British Dealer News September 2023

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HEAD OF CONTENT

Andy Mayo: editorial@dealernews.co.uk

FINANCIAL EDITOR

Roger Willis: editorial@dealernews.co.uk

PRODUCTS EDITOR/DESIGNER

Colin Williams: design@dealernews.co.uk

COMMERCIAL CONTENT MANAGER

Maurice Knuckey: creative@dealernews.co.uk

CONTRIBUTORS

Roger Willis; Dan Sager; Alan Dowds; Rick Kemp; Adam Bernstein

ACCOUNTS MANAGER

Mark Mayo: accounts@dealernews.co.uk

ADVERTISING

Alison Payne: tel 07595 219093

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CIRCULATION circulation@dealernews.co.uk

TAIWAN AGENCY

Albert Yang, Pro Media Co: info@motopromedia.com; tel +886 4 7264437

PUBLISHER

Colin Mayo: editorial@dealernews.co.uk

British Dealer News, 10 Daddon Court, Clovelly Road Industrial Estate, Bideford EX39 3FH

UKCA scheme dumped in latest Brexit backtrack

The UK government has performed an embarrassing U-turn on its proposed replacement for the widely accepted CE consumer and safety product approval scheme. The UKCA (United Kingdom Conformity Assessed) mark was intended to offer a non-European way for manufacturers to show that their products complied with safety and performance rules. But the obvious handicap of having to comply with two competing standards regimes, with increased costs for testing and packaging changes, has long been a complaint from industry bodies across the economy.

The supposed benefit of the scheme was that it would allow the UK to diverge from European

standards for product safety. In reality, it’s been hard to see any advantages for a massively globalised economy, with products designed to cover global markets rather than being custom produced for small national sectors. But in an announcement made on the 1 August, the UK government has said that CE approval will be accepted in Britain indefinitely, with the previous cut-off date of December 2024 now cancelled. That decision seems likely to hole the UKCA scheme below the waterline, with any business that sells in both the UK and the European Union or European Economic Area likely to stick with just one certification scheme, CE, rather than the UKonly proposed scheme.

Triumph’s new-look dealer in

Scotland

IT’S A DOUBLE SUCCESS FOR Triumph, as the Hinckley firm revamps another dealership north of the border and completes one more solus outlet with the most recent “Rolling Stones” corporate retail identity (Paint it Black…) and a plush new workshop.

Triumph Edinburgh, on the Pfeffermill Road, complements the recently re-opened Triumph Glasgow, and Hinckley’s PR folk turned up for the opening day on 22 July with the TE-1 prototype electric bike, a Moto2 765 Street Triple and a Scrambler 1200 XE from the James

Bond film Not Time to Die Devron Boulton from Triumph underlined the long-term nature of the relationship, “Edinburgh Triumph has been a valuable part of the Triumph family for many years, and we are delighted that they have upgraded their dealership to meet the new dealer standards. The dealership always provides high levels of customer service and has a huge offering of the new motorcycle line up”.

Neil Roberts, Edinburgh Triumph MD, added, “We are proud to have been a part of the

For the UK bike trade, the impact of the change should be positive. Most protective riding equipment originates outside the UK, with CE approval in place, and the bureaucracy entailed by an additional layer of approval schemes would have added both time and cost. Indeed, the UKCA scheme has

already added costs to wellorganised brands which were preparing for the switchover well in advance and now seem to have wasted their investment.

For further information, see: www.gov.uk/government/ news/uk-government-announcesextension-of-ce-mark-recognitionfor-businesses.

Triumph family since 1991 and thrive off delivering the latest 2023 models to local Triumph owners and riders. We hope our customers enjoy the new dealership and look forward to meeting them all!”

Long distance delivery done properly

• Documents signed and returned

• We organise delivery date

• Full handover available

Part exchange collected

• Customer in doorway photos

• Before and after photos

• Communication is key

• Regular status updates

Six-digit finance codes

• Professional drivers

• Your own dedicated delivery dashboard to manage your bookings

E-scooters: a long road ahead

We’re not about to see the end of the long-running sore that is ‘UK e-scooter legislation’, but it looks like we might be seeing the beginning of the end. The law changes needed to allow currently illegitimate private battery-powered two-wheelers onto British roads, pavements and cycle lanes won’t be seen this side of a general election after the collapse of Liz Truss’s government last autumn killed off the planned Transport Bill. But the Department for Transport is aware it needs to get moving and has awarded a research contract to the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) to help flesh out plans for the legal use of private e-scooters in public places.

BDN spoke to Dr George Beard, head of new mobility at the TRL, to find out more about the research programme and what it’s aiming for. He first told us that the plan is to legislate for an entirely new class of vehicle – the LZEV – Low-speed Zero Emissions Vehicle – which will provide a legal ‘pigeonhole’ for e-scooters and other future mobility solutions to inhabit. That’s vital because up till now, UK law has insisted that anything with an engine or motor, outside a pedal-equipped bike or a mobility scooter, was a motor vehicle with the

“TRL will be working with the DfT and the wider industry to help deliver a regulatory mechanism to encourage safe, sustainable and inclusive e-scooters,” said Dr Beard. “We believe that e-scooters can represent a genuine modal alternative for many transport users and, if implemented correctly, can be a valuable part of delivering the UK’s decarbonisation goals.”

The TRL research programme will mostly look at the hardware side of e-scooter design, with an eye on safety, sustainability, and accessibility – which means not only that disabled people can potentially use LZEV vehicles but that they won’t have an excessive impact on blind people, for example, in use.

But that may not mean hard and fast design rules for e-scooters, says Dr Beard. “There is a philosophical debate between having a set of regulations which are quite prescriptive – you must have 10in wheels, two disc brakes and a set maximum acceleration – versus something which is more outcomefocused. So if you have a defined performance in terms of stability and braking, and as long as you meet that, it doesn’t matter what your wheel size is. There’s an interesting tradeoff there and potential benefits in terms of

as strict and burdensome as type approval, but then at the other end of the spectrum, we have the e-bike world with a sort of selfcertification. Maybe there’s something in between that feels right for e-scooters, but we haven’t quite worked out exactly how that would operate. We’re keeping those objectives in mind and trying to come up with something that’s as proportionate as possible that works for the industry, but also helps drive good outcomes in terms of safety, sustainability, and consistency. That’s the challenge ahead.”

TRL’s research won’t be looking at other areas of e-scooter legislation, though –issues around where LZEV/e-scooters will be permitted to be used, maximum speeds, age or training restrictions, protective clothing and the like will all be outside its scope –though any relevant findings will be passed on, says Dr Beard.

The research programme is set to run until February 2024 – but we’ll still have to wait until after the next general election for a Transport Bill and any changes in e-scooter law, meaning mid-2025 at the very earliest. In the meantime, expect the current rental trial schemes to continue, the bickering between fans and foes of e-scooters to get even louder, and that long-running legislative sore to

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Calls for overdue CBT changes

The Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCIA), National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) and Transport for London (TfL), together with a host of safety and public transport organisations, have called for long-overdue changes to the motorcycle rider training rules. In a joint letter to the Secretary of State for Transport, Mark Harper, the organisations emphasise the potential safety improvements available from Compulsory Basic Training (CBT), changes which were announced by the DVSA in 2017 – but not acted on.

The signatories to the letter have asked the government to prioritise these changes, which include a variety of technical and practical alterations (see boxout) to the CBT system and the licensing and training environment as a whole.

NMC executive director Craig Carey-Clinch said:

“The changes we call for in our joint letter today were agreed by government several years ago, and their introduction is long overdue. We urge the Secretary of State and the DfT to commence work to implement this positive and potentially life-saving legislation. Our letter marks a moment when the

PROPOSED CHANGES

THE LETTER SIGNATORIES ARE asking the government to implement the following changes to rider training:

y Introduction of a training course to upgrade motorcycle licence entitlements

y The creation of powers to revoke CBT certificates or take other measures for learner riders who have accrued six penalty points

y Restriction of learners who complete CBT on an automatic transmission machine to riding only automatic machines

motorcycle sector, public authorities and road safety organisations have come together to achieve positive change. We urge the government to take note and act in partnership with all parties to make these changes to CBT and also to other areas of motorcycle safety so that a more sustainable and proactive approach can be taken to support casualty reduction for this important mode of mobility, transport and leisure.”

Tony Campbell, CEO at the MCIA, said: “I stand with the letter signatories in expressing our collective concern for road safety and the need to improve CBT. Although it is disheartening that, despite the widespread support, recommended changes proposed by the DVSA following the “Improving Moped and Motorcycle Training” consultation have yet to be implemented, together we can strive for safer roads and the well-being of all road users.

“The time has come for the government to listen and act. Let us work hand-in-hand to bring about the necessary updates and improvements to CBT, ensuring a safer and more inclusive future for moped, motorcycle and other powered light vehicle users across the nation.”

and provision for upgrading entitlement to manual machines for riders with such a restriction

y Establishment of a combined CBT and DAS instructor qualification assessment

y Limiting the time period that down-trained instructors can give instruction

y Changes to the CBT syllabus, including requiring instructors to ensure trainees are appropriately attired for riding

y Condensing the five elements of CBT to four

British firm launches heated anti-fog visor

THE PROBLEM OF FOGGED-UP helmet visors is as old as, er, helmet visors. But now a British firm claims to have developed a high-tech solution in the form of an electrically heated visor insert.

Powered by an external rechargeable battery pack, the clear VISIN insert works for up to eight hours, keeping the visor demisted in

even the very worst conditions.

The VISIN insert has been designed by a West Midlandsbased technology company, Diamond Coatings , which supplies aerospace, medical, military and automotive sectors with specialist custom coating technology. The firm’s Jason Elite developed the idea of the heated visor film, which is

y Strengthening the quality assurance scheme for motorcycle instructors

y Introduction of the theory test as part of or prior to CBT

y Digitising the CBT administration process

y Implementation of earned recognition

The signatory organisations are: MCIA, NMC, TfL, Brake, Roadpeace, Transport North East, Transport for West Midlands, Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), Transport for Greater Manchester, RoSPA, and Project EDWARD

Royal Enfield makes a splash at Mallory

ROYAL ENFIELD DISPLAYED ITS RANGE OF EIGHT MAIN MODELS AND brought along eight more for demo rides at the inaugural Mallory Bike Bonanza at Mallory Park circuit, Leicestershire, on 15-16 July.

It was the first major outdoor promotion by newly-formed Royal Enfield UK, which took over the importership of the Indian-built singles and twins on 1 May from previous importer/distributor MotoGB.

The large stand and staff of six were sited inside the main gates to the circuit, adding prestige to the event run by Mallory Circuit, the meeting in effect taking over from the Vintage MCC’s Festival of 1000 Bikes. Royal Enfield ran a second display of seven heritage and custom machines in the race paddock. This display included two flat track models based on the modern Scram model, which were ridden in dirt track races held at the circuit on Sunday by RE-sponsored riders Gary Birtwhistle and Paul Young.

Victoria Fulker, Royal Enfield UK marketing manager, told BDN: “As well as showing the new range and the new colours, we also wanted to showcase our history. We also introduced Royal Enfield Finance, offering PCP and HP options.”

With 23 bikes on display, and ten of them in action on track, Royal Enfield was the major presence at the Bonanza. You might say they made a big splash, their bikes and marquees weathering some torrential downpours over the weekend.

Bimota signs RS Paint

Already an official OEM paint supplier for Kawasaki, Triumph and Harley-Davidson, RS Bike Paint has won approval from niche Italian brand Bimota, recently revived by Kawasaki. RS Paint now offers touch-up, aerosol and spray gun paints for Bimota’s entire range of exotic machines as part of its database of 65,000 colour records and formulations.

Phil Allen, MD at RS Bike Paint, said, “To be chosen by such a premium brand is a privilege. We are delighted to be in partnership with Bimota and look forward to providing their customers with a first-class after-sales paint service.”

Pierluigi Marconi, COO of

Motorrad meets Motörhead

Preston dealer Bowker Motorrad has partnered with The Waterloo Music Bar in Blackpool as part of its celebration of the 100th anniversary of BMW. The businesses have organised celebration events to mark the occasion and have also produced ‘Overkill’, a Motörhead-themed custom BMW R nineT.

The Music Bar has the only Motörhead-endorsed bar in the UK – Lemmy’s Bar, which inspired the bike’s design, including details such as the Motörhead Snaggletooth logo and Lemmy’s guitar strap on the tank. The Motörhead and Lemmy’s Bar logo have also been stitched into the seat. The bike will be displayed at events throughout Lancashire, promoting The Waterloo Bar and local live music.

John Nichol of Bowker Motorrad said: “We wanted to do something special to celebrate BMW Motorrad’s 100th anniversary. So, we approached Ian at The Waterloo Music Bar. Our idea was to partner with a local business that is making a difference in the local community and dedicate a customised bike to promote their cause. The Waterloo’s passion for live music represented the perfect fit. Ian and his team do an amazing job supporting local bands and charities; we wanted to help.”

Bimota, said, “We have chosen RS Bike Paint as our paint provider due to their industry-wide standing for colour accuracy and first-class customer service. This reflects our mission to provide hand-crafted, high-technology motorcycles to our customers, combined with a comprehensive after-sales programme”.

The Waterloo Music Bar owner, Ian Fletcher, said: “The bike looks amazing. What a great job! It’s great to partner with Bowker Motorrad. Everyone knows about the link between rock music and motorcycles. There’s a deep connection between popular culture and style.

“I suppose you could say it’s a meeting of minds. We both share a passion for delivering exceptional experiences, whether it’s through the world of motorcycles or the power of live music. And, together, we can create more memorable moments for music fans, motorcyclists and the wider community.”

The Motörhead R nineT will be displayed at Bowker Motorrad’s Preston showroom and at local events to help promote The Waterloo Music Bar.

Victoria Fulker, Royal Enfield’s marketing manager, enjoys a break from the rain at the Mallory Bike Bonanza

SHORT CUTS

WK BIKES

WK BIKES HAS REDUCED PRICES ON TWO OF ITS popular retro-styled machines. The Scrambler 50 sees a £100 cut to £1949 plus OTR, while the Scrambler 125 gets £300 off and is now £1999 plus OTR. The Scrambler 50 is one of just a few 50cc geared motorcycles available and can be ridden by 16-year-olds with a CBT. Both models come with a two-year parts and labour warranty. www.wkbikes.com

WMS REBRANDS

AFTERMARKET WARRANTY AND breakdown firm WMS has been renamed, following its takeover by the Opteven Group in 2020. Opteven UK is now in line with the European parent company, which covers nine European markets and has more than 1.5 million warranty end users across the continent. Craig Grant, MD at Opteven UK said, “Transitioning to Opteven is an exciting evolution and will cement our position in the market as a European warranty leader, recognised for our expertise and quality of service”. The rebrand is in name only, the leadership team remains the same and the product portfolio hasn’t changed. Opteven offer warranty options across every type of vehicle, enabling both dealers and customers to choose a combination of coverage and terms to suit their needs. For more information visit: www.opteven.co.uk or contact: ukmarketing@opteven.com.

Completely new

The Completely Motorbikes retail group has been following a massive growth plan since lockdown. Now the firm has announced further expansion, with a new distribution and retail centre in Quorn, Leicestershire, initially employing 15-20 people. With recent acquisitions in Worcester and Yeovil, that takes it up to 21 locations, covering 16 franchised brands and approaching 250 staff.

the new store on the 29 August stocking another 200 nearly-new superbikes. We’ve taken on CCM and, with a bit of future-proofing in mind, we’re working with Maeving at a couple of sites.”

Ayland points to the Completely online sales and national delivery model, crafted during Covid, as one of the pillars of its success.

CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE MECHANICS

THE BACK STREET HEROES CUSTOM championships is set to take pride of place at the CMM magazine Stafford classic bike show this autumn. With classes including Best Chopper, Best Custom, Best Engineering, Best Paint and Best New Skool Custom, the BSH competition will be one of the headline events of the show, alongside hardy perennials such as Henry Cole and Allen Millyard, the Bonhams Auction, live stunt shows, and more than 900 traders. The show takes place on 14-15 October, tickets are on sale now. www.staffordclassicbikeshows.com

BDN spoke to Completely owner Rob Ayland as he was getting set for the opening of the Quorn facility, and he told us about how the firm has grown in 2023. “We’ve acquired two businesses this year to add to our portfolio – Ducati in Worcester, which we kept under the radar until now, and Kawasaki in Yeovil – plus we’ve doubled our footprint in Leicestershire.

“Our Hinckley site has done so well, and then we had the chance of moving into some really nice new premises in Quorn, adding another 12,000sq.ft. We opened

“We have 17 vans running around the country, giving people free nationwide delivery by uniformed drivers in liveried vans, and we don’t charge for it. That’s our USP and we’ve managed to make it work. Online sales since Covid have seen this business grow, and the concept is now embedded in what we do. We’ve mysteryshopped our competitors and even bought bikes off them, and they’re using third-party delivery companies. The customer doesn’t know who they’re buying from, and communication is poor.”

Ayland is happy with how the market is working out overall at the moment, too, despite interest rate rises and cost of living woes. “No

complaints from us. We’re looking at things we can control, not things we can’t, so I think it’s back to the old way of selling and the discipline of being the best. There aren’t people queueing up and throwing money at you like they were a year ago, but stock is plentiful from most manufacturers, not all; we’ve still not got complete stock supply, but on the whole, things are a lot better.

“We’ve also taken the line of not discounting or distressing the market. We’re very much looking at selling motorcycles to people who want to buy them and making our customer service best in class. It sounds like an old cliché, but at the end of the day, if you look at Google, our Hinckley site reviews are the best in the country. Hickley is now selling more than 2000 bikes yearly from a standing start two years ago in lockdown.”

And Ayland reckons there’s more to come for Completely. “We’ve got various things going on over the next six months. We’re far from finished!”

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Hackney parking charges slammed

HACKNEY COUNCIL CONTINUES its assault on motorcycling in the London Borough, with its swingeing parking fees plan still on track. It’s issued a final statutory consultation on the policy, despite widespread opposition to the scheme, which will see all bikes – even electric models and mopeds – paying up to £40 a day to park. There’s no consideration for the congestion-busting nature of bikes, their minuscule exhaust emissions, or the impact on riders who are often on lower incomes. As BDN went to press, the council was set to press ahead with its draconian charges.

Both the National Motorcyclists Council and local pressure group Save London Motorcycling, have been working to defeat the plans. A Save London Motorcycling spokesperson said: “We, alongside thousands of others, do not accept this result. The council has a responsibility to make policy that is evidence-based and to monitor the impact of their policies on those who will be affected most. In this case, some of the lowestpaid workers and most vulnerable Hackney residents will suffer hardship as a direct result. The panel’s questions clearly revealed fundamental policy flaws, but councillors still voted to press ahead. They dismissed the £50 a week charges for motorcycle and scooter riders as being affordable and insignificant. We urge everyone concerned with fairness and the lives and livelihoods of Hackney workers, residents, and carers to join our campaign and stand up against this injustice.”

NMC executive director Craig Carey-Clinch added: “The NMC urges Hackney Council to rethink their attack on motorcycle commuting. Riders are a significant body of voters, and the recent result in the Uxbridge by-election should give Hackney and other administrations pause for thought when it comes to policies which are designed to restrict freedom of movement for legitimate two-wheeled transport users in the way that Hackney proposes.”

What makes fair pay?

Pay is a sensitive topic for many, including the government, with various think tanks calling for greater transparency regarding pay structures and decision-making.

It’s important to note, that typically, pay is mandated by market rates. Beyond that, pay, once established, is set through negotiation between employers and employees based on metrics such as organisational and employee performance. This is in sharp contrast to, for example, roles such as GPs, who have clearly defined pay grades and nationally set pay awards.

However, as Lucy Gordon, a director at legal firm Walker Morris, explains, “From a legal perspective, there is no such thing as fair pay, only equal pay. This means that outside of negotiated pay agreements with a trade union, or national pay awards, pay is determined by the employer. It is up to the employer to decide what factors to take into account, whether this is inflation, RPI, or what their competitors are paying.”

She adds that once a baseline pay structure is in place, the employer simply has to ensure that the rate is equal to or above the national minimum wage, and that the structure does not discriminate.

Increasingly there is more innovation around reward offerings and employees tend to now be looking for the full package, rather than cold, hard cash. Indeed, the pandemic has forced many individuals to reassess priorities in terms of work/life balance, families and location.

In an ideal world, Gordon thinks that pay should be more transparent than a one-on-one conversation as to how much employees have contributed over the past 12 months. But she says “pay awards that take into account the volume of hours worked or, for example, revenue generated, can feel unfair to employees who are restricted on hours due to caring commitments or a role which has no direct bearing on revenue creation.” In those circumstances, it could be better to link pay rises to appraisal scores.

BBC reported, WH Smith, Marks & Spencer and Argos all said their breaches were unintentional. That aside, the government’s press release on the breaches noted that the penalties amounted to 200% of the monies owed.

While the NMW has been in place since 1999, the government is also taking steps towards enabling greater levels of pay transparency. In March 2022, it launched a pilot where participating employers listed salary details on job adverts and stopped asking candidates for salary history. The goal was to tackle pay inequality. The government’s view is that listing a salary range on a job advert provides a basis for women to negotiate pay.

A year on and Personnel

The main issue for employers is to ensure that employees receive the national minimum wage (NMW) on average for the hours they work. But NMW law can be complex and a failure to pay it can result in claims for back pay, plus penalties of up to 200% of the underpayment, as well as being included on HMRC’s “named and shamed” list.

The government’s most recent list of employers who breached national minimum wage law, published in June 2023, found more than 200 firms who collectively faced nearly £7m in penalties – on top of which they had to reimburse workers for the lost pay over a decade. Not all breaches were deliberate and as the

Today reported on a survey by a software company, beqom, that found “almost two-thirds of UK employees would be happy to share pay details publicly if it meant better pay equity.”

Further, the publication highlighted a Glassdoor survey that found salary was the most important factor of a job advert for 68% of jobseekers which indicates that it makes business sense to share salary details at the beginning of the application process if an employer wants to attract talent.

The implications for employers is clear: pay fairly, transparently and within the law or risk being unable to attract and retain talent.

There is no such thing as ‘fair’ pay, only equal pay

Petrolhead perfection

Despite shocking weather that cancelled the show on Saturday, the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed was a massive hit, with 200,000 people through the gates. BDN’s Alan Dowds visited as a guest of Triumph, and had the chance to ride the new 765 Street Triple Moto2 Edition on the famous hill climb course. The Hinckley firm was at the festival alongside Norton, Ducati, Royal Enfield, Yamaha, Aprilia and Honda. And on the racing side, there was a smörgåsbord of two-wheel race legends, from Niall Mackenzie and Mick Doohan to Casey Stoner and Pecco Bagnaia.

But what’s the point of attending Goodwood for a motorcycle manufacturer? On the face of it, it’s a massive car event: riding through West Sussex on the show’s first day, the 15-mile traffic queue was completely insane –and totally bizarre. It’s probably the only traffic jam in the world where Porsches and Lamborghinis outnumber Kias and Dacias!

We asked Yamaha and BMW Motorrad why they attended Goodwood, and both were very positive about the marketing and PR benefits of the festival,

“It is an amazing event, that’s for sure,” said Jeff Turner, marketing manager at Yamaha UK. “Goodwood makes a real effort

were there for the first time, and I think if you’re into motorsport or you’re a petrolhead, it’s got to be on your list of places to go.”

BMW agreed. A spokesperson told us, “Goodwood Festival of Speed is an iconic event allowing BMW Motorrad to showcase its brand to thousands of motorcycle and motorsport fans from the UK and worldwide. For the 2023 festival, we had an eclectic mix of bikes – from custom bikes to the latest production motorcycles –running up the famous hill climb and on display. We interacted with highly engaged festival-goers and reached a significant additional audience through related social media activities.”

But you need to have a great story to tell for the best results, especially online. Turner again: “I think if you’ve got something interesting to show, you get global coverage and coverage outside ‘normal’ media. We showed the prototype DB40, which is part of a strategy of retro-styled machines, and Goodwood’s atmosphere and iconic location was ideal.”

But there was an even bigger story for Yamaha at the 2022 festival, when 500GP legend Wayne Rainey, paralysed since a crash at Misano in 1993, rode his factory Yamaha YZR500. “The Rainey thing was extraordinary,” said Turner. “It’s in the history books now, and everyone will remember the time Rainey came back and rode his bike at

Goodwood. It genuinely brought tears to people’s eyes, and on our social media channels, when we ran the video, interest went through the roof.”

It’s probably fair to say that the Rainey story wouldn’t have happened anywhere else, just because Goodwood has the sheer gravity to attract that level of interest. Where else would you see Schwantz, Agostini, Doohan and Spencer sitting together in the paddock?

“There are two sides to Goodwood,” said Turner. “One is the commercial side, where we showed the DB40, and the other is the racing and heritage side. I think when you move from being a current champion to being a revered champion in the history books, it’s the only place on the planet to go.”

In terms of practicalities, attending Goodwood does need time and administration. It doesn’t necessarily cost a massive sum of cash to be part of the show, but the organisers do expect you to have an interesting, meaningful story to tell. At a more prosaic level, the festival comes at a busy time of year. “There’s always a lot going on in June and July,” said Jeff Turner, “you have to look at the calendar and decide whether you can do it, and have something unique, special, and newsworthy to promote.”

www.goodwood.com/motorsport/ festival-of-speed

Photo: Oli Tennent

Motorcycle Live set for action

Summer is beginning to fade and, as the days get shorter, thoughts turn to the traditional bike show season. Motorcycle Live at the NEC in Birmingham is easily the biggest event in the UK, but after the misery of Covid, it’s facing some serious competition from the likes of the Bike Shed Moto Show in London and the ABR Festival in Warwickshire. And that’s against the backdrop of other changes in the sector: bike firms are now launching products online outside the normal show schedules. That’s partly because they can and partly because there’s more chance of a PR ‘hit’ when you release a new bike in a quiet week in July rather than during a busy show alongside everyone else. On the other hand, despite background pressure from the cost of living crisis, there seems to be a general post-Covid ‘bump’ in people going in-person to gigs, shows, festivals and events.

We spoke to Finlay McAllan, MD at the Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCIA) events arm and asked how Motorcycle Live is progressing and what to expect this year.

“We’re doing extremely well in terms of our trade content, with good manufacturer support,” McAllan said. “We’re up into the mid-40s of brands presenting this year, and we’ve just been speaking to a new manufacturer who is coming for the first time. So while we are at 45 now [mid-August], I see that matching the 50-odd brands we’ve seen in the past.”

And the sometimes-difficult retail section of the show is also

strengthening, according to McAllan. “In terms of retail, we’re seeing an upturn, not new firms signing up, but the companies who continued to support us during the post-Covid years are doing well and expanding accordingly, which is good for the show and the consumer.”

“We’re still working hard to ensure that the ‘Live’ element of Motorcycle Live isn’t just a name. It’s actually a physical thing you can do, and I think there are about eight options to ride currently – all the way from kids’ balance bikes to test rides out on the road. We’ve got our experience adventure track in hall four, and then we’ve got the emerging electric section which was completely booked out last year for the first time. We’ve also got a new Mototrainer feature that’s been in the MotoGP paddock this year. Kawasaki will be sponsoring that, and there will be four simulators on its stand.

“I’m pleased that Black Horse is sponsoring the Trade Day and the free trade tickets. People working in the sector can apply for four free tickets per dealership address. We’re beginning to gain some traction: I understand there was a time when perhaps the dealer network wasn’t completely over-enthused with Motorcycle Live, but in the last decade, it’s changed a lot, and it’s encouraging to see dealers coming back again on trade day, so we’re going to continue to push on that.”

Does the MCIA have a longerterm plan for the next five or ten years? Yes seems to be the answer – but it will be a steady

process. “We’ve got to address the next three to five years,” said McAllan. “We’ve got to make sure the content is relevant, audiences are engaged, and we are bringing the right people through the door.

“But Motorcycle Live is like a supertanker, and you can’t just click your fingers and change direction overnight. I have to make sure that I maintain audience and manufacturer interest. So we’re doing some new things, we’ve moved away from custom bikes, and we have a new feature with Motor Cycle News called ‘Dream Garage’. We’ve got a new stage design and content, and this is just the first of many steps we are taking to refresh the show. A lot is happening in the background in preparation for shows to come.”

Does McAllan see a threat from rival alternative show offerings? “Yes, we’ve got to raise our game. Don’t get me wrong, anyone who presents any motorcycling event must be applauded. We can learn from what we are seeing from these other show organisers, from ABR to regional shows. Things are being done that I can learn from as a show organiser, and that’s a journey we are on now.

“Look at the culture and the community spirit particularly at, say, Bike Shed and ABR. We’ve got that, we just need to develop it and learn the lessons from the guys doing it during the biking season and develop it to make Motorcycle Live the thing to do off-season, that you’ve got to be there.”

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Norton network grows

BRITISH BOUTIQUE BIKE MAKER, Norton has added another outlet to its retail network, this time in the South West of England. Williams Automobiles is, as the name suggests, a car dealer, though it’s a specialist business, stocking Lotus, Morgan and Caterham cars rather than Fords or Vauxhalls. Based in Chipping Sodbury, near Bristol, it fits in with the other dealers Norton has selected: a smaller niche operation with plenty of heritage, style and character. Wiliams will hold stock of the Commando 961 and V4 ranges and offer servicing, accessories and demo rides via a dedicated team.

Williams director Henry Williams said: “We’re delighted to begin our partnership with Norton Motorcycles and make them our very first motorcycle brand available from Williams. It’s a brand with an incredibly rich heritage – much like ours – and has a very exciting product range. We’ve wanted to offer motorcycles for some time, so to have something truly British joining the rest of our made in Britain range is a joy.

“Our conversations with Norton have made it clear from the outset that the company shares our values and our passion for quality, and I look forward to seeing what the future brings as we join their sales partner network.”

Robert Hentschel, Norton Motorcycles CEO, added, “Like Norton, Williams Automobiles has a rich history and is dedicated to showcasing the very best in British engineering. We look for sales partners that share our purpose to provide the highest quality products whilst delivering the very best customer experience. Williams is the perfect candidate, and we’re delighted to be working with Henry and the team as we become their first motorcycle brand.”

BSA retro roadster wins MCN award

The new BSA Gold Star 650 has been a big hit since it was first unveiled at Motorcycle Live in 2021. Thanks to some smart classic styling, quality build and competitive sticker price, it immediately struck a chord with punters and critics alike. BSA struggled initially to get production up and running fully – but the bikes have been coming into the country recently in decent numbers and are out on the road with many happy owners.

And now, the 650 single-cylinder retro-roadster has snapped up a coveted Motor Cycle News award for the Best Retro Bike 2023. According to MCN, its awards “celebrate what we think are the very best motorbikes by category available in the UK right now.” The Gold Star snatched the crown from the 2022 Best Retro class winner, Kawasaki’s Z900RS SE.

Luke Gregory at Lukas Distribution, the BSA UK importer, was delighted with the award.

Ulti-Moto launches new warranty scheme

Aftercare and warranty specialist Ulti-Moto has launched a new product aimed at used bike dealerships, which combines breakdown recovery, a maintenance and repair programme and extensive warranty cover.

“Our Premium Platinum Plan Warranty, available to all dealers – both regulated and non-regulated – includes full UK breakdown cover attended by the AA as well as cover in Europe,” said Ulti-Moto director Steve Keys. “We have worked really hard to bring this to market and would love to see dealers implementing it on all used bike sales, or at least offering it as an upgrade.”

And Keys reckons the plan can help dealers upgrade their retail offering. “I genuinely believe it’s time for motorcycle dealers to be more professional, and offering a 12-month warranty should be the norm, not the exception. A few market-leading

dealers are looking to do this, and, of course, some of the approved used schemes already incorporate a warranty, but they are the exception.

“If we want to be taken seriously as an industry, it’s time we started putting the customer first on used bike sales. A ‘handshake and wink’ warranty is not good enough anymore - especially with the number of distance sales that now take place. Expecting a customer to travel hundreds of miles to repair their bike is unacceptable.

“It also takes the risk of large bills in the future ‘off balance sheet’. With a potential market slowdown in the offing, this could be essential to both dealers’ financial survival and their ability to remain competitive. It’s likely to become a buyers’ market again soon.”

Ulti-Moto 01206 855232 www.ulti-moto.com

“For the BSA Gold Star to win the Best Retro award is a fantastic achievement, especially in its launch year, given the other models and brands in contention within this category. It is an outstanding machine, and I’m so pleased to see the Gold Star get the recognition it deserves. The relaunch of the BSA brand has been incredibly well received, and this award means so much to all the team who have made it happen.”

Mutt makes it easier

SINCE THE BANK OF ENGLAND began ratcheting up base rate, 0% finance deals have become a very rare beast. But small bike specialist Mutt Motorcycles, is bucking the trend, with a new interest-free deal. It’s one of three options for new customers who now get a choice from 0% finance, a CBT payment of up to £150 plus a £200 cash discount, or an extra year’s warranty and breakdown cover.

Mutt Motorcycles sales manager Christian Gandar said, “We know everyone has different priorities or requirements when it comes to buying a bike, especially if it’s their first step into the twowheeled world. That’s why we’ve put together a range of different deals. We want to make it easy for anyone and everyone to be able to get on a bike. With our new promotions, hopefully, there is something to suit everyone.”

Customers can choose one of the deals up until the end of October 2023.

www.muttmotorcycles.com

International news

With financial editor Roger Willis

Playing to the gallery

BMW MOTORRAD: BOXER BLISS

Half-yearly and Q2 results for BMW Group’s motorcycle operations illustrated a nicely lucrative spread of activity. But they attracted no particular attention from Group executive management board chairman Oliver Zipse, who was far too busy upgrading full-year automotive segment forecasts on the back of booming global car sales.

For the six months to 30 June, BMW Motorrad revenue grew by 15.5% to £1.661bn. Associated operating profit was 32.8% higher at £269.8m and operating margin rose to 16.2% from 14.1% in the first half of last year. Pre-tax earnings were 32.1% up to £270.7m and net profit added 13.9% at £191m. Total assets attributable to BMW’s bike business on the Group balance sheet had risen by 7.4% to £1.549bn since the beginning of this year.

Worldwide retail sales of BMW motorcycles, maxiscooters and a token handful of batteryelectric steeds improved by a modest 4.9% to 112,871. Absolutely zilch information on model mix, which indubitably must have been oriented towards premium-priced products, was made available. Individual market performance was also subject to sworn secrecy. However, BDN’s previously published domestic data-mining tracked UK first-half registrations 16% up to 5626 units, for what that’s worth.

Q2 global deliveries to customers advanced by 8% to 64,936, eliciting a 14.4% revenue increase to £853.2m. Operating profit was 24.4% up to £136.4m, pre-tax profit improved by 24.2% to £137.4m and net profit put on 5.7% to £95.9m.

BMW Motorrad didn’t benefit from any full-year outlook upgrade, though. Motorcycle segment deliveries are still predicted to increase “slightly”. Segmental operating margin is, as usual, expected to

A quartet of motorcycle manufacturers aligned on the transatlantic axis have now whistled their way through the first half of 2023. Most have managed to stay in tune. But BDN financial editor Roger Willis hears both rhythm and blues

finish within a range of 8-10%. And RoCE (return on capital employed) should end up between 21 and 26%, again.

The results statement did clarify confusion about why BMW Group half-year net profit took a notional hammering, 50% down to £5.718bn. This was apparently due to a onetime gain of £6.649bn recorded in the same period last year, owing to realignment of the Group’s equity stake in its Chinese BMW Brilliance car manufacturing joint venture.

€-£ currency translation at forex rates applicable on 3 August

DUCATI: PREMIUM-PRICED PROGRESS

German automotive giant Volkswagen Group’s niche Ducati motorcycling operation continued to be a small but gloriously profitable jewel in the crown of its premium brands portfolio during the first half of this year.

Six-monthly revenue from VW’s Bolognabased Ducati outpost climbed by 22.3% to £569m. Operating profit was a muscular 70.9% up to £99.5m. Operating margin rose from 12.6% to 17.6%. And these remarkable figures were achieved with a relatively

modest 4.8% growth in retail sales volume to a record 34,976 units, highlighting the brand’s ability to charge eye-wateringly high prices for its wares.

Setting such an impressive performance in contextual scale, Volkswagen as a whole registered an 18% revenue increase to £134.2bn during the same period. However, adjusted Group operating profit declined by 14.4% to £9.7bn.

The company’s premium brand sector (Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini and Ducati) together turned over £29.3bn, by far the biggest slice (about £26bn) from Audi. Their combined operating profit contribution came in at approximately £2.9bn. Audi’s profit share fell from 83% to 72%. Lamborghini increased from 9% to 13% and Bentley claimed 11%, up from 8%. Ducati took 3%, rising from just 1%.

Smaller but beautifully formed?

Returning to metal bashed and flogged rather than purely banked loot in Wolfsburg or Ingolstadt, total Ducati production in 2023 to date grew by a marginal 1.1% to 36,224 units. Weakest segment by far was the Scrambler sub-brand, where output fell by 12.5% to 5274 and deliveries to customers slumped by 13.8% to 4311. Nevertheless, Ducati vice president for global sales Francesco Milicia flagged 3581 samples of the Scrambler 800 “family” as third best-seller.

Naked/sport cruiser segment production spanning Monster, Diavel and Streetfighter machines also declined slightly, by a narrow 3% to 11,668, and retail uptake only put on 2.2% to 11,397. But some 4299 Monsters grabbed runner-up retail spot worldwide. The dual/hyper segment was effectively leader of the pack. Production of Hypermotard, DesertX and most pertinently Multistrada models only grew by 0.3% to

11,619. But consumer demand went ballistic, leaping by 18.1% to 12,680 bikes rolling out of showrooms. Of these, 6382 were outright best-selling Multistrada V4 steeds in all their various configurations.

The sport segment covering supersport and superbike machinery waving Panigale banners, upon which Ducati loves to be revered, was relatively tame. First-half production stacked on 23.8% to 7663. But retail managed only 1.7% growth to 6588. So there’s a fair chunk of inventory gathering dust somewhere.

Europe strengthened as Ducati’s largest market globally, accounting for 62% of all sales – up from 57% in the first half of last year. Italy’s domestic consumption topped the pile, adding 10% to reach 6639 units. Germany made a 13% gain, selling 4217. The USA reinforced second-tier status, its global share rising to 13% from 12%. US retail headcount grew by 11% to 4504 bikes. Deliveries to aspirant Chinese Ducatisti, including those in Hong Kong, sank to 4% from 7%. Other unspecified markets dropped to a 21% share from 24%.

€-£ currency translation at forex rates applicable on 31 July

HARLEY-DAVIDSON: LITTLE TO CELEBRATE

A casual glance at Harley-Davidson’s overall numbers on a six-monthly basis promised positivity. But a succession of second-quarter woes had the company crying into its beer.

Half a year in, total turnover had risen by 9.1% to £2.531bn. Revenue from motorcycles and related products was 8.2% up to £2.158bn. The HDFS consumer credit and dealer inventory funding arm put on 17.4% to contribute £362.9m. So far, so good. Only a 35.4% slump in revenue to £11.6m from Harley’s LiveWire electrified spin-off queered the pitch.

However, operating profit was a strangely mixed bag, headlining just 4.3% up to £462.3m. Petrolhead biker earnings accounted for most of that, climbing by 23.3% to £414.9m. But LiveWire posted a £44.2m operating loss. And HDFS profitability plunged by 31.9% to £91.8m, presumably on the back of stiffening allowances for loan defaults. Net profit nevertheless still came in with a 10% gain at £377.1m.

Before moving on to sing from Harley’s seriously afflicted Q2 hymn sheet, there are some half-yearly clues. Global wholesale shipments of motorcycles into its dealer networks during the period grew by a mere 2.4% to 105,171 units. And parallel retail sales worldwide suffered a 4.5% decline to 90,951.

US dealer inventory had risen by 4.4% to 66,817 but domestic sales fell by 7.5% to 56,438. Canada was 6.3% down to 4955, the European-led EMEA region lost 6.1% at 14,037 and Latin America shrank by 10.8%. Sole growth was to be found in Asia-Pacific countries, which were 13% up to 14,406.

The full grievous tale of Q2 began with a 1.6% total revenue shortfall to £1.135bn. Turnover from motorcycles and related products fell by 4.5% to £941.3m, with

associated operating profit 7.9% down to £152.7m. LiveWire revenue took a 43.8% dive to an almost token £5.5m, the brand booking a quarterly operating loss of £25.1m. And although HDFS enjoyed an 18.6% revenue increase to £189.1m, its operating profit plummeted by 31.4% to £46.4m. Combined operating profit across all business sectors was 20.3% in arrears on £174.1m. Quarterly net profit deteriorated by 17.5% to £140m.

Perhaps oddly, Q2 global retail Harley motorcycle sales were positive, 2.6% up to 51,526 units. Key US domestic deliveries also prospered by 1.6% to 32,161, although the EMEA region and Canada were on the back foot.

PIAGGIO: PONTEDERA PASSION

Boasting a seventh consecutive quarter of growth, half-year performance for Italy’s dominant PTW manufacturer added up to record-breaking results.

Highest-ever net sales revenue generated across Piaggio’s field of operations during this six-month period climbed by 11.3% to pass the billion-quid barrier – £1.003bn to be precise. Turnover specifically from scooters and motorcycles, including related spares and accessories, delivered a 9.2% increase to £818m.

Group operating profit surged by 37.1% to £100.6m, with operating margin improving from 8.1% to 10%. Pre-tax profit was 34.7% up to £84m. An all-time record net profit grew by 43.4% to £55.4m. Net debt stood at £328.9m, benefiting from a 3.3% reduction. Capital expenditure totalled £56.3m, down slightly from £57m in the equivalent period last year.

Powered two-wheeler global sales volume declined marginally by 1.5% to 267,400 units. But the company said a better model mix enhanced revenue and it was particularly strong in the EMEA region (mainly Europe) and the Americas, rising by 15.1%. The Italian market evidently enjoyed 30% growth and North America was 9.2% ahead. Overall, these more than made up for a minor downturn on Asian markets.

A telling factor was the reduction in Q2 wholesale shipments, 10.4% down worldwide to 42,934 units and the US domestic portion of those falling by 14% to 24,229. An enforced shutdown of Harley’s biggest assembly plant at York in Pennsylvania for several weeks in June, owing to recurrent parts shortages, bore an indeterminate degree of responsibility. Losing nearly a month’s production will inevitably also impact on Q3 peak-season product availability.

That wasn’t the only problem, though. Addressing investors on a post-results conference call, Harley-Davidson chairman and chief executive Jochen Zeitz opined that tighter credit terms and conditions for US borrowers are undermining their ability to purchase big-ticket leisure items. “We’ve seen clear impact on demand and affordability with rising interest rates giving pause to highercredit customers,” he said.

However, some US industry analysts think these troubles are of his own making. Quoted by Reuters, one pointed out: “Harley’s price increases and surcharges for popular models have lifted its earnings in previous quarters. But slowing demand is also reflective of consumers becoming less tolerant of price hikes.”

An immediate response from Zeitz has been to revise Harley’s full-year 2023 outlook. He now expects annual revenue growth to be in a range from flat to 3%. HDFS is likely to experience an operating profit decline in a 20-25% range. And LiveWire will incur an operating loss of somewhere between £90m and £100m on the basis of 600-1000 unit sales. $-£ currency translation at forex rates applicable on 2 August

Piaggio claimed to have boosted its scooter segment share in Europe, taking 23.3% of the total market, up from 22.6% in the equivalent six months of 2022. North American scooter share held station at 29.3%. The scooter segment as a whole apparently grabbed a 12.2% improvement in global turnover, with a gain of almost 50% by Beverley, Medley and Liberty high-wheel models and the MP3. Vespa worldwide revenue was more than 10% up. No volume numbers were provided to flesh out the details.

Similarly, besides working to consolidating the presence of its Moto Guzzi and Aprilia motorcycle brands in North America, Piaggio said that both were doing splendidly, without any inconvenient support from actual unit sales headcount. Moto Guzzi’s “strong performance” was based on “turnover up by approximately 30%, thanks in part to the new V100 Mandello”.

Meanwhile Aprilia’s unsubstantiated success was allegedly driven by the RSV4, RS660, Tuono 660 and 1100, and Tuareg 660 models, “the latter also achieving important results in rally competitions”. You’d have to be a true believer to take some of this stuff without a pinch of salt.

Anyway, Piaggio Group chairman and chief executive Roberto Colaninno was very pleased with himself. Concluding his commentary on these results, he said: “For the rest of the year, all our factories will be applying the management productivity system that has enabled us to achieve larger profit margins without substantial price increases.” It’s just a pity we cannot have a clearer picture of what products and how many of them leave those factory gates.

€-£ currency translation at forex rates applicable on 1 August

Boasting a seventh consecutive quarter of growth, half-year performance for Italy’s dominant PTW manufacturer added up to record-breaking results

Turning Japanese

HONDA: QUIET BUT KEEN

While already on an impressive growth curve, thanks to evidence of a strong first quarter, the world’s biggest motorcycle manufacturer is still hedging its bets with almost non-existent full-year forecasting.

A flying Q1 start for Honda was led by especially sound figures. Worldwide motorcycle business revenue in the period neatly added 12% to £4.125bn. Operating profit rocketed upwards by 46.7% to £781.9m. Operating margin rose to 19% from 14.5%.

Global wholesale volume put on 5.2% to 4.473 million, an additional 222,000 units. Asia dominated, of course, 5.5% up to 3.781 million. But progress was hindered to some extent by a localised semiconductor supply shortage at Honda’s whollyowned HMSI subsidiary in India, where volume was reduced by 4.3% to 952,000. Vietnam, impacted by a recession, was also in arrears by 4.9% at 506,000.

However, Thailand climbed by a useful 18.3% to 395,000. And Indonesia, fed with product from Astra Honda’s huge AngloJapanese JV affiliate plant in Jakarta, recovered tremendously – 63% up to 1.115 million.

Other emerging regions in total were 5.7% down to 395,000. Among them, Brazilian sales emanating from Honda’s Latin American manufacturing hub at Manaus in the Amazon basin fell by 1.4% to 271,000.

Developed markets were all positive. European sales surged by 46.9% to 119,000. North America was 9.1% up to 120,000. The Japanese domestic contribution improved by 3.6% to 58,000.

Highlighting what it considers to be key products, Honda’s results presentation featured the XL750 Transalp, a global model launched sequentially from Europe since April. And it is already perking up the Indian market in Q2 with a new Dio125 scooter rolled out in July. Inevitably, the brand’s first

Pivoting around the end of June, when Japan’s Rising Sun touches its zenith in the northern hemisphere, Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki deliver their first quarterly results for current old-school fiscal years. Yamaha is already half way through its more modern calendar year. They are all doing pretty well in the now thoroughly post-pandemic world, according to Roger Willis

mass-market electric PTW got a mention too. This EM1e scooter arrived in Japanese dealers in August, before distribution in Europe and Indonesia.

On the subect of full-year motorcycle business outlook, money was entirely absent. Honda simply reiterated fairly conservative unit sales growth projections, made after the end of its last fiscal year. Overall numbers will hopefully rise by 2.3% to 19.180 million, some 423,000 more machines. Asia should be 1.7% up to 16.375 million. Europe is targeting a 25.4% improvement to 435,000 and North America looking at a 2.4% boost to 470,000.

¥-£ currency translation at forex rates applicable on 10 August

KAWASAKI: TEAM GREEN BLOSSOMS

After under-supplying its previously lucrative European motorcycle market last year

for various reasons, Kawasaki’s Powersports & Engine division has now corrected such aberrant behaviour. Q1 results therefore look quite promising.

Divisional revenue was 14.2% up to £788.9m. Accelerating motorcycle shipments to Europe and more off-road/utility vehicles for the US market took due credit, in addition to depreciation of the yen – despite considerably fewer motorcycles sold in SouthEast Asia. Operating profit for the period improved by 11% to £78.3m. Higher revenue was the primary contributor, although rising promotional and fixed costs restricted earnings growth to some extent.

Turnover from motorcycles for developed countries grew by 10.4% to £279.6m, with total Q1 unit sales just 2% up to 50,000. Wholesale volume shipped to Europe climbed sharply by 63.6% to 18,000. But US numbers were

17.4% down at 19,000. Kawasaki plans to ship 220,000 bikes into the developed world during its full year to March 2024.

Emerging markets motorcycle revenue spanning Asia and Latin America declined dramatically by 21.2% to £110.3m, as overall unit sales fell by 37.5% to 45,000. In the Philippines, volume was 37% down to 29,000. And Indonesia dived by 63.6% to a mere 4000. China lost 16.7% at 5000. Nevertheless, an optimistic annual sales target is 360,000 bikes.

Q1 off-road/utility vehicle and personal watercraft shipments, mostly to the USA, were 22.2% up to 22,000 units, eliciting a 44.6% related revenue hike to £249.5m. An indeterminate quantity of general-purpose petrol engines generated a 19.7% revenue increase to £149.5m.

A somewhat arbitary prediction for the division’s full year currently has overall revenue reaching £2.228m, which is 1.7% up on its starting-point estimate in April but 0.2% lower than actual revenue in the previous fiscal year. This doesn’t mean much yet, because the Kawasaki Heavy Industries parent is notorious for multiple forcasting amendments as time goes by… ¥-£ currency translation at forex rates applicable on 9 August

SUZUKI: SLOW START

Global motorcycle operations in the first quarter of Suzuki’s new fiscal year were a mixed bag. But at least the rejuvenation of its European bike business seems to be on track. Total Q1 revenue from the segment rose marginally by 0.2% to £477.4m. But operating profit suffered a 22.4% slump to £35.6m. Quarterly production of motorcycles and ATVs rose by 4.9% to 475,000. However, worldwide unit sales were just 1.5% up to 479,000.

Most impressive turnover contribution in the developed world came from Europe, rising by 30.3% to £82m. In contrast, North America was 20.8% down to £65.2m and the Japanese domestic market yielded £30.2m, a 10.7% reduction. Emerging markets across Asia delivered a fairly minor 2.2% increase at £220.9m. Within that, though, India was 23.1% up to £135.3m.

A unit-sales analysis coloured in the monetary picture. Suzuki’s wholly-owned Indian motorcycle plant at Gurgaon in the State

of Haryana not only increased production by 27.8% to 216,000 but also grew sales by 15.4% to 193,000.

Sales in the rest of Asia were 6.4% down to 202,000. China added 2.1% to 123,000 while the Phillipines sank by 14.6% to 41,000. Smaller Asian sources sold 19.8% fewer bikes totalling 38,000. Emerging countries in Latin America were 8.8% lower on 45,000.

Elsewhere, European countries were stars of the show, with combined sales soaring by 33.4% to 13,000, many of them biggerticket bikes. North American

sales in the first half of 2023. Substantially higher profits duly followed, boosted by passing on price inflation to customers and mitigating input cost pressures. The best result is yet to come, though, thanks to muscular upwards revision of full-year forecasts.

Total worldwide revenue from Yamaha-branded motorcycles in the six month period climbed by 16.5% to £3.861bn. Asian turnover led the way, 14.4% up to £2.254bn. Developed markets grew by 15.8% to £1.038bn. Latin America and other emerging markets added 26.8% to £569m. Associated operating profit went ballistic, flaunting 71.7% growth to £339m. Operating margin improved from 6% to 8.8%.

Global unit sales put on 5% to 2.462 million bikes. Asian countries were responsible for 1.961 million of them, a 5.1% overall rise. Star performer was apparently Indonesia, where demand rose by 36%. India and the Philippines achieved respective 8% and 7% gains. Other mainly emerging markets were 3.1% up to 297,000.

sales fell by 9% to 10,000 and Japan lost 12.1% on 12,000.

Suzuki’s full-year forecasts predict annual motorcycle production revised down to 1.5% growth reaching 1.942 million units. Some 121,000 of these will be made in Japan while most of the rest originate in Asia. A mysterious 4000 units are rostered for US assembly.

Worldwide annual sales volume is expected to improve by 3.2% to 1.919 million. Highlights are anticipated 30.1% recovery in Europe, hitting 40,000, and a 20.8% bounce in Japanese domestic sales to 55,000. North America should put on 2.8% at 33,000, Asia is billed to enjoy a 4% gain to 1.589 million. Other unidentified markets are likely to shrivel by 9.5% to 201,000.

¥-£ currency translation at forex rates applicable on 7 August

YAMAHA: CASHING IN

With semiconductor shortages a thing of the past, Yamaha’s motorcycle business was able to ramp up global shipments and

Among major players in the developed world, European sales volume increased by 12% to 121,000, with its related revenue contribution 21.8% higher at £653m. North American volume grew by 25% to 45,000. Related revenue was 35.8% up to £224m. Only its Japanese domestic market spoiled Yamaha’s party, as units sales volume on home turf dropped by 20.8% to 38,000 and revenue sank by 20.9% to £122m.

Based on such a generally upbeat half-way point performance, revised financial estimates were obviously on the cards. Yamaha’s original motorcycle business 2023 full-year forecast featured total revenue 7.7% higher at £7.607bn. But operating profit had been burdened with a gloomy prediction of 20.9% decline to just £366m. Those figures have now been torn up and replaced.

Instead, annual revenue from bikes is set to rise by 13.6% to £8.034bn. And the operating profit target has been reconfigured as 21.6% up to £564m – a potential all-time record profitability input for the sector, equating to 41.2% of forecast group operating income.

¥-£ currency translation at forex rates applicable on 9 August

With semiconductor shortages a thing of the past, Yamaha’s motorcycle business was able to ramp up global shipments and sales in the first half of 2023

RICARDO

LEGENDARY ENGINEERING DEVELOPER

Ricardo is holding a conference at the EICMA Milan show this year. Riding Future Technologies 8.0 takes place in Milan on Monday 6 November, one day ahead of EICMA, and features a range of guest speakers, including Roberto Canè, e-mobility director at Ducati, and Brian Wismann, VP of product development at Zero Motorcycles. Both will be speaking about how electric power will change biking. Tickets are available now: www.ricardo.com/en.

New CCO joins DF Capital

Specialist commercial lending bank DF Capital, wellknown to many businesses in the motorcycle industry, has appointed Garry Frew as its chief commercial officer.

DUNLOP AT SUZUKA

IT’S A TOUGH AWAY GIG FOR EUROPEANS, BUT Japan’s Suzuka 8 Hours is one of the racing highlights of the year, and Dunlop was working with its major World Endurance teams as usual. The top four spots were all snatched by Hondas – not uncommon at their home race – but the Dunlop-shod BMW Motorrad World Endurance team managed a seventh place and the KM99 Yamaha team finishing 28th in the gruelling race.

TRIUMPH EXTENDS MOTO2 DEAL

TRIUMPH’S ENGINE SUPPLY CONTRACT FOR Moto2 was a surprise when it was announced in 2017, but it’s gone incredibly well for the Hinckley firm. So it’s perhaps less of a surprise that Dorna has signed up for another five year deal. Triumph will continue developing the engine –also used in its 765 Street Triple road bike range – with a new race gearbox and other updates for 2024.

£275K RAISED FOR CHARITY

TWO WHEELS FOR LIFE CELEBRATED A SUCCESSFUL weekend at the Silverstone round of MotoGP, after it raised more than a quarter of a million pounds for its work delivering health care in Africa. The Day of Champions auction alone raised more than £90,000, with additional funds coming from Day of Champions tickets, paddock entry and ride-in sales, two further weekend auctions, the helmet park, a Ducati UK fundraising dinner, Moto X2 two-seater rides and a weekend raffle. Two Wheels for Life has also signed up online celebrity Vanessa Ruck – who posts on social media as thegirlonabike – as an ambassador for the charity. The adventure rider and rally racer will help the charity raise funds for health projects in Africa.

In his new role, Frew will report to DF Capital chief executive Carl D’Ammassa leading the bank’s commercial lending function. He will be responsible for strategy and growth initiatives, to continue supporting manufacturers and dealer customers.

He joins DF Capital from Wells Fargo, where he spent 17 years in a number of senior positions in the US and Europe. For the past six years, he was vice president for strategic relations at Wells Fargo’s commercial distribution finance business. Frew has extensive experience in inventory and distribution finance, as well as financial analysis and business acquisition. He has an executive MBA from the London Business School.

New financial officer for Verge

High-end electric superbike brand Verge, has announced a new CFO. Mark Wilson has joined the firm after working as CFO at Aston Martin Lagonda, and his task will be to scale up Verge’s international business. With the company planning to expand into the USA, Wilson will surely be kept busy.

“Verge’s unique innovation, state-of-the-art design, and ambitious vision is attracting enormous interest amongst international investors, despite the challenging economic environment,” said Wilson.

“This is a pivotal moment for the company as it scales up to meet growing customer demand globally. With an order book running well into next year, Verge is primed to exert leadership in the electric superbike category.

I’m thrilled to join such an exciting and dynamic business.”

“Mark’s expertise and experience in the auto industry is extremely valuable to Verge, especially at this stage of our growth,” said Marko Lehtimäki, Verge’s chief technology officer.

“The company’s order book is growing at an accelerating pace, and with the help of future funding rounds, it intends to ensure that delivery capacity is increased to meet the demand. Mark has unparalleled experience in all of these areas. The company is now entering a new era.”

Welcoming him to DF Capital, D’Ammassa said: “Garry’s deep knowledge of our lending products, sectors and customers, as well as his proven track record of career success, make him the perfect fit for this role. I am confident that he will play a significant part in building on our amazing achievements to date, helping us further scale the bank, while putting our customer needs first.”

Edwards back at KTM

DAVID EDWARDS IS WELL known at KTM UK – having previously worked there as the Husqvarna brand manager for a seven year stint pre-Covid. He then transferred to the Far East, taking on a role in Singapore with the firm just before lockdown struck – but now he’s back in Blighty, working as dealer development manager.

Edwards is now getting stuck into a few major projects, mostly pushing the existing KTM, Husqvarna Motorcycles, GasGas and WP dealer networks forward. He is also working on incorporating CFMoto and MV Agusta dealers into the network.

Edwards will be in touch with interested dealers, but if you want to jump the queue, he is available at david.edwards@ktm.com.

Eurogrip’s RoadHound Sports Touring tyre and the Protorque Extreme Sports tyre, both quality products at a competitive price and compliment an established range available offering MX, Enduro and Scooter patterns

MotoNovo Finance beefs up its senior leadership

Bike finance specialist MotoNovo Finance, has announced the expansion of its top ranks with three external appointments to its senior leadership team (SLT). Leanne Christmas joins as conduct and business risk director, Alice Sweet becomes product and proposition director, and James Gearey has been appointed interim commercial and performance director. The new team members will report to managing director Richard Jones, as he continues to reshape the business he joined in February. All three roles have been newly created and will complement the existing SLT.

Leanne Christmas joins from BMW Financial Services and tech firm Alphabet, where she spent seven years as chief compliance officer. She trained at Deloitte as a chartered accountant and previously held several global risk and governance roles within the Barclays Bank group.

Alice Sweet’s appointment sees her join MotoNovo following senior roles at Lloyds Banking Group and the Royal London Group. Most recently, she led Royal London’s UK life insurance business.

James Gearey brings an

MERCHANDISERS REQUIRED

Merlin is an independent British brand, redefining the experience on two wheels. Created by riders, for riders, over the last 10 years Merlin has become one of the most sought after brands in the market. As a result Merlin is excited to offer opportunities within the UK for merchandisers.

The merchandisers role can be seen in more detail on the BDN website under ‘Jobs’. Complete with competitive package.

Please send in cover letter and CV to info@merlinbikegear.com

Qualified Motorcycle/Scooter Mechanic/Technician

extensive track record, including senior leadership roles at Siemens Financial Services and Aviva. He joins MotoNovo from Covea Insurance, where he was managing director for personal lines and protection.

Richard Jones said: “I am delighted to welcome three new members to my executive team, who bring considerable capability and expertise to help drive our business forward. These are exciting times for MotoNovo Finance, and I am confident we now have the right team in place to help our business embrace the challenges and opportunities that present themselves.”

Audio acquisition

TECHNOLOGY MANUFACTURER GARMIN HAS BOUGHT THE JL AUDIO company and is set to integrate its premium audio technology into the range of Garmin products. American firm JL designs and makes audio systems for marine, automotive, powersports and other markets, and its know-how is set to improve Garmin’s navigation and Bluetooth equipment.

“JL Audio’s extensive audio experience will create new opportunities to provide premium audio features across a broad range of our markets and products,” said Cliff Pemble, Garmin president. “The JL Audio brand is known worldwide for offering a premium audio experience made possible by their talented and dedicated associates. We look forward to welcoming the JL Audio team into the Garmin family.”

Lucio Proni, JL Audio CEO said, “JL Audio shares Garmin’s vision to deliver unique technology solutions supported by meaningful R&D and engineering. We are thrilled at the opportunity to integrate into Garmin’s product ecosystem. JL Audio will contribute audio knowledge and engineering expertise to create great audio products for many years.”

We are looking for a Qualified Motorcycle/ Scooter Mechanic/Technician

to join our busy West London Vespa Piaggio dealership. Applicants must have a minimum of 3 years' experience. A very competitive salary will be awarded to the successful candidate, which will fully reflect both qualifications and experience.

please apply direct to ragiusscooters@yahoo.co.uk

WE’RE HIRING

We are currently looking for the following: An experienced Motorcycle Technician/Mechanic

A competitive salary and benefits package will be awarded to the successful applicant which will reflect both qualifications and experience.

The successful candidate must have experience of modern motorcycle technology and be able to demonstrate an understanding of current diagnostic equipment. The role will be responsible for servicing and repairing predominantly Kawasaki and Suzuki motorcycles.

Please forward your CV with a covering letter to; Dealer Principle, HGB Motorcycles (Ruislip) Ltd, 69-71 Park Way, Ruislip Manor, Middx HA4 8NS or email to brigid@hgbmotorcycles.co.uk

Above: Alice Sweet, Below: James Gearey, Leanne Christmas

Maeving signs first dealership

Coventry-based electric retro-bike maker Maeving has taken on its first retail dealership, adding Completely Motorbikes in Gloucester to its existing direct-sales operation.

Completely will line up the neoclassic RM-1 battery-powered commuter alongside the MV Agusta and CCM model ranges, giving customers the chance to see the bikes in the metal. And it’s set to be the first of a small network of dealers selling Maeving bikes across the UK.

Maeving co-founder Seb Inglis-

Jones said: “We believe the new partnership with Completely Motorbikes will be highly beneficial for us in supplementing our ongoing direct-to-consumer operation, giving us greater reach across the country, and greater provision when it comes to test rides and servicing. We are looking to build partnerships with a small collection of premium dealers across the country in time, and we are delighted that the first of these is as strong, successful, and established a dealer as Completely Motorbikes.”

Energica’s Eire expansion

Rob Ayland, owner and MD of Completely Motorbikes said: “We are huge fans of the best of British engineering, and Maeving Motorcycles is a fantastic British marque that we are pleased to stock alongside our other premium brands. We

are particularly proud to be both CCM and Maeving’s first dealer and feel that these two British brands complement each other well, each occupying as they do a unique space within the motorcycle arena.”

www.maeving.com

BMW CE 02 goes live

BMW HAS DOUBLED ITS OFFERING OF BATTERY-POWERED URBAN mobility tools with the launch of the new CE 02, which joins its well-established CE 04 big brother. Seen before in prototype form, the trendy surf-styled ‘eParkour’ scoot comes in either full power 125cc-equivalent 15hp or moped-compliant 5hp/30mph versions, both equipped with riding modes, reverse assist and a USB charging outlet as standard.

The future for high-powered electric motorcycling may still be a bit foggy, but Italian superbike maker Energica is forging ahead with retail outlet growth. And it’s the (also sometimes a bit foggy) green pastures of Limerick, Ireland, which will host the latest member of the Energica family. Sprocket & Hubs Motorcycle Emporium in Limerick is taking on the battery-powered range of high-end machinery in a sub-dealer partnership with the English Electric Motor Co based in Diss, Norfolk.

“We are delighted to expand our electric network into Ireland with the highly reputable Sprocket & Hubs Motorcycle Emporium. This collaboration will further strengthen Energica’s presence in an emerging market, enabling demos to be held within an accessible distance of potential customers in Ireland, under the exceptional service that our new sub-dealer can provide,” said Alec Sharp, owner of English Electric Motor Co.

“We are so excited to introduce Sprocket & Hubs Motorcycle Emporium in our Energica Dealer Family. This agreement opens new possibilities in a new market for our company,” said Energica sales director Giacomo Leone. “For our dealers, Energica means being one step ahead of the times.”

The full-power version weighs in at just 132kg and has a claimed top speed of around 60mph along with a 60-mile range. Keyless ignition, a TFT LCD dash, smartphone link and LED lights round off the tech spec, and the bike also features ABS on the front brake and traction control on the electric drive train, as well as a ‘recuperative stability control’ which reduces rear wheel slip when recharging the battery via the motor while decelerating. The full-power CE 02 has a pair of removable batteries, and charging is via a standard household 13A socket, with an optional 1.5kW fast charger.

In the UK, the full-fat 15hp CE 02 will cost £8450, and the moped version £7450.

Registrations data

Alternative powered two wheeler registrations for July 2023

After what has been yet another bad month for zero-emissions lobbyists, the batteryelectric PTW sector’s market share in July declined to just 3.9% of all registrations –down from 5.9% in the equivalent period last year. Total electrified volume was 40.1% down year-onyear to 389 units.

The dominant (if that’s really an appropriate word) up-to11kW segment fell by 38.9% to 358 machines. Within that, AMlicenced electric mopeds were 50.6% lower at 158, headed up by 23 samples of the Sur-Ron Light Bee and the more powerful A1 class bikes were 24.9% adrift on 200, led by 42 examples of Sur-Ron Ultra Bee products.

The quantities of machines registered boasting greater power were absolutely trivial. In the 11-35kW range, a mere three 15kW BMW CE 04 maxi scooters were sold, representing a 72.7% reduction. The over-35kW segment was even weaker, 88.2% down to just an unidentified pair of motorcycles. A further 26 units, either exempt or of unknown specification, filled out the overall tally.

For the year to date, batteryelectric steed sales have slumped by 45.4% to 2313 units. YTD market share has retreated to 3.2% from 5.7%. Least dismal showing was the learner-legal up-to11kW segment, which is currently 46.3% down at 2097 units.

the year to date, batteryelectric sales have slumped by 45.4% to 2313 units

GasGas for 2024

GASGAS HAS TURNED UP THE heat with an 11-strong off-road line-up for 2024. This huge variety of models means that there should be a bike for everyone.

All 2024 motocross models are now powered by new, lighter motors, producing more torque and power than before. They’re fitted in new frames at a slight backwards tilt to lower the front sprocket height and centralise the weight to make the handling even better, claims GasGas. It might sound like a bit of a cop-out, but there are too many changes and improvements to list here but suffice it to say it’s all cutting edge stuff on both the two- and fourstrokes. The full line up for 2024 is: MC 125 (£7949), MC 250 (£8749), MC 250F (£9149), MC 350F (£9449) and MC 450F (£9749).

The enduro range for 2024 is described as easy and fun to ride and it’s these aspects which make them competitive. Two new models – the EC 450F and an EC 500F – have been added to the range and come with the same top-level components as the rest of the range. These include Braktec brakes, WP suspension, and enduro-specific PANKL transmissions. The Enduro range is: EC 250 (£9049), EC 300 (£9249), EC 250F (£9549), EC 350F (£9749), EC 450F (£9849) and EC 500F (£10,149).

As well as the revamped model range, the revitalised GasGas Technical Accessories range includes a huge selection of quality components designed to protect, improve, and to add a little more edge to every model. Customers can use the online configurator to fit their favourite parts to a virtual bike to see how they look.

With off-road correspondent Rick Kemp

Sur-Ron offers experience days down South

E-bike manufacturer Sur-Ron has announced an official partnership with Wheeldon Off Road Centre in Devon to create exclusive Sur-Ron Experience Days. These events will be supported by locally based electric off-road training company Volt MX and official Sur-Ron dealer Rev Monkey UK.

Sur-Ron Experience Days will comprise test and training days utilising Wheeldon’s indoor supercross track and outdoor motocross track, along with expert guidance from skilled instructors who can tailor the activities to all skill levels. Participants can also explore the scenic trails that surround Wheeldon Farm, so that they can appreciate the performance of the electric bikes in a natural and challenging environment.

With what could be considered some of the best views overlooking the Devon countryside, Wheeldon Farm is also a traditional family holiday centre offering luxury self-catering cottages and touring facilities for camper vans and motorhomes. The new partnership with Sur-Ron allows Wheeldon to offer a unique activity for the entire family to enjoy.

“For us, the future is definitely electric and the move to a greener future is inevitable,” said Andrew Savery, owner of Wheeldon Off

Road Centre. “We are extremely excited to partner with Sur-Ron to offer this unique opportunity to discover the pure excitement associated with these electric bikes, as well as offering an environmentally friendly and low noise alternative in a perfectly suited environment.

bike; and the high-performance Storm Bee enduro bike. With innovative engineering expertise, smart technology and cuttingedge vehicle design, Sur-Ron believes it is just at the start of a range of ground-breaking performance products.

“Throughout the school holidays and beyond, we’ll be running family-orientated courses using the Sur-Ron Light Bee and Ultra Bee youth models, so we’ve got something suitable for riders of all abilities, ages and experience,” continued Savery. “This is just the start, and we will be announcing more exciting new events later in the year.”

Sur-Ron models include the lightweight and versatile Light Bee, the mid-size Ultra Bee trail

Sur-Ron UK’s Andrew Shepherd commented: “The experience days offer a unique opportunity to demonstrate first hand the capabilities of our e-bikes and show just how easy they are to ride, all in a fantastic setting that offers year-round access to training thanks to Wheeldon’s impressive indoor arena. We can’t wait to welcome riders from seasoned off-road enthusiasts to complete beginners who want to find out what all the buzz is about – the experience days will offer something for everyone.”

ePowerSports is the official distributor of the Sur-Ron range and has a growing network of authorised dealers across the UK offering comprehensive support for sales and servicing requirements, as well as genuine Sur-Ron parts and accessories.

www.sur-ron.co.uk

For us, the future is definitely electric and the move to a greener future is inevitable

Andrew Savery of Wheeldon Farm and Andrew Shepherd of Sur-Ron with an electric Ultra Bee

Triumph launches Tiger Aragón editions

In July 2022, Iván Cervantes was victorious in the Baja Aragón, one of the most demanding races in the offroad calendar. One year later, Triumph celebrates his stand-out achievement with the launch of the Tiger 900 Rally Aragón and the Tiger 900 GT Aragón special editions featuring unique liveries and specifications.

The Rally Aragón boasts matt Phantom black, matt graphite and Crystal white paintwork featuring racing yellow accents, paired with Tiger and Aragón Edition detailing, as well as a new and unique twin-colour seat design. The GT Aragón follows suit with the Tiger and Aragón edition detailing and twin-colour seat design, but instead features a colour scheme of diablo red, matt

phantom black and crystal white.

To maximise the handling, the GT Aragón edition carries fully adjustable 45mm USD Marzocchi cartridge forks and electronically adjustable rear suspension, whereas the Rally Aragón edition features Showa forks tuned for better off-road performance.

Engine protection bars are fitted as standard to both Aragón editions, while the Rally Aragón also has fuel tank protection bars as standard. A collection of more than 65 dedicated accessory options is available for both models, allowing the machines to be personalised by customers.

Both models are competitively priced, with the Tiger 900 GT Aragon retailing at £13,695, and the Tiger 900 Rally Aragon at £13,995.

CFMoto comes fully loaded

IT WOULD BE FAIR TO SAY THAT if it’s whistles and bells, you’re after, then the new CFMoto 800MT Explore should be a serious contender, with its array of impressive features and rider aids. These include a Combined Anti-lock Braking System (C-ABS) with traction and electronic stability control, rearward-facing radar technology which helps facilitate the blind spot detection, lane change assist and rear collision warning systems.

Under the heading of connectivity is a new 8in colour display featuring Apple CarPlay, which provides smartphone and Bluetooth connectivity, voice control, navigation, and music library functionality. Here, riders

can also access six different ride modes, each offering a unique combination of torque output and traction control intervention to suit varying road conditions, abilities, and preferred riding styles.

Oh, and did we mention the intuitive switchgear? This allows riders to easily toggle between the heated seat and heated grip settings on the move, each offering three levels of warmth. The parallel-twin 799cc motor with Power Assisted Slipper Clutch (PASC) and bi-directional Quickshifter are also on the spec list, which goes on and on...

The CFMoto 800MT Explore is available in Starry white and Gem black colourways and retails for £11,990 OTR.

CARBON & PRO BILLET MX/ENDURO WHEELS

Italian adventure

AT OVER A CENTURY OLD, THE BENELLI BRAND HAS had its ups and downs, but its survival has resulted from changing with the times. Remember the Benelli Sei from the 1970s keeping up with six-cylinder machines from Honda and Kawasaki? You could say Benelli’s TRK 702X is doing the same thing in today’s adventure-led market.

Derived from the TRK range, the 702X version has all the proper adventure styling cues, such as the headlight with a double LED module set into the mask structure, or the design of the tank, with the rider’s legs contact area made of metal to allow maximum freedom of movement without compromising the 20-litre fuel capacity. Other distinguishing features of the TRK 702X, shared with the other newcomers in the range, include the rear grab handles, which are generous and long to offer maximum comfort for the passenger.

Slotting neatly between the 500 and 800cc models,

the twin-cylinder, 698cc motor produces 70hp at 8000rpm and 70Nm of torque at 6000rpm. The sixspeed gearbox has a wet slipper clutch with a torque converter. Rider convenience is further enhanced by a high-resolution 5in TFT colour display with a Bluetooth connection which links to a phone to display incoming calls and notifications. Handlebar controls allow answering or ending a call. Furthermore, it is possible to transform the display into a navigator by downloading an application to your mobile phone and connecting to a phone-mirroring solution.

The Benelli TRK 702X will be available in anthracite grey, forest green, dune sea and moon grey for £6899 + £200 OTR. Until the end of 2023, a trio of Benelli aluminium cases, a 46-litre top case, two side cases and frames are included in the list price.

MotoGB 01257 485222 mattkay@motogb.co.uk

Kayo goes electric

Stomp Quads has announced that it will sell the Kayo range of electric ATVs starting with the EA70 (FOX-E). This ATV is primarily aimed at youth riders and is claimed to have equivalent performance to the popular Kayo 70cc four-stroke model. Stomp says more models are on the way, including adult-sized bikes designed for the utility class.

The FOX-E is to be priced at around 30% more than its petrol equivalent. Despite this, it’s bound to find favour amongst the many consumers who want a simple, reliable, hydrocarbonfree powertrain which is virtually silent, if only to keep the neighbours on-side.

This little electric ATV has an extremely smooth, controlled power delivery with exceptional throttle progression. Reverse can be selected at the flick of a switch, and the ATV will crawl slowly and safely backwards. In total, there are four driving modes, each calibrated to different user demands and abilities, with peak power coming in at a healthy

1.4kW. Power is supplied by a 48V 20Ah lead-acid battery pack, with a claimed range of around 50km, depending on rider and terrain.

Danny Taylor from Stomp commented, “Being petrol heads, we were a little sceptical to begin with, but once we tested the little quad we very quickly fell in love with how well it performed. It oozes quality and refinement, which we expected, but we were blown away by the calibration work Kayo has achieved. We put the bike to work with 8-year-old and 12-year-old riders to see how they got on, and in both instances, we couldn’t get them off the bike until the battery eventually faded.”

The FOX-E is £1149. Call 01730 720020. Full spec list available at www.kayo-atv.com

WP upgrade

WANT TO SPEND MORE ON your KTM, Husqvarna or GasGas enduro bikes? The new WP XPLOR Pro 7500 cartridge could be just the job. This cutting-edge, off-road cartridge claims to set a new standard for innovation. It features WP Suspension’s Cone Valve Technology, and promises to transform the off-road riding experience.

The new cartridge incorporates state-of-the-art engineering and advanced materials, with the new technology providing improved response and feedback in every riding situation. The pressurised system resists damping loss, and the closed cartridge and adjustable spring preload can be altered externally with standard tools.

The XPLOR Pro 7500 cartridge is now available for £1313.05 SRP.

Dunlop has further developed its championship winning Geomax motocross range with the introduction of the Geomax MX34, a versatile motocross tyre with a number of innovations that build on its acclaimed predecessor. The new tyre sits in the range between the sand and mud-orientated Geomax MX14 and the intermediate to hardpackfocused Geomax MX53.

The new tyre features improved designs at both ends. On the front, an optimised block design

Dunlop Geomax MX34

and an improved compound give enhanced traction and durability compared to its predecessor. Larger spacing between blocks achieves superior mud evacuation.

On the rear tyre, the centre blocks have been made 11% higher and 44% wider to deliver more traction. This increased rear grip is said to give riders improved acceleration and better feel and feedback.

The Geomax MX34 will be available in 17 sizes, covering 10in to 21in front fitments and 10in to 19in rear fitments.

www.dunlop.eu

Treading carefully

OFF-ROAD TYRES CAN PROVE A BIT OF A MINEFIELD, WHETHER you’re an avid rider looking for a new tyre for your off-road bike or you are just starting out. Looking at the tyre pattern will guide most people to the use of the tyre, but there is a lot more to a tyre than the tread pattern, and it’s worth knowing how the rubber compounds can affect your riding experience across different terrains.

Different terrains determine a pattern style to be used, but then which rubber compounds work best? Choosing the right tyre for the correct terrain can greatly impact the tyre's performance. So, what are the differences in tyre compounds, and what do they mean?

As an aid Bickers has created a Motocross Motorcycle Tyre Guide and an Enduro Motorcycle Tyre Guide so riders can pick the right tyre for the correct terrain. Download from https://tinyurl.com/bdemfjzj

Just in case

Tour editions of Suzuki’s V-Strom 800DE, newfor-2023 V-Strom 1050DE and updated V-Strom 1050 are now available with fully incorporated three-piece aluminium luggage as standard.

Available in either silver or black, the rugged aluminium luggage adds 112-litres of storage capacity to machinery already designed to take riders further, thanks to large fuel tanks and economical twin-cylinder engines, weather-beating hand guards, and ergonomics designed for all-day riding comfort. In the case of the V-Strom 1050 and 1050DE there’s also cruise control, while the 1050DE and 800DE will enable riders to continue when the road ends, thanks to longer travel suspension, increased ground clearance, 21in front wheels, and an off-road-focussed electronics package.

The V-Strom 800DE Tour edition represents a saving of £672.98 when compared to buying the luggage separately. Saving on the V-Strom 1050DE Tour and V-Strom 1050 Tour are more than £450.

Suzuki’s three-year warranty also apply to the luggage items on all three Tour models, allowing the warranty to be extended further under the Service Activated Warranty scheme. The V-Strom 1050 Tour and V-Strom 1050DE Tour has also been added to Suzuki’s current 2, 3, 4 offer, which allows customers to choose from either a PCP or HP deal over two, three, or four years, with an APR to match with just a £500 minimum deposit required.

#77 Dominique Aegerter WorldSSP

Current world champion

GET A

MOVE ON

As online bike sales increase dealers are finding that out-of-area deliveries can be a time-consuming and expensive problem. Move Motorcycles could have the solution

Irrespective of which retail sector you’re in, you are probably witnessing some change if it’s premises-based. The high street as we knew it has all but disappeared in favour of the shopping precinct. Online shopping has affected retail across the board, and if you’re in an urban environment and you’ve run out of fags at 2 o’clock in the morning, a phone call to Just Smoke will have a fresh packet on your doorstep via an e-scooter in a few minutes! Many motorcycle dealerships are reporting a reduction in footfall, so what might constitute evolution in motorcycle retail?

One answer could be to capitalise on remote sales, which is where Move Motorcycles comes into its own. At this time of year, dealers are preparing or planning for the winter months, which could be a good time to change how you deal with distance sales. How many times have you received a call regarding an advertised bike, and the customer

is miles away? If you have to say, “You can come and collect it if you like”, that’s probably another sales opportunity missed. If you want to stop losing these sales, Move’s head of operations, Andy Gifford, has a convincing solution.

“We know dealers like to deliver local bike sales in their own van, but there comes a point where it’s not viable or cost-effective –usually 80 to 100 miles. However, this varies depending on the dealer’s location. Suppose you send a staff member in the van to deliver a bike. In that case, there are costs to consider: fuel, wages for the driver, depreciation on your van, time spent planning the route, and the loss to the business of being understaffed for the day or perhaps a staff member’s own job suffers.

“For example, a dealer decides to deliver two bikes to separate customers from their shop, say, in the Gatwick area: one is for Manchester and the other just along the M62 in Leeds. First, you have to ensure both customers

are available on a given day. Then the driver sets off at 7am and is away from the shop all day as they won’t get home until 8pm, having spent £140 on diesel and costing £150 in wages. If you consider the depreciation of your van, let’s say 10p per mile, that’s another £50. This all adds up to an approximate cost to the dealership of £340. You may think that’s okay because we charge each customer £150, but the fact that you haven’t gained anything – your member of staff has been away from the shop all day, leaving their main job unmanned, and they will be tired the next day – this may suggest that it would have been better to outsource the deliveries to a reliable transport company,

allowing you to get more bikes cleaned, sold, or to follow up more sales leads, rather than missing a load of phone calls.”

Move Motorcycles is a wellestablished motorcycle transport company serving manufacturers and dealers and is currently delivering a total of 250 units

AndyGifford,MoveMotorcyclesowner

per month for BMW, HarleyDavidson and Triumph and facilitating distant sales for dealers of mainly used stock. Move Motorcycles is also the official transporter for new police motorcycle fleets and, at present, it operates five dedicated vans equipped with full-width loading ramps, wheel chocks, non-slip flooring, tie-down points on the sides and floor and memory foam on the sides to protect mirrors and levers in case any

rest of the process dealing with the handover paperwork, deposits, part exchanges, tracked delivery and status updates to the customer, including pre-arrival phone calls. Full transit insurance comes as standard and, should it be required, Move can store bikes at its secure facility for days, weeks or even months. It can also collect dealers’ part exchanges and used bike purchases should a dealer see

works better than the old system of taking a photo of the buyer in his or her doorway which doesn’t work for high-rise flats or other premises with multiple occupancy.

Currently, the company’s vehicles visit every county in England and Wales every week and Scotland twice per week. Being London-based, it can also facilitate air or sea freight should it be required.

Gifford says that Move is catering for the current shift in retail patterns. Frequently, when one of the vans turns up at a customer’s home, and the bike is wheeled out, it’s the first time that the buyer has seen it ‘in the metal’. This is obviously one of the reasons contributing to the reduction in showroom footfall – increasingly, prospective buyers no longer feel the need to bounce up and down on the seat and kick the tyres before parting with their money. They know what they want and can afford, and they can probably find it online and make a phone call.

Time to add an extra layer of security

contact occurs. A maximum of four motorcycles per van are carried, and next year the fleet will increase to eight vehicles, one of which will be dedicated to sidecars, trikes and quads, and Ireland will be included in the company’s sphere of operations. However, the service doesn’t stop there, as all the drivers have years of experience dealing with retail customers. Once a booking has been made, Move Motorcycles can take over the

a desirable bike located miles away. More recently, Move has been working with finance companies to prevent fraud. It ensures that the buyer has access to the property being delivered to by requesting a six-digit code from the receiver of the bike upon delivery. This code has been created by the dealer and can be in any format. It is posted by the dealer and added to Move’s booking system; drivers then require this code on delivery. This

This also means that some dealers will no longer need extensive showrooms unless it’s part of their franchise agreement, and there’s less need to attract passing trade, so, in many cases, a move to more modest premises on a trading estate, for instance, would improve the business’s bottom line and there wouldn’t be the need for staff to deal with casual punters– a win-win option. To help make the above viable, Move Motorcycles has developed a faultless procedure. Once the dealer has booked with Move to deliver a bike to the customer, it’s job done, each delivery is fully tracked, and the customer gets text updates when the booking is received and when a driver is assigned. The dealer is informed once the customer has accepted the bike, so follow-up contact can be made. Prospective clients can be reassured by checking the website and looking at reviews from Trustpilot and Google, as all customers are sent a review request after a delivery has been made.

Depending on your existing business model, selling to a wider audience is a no-brainer if you have an online presence. 

Move Motorcycles

03330 501397, 07772 024763 quotes@movemotorcycles.co.uk

KHL Brake

Lever Lock

120db Alarm

£94.99 COLOURS: BLUE, RED

The KHL features a robust metal body with an ear-splitting alarm to provide extra layers of security when your motorcycle or scooter is parked.

T 0117 971 9200

We know dealers like to deliver local bike sales in their own van, but there comes a point where it’s not viable or cost-effective

Beat

FRAUD: BEWARE THE OPPORTUNIST

Fraudulent activity happens, but it’s not inevitable if steps to guard against it are taken

Alot of focus recently has been on fraudulent activity committed against individuals. In its November 2022 report, Fighting Fraud: Breaking the Chain, the House of Lords Fraud Act 2006 and Digital Fraud Committee said that, in the previous 13-month period, 89% of fraud victims were individuals rather than organisations or businesses.

But having said that, Andrew Northage,

a partner in the regulatory and compliance team at commercial law firm Walker Morris, still considers fraud to be a significant threat in corporate environments. He cites the UK findings of PwC’s Global Economic Crime Survey 2022, which “showed that 64% of businesses had experienced fraud, corruption or other economic/financial crime in the previous two years, up quite significantly from 56% in 2020.”

For Northage, “the pressures of the economic climate on both businesses and individuals, combined with factors such as the rapid rise of digitisation and the move to more remote working patterns, continue to provide internal and external fraudsters with the motivation and opportunities to commit fraud against corporates.”

And new technologies such as artificial intelligence make the commission of fraud easier, more targeted, and more convincing to unsuspected victims. It doesn’t help that some employees are turning to fraud to maintain their lifestyles.

TAKING A CHANCE

The opportunities for committing fraud in a corporate environment depend to a large extent on where the areas of weakness are in structures and defences.

For Northage typical frauds include cybercrime, business impersonation fraud, supplier/supply chain fraud, mortgage fraud, employee fraud such as payroll fraud and false accounting, and money laundering. He adds: “The increasingly rapid rise of digitisation has facilitated fraud across borders and can make it difficult to trace perpetrators.”

Another area of concern for Northage is the rise of ‘greenwashing’ – the practice of often making exaggerated claims about a business’ environmental credentials and the sustainability of its products, services, and environmental impact. Most wouldn’t think of this as out-and-out fraud, but it is, and as he says, “with the focus very firmly on companies’ compliance with environmental, social and governance requirements, this is certainly an area to watch.”

And then there are the risks that follow on from the move to remote working patterns; this has affected the value of typical fraud prevention and detection measures “if,” as Northage comments, “they haven’t been updated to reflect the change in working practices post-pandemic.”

It shouldn’t be forgotten that fraudsters have become ever more sophisticated in recent years. Firms, reckons Northage, can be considered ‘at fault’ if they don’t implement robust processes. He’s bothered that “not all companies have the necessary controls in place to effectively manage fraudulent activity from outside and from within.”

According to the 2022 Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ (ACFE) Report to the Nations, in 29% of cases, there was a lack of control measures, and in 20% of cases, control measures were overridden – almost half of the frauds were self-inflicted because there may have been no control systems in place to prevent the fraud or those in place were not adequate.

DISCOVERY

The worrying part of fraud is that the majority aren’t ever discovered – at all. PwC’s Global Economic Crime and Fraud Survey 2022 noted, “51% of surveyed organisations say they experienced fraud in the past two years, the highest level in our 20 years of research.” But what of the other 49%? Are they really trouble-free?

subject to less managerial or other oversight, and/or those with access to the company’s financial systems or key assets, are more likely to fall within the higher risk category, together with disgruntled employees or those working their notice period. He says that “behaviours to look out for include personal or financial problems or unusual spending habits, being secretive about work, working long hours and/or not taking holidays, paying more attention than usual to a particular company customer or supplier, and becoming aggressive when challenged.”

DEVASTATING IMPACT

Aside from financial losses caused by the fraud itself, Northage says that “the most damaging consequence tends to be the reputational damage caused to the company and the loss of trust of customers and third parties that it deals with. And if the fraud was committed by a senior employee, that can exacerbate the damage.”

Here Northage says that fraud “is typically discovered through the measures that businesses have in place as part of their internal controls – not necessarily related to fraud detection – such as audits, and also as a result of whistleblowing.”

Clearly, there are more vulnerabilities in SMEs as they may need more resources to address potential attack risks. To say, ‘it will not happen to us’, ‘all of our staff are honest’, or ‘we are a family business’ is negligent.

A TYPICAL FRAUDSTER AND FRAUD?

When asked about a typical fraudster and fraud, Northage focuses on internal or employee fraud. He prefers not to talk about a ‘typical’ fraudster as “even the most diligent employee can become a fraudster if the conditions are right”. Instead, he says, “there are certain indicators that companies can look out for, based on the ‘fraud triangle’ of opportunity, motive or pressure and justification or rationalisation.”

But for Northage, senior staff or those

On top of that there’s the effect on staff morale and the significant time and costs involved in investigating and dealing with the incident and hiring new staff.

Lastly, it shouldn’t be forgotten that senior management risk criminal sanction for their (in)activity in this sphere. Indeed, Northage details that “depending on the nature and circumstances of the fraud and the extent of the directors’ involvement in it, they could face regulatory investigations, disqualification, imprisonment, fines, claims brought by the victim or victims of the fraud, shareholder action … the list goes on.”

ULTIMATELY…

At the end of the day, prevention is better than cure, as it can be complicated to prove dishonesty once it has occurred. But it’s worrying that businesses do not seem to have the appetite to gather evidence and prosecute – many deal with the matter internally and move the problem on. And that means fraudsters stay out there. 

The increasingly rapid rise of digitisation has facilitated fraud across borders and can make it difficult to trace perpetrators

MATTERS MARKETING

HOW DO I KEEP CUSTOMERS OVER WINTER?

Three simple ways to keep customers engaged through the colder months

Like barbecues, beachwear and garden furniture, motorcycles are a seasonal purchase. Whether you sell new or used bikes, clothing and accessories, or if you run a workshop or MOT station, just like hedgehogs, most of your customers will disappear over winter and will return in spring.

They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but how can we be sure that our customers will remember us after a break lasting several months? We learned the answer to this question during the first lockdown of 2020.

Smart operators realised that there would be a lot of pent-up demand once shoppers returned to the high street. In order to get people into their stores or buying their brands, they needed to keep them engaged while the shutters were down. They advertised, sent out emails, ran promotions on social media and generally created a buzz so that, once we were all allowed out again, people would flock to their showrooms and seek out their products.

And it worked. We know because we ran several such campaigns for our clients and measured the results.

On the flip side, some businesses decided to shut up shop completely and wait for it all to blow over. I know from my experience as a customer that this made things difficult.

you over the colder months.

1. Communicate: Use email newsletters and/or social media to stay in touch. Showcase new models and products ahead of the coming season, share tips on bike care over winter and suggest Christmas gift ideas for bikers

2. Sales: As mentioned in last month’s column, you should only have a sale occasionally and with good reason. Everyone understands that stores need to clear stock at the end of a season, so don’t be shy

Websites and social media were not updated, and emails went unanswered (or had a generic auto response), so it was impossible to tell when they might reopen. In some cases, it appeared they might have ceased trading altogether! Meanwhile, their competitors were trying to attract my attention. It also left me feeling that perhaps they didn’t value my custom all that much.

Therefore, applying the same principles to the winter season, here are three simple ways you could keep your customers engaged with

3. Events: Perhaps a preview of next season’s new bikes or clothing ranges, or an open day with a chance to meet sponsored riders, adventurers or YouTube stars. These can be a golden opportunity to sell casual clothing and other associated merchandise

Remember, it’s during the quiet times that communication is REALLY important. 

NEXT MONTH

What can I get out of sponsorship?

Expert advice to improve how you promote and sell productsyour servicesor

DAN SAGER FROM FAB-BIKER PR CONTINUES HIS SERIES ON marketing for motorcycle businesses by asking some of the big questions. fab-biker.co.uk

Smart operators realised that there would be a lot of pent-up demand once shoppers returned to the high street

Checking the right to work

With stories of migrants attempting Channel crossings and data published by the government over the number of illegal workers caught, employers need to understand their obligations when taking on staff.

Fundamentally, there is a need for every business to follow the law; illegal workers can emerge in the most unlikely of places. Indeed, embarrassingly, back in December 2022, a Border Force official was himself arrested for being an illegal immigrant*.

CHECKS REQUIRED

Shabana Muneer, a director at commercial law firm Walker Morris, outlines that to work in the UK, an individual must have the legal right to work, which post-Brexit means “they must be a British or Irish citizen, or have a UK immigration status which permits them to undertake employment.” She adds, “Some immigration statuses will come with a conditional right to work – in certain roles or for a certain number of hours per week.”

And for Mark Stevens, a senior associate at law firm VWV, it’s essential to recognise that every employer has a duty to prevent illegal working. In practice, he says that “this means that an employer must carry out checks to ensure that employees have the appropriate right to work in the UK; it is unlawful to

employ someone who does not have the appropriate right or who is in breach of the terms of their visa.”

In checking an individual’s right to work, the Home Office has set out the steps employers must follow before employment starts. These checks can be done manually or online. Muneer says that the requirements are set out by the Home Office in its employer’s guide to right-to-work checks guidance. She warns that “this changes frequently, and the version of the guidance in force at the time the individual’s employment commences must be followed.”

In essence, to complete the checks manually, the employer must obtain original documents from the Home Office’s list of acceptable documents. It must then:

Illegal immigration and working are topics high on the government’s agenda

1. Check that the documents are genuine by checking that names, photographs and dates of birth are consistent across the documents

2. Check the expiry dates for any timelimited permission to be in the UK

3. Check any work restrictions to find out if the prospective employee is able to do the work on offer

4. Copy each document in a format which cannot manually be altered and retain the copy securely

Alternatively, Stevens says that “an employer may be able to use the Home Office online right-to-work check if the individual has been issued an eVisa.”

And with the added complexity of employees with time-limited permission to live and work in the UK, Stevens recommends that follow-up checks are carried out through the course of the employment.

But regardless, he says, “records of all checks should be stored securely in compliance with data protection obligations. Most importantly, if an employer knows or has a reasonable cause to believe someone is an illegal worker, they should not be employed.”

THE NEED TO AVOID DISCRIMINATION

Some question the need to check everyone rather than those individuals with different skin tones, accents, or non-British-sounding names. The reason for checking all, however, should be obvious, says Stevens, as “taking a limited approach to checking the right to work is very likely to be discriminatory and will not prevent unlawful working.”

The worry for employers who only ask certain individuals for proof of their right to work is that, as Stevens notes, “employees who suffer discrimination during employment or during the recruitment process could bring claims seeking compensation as a result of the discriminatory treatment.”

And Muneer doesn’t disagree. She says that “checks should be carried out on all employees, regardless of presumed race or nationality, and should be a part of the business’s standard onboarding process.” She continues: “The Home Office is clear that adopting any other approach could give rise to claims against employers of discrimination on the grounds of race or nationality.” A good example in her mind would be a British national of ethnic descent who is asked to evidence right to work when their white British colleague has not could argue they have received different treatment on the grounds of their race.

There is some help for employers, though. Muneer says, “if right to work checks are carried out correctly, then even if that business mistakenly hires an illegal worker, a statutory defence may be available against civil penalties.”

It should be added that immigration officers visiting an employer have the power to request an inspection of documents for each employee and to question individuals, as well as talk to other employees. “They also,” says Stevens, “have the power to search the premises for documents – electronically too –and seize them if they deem it necessary.” On top of this, employers of illegal workers can also be named and shamed by immigration enforcement as a warning to others.

STIFF PENALTIES FOR BREACHES

It goes without saying that while the majority comply with the law, there are harsh penalties for those that do not, and the Home Office does carry out compliance and enforcement checks.

But as for the penalties themselves, Stevens details that a civil penalty is levied where an employer employs someone without the right to work. He says that where a breach occurs, “an immigration officer will issue a notice of liability to pay a civil penalty of a specific amount, the maximum being £20,000 for each individual who does not have the right to work.”

Further, criminal penalties – a prison sentence and/or an unlimited fine – can also apply where the employer knows or has reasonable cause to believe that an individual is an illegal worker.

Beyond naming and shaming, Muneer warns that any sponsor licence that a company holds for migrant workers may be downgraded or revoked. This, she says, “can have serious ramifications if the company is sponsoring workers – whether that is a large number of lower-skilled workers or a small number of highly or specialist skilled workers; where a licence is revoked, the visas of those workers will be curtailed and they will be required to leave the UK if they aren’t eligible for another immigration permission.”

And if a company doesn’t yet hold a sponsor licence, a civil penalty will impact on its ability to obtain one if the need arises.

Lastly, for agency staff, Stevens recommends that the contract between the business and the agency should clearly state that the agency remains the employer and is responsible for conducting the necessary right-to-work checks.

THE FUTURE

The government has been vocal about increasing enforcement in the area of illegal working, and we can therefore expect to see the law being enforced more regularly and an increase in illegal working penalties. 

*www.lbc.co.uk/news/border-force-officialarrested-illegal-immigrant

An employer must carry out checks to ensure that employees have the appropriate right to work in the UK

The latest products for your showroom Products

Puig cooler 6

PUIG’S EXPERIENCE IN MOTOGP and WorldSBK with the Repsol Honda and Kawasaki race teams has lead to the development of a new brake cooling duct for racing and track day use. The duct channels air across the discs, pads and calipers in order to reduce overheating and potential brake failure, promising an on-average 10oC reduction. It is made of ABS plastic and comes in either matt or gloss black to fit Kawasaki ZX-10R, BMW S1000RR and Yamaha R1 models. Puig; 0034 938 49 06 33; info@puig.tv

Wunderlich Click Bags

A QUICK-FITTING RANGE OF TANK BAGS, CLICK Bags do exactly what you would expect – securely clicking into a model-specific tank ring in a matter of seconds. The smallest in the range is the Click Bag 3, with a volume of 3 litres, followed by the 6, 13 and the largest 16-litre models in increasing capacities. All are made from water-repellent 840D ballistic polyester backed up with closed cell EVA foam for a robust structure which remains stable at speed even when empty. Available only in black with blue highlights, prices range from €119.90 to €239, with tank rings available for a wide range of BMW models from €34.90 SRP.

Wunderlich; +49 2641 3082-703; sales@wunderlich.de

Ruroc Atlas Street 5

FOLLOWING THE RECENT LAUNCH OF THE ATLAS 4.0 TRACK (SEE BDN JULY), RUROC HAS further expanded its helmet range with the Atlas 4.0 Street – a more economically priced version for the road. Replacing the carbon shell with a fibreglass version has trimmed the price without, Ruroc says, compromising on performance, as the ECE 22.06 certification attests. Inside is a removable and washable liner with multi-density cheekpads, a double-D chin strap and a Pinlock ready side-vision visor. It is compatible with the Shockwave B luetooth comms system, and comes in a choice of matt black, white and a pair of graphic options for an SRP from £275. Ruroc; www.ruroc.com

Oxford Kickback 56

A NEW VERSION OF OXFORD’S POPULAR KICKBACK lace-up biking boots for women has been released by the Witney-based clothing and accessories supplier. The ladies’ version of the Kickback is a waterproof, casual style leather boot featuring a Dry2Dry breathable membrane and a rubber sole. Impact protection is provided by a PU footbed shank and PU ankle reinforcements. These give it a CE approval rating of 1/1/2/1 (height/abrasion resistance/impact cut/ transverse rigidity). It comes in a choice of black or brown in sizes EU36-41 for an SRP of £119.99.

Oxford Products; 01993 862300; info@oxprod.com

Muc-Off Airtag holder

MUC-OFF IS BEST KNOWN FOR ITS WIDE RANGE OF motorcycle and bicycle cleaning and maintenance products, but it is now extending it remit into the motorcycle security arena with a secure holder for an Apple AirTag. The AirTag is a small traceable electronic puck which can be tracked using the FindMy app on an iPhone, and Muc-Off’s holder allows it to be securely hidden on a motorbike – under the seat, behind the fairing … wherever it is out of sight of potential thieves. To protect the AirTag, the two-part holder is made of tough heat-resistant polymer and machined aluminium with a selection of silicone clamp sizes to allow discreet fitting, and comes with security Torx screws and a matching tool for an extra layer of protection. SRP is £50.

Muc-Off; 01202 307799; sales@muc-off.com

Gold Star sidecar kit 5

WATSONIAN HAS DEVELOPED A FITTING KIT TO ALLOW ITS TRADITIONALLY-STYLED GRAND PRIX SIDECAR TO be fitted to the new BSA Gold Star, reviving a partnership that was established back in the pre-war era. The Grand Prix has a GRP body on a steel chassis frame, and the fitting kit connects it to the bike via four arms for a secure and stable fit. SRP for the fitting kit is £495, while prices for the Grand Prix sidecar start from £7195 depending on paint and accessories choices.

Watsonian Squire; 01386 700907; www.watsonian-squire.com

AWARD WINNING

CLEANING PRODUCTS

A carefully formulated, award winning range of specialist cleaning products to make your pride and joy ‘best in show’

Weise Condor 5

THE NEW WEISE CONDOR JACKET MIXES RETRO style with modern materials and levels of protection. A soft-touch brushed cotton shell has quilted detailing across the shoulders, with vintage-style zippers and poppers, but achieves an AA CE rating (AA) for protection, thanks to the shoulder, elbow and back armour fitted as standard. Inside the shell is a waterproof, windproof and breathable membrane, plus a removable 75gsm quilted vest thermal liner. For hotter days there are zipped vents at the front and back for a cooling breeze, and there’s adjustment at the waist, cuffs and collar to fine-tune the fit. The Condor comes in black and navy blue in men’s sizes S-5XL for an SRP of £199.99.

The Key Collection; 01179 719200; sales@thekeycollection.co.uk

LS2 Drifter

LS2 SAYS ITS DRIFTER IS A NEW CONCEPT FOR THE brand, combining as it does an open-face helmet with a removable peak, detachable chin guard and a drop-down visor. The distinctive styling is part urban motocrosser, part stormtrooper, with multiple vents and grilles which supply cooling airflow around the head. The shell is made from LS2’s in-house Kinetic Polymer Alloy, which helps keeps the weight down to 1300g – with a reduction if the quick-release visor and chin guard are removed. The drop-down visor can be operated from either side via large glove-friendly tabs, and can also be swapped over to a supplied tinted version which simply clicks into place. The Drifter comes in sizes S-3XL in matt solid colours for £99.99, or in metallic and graphic options for £119.99.

LS2 Helmets UK; 01670 856342; ukservice@ls2helmets.com

CFMoto 700MT

CFMOTO HAS ADDED ANOTHER MID-RANGE road-biased adventure touring bike to its line-up. Slotting between the 650MT and the 800MT, the 700MT is powered by a Kawasaki-derived 693cc parallel twin motor making 67hp – only a couple of horses more than its smaller capacity sibling. The chromoly-steel frame combines with a 43mm upside down fork at the front and a side-mounted monoshock with an aluminium swingarm at the rear to provide enough suspension travel for “challenging” surfaces, while braking is provided by J.Juan discs and calipers front and rear. The rider is treated to an upright seating position on the 820mm-high seat for an elevated view of the surroundings and over the 5in TFT screen displaying vital information such as speed, RPM and fuel level. The 700MT comes in two colours – Nebula white or Nebula black – for an onthe-road price of £6699. CFMoto; www.cfmoto-motorcycle.com

Dane base layers

HIGH-END CLOTHING BRAND DANE NOW has a new set of performance base layers ready for summer or winter use. Made from a mix of polyester, viscose and bamboo fibre-Spandex, the base layers ensure that moisture is quickly wicked away from the skin in the warmer months, and provide an extra layer of dry insulation on colder rides. The top and leggings come in navy blue, in unisex sizes S-3XL, for an SRP of £80 and £70 respectively.

Dot4Distribution; 0203 514 2413; info@dot4distribution.com

Ducati V2 guards

GBRACING HAS RELEASED YET MORE sets of engine guards to broaden the range of bikes it protects. Latest in the line are kits to suit Ducati V2 machinery as used in Streetfighter, DesertX, Multistrada and Monster models. The two-piece kit for the Streetfighter is £183.49, while the kit for the other models is £221.83.

GBRacing; 020 8275 2630; enquiries@gbracing.eu

Husqvarna trainers 5

CO-BRANDING IS A BIG THING THESE DAYS, SO Husqvarna has teamed up with German sportswear brand Puma to create a pair of branded trainers. The Nitro 2 trainers are billed as an all-distance running shoe, and as such they incorporate a Nitro foam layer for a smooth ride and lightweight mesh uppers for breathability. They are finished in Husqvarna’s corporate blue and yellow colour scheme with Husky logos adorning the toe box. SRP is £126.84.

Husqvarna; 0344 225 1540; www.husqvarna-motorcycles.com

Venhill for Tiger

VENHILL HAS LAUNCHED A Featherlight clutch cable upgrade to suit the 2010-2020 Triumph Tiger 800 range. The cable comprises a stainless steel inner wire with a PTFE Teflon liner to minimise friction. This is then wrapped in stainless steel braid and finally covered with a hardened nylon sheath. SRP is £25.32.

Venhill Engineering; 01306 885111; sales@venhill.co.uk

Tilsberk HUD 56

HEAD-UP DISPLAYS FOR MOTORCYCLE HELMETS have been around for a number of years, whether integrated or as an add-on accessory, without extending their market beyond a niche of tech-loving bikers. Now German firm Digades is hoping to break out into the mainstream thanks to its latest collaboration with Slovakian mapping firm Sygic. The Tilsberk HUD is designed to project critical information onto a rider’s visor, including speed limits, actual speed and navigation instructions and connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth. It works through a dedicated smartphone app which allows custom displays and route mapping using TomTom maps. The compact device is lightweight and comes with a magnetic mounting for the helmet so that it can be quickly and easily removed for charging, and it projects information onto a small fold-down transparent screen in front of the rider’s eye. Battery life is up to 12 hours. It is suitable for any type of helmet – full-face, jet, flip-front – and has an SRP of €399.

Digades; service@tilsberk.com

Lambretta screen

VE(UK) HAS A NEW FLYSCREEN FROM ITALIAN BRAND CASA WHICH fits Lambretta V-Special models, whether 50, 125 or 250cc. Made from transparent Plexiglass with a lipped edge to improve rigidity, they are coloured either red or blue to complement the scooter’s paintwork. The screens come with chromed mounting brackets and a full set of bolts, washers and caps for an SRP of £170.95. VE (UK); 01159 462991; sales@ve-uk.com

ByCity Zambia

THE ZAMBIA IS A NEW ADDITION TO THE BYCITY SUMMER collection. A unisex jacket from the Spanish brand, which specialises in the casual and retro clothing market, the Zambia is made from lightweight washed cotton with interior Aramid abrasion protection. Flexishock CE level 2 armour is fitted at the shoulders and elbows, and there is a pocket for an optional back protector. Other features include five exterior pockets, reflective elements on the waist and a rugged YKK zip and press stud fastening for the front placket.

It comes in green, in sizes XS-3XL, for an SRP of £252. Dot4Distribution; 0203 514 2413; info@dot4distribution.com

SHORT CUTS

or rear wheels of a bike to be easily rotated for cleaning rims, oiling chains and general maintenance. A non-slip base ensures the stand stays where it should, and the same finish on the rollers makes the wheels easy to spin. It is suitable for bikes up to 226kg and has an SRP of £54.99.

Bike It; 02380 658700; tradesales@bikeit.co.uk

Lexmoto Nexus

A NEW HIGH-SPEC 125CC SCOOTER, THE LEXMOTO NEXUS HAS A single-cylinder, water cooled motor producing 14hp, making it more powerful than the best-selling Honda PCX. The modern-styled bodywork conceals the twin shock rear suspension, and comes with 14in and 13in front and rear wheels respectively. The tech features include a 7in TFT screen and keyless ignition. It comes in black with gold wheels or silver with black wheels for £3249 plus OTR charges.

Lexmoto; 0844 567 8887; sales@llexeter.co.uk

CARDO

ON-BIKE COMMS SYSTEMS SPECIALIST

Cardo has released a software update for all its current line-up which brings them into line with the latest OBI (open Bluetooth Intercom) standard. This means that Cardo comms system will now connect to other brand’s systems seamlessly, making it simpler for users to talk to their mates who use other headset brands such as Midland, Sena and Uclear. The update can be downloaded and installed free of charge via the Cardo Connect app.

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

HJC RPHA 91 54

VMC EVO RACER

A NEW EXHAUST SYSTEM FOR SMALL-FRAME

Vespa models, the VMC Evo Racer is made from pressed steel to give a lower priced option for scooter enthusiasts on a budget. Designed to work with modified engines including longstroke kits, the system turns a two-stroke scooter into a racing bike sound-alike. RRP is £199.99.

VE (UK); 01159 462991; sales@ve-uk.com

HJC CLAIMS THAT ITS LATEST MODULAR helmet, the new ECE 22.06 RPHA 91, is “more like a top-end sports helmet than a flip-front” thanks to its compact and lightweight PIM Evo shell which includes carbon-aramid fibre, carbon fibre, glass fibre, organic non-woven fabric and natural linen fibre in its construction. The pivoting chin bar’s locking system has a hidden closure point for reduced pressure on the cheeks, and the interior has been designed to minimise noise levels. The visor is a new distortion-free design which is equipped with an anti-fog Pinlock insert, and there is a drop-down sun visor too.

To provide on-the-go navigation, comms and tunes, the RPHA 91 is fitted with HJC’s second-generation SMART Bluetooth kit, which is ready to accept either a HJC 21B or 50B comms system for a fully integrated installation.

The RPHA 91 comes in Rafino graphics in four colour options for an SRP of £499.99, or in solid black or white for £449.99, with a five year warranty. Oxford Products; 01993 862300; info@oxprod.com

Givi B45+ 56

A NEW ADVENTURE-STYLE TOP box, the B45+ takes the styling cues of rugged aluminium luggage and transfers them to a plastic case with dimensions more suited to urban adventures. Large enough to accommodate a brace of full-face helmets, the B45+’s compact lines mean it can swing through queued traffic without bashing too many wing mirrors, and its squarerigged form ensures none of the 45-litres of interior space is wasted. An impact-absorbing soft rubber interior mat is provided, and there is an elasticated net across the top for added capacity. Finished in textured black, it comes with a pair of brushed-aluminium effect inserts on the lid for a dash of style. Givi UK; 01327 706220; info@givi.co.uk

Forcefield balm

A TREATMENT AND protectant for all types of leather, Forcefield’s new Leather Protect balm can be used on jackets, boots, saddles, luggage and anything else made of cow, kangaroo or goat hide. It’s made using a blend of natural ingredients including beeswax and oils and will soften and rejuvenate tired and dry leather, as well as improving water repellency. It comes in a big 500ml tub for an SRP of £19.99.

Forcefield Body Armour; 01933 410818; info@forcefieldbodyarmour.com

Akrapovič Suzuki

HIGH-END EXHAUST MAKER AKRAPOVIČ HAS LAUNCHED A NEW TWOinto-one race-only system for Suzuki’s mid-range GSX-8S naked, promising better response and a fruitier tone.

The lightweight slip-on end can has a carbon fibre sleeve, a carbon heatshield and a titanium end-cap, with the header, resonator and link pipe all made from stainless steel, resulting in an all-in weight saving of 3.2kg compare to the OE exhaust. A bit more power is also released, with 6.4 more horsepower at 9200rpm and a boost in mid-range torque. Required bracketry is supplied for the new routing down the right hand side of the bike. SRP is £1325.

Performance Parts; 01327 706139; enquiries@performanceparts-ltd.com

Pyramid MT-10 belly pan

PYRAMID PLASTICS HAS LAUNCHED A NEW BELLY PAN TO SUIT Yamaha’s super naked MT-10 models from 2016 onwards.

The design for the belly pan is based on a concept rendering by graphic designer and keen biker Kar Lee. After showing the design on his www.kardesignkoncepts.com viewers, Lee contacted Pyramid to see if they could make the dream a reality. Working together, Lee and Pyramid developed a belly pan that remains as faithful to the original design as possible, creating a single-piece fibreglass unit to ensure an easy install with precision fit and alignment. Initially the belly pan is available in the SP colour scheme, but more colour schemes are under development, including Yamaha blue, cyan storm, nimbus grey, and tech black. SRP is £319.99.

Pyramid Plastics; 01427 677990; sales@pyramid-plastics.co.uk

needs

Lego MT-10 56

CAN’T AFFORD A “REAL” YAMAHA MT-10? OR WANT A MEMENTO model of Yamaha’s super naked to put on the mantelpiece? Lego comes to the rescue with a new kit to make a replica of the fire-breathing street machine. Consisting of 1478 pieces, the kit includes a detailed four-cylinder engine, a three-speed transmission and chain drive, with elements such as functional steering, a side stand and a shift drum, shift fork and gear shift ring on the gearbox. Once assembled it is nearly 45cm long, and can be fitted to the supplied display stand. SRP is £199.99.

Lego; www.lego.com

KTM balance bikes

FOR YOUNGSTERS WANTING TO GET THEIR FIRST TASTE OF POWERED two-wheel action, a balance bike provides an easy to use and relatively economical way to get on the road (or the field, track or cycle path). KTM has now expanded its range of SX-E balance bikes to three models. Smallest in the range is the 1.12, which has 12in wheels and weighs just 7.7kg making it easy to handle and easy to load into a car boot. It’s powered by a 20V 2Ah battery which gives a run time of 30-60 minutes. Top speed can be limited between 8km/h and 14km/h to suit different experience levels. SRP is £849. Next up in the range is the 1.16 which has 16in wheels and a more efficient brushless motor which is powerful enough to take riders aged 4-8 years up to a top speed of 20km/h. The battery is a 4Ah Lithium-ion unit to cope with the extra power requirements. SRP is £1099. Biggest and most powerful is the 1.20, which features a 36V brushless motor to whisk it up to a top speed of 32km/h. The aluminium frame is fitted with 80mm-travel Manitou front forks to cope with rougher terrain, and disc brakes provide extra stopping power. Suitable for kids aged 10 to 12 years, the 1.20 has three riding modes giving limited top speeds of 16, 24 and 32km/h, with a run time of 30-60 minutes from a 3hr charge. SRP is £2699.

KTM; www.ktm.com

Caliper kit 5

BRAKING SPECIALIST TRK CLAIMS TO BE THE FIRST manufacturer to produce an upgrade kit for later models of the Yamaha FJR1300 – important news for owners who previously have been limited to replacing damaged or worn pistons with the (expensive) OE items from Yamaha. The new upgraded TRK kit replaces the OE steel pistons with corrosion-resistant stainless steel items, and also includes new seals, nipples and washers. A kit to do both front calipers is £149, and for the rear is £38.

WMD; 01273 595746; info@wmd-online.com

Rev’It! Poseidon 3

YOU’D EXPECT A BIKING SUIT NAMED AFTER THE GREEK GOD OF the seas and oceans to be at least waterproof, so Rev’It!’s third version of its Poseidon majors on resisting the elements. Two- and three-layer laminated Gore-Tex material is used extensively, along with Aquadefence ventilation panels, to keep the rain out and there is a detachable thermal liner for the jacket to keep the cold at bay. Impact protection is provided by Seeflex CE-level 2 armour fitted at the shoulders, elbows and knees, plus Seesmart CE-level 1 hip armour, and the jackets also has pockets for optional Seesoft back and chest protectors. As you would expect with an adventurestyle outfit, there are a multitude of pockets both inside and out, plus practical features such as a detachable storm collar and a connector for a Neon high-vis vest. The jacket comes in silver/anthracite or all-black colourways in sizes up to 4XL for £749.99 SRP, with the matching trousers also up to 4XL in short, regular and long leg lengths for £589.99 SRP. Rev’It!; info@revitsport.com; www.revitsport.com

TRADE CLASSIFIEDS

On the Money

Four times every year, I’m taxed with the professional chore of processing quarterly performance reports from leading motorcycle manufacturers. As an avowed information junkie, I really warm to this task. But it can be very frustrating, because the quality and quantity of available data varies from blessed candour to obfuscation and deliberate minimalism.

BMW Group’s explanation of its biker activities under the BMW Motorrad banner perennially fits into that final category. Financial numbers are accurately crunched. But that’s pretty much all you get. Geographical unit sales volume splits and model mix are absentees.

What makes this particularly annoying is a much more lavish treatment is applied to the BMW automotive segment, with dreary lists of popular motorcars and the markets in which they are sold. We even have to suffer copious details of BMW’s lease finance operations.

My extraction of the motorcycle element in BMW Group’s recent half-year outpouring, which you can peruse elsewhere in this issue of BDN, didn’t even stretch to 400 words. To get that far, I had to plough through a 76page document, most content consumption broadly similar to watching paint dry. In past times, my concentration would have dissolved long before the end. But upon this occasion, I bravely pushed forward until a eureka moment on page 62.

My discovery didn’t concern the BMW motorcycle business but was nevertheless fascinating. Under a heading of “Other disclosures – related party relationships”, it featured the intertwined corporate activities of BMW Group’s leading double act of shareholders.

In the first instance, Stefan Quandt is vice-

chairman of the Group supervisory board. His elder sister Susanne Klatten also sits on the board. Stefan, whose personal net worth was recently assessed by Forbes at £20.1bn, owns 25.8% of BMW Group equity. Susanne, Germany’s richest woman with wealth of £19.3bn (again according to Forbes), has a 19.2% BMW stake.

Together, they control its boardroom. Adding in about a dozen distant Quandt relatives with lesser inherited BMW shareholdings, the family control is absolute. So where did all the Quandt money come from? Naturally, BMW is entirely discreet on that subject, as it is about the quantity and location of all those 1250GS Bavarian tractors it has flogged in the past six months.

The trail begins with Emil Quandt, a 19thcentury industrialist who married the heiress to a large textiles firm. It prospered. Emil’s son Günther, born in 1881, took over the reins during the First World War, replete with contracts to supply the vast German army with uniforms. Such a gift-horse meant Günther amassed an enormous fortune, although neither father Emil nor Günther’s first wife Antonie lived long enough to enjoy it.

Presumably having protected his wealth from Germany’s hyperinflation in the 1920s by banking in Switzerland, Günther Quandt then went on an acquisition spree. His biggest purchase was burgeoning electrical battery manufacturer AFA/VARTA, plus an array of metal-bashing businesses, most of which morphed into munitions plants. He also invested in BMW and Daimler-Benz shareholdings. His son Herbert, born in 1910, eventually joined the growing Quandt industrial empire as Günther’s right-hand man and head of personnel.

Quandt Senior had remarried in 1921,

taking Magda Ritschel as his teenage bride. She almost immediately gave birth to another son, Harald. They divorced in 1929. Two years later, Magda married again to Nazi propaganda supremo Joseph Goebbels. Harald Quandt, who had become a handsome Hitler Youth poster boy, was a uniformed page at the wedding. Adolph Hitler was best man. Günther Quandt joined the Nazi Party soon afterwards and rapidly became one of its leading financial supporters, also enriching himself further by expropriating lucrative Jewish businesses. In 1937, Hitler rewarded Günther with the honorary title of Wehrwirtschaftsführer, (Leader in the Military Economy).

Once the Second World War kicked off, the Quandt family’s industrial might played a crucial role. AFA batteries were vital components in everything from electric propulsion in U-boat submarines to powering starter motors for Panzer armoured fighting vehicles, as well as fighter and bomber aircraft. Herbert Quandt masterminded using tens of thousands of slave labourers to maintain output in AFA battery plants, supplied from concentration camps. Many of them would perish on the job. Most died owing to inhalation of acid fumes. The big AFA facility in Hanover boasted an in-house concentration camp and its own execution suite equipped with gallows, in which SS guards could apply disciplinary measures. Quandt armaments factories relied on enslaved workforces as well. And although the Quandts weren’t in direct control of BMW then, wartime motorcycle production of R75 military sidecar outfits, initially in Munich and latterly at Eisenach west of Leipzig until 1944, almost certainly depended on slavery too.

When Germany surrendered in 1945,

International Share Prices

USA – BORROWING COSTS STAY HIGH

American investors have finally accepted that the buoyant US economy means central bankers are now intent on keeping interest rates higher for longer, rather than risk re-igniting inflation. Equities markets continue to retreat and are at their lowest level since March.

In the past week, New York market indices reflected such uninterrupted gloom, falling without exception. The blue-chip S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average respectively closed 2.1% and 2.2% down. S&P’s MidCap 400 was 3.1% in arrears and the tech-heavy NASDAQ Composite sank by 2.6%.

Decline has been partly led by the “magnificent seven” US megacap tech stocks – Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla – which together have lost nearly a trillion bucks

in market capitalisation over just the past three weeks. This losing streak has also extended to the powersport stocks we list, all of which have now turned negative. Harley-Davidson has dumped a tenth of its value in a month. ATV and motorcycle giant Polaris has taken harsher punishment.

EUROPE – THE WRONG SORT OF INVESTMENT

Rising sovereign bond yields made equities less attractive on both sides of the Atlantic, and European market indices illustrated the resultant lack of stock trader enthusiasm. In Germany, Frankfurt’s Xetra Dax dropped by 1.6%. The Wiener Börse ATX in Austria finished 0.9% lower and the Borsa Italiana FTSE MIB was 1.8% down.

BMW, Volkswagen and Pierer Mobility were all losers, the two German automotive giants with

biking sidelines suffering negativity for a third consecutive week. Only Piaggio bucked the trend.

JAPAN – EXPORTS SHRINK

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 stock index turned sharply negative with a 3.3% weekly plunge. Investors were reacting to statistical evidence revealing Japanese exports had shrunk significantly in July. Among indigenous motorcycle manufacturers, the two biggest saw their share prices most seriously savaged.

INDIA – STRESSED NERVES

Mumbai’s BSE Sensex 30 market index declined for a fourth week, losing 0.6%. Political uncertainties were to the fore, as opposition parties set aside their differences and formed an alliance to challenge

Günther Quandt was detained for investigation by American prosecutors. But a mixture of bribery, suborned witnesses and downright perjury by friends and relations got him off the hook. He was released without charges in January 1948 and resumed business as usual, joining the boards of various large enterprises, including Deutsche Bank. He died while on holiday in Egypt, in December 1954.

Herbert’s kid brother Harald was the only Quandt with clean hands during the war. Eschewing fast-track promotion opportunities through elite Waffen SS ranks, he signed up for the Luftwaffe in 1940 and became a paratrooper. Most notably taking part in the successful 1941 airborne assault on Crete, Harald was subsequently wounded and captured by Allied forces in Italy, in 1944. He spent the next three years in a British POW camp. But after his father’s demise, Harald had no qualms about sharing their monumentally large inheritance with elder brother Herbert. In 1967, he was killed in a plane crash.

As for Herbert Quandt, in the early post-war years he kept his mouth shut and head down –and escaped any form of sanction whatsoever. Ben Ferencz, a US prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials, later opined that if any evidence had emerged, Herbert

and Günther would have been convicted for crimes against humanity.

Instead, he was later hailed as the saviour of BMW. After a lacklustre relaunch in 1948, producing a single-cylinder R23 motorcycle, BMW staggered through the 1950s until, in 1959, it was teetering on the verge of bankruptcy. But rather than dispose of the family’s 30% shareholding, Hubert invested heavily, upping their stake to 50% and beyond, and financing development of a new upbeat car range. He thereby transformed the brand’s prospects.

Herbert Quandt never got his comeuppance or public humiliation, dying in 1982 with an intact reputation, the past apparently forgotten. But it wasn’t quite. Some gory details came back to haunt his descendants in 2007.

German public broadcaster ARD screened a documentary called “The

Silence of the Quandts”, highlighting their previously off-radar Nazi past and exploitation of slave labour. Following the programme, the current generation of Quandts funded a research project to examine these issues. It was carried out by independent historian Joachim Scholtyseck. His 1200-page study concluded that: “The Quandts were linked inseparably with the crimes of the Nazis.”

The family’s reaction, after a bit of embarrassment, was like water off a duck’s back. They ignored it. No apology or restitution was forthcoming. And more recently, Stefan Quandt and his sister Susanne have been able to take some solace from the fact they are not alone. Former Bloomberg business journalist David de Jong published a worthy tome last year entitled “Nazi Billionaires – The Dark History of Germany’s Wealthiest Dynasties”. Its an interesting read and 25 quid well spent. 

the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in a rapidly approaching General Election.

Shares in leading Indian motorcycle manufacturers struggled for traction as most have admitted stumbling sales, after imposing price rises in the face of cost increases.

CHINA – WOES GROW

Heightened anxiety over China’s abject lack of economic recovery spread, after a string of data releases showed it had slid into a deflationary spiral, and exposed stuttering consumer and business activity.

Market indices took a beating. Shanghai’s SSE Composite closed 1.8% down and the CSI 300 fell by 2.6%. Only three motorcycle producers finished in positive territory – Zongshen, BMW Motorrad contractor Loncin and Yamaha JV associate Linhai.

Siblings Susanne Klatten and Stefan Quandt’s family interest in BMW goes back to the brand’s pre-war roots and through Nazi connections during WW2

France

Spain Italy Germany

Top Ten Manufacturers

Raining on the registrations parade

THE FACT THAT GLORIOUS weather in “flaming June” was promptly followed by a monsoon in July will have helped to wash away any temporary delusions about market recovery. BDN financial editor Roger Willis drowns our industry’s sorrows.

The 9.1% plunge to total July registrations of 10,014, slightly more than a thousand units in arrears, kicked off Q3 on a grim note. Petrolhead ICE machines fell by 7.2% to 9625 units. Battery-electric bikes copped yet another seriously unplugged decline, 40.1% down to a mere 389 products.

As for headline definitions, motorcycles dropped by 6.4% to 7340 and scooters incurred a 12.5% loss on 2049. Mopeds plummeted by 31.4% to 512. Only trikes were positive, 25.6% up to 113 units. Every specified motorcycle style category lost ground except Road Sport, which rose by 3.1%.

2023 half-year motorcycle registrations data from key European markets

Strong first-half Euro results

THE LATEST MOTORCYCLE registrations data from ACEM, covering the first six months of 2023, shows that all the major European markets fared far better than the UK. While domestic registrations faltered by 0.9%, France, Germany, Spain and Italy all increased, with improvements of up to 19.1%. The overall result was an upswing of 11.3% compared to 2022.

The moped sector had more challenging results for its biggest players – Belgium managed a marginal gain of 2.8%, but all other big markets tumbled: Italy down 12.7%, Spain down 12.8%, France down 18.0%, and Germany and

the Netherlands down a whopping 44.3% and 46.6% respectively.

The electric-powered motorcycle market saw an overall decline of 8.1% to 19,375 units for the six months. Germany was the big success story, with a 33.3% increase, but all other markets were in negative territory: France down 7.2%, and Italy and Spain down 19.6% each, but none came close to the UK’s slump in battery-powered sales of 38.4%. E-mopeds fared even worse, with an overall decline of 22.3%. Belgium and Spain saw modest increases, but France and the Netherlands fell – by 55.3% in the latter’s case.

The up-to-125cc mobility and fleet delivery sector deteriorated by 10.9%. Above it, the 126-500cc slot covering both higher-end mobility and impecunious enthusiasts was assailed by an 18.5% descent. And the 501-750cc bracket was 4.5% down. Sole light relief came from a 30.6% lift for the 751-1000cc range, which is now particularly well-stocked by fairly recent and competitively-priced models. However, a similar degree of interest didn’t carry through to more profitable over-1000cc products, which sank by 17.3%.

Among top brands, marketleading Honda fell by 7.3%. But runner-up Yamaha put on 11.4%. Some 276 samples of its fleet-fodder NMax 125 scooter accounted for 22.9% of all Yamaha registrations during the month. KTM added

9.2%, thereby making a rare visit to third step of the podium.

BMW Motorrad followed, also positive by 6.4%. BMW’s fullykitted and therefore premium-priced R1250GS Adventure took best-seller accolade in the over-1000cc stakes. Kawasaki completed the top five with an extraordinary 63.6% sales surge. This reflected the fact that Team Green had been suffering from an acute inventory famine in July last year.

Having exhorted dealers to clear out their showrooms in June, to end its financial year on a high, Triumph sales declined by 14.3%, probably because new stock was in short supply. Royal Enfield was also on the back foot, 12.6% down, even though Hunter 350 and Super Meteor 650 models respectively claimed 126-500cc and 501-750cc best-seller status. Between them, these two models represented 42.9% of Royal Enfield’s July sales.

Suzuki in eighth spot wallowed in relatively monumental monthly sales, rising by 62.4%, illustrating how its influx of a keenly-priced and attractive new 800cc twin platform is proving a game-changer. No such luck for Lexmoto, which plunged by 32.1% and is almost certainly experiencing inventory acquisition difficulties with its suppliers in China. Finally, MotoGB’s Keeway brand, part of the Qianjiang portfolio alongside Benelli, temporarily guested in the top-ten chart.

For the year to date, total registrations are now 3.6% down to 72,291. Motorcycles are still marginally positive, 1.6% up at 54,344. Scooters have fallen by 13.1% to 14,384. Mopeds are 32.6% lower on 2987 and trikes are 14.1% higher at 576.

Glass’s motorcycle market overview

Following an uptick in June registrations, data published by the Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCIA) shows that July saw a decline of 9.1% compared to 2022. As a result, the year-to-date tally now stands at 3.6% behind last year.

A combination of poor July weather and ongoing economic challenges are likely the key contributors to the downturn.

Dealer feedback suggests there was more regional variability with demand in July compared to 2022 when it was buoyant across the country. However, despite this, no one is reporting a particularly poor season, instead dealers are saying there is strong interest remaining, but more compromised spending confidence. Some dealers believe the poor weather during the spring also

delayed the season’s start, as they saw an uptick in activity when the weather improved during May and June. Indeed, some dealers enjoyed a strong month of sales during July, with signs of a slowdown only later in the month as the holiday season commenced.

Demand remains steady across the board, with the new Triumph Street Triple 765 and

well received.

USED MOTORCYCLE FEEDBACK

Sales and demand for used motorcycles has also been more variable recently, with some dealers doing better with new machinery while other dealers are having more success with used as consumers look to a more affordable alternative. Some dealers have reported consumers recently looking to downsize from larger machines to those in the 125-650cc category. Stock availability continues to be more plentiful, and with an increase in low mileage machines in the market; this possibly suggests that new riders who passed their test post-Covid and purchased new machines have since decided to sell as they’re not riding as much as they had anticipated. Demand continues to be strong across the board, although the 125cc market has recently slowed for some dealers.

OUTLOOK

July was a disappointingly wet month with generally poor riding conditions, and August has started on a similar note. Taking into account the time of year and stock being plentiful, Glass’s expects residuals to soften further across all segments in the following weeks.

Paul McDonald Leisure Vehicles Editor

Sales and demand for used motorcycles has also been more variable recently

Honda Transalp 750 models particularly

The Honda Transalp and Triumph’s new Street Triple 765 were particularly popular in July

Used bike data

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

CFMOTO MOVES UP THE CHARTS

IT HASN’T BEEN THE WARMEST WEATHER recently, but we’re not letting that curtail our biking fun. And it doesn’t appear to have dampened our audience’s spirits either, as the MCN website continues to be the place to be for reviews and news.

The biggest story in the past month has been the rise in popularity of CFMoto reviews. The Chinese firm has the second most popular naked bike on the whole site with its 800NK, and the third most popular sports bike with the 450SR. Triumph’s Trident 660 and the Suzuki Bandit 1200 are the other popular naked bike reviews,

Bikes for Sale

Most viewed models

1. Honda GL1800 Gold Wing

2. Honda NC750X

3. Honda MSX125 Grom

4. Harley-Davidson Fat Boy

5. Yamaha R1

6. Harley-Davidson Sportster 883

7. Kawasaki Z900RS

8. Yamaha R6

9. Suzuki GSX1300R Hayabusa

10. BMW S1000 RR

MCN Reviews

Most viewed brands

while the top two sports bikes are the BMW S1000RR and Aprilia’s RS660 middleweight.

In adventure bikes, Honda has the two most popular reviews with the new Transalp and the NC750X, while Triumph’s Tiger Sport 660 rounds off the top three. Over in our Bikes for Sale section it’s a Honda lockout, with the Gold Wing, NC750X and MSX125 Grom the most popular trio on the site.

GARETH EVANS

Online editor, MCN

Top 5 Bike Reviews by type

Naked Sports

1. 2021 Triumph Trident 660

2. 2023 CFMoto 800NK

3. 1996 Suzuki GSF1200 Bandit

4. 2023 Honda CB750 Hornet

Adventure Sport

1. 2019 BMW S1000 RR

2. 2020 Aprilia RS660

3. 2023 CFMoto 450SR

4. 2022 Yamaha R7

5. 2022 Langen Two Stroke

1. 2023 Honda XL750 Transalp

2. 2014 Honda NC750X

3. 2022 Triumph Tiger 660 Sport

4. 2022 Honda CB500X

5. 2008 BMW F800 GS

NEW SALES SLOWING AS USED MARKET ACCELERATES

isits to Auto Trader Bikes remained flat year-on-year, however this comparison may be impacted by the hot weather seen last July, which attracted droves of riders to explore their potential future bike. Whilst audience levels remained constant, the current audience is more engaged, with 39% looking to purchase their next bike within the next two weeks.

In contrast to the new motorcycle market, used sales (based on stock removed from Auto Trader)

USED BIKES SOLD

increased 14% year-on-year , and were 85% ahead of 2019 levels. Used sales were boosted by the appeal of adventure and naked models, as well as one- to three-year-old bikes. This recent trend suggests riders are moving into the newer section of the used market (up to three years old), possibly driven by the desire for more value and variety.

LEWIS NORTON Insight manager, Auto Trader Bikes

MARKET HEALTH YOY

Consumer demand for used bikes in July was slightly behind the previous year and significantly out-paced by the growth in supply, resulting in a negative market health of -15% on a year-on-year basis. Despite demand being slightly lower, sales remain robust, although this has been offset by plentiful supply.

MEDIAN DAYS TO SELL

In July, the average time to secure a bike sale was three days longer than it was for the same period last year. Amidst this subtle deceleration, used bikes sold notably faster than pre-pandemic levels (three days faster). The fastest-selling bike in July 2023 was Aprilia’s powerhouse naked Tuono 1100 V4, which took an average of just nine days to sell. The quickest selling brands were Triumph, Yamaha and Honda, each of which had four entries in the Top 20.

The fastest selling bikes on Auto Trader in July

Average number of days advertised before sale

Biggest electric brands

Advert views by brand July 2023

Market Watch

Trade & industry report with cap hpi motorcycle editor Alan Elsworth

WAGE INCREASES AVERAGING very nearly 8% and employment figures still in positive territory are good news for the economy and the trade, which may not be as hard hit as recent doom and gloom forecasts in the press have suggested. However, any signs of recovery in the economy are still weak and could easily

be offset by any further increases in interest rates.

Indeed, with the motorcycling season for this year now coming to an end, and with what’s likely to be a slow winter

period ahead in terms of sales, it’s no time for the industry to be complacent.

Supporting these thoughts, the latest MCIA registration figures do not make for cheerful reading. Jumping straight to the bottom line, July registrations were down by around 1000 units, a 9.1% decrease, along with year-to-date sales down by 3.6%. In real numbers, that’s 2689 fewer bikes sold since

Royal Enfield’s Meteor, Classic and HNTR models have between them topped the custom and modern classic style categories for much of 2023

AUCTION OVERVIEW

AS WOULD BE EXPECTED AS WE GO INTO autumn, our research shows that the auction houses have experienced a reduction in trade buying and an overall reduction of around 3% in achieved prices.

As always at the tail end of the year, the lower sales conversion of entries is not necessarily proportional to demand, particularly from dealer entries, as they tend to be taken in part exchanges or purchased earlier in the year at a time when values are higher. This tends to result in the vendor’s expectations of slightly higher values than is achievable in the pre-winter slowdown.

The manifestation of all this, together with general market conditions, is that fewer than 50% of machines auctioned

USED MARKET

Retailing motorcycles has been a different game over the last research period in the used market. What started as a steady summer season, with dealers reporting plenty of feet through the doors, was hit by the rainy season – what you would normally call July – when interest virtually evaporated for some retailers. T his was an unwelcome setback, and appeared to be widespread, as conversations we had with dealers were certainly more negative than positive.

Even though the majority of smaller

January. Not the most auspicious start to the second half of the year.

The 751-1000cc sector is doing well, and was the only capcity sector to be in positive territory in July, stacking on an additional 1760 machines which resulted in a 30.6% boost, suggesting that the industry may be starting to settle back to the type of model mix previously seen prepandemic. Next year should show a more realistic comparison to 2023 as trade returns to a more recognisable pattern.

The top selling models in the sales charts remain mostly the same each month, dominated by 125cc scooters, but it’s worth mentioning what now looks to be regular appearances in both the model and manufacturer tables by Royal Enfield.

month in July, higher levels of activity were reported by the larger multi-franchise dealerships on the back of various new bike offers, which attracted good numbers of clean part-exchanges priced more for the current market rather than the higher prices demanded earlier in the season when stock was harder to source. Consequently, given current market conditions, there has been a small downward movement in used bike prices applied across a wide range of models.

ALAN ELSWORTH

There has been a small downward movement in used bike prices applied across a wide range of models

produced by a professional