In December, Curtiss Motorcycles announced that it was offering what it described as "a rare collection of electric prototypes" to investors participating in its direct-to-investor stock-selling campaign. Inspired by the work of original founder and pioneer Glenn H. Curtiss, the prototypes are said to span the key foundational years of the Curtiss team's light electric vehicle architectural research and development program, beginning with the 2018 Zeus Concept prototype, the winner of that year's "Most Innovative Motorcycle" award at The Quail Motorcycle Gathering. Other prototypes being made available include one-of-a-kind Alpha and Beta validation examples of 'The 1' by Curtiss, the company's debut model, as well as the very first pre-production unit that currently resides in L.A.'s Petersen Automotive Museum.
Fort Worth, Texas based Tucker Powersports has announced that the company’s ownership group has provided additional funding for the company. "In the past 24 months, Tucker has become a leader in electric mobility recreation in the powersports industry and has added several exclusive distribution agreements with companies focused on products for the industry’s evolving customer base. The funding will support Tucker’s current operations and projects, driving long-term growth for the company."
Honda's plans to involve itself in the space exploration industry have started to take shape with a research and development contract with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for a "circulative renewable energy system" that is designed to supply electricity to maintain the functionality of the living space and various systems on lunar rovers. Based on this contract, Honda will be commissioned by JAXA to first conduct concept studies, then to develop an "early-stage prototype" by the end of the Japanese 2023 fiscal year (March 31, 2024).
Husqvarna Motorcycles' partnership with Boise, Idaho clutch specialist Rekluse is set to continue through the 2023 racing season.
Polaris has donated $110,000 to off-road, UTV, ATV and snowmobile organizations across the U.S. through its T.R.A.I.L.S. Grant Program. Awarded twice a year, the fall 2022 grants were awarded to 11 off-road and snowmobile non-profit organizations to support the development, improvement and expansion of trails, and help to educate riders on safe and responsible riding practices.
The 1,000th Motorcycle Grand Prix in the more than 70-year history of the sport is set to take place at the classic circuit Le Mans when the SHARK Grand Prix de France is staged at the iconic circuit on May 13-14, 2023. Le Mans has hosted 35 Grands Prix and was first used in 1969 before MotoGP returned to the track full time from 2000. The very first Grand Prix took place in June 1949, the first of six events in the sport's inaugural season. Since then, MotoGP has grown with a 21-race calendar spanning five continents in 2023. The past 70 years have seen more than 125 different World Champions been crowned in the solo classes, representing a total of 20 different nations. The sport has competed in 29 countries, and 73 venues have hosted premier class races - with two more of each set to be added in 2023. The first MotoGP race (then known as the 500 cc class) was staged on the mountain circuit at the Isle of Man TT in 1949. It was won by Briton Harold Daniell on a Norton.
Yamaha Motor Co. has delivered 215 portable power generators for Ukraine to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The generators were airlifted to the country by JICA, arrived safely on January 20 and will help provide electricity to the Ukrainian people.
New York based Ideanomics (NASDAQ: IDEX) secured third-party financing to accelerate the U.S. dealer network growth of its subsidiary Energica - the Italian EV manufacturer Energica's U.S. dealer network. Energica now has 24 certified dealers in the United States, which accounts for 33% of product sales. "With a newly expanded manufacturing facility featuring state-of-the-art semi-automated assembly lines, Energica will soon be capable of producing up to 2,000 units per year (and even more soon after) of all four models: the Ego sport bike, the Eva Ribelle e-fighter, the EsseEsse9 retro style bike and finally the new Experia Green Tourer, which has just begun production.
Sources: AMD, IDN, FT, Reuters, PSB, MPN, BDN, MCN, AP, Bloomberg, MSNW, Electrek, electricmotorcycles.news, RideApart.com, Motor1.com, Cycle World, motorbikewriter.com