British Dealer News June 2019

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BRANSON’S CELEBRATES 40 YEARS

18

MUTT POPS UP WITH NEW PARTNERSHIP

TRIUMPH COMES OUT TOP Honda hits new highs, but Harley hammered

Collapse in dealer satisfaction for H-D opens door to Triumph, with Honda scoring well, in NMDA survey p14-16

NEW DISTRIBUTOR FOR SCOMADI UK

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INSIDE

BRITISH DEALER NEWS

INSIDE

Key business information for the UK motorcycle and scooter industry • June 2019

+PLUS+

Blade Group changes hands Hinckley hitches its future to electric

Spotlight on apprenticeships

Fowlers empire hits 60 years Keeping tabs on Datatag

June 2019

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June 2019 : Issue 220 EDITORIAL & PRODUCTION EDITOR Paul Smith: editorial@dealernews.co.uk tel 01237 422660; 07595 219090 FINANCIAL EDITOR Roger Willis: motobusiness@icloud.com PRODUCTS EDITOR / DESIGN MANAGER Colin Williams: design@dealernews.co.uk DESIGNER Maurice Knuckey: creative@dealernews.co.uk COLUMNISTS Roger Willis; Danny DeFazio; Dan Sager; Iain Harper editorial@dealernews.co.uk CORRESPONDENTS Brian Crichton; John Featherstone; Peter Henshaw; Frank Finch; Suzanne Potts; Neil Young editorial@dealernews.co.uk CARTOONIST John Mockett CIRCULATION MANAGER Jo Johnson: circulation@dealernews.co.uk PUBLISHER Colin Mayo: editorial@dealernews.co.uk

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Editorial Dealers and manufacturers should show a commitment to the NMDA survey THE LATEST DEALER Attitude Survey has done exactly what it says on the tin – provided an accurate insight into sentiment in showrooms across the nation.

Official manufacturer/dealer councils are a good and necessary part of the franchise/ business partnership but, as we all know, not everyone is prepared to speak their mind in a public forum. So the feedback from the anonymous National Motorcycle Dealers Association survey should be seen as invaluable intelligence for manufacturers which care about their partners, and let’s face it, any company worth its salt knows that a happy “customer” (i.e., a happy dealer) is the best way to ensure the optimum performance that comes from working as a team.

Unfortunately, it is clear that some manufacturers do not see it that way. Whatever the reason or reasons, they do not appear to support the survey. And too many dealers, again, for whatever reason, do not complete the questionnaire.

Over recent years, and partly because the NMDA rightly decided to set a minimum response threshold of 15%, the number of manufacturers featuring in the survey has dwindled, and this trend has to be reversed. Dealers should realise that it is their only opportunity to speak their minds, to communicate the positives and the negatives they are often happy to discuss in private; and manufacturers should surely welcome a more accurate assessment of their standing with their networks.

Honda has long set a fine example and has actively encouraged its dealers to participate, even when the manufacturer was languishing in the lower half of the overall results table. It has listened, and Honda dealers are a good deal happier, judging by the results of the latest questionnaire, as are those for Triumph and, to a lesser degree, Yamaha.

The score for Harley-Davidson indicates that

major issues have arisen in the six months since the last survey when it was top manufacturer for the fourth time in a row. Its dramatic fall from grace is not the news Harley would have wanted to hear but at least it now knows the extent of the problems and can take measures to address them.

As for recognising the worth of the survey and the concerns of its dealers, Harley did not response to our invitation to comment. Neither did Suzuki, Kawasaki, Piaggio nor Triumph, which did well in the results. The only manufacturers which did reply were Honda and Yamaha, both notably, and creditably, encouraging their dealer networks to participate.

Such encouragement does seem to work – Honda has consistently urged its dealers to complete the survey, and they have consistently responded.

Of course, at the end of the day it comes down to individual dealers to complete the questionnaire, and BDN would exhort them to use the invaluable voice provided to them by the NMDA, or risk losing it. By extension, if encouragement from the likes of Honda works with its dealers, then we – and hopefully others who have influence - would ask all the major manufacturers to get behind the survey. After all, if everyone embraces this six-monthly exercise in consultation, the industry benefits.

See pages 14-16.

PAUL SMITH EDITOR

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Contents

1-27 BUSINESS NEWS 6 Staniforths buys GMA Wholesale 8 Bransons celebrates 40 years of trading 9 Blade Group changes hands 10 Saltire severs ties with Suzuki 11 Triumph in electric tech push 12 Fowlers Parts marks 60 years 13 All change for Scomadi in UK 14-16 Triumph tops NMDA survey 17 AJS at big-bucks Stafford Classic 18 Mutt dresses up its offering 19 Smart spies in Behind the News 20-21 International news: sales volumes up 22 International news: All the quarterly manufacturer results 24 Electric news: Big fleet order for Govecs 26 Off-road news: Boost for Dirt Bike Show

28 REACTION Dealers and PPE

Contents

32 UNITED FRONT NEEDED TO TACKLE SHORTAGE OF APPRENTICES

32 APPRENTICESHIPS Let’s work together on training

34 THE ART OF IDENTIFICATION Keeping tabs on Datatag

34

35 MARKETING MATTERS Identify your customers

36 SOCIAL MEDIA The effortless power of Stories

38 BUSINESS ESSENTIALS Where dealer rights start

40-45 PRODUCTS Eleveit touring boots tried and tested

46 DEFAZIO

DeFazio A sideways look at the world of motorcycling, from journalist Danny DeFazio

Crank up the scaremongering machine

54-58 STATISTICS SECTION 54 On the Money: The key to Norton’s future advance 56-57 UK new and used statistics for April 58 Clocking the market in Switzerland

40 SIX PAGES OF THE LATEST PRODUCTS FOR THE SUMMER SEASON

46

UNCLOAKING THE INVISIBLE FORCE DRIVING MOTORCYCLE SECURITY

On the

Money Market analysis with BDN financial editor Roger Willis

54 4 JUNE 2019

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MIKE JACKSON was presented with the Frank Farrington Award at last month’s Stafford Show. The award – in memory of the late concours judge Frank Farrington – recognises outstanding service to the classic motorcycle movement.

Mike Jackson has competed in trials and motocross events at the highest level in UK, Europe and USA. He began racing in 1954, riding on Francis Barnett, James, Greeves and AJS, winning numerous events.

During this time he worked in sales for Greeves and later AJS. When he was appointed general sales manager for Norton Villiers Corp in 1970, he moved to the US, and raced in West Coast Desert events.

He later became sales director for the NV European concern, before becoming marketing director for Norton Villiers Triumph between 1974 and 1981. In 1981 he became the owner of Andover Norton International and, 10 years later, co-owner of BSA Group.

In 1995, Jackson sold the business and was appointed by Sotheby’s as a consultant in the UK and the US. He also worked as consultant and chief judge for the Louis Vuitton Concours, until this event concluded in 2004. Since 2000 he has been a member of the National Motor Museum Advisory Council in Beaulieu and writes on a freelance basis for various UK and US motorcycle publications. He also acts as a consultant for Bonhams.

Staniforths buys GMA Wholesale

GMA WHOLESALE, the long-established distributor of hard parts and consumables, has been bought by Staniforths.

GMA was based in the Old Brickworks in Pott Shrigley, close to Macclesfield and about five miles from its new owners in Ecclesfield, near Sheffield.

The deal was agreed when the directors of GMA – Derek Archer, Timothy Henshall and Phillip Mainwaring – announced they wished to retire. Both GMA and Staniforths were Rock Oil distributors – GMA was also known as Rock Oil North-West – and Staniforths says there are other synergies which will help it to increase its nationwide business.

John Sheldon, a director of Staniforths, said: “Since Staniforths was taken over two years ago by Neil Ashmore and myself we have seen significant growth both in turnover and the size of the customer base. This has been helped by adding major brands to our portfolio, such as Rock Oil, Optimate, ACF50, EBC and Flowliner.

“The main reason behind the GMA deal was to obtain the Rock Oil area that it had supplied for many years. We would like to take this opportunity to wish Tim, Phil and Derek all the best for the future.”

GMW Wholesale closed its doors on 24 May. Staniforths has bought all of GMA’s stock, which will be transferred to its Ecclesfield warehouse, and is keen to continue to serve GMA dealers.

From left: John Sheldon (director), Neil Dobb, Lewis Branwell, Joe McKernan (all warehouse), Neil Ashmore (director)

Peter Staniforth, who set up the Sheffield-based company in 1973, retired in April 2017 and today the business is run by codirectors John Sheldon and Neil Ashmore.

Staniforth’s 12,000sq.ft. two-level warehouse in a former engineering works typically holds £350-£450k of stock.

As well as Rock Oil, other brands include Airsal and Athena aftermarket parts, BS batteries and chargers, Optimate chargers, CL Brakes, Hel brake lines, Hiflo filters, DID chains and JT sprockets, Koyo bearings, Rhino Goo cleaners, Venhill cables and Tecnigas exhausts.

“We serve about 1500 dealers, some who order weekly and some monthly,” Ashmore says. “We have a big core of loyal customers.” www.staniforths.co.uk

ALWAYS AH EAD

Business news

Mike Jackson award

OBITUARY

Ducati MD Tim Maccabee presents the Dealer of the Year award to Nick Barnley, joint owner of Ducati Alton

Henry Hall

Ducati UK recently held its annual dealer awards for 2019 at Highgate House, Northamptonshire.

The stores in Manchester, Nottingham and Alton – the latter adjudged dealer of the year – all won in two categories. The full list is as follows: Dealer of the Year – Ducati Alton; Contribution to the Brand – Rosso Ducati, Dublin, and Chris Booth, DMC Moto; Sales (market share plus sales vs target) – Ducati Aylesbury; Sales (volume) – Ducati Manchester; Service – P&H Motorcycles (GT Motorcycles was Highly Commended); Customer Satisfaction – Ducati Nottingham; Clothing – Ducati Manchester; Marketing – Laguna Perfomance Centre; Accessories – Ducati Alton; Used Approved – Ducati Nottingham; Finance – Ducati Croydon.

RETIRED MOTORCYCLE dealer Henry Hall, who entertained the nation as half of The Pensionalities on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, died on 28 April. His son Chris, who runs what is now Chris Hall Motorcycles of Doncaster, described his dad’s televised flat-capped singing success as being “a crescendo to the great life of a man widely known and respected in the trade”.

Chris has received flowers – which he described as “touching” – from the Britain’s Got Talent team and from other participants from the series in which Henry and his performing partner and friend Malcolm White reached the final and came fifth. Sadly, Henry’s wife Miriam passed away halfway through the TV series. Henry and Malcolm were nominated to appear on the show after regularly entertaining hospital patients and the residents of nursing and old people’s homes.

Industry-wise, Henry and two partners bought Cusworth Distribution in 1968, 10 years after the business was founded in Doncaster. Henry bought out his partners to take full control in 1978.

Chris took over the running of the firm in the 1991 when Henry retired and it now specialises in used and classic bikes. Although no longer working, Henry would travel all over the UK with Chris in his van when he was sourcing stock.

Of his father’s death at the age of 86, Chris said: “It is a sad occasion but we will be celebrating his life. He was a northerner, a lovable sort of a fellow … a lovable rogue. He and Malcolm just loved entertaining, and as an ex-serviceman and an exbusinessman my dad was involved in all sorts.”

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Business news

SHORTCUTS Bransons celebrates

THE Devitt MCN Festival of Motorcycling attracted more than 20,000 people over the weekend of 18/19 May. The event was held at the East of England Arena near Peterborough and featured road test rides of the latest bikes and a new used-machine sales pavilion. Guests included six-time BSB champ Shakey Byrne, Carl Fogarty, Dougie Lampkin and Chris Walker, who was among those competing in the weekend’s flat track racing in the Indian Live Action Arena.

40 years of trading A MAJOR BUSINESS

BIKERS booking a test ride on a new KTM could win a pair of VIP tickets to the Silverstone MotoGP on Sunday 25 August. The promotion runs until 31 July and the winner, and a friend, will enjoy “sumptuous hospitality at the #OrangeMotoGP weekend with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team”.

STARTED BY Paul Branson as a small shop in 1979, Bransons has grown into a major local business, employing more than 20 people and offering a selection of new and used bikes.

A long-serving Honda dealer, Bransons opened a Yamaha showroom in 2008 and the Kawasaki outlet in March 2010, achieving Kawasaki “Elite” dealer status in 2011.

A rider training school opened three years ago and an instructor and a training room is available seven days a week.

Bransons supplies the helmets and protective clothing and ensures the rider has the latest model of bike to use.

As well as new and used motorcycles, the Honda and, over the road, adjoined Yamaha and Kawasaki showrooms stock a large selection of parts, accessories, helmets and clothing, including brands such as Oxford Products, Arai, Furygan, Revit, Shark, RST, Halvarssons, Shoei and Nolan, with a clothing specialist on hand to offer help and advice.

TWO WHEEL MOTO at Leicester has closed.

It had been an official Peugeot scooter dealer and also retailed Rieju and Bullit. In December 2018 it became an MV dealer, East Midlands MV Agusta.

LANCE BOSELEY, marketing director of Diamondbrite, raised £2200 for motor industry charity BEN by running the London Marathon last month. Boseley completed the marathon in 4hrs 30mins, in spite of crippling cramp at 23 miles. Diamondbrite is an advanced two-stage chemical paint and fabric protection product. www.jewelultra.com

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Ride to Work Week scrapped RIDE TO WORK WEEK has been scrapped. The annual event was introduced by the MCIA (then the Motor Cycle Industry Association) in 1998 to persuade riders to use their bikes and scooters more often.

At a recent meeting of MCIA members, however, it was decided that “instead of persuading existing riders to use their bikes and scooters more often, it would be more appropriate to attract new riders, and a new initiative in this area will be launched soon”.

Ride to Work originally lasted for one day each year in June but in 2014 it was extended to a full week.

With social media helping to spread the word, the MCIA said the event had been “very successful in generating a buzz within the industry and hopefully motorcycle useNews will continue rise as a British Dealer Ad 2019 to April.qxp_Layout 1 12/04/2019 15:00 Page 1 Proprietor Paul Branson result”.

LEADING SOUTH-WEST motorcycle dealer Bransons hosted a special BBQ weekend last month to celebrate 40 years of trading. More than 1000 motorcycle fans attended.

As well as anniversary deals on bikes, clothing and accessories, Yeovil-based Bransons – which holds franchises for Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki – held a raffle for a new Yamaha PW50 kid’s offroad bike worth £1499.

Bransons used the occasion, on 18/19 May, to boost motorcycling in general, with free try-out sessions, and promoted it as the ideal opportunity for anyone looking for riding instruction at its DVSAapproved training school.

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There were demonstrator fleets from Honda, Yamaha, and Kawasaki as well as classic bikes. The Sunday (19 May) included an Africa Twin Owners’ Day, with special discounts on parts and accessories and free bacon rolls and coffee.

Dealer principal and company founder Paul Branson said “I am just satisfied that the business is still thriving. We have a great and loyal staff, many of whom have been here for years.

“I have enjoyed the 40 years – working with motorcycles is more like a hobby than a job.” www.bransonsmotorcycles.co.uk

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Business news

Suzuki recognises its apprentices of year

Blade Group takeover MAJOR DEALER chain Blade Motorcycles has changed hands, following a takeover of its loss-making car sales parent Blade Motor Group in April. Heritage Automotive paid an undisclosed sum for the businesses to erstwhile proprietor Mike Flanagan.

The acquisition was primarily fuelled by Heritage’s desire to extend its footprint throughout the West of England, according to owners Richard Neulaender and John Walsh. They

already have car and van dealerships stretching from Cheltenham to Wiltshire. Blade has added further outlets in Bristol, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Somerset. However, this is their first venture into the motorcycle market.

Commenting on the deal, Neulaender said: “We are really pleased to be growing our representation in Volkswagen Group brands, with additional Audi, Skoda and VW retailers, while at the same time

Ricardo powering ahead ENGINEERING SPECIALIST Ricardo has built more than 20,000 engines within the past 10 years, a record 5000 of which were produced in 2018 alone, ranging from compact, subone-litre, three-cylinder power units to 13-litre diesels.

The company’s motorcycle division provides a development capability including planning, styling, engineering, manufacturing implementation and supply chain development for PTWs and three and small four-wheeled vehicles.

Ricardo Motorcycle is based in the UK, Germany and Italy, and draws upon the skills and expertise of the entire global Ricardo organisation, particularly in terms of applying the latest powertrain technologies.

The team serves a broad client base including leading motorcycle brands in the American, Chinese and European markets.

“Our engine manufacturing output in recent years shows that Ricardo is a leading player that is consolidating and improving its position in markets as diverse as high-performance road cars, marine propulsion and offhighway equipment,” said Ricardo Performance Products MD Mark Barge.

“With the hard work and advanced manufacturing skills of our team, I am confident that this performance will continue through the years ahead, as we bring yet further capabilities on stream to meet the needs of our customers in engine manufacture.” www.ricardo.com

forming new partnerships with Seat and Honda cars, plus the many bike manufacturers we will be representing.”

Blade Motorcycles has all four Japanese franchises, the Piaggio Group brands, KTM, Triumph, Ducati and HarleyDavidson, spread across various locations in Abingdon, Cheltenham, Stratfordupon-Avon and Swindon.

Blade Motor Group’s last published set of annual accounts revealed a pre-tax loss of £2m on revenue of £213.9m.

Bike Shed Show pulls in the crowds THE BIKE Shed in London held its annual show over the bank holiday weekend (24-26 May), with tickets sold out before the event began.

The organiser said that for the past 10 years The Bike Shed Show had become “an unmissable event for all fans of creativity on two wheels” and brought together more than 200 exclusive cafe-racers and custom bikes in the Tobacco Docks setting.

The show featured art, photography, live music, and street food.

Attractions included the launch in the Desert & Dirt dedicated area of Dainese Settantadue’s Dunes clothing collection “inspired by desert races such as the legendary Paris-Dakar”. The garments were said to give a modern twist to clothing from the days when racers had nothing but a compass and a map.

The Alger, Kidal and Kayes jackets are named after Dakar stages. There are also jackets for the

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SUZUKI HAS announced the winners of its apprentice of the year, two of whom came from dealer Streetbike of Halesowen. All the winners and their dealer representatives were guests at a gala awards dinner held at Horwood House, Buckinghamshire, on 8 May, where they received their awards from Nobuo Suyama, Suzuki GB’s MD, and Denis Houston, aftersales director.

The winners were Mitchell Betts, Two Wheel Centre (third year winner, pictured), Callum Steadman, Streetbike (second year), and Charles Cash, Streetbike (first year).

Apprentices were nominated by their trainers for the awards and received Suzuki merchandise to recognise their achievements over the past year.

Training manager, aftersales, Richard O’Brien congratulated the winners, adding: “We hope you will demonstrate your skills and commitment for many years to come within your dealerships.”

female customer, such as Djanet and Kiffa, in leather and fabric, and a full line of accessories such as gloves, shoes, boots, T-shirts and bags.

Other visitor highlights included the first UK public viewing of Triumph’s Rocket 3 and the start of Triumph’s inaugural Bobber Build Off challenge; and a chance for the public to see, and invest in, the Arc Vector electric motorcycle, the show coinciding with the conclusion of a crowdfunding campaign by its creators.

Arc hopes to use the investment to complete the development of the Vector and expand its manufacturing plant at St Athan, South Wales.

The campaign, the second phase of a larger funding campaing that is said to include the backing of a number of blue-chip investors, including Jaguar Land Rover’s Venture Capital fund InMotion Venture – ended on 27 May. Arc plans to produce 399 Vectors, priced at £90,000 each (see Electrics, page 24).

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Business news

SHORTCUTS Saltire severs tie with

IN the article “Registrations shaping up to be a better prospect for the trade”, which appeared in our May issue, we stated: “Speaking of ULEZ, why is the MCIA actively opposing this green initiative?”

As explained in previous BDN articles, the MCIA is, in fact, opposing the charging structure of ULEZ as it affects borderline, pre-Euro 3 machines. We are happy to clarify the MCIA’s policy and apologise for the error. The thrust of the rest of the paragraph in Roger Willis’s article still pertains: “Surely all those commuters taxed off London’s inner-city streets owing to their non-compliant rides will be banging on dealership doors eager to purchase Euro 4 new or Euro 3 used machines.”

OXFORD Products has launched a dedicated website for its range of luggage. The site, which has a trade customer login, showcases the Witney distributor’s Aqua, Heritage, S-Series and F1 luggage ranges. www.oxfordluggage.com

THE California Superbike School has taken on Italian brand Dainese as a safety partner. The school says the provision of Dainese gear will give instructors and pupils the protection required to let them concentrate on riding drills and training on track. The partnership was unveiled at the training school’s Women’s Day at Oulton Park on 30 April. Dainese makes D-air suits, back protectors, gloves and boots, as well as AGV helmets, and the deal means California Superbike School coaches will have access to the “most advanced motorcycle safety equipment on the planet”. www.superbikeschool.co.uk Keep up to speed with the latest news at

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Suzuki after 13 years SALTIRE MOTORCYCLES of Edinburgh has ended its 13-year association with Suzuki.

In a statement, MD Calum Murray (right) said the decision would bring “fresh focus and plentiful opportunities as we explore the full potential of our store and the remaining portfolio of brand choice”.

Saltire’s stable of franchises is now KTM, Yamaha, Indian, Royal Enfield, Fantic, Husqvarna and recently-signed Zero.

In a statement online, Murray said that the words Saltire and Suzuki had been considered synonymous, adding: “But in the words of Shunryu Suzuki – ‘We do not exist for the sake of something else, we exist for the sake of ourselves’.

“And with this wisdom in mind, we at Saltire have taken a long hard look at our stock profile, focusing on what best serves our business and our customers.

“The resulting conclusion being that as from 1 May we will no longer be ambassadors for Suzuki Motorcycles …

“Whilst this business decision will undoubtedly bring some short-term challenges, we are certain it will bring fresh focus and plentiful opportunities as we explore the full potential of our store and the remaining portfolio of brand choice.”

Murray said Saltire would continue to do what it could to support its Suzuki customers and thanked Suzuki GB for its “efforts, support and professionalism over the years”.

He concluded: Whilst it may be the end of an era, we feel certain that our paths will cross again on some distant horizon.”

The news that Saltire had become the first Zero dealer in Scotland came just weeks after the Californian electric bike firm unveiled its most powerful model yet, the SR/F, which is slated for a 2020 release.

Murray said demand for electric motorcycles was rising among Scots and Saltire’s decision to take on Zero

represented “the start of a new chapter”.

“This is an exciting time for Zero and it’s brilliant to be part of it,” Murray said. “We’re seeing a great deal of demand for electric motorcycles in Scotland and we’re optimistic about the year ahead.

“The new SR/F is going to be a real gamechanger for electric motorcycles and we are really looking forward to taking delivery of our demo bikes in the next few weeks.”

Zero’s UK country manager Dale Robinson said: “We took our electric bike roadshow out to various Scottish biker hotspots last summer and were impressed with the level of interest and demand in our models from Scottish riders,” he said.

“And that was confirmed at [the recent] Scottish show, where we were inundated with enquiries.

“In Saltire, we have a dealership which is really buying into our brand and products and which has a good reputation in the central Scotland region. We look forward to working with them in the coming months and years, and hope to announce additional dealerships soon, which will fill some of the open points we currently have in the north of England.”

The addition of Saltire brings the Zero dealer network to 13.

Polaris Britain Ltd is looking to expand its network of leisure vehicle dealers

POLARIS DEALERS

WANTED

Get in touch with us at informationuk@polaris.com now to find out more about becoming a dealer

10 JUNE 2019

POLARISBRITAIN.COM

www.britishdealernews.co.uk

TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLES has revealed a two-year project to develop electric motorcycle capabilities.

The enterprise involves a collaboration between Triumph Motorcycles, Williams Advanced Engineering (a branch of the company behind the Formula 1 team), Integral Powertrain’s e-Drive Division, and WMG (Warwick Manufacturing Group, an academic department at the University of Warwick). It is supported and co-funded by the UK government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), via Innovate UK. “This collaboration represents an exciting opportunity for Triumph and its partners to be leaders in the technology that will enable the electrification of motorcycles, which is driven by customers striving to reduce their environmental impact, combined with the desire for more economical transportation and changing legislation,” said Nick Bloor, Triumph CEO. “Project Triumph TE-1 is one part of our electric motorcycle strategy, focused on delivering what riders want and expect from their Triumph, which is the perfect balance of handling, performance and usability.”

PROJECT LEADER Triumph Motorcycles will lead the project, providing motorcycle chassis design and engineering expertise, manufacturing excellence and pioneering functional safety systems, as well as defining electric drivetrain power delivery characteristics.

The project will be in four main phases, with one of its key aims being increased systems integration. By developing individual components of automotive-based electric drivetrains and optimising them into combined units, the project aims to deliver sophisticated electric motorcycle systems which reduce mass, complexity and packaging requirements.

Triumph Motorcycles will work alongside the partner organisations to accelerate expertise in the

packaging and safety of batteries, electric motor sizing and packaging, the integration of braking systems and regenerative braking, and advanced safety systems.

Developments in these areas will input into Triumph’s future electric motorcycle strategy.

Williams Advanced Engineering will provide lightweight battery design and integration capability, using its test and development facilities to deliver a battery management system and vehicle control unit.

Integral Powertrain’s e-Drive Division will lead the development of bespoke power-dense electric motors and a silicon carbide inverter, integrating both into a singular motor housing.

WMG will provide electrification expertise, and modelling and simulation based on future market needs.

Innovate UK, the government agency that promotes science and technology programmes expected to expand the UK economy, will support the partners and administer funds. This forms part of the BEIS modern funding strategy with the aim of creating a marketleading UK electric vehicle capability.

“Electric motorcycles will have a vital role to play in future transport across the globe, delivering reduced congestion and improved urban air quality as well as easing parking,” said Professor David Greenwood, of the Advanced Propulsion Systems at WMG. “Our team will lead the modelling and simulation work within the project to ensure the vehicles are safe and efficient without compromise to dynamic performance.”

Steve Sargent, Triumph’s chief product officer, said: “Our future product strategy is focused on delivering the most suitable engine platforms for the changing landscape of customer needs, and we see a Triumph electric motor as a significant requirement alongside our signature twin and triple cylinder engines.

“As part of our electric motorcycle initiative, Project Triumph TE-1 represents an exciting collaboration that will provide valuable input into our future line-up.” www.triumphmotorcycles.co.uk

Business news

Triumph in electric tech push

Always be passionate about your products PAUL BARKSHIRE, chairman of the National Motorcycle Dealers Association, continues his blog THE THREE essentials of a successful business in my eyes are the three “P”s – people, place and profit.

The “people” are your staff and your customers who are ultimately the backbone of your business. Involve your staff and explain the need to be pleasant and engaging with customers. Although this may seem like a given, sometimes the obvious things such as ensuring you take down the customers’ full contact information can be overlooked.

The “place” is your dealership. Ensure that your dealership looks professional and inviting – if products are displayed correctly and safely and your showroom is tidy then that is a reflection of the services you provide.

The “profit”, the money you make, is the most important aspect of running a successful business. And that comes from the points above – your staff and your customers.

Remind staff always to be passionate about the products and add value to what they’re selling and explain what your business can offer that maybe some competitors can’t.

It all comes down to not underselling ourselves and taking pride in our businesses.

Happy selling!

NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE DEALERS ASSOCIATION

JUNE 2019

11

Business news

ONTHEMOVE Sixty

CLEMENT OOI has become an executive director at Italian helmet-maker Suomy. Ooi has previously been a CEO and has held senior leadership positions with the likes of Castrol/ BP, ExxonMobil and Petronas. Ooi is said to be looking forward to working closely with all stakeholders including customers, suppliers and service providers to “enhance long-term profitable partnerships”. In addition, he will be dedicating significant time to enhance Suomy’s brand value and aggressively expand product distribution. Suomy said: “Clement’s appointment is a clear indication of our strong commitment to take on the future and fire up another strong year of growth.”

LUKE BOWLER has joined PFPR Communications, the Kent-based automotive PR and events specialist, to lead its BMW Motorrad PR account. Bowler started his career as a journalist and broadcaster before taking on the UK PR manager role for Triumph. Bowler will be part of PFPR’s three-strong BMW Motorrad team, which is overseen by associate director Jon Visscher, who said: “We are thrilled to welcome Luke into the team at an exciting time for the BMW Motorrad brand. With the motorcycle industry’s most comprehensive model range, plus the street and off-road training schools and the worldwide touring services, this role is as rewarding as it is challenging.”

AURIMAS JASIUNAS has joined Catalyst Computer Systems as the first of a team of Regional Support Specialists. The Leicestershire company says it is recruiting the customer support team to serve the growing number of dealers using its Platinum DMS software.

Jasiunas will deliver face-to-face support in Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland. He will also be contributing to hotline support and online training. “Backed by a team of seven full-time support colleagues located at its HQ in Mountsorrel, the new regional support specialists will add a new dimension to Catalyst’s service to dealers,” a company spokesman said. www.catalyst-uk.com

FORMER director-general of the CBI and government minister Lord Digby Jones has been appointed to the board of Worcestershire communications group DRPG, which has worked with the likes of Jaguar Land Rover, Triumph Motorcycles and Nationwide. DRPG has hired Lord Jones as its first non-executive director and he took up his position on 1 May.

12 JUNE 2019

of the best for Fowlers Parts empire

FOWLERS OF BRISTOL celebrates 60 years of parts distribution this year, having begun with BSA in 1959 and today supplying the trade with genuine spares from 16 different brands.

Joint managing director Lionel Fowler, who joined the business in the late 1970s, believes the company’s growth into the UK’s largest stockist of motorcycle parts is due to a willingness to embrace change. He explains that this attitude started in the 1970s, when trade customers would order by telephone or post, using pre-paid envelopes. At this time, the industry mindset was that you might get spares three-four days after ordering them, but Fowlers decided that orders should be dispatched on the day they were received.

This focus on service led to another innovation – the Birmingham van run. The city had many motorcycle dealers, but few dealt with Fowlers, so it was decided that the best way to win the business would be to offer the trade a personal service. Dealers were phoned on a Tuesday, and Lionel Fowler would drive up in a van on Wednesday to deliver the goods in person. Leaving Bristol at 6.30am, he made his first of many drops at 8:00am. Canvassing for business like this was a new concept – no other wholesaler offered a next-day parts service, and it proved so successful that, at one point, there were two vans covering eight areas.

The 1980s saw the fax machine replace post for urgent orders, and Fowlers opened a contact centre to handle parts orders by phone and fax. The focus was upon recruiting staff who were motorcyclists and ex-mechanics, who possessed the in-depth knowledge necessary to assist callers.

SIGNIFICANT CHANGE Parts manager Pete Aitkenhead, who has worked at Fowlers for 40 years, identifies another significant change that happened around the time of the introduction of next-day deliveries – using the newly-introduced Securicor service. Almost overnight, dealers no longer needed to carry large stocks of fast-moving parts, because suddenly everything was available the following day. After the recession of the 1980s dealers started to invest in technology to help control stock levels. This, in turn, improved efficiency, communication and the transmission of data, leading to significant savings in time, postage and paperwork.

Automation arrived with the new millennium, when Fowlers took a 15-year lease on the huge Temple Gate warehouse, adjacent to its showrooms, to house parts, clothing, helmet and accessory brands, the contact centre and a staff canteen. A second-hand “carousel” storage machine was installed to test whether space could be saved and efficiency improved. Warehouse manager Lee Phillips recalls that, although their first carousel may have been past its prime, it significantly improved the speed and accuracy of picking, and staff no longer needed to roam the warehouse searching for items in remote corners of the building. It was so successful that it was soon replaced with new machines, and the company now has five carousels, together with two “lean lifts” for bulkier items and items held in larger quantities.

Fowlers’ Motorcycle Centre in the 1970s

Fowlers’ biggest challenge was the move to full computerisation; in the beginning, Lionel Fowler used to roll up his sleeves and join the team of pickers to get the last orders of the day out of the door, following a strong company tradition of leadership by example.

However, the recent introduction of iPads and scanners, while speeding things up for the experienced warehouse staff, requires new skills as well as fresh working practices. Now a night-shift works from 5pm to 1:30am, booking in stock and topping up the machines, which are in constant use throughout the working day.

A major benefit of computerisation for dealers is the ability to check stock availability online 24/7 using Fowlers’ EPC system, which the company says was another industry-leading innovation.

GAME-CHANGER Delivery methods have also changed. Previously, parcel carriers would leave a 40ft trailer outside the Temple Gate warehouse to be filled up gradually during the day and collected in the evening. Nowadays, there are several pick-ups by DPD throughout the day, which in turn reduces pressure on the transport hubs dotted around the country, so there are fewer delayed or mislaid parcels.

Looking back over the past 60 years, it’s clear that automation has been a game-changer. With 16 franchises, there’s constant incoming stock to be sorted and space is always at a premium.

Automation has reduced pressure by speeding things up and cutting errors, which makes for a better work/life balance.

According to Lionel Fowler, however, there are some things that never change. Retaining reliable experienced staff in an area of high employment is a constant challenge, so his co-MD, Stephanie Fowler, championed the staff being paid in line with the Living Wage Foundation’s living wage. The goal of achieving the status of an accredited Living Wage Employer has almost been accomplished. The company is already paying above-average starting salaries, alongside many other benefits, including free company healthcare and life insurance schemes. There’s also a subsidised staff canteen, providing hard-working team members with freshly-prepared food to fuel them through the day. www.fowlersparts.co.uk

www.britishdealernews.co.uk

Business news

All change for Scomadi SCOMADI DEALERS are adopting a “wait and see” approach to their future with the retro classic scooter brand after news broke last month that the company’s founders would no longer be involved with distribution in the UK. On 7 May it was announced that Scomadi(GB) – a company founded in October 2018 – would be taking over the UK importation and distribution of the automatic scooter range which is manufactured by Scomadi Worldwide (SWW) in Thailand.

Scomadi(GB) is run by Peter Reid and Nigel Godwin. Reid is also a director of Scooter Moda, a Preston dealership set up in March 2013 to retail the brand and which was its biggest customer.

The founders of Scomadi Ltd (incorporated in March 2005), Frank Sanderson, his wife, Kaye, and Paul Melici, who developed the original scooter, will still be involved with the brand as directors of SWW. Melici resigned as a director of Scomadi Ltd in March and is going to concentrate on his business, PM Tuning, based in Morecambe. He will, however, continue as a brand ambassador and in a technical development role. Frank Sanderson will also be a brand ambassador for SWW as well as working in R&D. Sanderson will also be promoting a new range of in-house aftermarket accessories, performance and tuning parts in the global market.

GOING INTO LIQUIDATION Godwin told BDN that he – a director of Scomadi(GB) Ltd – and Scooter Moda directors Peter Reid and Spencer Coe, both “successful businessmen”, had recently put up money to guarantee Scomadi Ltd’s stocking plan, funding the purchase and delivery of a containerload of scooters from the manufacturer in Thailand. Scomadi(GB) Ltd had been negotiating with Sanderson to take over the UK distribution when it says it was informed the company was “going into liquidation”.

Godwin said a deal allowing UK distribution had been signed with SWW and had taken effect on 20 May.

Scomadi(GB) would be run from the former Olympia Car Auction site on London Road, Preston.

“The idea is to make the distribution of Scomadi scooters more streamlined, more efficient.

“The point of all this is to keep Scomadi going in the The Scomadi(GB) team of Peter Reid, Spencer Coe and Nigel Godwin UK. After investing a fair amount of money we came to the to avoid oversaturation.

“At the end of the day the dealers are in it conclusion that it wasn’t sustainable. We are definitely not a phoenix company and to make some money,” said Godwin. “We we will be running the distribution with wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t think Scomadi had a bright future. We will be supporting the dealers.”

Godwin said Scomadi(GB) believed in the Scomadi range, which was “a clever mix of classic styling and modern safety features and had been accepted by scooter aficionados”.

“The last two years have been absolutely horrendous”

Frank Sanderson warranties and full support.

“We [the directors of Scomadi(GB)] are sales and customer service orientated.

For us it will be a good venture. It has been expensive but we are going to keep ploughing money in … everything is ready to rock and roll.”

Godwin said Scomadi Ltd had suffered cash flow challenges as a result of its 2017 High Court action against Chinese manufacturer Hanway and the UK importer of its Royal Alloy scooter, Chorley-based Moto GB. All parties eventually agreed to end the case.

“The cost of the solicitors had pushed cash flow to the limit,” said Godwin.

Scomadi Ltd’s website lists 25 dealers and 28 service centres across the UK. Godwin claimed there were actually slightly more but that the latest news “might put a few of them off”. Scomadi(GB) wanted to open up the network, especially on the service side, while striking the right balance

ABSOLUTELY HORRENDOUS Confirming Scomadi was going into liquidation, Sanderson told BDN: “We needed to sell a minimum of 400 Scomadis a year to break even. Last year we sold 250 so it wasn’t economical for us to carry on the way we were doing it.

“The last two years have been absolutely horrendous, going through the court case.

We have done our best but we have run out of money and we couldn’t take the fight any further, so I am being logical and concentrating on where our future lies, and that’s with the product.”

Sanderson revealed that in his role for SWW he was travelling to Thailand to secure a larger factory, which would be up and running by the end of August.

“We are looking to expand globally – the market in India, which we have just entered, is immense. I am quite confident and upbeat about the future of the brand – in the early days we turned over £1.5m in the UK alone and made a decent profit – though I am very disappointed at what has happened.”

DEALERS ADOPT A ‘WAIT AND SEE’ APPROACH THE FEEDBACK from Scomadi dealers was mainly of a “let’s wait and see” nature, writes John Featherstone.

Norrie Kerr of VE (UK) said: “I feel very sad this has happened and that, perhaps inevitably, a product like this has been lost to big business. Frank and Paul worked very hard over the years to make it happen and they deserve every credit for that, but to me it is not a British concept anymore. As an automatic it cannot be a true classic, and this is the dilemma. We have an ever-ageing scooterist in the UK who really wants an early Lambretta or Vespa to live out the Brighton nostalgia-trip, but ever-decreasing sector volume dictates.

“Saying that, we have to think forward to attract new riders and if a new distribution set-up can make supply easier, then it is good news for continuity of the brand.”

WILDCAT SCOOTERS of Newport, South Wales, is owned by Bob Rendall and Shaun Martin. Rendall had this to say: “We took on Scomadi from day one and it was a major step, putting our business on the map. Quite simply, it was the best thing to happen since sliced bread, developing sales for all scooters and keeping classic styling alive and well.

“Scomadi has the quality for what, after all, is a niche market now sadly reliant on the indulgence of mostly older scooter riders.

The volume and limited dealer coverage here in the UK was always going to be a problem to make it all viable – but importantly

Scomadi also lifted sales of other scooter brands by its presence in the market.

“Shaun and I look forward to the future and the new Scomadi GB distribution.”

In Southend, Graham Best of KEGRA SCOOTERS – also a successful Piaggio dealership – said: “It turned out that Scomadi was just a very small pebble on a big beach. “We did sell a few Scomadi to start with but sadly supply problems and the delay in bringing out new models had an impact on brand continuity, which is a shame.

Others were better organised to give choice and stock supply. It’s a tough world out there and most dealers are constrained by cash flow, so a stocking plan facility becomes essential.”

Darren Mudie of MODERN SCOOTERS in New Malden, London, said everyone had to support the brand and carry on as usual. “I struggle to get a take on how this has been announced but it’s important to put that aside and concentrate on the business of keeping the scooter market going. What’s important now is to get on with keeping the brand part of that market.”

Comments from other Scomadi dealers such as Jess Webster at SOLENT SCOOTERS in Southampton all tended to mention the problems with supply of new models and the importance of quickly rectifying any issues that could erode customer confidence. He said: “Although there were some teething issues and delivery delays, Scomadi is a good, stylish product.”

JUNE 2019

13

Business news

Harley-Davidson is ham m ARE UK Harley-Davidson dealers paying indirectly for their manufacturer’s decision to absorb the tariff introduced by the EU in retaliation for Trump’s taxes on foreign steel and aluminium?

Has the manufacturer’s approach to its dealers hardened in the face of the costs it volunteered to burden?

Dealer satisfaction with the brand has plummeted, according to the latest quarterly National Motorcycle Dealers Association survey, with concern emerging that the American manufacturer is not listening to its dealers, making it harder for them to run their businesses.

Harley has not just slipped from the top of the “valued franchise” league (Q18 – see table) it held for the previous three surveys but has plunged to fifth place, writes Paul Smith. It would actually have fallen another position, to sixth, if BDN had not

taken the decision to ignore the survey results for Ducati, KTM and BMW, which all failed to attain a 15% response rate (see Dropping Manufacturers on facing page).

The only manufacturers to improve their scores when it came to rating the value of their franchises were Triumph (top), Honda (second) and Yamaha (sixth).

TRIUMPH AND HONDA ON RISE Elsewhere in the survey it is clear from totalling each manufacturer’s scores (see table below) that Triumph and Honda are in the ascendance (by 4.7% and 13% respectively), while the rest of the manufacturers received lower scores, most notably Kawasaki (-16%), which still managed to make third place, and Piaggio (-25%), which props up the league with a score of just 66.7.

Honda showed steady improvements

in most areas, most notably in the profit return from the franchise (Q13), but was marked down in the question addressing whether dealers views and opinions were taken into account. Strangely, in the

question (not featured in our graphics) in relation to effectiveness of their dealer council and forums, Honda’s score rose from 3.3 to 3.4.

Harley-Davidson dealers registered

Q18. How do you value your motorcycle franchise? (1 = low; 10 = high) Spring 2019

Autumn 2018



7.4

7.0

Honda



7.0

6.1

Kawasaki



6.7

8.3

Suzuki



6.3

6.6

Triumph

Harley-Davidson



6.2

9.1

Yamaha



5.7

5.3

Piaggio



3.0

4.0

6.0

6.2

Average

BDN’S ANALYSIS BDN HAS analysed the data from the latest NMDA survey to create an overall results table that helps to clarify whether manufacturers and importers are improving their relationships with their dealers. To see how the various brands fared, we compared the total scores accumulated from all questions (except 4, 5, 7c, 10 and 11, as these questions do not involve the dealers’ opinion).

All change at the top!

The spring survey has thrown up some major surprises for the UK’s biggest motorcycling franchises, with several previously front-running brands scoring less well.

Triumph has, err, triumphed with an impressive increase of 4.7% over the total it garnered in the autumn 2018

NMDA survey. Its best-ever total of 122.5 shot it straight to the top of the chart and put it in a commanding lead over its rivals. It scored particularly highly on the questions relating to warranty policy claims, franchise profitability and the level of support the HQ offers to its dealerships.

Second position went to Honda, which improved on its autumn 2018 score by 13% and leapt four places in the process. The Big H only got a lower score than in the autumn survey in one question – ironically for the brand which had the highest number of dealers taking part it was the one which asked dealers to rate how well the brand’s management takes into account its dealers’ views and opinions.

Suzuki maintained its third position in the table despite losing out on its overall score slightly compared to the

BDN’s overall survey score – total of all scores for all questions Spring 2019

Autumn 2018†

Spring 2018†

Autumn 2017**

Spring 2017*

1. Triumph

122.5



117.0 (4)

107.4 (6)

112.9 (6)

119.1 (4)

2. Honda

115.0



101.8 (6)

105.2 (7)

113.0 (5)

110.0 (7)

3. Suzuki

113.4



122.1 (3)

113.5 (4)

119.5 (2)

121.7 (3)

4. Kawasaki

113.0



134.6 (2)

124.8 (2)

113.3 (4)

118.3 (5)

5. Harley-Davidson

102.6



143.3 (1)

145.3 (1)

150.8 (1)

136.3 (1)

6. Yamaha

101.8



103.7 (5)

109.4 (5)

116.0 (3)

116.9 (6)

7. Piaggio Group

66.7



88.9 (8)

104.1 (8)

75.6 (9)

81.7 (9)

Average

105.0

109.7

111.3

110.0

112.1

* Original table included Ducati, BMW and KTM

** Original table included KTM and Ducati

† Original table included KTM

previous survey. This must be good news for a brand which has seen the number of its dealers shrink rapidly over the last six months (from 114 to 100) if we are to go by the NMDA’s figures for the size of its dealer network.

Fourth place was the first of the big losers as Kawasaki fell two places but lost a significant 16% of its total score, which must come as a shock to the Bourne End management after its recent series of survey improvements. The not-so-jolly green giant can take a quantum of solace from the fact that its fall from grace was mild compared to fifth-placed Harley-Davidson, which lost the top spot it has held for the last two years in spectacular fashion. Milwaukee’s finest had a total score of 102.6, a fall of over 28% and more than 40 points lower than in the autumn 2018 survey and almost 50 worse than its best. It received lower scores than in 2018 for every single question put forward to its dealers.

In contrast, Yamaha had a relatively quiet time, dropping one place to sixth thanks to the ascendant Honda, but being given a total only fractionally less than in the autumn survey. This is, however, a continuation of the downward spiral Yamaha has found itself in since its third place of autumn 2017 and the fifth reduced overall score in a row.

Piaggio was bottom of the table again. The multibrand importer group matched Harley-Davidson by scoring lower in every single question, but at least the management team can take some comfort in the fact its 25% lower overall total compared with the previous survey wasn’t quite as bad as Harley’s dismal performance this time round.

PUBLISHED BY YOUR ONLY TRADE MONTHLY MAGAZINE:

THE COMPLETE

TRADE DIRECTORY 14 JUNE 2019

www.britishdealernews.co.uk

their dissatisfaction by giving a lower score in every single one of the 33 questions, with scores falling in some cases by more than 50%. Among the worst hit were the number of Harley dealers happy that the manufacturer was taking their views into account, which fell by half. The reduction in the score on the ease of dealing with Harley-Davidson on a daily basis was not far behind, down 47.9%.

More Harley dealers are worried ➥

DROPPING MANUFACTURERS DESPITE BEING included in the latest results issued by the NMDA, BDN has taken the decision to omit Ducati, KTM and BMW from this analysis. This is because the three brands only produced responses from two, three and five dealers respectively, amounting to a response rate of 7%, 10% and 14% of their dealer network sizes of 30, 31 and 37, well below the 15% limit the NMDA set for inclusion in previous surveys.

The NMDA had instigated the minimum-response threshold after

complaints from manufacturers that low participation levels could skew the results. The change of heart hasn’t been fully explained by the association, but may have been prompted by fears that the falling participation levels that saw just 135 dealers from a total network size of 544 complete the latest survey could lead to less authoritative results.

BDN’s belief is that data collected from a mere handful of dealerships cannot be taken as indicative of the overall view and opinions of the entire dealer network so has, at this time, decided to exclude the brands concerned.

Selected results from the autumn 2018 NMDA Dealer Survey and how they compare with the spring 2018 survey. Scores range from 1 (low) to 5 (high) Q6a. How does product price and value compare against other brands?

Q6b. How realistic is your target and bonus in terms of achievement?

Q7a. How fair is your manufacturer’s policy for machine supply and stocking?

Q7b. How easy is it to negotiate realistic new targets with your supplier?

Spring

Autumn

Spring

Autumn

Spring

Autumn

Spring

Autumn



3.7

3.3

Triumph



3.3

2.9

Honda



3.7

3.1

Suzuki



3.4

3.7

Harley-Davidson 

3.6

4.1

Honda



3.1

2.6

Suzuki



3.3

3.6

Yamaha



2.7

2.6

Triumph



3.6

3.6

Suzuki



2.9

3.3

Kawasaki



3.2

4.0

Harley-Davidson 

2.6

4.1

Yamaha



3.4

3.1

Yamaha



2.7

2.6

Harley-Davidson 

3.1

4.3

Honda



2.6

2.6

Kawasaki



3.3

4.4

Piaggio Group



2.5

2.7

Yamaha



3.1

3.2

Triumph



2.6

2.4

Suzuki



3.3

3.6

Harley-Davidson 

2.4

4.1

Triumph



2.3

2.7

Kawasaki



2.0

3.3

Piaggio Group



2.5

2.7

Kawasaki

2.1

3.6

Piaggio Group



1.9

2.7

Piaggio Group



1.9

2.4

3.3

3.5

Average

2.7

3.1

Average

2.9

3.4

Average

2.5

3.0

Honda

Average

Q8d. How do you rate your brand’s retail sales incentives and promotions?



Q9. How satisified or dissatisfied are you with your manufacturer’s warranty policy?

Q13. How satisfied are you with your franchise’s profit return?

Q14a. How do you rate the future profitability of your business?

Spring

Autumn

Spring

Autumn

Spring

Autumn

Spring

Autumn

Triumph



3.9

3.8

Kawasaki



4.2

4.5

Triumph



3.5

3.3

Triumph



3.6

3.4

Kawasaki



3.8

4.3

Yamaha



4.0

4.0

Honda



3.1

2.5

Honda



3.3

2.8

Honda



3.6

3.1

Suzuki



3.9

4.0

Kawasaki



2.6

3.6

Suzuki



3.3

3.1

Suzuki



3.6

4.0

Honda



3.6

3.4

Suzuki



2.5

3.0

Kawasaki



2.8

3.5

Yamaha



2.8

3.0

Triumph



3.6

4.0

Harley-Davidson 

2.4

3.8

Yamaha



2.6

2.6

Harley-Davidson 

2.6

3.6

Harley-Davidson 

2.8

3.4

Yamaha



2.4

2.4

Harley-Davidson 

2.4

4.3

Piaggio Group

1.7

2.2

Piaggio Group

2.6

3.6

Piaggio Group



1.9

2.4

Piaggio Group

1.9

2.4

3.1

3.4

Average

3.5

3.8

Average

2.6

3.0

Average

2.8

3.2



Average

Q15a. How do you rate the fairness of the standards your manufacturer expects?



Q15b. Are your manufacturer’s standards realistic compared to return on investment?

Q16a. How satisfied are you that your manufacturer takes your opinions into account?



Q17d. How easy is it to do business with your manufacturer on a day-to-day basis?

Spring

Autumn

Spring

Autumn

Spring

Autumn

Spring

Autumn

Suzuki



3.2

3.6

Suzuki



3.0

3.2

Triumph



3.2

2.7

Triumph



4.1

3.9

Triumph



3.1

2.4

Honda



2.8

2.5

Honda



2.9

3.1

Suzuki



3.4

4.0

Honda



2.8

2.8

Triumph



2.5

2.1

Suzuki



2.9

3.7

Honda



3.3

3.1

Harley-Davidson 

2.6

4.3

Harley-Davidson 

2.4

4.2

Kawasaki



2.7

3.9

Kawasaki



3.3

4.8

Kawasaki



2.4

2.9

Kawasaki



2.2

2.9

Harley-Davidson 

2.1

4.2

Yamaha



3.0

3.3

Yamaha



2.2

2.2

Yamaha



2.0

2.0

Yamaha



2.0

2.3

Harley-Davidson 

2.4

4.6

Piaggio Group



1.8

2.7

Piaggio Group



1.9

2.5

Piaggio Group



1.8

2.6

Piaggio Group

2.1

3.0

2.6

3.0

Average

2.4

2.8

Average

2.5

3.2

Average

3.1

3.8

Average

The Industry at your



fingertips...

84 packed pages with over 650 trade suppliers. Alphabetically listed with the contact details you need... FAST SPONSORED BY:

Additional copies available at £9.95 (including postage) circulation@dealernews.co.uk JUNE 2019 15

Business news

m mered in NMDA survey

Business news

SHORTCUTS

BIKETRAC is to provide the Ariel Motor Company with security for its range of Ace motorcycles. The tracker manufacturer says its product is the longest established dedicated motorcycle tracking device on the market, responsible for more than 1100 recoveries since inception in 2009. Ariel Motor Company’s Tom Siebert said: “We are delighted to agree terms with BikeTrac for security tracking. Having assessed the security market we saw the real-world effectiveness of BikeTrac, so when it came to selecting a partner we could offer endorsement to, it wasn’t a difficult choice at all.”

DISTRIBUTOR HELMET28 has signed up Italian helmet and clothing brand Blauer HT, which is said to offer “high-end technical products that encompass leading fashion”. The brand’s parent company is the premium fashion house Blauer USA, which entered the motorcycle sector only recently. George Richardson, CEO of Alderley Edge-based Helmet28, said: “In Blauer HT we have added another winning product to our growing portfolio of premium brands.

Our mantra as a company has always been to find products that offer something different, something new that stands out from the crowd. In Blauer HT we have just that. There is a growing trend in our market for apparel that doesn’t look like typical motorcycle clothing!

Blauer HT ticks that box, with jackets perfect for on and off the bike!” www.helmet28.com

MOTORCYCLE LIVE has reduced the cost of parking for early-bird show tickets buyers.

Car parking booked before 15 November will cost £10, as opposed to £12 on the door. As always, Motorcycle parking is free.Advanced tickets are already on sale at the same price as last year – £19.50 per adult, £12 for seniors, £1 for six-16 year olds and free for children aged five and under. The annual show, which takes place from 16-24 November at the NEC, offers free opportunities to ride, live entertainment and the chance to see all the latest models from the top manufacturers. www.motorcyclelive.co.uk LIBERTY MOTORCYCLES, established in Blackpool in 2013 by mechanic and owner Christopher Edwards, has ceased trading.

Edwards had been in the trade for 20 years and had previously reported that the business was continuing to grow, with a fully equipped workshop and showroom on two floors selling new Fantic and used machines. The company website said Edwards had worked for all major manufacturers including Honda, KTM, Ducati, and Harley-Davidson. He was known for building bikes for race teams, and more recently making bespoke machines – scramblers, trackers, brat bikes and cafe racers.

Keep up to speed with the latest news at

www.britishdealernews.co.uk

16 JUNE 2019

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

about the future profitability of their businesses compared with the autumn 2018 survey, and they are not happy about their sales targets either, with the scores for both question marked down by more than 40%.

It seems they are also unhappy to a similar level at the standards demanded compared with the return on investment and the dealer standards expected and there were also substantial falls in the scores for profit return, target negotiation, availability of motorcycle stock, the related question on stocking plans, and sales incentives and promotions.

• The partnership dealers have with their manufacturer scored an all-dealer average of 3.2 • For the second successive year, Piaggio Group dealers were the most dissatisfied with the partnership they had with their manufacturer, having recorded a score of 2.1 since the last survey (where they scored 3.0) and the group falls to 10th position in the ratings chart • Dealer profit and future profitability both declined in this survey from autumn 2018 • When rating the profit return by representing their franchise, the all dealer average went down by 0.2 points from 2.8 to 2.6 • When asked about the expected future profitability of their business, the all-dealer average went down by 0.1 points, from 3.0 to 2.9

SUZUKI DEALERS HAPPIER Other points of interest in the questions not featured by BDN include an improvement in the perception of both brand image Latham said that, overall, the survey suggested dealers were and product image for Honda (up to 4.2 from 3.7, and 4.1 from 3.7 respectively) and minor improvements for both Honda and “fairly satisfied” with the business relationship they have with Suzuki in the frequency of the introduction of new motorcycle their manufacturer. The two manufacturers which saw their scores across all questions improve were BMW models – the only manufacturers to do so.

Motorrad and Ducati (both of which BDN Dealers representing all brands with the has excluded from this report, as explained, exception of Honda (up to 3.7 from 3.4), for their below-15% response rates). “Both Kawasaki (level at 4.2), and Triumph (up saw a significant increase and stood out as to 4.0 from 3.8) were less happy with the the only manufacturers making positive warranty replacement parts policy; and only progress in the eyes of their dealers,” said Honda (up to 4.0 from 3.5) and Triumph Latham. However, it must be noted that (up to 4.2 from 4.0) showed improvements with surveys only being completed by when it came to timely and fair settlement of two Ducati and five BMW dealers, this warranty claims. Piaggio fell to 2.2 from 3.0. improvement could be very localised.

On the effectiveness of their “Dealers are on average most satisfied manufacturer’s retail finance programme, with the image of the brands they represent Kawasaki dealers were noticeably less happy and products they sell. This suggests (down to 3.9 from 4.6). that dealers are brand patriotic and To return to the question of the confident in how the consumer views their effectiveness of their dealer council/forum, manufacturer. Particularly, dealers were in which Honda and Triumph improved satisfied with brand and product image, their scores, all the other manufacturers and warranty policy and time allowances. were marked down, most notably Piaggio “With the declines in scores for certain (down to just 1.4 from 2.8) but also Harleykey questions, there is still scope with Davidson (down to 2.1 from 3.1) and certain manufacturers to develop their Kawasaki (down to 2.4 from 2.9). relationships with their dealer networks as Harley-Davidson was also hammered some still fall well below average in many over its routine procedures and controls, Neil Fletcher, Honda areas of the survey.” falling to 3.4 from 4.9 (down 30.6%), as were Kawasaki, falling to 2.8 from 3.8 (down 26.3%), and Piaggio, falling to 1.8 HONDA AND YAMAHA ‘PLEASED’ AT LEVEL OF SATISFACTION from 2.8 (down 35.7%).

“Honest dealer feedback is invaluable and supports our joint goals to offer the best experience possible. We look forward to continuing to work with our business partners”

WHAT THE NMDA THINKS Stephen Latham, head of the National Motorcycle Dealers Association, said the survey showed that, when asked about the overall value of the franchise, the averagescore remained static at 6.2 – the same as in the autumn 2018 survey.

However, this includes the three brands with very limited numbers of responses and when these are discounted the average value has dropped to 6.0 on a like-for-like basis.

Latham pointed out that satisfaction with the communication between dealer and distributor was declining – when asked about their ability to do business with their manufacturer on a day-to-day basis, the average score given by dealers declined by 0.4 since the last survey. He highlighted:

ALL THE manufacturers represented in the survey were invited to respond. Only Honda and Yamaha got in touch.

Neil Fletcher, Head of Motorcycles, said: “We are really pleased to see the high level of Honda dealer engagement with this valuable survey – we work very closely with our network and their dealer council. This has seen great improvements for all parties concerned and the latest survey results reflect this.

“Honest dealer feedback is invaluable and supports our joint goals to offer the best experience possible. We look forward to continuing to work with our business partners to enhance both the business constitution and the relationship. We encourage all of our dealers to engage with

us face to face at the dealer association meetings or simply pick up the phone / drop us a mail.”

Adam Kelley, general manager, sales and marketing for Yamaha UK, said: “We are very pleased to see that the overall value of holding the Yamaha franchise has considerably increased. However, as always we want to improve in all areas of the business and understand we have some work to do and will remain focused on these in the coming years.

“I would personally request that dealers complete future surveys where possible, because with a response rate of only 25% it would be very beneficial for us to have higher participation to better understand the true picture.”

www.britishdealernews.co.uk

Business news

AJS at big bucks Stafford classic AJS MOTORCYCLES returned to the International Classic Motor Cycle Show at Stafford Showground (27-28 April) after an absence of 20 years and voted the decision a hit.

“We launched two new bikes which will be added to the range later this year,” said AJS MD Nick Brown. “We took orders and we expect follow-up. The new bikes are the track-style 125 Isaba and the twin-cylinder 125 Highway Star cruiser. Both were well received by the classic bike audience. Many classic owners want an on-the-button easy-to-ride bike in their collections, and there’s still a lot of interest in the AJS brand.

“We plan to introduce a 400cc Highway Star six-speed twin by the end of the year, and we are now seriously considering taking a stand at the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show at Stafford in October.

“Until recently we have been mainly targeting the 125cc learner market. We are finding we are getting a warm reception in the classic world for our lightweights from classic owners who are finding their British machines becoming too heavy, and maybe not always easy to start.”

Local Stafford AJS dealer Jackie Taylor of Taylor Bros Motorcycles said she was confident that the new models would sell.

The show included a multimillion-pound business element made up of trade and autojumble stands, plus the Bonham’s auction.

Above: AJS MD Nick Brown (right) discusses the new 125cc Isaba single (£2399 BONHAMS RECORD inc VAT retail) with a potential customer. AJS Bonhams waswas the 19th best-selling UK marque last bursting at the seams,year and has a network of 60 dealers

needing most of an extra hall to accommodate the colourful ranks of more than 400 machines from all corners of the globe. The result was a new auction record of £3.9m for the two-day sale.

Among the big hitters was an ex-Bud Ekins Triumph TR6SS 650 twin. It made £97,750 including premium against a top estimate of £30,000. It was one of three bikes to set new model records at auction.

Bonhams claimed an impressive 92% conversion at this Mortons Media event which celebrates 40 years in 2020.

Vincent Black Knight and BSA prototype are auction highlights A SINGLE-OWNER 1955 Vincent Black Knight and a BSA Rocket Gold Star factory prototype will be sold at the next H&H Classics auction at the National Motorcycle Museum on 30 July.

The Vincent is expected to fetch between £40,000 and £45,000, while the BSA estimate is £35,000 to £40,000.

The Vincent will be on display at the museum until the sale.

Mark Bryan of H&H Classics said: “The bike is in amazing original condition, showing 58,000 original miles. It comes with the original bill of sale, Vincent guarantee, RF60 buff logbook and factory workshop manual.

It is the full package. Coming across one of these bikes in this condition is unusual enough, but the same owner from new is incredibly rare!”

As the years passed the owner used the bike less and less, preferring his lighter Douglas Mk5, and the Black Knight remained mainly in his garage, appearing

for the odd ride-out and trip The 1955 Vincent Black Knight to local bike shows.

The Rocket Gold Star, registration 985 FOC, was built at the BSA factory in Birmingham in January 1962 and was used for the development and evaluation of the model.

Copies of the BSA factory despatch records show the bike was first used for a “Press Road Test by Motorcycle Sport” in January 1962.

Following this, the factory replaced the frame. The bike was then as a used bike in December 1963.

The BSA Rocket was bought by the used by BSA factory racer Chris Vincent current vendor in 2017 as a basket at the TT as his personal transport.

Other despatch entries show Worcester case, although complete. It had been County Constabulary trying out the bike off the road since 1972. A sympathetic for possible police use, and a road test restoration was said to be undertaken

by Mr G Harding (a BSA Dealer) on the using as many of the original parts as Isle of Man. Finally, the factory sold the possible and any parts deemed beyond Vincent to Aston Autos in Birmingham repair are included with the bike.

GP legends line up for Silverstone Classic WORLD GP Bike Legends will be back this summer at the Silverstone Classic (26-28 July), fronting an enlarged motorcycle showcase at the world’s biggest classic motor racing festival.

Featuring multiple world champions such as Wayne Gardner (Australia), Freddie Spencer (USA) and Raymond Roche (France), World GP Bike Legends has become a major draw at recent Classics.

Visitors will once again be treated to the

spectacle of some of the most beautiful looking – and sounding – racing bikes blasting around the full Grand Circuit ridden by some of the sport’s top names from the past.

“By popular demand we’ve seen the motorcycle element increasing year-by-year at the Classic – as a result we are now giving it a proper home within our ever-growing display areas,” explained Nick Wigley, Silverstone Classic CEO. www.silverstoneclassic.com

JUNE 2019 BritishDealerNewsAirformAd.indd 1

17 2/7/19 11:43 AM

Business news

Mutt’s Soho launch for Barbour tie-up

Above: Mutt CEO Will Rigg.

Above right: T-shirts from the new Barbour/Mutt clothing range

BIRMINGHAM WAS the heart of the British bike industry back in its prime.

And now another Brummie bike builder is looking to recreate the magic of those days – albeit on a smaller scale.

Mutt Motorcycles has identified quite a complex niche in the market – both in terms of its product, and how the firm makes it. First, it has restricted itself to small-capacity machinery, sticking to 125 and 250cc single-cylinder roadsters – but with a twist. The foundations of the bikes are made in China, imported to Birmingham, then given a customstyle makeover by Mutt at its Digbeth workshop, a stone’s throw from Small Heath, BSA’s former home.

The result is a broad range of trendy retro-custom bikes which would fit in perfectly at The Bike Shed in London or the Deus café in Milan – and much of the production is also re-exported to Mutt distributors worldwide.

Mutt reckons sticking to smaller machines gives it an edge – the bikes are cheaper to buy and run, making them perfect for London, where theft and insurance are big problems. People are more willing to risk a £2500 125 Mutt

than a £15,000 Ducati or BMW, and the performance is more than good enough for urban commuting. The sharp retro styling of the Mutt range is the icing on that cake – and production is small and flexible enough that customers can specify bespoke customisation of their bikes when ordering.

CHI-CHI PARTNERS Mutt organised a pop-up launch event in Soho last month to celebrate the bike brand’s new tie-in with Barbour clothing.

Held at the Soho Radio studio, the free bar courtesy of Jägermeister and the prospect of seeing the new clothing range packed the tiny studio on Great Windmill Street with Mutt fans.

Mutt CEO Will Rigg, whose background is in fashion and brand development, was there to show off the firm’s latest Mauler model, plus a full range of Barbour/Mutt clothing. And he promised that there’s a special ‘Barbour Edition’ Mutt on the way later in the summer. “We’ve sold about 1300 bikes so far in the UK,” said Rigg, “and maybe four times that overseas; Australia is going really well for us. We have about 42 dealers

in the UK – and looking for more. There are gaps in certain areas like the NorthEast of England, and we find that Mutt fits in really well with multi-franchise dealers, as well as those who specialise in smaller machines.”

After recently branching out to Japan, and selling out its 2018 bike range, Mutt is marketing limited editions of two brandnew models. Called the Super 6 Roadster and Super 6 Tracker, one is designed for the city and the other is equipped with “countryside churning” knobbly tyres.

The Super 6 is a single-cylinder 125cc four-stroke, producing 12hp and capable of 70mph. Features include a custom hand-painted gloss black and raw steel tank, a black seat, brushed aluminium mudguards and headlight grill. They retail for £3495. www.muttmotorcycles.com

A foundation built on Rock BARTON MILLS, distributor for Rock Oil in the south of England, is looking to up its game and boost business by taking on a new rep to service the nine counties in its allotted territory.

Barton Mills, established 22 years and based in Crawley, Sussex, is a wholesale agriculture, marine and motorcycle supplies business run by Mike Mills, wife Sue and son Steve. Their territory includes West Sussex, Hampshire, Surrey, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Essex.

18 JUNE 2019

Mike Mills said. “We bought the business from agricultural equipment suppliers Rafferty Newman in 1997 and we’ve never sold any other lubricant. It’s all about promotion, and Rock Oil sponsors British Superbikes and top riders across the various sectors so we welcome involvement at a local level. We want business, in fact everybody wants the business, so if we have clients coming on board then we support those who support us.” bartonmills@blueyonder.co.uk

www.britishdealernews.co.uk

BREXIT CONTORTIONS

DELIVERING THE FUTURE

Amazon Marketplace has gone belly up in China. That’s the headline news. The worldrenowned and arguably leading e-commerce platform has thrown in the towel having failed to compete against local suppliers which offer free overnight delivery.

That, at least, is the inside track according to iVendi which provides e-commerce solutions for the motor trade.

But does this news have any relevance to the UK bike industry? Well iVendi, which boasts “at least a few hundred motorcycle businesses” on its books, certainly thinks so.

The underlying issue is simply speed of supply. In the 21st customers, online century, we’re reminded, have delivery be can that expectations measured in hours and days, not weeks and months. And although Amazon was one of the pioneers of the modern online next-daydelivery model, when the firm tried to roll out that concept in a zone where it didn’t have the right boots on the ground and in sufficient numbers, it failed.

Put simply, its reach exceeded

its grasp. iVendi’s press release in particular references online car sales as an area ripe for further logistical improvement, but it might equally apply to online motorcycle sales and parts. Speed of supply, it seems, is increasingly becoming as important as the product price point. But in this regard, the UK is said to be lagging behind the Americans who are more focused on this critical issue.

In other words, if you want to beat your competitors, you should work on your delivery skills and ensure that your customers know you’re the fastest on the block. That in turn means keeping as much stock as possible on the shelf ready to fly.

But next-day delivery is so yesterday, isn’t it? So which of you bike dealers is going to be first with a same-day service?

Order by midday, yours by midnight? Or, at least, order by midnight, and in your mailbox by

8am.

If you’re up for the challenge, better be quick. The future won’t wait. www.ivendi.com

Speaking of the future, it seems that Brexit is slipping further and further from the grasp of those who voted for it, and might never happen. As we pen these prophetic (or at least hypothetical) words, various (and scurrilous) political groups and individuals are doing their damnedest to reverse the (now three year old) 2016 Leave Vote, or at least force a “confirmatory ballot” which, given the despair and despondency currently gripping the average Brexitshocked Brit, probably amounts to the same thing.

So much for democracy.

And it’s in this context that we hear that one-third of British SMEs (small or medium size enterprises) is citing Brexit woes as the reason for delaying growth and investment; onefifth claims to be on the brink of shutdown; and 8% reckon they’re already instigating redundancy programmes to further cut operating costs – and that’s double the percentage of SMEs currently hiring.

The survey was conducted by the business insurer, Simply Business, which claims to have buttonholed 1200 company bosses across the UK. Perhaps equally worrying is the suggestion that although SMEs are said to represent 99% of all firms operating in the UK, only 20% are actively looking at expanding into other world markets if and when the EU cord is finally cut.

Meanwhile, these same bosses rightly or wrongly anticipate a recession once Brexit comes to pass, which makes you wonder what the hell they think is happening right now. It might not be recession in name, but it’s definitely recession in nature.

The only consolation here is that if you’re seriously feeling the pinch, so are most of your competitors.

Chin up. Stiff lip. Chest out.

There could yet be many more contortions ahead. www.simplybusiness.co.uk

WASTE APLENTY

Meanwhile, we hear – and we’re not surprised to hear – that the introduction of 20mph speed limit zones across the UK has made no “significant” difference to pedestrian accidents or pollution levels.

This information comes from the

UK government, which has been closely re-examining the impact (no pun intended) of the changes and has recently published its latest finding. Worse still, in some areas – notably Bath & North-East Somerset and Portsmouth – the number of deaths and serious injuries has in fact risen slightly.

Islington in London was the first authority to introduce a blanket 20mph speed limit across the borough. Six years on, the numbers appear to speak for themselves and reflect the UK average of a measly 0.7mph drop in motorised velocity with a concomitant rise in deaths and serious injuries – said to be attributable to pedestrians and cyclists feeling less threat on the street, and thereby taking less care with their feet.

Bath & North East Somerset Council has long been aware of the rise in death and injuries across its precincts. In 2016 the authority highlighted 13 areas ripe for speed reduction and spent over £800,000 implementing the changes (although how you spend eight hundred grand on a bunch of road signs and a little literature beats us). That aside, in seven of those 13 zones, the body and injury count apparently rose slightly.

Moreover, there’s also been a small but discernible rise in pollution levels in such 20mph zones, possibly due to reduced engine efficiency and more stop-start traffic flow as car drivers and motorcycle riders are perhaps forced to pause and wait as pedestrians stop in the middle of the tarmac to gossip, consult their phones, flip the bird, or whatever.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) believes there’s actually much more to the stats than hard numbers on a round sign. The organisation points to the need for other traffic calming devices to supplement the 20mph zones and thereby make such zones more effective. Which might be true.

Nevertheless, the 20mph speed zones, as they stand, appear to have achieved nothing and have simply wasted taxpayer’s money, quelle surprise!

As for the councillors at Bath & North East Somerset, the official line is that the 20mph zones will stay in place simply because it would take another £800,000 to undo the

Behind the news

s w e N e h t d n Behi

damage, and the authority finds itself slightly embarrassed, financially speaking. Yes, more people might well get hurt and killed as a direct result of leaving the soporific signage in place, but so far the council hasn’t displayed sufficient wit or gumption to get out there with a pot of paint and some stick-on lettering and sort it out on the cheap.

SMART SPIES

Finally, on the subject of road safety, we note that smart as (presumably tachographs opposed to stupid tachographs) are to come into force in June 2019. Essentially, these devices will slowly roll out across the haulage industry and will be interrogated by passing “Remote Early Detection Communication Readers” wielded by roving DVSA inspectors or coppers or whoever.

That will make the enforcement system more efficient (and cheaper), and will help snare those irresponsible drivers and transport operators currently pulling all kinds of dodges designed to keep their trucks rolling at prolonged hours and excessive speeds, never mind that the driver is asleep at the

wheel.

The smart tachos will be fitted only to new vehicles. Older trucks will continue to use their existing stupid tachos, but these latter devices will inevitably be phased out.

“If you don’t have to be stopped in order for your tachograph to be checked, any temptation to cut corners should eventually compliance said disappear,” “As expert Derek Broomfield. a result, safety standards and compliance levels will be raised, and so will the professionalism and reputation of the industry.”

We can’t see that there are too many firms in the biking industry operating trucks that require stupid or smart tachos.

But there will inevitably be some, and transport managers therefore need to get up to speed on this one. Fines generally range from £2500 to £5000.

However, our interest lies only in making the roads safer for everyone, not least motorcyclists. And in that regard, we’ll take whatever we can get.

Pressgang

Pressgang is a contributed column and its contents do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of BDN.

JUNE 2019

19

 International news

Sales volume up for a THE END of the fiscal year in April saw several major manufacturers release their annual results. BDN financial editor Roger Willis reports.

HONDA HITS ITS TARGETS Full-year results to 31 March 2019 for Honda’s motorcycle business reached all required targets in fairly spectacular fashion.

Honda sales volume roared through yet another barrier, 3.5% up to a staggering total of 20.238 million bikes. Some 13.2 million of these were made by whollyowned subsidiaries, the rest by joint-venture affiliates.

Asia accounted for most of the headline tally, rising by 2.8% to 18.224 million. Within that, four countries – India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam – were together responsible for 14.502 million, a 3.5% increase. Other emerging-market regions, led by Latin America and West Africa, put on 12.2% to 1.257 million.

In the more lucrative developed world, Europe stood out with a 6.4% volume improvement to 249,000.

Japan’s domestic market grew even faster, adding 24% to 207,000. North America fell by 3.8% to 301,000.

Records were also broken in monetary terms.

Revenue from motorcycles was 3% higher at £14.665bn, delivering a 9.2% rise in associated

25%

operating profit to £2.036bn. Operating margin was raised to 13.9% from 13.1%.

As BDN recently anticipated, the performance of Honda’s car operations proved to be lamentable by comparison, with operating profit plunging by 43.9% to £1.464bn – despite a vastly larger turnover of £78.819bn.

However, Honda is being extremely cautious about immediate prospects for its motorcycle division. The results statement noted that previously rampant sales in India’s enormous market had begun to slow, falling by 4.4% to 5.52 million, owing to an onerous revision of the Indian mandatory vehicle liability insurance requirement. And this is likely to have an impact going forward into the new fiscal year.

The introduction of stricter environmental regulations in most major Asian countries is also expected to cause a sales decrease until compliant models can be launched. And various problems are visible elsewhere.

In response, Honda is forecasting very marginal worldwide volume growth of 0.06% to 20.25 million units over the next 12 months. Asia could be 0.2% lower at 18.18 million. Europe and Japan respectively are predicted to lose 3.6% to 240,000 and 3.4% to 200,000.

Countering these retreats, the company believes

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Kawasaki ups its stake in Modena of Malaysia

THE cumulative production volume of India Yamaha Motor Pvt. Ltd, a motorcycle manufacturing subsidiary of the Japanese brand, recently celebrated as production broke through the 10 million unit barrier. India is the world’s biggest PTW market, with more than 20 million motorcycles and scooters sold each year.

India Yamaha started producing motorcycles in 1985 as a joint venture with the Japanese brand before becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary in 2001, and it now manufactures and assembles motorcycle parts at three factories in Surajpur, Faridabad and Kanchipuram.

US giant aftermarket group MAG is to make major changes to its corporate structure, by spinning off six of its divisions to become stand-alone businesses.

“While our business units will continue to collaborate where helpful, there will be no corporate mandate to do so. And we’ll ensure complete independence between Tucker Powersports, J&P Cycles and our four other business units by making them stand-alone businesses,’”said MAG CEO Hugh Charvet. “We’d rather have a portfolio of successful companies with complete independence than force them to integrate, which turned out to be detrimental to several of our brands.”

20 JUNE 2019

KAWASAKI HEAVY Industries has increased its stake in Malaysian motorcycle manufacturing company Modenas, upping its share holding from 19% to 30%. The relationship began when Kawasaki became a technical partner to Modenas in 1995.

It’s reported by a Dutch website that Kawasaki has also bought 52 million convertible preference shares in Modenas.

This means that if Modenas hits certain undisclosed mutually agreed targets, the 52 million shares become active. Should that happen then KHI’s interest in Modenas would rise to 48%.

Modenas also sells rebadged models from Indian company Bajaj. The models that Modenas rebadge and sell have

largely been developed in partnership with KTM, models such as the Modenas Dominar and Pulsar models which are closely linked with the Bajaj Dominar and Pulsar which, in turn, are based on shared designs with KTM’s Duke 200 and 390.

Meanwhile, Kawasaki is reported to have built a prototype four-cylinder 250cc sportsbike. If produced, it could become the fastest quarter-litre production bike on the market. The Japanese motorcycle maker used to have a four-cylinder 249cc supersports motorcycle called the ZXR250 which had a 19,000rpm red line. Thanks to such a high revving engine, the motorcycle managed 45hp even without modern technology.

Kawasaki is reportedly working on a replacement for its long-departed ZXR250 four-cylinder sportsbike

A recent report from Indonesia suggests that a prototype of a four-cylinder 250 cc motorcycle exists at PT Kawasaki Motor Indonesia’s facilities.

Cardo celebrates 15 years of wireless communications CARDO, a pioneer of Bluetooth systems for motorcycles, is celebrating its 15th anniversary. Based in Plano in the US, Cardo entered the motorcycle sector in 2004 with the Scala Rider and its products are now available in more than 85 countries.

It has gone on to specialise in the design, development, manufacturing and sale of communication and entertainment systems for motorcycle helmets.

To celebrate its 15 years in the business, Cardo Systems has announced its latest joint development with speaker company JBL, allowing customers the ‘Ultimate Sound Experience’.

Originally founded in 2002 as a developer and manufacturer of

Bluetooth earpieces for mobile phones, Cardo says it has achieved numerous world firsts, including the first motorcycle Bluetooth headset, in 2004, the first system with built-in FM radio and automatic volume control and last year it introduced the World’s first Natural Voice Operation with direct access to ‘Hey Siri’ and ‘OK Google’.

The complete Cardo range is developed to be IP67 waterproof.

Cardo’s app allows users to create ‘groups’ of riders, manage their favourite radio stations, configure phone speed dials, control settings, adjust volumes and see the unit’s battery status at a glance. www.cardosystems.com

www.britishdealernews.co.uk

International news 

r all in full-year results North America is due for a 6.3% recovery and Latin America will bounce back too.

SUZUKI PROFITS FALL Full-year results for Suzuki’s motorcycle business contrasted growing global sales volume and turnover with declining profit.

Total revenue for the 12 months to 31 March 2019 increased by 3.5% to £1.784bn. Asian emerging markets were the biggest contributor, 15.4% up at £909m, with India responsible for the most significant individual portion, rising by 18.1% to £384m. The developed world was decidely mixed, though. While North America put on 2.7% to £237m, Japanese domestic market turnover was 7.7% down to £134m and Europe slumped by 10.5% to £276m.

Associated operating profit plunged by 21.2% to £25.4m.

Suzuki said this was mainly owing to a decrease in European sales of large-capacity models.

Worldwide wholesale shipment volume was 10.6% higher at 1.743 million bikes. Asia provided the driving force, with 14.4% growth to 1.435 million. Among the most successful Asian countries, India stacked on 29.3% to 636,000 and the Philippines added 21.5% to 192,000, both record highs. Indonesia was 33.3% up to 96,000. However, China dropped by 8.2% to 367,000. No figures were provided for developed markets.

For its new fiscal year, Suzuki has forecast 4.7% growth to 1.825 million bikes and made yet another solemn undertaking to shareholders about enhancing profitability from motorcycling activities through structural reforms.

MIXED YEAR FOR KAWASAKI Annual results for the motorcycle division of Kawasaki Heavy Industries contrasted rising sales volume and revenue with deteriorating profitability.

For the 12 months of its fiscal year to 31 March 2019, Kawasaki’s bike business enjoyed an above-forecast 7.6% revenue increase to £2.477bn. But operating profit was 5.8% down at a mere £100m and operating margin dropped from an already puny 4.5% to 4%. Higher marketing, admin and raw material costs were mainly blamed for these declines.

Four-times World Superbike champion Jonathan Rea’s extravagant wages weren’t deemed worthy of a mention.

Wholesale motorcycle volume shipped to dealers in developed countries, principally across Europe and North America, climbed by 8.6% to 165,000 units. Associated turnover was 8.1% up to £914m. Motorcycles for emerging markets, mostly in Asia, rose by 12.6% to 385,000 units – yielding a revenue hike of 9.1% to £640m.

Sales of UTVs, quads and personal watercraft improved by 6% to 70,000 units, with related turnover 4% up to £562m.

General-purpose petrol engines added 9.5% to £361m.

HONDA Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) reported last month that its 110cc Dio scooter had passed the three million sales milestone since it was launched in 2002. “With its 17 years of legacy, Dio remains fresh as ever while celebrating the spirit of youthfulness. Convenient features and stylish looks make it a perfect partner for youngsters of today, not just in India but in international markets as well,” said HMSI senior vice-president, sales and marketing, Yadvinder Singh Guleri.

THE state governor of Illinois proclaimed last month, May, as Motorcycle Awareness Month to remind drivers to start seeing motorcycles. Although motorcycles represent 3% of total vehicle registrations in Illinois, they account for 12% of traffic fatalities – 119 in 2018. “We are encouraged to see a decrease in motorcycle fatalities in 2018, but the only acceptable number is zero,” Acting Illinois transportation secretary Omer Osman said. “We continue to work to make our roads safer, but we need everyone’s help by sharing the road and eliminating distractions, especially with warmer spring temperatures bringing out more motorcyclists.” The newly updated startseeingmotorcycles.org provides more information about free motorcycle training and safety programs.

www.britishdealernews.co.uk/jobs

Yuasa makes big investment in new Turkish battery plant YUASA HAS launched operations at the newly-opened Inci GS Yuasa lead acid storage battery plant in Manisa, Turkey. The battery manufacturer has invested more than 100 million Turkish lira (about £13m) into the construction of the new plant, which is aimed at producing highperformance lead acid storage batteries for environmentally friendly vehicles, such as those with start-stop technology and emission reduction systems.

A subsidiary of Inci Holding and GS Yuasa, plans to reach production capacity of two million units per year.

Including the output of the existing plant, GS Yuasa aims to reach a total combined production capacity of 6 million units per year by 2022.

The new plant covers 18,000sq.m and will result in a 25% increase in employment for the subsidiary company.

The GS Yuasa Group comprises 65 subsidiaries and 33 affiliates in countries throughout the world. www.yuasa.com

STUDENTS from the Technical E d u c a t i o n Centre in Bristol, Connecticut, have built a custom motorcycle in partnership with local dealership Yankee Harley-Davidson. The project was part of the Harley-Davidson sponsored 2019 Battle of the Kings competition which this year invited students to work with their local dealers.

The competition is designed to inspire the next generation of skilled tradespeople to join the world of motorcycling. The Bristol Tech/Yankee Harley-Davidson team took three months to transform a 2019 Road Glide into “an All-American spectacle”. More than 40 US dealers competed in the challenge to turn a standard Harley-Davidson into something unique, with a budget no bigger than half the cost of the original model.

ITALIAN apparel manufacturer Tucano Urbano was chosen to provide clothing for all the motorcycle outriders supporting the 102nd edition of the Giro D’Italia, the 3500km cycle race across Italy. The race started on 11 May and ended on 2 June. www.tucanourbano.com/gb/

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 International news

Quarterly results SEVERAL MANUFACTURERS issued quarterly results at the end of April, revealing mixed performances over the previous three months. Roger Willis analyses the figures.

EMERGING MARKETS BOOST YAMAHA Quarterly results reveal Yamaha profitability was hit by problems with its bike business, particularly in developed-world markets.

Just to muddy corporate waters somewhat, Yamaha has rolled power products (ATVs, golf buggies, etc) and pedelecs in with core motorcycling activities to form a new Land Mobility division. And for the opening quarter of its 2019 fiscal year, headline results were referring to this amalgamated unit. Land Mobility overall revenue was 3.9% up to £1.913bn. But operating profit plunged by 37.4% to just £65m.

Numbers exclusively applicable to motorcycles show a revenue rise of 3.2% to £1.696bn and operating profit 43.6% down to £55m. Total wholesale shipment volume for the period was 0.8% higher at 1.247 million bikes.

Emerging markets were primarily responsible for the big figures. Asian volume put on 1.6% to 1.056 million machines, yielding a 4.5% revenue increase to £1.116bn.

But in other regions, predominantly Latin America, volume shrank by 12.9% to 101,000 and revenue was 11.9% down to £170m. Combined emerging-market revenue of £1.286bn was 2% up, although related operating profit suffered a 20.6% decline to £96m. Falling sales in Taiwan, Vietnam and Argentina, despite increases in the Philippines, Brazil and India, were blamed.

North American volume grew by 5.9% to 18,000, revenue was 8.2% lower at £78m. Japanese domestic sales dropped by 12.5% to 21,000 and revenue by 11.7% to £58m. Revenue from Oceania (Australia and New Zealand) slid by 3.6% to £19m. At first glance, the best news came from Europe, where volume improved by 24.4% to 51,000 and revenue stacked on 19.7% to £257m.

But then Yamaha qualified optimism by mentioning substantial euro-yen foreign exchange losses and increased “growth strategy” costs impacting income. So while total developed-world revenue was 7.1% up to £410m, an associated operating loss of £41m emerged – compared with a loss of £24m in the same period last year.

For Yamaha as a whole, revenue increased by 5.9% to £2.976bn. Operating profit was 12.8% down to £249m and net profit fell by 12.6% to £218m.

PROGRESS FOR PIAGGIO Piaggio Group achieved solid growth during the first quarter of 2019.

Consolidated revenue rose by 10.8% to £287.7m. Operating profit was 42.6% up at £17.8m and operating margin improved to 6% from 4.6% in the same period last year. Net profit almost doubled, climbing by 97.7% to £6.7m. Net debt fell by 9.3% year-on-year to £392.2m.

HIGH DEALER PROFIT MARGINS

Sales of scooters, motorcycles and related P&A were responsible for about two-thirds of Piaggio’s total revenue, rising by 7.9% to £194.9m. Global volume was 5% up to 84,600 machines.

Strongest performance came from the Asia Pacific region, where volume grew by 16.8% and revenue contribution by 26%. European volume made a more modest 4.1% gain with associated revenue 5.1% up. Indian revenue increased by 7.2%, thanks to a better model mix, although volume contracted slightly. Piaggio scooter brands maintained sector leadership in Europe with a 23.2% market share.

Motorcycles also boosted quarterly turnover, thanks to Moto Guzzi’s 24.5% wholesale shipment increase. This was largely driven by demand for its new V85TT retro adventure bike, which went on sale at the end of February.

DESPERATE TIMES FOR HARLEY Harley-Davidson’s performance in the first quarter of 2019 continued to be desperate, despite plenty of upbeat flannel from its chief executive Matt Levatich. Total revenue for the three months was 10.2% down to £1.068bn, as wholesale shipments to dealers worldwide fell by 7.9% to 58,891 bikes. Operating profit plunged by 29.3% to £129m and net profit was 26.8% lower at £98.8m.

Global retail volume slid by 3.8% to 49,151 motorcycles.

Domestic sales were 4.4% down to 28,091 – at least beating a 4.7% quarterly retreat for the overall 601cc-plus market in the US and thereby increasing share very slightly.

International numbers were 3.3% down to 21,060.

European volume dropped by 2.1% to 9508, against a 0.6% fall to 10,797 for the EMEA region within which it resides. Asia-Pacific countries, with Japan and Australia as major players, lost 4% to 6074 – although Harley claimed its new manufacturing plant in Thailand has just begun to boost sales in the ASEAN trading bloc.

The company also said worldwide retail sales during the quarter were impacted by limited availability of Street models, due to a recall announced in January.

Harley supremo Levatich said: “We are acting with agility and discipline to take full advantage of rapidly evolving global markets. US market share growth and retail sales performance in the first quarter are further evidence of the effects we are having as we continue to implement and dial-in our More Roads efforts. We are driven by our unparalleled rider focus and deep analytics that are guiding our efforts today and into the future. We, along with our dealers, are determined to lead and stimulate global industry growth.”

UPBEAT BMW BMW Motorrad boasted a return to positivity in the first quarter of 2019. With an impressive surge of new models factored in, led by instantly successful R1250GS variants, BMW sales volume during this three-month period grew by 7.7% to 38,606 motorcycles and scooters. March

Tel: 01527 574422

accounted for almost half of them, 9.9% up to 18,931.

Quarterly revenue climbed 11.8% to £501.6m. Operating profit was 15.6% higher at £76.2m. Operating margin improved to 15.2% from 14.7%. Pre-tax profit rose by 11.5% to £74.5m.

STRONGER START FOR DUCATI An improving model mix helped to boost Ducati’s profitability, according to its first-quarter 2019 results.

Although production volume during the period was cut by 10% to 16,183 bikes, for “planned inventory optimisation” purposes, global Ducati retail sales were 5% up to 12,541.

The company statement added that sales in both Europe and the otherwise-troubled US market had increased.

New or revised Multistrada and Hypermotard helped the brand’s dual-sport presence to an 18.6% rise to 4113.

And extensive revision of the Scrambler range delivered a 14.7% lift to 2894. Naked machines fell by 1.1% to 3054.

The superbike and supersport sector dropped more sharply, 13.5% down to 2480. Supply timing for new Panigale V4R and V4S Corse models was probably responsible, rather than lack of demand.

Total quarterly revenue was 1.1% lower at £155.4m but operating profit jumped by 42.9% to £8.6m. Operating margin rose to 5.4% from 3.6%. After VW/Audi parental bean-counters had played their usual “elimination of the effects of purchase price allocation” trick, operating profit was restated as being 33.3% up to £13.7m and operating margin climbed to 8.6% from 6.8%.

CHALLENGING QUARTER FOR POLARIS Substantial revenue improvement concealed a challenging first quarter for US powersports manufacturer Polaris.

During the opening three months of its 2019 fiscal year, turnover grew by 15.3% to £1.156bn. But operating profit was 1.6% down to £63.3m and net profit slumped by 13.2% to just £37.4m.

Revenue in the company’s core off-road vehicle (ORV) and snowmobile division was 4.2% up to £670.6m, driven primarily by an increase in ORV wholesale pricing. But as usual, Polaris obfuscated the detail and avoided revealing product volume figures.

Total North American ORV retail sales dropped by a “mid-single-digit” percentage, which presumably means about 5%. Within that, side-by-side ATVs were down by a “low-single-digit”, and quadbikes by a “low-double-digit”, percentage. Being kind to under-educated Minnesotan accountants, we assume the company thinks that represents around 12%.

But it might not.

The smaller motorcycle division suffered greater woes.

Quarterly revenue was 10.3% down to £91.2m. Declining Slingshot trike sales were held largely responsible but Indian cruisers also took part of the blame. In North America, combined sales of the two brands were described as shrinking by a “high-single-digit” percentage. Indian was assaulted by a “mid-single-digit” fall while Slingshot went backwards by a “low-double-digit” percentage.

Polaris actually trousered better revenue from its recently acquired boat business – £142.9m – than it did from bikes.

And boats were five times more profitable at gross level.

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Electric news

Electric news

Big fleet order boosts Govecs GOVECS SOLD 72 of its Go T cargo scooters in May than private sales – the Sussex-based importer used to to Elmovo, an innovative scooter sharing platform handle Tomos mopeds but is now electric-only.

On the subject of commercial sales, Rieju, now similar to Vmoto’s GreenMo service. Aimed primarily at food delivery riders, Elmovo offers short-term handled in the UK by Three Cross Motorcycles, has launched the Nuuk, left, best described as a rental over standard six-hour shifts. “It’s a very scooter/motorcycle hybrid. It has a lowish low commitment for riders,” says Paul Keppler, step-through and the smallish wheels of a director of Govecs importer Bikes GB and also scooter but the exposed frame, inverted an investor in Elmovo. For as little as £1.84 an forks and 280mm front disc of a hour, riders get a package which includes motorcycle. “It’s not a scooter, it really insurance, electricity and a Rieju Nuuk is an electric motorcycle,” said Three ready-to-go scooter.

Cross sales director Richard Davies.

“We began fundraising “Our initial focus has been on last year and the offer commercial sales, but in a matter of was oversubscribed,” he weeks the Nuuk will be available added. “We’ve started through dealers.” in Marylebone and the Built in Spain by Rieju, scooters are already in the Nuuk comes in use. We’ll be rolling out 28mph moped or 70mph to other parts of London motorcycle form, the latter and other UK cities soon.” with a 10.5Kw motor.

Bikes GB, which also sells Vmoto and Supersoco, Standard range is 70 miles or is now focusing on the commercial market rather

SHORTCUTS

IN Holland, the Delft University of Technology and cycle manufacturer Gazelle have developed a prototype pedelec which will not fall over when cornering. A logarithm detects when the bike is about to topple and uses a smart motor in the steering column, plus power control of the main motor, to keep it upright. Operational at speeds over 2.5mph, the system is expected to be available on production pedelecs in a few years’ time.

FRENCH giant Michelin has jumped into the pedelec market, but it’s not building bikes. The Wayscral e-bike is the first to use Michelin’s new powertrain. Said to be inspired by that other French institution – the Solex motorised bicycle – the system comprises a battery with integrated motor which d i r e c t l y drives the rear wheel via grooves in the tyre sidewall.

Michelin claims the system, with a small 216Wh battery, weighs 20-25% less than a conventional pedelec powertrain.

IT may not look like a pedelec, but that’s because Barcelona-based Nua Bikes’ latest model has its motor, battery and sensors all enclosed within the Zehus rear hub, so at a glance everyone will think that it’s a genuine single-speed fixie. With a titanium frame and belt drive it weighs just 13kg and offers about 18 miles of assisted pedalling. It is priced at around £3400.

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www.britishdealernews.co.uk 24 JUNE 2019

Govecs has sold 72 Go T cargo scooters to a rental service

50 miles respectively, though extra batteries can boost the range. Standard charging takes five hours, but there is a fast-charge option of 1.2 hours. Retail prices are £6199 for the moped, £6999 for the motorcycle version. It is expected that the Nuuk will qualify for OLEV, cutting these prices by 20%.

Graphene breakthrough claimed Ducati’s electric scooter A CHINESE battery development company – Jiangsu

NESC Science and Technology – has claimed to have made a breakthrough in applying graphene-polymer to batteries.

Graphene is a superconductor, and applied to lithium batteries can improve energy density by 2.5 times.

Until now, graphene batteries have suffered from inefficient charging and limited life, but NESC says it has overcome these obstacles, with the batteries able to take rapid charging in 10-15 minutes. “They improved all of the five performance parameters,” said NESC’s president Yao Xiaoqing. “These include energy density, power density, temperature, cycle life and safety.” One hundred thousand of the graphene cells are currently on test in electric delivery bicycles. As to cost, a source for respected trade journal Bike Europe thought that graphene batteries would initially cost the same as conventional lithium cells, but that the price would begin to fall in two years’ time.

DUCATI, which has recently hinted that it is working on an electric motorcycle, has announced an e-scooter, although it’s really a Vmoto CUx with Ducati badging.

The scooter might not be everyone’s idea of a Ducati, but Vmoto says this will be a luxury version offered at a premium price. It’ll be sold through Vmoto’s existing dealers, while Ducati will handle the marketing. The CUx is a thoroughly up to date e-scooter, with removable battery, Bosch hub motor and a built-in camera for dash cam footage.

Vmoto sold 68 electric scooters in the UK in May, and the new Soco TC Max, a 125-equivalent motorcycle-style machine, has already pre-sold its first batch, according to Vmoto director Andy Fenwick.

Ecooter designed to meet public demand for lowering carbon footprint QUADZILLA IS responding to increasing demand for electric PTWs by importing the Ecooter, and is looking for interested dealers.

The first scooter available in the UK and Ireland is the E1R L3e – which can reach around 50mph, accelerates from 0-50km/h in just 4.5 seconds and has a battery range of up to 150km. Rated power is 4.2kW and there is a self-protection battery monitoring system and the power pack can be charged in the scooter or taken out to charge directly.

It has LED lights and a built in phone charger, and the app provides real-time information including GPS location, tyre pressure monitors and a changeable colour dashboard.

Sales will be handled by Sam Houghton who is joining Horncastle-based Quadzilla as sales manager and rep for the South. He has previously worked for Piaggio Group.

Welcoming Houghton, who starts in the middle of this month, Quadzilla MD Freddie Hinkley said: “We both have extremely high expectations for the Ecooter.

We are looking for dealers who are already experienced with electric scooters and motorbikes but who want to get a better margin, who want brand and showroom support.

“We will be rolling out Ecooter and CFMOTO branding in select dealers across the UK and Ireland, to those who are committed to the brand and who want to progress their business and showroom to the next level.

“It’s only a matter of time for electric – the market will grow as the major manufacturers push to introduce electric models. Technology is evolving and the distance we can cover on electric vehicles means they aren’t just a city vehicle anymore.

“It seems that as time goes on, and all of the homologation rules develop, we don’t have a choice but to make the most of electric. In 2017 the UK government announced a conventional vehicle ban by 2040, so fossil-fuelled vehicles will be scrapped, and hybrids or pure EVs will be the only new cars we can buy. The fact that

the government is still backing the grant for electric motorcycles and mopeds also means we have no reason not to buy – customers can buy a scooter with more features than the petrol equivalent and they have very low maintenance and running costs too.

“Although, as a fan of the smell of petrol, road racing and two-strokes – as many who own motorcycles probably are – there are more and more people in the UK who are conscious of their carbon footprint, who want to reduce air and noise pollution, so there are customers who are choosing electric. We can’t ignore this sector of the motorcycle market, sales are rapidly increasing, and Ecooter as a brand wants to be in front of the competition.”

Hinkley said the Ecooter manufacturer had big plans for the brand, which has sold 80,000 machines. It has exclusive distributors across Europe, with “massive sales figures in Holland, France and Spain”.

“The company has 25 years of motorcycle manufacturing experience, and the Ecooter is the only machine to have a centre motor.” www.quadzillaquads.com

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Electric news

VW’s Cargo E-Bike VOLKSWAGEN UNVEILED its Cargo e-bike at the Micromobility Expo in Hanover recently. With a 250W motor, it qualifies as a pedelec, while the biggish 500Wh battery gives a range of just over 60 miles, according to VW. The maximum payload of 210kg sits between the two front wheels, staying horizontal while the e-bike rear section tilts.

Production is described as “imminent”.

Arc ‘overwhelmed’ by investment response ARC, THE British company behind the Vector electric superbike which was unveiled at EICMA last year, held a Crowdcube funding appeal last month in a bid to proceed with R&D and production. Unlike some crowdfunding platforms, Crowdcube is equity-based, so investors will receive a share in the business rather than fund a preorder for one of the hi-tech electric bikes.

Private access to the appeal ended on 27 May. One week before it finished, the company reported “over 100 investors had bought up 70% of the available equity, with almost £600,000 raised so far”.

Mark Truman, CEO of Arc, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the support and positive response our Crowdfunder has generated. Since launching the Arc Vector just 16 weeks ago we have been overwhelmed with how positively it has been received by global media, prospects and investors alike.”

Arc is aiming to move into a 65,000sq.ft factory in St Athan, South Wales, and build a series of 399 Vectors, retailing at £90,000 apiece, with production starting in summer 2020.

Sur-Ron racks up the sales SUR-RON, THE lightweight electric dirt bike, has got off to a flying start in the UK, with nearly 400 units sold in its first eight months. “There seems to be a real interest in electric off-road bikes you can do extreme riding on but which don’t annoy the neighbours,” says sales director Jamie Masterman.

“There’s no real competition for this as an electric enduro, and at £3995 it makes sense compared with a 250cc green-lane bike.” Weighing just 47kg, the Sur-Ron tops 45mph and has a range of around 60 miles in Eco mode, but much less when riding hard.

Sur-Ron UK has recruited 25 dealers so far and would like more in Scotland, London and the north-east. There’s also a road-legal L1E 30mph version but that has so far been hampered by not having access to the OLEV grant, which stipulates a minimum weight of 50kg – the importer has designed a heavier rack

to add enough kilos for it to qualify. The OLEV application was going through as we went to press, giving the road legal Sur-Ron a retail price of £4495.

LiveWire now on pre-order HARLEY-DAVIDSON’S PRE-ORDERS channel for the LiveWire went on stream on 15 April.

Now European buyers can put their name down for an early example of the all-electric muscle bike, with the first deliveries due this autumn. Buyers are advised to place the pre-order through their nearest LiveWire dealer, which doesn’t include all H-D dealers – only those authorised to sell LiveWires will be able to take a deposit. “We’ve had an unprecedented level of interest in the bike,” said Harley’s international marketing director Steve Lambert, “with so many people wanting to be first to get their hands on it. We’re looking forward to delivering the new LiveWire to those lucky owners in the autumn.”

JUNE 2019 25

Off-road news

The UK’S TOP SELLING OFF-ROAD RACE WEAR 01900 873456 www.wulfsport.com

Off-road news Industry boost for DBS

Theft sparks outrage at motocross meeting THE AUDACITY of criminals targeting off-road motorcycles has now become even more extreme, after a leading MX1 contender’s motorcycle was stolen from the Maxxis British Motocross Championship paddock at Canada Heights in early May. While top-10 regular Gert Krestinov was actually on-track, competing in the day’s first MX1 moto race, thieves raided his Phoenix Tools Apico Kawasaki team’s unattended paddock awning on the side of its race transporter and made off with Krestinov’s spare semi-factory KX450F machine.

A spectator reportedly witnessed the machine – easily identifiable by its livery and prominent race number 37 – being driven out of the circuit on the back of a black pick-up truck. Unfortunately, because the venue near Swanley in Kent was very crowded, the witness was unable to get close enough to see the vehicle’s registration.

Luckily for Krestinov, his other KX450F was still fully serviceable after taking sixth place in the hotly-contested opening moto. In the second leg, he stormed to fourth spot and claimed sixth ranking overall in the Maxxis MX1 championship, with three rounds completed.

Phoenix Tools Apico squad manager Barry Moore has offered a cash reward for information leading to recovery of the stolen bike

INCREASING NUMBERS of big brands are voting with their feet in support of Mortons Media Group’s rejuvenated International Dirt Bike Show. Relocating to the more flexible Stafford County Showground venue from Stoneleigh Park and shortening to weekend duration, across earlier dates on 28-29 September, have obviously proved to be popular decisions.

Latest returnee is a strong showing for Kawasaki Motors Europe, after several years of official absence with just tangential representation by Dixon Racing. Besides the latest KX motocross and KLX enduro ranges, there will also be a punter-pleasing display of Team Green factory bikes and attendance by Team Green star riders.

Welcoming the changes, Kawasaki’s UK sales and marketing manager Craig Watson said: “I’m really pleased the show

to take the event to a new level, while revised timing and cost restructuring should ensure support from the industry and, in turn, increase visitor numbers.”

Well-known aftermarket names are joining the queue to exhibit at Stafford too. Wheel, hub, sprocket and clutch basket manufacturing specialist Talon Engineering recently signed up. And Central Wheel Components is planning a biggest-ever presence at the show with three stands – a display of its SM Pro motocross wheel range, sister company Wheel House Tyres with a large selection of off-road rubberwear and accessories, and an Off-Road World retail operation stocking gear for riders and their bikes in all dirt disciplines.

For more information about trade opportunities at the International Dirt Bike Show, contact Andy Catton; tel 01507 529594; acatton@mortons.co.uk.

Maxxis competition BICKERS INTERNATIONAL, the distributor of Maxxis motorcycle tyres in the UK, has revealed details of a summer sales incentive for the MX-ST motocross tyre which will be timed to coincide with the launch of new 12in, 14in, 16in, 17in and 18in diameter options.

Consumers buying MX-ST tyres from participating dealers will be entered in to a draw to win a trip to the MXGP of Italy in Imola, while dealers and stockists can win a similar all-expenses trip if they purchase five pairs of the new rubber in any size.

Dealers will soon be receiving instore point-of-sale information and competition entry slips, and Maxxis will also be providing multi-channel consumer advertising via digital media, in-store and outdoor channels and more to achieve maximum penetration to the motocross enthusiast market.

Raising Wulfsport’s brand profile LEADING HELMET, apparel and accessories brand Wulfsport International is honing its already high profile this year through promotional involvement with three major off-road championships and events.

At the new-look ACU Trial GB series, Wulfsport branding signage is a big feature in a number of locations. These include the Wulfsport start ramp and a Wulfsport gantry under which all riders pass at each round.

In a similar branding exercise, Wulfsport is combining with Point-S, MX24 and JCT Developments to deliver a massive show of support for the revamped South West Masters Motocross series, which takes place in five rounds over the summer. Wulfsport is also title sponsor for its “overs” age-group races.

Then in September, Wulfsport will be heavily involved in the Veterans Motocross of Nations at Farleigh Castle in Somerset. A Wulfsport gantry will be in position on the entrance to the waiting zone, while banners and track tape will decorate the 1600-metre circuit. And in the lead-up, Wulfsport is planning something special to make the 2019 event even more memorable for riders and fans. Full details will be announced during the summer.

Commenting on Wulfsport’s backing, ACU Trial GB series manager Brian Higgins said: “Working with Bill and Ellie Brown and their team is a privilege and can only be of benefit to the brand and our events. We’re also talking about some dealer activities and other promotional ideas which will be rolled out during the season.”

26 JUNE 2019

organisers have listened to the opinions of visitors and exhibitors and moved the date closer to the release of new-season models. Combining this earlier date with a fresh location and show layout, we believe will attract a large number of offroad fans from around the UK.” Yamaha Motor (UK) marketing manager Jeff Turner, who had remained steadfast in his backing as the only major manufacturer present at Stoneleigh last year, reiterated confidence in the event’s value. “The annual Dirt Bike Show continues to provide us with a unique opportunity to showcase Yamaha off-road products,” he said. “And we are delighted to be able to support Mortons again for its 2019 event, as it develops and invests in the show to ensure its future viability and success.

“Exciting changes that are planned, along with the different venue, look set

KTM says its EXC range has been “radically race-refined” for 2020, with a new generation of bikes launched in Bassella, Spain, on 20 May. The line-up of new two-stroke and four-stroke machines includes the KTM Six Days line-up, along with the special-edition KTM 300 EXC TPI Erzberg Rodeo (the Erzberg Rodeo is an Austrian motorcycle enduro event, said to be the largest of its kind in Europe, started in 1995 and held annually in May or June).

The 2020 line-up also includes the new KTM 150 EXC TPI, which is homologated for Euro 4, the KTM 250 EXC TPI and KTM 300 EXC TPI two-strokes, and the KTM 250 EXC-F, KTM 350 EXC-F, KTM 450 EXC-F and KTM 500 EXC-F four-strokes.

Bikes will be arriving in dealers from this month. www.ktm.com

AMCA signs up Datatag for Off-road Experience THE AMCA has again teamed up with Datatag to provide security for the forthcoming Yamaha MX Experience, which the AMCA organises. The event provides a fleet of Yamahas for visitors to try riding off road for the first time and more experienced riders can receive race tuition from qualified instructors.

Security in the off road world has long been an issue and so Datatag will be using a layered approach, including RFID transponders, tamper-evident labels and microdots with a forensic DNA solution, on each machine.

Sue Potts of the AMCA said: “We are

very pleased to be partnering with Datatag again this year. We need to ensure that we have taken all steps regarding security of our bikes and are reassured by the deterrent fitting Datatag provides our fleet.”

Dave Luscombe of Datatag commented “It’s a sad fact that off road machines are regularly targeted by criminals. Fitting Datatag provides a level of identification which criminals cannot remove and thereby adds an extra risk factor they would not otherwise be faced with. We are proud to support the AMCA Yamaha MX Experience.”

See feature on page 34.

www.britishdealernews.co.uk

MX-

MX-ST-BDN-245x342mm-Advert.indd 1

24/05/2019 08:55

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Your thoughts and opinions on the topics that make the trade tick: editorial@dealernews.co.uk BDN, Unit 10, Daddon Court, Clovelly Road Industrial Estate, Bideford, EX39 3FH

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Your letters

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Dealers have a key role in helping to ensure safe clothing

Moto Direct has been working hard to ensure compliance with the PPE regulations which changed on 21 April, 2019. It is a core message we have been trying to promote through BDN advertising over the past few months to ensure dealers are aware and are making informed purchasing choices.

As a brand manufacturer, Moto Direct is proud to advise all protective products in the RST range (i.e. motorcycle clothing, gloves and boots) meet the requirements of PPE regulation 2016/425 and are CE certified.

We have been working tirelessly over the past four years to ensure our garments are CE compliant and marked in accordance with the law. We are dedicated to providing collections which meet very high levels of safety and protection.

This commitment is demonstrated by our status as Official Safety Partner of the recent North West 200 road races and the current Isle of Man TT, where RST products undergo the ultimate test by our factory riders, fuelling our continued product development.

As the MCIA correctly advises, to help ensure consumers are protected from potentially unsafe products, dealers, as well as the rest of the industry, play a key part in the new legislation and have a responsibility to ensure

any protective products they purchase or supply, has the correct labelling and documentation.

As all protective products in the RST range are certified, this is easy for RST dealers. Additionally, we are in the process of making the Declarations of Conformity available on the RST website.

Sean Hefferin, Supply Chain Manager, Moto Direct, South Normanton

Star Letter A return to the one-man onemarque business model would boost apprentice numbers

As an independent non-franchise dealer I am fully aware we have no influence in an industry that shows no interest in us, despite us building this industry long before the corporate take-over.

A general motorcycle store, we employ six people and have a footfall of around 5000 people a year. We employ one apprentice and are looking for the next.

Maybe, just maybe there is an issue with the multi-franchise dealer network that dominates this industry, dictating its direction, leading the MCIA on a leash.

We are very much under the suppression of such a main dealer who has all of the franchise names and all of the top clothing suppliers.

The dealership is locking everyone out of any opportunities and has done so for more than 30 years.

My point is that one man having it all reduces the amount of resources other companies have.

One prime example is apprentices.

These multi-franchise dealers will send their young staff to the applicable manufacturer for training. My local collage simply ceased to provide any training as there were no students or teachers.

Maybe if there were to be a return to the one-man, onemarque business model used for first 70 years of the motorcycle

28 JUNE 2019

industry – where small independent dealers were valued by industry and manufacturers – you might see a wider need for many aspects including apprentices, as well as experienced admin staff, parts people etc.

You cannot expect growth if the model of the bike business is super stores covering huge areas to a single destination. Once upon a time there would be several single-marque dealers in every town, training staff, feeding the pool. Not only would the level of customer service rise but so would the sales focus owing to competition. If you want to know anything about my local

market you simply ask a single, dominating dealer.

My hope is that, as with all business models with a life expectancy, we see a shift from the multi-franchise model back to the development and nurturing of quality independents delivering focused and quality service.

The bike business is and will continue to decline. Exclusivity and personal attention is key in my opinion, not the plastic showroom, leather-couch, soulless-sales approach.

Many of our industry problems are due to the blinkered view of it, unable to brave the prospect of

stepping aside from the comfort of the main dealer network. There are many like me, working hard, doing right by the customers, unsupported, cast out, marching to the beat of our own drum, waiting for the powers that be to listen and engage again. Forever hoping.

Rob Ticehurst, Newstreet Motorcycles, Horsham See page 32 Our STAR LETTER writer will receive 6 TUBS of

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Apprenticeships The shortage of technicians is fixable if the MCIA, NMDA, manufacturers and dealers unite to promote our industry and set up a clear career path through a network of good training providers, writes Neil Young

D

ealerships large and small report that our industry is facing a serious shortage of suitably qualified technicians. This is a problem I have seen coming for a while, and with no new blood entering the industry, older technicians retiring and some leaving to pursue other career paths, the situation is getting worse.

The bike trade is something you have a predisposition to enter, usually after becoming addicted to motorcycles from a young age. I grew up in the 1980s, way before smartphones and PlayStations, and soon discovered the joy of taking a broken old motorcycle and learning to repair it in the garage with my dad, before taking it down to the local farm field to blast round on.

This soon developed into what can best be described as an addiction, and every spare moment was spent fixing, reading about, or watching bikes on TV. So when the time came for a Saturday job there was only one thing to do: go tapping on the doors of local motorcycle shops to get a job working with my passion – bikes – and here I am 30-something years later still writing about them and working with them.

Why, I sometimes think to myself? I could certainly have earned a lot more money in other industries but the truth is that money was and is not my motivation. Being surrounded by and working with bikes is my driving force.

Nowadays, the way young people are brought up has changed – they have phones, tablets and games so they live in a virtual world almost, thus getting no hands-on experience with motorcycles. Often the first experience some get with bikes is at 16 years old with their first scooter, but sadly that is a declining market. Many youngsters go straight to four wheels.

My point is that these potential young apprentices never get introduced to the bike trade in the first place.

SKILLS GAP So what’s the answer? How do we encourage more young people to enter the bike trade and take up apprenticeships so we fill the skills gap?

I spoke with the same dealers I spoke to about technician shortages and asked them if they had heard of the new government-inspired Trailblazer training programme to train technicians. They all said no. I then asked if they would be prepared to take on and train an apprentice in their workshops. Most said “no” because the volume of paperwork and past experiences of dealing with training providers convinced them it was not worth the hassle.

I must admit this is something I have experienced first-hand after stumbling across a young lad who was keen on motorcycles and was already on an IMI [Institute of the Motor Industry] level 2 course at a local college. I agreed to take him on and desperately tried to liaise with the college to change his course into an apprenticeship, which they agreed we could.

The lad brought in some of his college training material and assessment papers for me to see. I was horrified. The diagrams often showed car components, most of which involved 15-20-year-

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Apprenticeships

old technology! Asked what bikes the college had for students to work on, he said mini-motos. It was clear that the level of training material and bikes available were not of a great standard.

I tried contacting the college and speaking to his tutor but was told he had now left, and apparently that was the second one who had left that year. The course was subsequently dropped and we could not find another local college running a course.

SPECIALIST COLLEGES This is a great example of what is going on, and I have seen it happen many times over the years – a college starts up a course with just enough people in the class to make it viable, the college is ill-equipped to support it in terms of bikes and training material, then the course fails, leaving the students with nowhere to go.

What we need is a UK-wide spread of specialist colleges that are properly equipped and prepared to run a course, perhaps with some manufacturer support. When I spoke with James Fenton, head of training at Yamaha UK, he said he had visited a college in Wakefield that was keen to run a course.

He had been so impressed that he went ahead and supplied some machines, and was looking into supporting another college.

This has to be the way forward.

If we can provide reliable, goodquality training at specialist colleges throughout the UK this would be a great benefit to the industry and the apprentice technicians.

This is something I feel the MCIA, the National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA) and manufacturers could help with. Once the technicians are qualified, the manufacturers all offer great training programmes to keep them up to date.

Once we have some good quality training providers sorted we must pull together as an industry and promote ourselves – something at which our industry is very poor.

We can’t just keep selling to the same customers. We also need to attract new people into the industry. This does not have to cost a fortune – perhaps the manufacturers’ web pages could be linked to a website providing information and the relevant links to enrol in a course.

Adverts could be targeted at young people and run cost effectively on social media to help with uptake.

We work in a great industry that has given me and many others some great fun over the years. If I had to do it all again I would. I often ask myself, would I rather stack shelves in a supermarket or work with bikes. There is no contest.

DEALER SUPPORT Dealers also need to support the programme by getting new blood into the industry by taking on an apprentice. You’re investing in the future of your business. Today’s bikes are becoming ever more complex so the need for constant training and investment is greater than ever before. This investment, I am sure, will reap rewards in an era when the level of technology means the days of the DIY home mechanic are over.

NEIL YOUNG Neil Young started in the motorcycle industry in the late 1980s with work experience at the Len Manchester dealership in Melton Mowbray.

From Saturday boy, he became an apprentice technician, qualified, then moved up to become a service manager and then general manager in 2001. In 2005 he bought the dealership and became the owner until it was closed in 2017.

He now runs a motorcycle workshop in the Leicester town.

Of course the other hurdle we have are the rider licensing laws, which mean technicians aged under 20 are not permitted to ride the bikes they are working on! But at least if we have somebody trained up, that’s a hurdle for another day.

In summary, if we can all unite – the MCIA, NMDA, manufacturers and dealers – to promote our industry and set up a clear career training path through a good solid network of training providers this current crisis is fixable, but something must be done now. ■

JUNE 2019 33

Datatag

DATATAG TIMELINE

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER LET’S TALK BUSINESS

www.britishdealernews.co.uk

2015

Official COMPASS Scheme launched by the British Marine Federation with Datatag chosen to be the technology partner

from anywhere in the world can call Datatag and, by simply quoting any one of the many secure identification numbers on an asset, learn whether it is listed as stolen and receive details of the registered owner.

As part of the Official MASTER Scheme, Datatag is fitted to most motorcycles from new – Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Ducati, Triumph, BMW, Harley-Davidson, and Indian are all signed up. As the numbers of motorcycles protected with Datatag has increased in the “parc”, the theft rate has continued to fall. At the same time, police are now finding that previously untraceable parts and components recovered during raids on breakers and some back street dealers are now able to be identified using Datadots or UV etches. This has led to an increase in arrests and prosecutions of those involved in organised criminality focusing on ringing stolen bikes. Datatag says there can be no doubt that the technology has significantly reduced the risk of having your motorcycle stolen and, at the other end of the scale, improved the chances of a recovery.

After nearly three decades in the security marking business, Datatag has become almost a “verb” in its own right, with motorcyclists, farmers, builders and boaters all “Datatagging” their machines. Dave Luscombe, strategic alliance manager with Datatag, said: “Datatag was born out of the motorcycle theft crisis in the early 1990s and since then has become part of the motorcycling lexicon … you don’t security tag your bike, you Datatag it!”

So the question is, have you Datatagged yours? ■

UK MOTORCYCLES AND SCOOTERS THEFT 35000

Thefts by year of motorcycles and scooters

30000 25000 20000 15000 10000 5000 0

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

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34 JUNE 2019

Official MASTER Scheme launched by the MCIA to help combat motorcycle theft and cloning; Datatag chosen to be technology partner

27300

“Datatag … has become part of the motorcycling lexicon … you don’t security tag your bike, you Datatag it!”

2012

32200

F

ormed in 1992 as a subsidiary of Japanese By combining invisible ultra-violet etching, radio conglomerate Mitsui, Datatag was frequency identification tags and stealth Datadot conceived from the outset specifically to technologies and forensic DNA, Datatag is able combat motorcycle theft. Twenty-seven to give almost any asset a combination of unique years on and Datatag is now privately owned and marks and identifications that prove, beyond still a driving force in motorcycle security – in doubt, its provenance and ownership.

2012 it became the technology For thieves this is a real partner behind the official problem. To avoid the risk of MASTER Scheme of the MCIA detection, they have the almost (formerly known as the Motor impossible task of removing Cycle Industry Association). every single identification mark Datatag protects more than without damaging the item.

500,000 motorcycles in the For police, however, this is a UK, and more recently the great help. They only need to company has expanded into locate and identify one or two sectors including construction of the marks to assist with a and agricultural machinery, prosecution. The odds are very cars, trailers, bicycles and power much stacked against the thief. tools – which essentially all Kits, costing £89.99, can be have one thing in common – bought from Datatag direct or they are easy to steal! through dealers supplied by Dave Luscombe, Datatag Like many of the best Direct Distribution for pre-2012 inventions, it really is clever machines or those manufactured stuff, but the concept of Datatag is simple: give by non-participating brands. valuable assets an identification method that All of this, says Datatag, has made a major can prove ownership. Criminals prefer to target impact on reducing theft across a variety of sectors property where the original manufacturer’s and helped the police bring many successful identification numbers can be easily removed or prosecutions against criminals. changed. Tampering with the numbers makes But while the technology employed by Datatag property less likely to be identified and hinders is impressive in its own right, equally as important the police in tracing the property’s true owners. If is its database and secure contact centre which you can’t prove who owns it, you can’t prove it to is accessible by police 24 hours a day, every day. be stolen.

Via a dedicated contact number, a police officer

Official CESAR Scheme launched by the Construction Equipment Association to combat plant machinery and agricultural machinery theft, with Datatag as the chosen technology partner

27200

Suzanne Potts uncloaks the invisible force driving motorcycle security

2007

Datatag sold to management team; moved to private ownership

23300

the art of identification

Datatag launched by Mitsu to combat motorcycle theft

21800

Datatag

1992 2007

IT’S

F REE www.britishdealernews.co.uk

MATTERS

Expo regular 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

IDENTIFY YOUR CUSTOMERS

In the second of his new series, Dan Sager explains the questions you need to ask to build a clearer picture of your average customer, which is key to building up your business

W

ho are your customers? It’s such a simple question, yet one that many of us find difficult to answer. In fact, I’d wager that most of us give it precious little thought, because we’re constantly flitting between chasing any new customers we can find and fulfilling orders for the ones we already have.

Understanding the needs of your current and potential customers will help you decide what to sell, how to encourage repeat orders and where to find new business. To get a clearer picture of your “average” customer, you need to ask yourself the following questions, starting with the most important; where do they come from?

How far do people travel to shop with you? Are you a local, regional, national or international business? This applies equally to retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers and service providers (like me). We recently conducted some research for a client which revealed that 5% of website visits were from the USA. However, Americans couldn’t order online for foreign shipment, instead they had to send their request by email to get a quote.

Unsurprisingly, few did, so the company decided to include shipping to the USA as an option.

Next, we need to talk about sex. If your response to this is, “Phwoar, yes please”, you should stop watching Carry On films immediately. We know that roughly 90% of motorcyclists are male, but is that reflected in your sales? This is really important, not just because you might need to offer different styles and sizes (of clothing AND motorcycles) to suit men and women, but also because the appearance and atmosphere of your premises, website and/or marketing material might need to change too.

Finally, you need to know what age groups shop with you. Are your customers Baby Boomers (born 1946-64), Generation X (1965-76), Millennials (1977-95) or Gen Z (1996 on)?

Different generations have, broadly speaking, different outlooks, tastes and values. Steel and glass showrooms might appeal to Generation X, who see them as chic and modern, whereas Millennials might prefer something retro, with stripped boards and neon lights.

INTO THE DETAIL Once you’ve figured out the headlines, you’re in a position to drill down into the detail.

1. How frequently do they purchase – often, occasionally or only once? This is a simple litmus test of whether you are giving people

“Understanding the needs of your current and potential customers will help you decide what to sell, how to encourage repeat orders and where to find new business” what they want. If they keep coming back for more you’re doing something right, but if they only buy once, never to darken your door again, maybe something is wrong. Is it quality, service, value or a mixture of those that’s stopping them coming back for more?

2. What do they buy? Premium products from the big brands or discounted kit from the bargain bin? New or used? Service, repairs or MOT? All too often we focus on trying to sell the things that aren’t moving, when it would be easier – and more profitable – to increase turnover on the fast-moving products.

3. Can we tell anything about their associated interests – are they into MotoGP or motocross?

Touring or trackdays? Classics or customising?

Thinking ahead, if we could identify the type of person who shopped with us, then it might be easier to find more of the same. For example, imagine that a lot of your customers follow MotoGP. Why not organise a big screen showing of a race, with free refreshments? Get them to bring a friend, or two!

How do you collect all this information and what about GDPR? Chances are you’ll already have some of this information on file. If you know the customer’s name and address, you can work out their location and sex fairly easily. Age is a bit trickier, unless you require their date of birth for any reason (e.g. finance deals). Most online businesses will be able to see frequency of purchases and products bought too and, with EPOS [electronic point of sale] becoming ever more common, so should most bricks-and-mortar retailers. Assuming you’re already GDPR compliant, you shouldn’t have any issues, providing you are only using this for research purposes.

However, there’s a simple old-school method – a customer survey. As long as it is anonymous, you won’t fall foul of GDPR (it must not be possible to identify who participated), although it’s best to be tactful with questions about age (maybe ask which age group people fit into, rather than their actual age).

Of course, not all your customers are the same, but research we’ve conducted for our clients shows that there are fairly clear types who shop with them. For example, if you were asked to describe a typical Waitrose customer, what would your answer be? Now, think about Waitrose advertising and who it’s aimed at – they know exactly who to target and so should you. ■

Telephone: 0333 666 0680 Email: sales@modeperformance.co.uk Showroom: 9A Cygnet Drive, Swan Valley Northampton, Northants NN4 9BS www.modeperformance.co.uk

ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT

PERFORMANCE

RACING

JUNE 2019 35

Marketing Matters

MARKETING

Social Media

Social Media

The Effortless Power of Stories A good story entertains, inspires or informs its audience and always gets better the more the tale is told, but do you know how to tell your story on Facebook and Instagram?

Y

ou could be forgiven for neither noticing nor caring that Google+ finally accepted defeat and closed down in April. It was never very good to begin with and few will miss it, but if your business had an account, make sure you remove any links that still point to it from your website.

Meanwhile, Twitter has launched a new interface and some extra new features that combine to make the platform even easier to use. If you haven’t visited your Twitter account lately, I recommend you take a look and check your notifications while you’re there.

But a social media column needs to be made of more than closures and upgrades, so let me tell you a story.

After a great deal of online teasing, Zero Motorcycles launched its new SR/F naked street model back in February. The brand used its website and social media channels to focus attention very effectively on the bike’s innovative tech features, extraordinary torque (190 Nm) and “Effortless Power” (110 horses). It was rewarded with huge levels of social engagement and wider media coverage.

If you swallow the hype, the SR/F represents “The Future of Motorcycling”. However, Zero consistently brushes over the thorny issues of real-world range and charging time. The standard model will cost a customer £16,935 (taking into account the £1500 OLEV grant), but will only cover 82 miles at motorway speeds before needing four hours to get the battery back to 95%. That’s fine for commuting, but entirely impractical for riding any worthwhile distance.

The UK currently has a dozen Zero dealers, yet 11 of them did absolutely nothing to take

advantage of all the SR/F launch promotions happening on social media. Not a single share, retweet, comment or post, almost as if they didn’t actually want to take any pre-orders. The shining exception was the ever-on-the-ball English Electric Motorcycle Company. It did a solid job of leveraging Zero’s marketing through social media and, by virtue of being the only UK dealer to make the effort, set itself far apart from all the rest. From a social media point of view the only Zero dealer in the country is in Norfolk.

Stories on Zero’s Facebook and Instagram played an important part of the new bike’s launch promotion and continue to keep the brand and its range on people’s minds. The kind of stories I’m talking about here are the portrait-oriented photos and videos accessible from the top of your social feeds. They only hang around for 24 hours, but they’re incredibly versatile and quick to publish.

For instance, when you post something new on your timeline you could add to your story to highlight it’s there, and when someone tags you in a post, thank them in your story with an @ mention so they get notified. Stories are infinitely customisable and can include #hashtags (which extend the reach of your visibility), overlayed text and emojis, and various user input fields for gathering answers to questions.

Whenever there’s something new or interesting happening, and especially when you’re running an event, Stories are a great way to share the chronology with photos and video in a digestible, informal and highly engaging way.

And if you publish them via Instagram they can automatically also appear on Facebook – so that’s another burden halved. ■

Iain Harper runs the Full Chat Agency, which provides social media and content marketing training and support to the motorcycle trade. Find out more at https://fullchat.agency or via @fullchatagency

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JUNE 2019 37

Business Essentials

Business

Essentials

MORE than 220,000 workers who did not receive the National Minimum and Living Wage will be reimbursed £24m in back pay, HMRC has revealed. The body is also issuing £17m in financial penalties to employers who breached the rules. Following the increase to wage rates on 1 April, the government is encouraging workers who may be at risk of not being paid correctly to speak to their employer or fill in an online complaints form at www.gov.uk/ government/publications/pay-and-work-rights-complaints THE UK economy picked up in the first three months of the year after manufacturers’ stockpiling ahead of Brexit helped to boost growth. Growth was 0.5% in the quarter, up from 0.2% in the previous three months, the Office for National Statistics said. The manufacturing sector grew at its fastest rate since 1988 in the period. The ONS said this was driven by manufacturers rushing to deliver orders before the original Brexit deadline of 29 March.

Previous business surveys had shown manufacturers stockpiling goods for Brexit in case the UK left the EU without a transition deal, which they feared could lead to delays at UK borders.

THE Financial Conduct Authority’s Senior Managers and Certification Regime (SMCR) – which aims to support healthy cultures and effective governance in firms by encouraging greater individual accountability and establishing a new standard of personal conduct – will be extended to FCA-regulated firms of all sizes from 9 December. The FCA is urging business owners to start work on their Statements of Responsibility and Responsibility Maps immediately to ensure they are fully prepared for SMCR enforcement later in the year. More details on the change can be at www.fca.org.uk/firms/senior-managerscertification-regime and www.fca.org.uk/publication/policy/ guide-for-fca-solo-regulated-firms.pdf BRITISH car production declined by 14.4% in March, falling for the 10th month in a row, with 126,195 units rolling off factory lines, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Production for both home and overseas markets declined in double digits, down 18.1% and 13.4% respectively. Continuing recent trends, soft demand in key Asian and European markets was a significant factor, coupled with model changes and shifting car segment preferences globally. Although UK exports fell in March, they increased their share of overall production year-onyear to 78.7%, demonstrating the crucial importance of free and frictionless trade. If Britain crashes out of the EU and falls back on WTO rules for a sustained period, output is forecast to fall around 30% on recent levels to just 1.07 million units by 2021.

INTEREST rate increases could be “more frequent” than expected if the economy performs as the Bank of England is expecting, governor Mark Carney says. The markets are forecasting just one interest rate increase by 2021, but if there is a resolution to the Brexit impasse, and inflation and growth continue to pick-up, then more increases are likely, Mr Carney said. As expected, the Bank kept interest rates on hold at 0.75% at its last policy meeting. Interest rates have been at that level since last August, when the Bank raised them by a quarter of a percentage point. The Bank is expecting growth and inflation to pick up over the next two years.

38 JUNE 2019

Where the rights of the customer stop Customers have their rights, but dealers do too, and knowing the law gives you the confidence to take a stand when appropriate. Peter Stonely, a consumer rights specialist and Expo Knowledge Shop participant, explains

A

ll dealers will be familiar with difficult exercise their short-term right to reject and to customers who quote their consumer request a full refund. rights when they want to reject This might appear harsh, but this principle has something, even when there isn’t a basis been in sale of goods law since 1890. However, you for rejection. Unfortunately, can offer, or the consumer some dealers may not have can ask for, a repair or sufficient certainty about replacement. With expensive where they can reasonably goods this can be mutually “draw the line”, which is convenient, avoids a refund ironic because the aim of the and remedies the problem.

Consumer Rights Act 2015 The key things are to fix (CRA) was to make the law any issues quickly and keep clearer for businesses and your customer informed and consumers. updated. Once the customer First, the goods you sell gets the goods back, they Peter Stonely, specialist should be of a standard that have the remainder of the 30 a reasonable person would days, or a further seven days regard as satisfactory and free from faults. Quality if that is longer, to reject if the problem has not must be assessed against any relevant descriptions been solved. and price might also be a consideration.

The acid test is whether the goods are in line AFTER 30 DAYS with their expected condition considering age, If a problem occurs after 30 days then the customer’s usage, price etc, and you are best placed to assess short-term right to reject falls away and you and the this. If it isn’t, then you will be responsible to your customer should agree on a repair or replacement. customer unless the fault is down to their misuse This would usually be a cost-effective solution that is or failure to follow instructions. proportionate to what is wrong and putting it right.

Goods must also be as described and fit for any However if, for example, parts aren’t available for purpose made known to you. You are responsible several weeks then you might need to find another for any description even if you did not write it, solution or, in case of a motorcycle, offer a loan so buy from reliable suppliers that you can trust motorcycle to keep them going.”

– and if a customer asks you whether, say, certain gloves are suitable for winter use, and you (or a FURTHER REPAIRS member of your staff ) says they are, then you will If a second/further repair (of the goods, it need be responsible if they are not.” not be the same fault) or replacement is needed then the customer can ask for a price reduction THE FIRST 30 DAYS or they can reject and ask for a refund. In the case If any of these consumer rights are broken of a motorcycle, you can deduct an amount to within 30 days of the consumer buying their reflect use (not depreciation). For all other goods goods from your dealership, they are entitled to you sell it will be a full refund within six months

“Too many complaints are simply the result of poor communications”

www.britishdealernews.co.uk

Business Essentials

Consumer Law with Peter Stonely

of purchase and a refund less a deduction for use after that.”

ONLINE/OFF-PREMISES SALES Cancellation is of course different to rejection but it is also important to remember that there is a 14-day deadline within The Consumer Contracts Regulations (CCRs) that gives consumers the right to change their mind and cancel goods that they have bought at a distance (typically online) or off-premises. Consumers do not have a right to cancel when they buy on your business premises.

Critically, however, a customer has 14 days after the day that they receive the goods to cancel their contract with you. They do not have to say why, they can simply change their mind.

Of course, if the goods are faulty, the CRA will apply. However they would need to return the goods (at their cost) in unused condition or, at worst, only having such usage as would be required to determine whether the goods were what they wanted.

It is really important that you ensure your website, or catalogue, contains all the required information regarding cancellation.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS Any guarantees or extended warranties you offer give customers

other options but they cannot take away their consumer rights. They bought the goods from you so you are responsible for them under your contract and nothing can change that.

Also, your contract with your supplier is covered by the Sale of Goods Act 1979. The rights are roughly the same but in this case the remedy is more about covering your losses, subject to any contract terms, and you don’t have the same 30-day rejection period. This highlights the importance of good supplier

relationships to ensure prompt permission to carry out warranty work or timely supply of parts to repair the goods.

Too many complaints are simply the result of poor communications.

My advice is to promptly deal with the problem, tell the customer what you are going to do, when you are going to do it and keep them updated if anything changes – consumers generally won’t think about their rights if they feel they are being treated well and their problem is being sorted. ■ Peter Stonely For more information on the CRA, CCRs and more, please visit: www. businesscompanion.info

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JUNE 2019 39

Product news

Product News The latest in profit-making products for your showroom with Colin Williams, products editor

Urban top case 4

TCX Mood

A new sneaker-style boot, the Mood Gore-Tex are made from full-grain leather with a (surprise surprise!) Gore-Tex membrane to make them waterproof and yet still breathable to stop sweaty-foot syndrome. Protection is fitted at the toes, heel and malleolus (the lumpy bits on your ankle). The white sole is abrasion resistant and has a tread pattern said to provide excellent grip and to promote foot stability. Available in black or Vintage Brown at an SRP of £149.99.

Nevis Marketing; tel 01425 478936; www.nevis.uk.com

Viper RSV77 helmet

A new full-face helmet for budget-conscious bikers, the RSV77 is both ECE22.05 and ACU Gold approved and features a retractable sun visor with a Pinlock-ready, anti-scratch visor, a multipoint venting system and ratchet-strap closure.

Available in black/white, black/blue or black/red in sizes XS-XL for an SRP of £69.99.

Midwest Marketing; tel 01527 574442; www.midwestmarketingltd.co.uk

Vespa LED headlamp 6

NETWORK 2G Jacket

Tucano Urbano has some cool outfits for the summer heat. The Network 2G is a CE-approved mesh jacket featuring high-tenacity polyester Oxford inserts with protectors fitted at shoulder and elbow, as well as a pocket for an optional back protector.

Extra visibility is provided by a reflective strip on the back and the Tucano Urbano REFLACTIVE system, which puts reflective fold-out panels on the cuffs. Inside there’s a light mesh lining, and fit can be adjusted on the hem, elbows and cuffs.

The Network 2G jacket is available in black or light grey, in sizes S-3XL, at an SRP of £114.99.

Tucano Urbano; tel 07799 626635; www.tucanourbano.com

This new replacement LED headlamp to suit Vespa GTS/GTS Super/GT/GT L 125-300cc models from 2003-18 is a direct replacement requiring no modifications for fitting, including the loom, and is designed to keep the original looks. It has 1844 lumens high and 1067 lumens dipped beams (that’s the level of brightness, a normal 35W headlamp bulb produces around 1200 and 700 lumens respectively). It comes in a choice of colours and with a suitable headlight surround.

SIP Scootershop; tel +49 8191 96999; www.sip-scootershop.com

40 JUNE 2019

This lightweight and aerodynamic top case can be expanded to hold from 16 to 29 litres, although the expansion panel is made of flexible material rather than a hard shell. The top and bottom halves of the shell are made of rigid ABS, giving a textured finish, and inside there are a mesh storage compartment, padded panelling and a waterproof inner bag.

Closure is by a lockable zip, and there is a carry handle for offbike use and reflective details for added visibility. The case can be attached to the bike-specific Street Rack or Adventure Rack systems via a quick-release. Matching side cases are also available.

SW Motech; tel +49 6425 8168; www.sw-motech.com

Workshop accessories 6

A few new helpful bits of kit that may be useful in your own workshop, or can be sold to the home mechanics and tinkerers. The Magneto magnetic workshop tray keeps hold of steel nuts, bolts and washers to stop essential fixings going missing during repairs.

Made of stainless steel with a rubber-covered magnetic base it measures 15cm across and costs £8.99 SRP. The Solo brake bleeding kit is a universal fit and has clear tubing to see any air bubbles flowing through. An alloy one-way valve stops air being drawn back into the system. SRP is £14.99.

Oxford Products; tel 01993 862300; www.oxfordproducts.com

Blackbird Monza jacket

Blackbird has been making clothing for female motorcyclists since 2013 but has now launched its first range of men’s biking clothing, including the Monza – a distressed leather jacket with cotton lining.

The top grain, natural milled cowhide with thickness of 1.1 to 1.3mm, has a vintage look and has pockets, collar and cuffs finished with detailed trims. There are four external and five internal pockets and removable armour is fitted at shoulders, elbows and back.

Available in tan in sizes S to 4XL at an SRP of £375.

Dot4Distribution; tel 0203 514 2413; www.dot4distribution.com

www.britishdealernews.co.uk

Product news

Givi X.33 Canyon 5

Givi is best known for its luggage solutions and systems, but the Italian brand also has its own range of helmets. The new X.33 Canyon is an adventure-style modular helmet which has been certificated to be road legal in both the open and closed positions and can be switched between the two via the chinbar-mounted single-hand operation button. The helmet’s shell is made from Technopolymer and the peak is detachable using an optional kit. The anti-scratch coated visor comes with a Pinlock and there is also a drop-down sun visor. Ventilation is taken care of by twin forehead vents, a chin vent and exhaust vents on the rear of the helmet. Inside there is a removable hypoallergenic liner and provision has been made for fitment of an intercom system. Sizes range from XS to XXL and it comes in solid colours for £174.90 or in graphics for £179.90.

Givi UK; tel 01327 706220; www.givi.co.uk

Take your seat for greater dealer sales, with the UK’s no.1 seat cushion brand.

The Airhawk patented Air Cell Technology was originally developed in 1973 by Robert N. Graebe for medical applications. Today’s updated Airhawk motorcycle seat cushioning spreads FOAM or GEL

AIRHAWK

technology

evenly

weight-bearing

areas

across the seat area, relieving

dangerous pressure points and dramatically reducing numbness and/or the resulting (and potentially dangerous) rider fatigue.

Available in different designs to suit your motorcycle or riding needs.

Richa Infinity 2 Flare

ARMR Kano

Kano is a new design of adventure-style motorcycling pants made from 600D polytech fabric with ballistic material reinforcement in key areas. It has a fixed Dry Tek waterproof liner and a removable Thermoline thermal liner to keep the rider comfortable in inclement conditions and detachable braces stop them dropping to the floor in comical fashion. Other features include two waterproof pockets, adjustable fit at the waist, CE-approved protectors at the knees and a large leg zipper to make putting them on easier.

Available in black only in sizes S to 5XL in regular and short leg lengths at an SRP of £99.99.

Tri-Motive Brand Distribution; tel 01792 578500; www.tri-motive.com

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EY ON B

K AC

A new range of crankshafts to improve the performance of Lambretta Li, SX, TV and GP models, the BGM pro HPC is forged for improved strength and durability. Lubrication has been improved over OE with the big end pin having two large slots and four pockets for oil delivery and the small end having two holes. The cranks come in a range of four stroke and con-rod lengths and require a GP taper flywheel. Prices start from £184.16 SRP. VE (UK); tel 01159 462991; www.ve-trade.com

CRUISER

60-Day

GU

BGM Pro Cranks 4

DUAL SPORT

M

The Richa Infinity 2 Flare uses 3M Retro-reflective material to make it a hi-viz jacket for people who don’t want to wear hi-viz. The material appears grey in daylight but it becomes highly reflective when illuminated by an external light source. The Infinity Flare 2 also features D3O armour at the shoulders, elbows and back, a detachable thermal liner, a removable waterproof membrane and an Air Vent System (AVS). It comes in black/grey/fluo in sizes S-6XL at an SRP of £269.99.

Nevis Marketing; tel 01425 478936; www.nevis.uk.com

A

RA

NTE

E

BiKE, RiDE, Performance Bikes, Adventure Bike Rider, and more.

AIRHAWK - UK DISTRIBUTOR Call 01256 704909 or email sales@motohaus.com to take advantage of this Airhawk dealer support.

JUNE 2019 41

Product news

HM Quickshifter Blipper

Bering Creedo

The Bering Creedo jacket is made from a mixture of Buffalo leather and Serica fabric with a waterproof and breathable membrane and a removable 100g thermal liner. It has CEapproved shoulder and elbow protectors and a pocket for an optional back protector. There are six pockets – four outside, a wallet pocket and an inner pocket. It comes in brown only at an SRP of £370.

TranAm; tel 01425 620580; www.tranam.co.uk

HM Quickshifter is launching a whole new range of quickshifter / auto blipper kits in two versions – Lite and Pro. The Lite has a an adjustable shifting and back shifting program and is plug-and-play install, while the Pro kit adds a pitlane speed limiter and an auto-warmup function, as well as fully configurable programs for shifting, back shifting (auto blipping), warmup and Launch Control. The auto-warmup system controls the throttle and monitors the coolant until the engine reaches a pre-set temperature (80°C as standard). It is fully programmable with up to 50 different throttle inputs in three different temperature ranges.

For improved safety from unrequested throttle inputs or engine cutouts, the HM ECU is disconnected from the throttle circuit when not changing gear. When a shift signal is received a series of diagnostic functions checks for faults in less than a millisecond and only then does the quickshifter insert itself into the throttle circuit. An upcoming software update is promised, which will add launch control, anti-wheelie and engine brake control functions to the Pro system. The Standalone Blipper is currently available for Yamaha’s MT10 2016–on, R1 2015–on and R6 2017–on models, the Triumph 765 2017-on, Kawasaki ZX10 2017–on andBlipper Honda CBR1000 (Lite only) with more models to be added. SRPs are £500 for the Lite and £600 HM Quickshifter forHM theQuickshifter Pro. is launching two new quickshifter/auto blipper kits. The Lite kit has adjustable shifting and back shifting HM Quickshifter; tel 01795 429168; programs and is plug-and-play install,www.hmquickshifter.com while the Pro kit adds a pitlane speed limiter and an engine warmup function, as well as fully configurable programs for shifting, back shifting (auto blipping) and Launch Control. The auto-warmup system controls the throttle and monitors the coolant until the engine reaches a pre-set temperature. It is fully programmable with up to 50 different throttle inputs in three different temperature ranges.

For improved safety from unrequested throttle inputs or engine cut-outs, the HM ECU is disconnected from the throttle circuit when not changing gear. When a shift signal is received a series of diagnostic functions check for faults in less than a millisecond and only then will the quickshifter insert itself into the throttle circuit. An upcoming software update is promised, which will add launch control, anti-wheelie and engine brake control functions to the Pro system.

The standalone Blipper is currently available for Yamaha MT-10 2016-on, R1 2015-on and R6 2017-on models, the Triumph 765 2017-on, the Kawasaki ZX-10R 2017-on and the Honda CBR1000 (Lite only), with more models to be added. SRPs are £500 for the Lite and £600 for the Pro. HM Quickshifter; tel 01795 429168; www.hmquickshifter.com

Malossi performance kits 4

Italian tuning firm Malossi has launched a cylinder kit and ECU for Piaggio Liberty and Zip, and Vespa Primavera and Sprint 50cc iGet Euro 4 2018-onwards machines. The new £150.55 SRP 80cc cylinder kit is manufactured from high silicon content aluminium alloy CNC machined to a tolerance of 0.05mm. It has more efficient cooling, a lightened and reinforced piston kit and low friction piston rings. The cylinder kit must be used in conjunction with the £137.58 SRP Injtronic ECU which allows the scooter’s fuel system to be corrected for the larger capacity cylinder, as well as raising the rev limiter by 1000rpm.

VE (UK); tel 0115 946 2991, www.ve-trade.com

HJC RPHA 11 Venom

Ion tail bags

Two new additions to the Ion range of tail bags. The Ion M is a 26-36 litre capacity bag made from black 600D polyester with a non-slip underside, lockable main compartment zip and a waterproof liner bag. Fitting is by a loop strap and there is a carrying handle for off-bike convenience. The Ion L is a similar specification but in a larger size – 50 litres to be precise.

SW-Motech; tel +49 6425 8168; www.sw-motech.com

Another addition to HJC’s range of Marvel comic book inspired liveries, the RPHA 11 Venom is the second time that the shapeshifting enemy of Spiderman has adorned a HJC lid. The Venom RPHA 11 has exactly the same features as the non-superhero versions of the helmet – multi-point ventilation, anti-bacterial interior liner, twin visors and an anti-fog lens – but with added teeth.

Available in sizes XS to XXL, SRP is £499.99.

Oxford Products; tel 01993 862300; www.oxfordproducts.com

Puig Retro mirror 34

Product news

Product News

s Product New aking products

The latest in profit-m

GRIP RENTHAL’S TECH HELPS ROL, RIDERS CONT FEEL AND INTERACT WITH THEIR BIKE.

m

for your showroo

2 suit 2 Rev’It! Tornado suit, the Tornado the original Tornado

rugged A development of versatility with additional CE maintains its all-season key impact points. Rev'It! SeeFlex at and outer shell materials shoulders, knees are featured at the level-2 protectors come as standard CE level-1 protectors with a 2-in-1 elbows, SeeSmart outer shell is fitted at the hips. The mesh Tornado 2 men’s thermal liner. The in detachable rain and silver/black and sand/black black, in suit is available S-XYL, in various and trouser sizes jacket sizes S-XZL available.

2 ladies' suit is also Tornado A lengths. .

Prices on application sport.com REV’IT!; www.revit

and R-77 Alpha slip-on silencer, Yoshimura Alpha offers its SV650 Yoshimura (£499 SRP).

For the 2016 Suzuki SRP) or carbon fibre stainless steel (£425 £108 SRP. Yamaha’s XSR 900 available in either kit at system. the SV is a tail tidy with an R-77 full Also available for treatment, this time the pipework also gets the Yoshimura or carbon (£789 SRP) silencer, SRP) fans there’s the With a stainless (£699 or “works” finish. And for brand is available in a polished SRP. at £23 launched the carbonuniversal tank pad er has also recently and the The Japanese manufactur for the Honda MSX-125 (£469 SRP) (£473 SRP), system in Stainless Steel sleeved RS-2 race system, which comes SRP) and Titanium Blue 39 R-77S low-level race (£539 SRP), Titanium(£5 Black Metal Magic (£595 SRP). tel 01327 706139; Performance Parts; rts-ltd.com www.performancepa

NEW G211

cks 4 place Tirox SnapJalow-alloy steel jack locks into

off the The high-strength, lifting the rear wheel under the swing arm, stand and prop ground against the to spin freely for allowing the wheel cleaning. A secure maintenance and safe removal of the strap ensures the front brake lever in red jack, while an additional rolling. They are available and a carry pads locking strap prevents floor with two protective or blue and come discounts. with generous trade case. SRP is £47.35 -online.com 595746; www.wmd WMD; tel 01273

items

Keep our Product News section buzzing with all your latest items Send us the information we need, and we’ll put them in the mag and online. Remember, dealers need to be informed before consumers. We need trade relevant information about the item, retail pricing and up to date contact details. Plus good quality imagery. If you haven’t got suitable images, send your products to us and we can photograph them for you.

MT-10. Most MT-10 5 of accessories for Yamaha’s recently launched aero crash protectors R&G dresses the sive range and the range includes

steel a comprehen ed for this model (£27.99), stainless R&G has announced designed and manufactur £39.99), fender extender have been specifically (£34.99), engine case covers (from among many others. sliders and tail tidy (£94.99), (£67.99), bar-end shocktube (£25.49) radiator guard (£74.99), 89007; www.rg-racing.com 01420 R&G Racing; tel

Twin an Öhlins for Africa engineers have developed

Öhlins suspension a remote shock absorber with Africa STX 46 piggyback specially for Honda’s has both spring preload adjuster machine. The shock Twin adventure sport adjustment, rebound damping compression and will help the adjustability tourer, and Öhlins claims potential as an adventure realise the bike’s tarmac well on rough or of spring allowing it to perform luggage. A choice roads with or without is £875.

SRP the and is available ohlins.se; Öhlins; paul.mills@ www.ohlins.eu/en

DIRECT OEM REPLACEMENT UND DUAL COMPO GRIP STREETBIKE R 32MM DIAMETE COLOUR ALL BLACK EX.VAT RETAIL £8.50 EX.VAT TRADE £5.67

designs helmet New MT helmet go-anywhere Thunder

MT’s do-anything, versions: in two new graphic is now available tattoo-style Skull and Roses, option. the limited-edition gentle Wild Garden graphic and the more is available in kids’ sizes Garden two shell The Thunder Wild sizes XS-L (also in S, M and L and adults’ adults-only in sizes XSRoses is sizes). Skull and all priced shell sizes) and they’re 2XL (also in two at £69.99 SRP. Distribution; Tri-Motive Brand www.tri-motive.com tel 01792 578500;

spray 4 365 protector Scottoiler TMXpopular FS 365 protector spray, this is intended

Based on Scottoiler’s and, says the company, “offers robust s process”. for off-road application eases the cleaning environment and so any dirt or protection from the is water soluble, sticky residue and in 1-litre TMX 365 leaves no with water. Available washed off solely for £34.99 SRP. mud can be easily 5-litre containers of £8.99 SRP and in , more compact version pump bottles at released a lightweight SRP. Scottoiler has also Edition, at £99.95 oiler, vSystem Sport its vSystem chain ; tel 0141 955 1100; Scottoiler (Scotland) oiler.com www.scott

Bull-it SR6 seriesin the range incorporate

All the denim garments tested to six seconds a layer of Covec material, (EN13595-1). In resistance against impact-abrasion a thermal barrier addition, Covec provides and its products are friction The the heat from road llent, 12oz denim. finished in water-repe SRP), a traditional-style Hunter jacket (£199.99 and waist four front pockets, longer jacket with protectors fastenings, has CE belt and press-stud a foam back and elbows and at the shoulders XS-4XL. are protector. Sizes two styles The jeans come in pockets for with hip and knee – the optional CE protectors ladies’ Bondi (£129.99 SRP) with jean in indigo denim the and, at fade-wash finish jean same SRP, the Graphite denim oilskin for men in black Both with fade-wash finish. of a choice are available with lengths. leg Oxford Products; tel 01993 862300; .com www.oxfordproducts

All have four-piece

CE-approved armour.

range. fixed New Spada jackets collar and cuffs, a to the Feridax Spada has have been added jacket with soft-feel

its name suggests, Three new jackets is a short polyester £149.99 SRP), as - and (centre, £89.99 SRP) The Campus (right, The Air Force One collar, cuffs and hem and a quilted lining. and striped soft-feel in male and female waterproof membrane a leather torso, soft-shell arms soft-shell jacket with £89.99 SRP) is a jackets are the college-boy look The Razor II (left, arms and waist. All a back protector. lining and adjustable on line. there's a pocket for option, a fixed membrane is offered for registering sizes with back protectorand an extended two-year guarantee S-2XL ax.com available in sizes 413841; www.ferid Feridax; tel 01384

Draggin Racey

ladies’ jeans 5

-fit jeans in the Drayko As with similar slim/skinnybeen designed to look and has range, the new Racey soft-knitted lining using A impact feel like fashion jeans.

Kevlar covers all major Dyneema and DuPont resistance a minimum abrasion denim zones and provides in blue-wash stretch of 4.4 seconds. Available the back pocket. SRP is logo on with embroidered £199.99. tel 0117 9719200; The Key Collection; n.co.uk www.thekeycollectio

1369 522 79 CALL 01 cexpress.co.uk 794262 www.band uk Fax: 01522 andcexpress.co. anworth, Lincoln LN4 2DX Email: sales@b Potterh Express Ltd Post: B&C

TL 125 4 n for Scomadi

in either stainlessto the range is available official Scorpion all This latest addition finish and, as with steel, black, or titanium with a lifetime warranty. exhausts, it is supplied range includes SRP is £299. The scooters and most popular 125 the larger motorcycles and models. capacity Vespa GT/GTS 946 2991; VE (UK); tel 0115 www.ve-trade.com

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www.britishdealernews.co.uk 42 JUNE 2019

Product news

With aerodynamic styling said to be based on the nosecone of commercial aircraft, the new Retro mirror from Puig is a direct replacement for many OE items with an M10 thread. It is three-way adjustable, machined from billet aluminium and comes in black or silver anodised finishes at €78 SRP per side.

Puig; www.puig.tv

DAILY | WEEKLY | MONTHLY | YEARLY www.britishdealernews.co.uk

41 AUGUST 2016

Sealey tool storage 5

Ideal for brightening up a Kawasaki or KTM enthusiast’s workshop, Sealey’s new rollcab tool box comes powder coated in a choice of orange or green rust-resistant and solvent-resistant paint. It is made from heavy gauge steel with steel inner walls for extra strength and durability and has perforated side panels for hanging tools and accessories. The drawers use 45mm ball bearing slides so they can carry heavier loads and they have a new “push-to-open” action, making operation easy even with full hands. The rollcabs are fitted with 125mm castors – two swivel locking, and two fixed – and the top and corners are coated with plastic to avoid damage. The units have cylinder locks and are supplied with two keys for security. The rollcabs are usually £755.94 SRP but are currently available on promotion for £515.94 SRP. Sealey; tel 01284 757500; www.sealey.co.uk

Spidi Solar Net Sport

With summer fast approaching, a mesh jacket could be just the thing to tempt customers in when the mercury rises. The Solar Net Sport jacket allows a cooling breeze in through its multitudinous mesh panels, but an optional H2Out waterproof and breathable membrane and a Thermo liner are available to make it more suited to the variable British climates.

The jacket is CE certified and includes a clip to attach to jeans or pants. Reflective sections improve night-time visibility and the waist and cuffs are adjustable for a better fit. It comes in sizes S to 3XL in red, grey/black and fluo yellow colourways at an SRP of €189.90.

Spidi UK; tel 01384 413841; www.spidi.com

Retro clothing is all the rage right now, so Weise has launched two new garments to keep itself on-trend – the Outlaw jacket and Tundra jeans.

The jacket has a 600D textile outer shell with removable CE-approved armour at the shoulders, elbows and back. A breathable waterproof and windproof lining keeps the damp out and a removable 120g quilted thermal liner keeps the warmth in. To keep a snug fit there are neoprene-trimmed collar, waist and cuffs with Velcro straps for adjustment. Available in black or grey in sizes S to 3XL for £149.99 SRP. The Tundra jeans are made from stretch denim with double stitched seams and a 250g Aramid lining.

Removable CE-approved armour is fitted at the knees and there are pockets to take optional hip protectors.

They are a classic fit with a semi-boot cut and come in a choice of black or blue. Sizes are S-4XL in regular or short leg versions at an SRP of £99.99.

The Key Collection; tel 01179 719200; www.thekeycollection.co.uk

Exhaust for Vespa

Italian scooter performance brand Pinasco has developed the Exxy Euro 4-approved sport exhaust for the Vespa GTS 300. The design is said to be inspired by the trumpets used in MotoGP and is made of polished stainless steel with a black anodized CNC aluminium endcap.

The maker claims it enhances engine performance without affecting vehicle reliability and as it is Euro 4 approved it can be fitted without having to update the registration certificate. SRP is £352.68.

Pinasco; www.pinascostore.com

All rise for BMW R nineT 4

Hornig has some new alloy handlebar risers to fit the BMW R nineT, R nineT Scrambler, Pure and Urban G/S models. The risers add an extra 25mm in height and also bring the ‘bars 23mm further back towards the rider.

SRP is €119. Also new to Hornig’s parts list are mirror extensions for the BMW R1200RS and R1250RS models which move the mirrors approximately 50mm higher and 20mm outwards. They come in black for an SRP of €149 per pair.

Hornig; tel 0049 9971 99 66 10; www.motorcycleparts-hornig.com

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FULL RANGE OF ROAD HARD PARTS AND ACCESSORIES

JUNE 2019 43

Product news

Weise Retro 64

Product news

Schuberth C4 Pro 3

A new model to replace the C4, the C4 Pro looks similar but has multiple changes under the skin. An all-new interior features a comfort lining said to improve the fit and it has been designed to accommodate glasses. A thicker neck roll reduces wind noise and the wide-aperture visor is fitted with a Pinlock 120 with reinforced pins. Speakers and microphone are built in and slots are fitted to accommodate an SC1 communication system.

Available in sizes XS to 3XL, the C4 Pro costs £529.99 SRP for plain colours or £599.99 SRP for graphic options.

TranAm; tel 01425 620580; www.tranam.co.uk

Muc-Off pressure washer

Claiming to be the world’s first bike-specific pressure washer, this new device from Muc-Off has been tailored for use with both bicycles and motorcycles and the manufacturer says it is safe to use on bearings and suspension parts. It uses a 1200W carbon brush motor with a max flow rate of 6.5 litres per minute at a maximum pressure of 100 bar housed in an impact-resistant plastic casing. It comes with three lances – one for bicycles, a higher pressure one for motorcycles and an adjustable pressure one for heavier grime – for an SRP of £79.99. A kit consisting of washer, the three lances, a lowpressure snow foam lance, a litre of Nano Tech cleaner and a carry case is £99.99 SRP. Muc-Off; tel 01202 307790; www.muc-off.com

Universal Regulator Rectifier

The RMStators Universal regulator rectifier is compatible only with lithium-ion batteries and uses MOSFET technology to decrease significantly the operation temperature. It is claimed to have half the ripple voltage of competitors (less than 4V, compared with around 8V). RMStator also says its regulator rectifier provides optimal lithium battery charging, thanks to a tightly controlled average output voltage. It is compatible with most 12.8v powersport lithium-ion batteries and has an SRP of £134.99.

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

Mivv M3 exhaust 4

Mivv is making the most of the experience it has gained working with Snipers Team in Moto3 by launching a new racing-style exhaust for sports machinery.

The M3 is styled to be reminiscent of the brand’s racing systems and comes in carbon fibre, black ceramic coated stainless steel or natural stainless steel finishes, with a titanium version being considered for production.

Gas flow through the silencer has been optimised to improve engine breathing and consequently power gains are claimed. The M3 fits numerous sports and naked machinery including the Honda Fireblade, Ducati Monster, Suzuki GSX-R1000 and the Aprilia Tuono V4. At present, it is a track-only system, however Euro 4 certification is expected in the near future.

Moto GB Distribution; tel 0706 212102; www.mivv.it

Furygan summer outfit

Furygan has introduced the Glenn jacket and C12 trousers for summer riding. The Glenn is made from buffalo leather with D30 protection at the elbows and shoulders, as well as a back protector pocket compatible with D3O Furygan back protectors. There’s a removable thermal lining for when the temperatures drop, and there are three outside pockets and one inside for stashing essentials. It is available in sizes S to 4XL, at an SRP of £339.99.

The C12 are jeans-style biking pants made from stretch denim cotton with Aramid fibres on the seat and D3O protection at the hips and knees. The knee protectors are adjustable, with three different height options to guarantee a comfortable placement. They come in black, navy blue or khaki green in EU sizes 36 to 50 at an SRP of £149.99.

Nevis Marketing; tel 01425 478936; www.nevis.uk.com

Sena Savage

The Savage is the first open-face helmet with full Bluetooth 4.1 capability built-in. Sena, best known for its comms systems, has packed a full system into the fibre glass shell to provide bike-to-bike comms, phone calls, GPS and FM radio or Mp3 music. Bluetooth speakers and a microphone are hidden in the upper rim of the helmet and a Jog Dial control is fitted on the shell for gloved-hand operation. The helmet charges in around three hours and has an operating time of up to 11 hours. The Savage comes with a choice of long or short peaks, and comes in sizes M to XL in matt black. SRP is £289.99.

Motohaus Powersports; tel 01256 704909; www.motohaus.com

44 JUNE 2019

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Product news

Tried and Tested

100% Armega 5

100% is a US maker of motocross and cycling eyewear and apparel, and has launched a brace of new goggle models called Armega. The new goggles feature what the manufacturer says are Ultra HD shatterproof lenses with exceptional clarity and zero distortion. They are also available with HiPER contrast-enhancing lenses which are said to improve depth perception and detail. The dual-injection frames hold the lenses at six retention points for added security, but with two push-lock latching points to allow quick lens swaps. A new sweat management system moves perspiration away from the triple density face foam to outside of the goggle and air inlets increase cooling and reduce fogging. A 48mm strap with silicon beading keeps the goggles in the right place. The Armega comes in two versions – Lightsaber, with white frame and strap and a clear lens for £89.99 SRP, or with a red mirror lens for £99.99; and Falcon 5 with a black frame and strap with the HiPer lens for £119.99 SRP. Silverfish UK; tel 01752 855145; www.silverfish-uk.com

Rayven Scotty

A new CE-approved textile jacket, the Scotty is made from a 600D Polytex shell with a waterproof membrane mesh lining, plus there is a zip-out thermal liner. Protection comes in the form of armour at elbows and shoulders, a foam back protector (an optional CE back protector is also available) and reflective stripes on the arms and chest. To keep things cool and fresh there are vents on the front and rear, and to keep odds and ends in check there are numerous pockets. The Scotty comes in Vintage Grey/black in sizes S to 7XL at an SRP of £124.99.

Midwest Marketing; tel 01527 574422; www.midwestmarketingltd.co.uk

. . . y r t s u d n i e th

Eleveit touring boot range

A new brand to the UK, but Eleveit is an Italian firm that has been making clothing, gloves and boots at its factory a few miles from Venice for over 30 years. UK distributor Tri-Motive is bringing the boots to the UK, and its first arrival is the Touring line (there are also Racing, Urban and Cafe Racer lines to come) which consists of 11 different models. We were sent a pair of the innovative, and somewhat unusual looking, Versus shorty touring boots to put through their paces.

The Versus has looks reminiscent of early-1990s Nike Air Jordan basketball boots, with the red trim and white midsole adding a flash of colour to break up the black full-grain leather uppers. Out of the box they feel sturdier than their trainer-style appearance first suggests. Putting them on is made quick and easy thanks to the Freelock one-touch lacing system – turning the tongue-mounted dial tightens the single fishing-line-thin lace, clicking the dial outwards releases the lace. Walking around in the boots is comfortable and the looks mean that if paired with jeans they could pass muster in any trendy cafe.

The stiff sole helps them to wear well on the bike, spreading the pressure from the foot peg across the entire sole, making gearchanges and rear braking tactile experiences. And protection on the boot has not been skimped, with armoured reinforcement panels at the heel counter, toebox and both the inner and outer malleolus (ankle bones). Dry weather throughout the test means the boots’ waterproof capabilities at speed couldn’t be tested, but standing in a puddle of water for a couple of minutes showed no leakage through the E-Dry waterproof membrane.

The Versus boots come in UK sizes 7-12 and they are sized quite generously, especially for an Italian boot. SRP is £159.99.

The rest of the touring range covers the more traditional styles of boots in both men’s and ladies’ styles.

The off-road styling of the T Spirit comes in three different versions, the Ventex Air are sport-style suede and textile short boots and the T Sport are another sporty short boot, but this time with waterproof microfibre construction. The T Expert WR is a waterproof full-height leather and suede boot while the T Air is a touring boot for hotter climes made from microfibre and breathable Cordura. Female riders have a choice of the traditional T Lady waterproof boot or the more stylish Lady Rider full leather boot with a heel.

Tri-Motive Brand Distribution; Lady Rider tel 01792 578500; www.tri-motive.com

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DeFazio column

DeFazio I

used to have this friend. Named Tony.

His surname was Bates, so we called him Master. Naturally, he didn’t much like his risqué sobriquet, and naturally that simply prompted us to keep the wound bleeding.

Having said that, he gave as good as he got. Or almost.

He wasn’t all that bright.

Somewhere along the road we parted company. Amicably as I remember. The road we were on simply forked, and he forked off one way, and I forked off the other.

Anyway, Master Bates and yours truly used to hang around together in the usual way. Visiting the local motorcycle shops. Cruising in my Cortina. Scoping for girls. Looking for laughs.

Sitting around on street corners mindlessly bored and swapping dirty jokes.

We were still on the right side of twenty, incidentally, and (in his dipso family tradition) he’d fairly recently discovered boozing and was in the habit of crawling the pubs and supping the suds. East End of London pubs, that is. Not the toughest in the country, despite the popular misconception. But the odd gertcha punch-up and murder wasn’t exactly unknown – such as when, in 1966, Ronnie Kray shot dead George Cornell in The Blind Beggar on Whitechapel Road. Cornell was one of the equally infamous Richardson Gang and, within the context of hoodlum territorial warfare and villainous feuding, he had it coming – and he got it above the right eye courtesy of a 9mm bullet.

Plenty of folk, I might add, saw Ronnie pull the trigger. But no-one would crook their own trigger finger in court. Eventually, however, Psycho Ron also got what was coming to him, and you know the rest.

PUB-CRAWLING LIFESTYLE Anyway, I wasn’t much of a boozer then, and I ain’t much now. But I occasionally accompanied Master Bates into most of the parochial watering holes such as The Grave Maurice (another Kray Twins hangout), the Salmon & Ball (where my old man used to drink back in the sixties), the Marquis of Cornwallis (yet another Kray Twins dive), and any number of other gin joints within our orbit.

However, our joint pub crawling lifestyle (such as it was for me) was short-lived, and that’s simply because it got too bleedin’ dangerous.

Master Bates, I soon discovered, kept getting into rucks with the other drinkers – and part of the reason for that was because he was also well aware of the reputation rightly (and often wrongly) associated with whatever hostelry whose threshold he happened to cross.

He’d push open the door, hesitate, catch a whiff of the alcohol fumes, look back at me and (in a ponderous tone of voice) say something like: “Bloke got glassed in here last month,” or “This

46 JUNE 2019

A sideways look at the world of motorcycling, from journalist Danny DeFazio

place is full of troublemakers.” And the moment he was on the carpet he would start scanning for whoever might be looking for a scrap. In pretty much every instance it seemed to me that everyone was minding his or her own business and talking with their friends or canoodling or checking the football pools or just staring vacantly at the flock wallpaper.

But Master Bates had eyes like a sniper and would fix his own sights on whoever had merely glanced his way and strafe them with paranoiac hostility. That in turn stimulated the primitive self-defence circuits of anyone with testicles (and a few people without), any of whom might have

“When your sales are flagging and your audience is (rightly) suffering from attention deficit, crank up the old scaremongering machine” been related to the Krays or the Richardsons.

More than once I’d (firmly) grabbed Tony’s arm and urgently navigated him to a quiet corner of the pub and faced him against a flyblown boxing poster or a framed and faded snapshot of a Bethnal Green tram. And more than once I had to manoeuvre him out of the pub completely and remove him to the relatively safety of the aforementioned Cortina.

PRIZE-WINNING SHINER One time I bumped into him ambling along Hackney Road and saw that he had a bottom lip like a water melon and a prize-winning shiner.

“Royal Oak, Saturday night,” was all he said. And of course, he’d got exactly what he’d programmed himself to receive. The shrinks call it the behavioural confirmation effect.

Now fast forward to, say, last week when I’m perusing the online news pages of the motorcycle and motoring world and stumble across the headlines reading: THE 10 MOST DANGEROUS ROADS IN THE COUNTRY, and BRITAIN’S MOST DANGEROUS ROADS, and REVEALED: THE UK’S RISKIEST STREETS. Etc. It’s not the first time I’ve read this stuff. It’s seasonal.

And yes, they’re all at it these days; editors, journos and webmasters busting a gut to get some meaningful news on the online or print

pages. And naturally, frightening the crap out of your readers/visitors is where it’s at. When your sales are flagging and your audience is (rightly) suffering from attention deficit, crank up the old scaremongering machine. A few choice lines of ignorant verbiage speculating upon risk, disaster and sundry forms of jeopardy should tide you over until you can contrive a link between CANCER AND MOTORCYCLING or the 15 WAYS YOU COULD GET KILLED IN THE GARAGE. Like George Cornell, the consumer motorcycle press deserves a figurative bullet for some of its stories, such as the one posted in December 2017 headed: DON’T GO FOR A RIDE ON TUESDAY 2 JANUARY. The text reads: “If you go for a ride on Tuesday 2 January 2018, there’s a 5% higher chance that you’ll crash your bike and be killed than if you ride tomorrow [Thursday 14 December 2017]. The same goes for 31 January, 2 March, 31 March, 30 April and every 29.5 days after that. Why? Because research in the British Medical Journal has shown that you have a 5.49% higher chance of a fatal crash on a full moon. It’s even worse on a super moon.”

DANGEROUS ROADS Jesus. And if that ain’t just begging the God’s of Fate to swipe down and splatter you all over the highway, I don’t know what is.

Right now, at least two of the more prominent UK biking publications (come on, put your hands up) are carrying stories suggesting that NINE OF THE TEN MOST DANGEROUS ROADS IN THE UK ARE IN LONDON, which is probably every bit as true as it’s false.

By the same misplaced statistical logic, you might as well advise people to avoid drinking in The Blind Beggar because they might get shot.

In other words, playing these kinds of actuarial games only tells us what happened at a given place under a given set of circumstances to a given demographic, and circumstances are constantly changing. Fact is, some folk are far more likely than others to get creamed on the road because they’re stupid/careless/unlucky, and so on. Other folk are way different and will cruise on and on past the mayhem and murder.

Looked at another way, the average ignores the specific. And yes, I’ve mentioned this before in this column; that stats are for statisticians, not the ignorati.

But aside from the fact that stuffing people’s heads with this self-fulfilling prophecy nonsense only risks putting more bodies on the slab, it also undermines the biking business as a whole. Once again, it needs reiterating that the underlying responsibility of the biking press is to further the general interests of biking and help drive sales, and it can’t serve that end by constantly telling us how dangerous everything is when you’re on two or four wheels and thereby reinforce our morbid expectations.

If editors and journos really must keep repeating the same old same old, year in year out, they might try delicately reminding us that the vast majority of riders WON’T DIE ON THE TEN MOST DANGEROUS STRIPS OF TARMAC and that EVERY INCH OF ROAD IS AS DANGEROUS AS THE NEXT. In short, cut the master baiting, please. There are enough w@nker$’s in the world as it is. ■

www.britishdealernews.co.uk

DeFazio column

JUNE 2019  47

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Classified Directory

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CLASSIFIED LINEAGE ■ WANTED: REDUNDANT STOCK! NEW AND USED, BURNT, BASHED OR CRASHED BIKES CLEAR OUT NOW! ANYTHING CONSIDERED JUST EMAIL LIST AND PRICE NOW! Email: premiumpartstmb@yahoo.com ■ AUCTION: YOUR WORKSHOP/STORES CLUTTER AUCTIONED SPRING AND AUTUMN IN LINCOLN. COLLECTED WITHIN 50 MILE RADIUS. NEXT AUCTION SAT 11TH MAY. Ben Bowser: 07890 516568; Facebook: One Two Wheels Auction ■ STOCK SELL OFF – LARGE QUANTITY: DUCATI, BENELLI, LAVERDA, MORINI, CAGIVA, JAPANESE, BRITISH, BMW, MZ ETC. STOCK LIST AVAILABLE. SELL OR EXCHANGE. NME Italia; tel 07833 906288 / 01268 710946 ■ TRADE BUYERS OF MOTORCYCLE WORKSHOP CLEAR-OUTS: WE BUY USED, INSURANCE REPLACED AND NOS PARTS. JAPANESE, AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN BRANDS WANTED. NATIONWIDE COLLECTION. Call 07941 851 992 or email enquiries@motorbike-breakers.com Get shot of those obsolete spares, redundant tools and workshop British Dealer News will turn unwanted items in to cash. Remember, what you don’t want someone else does!

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Job Scene

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SELF-EMPLOYED

AGENT

Self-employed Agent required to join family business promoting sales of well-known oil brand ‘Rock Oil’.

Due to our continued growth and success we are looking for two fully qualified, experienced Motorcycle Technicians to join our workshop team on the Wiltshire/Dorset border, in our premium multi franchised dealership.

Moto Corsa is an official dealer for MV Agusta, Brough Superior, Royal Enfield, Benelli, Energica, Moto Guzzi and Aprilia.

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Knowledge of the oil business not necessary as all required help and assistance will be given. The Ideal candidate will already have small portfolio of products calling on bike shops in the South/South East.

Call in confidence on 01293 417596

The suitable candidate should ideally be qualified to NVQ level 3 or C & G equivalent or higher and have a minimum of 3 years mechanical experience – either automotive or motorcycle.

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A full bike and car licence is essential. If you are a qualified MOT tester that would be advantageous although not necessary but you must have the criteria to become an MOT tester. MotoCorsa is treats training very highly – both as a retail shop and training of dealers for our imported product. Therefore, occasional nights away from home will be required.

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APPLY Please send CV and covering letter to david@motocorsa.co.uk

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JUNE 2019 53

Financial column

On the Money Market analysis with Roger Willis

G

rowing a business from start-up to serious contender requires original ideas, skills, vision and money. Lots and lots of money.

For entrepreneurs holding only finite personal wealth, the latter necessity now usually means splitting potential prosperity with investors who have been invited to acquire a slice of the action – rather than struggling to rely on commercial loan and overdraft funding from increasingly tight-fisted banks. Unfortunately, this avenue is becoming difficult to navigate.

Broadly speaking, two mainstream choices have replaced high-street lenders. The first is an initial public offer (IPO) of shares sold through small-cap bourses with less onerous compliance demands, such as the London Stock Exchange (LSE) Alternative Investment Market (AIM).

The second is seeking venture capital input and structured debt, typically from a private equity firm.

Italian electric motorcycle brand Energica is a good example, having moved through all these aforementioned phases. Now wellknown for its starring role as controlbike provider for MotoGP promoter Dorna’s MotoE support series, Energica remains a relatively small company short of developmental resources and production capacity.

Energica started life in 2014 as a spin-off subsidiary of the Cevolini family’s Modena-based automotive engineering concern CRP Group, a developer and manufacturer of highend materials, parts and component assemblies for racing cars, most

notably in Formula One. Energica was founded by Roberto Cevolini, now head of CRP, and his sister Livia, who became its chief executive. Both are well-qualified engineers. And besides her CRP career, Livia had picked up motorcycle industry experience running race squads for off-road bike brand Fantic Motor.

Initially funded by CRP dosh, Energica obtained additional finance in 2016 with an IPO on the Borsa Italiana’s AIM Italia small-cap offshoot in Milan. (Both are owned

by LSE.) This floated 1.65 million shares extracted from an outstanding total of 16.09 million to raise £4.6m, putting slightly more than 10% of the company in public hands.

But when another cash call was deemed necessary this year, Energica changed course. Instead of going back to AIM Italia, it cut a deal with UK-based Disruption Investment Platform (DIP). This is a venture capital fund geared to newtech businesses under the auspices of private equity firm Platina Partners, which has its head office in London’s salubrious Berkeley Square plus outposts all over Europe. Platina’s DIP paid £1.7m for a stake of about 6% according to my estimate, based

on a formula of 85% of Energica’s share price averaged over the past three months. An additional £1.3m was added to Cevolini coffers in the form of a two-year convertible bond earning DIP 5% per annum.

FAILURE-STREWN PATH Why these transactions were preferable – and easier for Energica – becomes obvious in the light of UK private equity players’ urgent desire to park their investment capital safely in eurozone opportunities, rather than sterling deals at home.

If e-mobility was the prime attraction, Britain’s Arc has a credible Vector electric motorcycle project scheduled for production in 2020, should prerequisite finance be available.

However, venture capitalists of the DIP ilk pointedly haven’t knocked on Arc’s door, so it’s condemned to the desperately failure-strewn path of crowdfunding.

The crucial factor is, of course, Brexit – or rather interminable uncertainties engendered by its lack of any outcome whatsoever over the past three years. Private equity practitioners are a pretty sanguine lot. Political convictions about the

“The sort of investor partnership Stuart Garner has assiduously resisted to date is essential if Norton is to advance’”

pros and cons of Britain leaving the EU have little relevance for them. The key issue, particularly in relation to their primary leveraged buy-out (LBO) activity, is getting acquisition or share-stake investments right against a background of unfathomable currency-translation volatility risk.

Successful LBOs involve takeover at sensible prices, massaging value upwards through extra pump-priming capital injections plus productivity and cost efficiencies, and then exiting profitably either through an IPO or selling on privately. But entry overhead calculations for LBOs of British targets are now uncomfortably vague, because any sudden Brexitinduced plunge of the pound against euro or US dollar would send them haywire.

The absence of Brexit clarity is therefore aiming smart investors into mainland Europe, where private equity deal-making was 13% up last year to £55.4bn, while the UK was 12% down to £14.5bn. Large London-domiciled but US-managed private equity firm Metric Capital recently admitted that it hadn’t touched an LBO in Britain since the 2016 referendum. Others have only made exceptions when the target company accrues most of its revenue from global sources in more reliable currencies – such as the recent £4.6bn move on UK-based maritime satellite communications giant Inmarsat by Apax Partners and Warburg Pincus.

Platina’s parallel investments to Energica, where UK-based, are in the same internationalist league.

SHARE PRICES - 24 MAY 2019 USA (US dollar) Harley-Davidson Polaris Textron Curtiss

Price

Daily change

52-week range

34.50 86.34 47.56 0.11

+0.70% -0.15% +0.27% -76.60%

46.79 - 31.36 131.25 - 70.27 72.87 - 43.27 1.50 - 0.07

One year return

-15.31% -22.16% -28.45% -75.56%

Notes: Polaris makes Indian bikes, ATVs, snowmobiles, quadricycles and EVs. Textron produces own-brand ATVs. Curtiss Motorcycles, formerly Confederate Motors, makes limited-edition cruisers.

CANADA (Canadian dollar) BRP 37.65 -0.61%

74.78 - 32.34

-32.65%

Notes: Bombardier Recreational Products makes Can-Am ATVs and road trikes, Ski-Doo snowmobiles, Sea-Doo PWC and Rotax proprietary engines.

VIETNAM (Hong Kong dollar) VMEPH 0.23 N/A

0.47 - 0.22

-47.36%

Notes: Vietnam Manufacturing & Export Processing Holdings, a JV partner of SYM, is the third-largest Vietnamese bike manufacturer.

SOUTH KOREA (won) KR 531 Daelim 103,000

-1.12% -0.96%

760 - 460 -24.68% 108,000 - 72,300 +22.60%

Notes: KR Motors makes Hyosung bikes and ATVs. Daelim Industrial retains a controlling 59% stake in Daelim Motor, the largest bike manufacturer in Korea. (The remainder is British, owned by Standard Chartered Bank.)

INDONESIA (rupiah) Astra 7150 Indomobil 2650

+0.70% +1.92%

8775 - 6100 4780 - 1550

+1.86% -13.51%

Notes: Astra International is a Honda JV partner. Its controlling shareholder is British conglomerate Jardine Matheson. Indomobil Sukses Internasional is a Suzuki JV partner.

EUROPE (euro) BMW VW KTM Piaggio Energica

Price

Daily change

63.87 144.45 52.00 2.51 2.41

+1.03% +1.30% N/A +1.87% +2.55%

52-week range

One year return

88.29 - 62.76 -22.90% 169.20 - 128.60 -10.70% 70.00 - 51.50 -11.37% 2.78 - 1.69 +22.06% 5.92 - 2.15 -19.13%

Notes: Volkswagen Group owns Ducati. Energica Motor is an Italian manufacturer of electric superbikes

PAKISTAN (Pakistani rupee) Atlas Honda 395.00 -0.49% Pak Suzuki 258.00 -0.46%

624.00 - 360.00 460.00 - 170.00

-35.77% -42.41%

Notes: Atlas Honda and Pak Suzuki are JV assembly partners.

INDIA (rupee) Hero Bajaj TVS Eicher Mahindra Maharashtra Scooters India

2828.45 3077.90 491.05 20,850.65 665.45 4107.20 24.80

+3.1% +0.42% +2.52% +2.61% +4.06% +0.41% -4.06%

3819.00 - 2475.00 -16.48% 3213.95 - 2420.00 +14.91% 609.95 - 448.30 -8.88% 31,499.00 - 18,205.00 -29.07% 993.00 - 597.20 -20.42% 4143.80 - 2010.00 +61.32% 62.50 - 24.10 -54.24%

Notes: Hero MotoCorp is India’s largest indigenous bike manufacturer. Bajaj has a major shareholding in KTM and ties with it and Kawasaki. TVS is a former Suzuki JV partner and BMW Motorrad contractor. Eicher makes the Royal Enfield brand. Mahindra & Mahindra has an own-brand bike range, a majority stake in French scooter brand Peugeot and owns formerly British BSA and Czech Jawa brand rights. Maharashtra Scooters assembles CKD scooter kits manufactured by Bajaj. Scooters India makes Vikram three-wheeled taxis and light trucks.

MALAYSIA (ringgit) Oriental Holdings 6.66 Hong Leong 10.86

-0.15% +0.74%

6.88 - 5.82 12.30 - 8.42

+10.17% -6.56%

Price

Daily change

52-week range

JAPAN (yen) Honda Yamaha Suzuki Kawasaki

2790 1888 5276 2472

-0.59% +0.53% +3.21% +0.32%

3644 - 2733 3300 - 1843 7680 - 4521 3595 - 2198

-18.11% -38.50% -14.46% -26.65%

CHINA (yuan) Qianjiang Zongshen Sundiro Jialing Lifan Loncin Linhai GAG CFMoto

9.56 6.52 2.20 5.78 5.23 4.29 7.45 10.82 20.19

-0.93% +1.88% +0.46% -2.03% +1.95% +2.14% +2.34% -0.64% -1.99%

16.87 - 7.50 10.57 - 4.08 5.70 - 2.09 8.12 - 3.52 9.65 - 3.65 5.90 - 3.61 10.26 - 4.90 15.00 - 10.00 27.09 - 14.01

-40.95% +17.56% -60.71% +5.09% -15.51% -25.56% -15.63% -15.07% -20.46%

8.96 - 5.30

-11.16%

CHINA (Hong Kong dollar) Jianshe 6.05 -1.79%

One year return

Notes: Qianjiang owns Keeway and Benelli. Zongshen makes own-brand bikes and proprietary engines, and has JV partnerships with Piaggio, (scooters), and Harley-Davidson (parts). Sundiro is a Honda JV partner. Jialing makes own-brand bikes using Honda licensed technology. Lifan makes own-brand bikes and distributes MV Agusta in China. Loncin is a Kawasaki JV partner and OEM engine contractor to BMW Motorrad. Linhai and Jianshe are Yamaha JV partners. Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAG) is the parent of Honda JV partner and own-brand bike manufacturer Wuyang. CFMoto makes bikes and ATVs, exporting to the UK under the WK Bikes brand.

TAIWAN (Taiwanese dollar) SYM 21.75 +1.40%

23.50 - 19.35

+9.11%

Notes: Sanyang Motor (SYM) is the leading Taiwanese bike manufacturer.

Notes: Oriental Holdings is a Honda JV partner. Hong Leong Industries is a Yamaha JV partner.

54 JUNE 2019

www.britishdealernews.co.uk

Sell more Finance

It’s definitely turning into a oneway street, not least in the biking TopBanner.indd 4 firmament.

A team from Dutch private equity firm Torqx Capital Partners showed up at the UK’s Motorcycle Trade Expo this January.

Torqx, which generally concentrates on investments in the Benelux countries, has built up a portfolio of motorcycle parts wholesalers in the Netherlands and Belgium – AFAM, Hoco Parts and Motoria – under its Powersports Distribution Group banner. On an incognito basis, we learnt they were in buy-out discussions with a British parts distributor exhibiting at Expo. Absolutely nothing transpired, though. Presumably a valuation and deal was impossible to conclude in the current febrile climate.

GLOBAL LEADER France is a hotbed of private equity activism too, more than doubling since 2015 and worth £14.1bn in 2018. But it has a progressively studied disinterest in the UK. Acting in unison, biker-focused French private equity firms Eurazeo PME and Naxicap Partners have assembled the Shark, Bering, Bagster and Segura helmet, apparel and accessories brands into 2 Ride Holding. With an ambition to become a global leader in “protective equipment for the motorcycle market”, recent expansion of 2 Ride Holding didn’t even merit a glance past the white cliffs of Dover. Staying on safer eurozone territory, Eurazeo and Nazicap went to Italy. There, they bought out Nolan Group – spanning the Nolan, X-Lite and Grex

25JUNE%

helmet brands – from long-term local parent Helmet Invest.

13/12/2018 In a similar spirit after the Brexit referendum, French insurance giant Groupama swiftly dumped its previously cherished and extremely successful UK specialist bike broker Carole Nash, given the majority of Carole Nash’s revenue is sterlingdenominated.

Foreign disposal of existing UK assets and a hiatus in acquisition of new fodder by speculative investors doesn’t bode well for British companies in stark need of funding their growth strategies. Stuart Garner’s Norton edifice is a case in point.

Having wriggled around on the contents of his own wallet and by deposit-taking from customers long before their bikes were actually bolted together, Garner now has a freshly conceived 650cc product capable of attracting mass sales. But to exploit the openings it offers, and drag himself out of the niche hole he has dug for the Norton brand, won’t be cheap. We’re back to money, lots and lots of money, to develop proper franchised dealer network distribution and asssemble sufficient inventory to feed those outlets.

Put bluntly, the sort of investor partnership Garner has assiduously resisted to date is essential if Norton is to advance and prosper. The alternative is disappearance again, in a chaotic welter of over-trading without enough working capital.

Sadly, unpopularity of the Brexit era among the steadily Europe-facing investment community suggests both time and place are wrong. 

DAMAGING ASSAULT ON FREE TRADE While domestic political meltdown may have distracted UK attention during May, a far wider threat than our Brexit floundering reared its ugly head elsewhere. Just as US-China trade talks seemed ready to reach an amicable conclusion over tit-for-tat tariff combat, any chance of consensus suddenly vanished. The negotiations swung from imminent agreement to stalemate and then complete collapse, with both sides levelling accusations of bad faith.

Worse was to follow. In a blatantly mercantile move concealed behind his favourite mantra of “national security” concerns, President Trump blacklisted Chinese telecoms and tech giant Huawei – the world’s second-largest smartphone manufacturer. Besides being abruptly excluded from the American market and potentially those of subjugate US allies, Huawei was blocked from employing US-sourced electronic components and software such as Google’s Android operating system too. The White House went on to threaten a number of other Chinese

tech companies on the same grounds.

Investment bank analysts at bigleague players such as Goldman Sachs, Nomura and JP Morgan Chase reacted with dismay and have begun openly pricing-in the consequences of a protracted US protectionist trade war in their advice to clients. Stocktrading volatility has become the new normal with panic sell-offs increasingly frequent, punctuating almost every week. Diminishing confidence in equities has prompted investors to run for cover, parking their money in safehaven government bonds instead.

Value is now being sucked out of a swathe of industries globally, not least those focused on the automotive and associated motorcycling firmament.

In addition, negative sentiment is inevitably spreading to consumers, who will face restricted and more costly purchase choices as America seeks to demonise all Chinese-made goods. If this all-out assault on free trade continues, everybody will be hurt, ironically including the Americans.

12:06

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Top Twenty April 2019

1. Yamaha R1 _____________________ 56,095 2. Yamaha R6 _____________________ 47,951 3. Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade ______ 47,469 4. Triumph Street Triple _____________ 43,706 5. Harley-Davidson Sportster ________ 41,559 6. Triumph Tiger __________________ 40,582 7. BMW S1000RR __________________ 35,417 8. Triumph Bonneville ______________ 34,292 9. Triumph Speed Triple ____________ 34,014 10.BMW R1200GS __________________ 33,088

11.Yamaha MT-07 __________________ 32,905 12.Ducati Monster _________________ 32,816 13.Honda CBR600RR _______________ 31,543 14.Harley-Davidson Softail ___________ 29,628 15.Suzuki GSXR600 ________________ 29,233 16.KTM Duke _____________________ 28,172 17.Kawasaki ZX-6R _________________ 27,766 18.Suzuki GSXR750 ________________ 27,579 19.Suzuki GSXR1000 _______________ 27,335 20.Yamaha MT-09 __________________ 25,220

As we head into summer, the weather improves and the biking events and sports season get into full flow it’s natural to see an upswing in interest in bikes of all types, and that’s reflected by the most popular motorcycle searches on Auto Trader in April.

The number of searches is up across the board compared with March and although there’s little change in the ranking of the most popular model searches the growth in overall volume is impressive, with the top six racking up more than 40,000 hits each, compared with just the top five the previous month.

But it’s Yamaha’s perennially popular R1 which still leads the way, almost 10,000 searches ahead of its nearest rival, now its smaller sibling, the R6,

although Honda’s Fireblade continues to attract interest, as do Triumph’s Street Triple, Tiger and Bonneville and BMW’s S1000RR and adventure king, the R1200 and 1250GS. Paul Edmondson Auto Trader product lead

Dealers buoyant as buyers blank Brexit uncertainties Most recent feedback from dealers suggests demand continues to be stronger than last year, with a number of respondents enjoying a buoyant season. However, a few dealers had a quieter April than hoped. Although the political backdrop continues to be a concern for many, generally dealers are experiencing little negativity and believe consumers are not prepared to wait for a delayed Brexit before they commit to spend.

• Honda VFR800 machines are solid performers • Yamaha MT ranges are a popular choice • Kawasaki ZX-10 has been impressive recently • Quality 125cc machines sell strongly for many Although a slight majority of dealers held the view that stock availability was broadly in line with last year, a high percentage reported it to be more difficult, potentially hindering sales. As a result, dealers are more proactive, searching for stock and not only relying on part exchanges.

According to a few respondents, the rise in machines sold to overseas buyers is having a

®

56 JUNE 2019

negative impact on availability, too. However, it was not all bad news, particularly for dealers with reliable industry contacts, who have reportedly been able to find quality stock at satisfactory levels.

Opinions on dealers’ own stock levels was that they were broadly in line with last year, so proactivity has helped maintain levels. However, despite the majority of respondents holding the view that their levels were correct for demand, a significant percentage felt they were low.

Late April and early May provided some changeable weather conditions. Despite this, it has been predominantly dry, so riding conditions have remained fine overall. With summer fast approaching and the likelihood of some nice weather, most dealers are hopeful that demand will increase.

In June’s edition of Glass’s data, the majority of values have been held, except where trade feedback or evidence from the marketplace has indicated further adjustment where necessary.

Paul McDonald Leisure vehicle editor

®

Although the growth rate was more restrained in April, this year’s upbeat trend continued in latest MCIA statistics, according to BDN financial editor Roger Willis.

Total monthly registrations rose by 7.3% to 9820 units. Moped revival was headline news, 64.2% up to 609. Motorcycles added 4.8% to 7450 and scooters improved by 4.2% to 1680. Even the modest tricycle sector had a commendable slice of progress, boasting a 37.3% rise to 81 machines.

The market always pauses for breath immediately after March’s traditional new-plate surge, and perhaps this was slightly exaggerated by weaker stock availability and late arrival of certain key new models, which would possibly explain a sudden 8.2% decline for over-1000cc offerings. All the same, the storming success of BMW’s R1250GS topped both that slot and reinforced its ownership of the burgeoning Adventure Sport style category once again.

In happy contrast, both the 126-650cc and 6511000cc capacity classes grew comfortably faster than already decent first-quarter performances, respectively climbing by 18% and 10.4%. But 51125cc products managed only a thin advance of 1.7%, following a creditable gain of 12.5% over the previous three months.

And on the subject of segmental best-seller status, Royal Enfield’s accession to both 126-650cc and Naked style pantheons for a second month on the trot, thanks to its attractive new Interceptor 650 twin, bolstered the argument for budget pricing. At an opposite extreme of luxury goods, Ducati’s premiumpriced Panigale V4 enjoyed Supersport supremacy – as it did in April last year.

However, some disruptive influences remained evident in brand rankings. Honda hegemony was undisturbed and 7.5% up. But runner-up Yamaha retreated by 2.3%. BMW slipped to third spot in both April and YTD numbers, despite strengthening monthly performance by a muscular 20.3%. Triumph, on the other hand, was lacklustre, falling by 12% in fourth place. Kawasaki rounded out the top five, bouncing back from its 6.2% first-quarter loss with a solid 13.4% gain.

In sixth, Lexmoto was outright star turn, stacking on 67.4%. Shrinkage of 1.1% by KTM in seventh abruptly interrupted its recent trajectory. HarleyDavidson fared far worse in eighth, plunging by 20.4%, even though its Sport Glide 1745 had headed up the Custom category. Ducati made a second consecutive appearance in the top-10 chart, this time with a much firmer 11.7% improvement in ninth place. Suzuki was last on the list, a painful 23.4% down. The retro Katana reincarnation now finally reaching dealers may change its fortunes shortly.

In the first four months of 2019, registrations have risen by 9.4% to 36,951. Motorcycles are 8% up at 28,185, scooters have put on 11.9% to 6682 and mopeds have increased by 26.2% to a still fairly slim 1857. Tricycles were 7.1% higher at 227.

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UK statistics

Registration Data New motorcycle and scooter registrations for April 2019 2019 / 2018 Registrations by Style MOPEDS

Apr 2019

Moped Scooters

Year to Date

Apr 2018

525

Change

302

73.8%

Apr 2019 1506

Apr 2018

% Change

1232

Highest Registering Model

by Style

22.2%

Lexmoto Echo 50

59

Lexmoto Hunter 50 TD

21

BMW R 1250 GS

168

Moped Others

84

69

21.7%

351

240

46.3%

TOTAL MOPEDS

609

371

64.2%

1857

1472

26.2%

Manufacturers by brand

Apr 2019 Registrations

Top Ten Apr 2019

1. Honda _____________________ 1679 2. Yamaha ____________________ 1074 3. BMW _______________________ 811 4. Triumph_____________________ 739 5. Kawasaki ____________________ 704 6. Lexmoto ____________________ 559 7. KTM ________________________ 553 8. Harley-Davidson ______________ 442 9. Ducati ______________________ 381 10. Suzuki ______________________ 331

MOTORCYCLES Adventure Sport

1890

1410

34.0%

7295

6039

Custom

726

863

-15.9%

2411

2844

Naked

3183

2859

11.3%

11213

9851

Scooter

1680

1613

4.2%

6682

5971

11.9%

Honda PCX125

225

225

310

-27.4%

947

1077

-12.1%

Kawasaki Z1000SX

109

Sport/Tour

20.8%

-15.2% Harley-Davidson Sport Glide 1745

54

Royal Enfield Interceptor Int 650

153

13.8%

Supersport

753

732

2.9%

2913

2790

4.4%

Ducati Panigale V4

67

Touring

191

292

-34.6%

851

999

-14.8%

BMW R 1250 RT

50

Trail/Enduro

464

637

-27.2%

2533

2470

2.6%

KTM300EXC

81

Unspecified

18

8

125.0%

22

38

-42.1%

9130

8724

4.7%

34867

32079

8.7%

TOTAL MOTORCYCLES

Alternative-powered PTWs Registrations by Style MOPEDS

TRICYCLES Scooter

31

46

-32.6%

107

142

-24.6%

Piaggio MP3 500 LT Sport ABS

8

Other

50

13

284.6%

120

70

71.4%

BRP Can-Am Ryker Rally

11

TOTAL TRICYCLES

81

59

37.3%

227

212

7.1%

9820

9154

7.3%

36951

33763

9.4%

TOTAL REGISTRATIONS

Apr 2019 Apr 2018

Moped Scooters

164 10

5

TOTAL MOPEDS

174

25

MOTORCYCLES Adventure Sport

3

5

Naked

6

0

Scooter

17

3

0

0

Supersport

2019 / 2018 Registrations by Capacity ENGINE BAND

Apr 2019

0 - 50cc

Year to Date

Apr 2018

637

% Change

381

Apr 2019

67.2%

1939

Apr 2018

% Change

1542

Highest Registering Model

by Capacity

25.7%

Apr 2019 Registrations

Lexmoto Echo 50

59

20

Moped Others

Trail/Enduro

1

1

Unspecified

0

0

27

9

TOTAL MOTORCYCLES

51 - 125cc

2742

2697

1.7%

10544

9632

9.5%

Honda PCX125

225

TRICYCLES

126 - 650cc

2025

1716

18.0%

8387

7191

16.6%

Royal Enfield Interceptor Int 650

153

Commercial Tricycle

2

1

651 - 1000cc

2460

2229

10.4%

8239

7629

8.0%

Yamaha MT-07 ABS

127

Tricycle

1

0

over 1000cc

1956

2131

-8.2%

7842

7769

0.9%

BMW R1250GS

168

TOTAL TRICYCLES

3

1

TOTAL REGISTRATIONS

9820

9154

7.3%

36951

33763

9.4%

204

35

MONTHLY REGISTRATIONS ROLLING YEAR COMPARISON

PTW LICENSING BY CAPACITY 1994-2018 THE LATEST DATA from the DfT illustrates how the motorcycle and scooter market has changed in terms of machine size over the past 35 years.

Over the period the total number of twowheelers on the road increased from 720,900 to 1,242,700, but some sectors have fared better than others.

Two sectors saw a rapid rise in the late 1990s and early 2000s but then a subsequent

18000 16000 14000 12000 10000

calamitous decline – the 1-50cc moped sector’s woes have been well publicised, and the fall from favour of supersport machinery has done for the 501-600cc sector.

The big winners are the 51-125cc learner and commuter sector, which rallied strongly after a brief dip in the mid-1990s, and highperformance 1000cc+ machines which have consistently out-performed the market.

350.0

8000

300.0

6000 4000

250.0

2017/18 2018/19

1 - 50cc 51 - 125cc 126 - 150cc 151 - 400cc 401 - 500cc 501 - 600cc 601 - 650cc 651 - 800cc 801 - 1,000cc 1,000cc +

200.0

0

150.0

Apr May Jun

Jul

Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr 100.0

50.0

2017

2018

2016

2014

2015

2013

2011

2012

2010

2008

2009

2007

2005

2006

2003

2004

2001

2002

2000

1998

1999

1996

1997

0.0 1994

Registration statistics supplied by the MCIA; tel 02476 408000; www.mcia.co.uk

1995

2000

TOTAL REGISTRATIONS

“Customers comment on how easy their bike is to clean after the treatment, and our sales team like it, because it gives the an extra source of revenue.”

Dan Anthony, Bridge Motorcycles in Exeter 01622 815 679 | diamondbrite@jewelultra.com | jewelultra.com

JUNE 2019 57

International statistics

International B

ADVERTISER

INDEX

An analysis of the motorcycle and scooter market in Switzerland by Roger Willis ritish trade observers should be oozing admiration for the remarkable recovery of Switzerland’s powered two-wheeler market in the first quarter of 2019, after three years of uninterrupted decline – firmly led by more lucrative medium and large capacity products. At the same time, sensible UK Brexiteers should have the Swiss politico-economic relationship with Europe at the top of their sadly unfulfilled wish list.

Never a member of the EU or its precursors, or the European Economic Area, Switzerland became a founder member of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) in 1960, now in league with Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. EFTA membership subsequently accrued participation in the EU single market, without any commitment to inconveniences like the EU’s common agricultural and fisheries policies. Furthermore, EFTA members are not part of the EU customs union.

The Swiss can therefore conclude bilateral free trade agreements with whatever third-party countries they choose. Many such deals now exist, allowing Switzerland’s global domination in must-have export goods like cuckoo clocks and Gruyère cheese, plus key services provided by all those famously discreet Swiss bankers.

And although Switzerland is supposed to permit unrestricted immigration from EU countries, it doesn’t. A fudge involving preferential treatment for indigenous job applicants and denying social security for unemployed foreigners, given the extremely high Swiss cost of living, minimises unwelcome alien invasion.

Just think, if it weren’t for our pesky Irish border conundrum and no-deal Tory fringe saboteurs turning Brexit into purgatory, we could be looking forward to Swiss-style idiosyncracies instead. And an aspect of life in this relatively small Alpine state it would be nice to emulate is a powerful passion for PTWs. The total “bike parc” licensed for use on Swiss roads equates to one steed for about every 10 citizens. In the UK, it’s one to more than 50.

The Swiss tally splits into 438,032 motorcycles, 273,613 scooters and 187,870 mopeds. That latter figure includes a fair number of 45km/hrestricted electric scooters. But most of these have been short-haul fleet acquisitions by green-tinged public utilities, notably the postal service.

Individual consumer seduction by the e-firmament is weaker, unsurprising in mountainous terrain infested with battery-sapping steep inclines.

58 JUNE 2019

A keen appetite for muscular motorcycles has returned, according to trade association Moto Suisse’s latest quarterly statistics. Total motorcycle numbers were 22.7% up to 6042 and an impressive 79.7% of them were over-500cc items, the sector increasing by 21.8% to 4813.

Within that, over-750cc machines were 19.5% higher at 3751, accounting for more than half of the entire motorcycle market.

While Honda and Yamaha topped overall brand rankings, subtraction of scooters put Yamaha in front with 1064 bikes, closely pursued by BMW Motorrad on 950 and then Honda on 867. BMW pocketed the most cash, because variants of its new R1250GS out-classed

“The total bike parc licensed for use on Swiss roads equates to one steed for about every 10 citizens.

In the UK, it’s one to more than 50” everything in the best-seller parade thanks to a combined total of 411.

(Never forget that nearly two-thirds of Swiss bikers discuss their purchase peccadillos in Schweizerdeutsch.)

Some 213 samples of Yamaha’s MT-07 were a distant runner-up, followed by the Kawasaki Z900 retro roadster in third with 156 registrations and Honda’s CRF1000 Africa Twin fourth on 152. The first sub-500cc bike, Yamaha’s YZF-R3, languished down in 14th spot.

In contrast, scooter market recovery was subdued, rising by just 1.6% to 3277. However, considering Switzerland’s glacial weather during the early months, there can’t be much motivation for refreshing personal commuting choice until the climate improves seasonally.

Scooters absolutely swamped the 51-125cc capacity range, 2010 of them filling 88.4% of the sector and managing a 3.4% quarterly gain. Afflicted by ubiquitous Euro 4 transition, 50cc scooters were still massively on the back foot, 51.7% down to a mere 168. There was better news moving into maxiscooter territory, where 126-500cc registrations rose by 33.6% to 748, taking almost half of that sector.

And even larger capacity scooters represented 13.5% of 501-750cc stuff.

SWITZERLAND

AA WARRANTY tel 03300 555259 ______________32 B&C EXPRESS tel 01522 791369 _______________25 BIKE ALERT tel 01322 526236 ______________ 2, 59 BIKESURE tel 0844 880 3980 _________________47 BRADBURY BROS tel 01484 641073 _____________9 CATALYST COMPUTER SYS. tel 01162 301500 ______38

CAPITAL: Bern POPULATION: 8,508,900 AREA: 15,940 square miles GDP: £422.4bn CURRENCY: Swiss franc MOTORCYCLE PARC: 899,515

DATATOOL tel 01257 249928 _________________33 DIAMONDBRIGHT tel 01622 816109 _________ 56, 57 EBC BRAKES www.ebcbrakes.com _____________8 ECOOTER tel 01507 523900 __________________37 FIRST RESPONSE FINANCE tel 0115 946 6260 _______5 FOWLERS tel 0117 9718840__________________37 HENDLER WHOLESALE tel 01405 480125 _________23

Honda, Yamaha and Vespa respectively led scooter brand rankings by extensive margins. But Vespa’s Primavera 125 topped the best-seller chart, followed by the Honda PCX 125 and Yamaha XMAX 300.

Finally, superbike sales hardly surface at all in Switzerland’s commercial motorcycling pantheon.

A safety-mad government abolished most forms of motor sport including motorcycle racing 64 years ago, which probably has some bearing.

Despite the absence of any highperformance street biker culture, talented Swiss racers nevertheless appear from time to time. Threetimes TT winner Luigi Taveri was a household name in the late 1950s and early 1960s. More recently, Thomas Luthi took the 2006 MotoGP 125cc crown in 2005. And, ironically, motorcycle racing’s FIM governing body is based in the Swiss town of Mies near Geneva.

So the ultimate Swiss idiosyncracy has to be the lifting of this ban in 2015, exclusively for electric vehicles.

An inaugural Formula E Zurich Grand Prix was held last year. Their wretched cheese is as full of holes as their rationale. ■

HI LEVEL tel 01302 890400 __________________16 IVENDI tel 0345 2260503 ___________________55 LARSSON UK tel 01536 265633 ________________6 LEXHAM INSURANCE tel 0845 607 6756__________60 LS2 HELMETS tel 01670 856342 ______________ 1, 7 MOTOR AUCTION GROUP tel 01709 919400 ________4 MAXXIS INTERNATIONAL tel 01394 604040 _______27 MIDWEST MARKETING tel 01527 574422 _________22 MODE PERFORMANCE tel 0333 666 0680 _________35 MOTO DIRECT tel 01773 864420 _______________11 MOTOHAUS tel 01256 704909 ________________41 MOTUL tel 01773 864420 ___________________23 NIKKO HELMETS tel +886 6 2305527 ___________13 ORO2U tel 01597 822666 ___________________43 OXFORD PRODUCTS tel 01993 862300 ________ 30, 31 POLARIS informationuk@polaris.com _________10 SHAD UK tel 03333 448 252 __________________47 SUPER BIKE LOANS tel 01625 353001 ___________39 THE KEY COLLECTION tel 0117 9719200 __________29 TRUETRACK SOFTWARE tel 01782 338743 ________18 UA ACCESSORIES tel 01854 611172 _____________12 VE (UK) tel 01159 462991 ____________________3 WMD tel 01273 595746 ____________________36 WULFSPORT tel 01900 873456________________26

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% Change 204

+5.7%

0-50cc

258

-35.8%

51-125cc

2274

+5.9%

126-500cc

1604

+27.6%

501-750cc

1228

+21.2%

751-1000cc

1734

+21.6%

over-1000cc

2017

+17.6%

Total

9319

+14.3%

Call 01237 422660 or email adsales@dealernews.co.uk June 2019 – Issue 220

2019 Q1 Top Ten Brands % Change Yamaha

1774

Honda

1666

+7.7% +28%

BMW

1062

+63.9%

Kawasaki

706

+0.3%

Vespa

572

+13.3%

Harley-Davidson

552

0%

KTM

417

+15.5%

Triumph

340

+15.3%

Ducati

320

+27.5%

SYM

293

+33.2%

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

UNLIMITED PASSION tel 0843 2893599 __________28

2019 Q1 Registrations e-bikes

C

PARTS EUROPE tel +49 6501 9695 0 ____________17

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