IDN 94 August/September 2011

AUG/SEPT ‘11 – ISSUE #94

COMMENT: EU licence and guardrail confusion.......Page 3

PRODUCTS

NEWS ROOM FREN CH REPO RT

N REPORT AMERICA

Page 24

Industry Extra Azhar Hussain interview: TTXGP and zero emissions racing - a bright future

Brammo starts production in Europe

Honda expands Thai motorcycle plant

Page 5

TTXGP

Page 27

Pages 10-13

New engine and models for Moto Guzzi

Page 6 Page 28 Page 29

Rizoma brand and Page 8-9 presentation makeover

Cathcart Report

Pages 30-33

Page 40

Pages 35-43

NEWS ROOM 4-9,48

Page 36

TRADEZONE 44-45

Page 41

INDEX 46

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COMMENT • COMMENT • COMMENT • COMMENT • COMMENT • COMMENT •

EU licence and guardrail confusion CONTENTS ELECTIVE implementation of the Third Driving Licence Directive and the decision by some EU member countries not to support safer crash barriers show that the motorcycle sector is still facing an uphill struggle to make its voice heard in the corridors of power at national and EU level.

Members of ACEM, the European Motorcycle Manufacturers Association, have gone public with the disquiet they feel about the separate application of new licensing rules by different countries.They fear this will limit mobility within the EU and impact negatively on the market.

The Spanish Government adopted the 3rd DLD on 8 December 2009, applying it three years before the legal application dates foreseen by the EU, a clear breach of European directives. Users obtaining their motorcycle licences in Spain are warned by the government that the document will not be recognised abroad, thus violating the right to free movement enshrined in European legislation.

Spain is also currently evaluating a particularly onerous testing process for A2 license-holders (up to 35KW) with two years experience trying to gain an A licence (above 35KW), including a far higher number of training hours than other countries and a test ride of 500km.

Not only is this outside the terms of the new directive, but it is also likely to make the process prohibitively expensive for candidates wanting to move on to more powerful motorcycles.

In France, the Committee on road safety (Comité interministériel de la sécurité routière) plans to ask A licence holders to validate it by submitting insurance certificates covering the previous five years. This is based on the assumption that every rider owns his motorcycle and insures it under his own name, when a vehicle might be rented, shared within a household or lent to a friend, quite apart from professional users or individuals using company motorcycles insured by the employer. ACEM says this will be difficult to enforce and the only consequence will be to damage the market. It also raises questions as to the validity of the licence outside the issuing country. learly the transposition of the new driving licence directive, instead of providing a more harmonised framework, is leading to greater fragmentation as certain member states impose their own quite separate agendas

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against both the letter and spirit of the Directive.

The organisation’s Secretary General, Jacques Compagne, said:“ACEM always welcomes measures aimed at improving road safety but cannot support ill thought-out initiatives that are likely to discourage users from taking to PTWs. The application of the Third Driving Licence Directive can improve the access of users to PTWs, but adding other random and illogical provisions on top of the ones foreseen in the Directive will only damage a sector that is the key to reducing congestion, travel times and pollution across Europe.We call on the European Commission to assume its responsibilities and address these issues with member states.” eanwhile CEN, the international body which sets standards for products in the European Union, has missed an opportunity to save motorcyclists’ lives by turning a ready-to-be-voted guardrail standard into a technical paper, whose implementation will be left to individual countries’ discretion.

This follows a meeting in June when the United Kingdom, Germany, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden and Ireland decided to reduce the scope of the proposed text. Only France, Belgium, Norway, Italy, Portugal and Spain supported the proposal for a European standard.

The draft standard for motorcyclist protection systems (EN1317-8) was based on the Spanish standard, which includes a second rail below the first to stop a motorcyclist hitting the upright supports of the barrier in an accident, and is credited with markedly reducing fatalities and serious injuries since its adoption in Spain.

European riders’ rights federation FEMA has been an outspoken supporter of the proposed standard. FEMA General Secretary Aline Delhaye, said: “I can only acknowledge this decision with great regret.”

In Europe, it seems we often take two steps back for every step forward.

NEWS Pages 4-9, 48 INDUSTRY EXTRA Page 10-13

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we take two steps back for every step forward

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Al Franck International Editor al@dealer-world.com

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PRODUCTS Pages 17-29 CATHCART REPORT Pages 30-33

MOTORCYCLE FASHION

Pages 35-43

TRADEZONE Page 44-45

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INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

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NEWS ROOM

FREN CH REPO RT Didier Ganneau, editor of French motorcycle trade magazine L'Officiel du Cycle, de la Moto et du Quad, takes a look at the major issues currently affecting the industry in his country.

An ageing market HISTORICALLY, mopeds have always been strong on the French market thanks to a thriving local industry and very early access to riding at 14.

In the larger displacement category,contrary to the situation in Britain or Germany, there is often no difference between commuters and leisure motorcyclists – French riders tend to ride their bike to work Monday to Friday and take it out for a spin over the weekend. This underpins the popularity of trail and enduro bikes in France, as well as powerful scooters such as the T-Max. Well,all this is now history,because in recent years a new reality has taken over – our motorcyclists are the same as 30 years ago. I mean they are REALLY the same, still riding at 50 or 60, with no youngsters coming up behind to take their place. s they age, French motorcyclists ride much less than before, only around 4,000km a year on average. And they are increasingly attracted to machines that are impressive on the eye and ear but low enough to throw an elderly leg over the seat, such as Harleys.

This is great for Milwaukee, but not such good news for the future of motorcycling in France, which needs a constant supply of young enthusiasts who cut their teeth on lower-powered machines, a supply that is now drying up.

This is of course not only a French problem, but it is one of the most important that we in this sector will face over the next few years.

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BMW teams up with Hero in India ACCORDING to Business Standard, Hero Motors, the Indian based engineering and manufacturing group, has announced a five-year deal with BMW Motorrad to make gearboxes for some of the German group’s range.

Hero will make gearboxes for both domestic Indian and global market BMW motorcycles over a five to eight year period. The company already supplies a number of other components for BMW bikes.

Hero Managing Director Pankaj Munjal said the group’s transmission business has been growing over 70% a year for the last few years and its expertise was such that it is now supplying gearboxes to a number of top brands worldwide. www.heromotors.com www.bmw-motorrad.com

Paris Salon de la Moto et du Scooter 2011 THE Salon de la Moto et du Scooter will take place between 30 November and 4 December 2011 at the Porte de Versailles exhibition centre in Paris.

Organisers AMC Promotion say that 220 brands will be exhibiting at the show, including all the major manufacturers.

This will be the first Paris Salon in four years, with the 2009 event cancelled because of the recession. AMC says the timing - after the Milan show - is designed to enable manufacturers to display the largest

INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

possible number of new models, with several being launched exclusively at the 2011 show.

Reduced to 6 days in 2011 from 9 in 2007, there will be a press and industry-only day on 29 November.

Exhibitor prices have been reduced by 15% on those charged at the Mondial des Deux Roues in 2007 to attract as wide an exhibitor base as possible.

There will also be a full activities programme including scooter and electric vehicle test tracks. www.lesalondelamoto.com

NEWS ROOM

Brammo starts production in Europe OREGON-BASED Brammo reports that production of its range of electric motorcycles has now started at the production facility of its manufacturing partner Flextronics in Sárvár, Hungary.

The newest Brammo production line is capable of producing 660 motorcycles a month and will initially produce the Brammo Enertia and Enertia Plus for North American, European and Asian customers.

Craig Bramscher, CEO and Founder of Brammo, said: “Now that our new facility has begun production, we have a significant number of customer and fleet orders that we will be

fulfilling this year.

It’s been a very satisfying year with customer orders, new dealers and now production all gaining momentum much faster than anticipated.”

Brammo claims the Sárvár facility is “almost certainly the most advanced electric motorcycle assembly line in the world”, and

The Flextronics plant at Sárvár in Hungary is a Tier 1 automotive supply facility

Brammo Enertia

says the design of the motorcycles means they are extremely reliable and can be serviced quickly and easily by skilled motorcycle technicians.

Brian Wismann, Director of Product Development at Brammo, said: “We have been extremely impressed with how much Flextronics brings to the table in the way of manufacturing and quality processes owing to their vast experience as a Tier 1 automotive supplier and contract manufacturer.” www.brammo.com www.flextronics.com

Labelux Group acquires Belstaff LABELUX, the Swiss luxury goods company, has announced that it has acquired Belstaff, the iconic English outerwear company, from Clothing Company Spa. Terms were not disclosed.

Belstaff has an ambitious development plan, which will be accelerated with the support of Labelux, notably in the fields of geographical expansion and product extension. The business currently retails through 14 directly owned stores and is present in more than 1,000 points of sale worldwide.

Labelux, which was established in 2007 with the aim of creating a significant new global player in the expanding luxury goods sector, has built a strong portfolio of brands in

luxury fashion, leather, accessories and jewellery. Labelux’s existing portfolio includes Swiss luxury brand Bally and the recently acquired global luxury lifestyle accessories business Jimmy Choo.

Commenting on the acquisition, Reinhard Mieck, Chief Executive Officer of Labelux, said: “We are delighted to announce this acquisition. Belstaff is a unique asset with great heritage, a strong following and a very promising future as a major international luxury brand. I look forward to announcing our exciting plans for Belstaff in the near future.”

Reinhard Mieck, Chief Executive Officer of Labelux

www.belstaff.com www.labeluxgroup.com INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

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NEWS ROOM

N REPORT AMERICA

Polaris will close the recentlyacquired Indian Motorcycles Kings Mountain plant in North Carolina and move production to Spirit Lake, Iowa, where the group’s Victory motorcycles are assembled.

A year after leaving HarleyDavidson, Erik Buell has launched a new model, the 175bhp EBR 1190RS. The first Erik Buell Racing model will retail at around $40,000 (E28,000) with a carbon fibre version adding a further $4,000.

Confederate Motorcycles, which was recently offered $750,000 by the City of New Orleans to relocate back to its pre-Hurricane Katrina base in that city, has announced that it will remain in Birmingham, Alabama.

Kawasaki has decided to take its Costco Wholesale sales referral programme nationwide across the USA. The programme involves Kawasaki dealers displaying a bike at their local Costco warehouse, with sales leads returned to the dealer and Costco club members benefiting from special prices.

Honda expands Thai motorcycle plant THE Bangkok Post says Honda is planning a E65 million expansion of its motorcycle production facilities in Lat Krabang, Bangkok.

Thai Honda is forecasting record

sales of 2 million units in 2011, with a take-up rate in Thailand of one unit for three people, just behind Taiwan and Malaysia.

Sales grew by 133% year-on-year

in May to 132,560 units for a 71% market share, with the Honda Wave family model the flagship product. www.world.honda.com

Holding Trophy amalgamates brands FRENCH riding apparel and accessories group Holding Trophy plans to shrink its brand portfolio in a bid to clarify its market offer. The group, whose brands include Bering, Segura, Bagster, Cameron, STT, BLH and 4City will scrap the last two and amalgamate their product

ranges within the Bering brand from September 2011.

Trophy plans to concentrate its efforts on its major brands and says BLH’s exceptional price/quality ratio offering and 4City’s urban range will significantly boost Bering’s catalogue and market coverage.

www.bering.fr

MV Agusta starts production in Brazil 2011 Brutale

MV AGUSTA has signed an agreement with Dafra Motos to start production in Brazil.

F4 and Brutale models will be assembled at the Dafra Motos factory in Manaus, surpervised by Brazilian engineers who have spent time at the MV Agusta factory in Italy. The company expects 1,000 units to be produced and sold in Brazil in 2012.

The Executive Vice President of MV Agusta, Massimo Bordi, said: “The strategic expansion of the MV Agusta group into the Brazilian market is another confirmation of our drive to develop new international markets

that will allow our historic Italian brand to respond to the ever increasing demand for products which incorporate high quality, advanced technology and Italian design.”

Since 2009, Dafra has established strategic partnerships with a number of major international motorcycle manufacturers, including BMW Motorrad, Haojue, SYM and TVS. www.mvagusta.it www.daframotos.com.br

New electric motorcycle organisation in UK THE Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCI) is establishing the eMCI to represent those who want to accelerate the adoption of electric Powered Two Wheelers (ePTW) in the UK. eMCI will complement the MCI’s existing activities and will have the support of ePTW manufacturers, technology providers, the Government and current major motorcycle manufacturers.

The launch took place at City Hall in London with the Mayor of

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London’s Transport Director Kulveer Ranger and included representatives of electric vehicle companies such as Zero Motorcycles, Quantya Bikes UK, Oxygenelectric Cargo Scooters and Emissions Free Solutions.

ZeroMotorcycles also announced the loan of one of their electric motorcycles to the Metropolitan Police Service Motorcycle

INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

Tasking team.

The new organisation will be well placed to argue for more Government support for ePTWs in the areas of financial and practical incentives, particularly when such initiatives are in place to help expand the eCar sector.

Steve Kenward, MCI CEO, said: “The eMCI is calling for the Government’s ‘Plug In Grant’ for cars to be extended to ePTWs, the inclusion of the ePTW in all future EV planning and policy and recognition of the added benefits of the ePTW in terms of congestion, parking and most

importantly, the charging infrastructure. eMCI is also seeking Government support to technology start-up businesses working in the area of low carbon technology for ePTWs.” The UK electric powered two-wheeler sector is expanding rapidly, driven by a genuine enthusiasm for a greener, low emission transport alternative, but needs up-front support in areas such as establishing a comprehensive charging and re-fuelling network. www.mcia.co.uk

NEWS ROOM

Rizoma brand and presentation makeover IZOMA has renewed its corporate identity and brand presentation with a view to deepening relations with both dealers and riders.

The Italian company, which makes exclusive aluminium styling products from its base near Milan, has upgraded both product presentation and packaging and now offers high quality and distinctive brand and product identities for the showrooms of its dealer partners.

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The new display systems are designed to maximise dealer footfall and to gain new customers, and those who order stock on a regular basis will be included in the dealer locator section of the newly designed website.

Rizoma also offers its dealer partners special discounts for dressing demonstrator bikes showing Rizoma products, and supports dealers with striking advertising campaigns in the consumer and trade press across Europe. In addition, four MotoGP and the SBK teams are being sponsored by Rizoma, which ensures constant media presence for the brand.

Dealers also benefit from the company’s extensive product development and production experience, ensuring top product quality. The R&D department, led by Fiorenzo Fanali, formerly Technical Director at Yamaha and Kawasaki’s MotoGP teams, delivers a stream of innovative products using the most modern development and production processes.

A strong brand image and high market acceptance with end users are enhanced by a pricing policy designed to ensure a constant margin for the dealer, which can be increased according to turnover.

Above & below – Rizoma S1000RR styling kit

This POS sales display with the new Rizoma logo is designed to focus attention on product quality.

This will be available to active dealers with the appropriate premises and image

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INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

The 2011 catalogue has more than 330 pages with 1,200 separate products listed, the company’s widest product range ever

And, after a period of growth across Europe, the company is now also expanding into the USA with a new office in California. More details on this will be available soon.

A good example of the quality and look of Rizoma products is evident from the company’s new range for the most popular BMW models.

For the S1000RR, new items include elegant mini LED indicators, a variety of billet aluminium mirrors and engine and fairing guards.The highlight is a new TÜV-certified rearset control kit with a number of functional adjustments to give a more comfortable ride. Also, the fully adjustable black anodised license plate holder is equipped with a reflector and the latest SMD LED light.

For the bestselling R1200GS Rizoma offers a wide range of elegant and functional accessories, such as swingarm hole plug, rear frame hole cap, rear shock adjustment knob, hub kit, front brake caliper protection, touring pegs and much else.

For the K1300R there is a new adjustable torque bar, quick lock fuel cap, engine guards, rearsets and the F800R range now has more than 30 different components.

NEWS ROOM

Above & below – The Rizoma styling kit for the BMW F800 R includes handlebars, levers, B-Pro engine guards, bar ends, wheel protectors, shock adjusters, indicators, mirrors and much else

Rizoma has an extensive list of styling parts for the BMW R1200 GS (2004-2011) and R1200 GS Adventure (2010-2011) including covers and caps, pegs, levers and a wide range of mirrors and indicators. New for 2011 items include swingarm hole plug and rear shock adjuster, hub kit and front brake caliper protection

RIZOMA ITALY Tel: +39 0331 242 020 info@rizoma.com www.rizoma.com Below and left – New Rizoma product packaging is designed to emphasise elegance and value

RIZOMA GERMANY Tel: +49 (0)7141 6431 633 germany@rizoma.de RIZOMA FRANCE Tel: +33 (0)149 61 30 67 france@rizoma.com RIZOMA AUSTRIA Tel: +43 650 3333 051 austria@rizoma.com RIZOMA SWITZERLAND Tel: +41 32 6770 514 switzerland@rizoma.com

INDUSTRY EXTRA

Azhar Hussain interview: TTXGP and zero emissions racing - a bright future RITAIN’S Azhar Hussain, 38, is a former accountant turned telecoms and electronics software specialist, who’s transformed his hobby of motorcycle racing into his business.Well, sort of. Instead of riding a Honda Supersport or Yamaha Superstock, Hussain’s ambition when he turned to road racing four years ago was to Go Electric, just like in the hybrid motor car ads.

Since then, Hussain has become the leading face of zero emissions racing, founding TTXGP in 2008 to promote the debut high-profile clean-air road race of the same name as part of the Isle of Man TT programme in 2009, the very first world-class Electric Bike race event. 22 e-bikes from the USA, India, Germany, Austria, UK and the Isle of Man entered that historic inaugural race, 15 lined up for the start, and nine riders finished the gruelling single lap race on the TT Mountain Course to become part of e-biking history. Britain’s Rob Barber won the race on a Suzuki GSX-R750 fitted with twin Agni motors from India, recording a fastest lap of 87.40mph, with a top speed through the traps of 102mph.

In the wake of the huge success of the TT event, and in the face of an apparent effort by the FIM to hijack the e-racer concept, Hussain fought back by linking with the UEM/European Motorcycle Union to successfully stage his debut World Series in 2010, culminating in a nail-bitingly exciting grand finale in Albacete in October, with the race result and championship victory in doubt until the very last corner.

As a reward for his efforts in advancing the cause of zero emissions motorcycle racing, TTXGP founder and CEO Azhar Hussain has been honoured in the Queen’s 2011 Birthday Honours List, with an MBE award for services to motorsport.

Now, with the new 2011 TTXGP e-series already kicked off down under in Australia, and in the USA, it was time for a zero emissions 101 course in e-racing, obtained by visiting Azhar Hussain in TTXGP’s offices, located in an idyllic country setting on the edge of London, with the hum of M25 traffic busily burning up fossil fuel in the distance.

AC: Azhar – why e-biking?

AH: I’ve always loved bike racing, I’m fascinated by new technology, and my electronics background made me aware of the potential of zero emissions motorcycle sport. I and my partners founded TTXGP in 2008, and our original concept was originally just to run an e-bike against combustion-engined motorcycles if we could find a class to compete in, but the governing bodies wouldn’t allow us to do that back then. So we decided to come at it from the other direction, by organising a race for zero emissions motorcycles only, which would be a stern test of such machines, as well as capturing the public’s imagination. The Isle of Man TT seemed the ideal venue for such a race, so we approached the Minister of the Environment in the Isle of Man, John Shimmin, to arrange this. I think the e-biking world owes him a huge debt of gratitude, because as a particularly forward looking individual, he grasped very quickly what this could become, even though he’s not a biker. But the idea of turning this great asset of the TT into something positive in environmental terms definitely appealed to him, and

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Interview by Alan Cathcart cathcart@dealer-world.com

he made it happen, I have to say, in the face of some really tough opposition within the Manx government, and within the TT organisation.The Isle of Man is a little bit unusual in that the event promoter is basically the government of the Island.

But John Shimmin and a few other people really pulled it together, and then we came on board and organised the very first TTXGP zero emissions race as part of the Isle of Man TT in June 2009. Incidently it was the 50th anniversary of a hero of mine, Soichiro Honda, winning the TT. AC: Having organised that, and promoted it successfully, was it always your intention to take the concept forward in terms of global expansion?

AH: Our original focus was just on organising the TTXGP in the Isle of Man, but having enjoyed success with that, with 15 bikes on the grid for that very first e-race, and having got to know a number of the teams and manufacturers, we thought there was an opportunity of doing something more. Having just exited from my previous iPod accessories business, I engaged with this, and took it forward globally.

Originally we were going to do something with the FIM, but then for various reasons the deal we had with them for a 2010 World Championship fell through at the last minute – it would’ve been in November ’09 that they decided for some reason they wanted to run their own series, without any involvement on the part of TTXGP. Having initiated the whole zero emissions road racing concept, organised the TTXGP in the Isle of Man, and laid the ground for the World series, I wasn’t prepared to roll over and die, so in a very short period of time, between November and February, I flew around the world and organised our own TTXGP World Challenge calendar, independent of the FIM, with

TTXGP founder Azhar Hussain

races in the USA and Europe. We held our first race in May last year at Infineon Raceway in California, which was the first closed-circuit race track in the world to come on board with electric-bike racing, and we owe a huge amount of thanks to the management at Infineon for their support, especially Steve Page, the CEO there. He and his team did phenomenally well in promoting the event, and he’s a major part in the story, because once he’d come on board and committed Infineon Raceway to TTXGP, he gave us credibility, and that helped the whole series come together soon after.

AC:How many races did TTXGP stage in 2010?

AH: Thirteen altogether, with four races in each of the three separate qualifying series in Italy, the UK, where we had a lady champion in Jenny Tinmouth, and the USA, leading up to the World Finale held at Albacete in Spain in October.This was an outstanding event won by Münch Racing’s Matthias Himmelmann from Germany, after a race-long battle with CRP Racing’s Alessandro Brannetti from Italy. I have to say it was a really thrilling race,with the result – and with it the championship title – in doubt until the very last corner of the very last lap. It proved that zero emissions racing can be exciting, as well as virtuous!

AC: How many starters were there?

Matthias Himmelmann on Münch wins Grand Final at Albacete 2010 with Alessandro Brannetti second and Jenny Tinmouth third

INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

INDUSTRY EXTRA AH:We had 12 teams which qualified for the final, and up front we had two very different philosophies, the Germans with the horsepower, and the Italians with the elegance of design and handling. It was just an epic race - they were wheel-to-wheel through so many turns, and it was one of the most exciting events I’ve seen in any form of racing.

AC: That brings us up to date with TTXGP’s first full year of operation, but after you got the first race off the ground in the Isle of Man in 2009, FIM management decided they were going to run their own e-Power series. How did that happen, and what effect did that decision have on TTXGP? AH: To be honest, I don’t really know how or why e-Power came about. I think it was a disappointment that at such an early stage in such a young sport we divided such a small field of potential contestants between two different series. You’ll have to ask the FIM why they thought it was necessary, or appropriate, for them to do this – they’ve certainly never explained that to me or any of my emissaries, even though it would seem from outside that the FIM’s role is to supervise the promotion of individual race series, not to act as a promoter itself where one already exists. Nobody has ever criticised us for doing a bad job, or bringing the sport into disrepute. So I really don’t know how it happened.

AC: But, viewed from outside, the e-Power series seems to have been pretty unsuccessful, with a handful of entries - they had just five starters for the very first race in 2010, never had more than eight on the grid for any of their five races last year, including the US MotoGP race at Laguna Seca, and for the first race of this year’s e-Power Championship at the Bol d’Or in April, they had only three starters! Surely with such small grids it didn’t impact too adversely on TTXGP? AH: But the thing about e-Power in the broader context is that, because they're the FIM, there was a lot of momentum sucked out of the zero emissions racing movement. It’s not really about the three starters, it’s that the FIM was trying to do something it didn’t know a lot about, and wasn’t doing it very successfully. Plus, its motivation was really unclear.

We,TTXGP, are 100% about electric motor-sports.

We are totally committed to this - we all come from an electronics background, and we don’t have any other baggage to bring to this. So we’re new, we’re enthusiastic, we’re totally focused on two-wheeled zero emissions motorsport, whereas the FIM has what, 50 other championships, of which e-Power is one of many. The thing is that electric racing at this point really needs to be nurtured and incubated and developed, and it needs a different approach than the traditional one of just setting a date, getting a bunch of people show up on the grid, and then we’ll all go racing. I think the FIM hadn’t quite grasped the significance of how important this first step was to run a global series in 2010. The success of TTXGP 2009 in the Isle of Man may have given them the impression going into 2010 that it would be easy to organise such a series, and they could just announce it, and it would happen.

But to get that first Isle of Man race off the ground, we did a huge amount of groundwork. For example, in February that year, we hired the Prodrive test track near Birmingham, and ran a private training session for police, ambulance crews, course marshals etc., all to develop an understanding of what was entailed in dealing with the different demands of electric

Münch 2010 World Series racing team

bikes, rather than those with internal combustion engines. What must you look out for in dealing with a crashed e-bike? You don’t have a petrol tap to turn off, but you do have a live voltage device you must make safe – things like that. It was a learning session for us, too - we ran very aggressive test laps, we worked out a procedure for technical inspection, that sort of thing. What’s great about the Prodrive test track is that it’s designed for vehicle development in secret. It’s a very James Bond-style place, and what we wanted to do was test and develop and fail in private, so that any failure wouldn’t kill the bigger message, but we could fix it and then move on. I think all of that groundwork was lost in the translation to e-Power. However, we’ve always wanted to work with the FIM, and I’m pleased now that 2011 will hopefully see a move in that direction.

AC: Does e-Power have a different set of rules to yours?

AH: No, they just adopted the TTXGP rules, and the only thing they changed for 2011 was that last year our weight maximum was 300kg, and when we then reduced it to 250kg, they did as well. But now the series have kind of separated out a little bit in that we now have two classes, which they don’t. One is the TTXGP, which if you like is our Superbike category, where anything goes provided the bike has a maximum weight limit of 250kg.We found last year that people were fitting too many batteries on the bikes, for both range and power, and these are the main contributor to an e-bike’s weight. We needed to start reducing that for safety reasons, because there was a risk the bikes were becoming too heavy to be manageable. But the other thing we found last year was that there were a number of very capable teams which didn’t really want to build a big bike,

because the commercial e-bike market is presently focused around a smaller overall package. So, we’ve created a new class called TTX75, standing for 7.5kWh, and the idea of that is to constrain the energy capacity, because once you do that it drives down the level of the controllers and motors you need to use, and that also drives down costs significantly. We think that TTX75 will very quickly become a vehicle for the development of zero emissions products for the commercial market, because a TTX75 e-bike for the road should have a target price of around E10,000-12,000. The GP class is basically all about innovation - it’s not cost constrained, and it’s about developing the technology, developing your brand, attempting to demonstrate that yours is the premier technology platform. So we’ve separated the two approaches out.

AC: Will all your races in 2011 have this separation?

AH:Yes, there’ll be two classes in all our races, and we plan to run them both off the same grid, but with a 30sec delay – so the GP class will get away first, and then 30 seconds later the lights go for the TTX75 class.

AC: What else is new for 2011?

AH: We’ve introduced a new safety system, so now we require lanyards for safety cut-off switches, etc. As part of the new TTX ruling, you now have a new range of declarations you have to fill in – again, these are lessons we’ve learned from 2010. We owe a huge debt of thanks to our TTXGP Tech Panel, which is underpinned by an organisation called the IET, a global body of electronics engineers from around 40 countries, with its HQ in London. They provide us with some very bright people as >>>

Chinese rider Chi Fung Ho on factory Zongshen e-bike rides to fourth in 2010 Grand Final at Albacete

INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

11

INDUSTRY EXTRA <<< volunteers to monitor our technical evolution. So our

panel this year was made up of 25 experts, many of whom are world leaders in various aspects of electric drivetrain technology - controllers, battery systems, safety systems, management systems, a whole range of stuff. It’s a real brains trust drawn from some of the world’s leading universities, who not only sit on our panel, but actually come to our races as technical scrutineers. Spot a TTXGP technical inspector at any of our races, and they’ll be one of these boffins. he second thing we’ve done, which I think is really innovative, is our whole Wiki concept. So, last year we successfully launched our wiki.egrandprix.com site where we’ve put all of our rules onto a Wiki, so that anyone in the world who has any ideas or suggestions about how we can improve ourselves, can go and post them on line. If you log on there, there are walls to write on, and then ideas from those walls are filtered down into our TTXGP Tech Panel, with good ideas being put forward for 2011. So last year we got 110 ideas from over 40 countries, and the great thing about the Wiki is that it allows experts who we don’t even know exist to contact us with suggestions. So, rather than just having the people in the room making the rules, we open the dialogue up to a wider audience. Now, to be honest, not all the ideas were sane, some were a bit crazy, some were impractical - but there were several nuggets of really good stuff, some which we took on board exactly as proposed because we hadn’t yet thought about it, and some that we could apply after having refined the idea to fit our constraints. We found the whole exercise incredibly useful, and we’re doing the same again this year, and will do so on an ongoing basis.We need to keep zero emissions motorsport up to speed because the technology is moving so quickly, so we’ve created a platform and a dialogue for people to help us do that. So, anyone who reads this and has ideas to contribute, please log on and tell us what they are!

Also new for 2011 is that TTXGP North America 2011 is now officially sanctioned by the AMA and the FIM North American Union. This is a significant endorsement from the largest federation in the world, and particular credit needs to go the leadership at the AMA for really helping pull that together.

AC: Since this is indeed such a fast moving technology, will TTXGP Zero Emissions rules constantly evolve from one year to another,

T

TTXGP stand at INTERMOT Cologne 2010. KTM RC8 Mavizen bottom right

unlike Moto GP or Superbike or other combustion engine series?

AH: Well, one of the challenges you have is that while the people in various governing bodies are very passionate about Motorsports, they are typically experts in a field which is all about today, rather than tomorrow. I'm sure they know everything there is to know about the combustion engine – but we’ve got nano-technology batteries coming on line, we’ve got advance MOSFET transistors coming up, new packaging systems, software driven powertrains, and so much else. zero emissions technology is moving so quickly that if you want to be the premier racing category of this thing, you need to engage with a much wider audience, which has never been part of Motorsports before. So how do you do that? I think that one of the benefits that TTXGP brings is that because we’re not originally from Motorsports, we’re able to adapt ourselves and engage in a lot of new things which haven’t really existed before – and that’s what this sport really needs, it needs a reboot and then a level of nurturing that traditional motorsports has not had to do for a century.

AC: But does this mean that TTXGP is only for e-biking experts? Is it exclusively a battleground for e-boffins who want to roll their own e-racer?

AH: When we started TTXGP, we were getting inquiries from people who wanted to build bikes, which we then passed on to the teams, saying – look, this guy needs a bike, you're building one, so why

The 2011 Infineon TTXGP round was won by Steve Atlas on Brammo Empulse

12

INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

don’t you make a deal with each other and build two, and he’ll pay you for one. We did that a few times, and in doing so found out how utterly disorganised many of the teams were! In all fairness, I’d also say there was a lot of pressure on them to make just a single bike, let alone two – but as a race promoter I was afraid of not getting sufficient bikes on the grid, because I didn’t have a manufacturer to go and build me 10 turnkey racebikes.

Our commercial TV and sponsorship agreements call for a minimum number of bikes on the grid, and so the last thing you want is to have a very sparse grid – yet we had teams that wanted to be a part of it, but they couldn’t physically get their hands on the equipment. So we established our electronics company Mavizen as the provider of race technology – it can provide anything to anybody, up to a complete TTX02 race platform using the KTM RC8 chassis fitted with two Agni motors, or we can just provide a throttle for your self-built bike, or a controller, or whatever. It’s a one-stop e-race shop.

We have also inked deals with Tier One manufacturers, such as A123 Systems for batteries, and others for motors and inverters. We are also creating our own tech.Teams are now able to access automotive grade technology that was previously never available to them before. Mavizen is a nonexclusive gateway to TTXGP and beyond. We never mandate any TTXGP team to use Mavizen technology, but if doing so helps them make the grid - then here we are.

AC: How many kWh does a fully functional Mavizen TTX02 deliver?

AH: We’re doing a 7.5kWh version for the TTX75 class, but we also have a 10kWh one. I really want to thank the crew at KTM, from Stefan Pierer the President on downwards, because they get what we’re doing and are providing us with brand new RC8 chassis without engines. KTM is totally committed to offroad electric motorcycle competition, and they seem to be extremely technically aware, and eager to try new things.

They’re great partners, and deserve a lot of credit for helping us deliver a turnkey e-racer so successfully.

One finished fifth in the Albacete grand finale last year.

AC: Going back to the FIM, after running two rival e-series last year, have you now decided to team up for 2011?

AH: I wouldn’t call it that, because they’re still running their own ePower series. But we hope to take some steps towards a unification in 2012, and the first step was to link up some of the rounds, which

INDUSTRY EXTRA we’ve now done. So TTXGP will be running at the Laguna Seca MotoGP race in July in conjunction with the FIM, and again in September at the Le Mans 24 Hours, so those two rounds have been combined.

We’ve also now jointly coordinated our respective calendars to avoid any clashes, so that any team which wants to race in both series can do so.

AC: So how many races will TTXGP run in 2011?

AH: In Europe we’ll have six races in five countries, starting at Silverstone on June 18/19 [see http://www.egrandprix.com/index_nav.php?cat=ra ces – AC]. Plus we presently have a three-race series in the USA again, which kicked off on May 15th at Infineon, going from there to Laguna Seca with MotoGP in July, and then to VIR in August. We are just finalising the details of a spectacular world final that we’ll announce soon.

In addition to that, we’re now very pleased that we’re combining with Formula Extreme in Australia headed by Terry O’Neill, to run the first-ever eFX TTXGP series Down Under this year. eFX is their new brand, standing for Electric Formula Extreme, and like the other regional championships this will be a feeder series into our World Championship final for 2011. eFX is running five events in total, with the first at Wakefield Park on April 29th just a test round that didn’t go towards points. The first official round will take place July at Eastern Creek, with rounds at Winton and Wakefield Park to follow.

Formula Extreme have been wonderful partners, very proactive and very committed. In particular I want to thank Ryan Cresswell and Grant O’Neill, Terry’s brother, who have been real dynamos in pulling it all together.We’ve got TV too on FOX Sports and another channel. Have a lot of justifiable hope that Australia will in time become a key part of the TTXGP eco-system of competitive zero carbon racing.The Australian geopolitical perspective makes them more motivated than many other to embrace TTXGP and all it brings to motorsports and beyond.

AC:Was one of your concepts for the Isle of Man TTXGP race, if you’d organised it once again this year, to have had a pitstop?

AH: Yes, that was going to be one of the challenges for 2011. We actually built a bike for pitstopping, and this would’ve entailed a 90-second battery swap, but politics and personalities overtook events, and it was not to be. This will come in time, though – it’s only natural evolution.Whether the Isle of Man does it first is probably unlikely, but who knows?

AC: Would you consider doing this at another circuit, not the TT? AH: All in good time! But back to Australia, which is a very exciting place in terms of what they're doing for EV - there's a lot going on. They're blessed with a lot of sunshine, and natural resources of which oil isn’t one, and they've got a large naturally generated electrical capability, so there's a large potential for Zero Emissions sport there. I’m looking forward to the start of an exciting relationship that I hope will last for a long time.

AC: Where will your 2011 World Final be held, and where?

AH:We’re currently negotiating a venue, but it will be towards the tail-end of October or early November, and we have a couple of options available. If one of them comes off, it’ll be a big surprise - but a welcome one, I hope.

AC: Will this be an FIM and a TTXGP joint world final?

Starting grid at 2010 Albacete Grand Final

AH: That’s the idea. We’re trying to work out the differences, but I'm sure by the time this article comes out that we’ll have sorted it.

AC: Ideally, where do you see the future of TTXGP going? What’s your objective for the series?

AH:We’re trying to develop more grass roots stuff, so we’re developing a new programme called TTXGP LEO which, all being well, we’ll launch this year. LEO stands for Learn.Egrandprix.Org [log on to http://www.egrandprix.com/news.php?id=161 – AC], and it works like this. You pay a fee for a fiveday course where we teach you how to build an electric bike. You're taught about batteries, controllers, systems, everything you need to make the bike work, and at the end of the fifth and final day of the course, you get to keep the bike you’ve just built. The vision is to have local clubs start racing an electric class, so here in the UK we’ve reached out to Bemsee, and if we can get our various ducks lined up, then the idea would be to have a TTXGP LEO racing series running at a National level in 2012/13. We’ll have taught you how to build the bike, which will make around 3.5-4kWh, but the more important point is that it’ll give you the platform and the knowledge to build and develop it further. The important thing is to make sure all the rules get synchronised; so, if you're a manufacturer, a team builder, whatever, then you're all building bikes to the same set of standards So LEO is our attempt to really reach out to ebiking’s grass roots, and the first college to sign up was Campus Francorchamps in Belgium on the Spa circuit – they hold two sets of classes in June and July. If that takes off then I've got a list of other colleges ready to sign up, but I hope this year to have LEO places for 25-30 people in different countries.

Then, if that works well, we’ll be rolling out across the world in 2012-13. Hopefully that will then tie in with organising clubs, so in America we want to reach out to WERA, CCS, etc. - a lot of the national clubs here are desperately looking for ideas, same as Formula Extreme in Australia.

We’re going to be running four courses each with eight places, and in Germany we’ve teamed up with TÜV, who will be our course moderators. We’ve outsourced that because I wanted the LEO qualification to mean something, to have a value in the marketplace, so TÜV will then authenticate it and put a stamp on it.The other thing is that we’re keeping it as a five-day course running from a Saturday to a

Wednesday, not only because the first two days are classroom days. It’s because we want employees to be a part of it, so you don’t have to take so many days off work. If you're a mechanic or run a dealership, and you want to get involved with electrics, how do you do that? So it’s not really about motorcycles, which in this case are just the end product, it’s about learning about batteries, and electronics etc. Whatever you're building, this product uses lessons that you can then use to move forward, and then you get to keep the bike at the end.

AC: Why choose electric? Did you want to help Al Gore save the planet, or is it because you wanted to provide a form of zero emissions motorcycle sport which is environmentally beneficial, and isn’t dependable on fossil fuels, which will presumably run out sooner or later?

AH: Well, I think firstly that the only person that wants to be like Al Gore, is Al Gore! I love my kids, and I believe the world they're growing up in will be a very different world from ours - but I want them to live in a better world than ours. That’s our promise to future generations, right? Along with many other people, I want to contribute to leaving the world in a better way then when we found it. But I also love motor sports, and I just don’t think that burning fuel for fun is a sustainable concept - whether you agree with electric or not, continuing to do this is simply not realistic. So TTXGP is all about helping make fun happen, by providing a technology shop window on the future of our series.

AC: One final question. Do you envisage one day having Superbike racing for e-bikes? In other words, as more and more manufacturers produce volume production consumer products with two wheels that are electrically driven, will you consider having races for those Zero Emissions Superbikes?

AH: Of course! We’re very proud to have our first factory team this year in the form of Zongshen, whose rider finished fourth in the Albacete finale. They make four million bikes a year, which isn’t exactly insignificant! I think we’ll add an Asian race series in 2012/2013, and certainly by then Zongshen will have a 100% own-designed chassis coming out for TTXGP, built in China. They’re not alone - TTXGP has the momentum of inevitability about it. We couldn’t achieve what we’re doing in a vacuum.Those who join us now will be best placed to benefit from the coming tsunami of change – so buckle up, we’re going on the ride of a generation. Be part of it! •

Azhar Hussain at the launch of TTXGP in November 2008 at London’s Science Museum

INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

13

K-Tech 35DDS rear shock absorber FOLLOWING victories and championship positions in British Superbike, AMA Pro Racing, Canadian Superbike, German IDM Championship, Scandinavian Championship and Isle of Man TT races, K-Tech has released its new 35DDS rear shock absorber.

The UK-based company says the new shock is available for race and track day use to fit most current sportsbikes. It features the Direct Damping System providing advanced damping control and precise tuning.

It comes with 30 click compression and rebound and 16 bypass valve adjustment, hydraulic spring preload adjustment and is length adjustable.

K-TECH SUSPENSION Moira, Derbyshire, UK Tel: +44 (0)1283 559000 E-mail: support@k-tech.uk.com www.k-tech.uk.com

New Tecnigas Triops scooter exhaust TECNIGAS has launched a new exhaust system for scooters, the Triops. Completely handmade and with a racing look, it is homologated under EC Directive 97/24.

Tecnigas says Triops is the perfect accessory for 50cc scooters with performance engines.

The new exhaust system will be available initially for two-stroke Minarelli Horizontal and Piaggio engines.

TECNIGAS Crespia, SPAIN Tel +34 972 570 988 E-mail: info@tecnigas.com www.tecnigas.com

V-Force 4 valve for KTM 250/300 MOTO Tassinariâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s V-Force Delta 4 reed valve for the KTM 250/300 (04-11) is one of the wide range of parts available from Faster 96.

Said to be a substantial improvement on the stock reed cage and on the V-Force3, it has a new reed petal resin system, precurved reed petal ensuring a better seal at the tip, and wider reed cage for maximum airflow.

The larger flow potential is said to provide better acceleration and more horsepower throughout the power band, with crisp throttle response out of the corners.

FASTER 96 Calderara di Reno (BO), ITALY Tel: +39 051 726849 Fax +39 051 726879 E-mail: export@faster96.com www.faster96.com INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

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PRODUCT NEWS

Racing mirror bracket THIS radial master cylinder was made for race use by Brembo without a mirror bracket, but instead produced the RCS series which came with a bracket.

Free Spirits has stepped into the breach

with a bracket for the race version which is still popular, because it is lower in cost and has been on the market for longer.

The bracket has a metric M10 x 1.25 threaded hole.

FREE SPIRITS Carrè (VI), ITALY Tel: +39 0445 390437 E-mail: info@freespirits.it www.freespirits.it

Venhill tyre pressure gauges THESE motorcycle-specific tyre pressure gauges are both for regular applications and for low pressure tyres such as trials and speedway.

The VT32 gauge has a pressure range of 0-60Psi (0 to 4 Bar), so is ideal for use with most road and off-road bikes, scooters and cars. Its flexible stainless steel braided stem makes accessing even the most awkward valves easier and the 90-degree, fully rotating chuck ensures a tight seal from any angle. The 2inch dial gauge indicates in both Psi and Bar, both in small increments for an accurate reading. Set just below the dial is an airbleed button; this allows riders to inflate the tyre and then release excess air to reach the recommended pressure settings.

The VT37 gauge operates at a pressure range of 0-15Psi and is specifically designed for machines running lower pressures – trials, speedway etc. It’s more compact in design, but shares the flexible stainless stem and 360-degree chuck with the high-

VT37 Gauge VT32 Gauge

pressure version for ease of use. The VT37 also features a 2inch diameter dial gauge - indicating Psi and kg/cmsq – for quick and accurate readings, as well as the air bleed button for exact pressure setting.

Both gauges feature a rubber sleeve around the dial,to help protect against impacts,and are supplied with a tough nylon storage pouch.

VENHILL ENGINEERING Dorking, Surrey, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1306 885111 E-mail: info@venhill.co.uk www.venhill.co.uk

Spectro Platinum 4 oil SPECTRO Platinum 4 is a fully synthetic motorcycle engine lubricant formulated to be a thermally stable motor oil with higher shear stability and maximum viscosity performance.

Carefully blended ingredients including larger than usual amounts of polymer, zinc and phosphorus, which give a longer lasting motor and smoother shifting.

Spectro says it exceeds all known motorcycle manufacturer’s warranty requirements, plus A.P.I. SG/SH/JASO MA. Thanks to Italian distributore Race Generation (www.racegeneration.it) for this information. Other European distributors can be found on the company’s website.

SPECTRO OILS Brookfield, CT, USA Tel +1 203 775 1291 E-mail: spectro@snet.net www.spectro-oils.com

SW Motech T-RaY remote control luggage SW MOTECH has introduced remote control top boxes to its luggage range.T-RaY boxes can be locked and unlocked remotely from up to 50 metres away, and the box locks automatically after 20 seconds.

An anti-tamper alarm is also built-in.

T-RaY can also be operated manually, with the key supplied.

T-RaY top boxes are available in stylish black, silver and white, fit most bikes and scooters and come in 28, 36 and 48 litre versions.

SW-MOTECH Rauschenberg, GERMANY Tel: +49 (0)6425 816800 info@sw-motech.com www.sw-motech.com INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

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PRODUCT NEWS

Vicma taillights VICMA makes quality parts for OEMs such as Derbi, Suzuki and Yamaha and offers a range of E-marked aftermarket taillights for many different motorcycle and scooter models, including the Honda CB 500, Kawasaki ZX6R 95-97, Yamaha XT660Z 08-09, Suzuki SV 650 03-08 LED with choice of red or clear lens and Suzuki AN 250 Burgman (including rear indicators).

Red or clear options are available along with a range of LED upgrades for many models. LEDs are longer lasting and more resistant to bumps, knocks and vibrations than traditional bulbs and they also drain less energy from the battery.

Thanks to UK distributor WMD (sales@wmdonline.com) for this information, which also has a number of taillights discontinued by the original manufacturer and a universal LED taillight that mounts underneath the mudguard.

INDUSTRIAS VICMA Totana, Murcia, SPAIN Tel: +34 968 42 47 52 E-mail: info@vicma.es www.vicma.es

Touratech Super Ténéré accessories TOURATECH’S accessories kit for the 2011 Yamaha XTZ Super Ténéré 1200 includes a number of protectors, including for the intake manifold, ABS sensor and Lambda probe.

Other items include a GPS handlebar mount adapter, windshield GPS mounting rod adjustment, brake lever extension, oil plug, additional Xenon foglights, rear axle cover, rear seat luggage rack, standing footrests, Zega Pro luggage system with 38 or 45 litre panniers and 38 litre top box, LEDayflex running lights and side stand support extension.

Lambda sensor protector

Running lights Rear seat luggage rack

TOURATECH Niedereschach, GERMANY Tel: +49 (0)7728 92790, E-mail: info@touratech.com www.touratech.com

Zega Pro luggage system

Yamaha Super Ténéré equipped with Touratech accessories INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

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PRODUCT NEWS

Gilles factor-x.gt rearsets FACTOR-X.GT rearsets are now available for the 2011 Aprilia RSV4 and Triumph Speed Triple 1050.

Gilles says the rearsets offer maximum performance for minimum weight with design inputs from the company’s World Superbike experience.The proprietary design is well balanced with double ball bearing shift and brake lever and three way adjustable fix racing footrest.

factor-x.gt rearset for the Triumph Speed Triple

GILLES TOOLING Wecker, LUXEMBOURG Tel: +352 (0)267 893 1 E-mail: info@gillestooling.com www.gillestooling.com

Mono racing shock for Dorsoduro FG Gubellini is now offering its FSM11 rear monoshock for the Aprilia Dorsoduro 750.

This new racing application is specifically designed to increase the performance of the Aprilia Supermotard machine.

The hydraulic calibration is designed to

make handling more dynamic and manageable, while there is adjustment of wheelbase, compression and rebound damping and spring preload (hydraulic and manual FSM31/FSM11 versions).

It is also possible to personalise internal hydraulic calibration on the basis of height, weight and riding style.

FG GUBELLINI Medicina (BO), ITALY Tel: +39 051 856216 E-mail: market@fgspecialparts.it www.fgspecialparts.it www.fggubellini.com

Devil GP Replica exhaust for BMW S1000 RR DEVIL’S ‘full megaphone’ GP style design in sleek stainless steel is compact enough to give substantial weight savings and a clean fit to the BMW S1000 RR. The removable baffle allows the bike to breathe and produce Devil’s deep, rumbling note.

GP Replicas are engineered to give increased performance even at the bike’s stock settings, although modifications such as performance filters and adjusting the air intake can produce even greater improvements in power and torque,the company says, and claims a 2.9 horsepower improvement over stock.

This street use can comes with a one year manufacturer warranty and everything needed to fit it to the stock downpipes.The GP Replica is E-marked for road use and constructed from the finest highperformance stainless steel and CNC-machined rings.

Thanks to UK distributor WMD (www.wmd-online.com) for this information.

DEVIL La Roche de Glun, FRANCE Tel: +33 (0)4 75 84 74 90 E-mail: export@devil.fr www.devil.fr

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INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

PRODUCT NEWS

Quadra from Barracuda

QUADRA indicators are made to a special design by Barracuda with bold angular lines and an aluminum insert. The lights themselves use the latest LED technology.

BARRACUDA Florence, ITALY Tel: +39 055 412 746 E-mail: info@barracudamoto.it www.barracudamoto.it

Shad accessories for X-Max SHAD offers a wide variety of luggage and other accessories for the Yamaha X-Max including the SH45 top case, the SC20 bag, the Style seat and braking light kit.

The SH45 top case has a capacity of 45 litres and an interchangeable cover to enable customisation. It also includes a standard plate, a screw kit and, as options, a backrest and light kit. The dimensions are 31cm x 56cm x 41cm.

The SC20 bag has a capacity of up to 16 litres, extra fastening straps and a shoulder strap to carry it as well as extendable side pockets to carry small objects. Dimensions are 30cm x 32cm x 32cm.

The Shad Style seat enhances ergonomics and comfort, the company says. Among its main features are a 20% increase of the contact surface for the rider, high-resilience polyurethane in contact areas, bielastic foam and waterproof properties. It is available in black with dark grey seams; black with red seams and black-grey with light grey seams.

The DOB40KL braking light kit with LED technology gives much more brilliant light with very low energy consumption. It is easy to install, as it is directly secured to the lower part of the rack and is compatible with SH40, SH40 Cargo, SH42, SH45 and SH46 top cases.

X-Max with Shad luggage

SH45

Braking light kit

SC20 bag

X-Max Style seat

SHAD Mollet Del Valles, Barcelona, SPAIN Tel: +34 935 795 866 E-mail: info@shad.es www.shad.es

PRODUCT NEWS

Powerbronze BMW F800R style kit POWERBRONZE has developed a full product kit for the BMW F800R 09-10 which includes light screen, lens covers, rear hugger, mudguard extender, seat cowl, carbon fibre belly pan and badged crash post kit.

The mudguard extender for the BMW F800R 0910 is also compatible with the BMW F800S 06-10 and F800ST 06-10.

The rear hugger incorporates a chain guard in its design along with the mesh venting featured normally in the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sportsbike huggers with an easy to fit design.

The carbon fibre belly pan for the F800R incorporates three meshed vents with gold or Silver mesh.

Powerbronze lens covers for the F800R are available in any of the Powerbronze colour range with the exception of red. Clear, light tint and yellow are the three colours, recognised as road legal. The lens covers for this motorcycle are also compatible with the F800GS 08-10 and F650GS. Full fitting kits and instructions are provided with all of these products, with the fixings specifically designed for the bike.

POWERBRONZE INTERNATIONAL Littlehampton, West Sussex, UK Tel: +44 (0)1903 783222 E-mail: sales@powerbronze.co.uk www.powerbronze.co.uk

Light screen

Carbonfibre belly pan

Rear hugger Crash posts - anodised silver

Seat cowl

Dark tint lens covers

PRODUCT NEWS

Polini variator for Honda 125 PCX POLINI Motoriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new Maxi Hi-Speed 9-roller variator for the Honda 125 PCX has a new patented lubrication system.

Technical features include a bush made of special case-hardened chromed-nickel steel, tempered and ground. It has a big internal

Arrow exhausts for GSR 750 ARROW has a number of different silencers and pipes for the 2011 Suzuki GSR 750.

The Pro-Racing homologated silencer, Trophy silencer, Works Titanium silencer and Race-Tech titanium silencer all come with carby end cap, while the Race-Tech aluminium and dark aluminium silencers come without.

The company has racing collectors for this model,

pocket that contains the lubricant, with a spring to ensure constant flow onto the pin even during the hardest conditions of use.

Inside the rollers sliding surfaces have a new polishing treatment to improve the sliding, which improves performance and lessens servicing costs thanks to the improved bush and pin lubrication.

POLINI MOTORI Alzano Lombardo (BG), ITALY Tel: +39 035 2275 111 E-mail: mail@polini.com www.polini.com

and mid-pipes for Pro-Racing, Race-Tech, Works and Trophy silencers for these Arrow collectors, as well as mid-pipes for Race-Tech, Works and Trophy silencers for stock collectors.

ARROW SPECIAL PARTS San Giustino (PG), ITALY Tel: +39 0758 61811 E-mail: info@arrow.it www.arrow.it

INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

23

PRODUCT NEWS

X-Black exhaust for Z750 THE new Exan X-Black exhaust is an aggressive aftermarket option for the Kawasaki Z750, adding power and style to this popular model.

Available in conical and oval versions, the trapezoidal silencers are available in Stainless Steel, Stainless Steel Satin Black Oval, Full Carbon and Titanium.

Extremely lightweight no matter what version is chosen, Exan says they come with a dB killer that can be removed in seconds when used on the track.

EXAN Lissone (MI), ITALY Tel: +39 0392 782 799 E-mail: infoexan@exan.it www.exan.it

Fehling parts for VN 900

Lightbar

Rack

Sissy bar and carrier

NEW black accessories for the Kawasaki VN 900 Custom cruiser from Fehling include a one piece protection guard in 38 mm tube, baggage holder, rear rack, sissybar with pad and carrier, lightbar for additional headlights and metal sheet radiator cover.

ERNST FEHLING Wickede, Ruhr, GERMANY Tel: +49 (0)2377 2033 E-mail: info@fehling.de www.fehling.de

Protection guard

Radiator cover

PRODUCT NEWS

LeoVince X3 for KTM 300 EXC LEOVINCE has brought out a version of its X3 exhaust system for the two-stroke KTM 300 EXC 2011.

Silencer and header pipe are entirely made from TIG-welded AISI 304 stainless steel, with a carbon fibre end cap and

carbon fibre frame brackets.

They weigh 1.66kg compared with the stock systemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1.86kg.

According to LeoVince the silencers are in conformity with FIM dB(A) sound limits.

SITO/LEOVINCE Monticello dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Alba (CN), ITALY Tel: +39 0173 465 111 E-mail: info@leovince.com www.leovince.com

ABM Stremo licence plate holder THIS new licence plate holder from ABM in Germany is CNC laser-cut and black powdercoated.

It weighs 360g and is adjustable to give a perfect fit, according to the company. All mounting materials are included, and Pera licence plate lamps and holder for the rear light are also available as options.

ABM FAHRZEUGTECHNIK Breisach, GERMANY Tel. +49 (0)7667 9446 0 info@ab-m.de www.ab-m.de

PRODUCT NEWS

R&G downpipe off-road protection FOR riders off the beaten track, the Downpipe Grille is designed to deflect debris and reduce damage to this vulnerable part of the exhaust.

It is made from aluminium and is suitable for selected Honda, Kawasaki, Triumph and Yamaha models.

R&G RACING Alton, Hants, UK Tel: +44 (0)1420 89007 info@rg-racing.com www.rg-racing.com

SuperTrapp SuperLight slip-on for R1200GS SUPERTRAPP says its Universal SuperLight Stainless Series exhausts are now available in a direct fitment model for ’04 – ’09 BMW R1200GS. The Cleveland, Ohio-based company says the SuperLight Stainless Series is already a popular option for BMWs, but they require some minor fabricating, and now there is an easyto-install direct fitment slip-on.

This new SuperTrapp slip-on boasts a 92dB sound level compared to the stock 87.5dB, providing what the US company calls a deep, throaty, growling sound.

The slip-on is made from 304-grade stainless steel with a polished finish and has a tunable internal disc, using SuperTrapp’s patented diffuser disc technology which allows a rider to control the performance, sound and flow of the bike by simply adding or

subtracting discs. The SuperLight includes eighteen 4in discs. Adding discs provides more sound, horsepower and flow. Subtracting discs will reduce the sound and flow, but will increase the low-end torque.

The SuperLight weighs 4.1kg, around 1.8kg lighter than the stock exhaust. The SuperLight body is a 48.2cm long canister with a 11.4cm body diameter and a 6.3cm turndown outlet. The s-bend is fully welded on to the muffler and an integrated centre stand stop is included on the underside.

SUPPERTRAPP INDUSTRIES Cleveland (OH), USA Tel: +1 216 265 8400 E-mail: sales@supertrapp.com www.supertrapp.com

INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

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PRODUCT NEWS

Puig Brutale screen

Double Gun exhaust

PUIG has launched a new naked screen for the MV Agusta Brutale which fits models from 2004 to 2011 and provides a new look to the bike as well as improving wind protection.

Brutale ‘10-’11

Brutale ‘04-’09

REMINISCENT of a sawn-off shotgun, the MIVV Double Gun system is aggressive in design and sound. It is manufactured from titanium with TIGwelding.

The first motorcycle models fitted with the Double Gun are Honda Hornet 600, Kawasaki ZX-6R, Suzuki GSX-R 600, Yamaha FZ-8, Kawasaki Z750 and Honda CB 1000, with more available soon.

MIVV Sant’ Omero (TE), ITALY Tel: +39 0861 8120 237 E-mail: moto@mivv.it www.mivv.it

The screen comes with specific hardware, which mounts easily with the instructions supplied. It does not require any modification and is available in light smoke, dark smoke and black.

PUIG Granollers, Barcelona, SPAIN Tel: +34 938 490 633 E-mail: info@puig.tv www.puig.tv

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Z750 with Double Gun

INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

CB1000 with Double Gun

PRODUCT NEWS

Yoshimura slip-ons for CBR250R YOSHIMURA’S R-77J Street Sport slip-ons are now available for Honda’s entry level CBR250R sportsbike.

Both stainless steel and carbon end cap versions will be available in three sleeve versions, Stainless, Titanium and Metal Magic, also featuring a removable dB-Killer baffle. The company says all these options improve peak power and torque, with a significant weight saving over stock.

Thanks to Yoshimura’s UK importer Phoenix Distribution (www.phoenixnw.co.uk) for this information.

YOSHIMURA Aiko, Kanagawa, JAPAN Tel: +81 (0)4 6286 2929 E-mail: sales@yoshimura-jp.com www.yoshimura-jp.com

K-Pack from Knox K-PACK is engineered to hold the weight low over the hips, reducing stress on the lower back. It sits neatly on the wearer’s back, offering as little wind resistance as possible. Knox has also added a breathable, ‘spacer’ fabric on the inside of each strap, to help improve airflow and prevent the build-up of moisture.

Providing 25 litres of space, the K-Pack has a main compartment that is accessed easily via a 180degree zip and features a document sleeve, mobile phone pouch and key fob, along with a mesh bottle carrier on the outside, and removable storage pouch, which converts to a hip bag.All zip tabs velcro to the bag when closed, to prevent the tabs flapping and,

front of the K-Pack. When not required, the helmet bag can be unclipped and replaced with the handy extra storage pouch. A visor pouch is also included with the K-Pack, which secures inside the main compartment, keeping spare visors well protected.

A fully waterproof, high visibility cover is incorporated in the base of the K-Pack, which secures by Velcro tabs to the inside of the back, protecting the bag and contents from the elements.

potentially, unzipping while riding.

When a helmet needs to be carried it can be placed in the protective helmet bag provided, and closed using the securing chord and clipped onto the

PLANET KNOX Cockermouth, Cumbria, UK Tel: +44 (0)1900 825 825 E-mail: sales@planet-knox.com www.planet-knox.com www.knox-armour.co.uk

I n t e r v i e w b y A l a n C a t h c a r t - c a t h c a r t @ d e a l e r- w o r l d . c o m P i c t u r e s b y Ky o i c h i N a k a m u r a

New engine and models for Moto Guzzi At last! Moto Guzzi finally has an all-new engine on the horizon - a 1200cc liquid-cooled eight-valve double overhead-cam 90º V-twin, that’s scheduled to be unveiled at the EICMA Milan Show in November 2012 NGINEERS in the Pontedera HQ of Guzzi’s parent company, Piaggio, working under the direction of Federico Martini, the ex-Bimota and Gilera design guru who’s serving his second spell as Piaggio’s Head of Powertrain Engineering, are confirmed by company sources to have created such a motor, aiming to revitalise the historic brand by installing it in a new range of models to be introduced in the 2013-2015 model years.

At least the first of these will be inspired by the trio of prototype Moto Guzzi showbikes displayed at the 2009 EICMA Show, about which little has been heard of since. These were created by South African designer

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Pierre Terblanche, previously responsible amongst much else for the bestselling Ducati Hypermotard, as well as the Multistrada, 999/748 and Sport Classics, who before he joined Norton in the UK in January, spent two years working for Piaggio as a project consultant. This included bringing blue sky thinking to Moto Guzzi’s future model line-up, and it seems that thinking may duly bear fruit, since the last job Terblanche completed in Aprilia’s Design Centre at Noale before he left Italy, was to complete the full-size prototype of the first Moto Guzzi model to be fitted

Federico Martini, Head of Powertrain Engineering at Piaggio, with the V1200 engine

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INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

with the new overheadcam 1200cc engine.

So after almost half a century of equipping its entire motorcycle range with various evolutions of its trademark air-cooled transverse 90° V-twin pushrod motor, which was originally conceived in the mid-1960s for use in a delivery truck, the historic Italian brand owned by Piaggio since 2004 now has a 21st century engine design on the way.

Moto Guzzi's first all-new engine for more than 45 years, and the first water-cooled Guzzi motor since the legendary V8 500cc GP racer of the mid-'50s, it will still retain the

company’s trademark shaft final drive, and lengthways crankshaft. But this new engine isn’t merely an updated version of the latest eight-valve pushrod motor in the Griso, Norge, Stelvio etc., adapted to liquid-cooling in order to meet the more stringent Euro 4 motorcycle noise and emissions rules due to be implemented in 2014, which it’s widely believed will be very hard for any air-cooled engine to meet.

Instead, the new motor is a clean sheet 1200cc design with compact modular chain/gear drive to its twin overhead camshafts, just like Aprilia’s new Dorsoduro 1200 V-twin produced by the same design team at Piaggio. t still retains Guzzi’s traditional across-the-frame 90° V-twin cylinder format, but although both cylinders are positioned vertically to the crankcase, its design calls for the engine to be tilted forwards eight degrees from vertical in the frame, inclining the cylinders to achieve the quadruple benefits of providing extra room for the rider’s knees, creating more space for the airbox, adding weight to the front wheel for extra grip, as well as maximising downdraught into the dohc crossflow four-valve cylinder heads. Piaggio engineers had reportedly hoped to incline the cylinders even further forward, by around 16 degrees, but problems with the coupling for the shaft final drive prevented them going that far reliably, and neither belt nor chain final drive were considered viable options for marketing reasons.

Though it’s reliably understood that in its final form the engine will definitely be an eight-valve design, sources in Italy reveal that at one time it was intended to employ just three valves per cylinder (two inlet/one exhaust), rather than the four of Guzzi’s current 8V pushrod motor.This was related to the packaging problems for the exhaust system as a result of

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CATHCART REPORT the inclined cylinder format, but the fact that among the several models which Guzzi is understood to be planning around the new engine design, is a new Le Mans sportbike, as well as a Naked roadster, streetfighter and dual-purpose off-roader, meant that the potential had to be there for a high-performance version of the engine, so a means has apparently been found of retaining the four-valve layout. owever, this feature of inclined cylinders on a Moto Guzzi motor was first projected exactly fifteen years ago in one of the company’s littleknown prototypes, the equally ground-breaking 75° V-twin VA-10 engine designed in 1996 by Ing. Angelo Ferrari, then the firm’s chief engineer, before Moto Guzzi was purchased in 2000 by Aprilia, at that stage still under the ownership of founder Ivano Beggio.

This liquid-cooled 998cc dry-sump design, with chain-driven dohc, extractable six-speed cassette gearbox, and offset crankpins to reduce vibration, was intended to power the proposed Moto Guzzi MG-1 Superbike model equipped with chain final drive – a project which Beggio cancelled to free up development funds for Aprilia to invest in direct injection for its scooter models, as well as the RS3 threecylinder MotoGP model. Some aspects of the VA-10 format are, however, shared by the new motor being developed at Piaggio’s Pontedera base, where it will in due course be manufactured before being transported to Moto Guzzi’s lakeside factory at Mandello del Lario, for final assembly of the models it’ll be installed in from the 2013 model year onwards.

Ing. Ferrari’s VA-10 Moto Guzzi prototype appeared soon after Ducati (with the 916) ,Aprilia (with the Rotaxdesigned RSV1000) and MV Agusta (with the 750cc F4 designed by Piero Ferrari – no relation!) had all unveiled their own prototype Superbike engines for the next Millennium – although only Ducati had so far revealed the motorcycle it would be housed in. Now it was the turn of the oldest member of Italy's clan of historic race-bred marques to play its cards – for, fuelled by the development funds brought on board by the American Tamarix investment bank when it bought into Guzzi's controlling Trident Rowan holding company in 1995, the company’s then CEO Oscar Cecchinato was planning a five-year overhaul of Guzzi's entire range on the back of the new engine design which, in various guises, would gradually supplant the existing air-cooled twin-cylinder range over that period.

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to take to the race track soon after deliveries began early in the year 2000. Thereafter, Moto Guzzi's new Superbike contender would make its competition debut in the 2000 AMA Superbike series, in a team run by Dr.John Wittner, and after a development season racing in the USA, plans called for Moto Guzzi to contest the World Superbike series in 2001 with a fully-sponsored two-bike works team. Well, that was the idea, anyway… he all-new engine powering Guzzi's world-class return to the race track for the first time in almost half a century – the company pulled out of GP racing in 1957, after winning eight 250/350cc world titles in as many years – appeared to provide a fascinating and idiosyncratic basis for a competitive racer. Its designer Angelo Ferrari had joined the Mandello factory four years earlier, in 1992, after heading up R&D at Laverda, Lamborghini and Bugatti, and on his arrival was immediately given the green light to begin work on the project by the then-Moto Guzzi boss Arnolfo Sacchi. Starting with a clean sheet, Ferrari succeeded in retaining Guzzi's trademark transverse V-twin architecture, while turning it to his advantage to deliver an engine package that was both compact and narrow. Not only was the dry-sump design much smaller (and, especially, shorter) than the air-cooled Daytona 8V wet-sump motor [see photos], but, said Ferrari, the new design resulted in a bike the same width as the Suzuki TL 1000S in-line V-twin, even once a water radiator had been added.

Moreover, that was without the possible use of a Britten/ Saxon/Modenas-type rear-mounted radiator to further reduce width. "The great advantage of the Guzzi engine format is the packaging freedom it delivers," said Ferrari. "We're able to position the engine and fuel load where we want them so as to obtain an ideal weight distribution for the bike, as well as optimise induction and airbox design, and deliver a strong, narrow crankcase which gives excellent ground clearance even with slick tyres. And, above all, it's completely distinctive – no other manufacturer can build a bike like this, complete with all its advantages, without being seen to copy us." As if…

Key to the compact build and reduced frontal area of the allaluminium V-twin was the decision to narrow the cylinder angle from Guzzi's traditional 90-degree format, to 75degrees. In theory, this should have required the use of a power-sapping balance shaft to reduce vibration - but Ferrari had taken a leaf out of the >>>

T Pierre Terblanche and Miguel Galluzzi created these three concept bikes for Moto Guzzi, which were shown for the first time at the 2009 Milan Show.

The bikes, dubbed V12LM (above), V12X (below) and V12 Strada (bottom) are different versions of the same basic style, the LM nodding towards the old Guzzi Le Mans with its sports bias, while the X and Strada versions are trail and street bikes respectively. The new range to be introduced from 2013 is likely to draw at least some inspiration from these concept bikes

Distinctive, compact and bristling with innovative design features, the all-new 75-degree V-twin engine's imminent arrival looked set to make the wings on Guzzi's trademark eagle emblem flap a lot harder in the new Millennium. Its architecture contrasted vividly with the elderly pushrod motors it was set to replace, as well as with the air-cooled Daytona 8V high-cam engine which was Guzzi’s interim answer to sourcing more performance – a quest that had brought some

success, when Doug Brauneck won the 1988 AMA Battle of the Twins title in the USA, aboard the Dr.Johns Guzzi 8V racer concocted with factory help by legendary Guzzi guru Dr. John Wittner.

Cecchinato took the decision to start at the top with the new Ferraridesigned motor, by developing a World Superbike contender to launch the new family of Moto Guzzi bikes powered by this engine. The MG-1 Superbike was set to debut at the Milan Show in September 1999, and

INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

31

CATHCART REPORT <<< Honda design book, and adopted the

offset crankpins of Big H’s 52-degree V-twin Bros sports bike of the 1980s, here spaced 30 degrees apart to restore the perfect primary balance of a 90-degree V-twin, but without its bulk. Secondary balance on the VA-10 was obtained by using longer than normal conrods, mated to an ultra short-stroke crank design. Compared to the 98 x 66 mm format of existing Ducati, Suzuki and Honda one-litre V-twins, the Moto Guzzi’s engine dimensions were 100 x 63.5 mm, for a capacity of 998cc – a heavily oversquare format which Ducati was to copy only with the debut of the 996R with its Testastretta engine in 2001, which duly propelled Troy Bayliss to the first of his three World Superbike titles. ngelo Ferrari claimed a projection of 170 bhp at 13,000 rpm at the rear wheel in race form for the VA-10, with 135 bhp at 11,000 rpm the target for the street version of the Superbike racer. Other capacity variants of the engine were also projected, ranging in size from 850cc up to 1200cc for various models such as a sports tourer, custom, trailbike and roadster. Aimed primarily at the cruiser market, the biggest of these would have been a wet-sump design and might perhaps have used carbs to conform with that segment’s customer expectation, said Ferrari. But otherwise, all models would have been fuel-injected via a multipoint Marelli-Weber package which would have seen triple injectors on each of the Superbike racer's cylinders, twin injectors on the street version of the racer, and single injectors on all other models. On the dry-sump Superbike, the fuel tank as well as the separate oil tank would have been located above the gearbox in the centre of the wheelbase, thus ensuring a constant weight distribution as fuel load reduced, and further lowering the cee of gee, for increased stability and ease of handling. The substantial airbox between the cylinders was to have been force-fed by large triangular ducts either side of the nose of the fairing.

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Ing. Angelo Ferrari, designer of the VA-10

As disclosed earlier, Ferrari's design called for the engine to be tilted forwards 16 degrees from horizontal in the frame, in order to load up the front wheel weight-wise, as well as maximise downdraught into the dohc crossflow four-valve cylinder heads.

With such a wide bore, there was room in the Superbike version for large 39.5mm inlet valves and 36mm exhausts, set at a flat total included angle of 25 degrees to each other, with twin exhaust headers on all models.

Drive to the twin overhead camshafts per cylinder was by Hy-Vo chain via an auxiliary shaft driven directly off the crank, but turning in the opposite direction to it so as to eliminate torque reaction. The same shaft also drove the front-mounted water pump, while the electric starter was positioned under the engine, to further lower the cee of gee. ut perhaps the biggest difference on the new motor compared to Guzzi's existing V-twin range was the adoption of chain final drive on the new Superbike and other sports models, although Ferrari insisted that certain Guzzi models would retain the shaft final drive - the engine could be fitted with either. That’s because a sixspeed gearbox [not shown in the photos] was to have been bolted on to the back of the engine, driven via a dry clutch on the racer (wet on the streetbikes), and offering the crucial advantage at the racetrack of having the cassette gear cluster readily extractable, permitting Guzzi teams to

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The ground-breaking VA-10 engine

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INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

change individual ratios for a given circuit. Ducati still hasn’t got round to offering its race teams that! And to further reduce bulk, the gearbox design called for the two shafts to be stacked one above the other just as on the Yamaha R1 that has just been revealed, in turn adding to front end weight bias, as well as compacting the bike’s mass for optimum handling, and delivering a long swingarm for improved traction. The ultra-compact motor allowed Ferrari to project a quick-steering 1380mm wheelbase for the Superbike, incredibly short for a one-litre V-twin.

Though Guzzi's designer Luciano Marabese had already penned the styling for the VA-10 Superbike, Guzzi executives back in 1998 when the VA10 project was disclosed, claimed that the final format for chassis and bodywork design had yet to be determined. At the stage that the project was unveiled in the summer of ‘98, the attention of the Guzzi R&D team headed by ex-Gilera 250GP engineer Danilo Mojoli was focused on getting the prototype engine running on the dyno. However, initial plans called for a composite chassis featuring twin parallel extruded alloy struts on each side connecting the steering head with the rear engine mount and swingarm pivot, while Marabese's design drawings revealed a Ducati 916-type single-sided swingarm. However, Moto Guzzi’s engineering team remained unconvinced of this feature, pointing to the difficulty of combining optimum suspension set-up with correct chain tension and rear ride height that Ducati and Honda teams struggled with for so many years on the 916 and RC45, as well as the reduced unsprung weight of a conventional swingarm.

However, Oscar Cecchinato had tried to acquire Bimota when it came up for sale during the summer of 1996, claiming that Moto Guzzi badly needed the kind of chassis expertise the Italian frame specialist had to offer.

"Here at Guzzi we know how to build engines," he said, "and our new

liquid-cooled MG-1 Superbike V-twin has the potential to be extremely competitive in both the marketplace and the racetrack. But we don't have the kind of in-house experience of leading edge chassis technology you must have to make a mark in Superbike racing today, so it would have resolved that difficulty if we could have added Bimota to our team. But although this wasn’t possible, we have other solutions in mind - and we certainly don't intend to diminish the potential impact of this exceptional engine design by undervaluing the chassis ingredient.We are very serious about returning Moto Guzzi to its traditional place at the front of the grid in world-class racing, and this will be the bike we'll do it with." owever, as the history books recall, those grandiose dreams never happened, and while there are those who believe that Piaggio would have benefitted commercially if Max Biaggi had won the 2010 World Superbike Championship on a Moto Guzzi RSV4 rather than an Aprilia, it’s taken more than a decade for the wings of the eagle on the Guzzi tank badge to grow again and start flapping, after being trimmed with the cancellation of the VA-10 project. This happened because, even before the Aprilia takeover in 2000, Cecchinato had visions of increasing Moto Guzzi's annual production volume from the 6,500 bikes built in 1966, to 20,000 units a year within five years. This was to come via the development of a range of 125/250cc Galetto models, including scooters, powered by bought-in Piaggio motors – a strategy which resulted in the VA-10 Superbike project being put into cold storage, and Angelo Ferrari leaving Mandello.

Finally, after the then cash-rich Aprilia purchased Moto Guzzi in 2000, the project was finally cancelled by Ivano Beggio, since by that time Aprilia was already winning World Superbike races with the RSV1000, and certainly didn’t see the need to finance the creation of an in-house rival wearing the Moto Guzzi badge. Of course, Beggio was shortly to make a contrastingly disastrous decision to forego the momentum which Aprilia had built up with Troy Corser’s SBK race victories, and the consequent showroom sellout of the RSV Mille, and withdraw from Superbike racing in favour of pursuing the mirage of MotoGP success with the RS3 Cube - which eventually resulted in his bankrupting the company. But that’s another story…..!

Now, fifteen years on after the creation of the VA-10, those wings on the Guzzi eagle are indeed set to start flapping again.

Better late than never? •

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CATHCART REPORT

Triumph T-Bird Storm 1700: Test ride HEN in doubt - go large!

That’s the axiom adopted by Triumph in launching the cubed-up Thunderbird Storm, the first of what’s rumoured to be four different variants of the British company’s big parallel-twin custom cruiser launched in the spring of 2009, which are waiting in the wings for the US market they’re mainly aimed at to recover from its 40% collapse in sales.

Triumph sold 4,676 T-Birds worldwide in the 18 months between the bike’s launch and the end of last year - 10% of the company’s annual production - John Bloor’s men have actually bucked the trend in grabbing a slice of Harley-Davidson’s key market at a time when America’s No.1 has been rocking on its heels, with sales slumping. Still, of those, only 1,254 examples of the T-Bird were sold in the USA, just 27% of total production against a projected 50% or better - so the Storm is the first of several different variations on the same theme aimed at targeting different sectors of the cruiser market more specifically, in the hopes that Triumph can ride the recovery in US sales with them. And in doing so, keep selling strongly in those other countries where the Thunderbird’s already a hit.

Meaty-looking and muscular, it is available only in black, either Jet gloss or Matt. The more aggressive-looking, tougher-styled Storm comes complete with twin streetfighter headlamps and is targeted at a younger customer demographic.

The Storm brings the 1699cc bigbore version of Triumph’s eight-valve dohc parallel-twin motor to the series production marketplace for the first time, as the format it was originally designed in before Triumph’s R&D

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team slimmed it down 100cc for the model’s launch. Previously only available as an aftermarket kit, the 6% bigger 97bhp engine produces 15% more power and 7% more torque, and delivers a completely different riding experience compared to the stock 1599cc Thunderbird, as I found out for myself on a 100-mile/160km ride through the hills of southern France.

For the upsized liquid-cooled parallel-twin motor is the star of the show on the new Triumph, with unmistakeably more zest in performance all through the revband than on the stock 1600 T-Bird, with the icing on the cake provided by just sufficient pleasurable vibes left in by the twin counterbalancers, to deliver enjoyment rather than complaint. It’ll pull cleanly away wide open from just 1,500 rpm in the overdrive top gear, or as low as 1,000 rpm on part throttle, just 200 revs above the engine’s idle speed, making it an easy bike to ride slowly. You’ll find yourself surfing the torque curve which comes on strong a little over 2,000 revs, then holds on till later in the rev range, peaking with that substantial 156Nm/15.5mkg of torque at just 2,950 rpm as the Storm makes waves going forward with a degree of determination unmatched by other mainstream cruisers of comparable capacity. And although you end up short-shifting around 4,500 rpm most of the time, rather than exploring the upper reaches of the revband where peak power of 97bhp is delivered at 5,200 rpm, there’s never any sense of those big, heavy pistons seemingly firing every lamp-post as on many other big twins, even though there’s an unmistakeable sense of power down low. his parallel-twin engine has loads of personality, with the trademark lilt and offbeat melody that you expect

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from a Vee-Twin motor issuing from those good-looking slashcut exhausts, turning to a soulful roar when you wind it wide open and hold on tight as the Storm gathers momentum! Going with the flow at 130kph/85mph on an autoroute, with the tacho needle parked on the 3,500 rpm mark, little more than halfway to redline, still leaves huge reserves of performance for when you want to accelerate a motorcycle weighing the wrong side of 300 kilos out into the overtaking lane.

There’s minimal vibration at any engine speed, even if you deliberately rev it up to somewhere near the 6,500 rpm revlimiter, and the fuel mapping is excellent, with the transition from a closed throttle especially refined in pickup when opening it again hard.

And rolling on and off the throttle as you sweep through a series of fourthgear bends climbing up the hill from Le Castellet village towards the front gates of Paul Ricard, makes you appreciate the Storm’s added grunt.

Yet the Thunderbird Storm is also that rare thing, a cruiser which handles, thanks to Showa suspension that feels more compliant than anything else in the class, in spite of being non-adjustable except for a fiveway spring preload setting on the twin rear shocks. he switchback clifftop Route des Crêtes running along the Mediterranean coast between Cassis and La Ciotat shows the Thunderbird take on quite a different personality.

For within the limitations of ground clearance imposed by its typical low cruiser build, hustling the Storm along winding roads like this one won’t faze it, thanks to the its surprisingly compliant suspension damping by cruiser standards, and the poised, if inevitably somewhat lazy steering supplied via the raked-out steering geometry and that rangy wheelbase.

You have a hard time believing this bike is so heavy and long, by the relatively easy way the Thunderbird steers. Indeed, the relatively wide

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200/50-17 Metzeler rear tyre doesn’t impact on its handling to any noticeable degree. The Storm grips good, steers well, and flips from side to side through a series of turns with a relative agility which belies that conservative chassis geometry, and makes you think it’s 100 kilos lighter than it really is. Substance over style, again.

The upside of all this is that the T-Bird is ultra-stable both round fast sweepers, acceptably agile round slow ones, and brakes pretty well, even if that only comes if you use the hefty 310mm rear disc and its twin-pot caliper quite hard in best cruiser mode, in addition to the excellent but not overly powerful twin same-size front brakes and their four-pot Nissin calipers. he level of build quality on the Storm is beyond reproach, a key factor in a market segment where appearance is almost everything. The good-looking dash mounted in the top of the fuel tank has a large speedo, with a small revcounter/tacho integrated into the bottom part of it.

The small LCD display features a couple of trips, DTE/ distance to empty, and a clock, all accessed via a scroll button on the right handlebar, while self-cancelling indicators are fitted as standard. And the Storm’s chromebacked mirrors are literally perfect – zero vibration, and you can see clearly behind you without moving your shoulders. That’s how to do it - so why do so few manufacturers bother?

Just like the original Thunderbird, the near-perfect Storm is once again a very fine motorcycle, made even better by the added oomph delivered by its big-bore motor. A parallel-twin cruising through a marketplace otherwise populated by V-twins, it offers a level of engine performance that’s at the top of its class, and is streets ahead in handling and ride quality, while looking way cool.

Treat this as a Storm warning, Harley-Davidson! •

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INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

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MOTORCYCLE FASHION ISSN 1476-8747

AUG/SEPT 2011

â&#x201E;˘

GIVI Air 2 summer demi-jet THIS new version of the popular 10.4 Air retains two winning features of the old model, the excellent helmet fit, with two shell sizes, and the reliable visor-moving system. The visor is made of a 2 mm thick antiscratch polycarbonate.

GIVI says the updated version of the 10.4 Air offers a better price/performance ratio and significant aesthetic and technical improvements that guarantee a greater general comfort.

The completely removable lining, submitted to anti-allergic and anti-bacterial treatment, is made of a new perforated material with new colours.

The air intakes on the shell are made of a flat and not roundshaped stainless steel mesh, which has a different weave from the previous version. These details favour the air inflow and allow a quick cooling of the

upper part of the face and of the shell, and an additional closeable air intake has been introduced in the frontal area while the big cap version includes two air vents on the back.

The Air 2 inner cap is made with a double-density moulding process, a feature that makes it lighter without affecting its shock-absorbing properties, and the quick-release strap with micrometric adjustment is completed by a removable, nonirritating loop.

Weight is 1,150g and colours are white and silver and black and silver.

Options include a jet-mask, a chin-strap, a brand new Bluetooth kit, tinted-glass visors and many other features.

GIVI Flero (BS), ITALY Tel: +39 030 3581253 E-mail: info@givi.it www.givi.it

Pro L2K back protector from Forcefield DUE to high demand for the current Pro L2, and with stocks running low, Forcefield says the decision has been made to bring forward the launch of the allnew 2012 Pro L2K Kevlar, designed to be the ultimate all-use motorcycle back protector.

An evolution of the Forcefield Pro L2, the Pro L2K is now constructed using Kevlar thread for increased strength and durability. Kevlar has five times the tensile strength of steel along with high cut and abrasion resistance.

The Pro L2K is designed to be breathable, lightweight, flexible and comfortable whilst still providing maximum impact protection. It conforms and exceeds EN1621-2 Level 2, the highest level for body armour.

Pro L2K also incorporates NitrexEvo, which provides Repeat Performance Technology (RPT) to ensure that even after multiple impacts there is no loss of protective performance, and its 3D moulds closely fit the contours of the riderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s back, creating the ultimate all day comfort, according to the company. Fully adjustable shoulder straps and double waist adjustment ensure a good fit for different body shapes and sizes.

DAVIES ODELL/FORCEFIELD Rushden, Northants, UK Tel: +44 (0)1933 410 818 info@forcefieldperformance.com www.forcefieldbodyarmour.com

Enduro sole for the Sidi Crossfire SR boot WITH Enduro sections becoming the norm in many events, Sidi has created a bolt-on lug sole for its Crossfire SR model. Available in four sizes, a pair of these tough and resistant soles will help the rider through the nastiest sections of any race, the company says.

SIDI SPORT Maser (TV), ITALY Tel: +39 0423 9241 sidisport@sidisport.com www.sidisport.com MOTORCYCLE FASHION - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

35

MOTORCYCLE FASHION

TCX multi-use urban boots X-VILLE waterproof uses full grain leather to create a shoe that is both elegant and hard-wearing, according to TCX. The leather is combined with a waterproof lining to make it impermeable and suitable for different weather conditions. Integrated protection prevents ankle, toe and heel damage while the fastening, with

laces over the instep, ensures foot stability and comfort while riding. The special intersection of the panels that form the upper make the shape of the shoe lighter and give the right touch of sportiness, while the practical removable solution for the shifter pad makes the shoe longer lasting over time and also looks good off the bike.

X-Ville Air brown

Urban WP black

It has an anatomical, removable footbed and an all uses sole that makes it extremely comfortable and hard-wearing.

X-Ville Air is a ventilated full grain leather boot for hot city conditions without waterproof membrane. It has integrated heel, ankle and toe protection, together with an

anatomical, removable footbed and a comfortable and long-lasting sole.

The Urban waterproof boot has a waterproof membrane and full grain leather construction. Its reinforced toecap and heel complete the safety protection that is an essential feature for a TCX high tech shoe. The Urban waterproof shifter pad is also removable, while the special sole has been designed to be exceptionally hard-wearing.

X-Ville WP brown

TCX Montebelluna (TV), ITALY Tel: +39 0423 292211 E-mail: info@tcxboots.com www.tcxboots.com

Scorpion Exo-500 Air THIS motorcycle helmet is priced at the entry point of the range, but contains most of the recent technology developed by Scorpion Exo, including the next-generation visor borrowed from the top-of-the-range Scorpion Exo-1000 Air EII, which includes as standard the new Pinlock MaxVision visor system to combat fogging. It also integrates the SpeedView builtin retractable sun visor treated with anti-fog coating on both sides.

With a three-liner construction and a light and durable shell, the Scorpion Exo-500 Air also has the Airfit system, giving optimum fit, and the new, soft and effective KwikWick2 liner ensures superior comfort.

Other features include an

Advanced Polycarbonate Composite Engineered Shell, ventilation system comprising of adjustable, indexed front and rear vents with aero-tuned rear spoiler to reduce lift and create vacuum and maximise airflow through the helmet, breathdeflector for enhanced fog-free performance, chin cover to reduce noise and micrometric automatic chinstrap buckle for quick release and precise adjustment.

The Scorpion Exo-500 Air is ECE 22-05 certified and TÜV tested.

SCORPION SPORTS EUROPE Strasbourg/Schiltigheim, FRANCE Tel:+33 (0)(0)3 90 22 22 99 info@scorpionsports.eu www.scorpionsports.eu

Weise Vortex and Daytona gloves TWO new gloves from Weise are the track-specification Vortex and the short-cuff Daytona, both featuring full grain leather construction and the Knox Scaphoid Protection System.

With a kangaroo leather palm, twin layered with Kevlar inserts at key impact points and integrated TPU reinforcement at the knuckles and fingers, the Vortex road/race glove provides all-round security. Stretch panels at the base of thumb, top of the hand and fingers offer flexibility, feel and feedback.

The adjustable Velcro-retained wrist strap has a two-way cuff system that allows quick fastening inside or outside jacket sleeves, ensuring a

36

snug and secure fit. Vortex comes in sizes XS - 4XL black, and XS – 3XL in red, blue and white.

Daytona is a short-cuff sports

Short-cuff Daytona glove

MOTORCYCLE FASHION - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

glove, tailored for riders who like a short summer glove but still want the high specification of a racing glove. It features full grain leather

Track-specification Vortex glove

construction – twin-layered at key points – with Knox SPS and integrated TPU reinforcement on the knuckles. There are stretch panels and a kangaroo palm to aid fit, flexibility and feel. An adjustable Velcro-retained strap on the Neoprene cuff offers quick and easy entry and exit. Daytona is made in sizes S - 3XL in red, blue, orange, yellow and white colourways, and Vortex in XS - 4XL in classic black.

FOWLERS / WEISE Bristol, Avon, UK Tel: +44 (0)117 971 9200 E-mail: sales@fowlers.co.uk www.weise-clothing.co.uk

MOTORCYCLE FASHION

AXO SBK collection THE 2011 official World Superbike collection from AXO Sport includes a leather suit, jacket and helmet.

The AXO SBK suit is made from full grain cowhide with perforated areas on the front and on the back with Stretch Kennyspan on the sleeves, elbows and calves for a perfect fit.

Designed to be ultra protective, the suit nevertheless allows the rider exceptional freedom of movement.

Knee sliders can be placed in different positions to personalise the fit according to personal riding style, and AXO says the anti-bacterial, anti-sweat, perforated removable polyester lining, the CEcertified Sas-Tec protectors on shoulders, knees and elbows, the aluminum caps on shoulders and elbows and the streamlined hump guarantee exceptional comfort and fit.

The suit also has reflective inserts

and can be customised with patches and script. The white version with red and green inserts celebrates the Italian flag, but the suit is also available in black with white stripes. Sizes are 46 to 58.

The AXO SBK jacket is a comfortable full grain cowhide jacket, with wide perforated external areas and anti-bacterial and antisweat perforated polyester lining. A high level of comfort is granted through Stretch Kennyspan undersleeves and by the inner soft collar.

It has CE-certified SAS-Tec protectors on shoulders and elbows,as well as external aluminium caps on shoulders and elbows.

The jacket is available in a white version with red and green stripes or in black with white stripes. Sizes are XS to XXXL. The AXO SBK helmet has a

thermoplastic material shell with front and top adjustable vents and back vents, anti-allergic and anti-sweat removable washable lining, chin strap quick release system, and interchangeable anti-scratch visor.

Sizes are XS to XL. AXO SPORT Istrana (TV), ITALY Tel: +39 0422 832300 E-mail: info@axosport.it www.axosport.com www.sbkofficialstore.com

MOTORCYCLE FASHION

HJC Arty jet THE Arty jet helmet has an advanced polycarbonate composite shell with contemporary urban styling and outstanding quality as well as superior performance, according to HJC. The aerodynamic shell comes in a wide range of stylish colours and it has a moisture-wicking and odor-free interior.

HJC EUROPE Bischheim, FRANCE Tel: +33 (0)3 90 22 86 32 E-mail: info@hjc-europe.com www.hjc-europe.eu

Stylmartin Navigator touring boot NAVIGATOR is a supple, lightweight and protective touring boot with a characteristic double closure, a combination of zipper and adjustable Velcro straps. Stylmartin says this feature should make it particularly appealing to those who are looking for a no-fuss motorcycle boot that is easy to put on and take off.

It is a half boot made of soft, full grain leather; finely detailed with an understated elegance. Its waterproof and breathable lining keeps feet dry even in the rain and the internal and external reinforcements protect against

Nuvo SP2 Union NUVO has just added this new design sporting white, red and blue colours to the popular SP2 Union road helmet range.

The shell is available in four sizes and the helmet has achieved a Sharp four star rating.

The helmet has a H.P.V.S (High Performance Vent System), where multiple switched vents feed channels deep into the EPS liner, bringing in fresh air and exhausting hot stale air with no less than ten vents.

The chin strap is lined in EPS (High Integrity Chinbar system) so as to better absorb and dissipate the kinetic energy in a frontal impact, while the use of internal self-

38

adapting â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Soft Touchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; system makes for a perfect fit.

After application of graphics, a special coating system applies a layer of paint resistant to UV and general adverse weather. The helmet visor is made of injected material, curved in the areas of adhesion to the shell, has an anti-fog treatment and removal system with quick release.

The SP2 Union helmet is available in sizes from XS to XXL. ON 2 WHEELS Swansea, Wales, UK Tel: +44 (0)8705 703070 E-mail: info@on2wheels.com www.on2wheels.com

MOTORCYCLE FASHION - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

those traumas that motorcycle footwear is designed to avoid.

The size range from 38 to 47 means it can be worn by both sexes.

Protection features include internal PU ankle and shinbone guards and gear change protection. It also has an anatomic and changeable insole and an oil proof and ant-istatic rubber sole.

STYLMARTIN Montebelluna (TV), ITALY Tel: +39 0423 603033 E-Mail: info@stylmartin.it www.stylmartin.it

MOTORCYCLE FASHION

Oriane & Seven Lady from Furygan

Oriane maroon leather Jacket

FRENCH apparel and leathers manufacturer Furygan has boosted its offering for female riders with a new selection of products designed specifically for women.

The 100% leather Oriane is a subtly branded fashion-focused jacket featuring CE-approved elbow and shoulder protection, zips in the rear for size adjustment and stretch panels giving a fitted waist, available in brown and black and sizes S-XL.

Seven Lady textile touring jacket

The Seven Lady textile touring jacket is long in length with multiple pockets, reflective piping, CE-approved protection in the elbows and shoulders, rear zips and waist straps for size adjustment and a removable lining. The Seven Lady is suitable for year-round riding, according to Furygan, and is available in black/white and black/violet, and in sizes S-XXL. A sporty glove with a feminine twist, the lightweight leather Elegant Lady offers foam knuckle protection, elasticated cuffs and vented finger sections and is available in black/white or white/black and sizes XS-XL. FURYGAN Nimes, FRANCE Tel: +33 (0)4 66 38 85 85 E-mail: accueil@furygan.com www.furygan.com

Elegant Lady glove

MOTORCYCLE FASHION - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

39

MOTORCYCLE FASHION

Acerbis Boston jacket THE Boston jacket is made from cutting edge materials to guarantee excellent quality, safety, comfort and fit, according to the manufacturer.

The jacket is 100% waterproof and breathable with homologated protectors in the shoulders and elbows with innovative memory material to improve shock absorption.

Constructed in 3 layers (outer, waterproof inner membrane and quilted liner), it has extra protection in exposed areas and overlapping and elastic materials create a better fit to the body.

Other features include waterproof front pockets, adjustable openings for venting,

adjustable back, extra arm volume with elastic, waist belt with Velcro closure and an elastic hem on the jacket. It has reflective material on front and back, and a quilted liner with extra protection in the neck area for added warmth.

Boston is available in grey in sizes S to XXL.

ACERBIS Albino (BG), ITALY Tel: +39 035 773 577 E-mail: infomoto@acerbis.it www.acerbis.com

Arlen Ness Curb THE Arlen Ness Curb one-piece suit has an outer shell of soft cowhide leather with removable 3D polyester lining.

Features include one inner pocket, Kevlar stretch panels at arm, crotch and back of knee, perforated leather panels, knee sliders and aerodynamic racing hump.

Protection includes magnesium shoulder protectors, EN 1621-1 CE-approved SOFT protectors at shoulders, elbows and knees, special foam padding on outer legs and double stitching.

Sizes are 48 to 58 and colours black-white, black-fluorescent yellow and white-red.

Thanks to German distributor Held (info@held.de) for this information.

GREENSTAR Hong Kong, CHINA Tel: +852 (0)3552 8100 E-mail: info@greenstar.com www.madif.com

KBC Pro X Tattoo Strip THE KBC Pro X motocross helmet has an ultralight preimpregnated carbon fibre shell with dual layer EPS and integrated multi-point ventilation system.

Inside there is a comfort-fit Savoir suede, fully removable and washable liner and cheek pads and customisable interior for the perfect fit. It has a double D ring chin strap fastener, is ACU Gold approved and meets or exceeds ECE R 22.05 standards.

Amongst the latest graphic versions available is this Tattoo Strip design.

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MOTORCYCLE FASHION - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

KBC EUROPE Swadlincote, Derbyshire, UK Tel: +44 (0)1283 763120 sales@kbchelmets.co.uk www.kbchelmets.co.uk www.kbchelmets.com

MOTORCYCLE FASHION

Vortek T5 helmet from EVS THIS value ECE approved MX helmet has a lightweight thermoplastic shell, RAM air cooling system, internal EPS ventilation channels, oversized intake and exhaust ports for maximum airflow, and removable and washable moisture wicking comfort liner.

European distributors can be contacted via the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website.

EVS SPORTS Rancho Dominguez, CA, USA Tel: +1 888 873 8423 E-mail: info@evs-sports.com www.evs-sports.com

Alpinestars Matrix Kevlar jacket DESIGNED for the city streets, Alpinestarsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Matrix Kevlar jacket incorporates CE-certified protectors and Kevlar reinforcements.

It is constructed from a cottonbased fabric with a double PU coating that combines a soft feel with weather resistance and durability.

Protection includes inner Kevlar elbow and shoulder reinforcements for abrasion resistance in key impact areas, and adjustable CE-certified, lightweight and removable Bio Armor protectors in the elbows and shoulders offer exceptional impact protection.

Other features include a comfortable mesh liner, soft, knitted finishing on the collar, wrist and waist, internal

Napoleon pocket with zipper and premium YKK zippers for secure closure.

ALPINESTARS Asolo (TV), ITALY Tel: +39 0423 5286 alpinestars@alpinestars.com www.alpinestars.com MOTORCYCLE FASHION - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

41

MOTORCYCLE FASHION

Suomy Excel Capirossi Replica THE Suomy Excel Capirossi Replica is now available in stores and is similar to the previous version, with stylised running flowers around the base of the helmet, the number 65 on the left side and three stars on the right side with the colours of the Italian, Monaco and European Union flags.

The new Excel model has three different shell sizes (XS-M, L-XL, XXLXXXL), using a new composite material, a combination of carbon and aramidic fibre. It has removable and washable padding in Coolmax Sanitized lining.

The interior can be customised using a Suomy patented fitting system with detachable inner padding and cheek pads available as spare parts in different thicknesses to give a perfect fit with the userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head.

Ventilation includes special ports and specific channels in the EPS which enhance maximum airflow, an airwedge top diffuser with aero spike air exhausts and side air exhausts. The visor is thermo-formed Lexan polycarbonate, with anti-scratch and anti-fog treatment.

Excel also has a competition-style D-ring closure with button to fix the strap, also patented by Suomy.

SUOMY Inverigo (CO), ITALY Tel: +39 0316 96300 E-mail: info@suomy.com www.suomy.com

New Ufo Plast off-road protection THE lightweight and breathable Spartan Enduro Elbow Guard comes in sizes S/M and L/XL and has SAS-Tech foam (STF) internal protection.

Its advanced ergonomics facilitate movement, according to Ufo, and it has anti-scratch micro-fibre.

The Ultralight Evo protective vest is made with Airnet material, internal Visco Elastic Polymer (VEP) protection, polyester net, with maximum transpiration and increased elasticity to absorb direct shock.

Ultralight also has STF CE-certified to Level 2.

It is available in three sizes: S/M, L/XL and XXL.

42

MOTORCYCLE FASHION - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

UFO PLAST Bientina (PI), ITALY Tel: 0587 488012 E-mail: info@ufoplast.it www.ufoplast.com

MOTORCYCLE FASHION

Lazer MX8 helmet NEW for 2011, with a radical style and very low weight, the MX8 comes in carbon and composite glass fibre versions.

Carbon Tech is made from the latest carbon technology and weighs around 1kg, while the composite fibre version comes in at 1.2kg. Both have two shell sizes and are available in XXS to XL. Security includes a double-D racing buckle, ultra light and resistant screw, anti-slip goggle strap, anti-reflecting sticker

under the peak, EPS optimised upper insert protection and shock indicator.

Comfort and finish features include a front pocket for sweat absorbent filter, absorbent filters available as accessory, removable and washable cheek pads and head pad, Morpho System Plus ergonomic 3D cheek and head pads, Full Air System with 14 ventilations and double rear extractor, Coolmax material and high-comfort interior in hydrophilic fibres with Nanoagent anti-microbial treatment.

It has a large flexible nose deflector, light, flexible and unbreakable peak, wide-angle

MX8 CarbonTech White/red

easy adjust peak and aerodynamic rear stabiliser, semi-rigid rear support adapted for neckbrace and specific helmet bag.

A specially lengthened peak is also available.

MX8 Stargate Black/blue/red

MX8 Legend Black/brown

Peak extender

LAZER HELMETS Mont-Saint-Guibert, BELGIUM Tel: +32 (0)10 300 300 corporate@lazerhelmets.com www.lazerhelmets.com

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Distributors of TECMATE retail chargers AUSTRALIA - A1 ACCESSORY IMPORTS T. (61) 7 3806 1800 - E. sales@a1accessory.com.au AUSTRIA - SCHUMOTO KG T. (43)(732)757080 - E. office@schumoto.at BELGIUM - BIKE DESIGN BVBA (MOTORCYCLE) T. (052) 453361 - E. info@bike-design.be CROATIA - PICCILO RACING D.O.O. T. (385)(21)325677 - E. piccilo-racing@st.t-com.hr CYPRUS - J.L. MOTORACE LTD (MOTORCYCLE) T. (357)(22)752234 - E. motorace@cytanet.com.cy CZECH REP. - MAREK BRANDT T. (420)725 790 662 - E. marek.brandt@seznam.cz DENMARK - CARL ANDERSEN MOTORCYKLER T. (45)(86) 946177 - E. hjn@ca-mc.dk ESTONIA - OÜ HELADORA LLC T. (372) 5285672 - E. rain@motopood.ee FINLAND - OY BRANDT A/B T. (358)(9)895501 - E. ulf.bjorklund@brandt.fi FRANCE - MORACO SAS T. (33)(3)85 51 45 30 - E. moraco@wanadoo.fr GERMANY - ECON WERKST.-AUSRÜSTUNGS T. (49)(2689) 928747 - E. info@econ-wa.de HERMANN HARTJE GMBH T. (49)(42) 51 811 273 - E .info@hartje.de HS-MOTORRADTEILE GMBH T. (49)(621) 105 200 - E. info@hs-motoparts.de NIEMANN+FREY GMBH T. (49)(2151)55 54 20 E. zentrale@niemann-frey.de PAASCHBURG & WUNDERLICH GMBH T. (49)(40)248 277 0 - E. info@pwonline.de

www.barnettclutches.com

“SCHÜLLER MOTORRADTEILE T. (49)(6245)994 79 10 - E. info@enuma.de

USA

GREAT BRITAIN - PROBIKE SHADOWFAX LTD T. (44)(1604)660555 - E. sales@probike.co.uk

Parts Unlimited (608) 758-1111

GREECE - TECNOPNEUMATIC A.E T. (30)(210)34 67 000 E. kalosakas@tecnopneumatic.gr

Hap Jones (408) 432-1918 TEC Dist. (800) 356-0043

HOLLAND - HOCOPARTS B.V. T. (31)(342) 412290 - E. pppeters@hocoparts.com

Newcomb Southeast

HUNGARY - DOVER KFT T. (36)(1)2392202 - E. arpi@doverkft.hu

(803) 732-5135

ICELAND - NITRO N1, DIVISION OF BILANAUST T. (354)-535-9000 - E. agust@n1.is

M.A.P. Ent. (727) 381-1151

IRELAND - MEGABIKES T. (353)(1)44784200 - E. info@megabikes.ie

KK Motorcycle Supply

ISRAEL - A.E. MOTORCYCLE T. (972)(50)271923 - E. ae_motor@netvision.net.il

(800) 543-9638

ITALY - SOCIETEA GENERALE RICAMBI T. (39)(051)722557 - E. DelucaR@sgr-it.com

Suncoast Cycle Ent.

JAPAN - OKADA CORPORATION T. (81)(3)5473-0371 E. k.iwabuchi@okada-corp.com

(727) 725-3664

Canada

KUWAIT - TRISTAR MOTORCYCLES T. (965)2405194 - E. shams@tristarkw.com LATVIA - MOTOSPORTS LTD T. (371)-7802351 E. lauris.ermanis@motosports.lv

Dealers only!

Parts Canada (403) 250-6611 Motovan Motorsport

LIECHSTENSTEIN - RÄTIKONBATTERIEN AG T. (423) 3738010 - E. mgraf@raetikonbatterien.li

(450) 449-3903

MOROCCO - SHENO T. (212) (0)5 22 35 97 16 - E. larichimed@sheno.ma

Kimpex Action (519) 659-0508

NEW ZEALAND - NORTHERN ACCESSORIES T. (64)(9)276-6453 - E. steven@northacc.co.nz

Germany

NORWAY - SPARE PARTS SERVICE AS T. (47)(64)837500 - E. jang@sps.no

Grossewaechter

PHILIPPINES - STRONGHAND INC. T. (632) 373-2311 - E. open@stronghandinc.com

0049 (0)5225859256

UK

POLAND - HART SP Z.O.O T. (48) (77) 45 66 316 E. motocykle@hartphp.com.pl

P.D.Q. Motorcycle

PORTUGAL - JMP EQUIPAMENTOS T. (351)(232)961841 E. geral@jmpequipamentos.com

0044 1628667644

Australia

RUSSIA - EXLAND LTD T. (7)(812)380-3072 - E. exlandyura@mail.ru

Serco 07 38232833

SERBIA - MOTO-BIKE T. (99)(381)641289979 - E. motobike@ptt.rs

Netherlands

SINGAPORE - DWA LUBRICANTS PTE LTD T. (65) 6515-6282 - E. adele@teampetronas.com

Motorcycle Storehouse BV

SLOVAKIA - MICRONIX S.R.O. T. (421)(48) 4123779 - E. info@micronix.eu

0031 (0)50 303 9771

CENTRAL & SOUTH AFRICA, OCEANIA TECMATE SOUTH AFRICA T. (27)(21)5316087 - E. tecmate@netactive.co.za

MotoPro Sport 0031 (0)599 633 000

Japan

SPAIN - HESPERIA S.A. T. (34)(91)5088830 E. fsoria@hesperiainternacional.com

Wellington Moto

SWEDEN - MOTOSPEED AB T. (46)(21)351925 - E. klarkner@motospeed.se

France

SWITZERLAND - TECHNOPOLYMER AG T. (41)(91) 683-0333 E. robert.maier@technopolymer.ch TAIWAN - PROMO-TEC INTERNATIONAL T. (886)(2)2562-7770 E. pro.motec@msa.hinet.net TURKEY - VELOMOTO T. (90)(212)6061707 - E. info@velomoto.com.tr UAE - TRISTAR MOTORCYCLES DUBAI T. (971) 4-3330659 - E. floyd@tristaruae.com USA, CANADA, CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA TECMATE NORTH AMERICA T. 905 337 2095 - E. sales@tecmate.com TecMate (International) SA BELGIUM

www.tecmate-int.com TEL: 0032 (0)16 805440 FAX: 0032 (0)16 805441

44

Bihr Racing 0033 389673639

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INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

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INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

45

ISSUE INDEX Barracuda (IT) Quadra indicators ................................................................................................21 Belstaff (IT) Acquired by Labelux Group ........................................................................................5 BMW (DE) Hero Motors of India to make gearboxes......................................................................4 Brammo (US) Starts production in Europe......................................................................................5 Calzaturificio Antis (IT) Stylmartin Navigator touring boot............................................................38 Davies Odell (GB) Forcefield L2K back protector ..........................................................................35

This INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS INDEX is a complete listing of all the items in this edition.

It includes all our advertisers and the product, feature and news items published this month.

The INDEX will act as a quick reference guide, and will be useful when searching this and other editions either for contact details for a particular company, or for a specific item that has appeared. The INDEX appears in every edition of IDN.

Devil (FR) GP replica exhaust for BMW S1000 RR........................................................................20 Fehling (DE) Black accessories for Kawasaki VN 900....................................................................24 EVS Sports (US) Vortek T5 MX helmet..........................................................................................41 Exan (IT) X-Black exhaust for Kawasaki Z750 ..............................................................................24 Faster96 (IT) Moto Tassinari V-Force Delta 4 reed valve for KTM 250/300 ....................................15

THIS MONTH’S ADVERTISERS

FG Gubellini (IT) Mono racing shock for Aprilia Dorsoduro 750....................................................20 Fowlers Of Bristol (GB) Weise Vortex and Daytona gloves ............................................................36

ABM (DE) Parts & accessories ....................................................................................................48 B&G Racing (DE) Frame & fairing protectors................................................................................45 Barnett Performance Products (US) Spring conversion kits, distributor network ......................16,44 Cellular Italia (IT) Interphone TRIBE ..............................................................................................2 Davida UK (GB) Helmets ............................................................................................................41 DC AFAM (BE) Parts & accessories ..............................................................................................19 DID Europe (IT) ZVM-X and VX Series chains ..............................................................................16 DP Brakes & Clutches (US) Brakes & clutches ..............................................................................26 Draggin Jeans (AU) CE approved Motorcycle Jeans......................................................................42 Fehling (DE) Parts & accessories ..................................................................................................45 Free Spirits (IT) Street and race parts ..........................................................................................21 Gilles Tooling (LU) New online shop, vcr38gt.rearsets ....................................................................4 GIVI (IT) Trekker luggage and accessories ....................................................................................43 Grossewaechter Racing Parts (DE) Tornado cams ........................................................................44 GSG-Mototechnik (DE) Parts & accessories..................................................................................44 GZM Europe/Accessories Unlimited (ES) Parts & accessories, distributors ....................................45 Ilmberger Carbon Parts (DE) Carbonparts & exhausts ....................................................................4 Industrias Galfer (ES) Brakes & accessories ....................................................................................5 Kibblewhite Precision Machining (US) Valvetrain components, distributor network ......................45 Küryakyn (US) Parts & accessories ..............................................................................................25 Ledrie Sales (NL) Luggage & accessories......................................................................................27 LSL Motorradtechnik (DE) Parts & accessories..............................................................................28 MAG Europe Ltd (GB) Top performance brands ..........................................................................34 Motoplastic (ES) Puig screens & accessories ................................................................................24 Mustang Motorcycle Products (US) Parts & accessories................................................................44 National Cycle (US) Windshields and accessories ........................................................................22 PB Germany (DE) AGM Motorcycle Bags & Accessories................................................................20 Premier Helmets (IT) Vintage CK helmet line................................................................................37 Rick's Motorsport Electrics (US) Starters, chargers & ignitions ......................................................46 Rock Oil Ltd (GB) Oils ................................................................................................................18 Scandinavian Brake Systems (DK) SBS brake pads..........................................................................7 SDE Motorsport (IT) Forma racing boots ......................................................................................39 SENA Technologies (US) Motorcycle Bluetooth headset & intercom..............................................14 Sito Gruppo Industriale (IT) LeoVince exhausts, virtual showroom ................................................18 Spectro Oils of America (US) Premium-quality lubricants..............................................................23 Surflex (IT) Clutch disc kit for Triumph Speed Triple-Sprint GT-Tiger ................................................9 TecMate (BE) Optimate 4 Dual Program, distributor network ..................................................29,44 Wilbers Products (DE) Suspension systems ..................................................................................44

Free Spirits (IT) Racing mirror bracket ..........................................................................................17 Gilles Tooling (LU) Factor-X.gt rearsets ........................................................................................20 GIVI (IT) Air-2 summer demi-jet helmet........................................................................................35 Greenstar Hong Kong (HK) Arlen Ness Curb one-piece suit ..........................................................40 HJC Europe (FR) Arty jet helmet ..................................................................................................38 Holding Trophy (FR) To amalgamate BLH and 4City brands within Bering ......................................6 Honda (JP) Expands Thai production facility ..................................................................................6 Industrias Vicma (ES) E-marked taillights ....................................................................................19 K-Tech Suspension (GB) 35DDS rear shock absorber....................................................................15 KBC Europe (GB) Pro X Tattoo Strip MX helmet ..........................................................................40 Labelux Group (CH) Acquires Belstaff brand ..................................................................................5 Lazer Helmets International (BE) MX8 helmet..............................................................................43 MIVV (IT) Double Gun exhaust system ........................................................................................28 Moto Guzzi (IT) Cathcart Report: New engine and models due ..............................................30-32 Motoplastic (ES) Puig naked screen for MV Agusta Brutale ..........................................................28 Motorcycle Industry Association (GB) To establish UK electric motorcycle organisation ..................6 MV Agusta Motor (IT) Starts production in Brazil ..........................................................................6 NAD (ES) Shad accessories for Yamaha X-Max ............................................................................21 On 2 Wheels Distribution (GB) Nuvo SP2 Union helmet ..............................................................38 Planet Knox (GB) K-Pack backpack with helmet bag....................................................................29 Polini Motori (IT) Variator for Honda 125 PCX ............................................................................23 Powerbronze (GB) Styling kit for BMW F800R ............................................................................22 R&G Racing (GB) Downpipe Grille off-road exhaust protection ....................................................27 Rizoma (IT) Renews brand and corporate identity ......................................................................8-9 Furygan (FR) Oriane & Seven Lady women's jackets ....................................................................39 Scorpion Sports Europe (FR) Exo-500 Air helmet..........................................................................36 Sidi Sport (IT) Bolt-on lug sole for Crossfire SR boot ....................................................................35 Sito Gruppo Industriale (IT) Leovince X3 exhaust for KTM 300 EXC ............................................26 Spectro Oils of America (US) Platinum 4 oil ................................................................................17 Suomy (IT) Excel Capirossi Replica helmet ..................................................................................42 SuperTrapp Industries (US) SuperLight slip-on for BMW R1200GS................................................27 SW-Motech (DE) T-Ray remote control top boxes ........................................................................17 TCX (IT) X-Ville multi-use urban boots ........................................................................................36

THIS MONTH’S EDITORIAL

Tecnigas Parts (ES) Triops scooter exhaust ..................................................................................15 Touratech (DE) Super Ténéré accessories ....................................................................................19

ABM (DE) Stremo licence plate holder ........................................................................................26 Acerbis Italia (IT) Boston jacket ..................................................................................................40 Alpinestars (IT) Matrix Kevlar jacket ............................................................................................41 AMC Promotion (FR) Paris Salon de la Moto et du Scooter 2011 ..................................................4 Arrow Special Parts (IT) Exhausts for Suzuki GSR 750 ..................................................................23 Axo Sport (IT) 2011 official World SBK collection ........................................................................37

Triumph Motorcycles (GB) Cathcart Report: Thunderbird Storm 1700 test ride..............................33 TTXGP (GB) Azhar Hussain interview ....................................................................................10-13 UFO Plast (IT) Spartan Enduro elbow guard & Ultralight Evo protective vest ................................42 Venhill Engineering (GB) Tyre pressure gauges ............................................................................17 Yoshimura (JP) R-77J Street Sport slip-ons for Honda CBR250R ..................................................29

THE RIGHT PRODUCT - THE RIGHT FIT - THE RIGHT PRICE • Starting, Charging and Electronic Ignition components: Specifically, we offer regulator rectifiers, stators, starter motors, starter drives, solenoid switches, ignition coils, CDI boxes, brushes and brush plate kits

• Replacement pieces as well as multi-fit universal style pieces for the obscure models

RICK’S MOTORSPORT ELECTRICS 30 Owens Ct. #2 - Hampstead - NH 03841 USA Tel: (603) 329-9901 - Fax: (603) 329-9904

info@rickselectrics.com www.ricksmotorsportelectrics.com

• Specializing in Asian street bikes, ATVs, & Off Road vehicles • Quality bolt-on/ plug-in OE replacement pieces at a competitive cost

• Highest quality thermal/shock resistant material in construction • 1 year warranty on all products, excluding CDI boxes

NEWS ROOM

NEWS European congestion survey

DESK

China saw its monthly motorcycle sales fall 11.86% year on year to 2.29 million units in May 2011, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

Norton Villiers, which is separate from Norton Motorcycles, has announced the development of the Forced Injection Two-Stroke high power and low emissions engine.It is claimed to run on non pre-mixed fuel, is lubricated by a controlled spray system, has special ceramic bearings and will be produced in a number of variants, including diesel and bio fuel.

Barcelona City Council is evaluating the Honda EV-neo electric scooter under a twelvemonth programme which began in July. The city will use 18 of the 34 km range and 30 km/h maximum speed electric scooters, which have been operational in Japan since April.

A fire has destroyed the 5,000 sq.m. warehouse of one of Europe’s largest motorcycle mailorder businesses, M&P Motorcycles in Swansea, Wales.

French bikers’ rights group FFMC claims 100,000 motorcyclists turned out for its national day of protest on June 18. Riders want a number of new government measures to be scrapped, including mandatory high-viz vests, the removal of speed trap warnings and enhanced legal sanctions on those charged with using radar detectors and travelling over the speed limit.

48

DUTCH Satnav manufacturer TomTom has used its traffic reporting database to compile a list of the most congested cities in Europe in 2011.

The twenty most congested cities in descending order are Brussels, Warsaw, London, Wroclaw, Toulouse, Lyon, Edinburgh, Marseille, Paris, Manchester, Bradford, Belfast, Oxford, Milan, Birmingham, Zurich, Oslo, Rome, Aberdeen and Naples.

Compared to last year, the situation in the UK and France has worsened, with the UK the most congested country overall.

TomTom suggests that European drivers looking to avoid traffic

head to Spain, Switzerland, Norway, Hungary, Ireland or the Czech Republic. Each of those

countries only tallied one city in the top 50. www.tomtom.com

Northern Italian companies in difficulty OVER the last few months a number of motorcycle sector companies in the Bologna area of northern Italy have entered receivership or have gone into liquidation. According to the local press, almost a thousand jobs are threatened directly and many more at suppliers if the companies go under.

Shock absorber maker Paioli has been in receivership since the start of the year, as indeed has scooter manufacturer Malaguti, which tipped Paioli over the edge when it was unable to meet outstanding payments. Some workers at both companies are ensuring limited production under Italian ‘cassa integrazione’ regulations, but if no buyer can be found, the state-appointed receiver will wind up both companies later this year.

Frame maker Verlicchi was also declared bankrupt on April 15, and a

INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011

Ducati CEO Gabriele del Torchio: “Italian companies are finding it increasingly difficult to survive.”

proposed rescue has yet to take place.

Meanwhile the receiver for the second Bologna motorcycle manufacturer, Moto-Morini, which has also been in difficulty on-and-off for a number of years, recently announced a further asset auction date in an attempt to recoup at least some value for creditors.

In an interview with Il Corriere di Bologna, Gabriele Del Torchio, President and CEO of Bologna’s premier motorcycle brand, Ducati, was asked what had happened to the country’s motorcycle capital.He said:“The industry crisis has been difficult for all of us. In previous years we bought more from our suppliers in Bologna,but competition has increased and sales volumes are down.”

He added that Ducati itself had survived by improving productivity and quality, launching a number of new models and increasing exports, but in an atmosphere of stifling bureaucracy and limited state assistance.

“We feel alone – we had to pay for all our investments in innovation and research. Italian companies are finding it increasingly difficult to survive.” www.corrieredibologna.corriere.it