dealer retaining anything offered in part-exchange or straight buy reduces.

The latest BCA auction had around a third more entries when compared to the same time of year in 2021. Dealer and BMW direct entries were at similar levels, the 30 or so extra machines came directly from Black Horse disposal.

higher ticket prices. Retail quality used 125s are always challenging to find and, as always, will attract a robust trade price, with this month being no different. Therefore, the majority of prices in this month’s data have remained stable.

Prices compared to CAP reported figures for the sale were 97%, which is as expected at this time of year and is slightly up from the previous sale in October. Compared to the previous sale, we saw an increase of 9% in conversions, with 59% selling from the 120 entries.