At the ‘Milan Show’ in November last year, Italian E-bike manufacturer Energica unveiled what it describes as “the world’s first ‘old school’ electric motorcycle”. Called the Eva EsseEsse9 (after a historic road crossing in the “Italian Motor Valley”, as the Bologna area is also known), a Permanent Magnet AC, oil cooled ‘naked’ style machine with a trellis frame and park assist is capped at a top speed of 125 mph, delivers 133 ft lb (180 Nm) torque and 80 kW/109 hp for a range of 93 miles in four riding modes - Urban, Eco, Rain, Sport - and four regenerative maps: Low, Medium, High, Off.
Shown at the Tokyo Motorcycle Show and said to feature “advanced new technology” to get high output and torque from small, lightweight components, Yamaha’s TY-E concept bike is slated to compete in the 2018 FIM Trial-E Cup rounds at Auron, France, and Comblain, Belgium, in July. Kenichi Kuroyama has been competing with it in the 1A Super Class of the All Japan Trial Championship.
Autotalks, an Israel based developer of V2X (Vehicle to Everything) communication chipsets, has joined founding members BMW, Honda, Yamaha and other motorcycle manufacturers such as KTM, Ducati, Kawasaki and Suzuki in the Connected Motorcycle Consortium (CMC) - the consortium is working towards establishing a viable common platform to enhance Cooperative-Intelligent Transportation Systems (C-ITS) for motorcycles that integrate with other vehicles. Neither Harley-Davidson nor Indian Motorcycle are members of this forward-looking initiative.
It looks like the Sturgis Rally campground wars are back on again. In an effort to upstage (pun intended) the Buffalo Chip, and having secured status as the official campground of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and of Harley-Davidson (as its demo ride HQ for the Rally), the Pappy Hoel Campground has announced an impressive line-up of bands, on what it claims is the “largest stage in South Dakota”. It has fired a salvo in the direction of its established rival, stating that it “offers 600 acres of adventure, including an Olympic size swimming pool, firing range, helicopter rides, a grocery store and restaurant”.
Lucky Penny Cycles, part of the Texas based Calculated Risk dealer group (owner of six Harley dealerships) is to open five additional stores selling pre-owned motorcycles of all brands. Located out of Bedford, Texas, the new stores will be in DFW, Austin, Houston and San Antonio.
Houston based Tractor and Utility Vehicle manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra, the Indian conglomerate that is expected to launch new BSA and Jawa brand middleweights in the next 24 to 36 months, continues to refine the management team at its North American head office, hiring ex Ford and Coca-Cola man Jay Litsey as VP of Marketing and Strategic Planning. Mahindra claims global leadership as the number one selling tractor brand and last year penned a $230m/400,000 sq ft manufacturing facility at Auburn Hills near Detroit Michigan where it plans to build up to 10,000 Roxor brand SxS units a year.
Polaris announced another Slingshot recall in June for some 4,342 units, citing a potential brake safety issue.
Race Winning Brands subsidiary Wiseco has brought itself in line with what has quickly become the powersports parts and accessory market’s established best practise and orthodoxy by rolling out a new MAP policy that became effective July 9.
Sales of electric motorcycles and scooters in France more than doubled in 2017 to 5,451 units, thanks in large part to the introduction of a 1,000 euro government incentive scheme. The sector is dominated by moped scooters, with BMW’s C-evolution E-scooter topping the “big boys” chart and Zero leading the electric motorcycle sector.
