Thursday 14 March 2024

ACEM

Registrations for 2023 up +10.5% in major European markets


According to the latest available data from ACEM - the Brussels based international motorcycle industry association for Europe - new motorcycle registrations in the four largest European markets - France, Germany, Italy, Spain - plus the UK (the 'EU + UK block') - reached 1,049,898 units at the end of 2023. This represents an increase of approximately +10.5% compared to the same period in 2022 (950,437 units).



Between them, the registrations in Europe's 'Big Five' markets account for over 80% of all new unit sales throughout Europe's 27 EU member states, plus the UK. This is the first time that motorcycle registrations in Europe's primary markets have been over one million units since before the 2007-2008 financial crisis and the 'Great Recession' it triggered.

On an extrapolated basis, total EU 27 plus UK motorcycle registrations likely exceeded 1,250,000 units in 2023; with the total for all 44 European national markets, IDN estimates total new motorcycle registrations at approximately 1.3m units in 2023.

During 2023, motorcycle registration volumes increased significantly in Italy (320,186 units, +18% year-on-year) and Spain (201,115 units, +13.6%). Germany (213,801 units, +7.2%) and France (206,731 units, +6.9%) also showed an upward trend, whilst volumes remained broadly stable in the UK (108,065 units, -1.2%).

Moped registrations on the other hand continue to decline as sales migrate to the new generation of low-capacity urban mobility light motorcycles, electrics and e-bicycles. In the six European moped markets monitored by ACEM (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain - Europe's largest moped markets and also worth around 80% of the total for the EU + UK block), registrations were -24.5% compared to 2022 (at 193,145 units compared to 255,909 for the prior year).

The reduction was the largest in percentage terms in the Netherlands - where sales were down by -45.1% (34,027 units), with Germany down by -40.5% (17,627 units). In France, traditionally Europe's largest moped market, registrations were down by 

-19.1% (75,426 units); they were down by -13.3% in Italy (18.737 units) and by -5.2% in Spain and -3.8% in Belgium.


Vertex

Vertex dominates in Italian MX Internationals


The 2024 motocross season opened with the International of Italy MX Series which, at the end of the two rounds, saw Vertex Pistons dominating the MX1 class by placing in the first five places in the final ranking. 



"The main class has once again confirmed the competitiveness of multi championship-winning GP Racers Choice pistons, with the winner Tim Gajser ahead of the other Vertex riders - Romain Febvre, Ruben Fernandez, Ben Watson and Jago Geerts.

"As if that were not enough, Vertex Pistons also imposed itself in the 125 class, where the overall victory was taken by Vertex rider Gyan Doegen (The Netherlands) and the "Place of Honor" was taken by another Vertex racer - Noel Zanocz (Hungary)".

Fresh from the 14 world titles achieved in the 2023 off-road season, this year Vertex Pistons are equipping many of the leading factory bikes - Honda HRC MXGP and MX2, Kawasaki KRT, Yamaha Factory Monster Energy MXGP and MX2, Yamaha Mjc EMX125, Yamaha JK, MRT Racing Team Beta MXGP, TM Moto Steels Dr. Jack, KTM Racestore Factory Rookies EMX 125, Fantic Factory Racing MXGP, MX2 SM Action and EMX125 SDM. That's quite a line-up.

In Enduro, Vertex pistons are used on the bikes of Beta Racing Enduro Factory, Honda Red Moto Enduro Factory, Fantic Factory Enduro and Factory JR, Sherco CH Racing Factory, TM Boano Enduro Factory, Husqvarna Jolly Racing and Yamaha MPE Johansson, while in the Supermoto they are with the TM L30 Racing Supermoto Factory team.

www.vertexpistons.com 

Oxford Products

Henry Rivers Fletcher steps up to lead Oxford Products


After an impressive 32 years helping to drive British distributor and brand owner Oxford Products to a significant position in the global two-wheeled industry, Andrew Hammond has left the business to pursue other opportunities. He is replaced as Managing Director by a familiar face, former Marketing Director Henry Rivers Fletcher.

Oxford’s Chairman and company founder Alec Hammond sums up Andrew’s contribution: “During Andrew's time, Oxford has grown from a modest enterprise into what is now regarded as one of the world’s most significant and successful motorcycle and cycle accessory businesses.



"I and the rest of the Board would like to thank Andrew for his huge contribution to the company over his long period at the helm and wish him every success with his endeavours going forward.”

Andrew commented: “After spending my whole adult working life at Oxford Products, some 32 years, I stand very proud of where I have taken the business as MD for the last 23 years.  I leave the business in a very sound and secure place, with plenty in the pipeline for 2024 and the years to come.

"During those years I have worked with some amazing people in the global two-wheeled market, and we have shared some fabulous experiences. I am very grateful to them all and look forward to meeting up with them again in the future.

"In the coming months, I shall look forward to spending some extended quality time with my family and will turn my attention to training for the New York Marathon in November.  As I am way too young to retire, and once the summer is over, I shall be looking for new challenges or opportunities going forward.” 

New MD Henry Rivers Fletcher is excited by the opportunity to extend Oxford’s winning formula: “I look forward to helping our very special team to continue their exceptional work, while supporting our partners and stakeholders around the world - we will build on our mission to always do and be…BETTER!”

www.oxprod.com

Kawasaki

Kawasaki hydrogen motorcycle prototype

By Ben Purvis


Back in 2022, Kawasaki showed design drawings for a proposed hydrogen-powered sports tourer as well as a prototype hydrogen combustion engine based on its 998 cc supercharged 'H2' four-cylinder. But even so, it was a surprise to see a real prototype of the bike take to the stage during the company's Group Vision 2030 Progress Report Meeting.




The debate over hydrogen's future as a fuel - whether for fuel cells that use it to generate electricity or in more conventional combustion engines - is a hotly debated topic at the moment. Some car makers, most notably Toyota, is throwing its weight behind hydrogen, and Kawasaki, while at the forefront of Japanese companies when it comes to electric and hybrid motorcycles, is also a vocal proponent of hydrogen. 

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, it's highly flammable and when burnt it combines with oxygen to form water. But there are issues. Most of Earth's hydrogen is already tied up in water and extracting it is an energy-intensive process, requiring a lot of electricity. Once extracted, hydrogen's tiny molecules and lack of density make it hard to store and transport. Kawasaki's involvement with hydrogen goes well beyond the motorcycle arm of the business, though, with the company also involved in refining low-quality 'brown' coal into hydrogen, and in 2020, Kawasaki's shipbuilding division launched the Suiso Frontier - the world's first liquified hydrogen carrier ship, able to carry hydrogen in a cryogenically cooled state at -253 degrees C, making it 800 times as dense as in its normal gaseous state.

Kawasaki's prototype hydrogen bike uses a specially developed version of the supercharged four from the H2 range, modified to add direct fuel injection so the hydrogen can be added to the combustion chamber after the intake valves have closed. That is essential, as is supercharging, to create an engine with power on a par with conventional petrol engines. The other big problem with hydrogen is clear to see from Kawasaki's prototype - it's the volume of space that the gas takes up. While it's more energy-dense than petrol in terms of weight, hydrogen is far less energy-dense in terms of volume, so even when it's compressed to around 700 bar (10,000 psi) you need a large tank to get much range. Those panniers on Kawasaki's prototype aren't for luggage: they're packed with swappable hydrogen canisters. Swappable canisters are one option when it comes to refuelling because, of course, hydrogen can't just be poured into a tank - it needs high pressures and low temperatures, so swapping pre-filled canisters is a safer alternative to refuelling a built-in tank.


The hydrogen prototype is still clearly a long way from being a production machine - there isn't the infrastructure to support such a bike even if it was available for sale - but in the context of the recent EU 2035 law changes, it's a technology demonstrator that shows how motorcycles might evolve in the future. Especially if hydrogen gets a foothold in the car market and batteries can't be made compact and light enough to create a high-powered, long-range motorcycle that can replace today's petrol machines.

D.I.D Chain

D.I.D high viscosity chain lubricant and cleaner


Some brand extensions have extreme good sense stamped all over them - one such are these 300 ml chain lubricant and cleaner from D.I.D.

The chain lubricant is described as "extremely adhesive and protective, the covering it gives guarantees excellent lubrication and chain protection. It is formulated with a high level of viscosity, so as not to make a mess of the rear of the motorbike". Suitable for chains with and without X-ring/O-ring seal, it is recommended to be used every 500-700 km or after riding in wet conditions. D.I.D recommends waiting for at least two hours after the application of the product before starting the bike. 


"This is a genuine anti-wear and anti-rust formulation, giving the ultimate long-lasting protection from wear, deterioration and rust. The high viscosity prevents centrifugal dispersion. What's more, it is an eco-friendly chain lube formulation - Freon and ethane-free".

D.I.D chain cleaner is said to have been the result of many years of research to optimise transmission performance in the most extreme applications, the special compound is able to "clean the motorbike chain perfectly without affecting or attacking seal rings, preserving its characteristics over time. Favoured by World Championship teams (GP, SBK/SS and Cross/Off-Road), it eliminates all incrustations such as sand, dirt and oil".

Its chlorine-free formula has extreme degreasing power and is said to be perfectly suited to chains with either X-ring or O-ring.


D.I.D EUROPE SRL

www.dideu.it


In&motion

In&motion - two new airbag systems for 2024


French airbag specialist In&motion is launching two new wearable airbag systems - Essential and Performance.

The two new systems have been developed from its trauma research and data recovery to meet the application specific needs for the protection of each motorbike discipline. 


Performance

The first equipment incorporating this new technology will be available for sale from March 2024 through 11 new products being offered by 9 partner brands. First on the market in 2018, this promises to be a pivotal year for the brand with a greater than 50 percent increase in its number of equipment partners.

At the same time as developing the necessary algorithms for its impact detection-response based systems, the company has recognised the importance of adapting the airbag’s functionality to styles of riding where the vital areas exposed to risk are different. 

"To support this new R&D phase, our team of biomechanists worked on trauma research in collaboration with various laboratories at the Gustave Eiffel University. The results of these studies have led to the design of the two new airbag models - both of which are fundamentally innovative because they are adapted to the type of riding and falls observed in each sport". 


Essential

The company says it has confirmed its position as leader in the ready-to-wear electronic airbag market, working closely with its community of competition and leisure users.

Based on road trauma, the Essential module is the "perfect compromise between protection and comfort, for all types of driving. As its name suggests, this airbag goes straight to the essentials, covering vital areas: thorax, abdomen, back and neck. It is recommended for use on the road, in view of the risk of collisions with road obstacles or other vehicles, but it also offers protection benefits for occasional sports use." 

It is also suitable for intensive motocross riding. Directly inspired by the brand’s original flagship ‘Origin’ module, it will cover up to five inflations before a maintenance intervention (compared with three on the old module).

The Performance airbag is directly derived from sports bike competition and has coverage adapted to those intensive sports practices - where side falls are frequent, but where road obstacles and other vehicles are less involved. 

Unlike the Essential module, the abdomen is not covered during inflation, instead protecting the shoulders and ribs, in addition to the neck, thorax and back. This module is recommended for track and off-road use. 

It will cover five to eight inflations depending on the product chosen, before a maintenance intervention is required.

The airbag used has also been upgraded to increase the number of times it can be inflated - to cope with more intensive use. All In&motion airbags are now designed with OPW (One Piece Woven) fabric airbag pockets - more flexible in comparison to the former PU component. This new component will enable the number of inflations to be increased from three to eight. 

www.inemotion.com





LeoVince

LV Race 


The LeoVince LV Race has been designed to "reduce the overall weight of the bike without altering the original balance designed by the manufacturer. LV Race is the perfect combination of looks, performance and sound".

It is available for a range of selected motorcycles with the standard exhaust located under the engine to optimise weight distribution, without changing the layout of the bike. This will allow riders to maximise performance and add a racing and dark look.

Made in AISI 304 stainless steel to optimise durability, it is finished with a special high temperature-resistant matt black ceramic-based paint. The end cap has a stainless steel honeycomb mesh.


"The sound expresses the power at low revs, while the stainless steel chamber delivers a true racing resonance, with the honeycomb end cap tuning the sound to the deepest and darkest notes of the competition-bred LV Race to make the bike sing with the voice of the track."

The centre of gravity and distribution of the bike's mass will be the same as those designed by the manufacturer, with the weight reduced by up to 30% compared to the stock exhaust on some applications. Designed and conceived in Italy, features include handcrafted TIG welds. 


LEOVINCE 

www.leovince.com