Thursday 30 January 2014

AMD World Champs at INTERMOT

AMD World Champs at INTERMOT

Following the well-received debut of the Big Bike Europe (BBE) Expo at Essen, in May 2013, organiser AMD Magazine has been invited to stage the AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building at the internationally respected INTERMOT Expo (October 1-5 2014, Cologne, Germany).

The AMD World Championship will rotate between INTERMOT and Big Bike Europe as alternate-annual expos at the Cologne Expo centre – the next BBE therefore being in October 2015, and biennial thereafter.

Industry reaction to Big Bike Europe was almost universally positive in terms of both concept and organisation. However, date issues were a primary factor in a promising but modest first year attendance. Rather than taking advantage of a four week earlier spring date option, the decision to co-join the AMD World Championship with INTERMOT and make BBE a biennial autumn expo achieves three objectives.



It recognises an autumn timing preference that was voiced by many exhibitors. It capitalises upon the attendance and frequency of the world’s premier international motorcycle industry event. It reduces the expo-budget burden on that (large) part of the international vendor community in Europe that already exhibits at INTERMOT.

INTERMOT routinely attracts between 200,000 and 250,000 trade and consumer visitors, from some 117 countries. As such it is by far the best attended international motorcycle exhibition of its kind in the world.

“Prior to the initial Big Bike Europe announcement in 2011, there had already been dialog about whether to co-join the AMD World Championship with one of the largest of the established shows,” explained organiser Robin Bradley.

“However, the choice of spring or autumn dating was always a 50/50 coin-toss, and both still have valid arguments in their favour. It is only by trying each option out that we can establish the best possible long-term formula for the project.

“The mission has always been to provide the custom motorcycle market with access to the largest possible audience of motivated and relevant customers. This has always been our primary driving force, and has informed all our venue and strategic decisions, ever since 2004.



“INTERMOT has the attendance; it has the facility; it has the large-displacement focus and, above all, it has the international status that is absolutely in the crosshairs of what we have always been trying to achieve.

“We felt we needed ‘Proof of Concept’ for BBE before we were fully in a position to understand the best way forward for the Championship competitor and BBE exhibitor communities. We needed to create a forum that champions motorcycle modification and parts and accessory sales of all kinds. We have achieved a good start, and this formula is a solution that guarantees a truly robust long-term foundation on which to be able to do so.

“Although the radio-silence concerning 2014 plans has been protracted and frustrating, it has been a necessary step sideways in order to be able to make what by any measure is a giant leap forward. At all stages this project has been about making good decisions rather than quick decisions. An agreement of this magnitude has warranted careful consideration and precise attention to those devilish details.”

Speaking on behalf of Koeln Messe, INTERMOT Project Manager Ingo Riedeberger says that “we are delighted to have made a multi-year agreement to host the AMD World Championship.

“With AMD’s help, through its custom show affiliation program, we have made progress in developing the custom content of INTERMOT in line with our ambition to make sure that Europe’s leading international motorcycle industry and enthusiast expo can speak effectively to all sectors of the international powered two-wheel industry.

“This latest stage in our relationship with AMD marks an exciting development. One that will bring considerable benefit to INTERMOT’s visitors, its exhibitor profile, and to the custom industry itself.”

Full details of the Championship classes and schedule, and of exhibitor rates and opportunities at the AMD World Championship at INTERMOT in October will be released in February.



Details about Big Bike Europe and AMD World Championship staging at the Cologne Expo Centre in October 2015 and beyond will be released later this year.

Organiser Robin Bradley concluded by saying: “I think we over-achieved in organizational and conceptual terms in 2013, leaving us with a need to build a convincing attendance in a shorter period of time than we had anticipated.

“By being able to help INTERMOT consolidate the efforts it has already made to offer a convincing custom industry experience for their visitors, and by allowing the parts and performance aftermarket to use BBE as a biennial ‘fill-in’ for the years when INTERMOT is not staged, meets the needs of the custom community and international parts, accessory and performance industry in spades!”

German motorcycle sales up

German motorcycle sales up


New PTW registrations in Germany were up by 12.64 percent in December 2013 (2,005 units) and for the year as a whole, registrations were up 1.31 percent at 129,357 registered, compared to 127,680 in 2012.
Within that figure, motorcycle registrations were up 19.51 percent in December 2013 (1,274 units registered compared to 1,066 for December 2012).
This resulted in total motorcycle registrations for the full year of 2013 being up 2.65 percent (87,423 units, from 85,169 in 2012).
This marks the fourth consecutive year of modest growth for new motorcycle registrations in Germany, and the market has now climbed to about the 86,305 figure seen in 2009.
In total PTW new unit registrations, the German market has also now seen a further consecutive year of (modest) overall growth - the 2014 benchmark for the IVM, the German Motorcycle Industry Association, will be to sustain this growth into a fifth straight year, and see if the trend can be accelerated sufficiently to reach the 137,045 registrations seen in 2009 (2008 saw 166,282 total PTW registered in Germany).


Hein Gericke brought

Hein Gericke bought by Chinese investors

Following its insolvency filing in December, industry reports suggest that Hein Gericke Deutschland GmbH has been acquired by the Barcelona headquartered group of Chinese investors that is headed by Arthur Liao, the owner of Chinese helmet manufacturer LS2.
According to German dealer magazine Bike and Business editor Stephan Maderner, the takeover would result in the largest possible number of Hein Gericke shops and employees being retained.
Some 54 of Hein Gericke’s 85 shops in continental Europe are in Germany, with other shops in The Netherlands, Belgium, Poland and Austria. However, the deal does not include the British Hein Gericke company, with some 12 of the 16 UK stores reportedly being bought by British apparel retailer J&S Accessories.
Arthur Liao founded LS2 Helmets in 1990 and created a head office in Barcelona in 2007. Stephan Maderner says that the takeover of the Hein Gericke retail network would help fuel the growth ambitions of LS2, and that the takeover will become effective with the formal insolvency declaration that is expected any time now.

Erik Buell Racing start Eurpean deliveries

EBR to start European deliveries in March

  

Having unveiled the revolutionary new 1190 RX at the AIMExpo at Orlando last October, Erik Buell Racing (EBR) has now confirmed the opening of its planned European office and distribution centre at Alkmaar in The Netherlands.

With 450 sq m (approx 4,000 sq ft) of combined space, EBR Europe Managing Director Edwin Belonje said "now we can make real progress with setting up our dealer network in Europe”.


Last year it was announced that Hero Motorcycle of India, the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer, was stepping up its ambitions to become a player in the north American and European large-displacement markets by taking a major stake in Erik Buell's fledgling post-Harley race and street-bike business.
Formerly managing director for Zero Motorcycles in Europe, and the international Sales and Marketing Manager for Triumph Motorcycles in Europe and Asia, Belonje went on to say "We started this late last year, and we have visited several prospective dealers in the Netherlands, England, Belgium and Germany.

"We met with a warm reception because EBR is poised to capture a distinctive position in the market. We expect to be able to deliver the first regular production motorcycles in March."



The 1190RX deserves its description as "revolutionary". Based on its ET-V2 1190 cc liquid cooled v-twin engine, the 1190 RX weighs in at just 419 pounds, and delivers 185bhp, and an almost unprecedented 102 ft.lbs of torque – said to be one of the highest levels of peak torque ever seen on a street legal production sportsbike.

With 21 traction control settings and broad torque band, the engine is said to deliver a combined highway/city fuel economy of over 40 mpg and hydrocarbon and nitrous oxide exhaust emissions that are said to be less than 25 percent of those allowed by the US Environmental Protection Agency standards (carbon monoxide emissions are said to be just 6 percent of the level allowed by US federal regulations).

The company is describing the engine design as being a “breakthrough”, and race inspired handling features, all-new styling and scientifically-derived aerodynamics are said to give the 1190RX what EBR is claiming to be the best “performance and driveability of any superbike produced by any manufacturer in the world.”

Completely assembled at East Troy, Wisconsin, EBR announced a remarkably low domestic US MRSP price tag of $18,995 when it unveiled the 1190RX last year.

The company has also confirmed its previously announced intention to compete in the Superbike World Championship in 2014, with Team Hero 1190RS riders Geoff May and Aaron Yates in a two-bike WSBK effort that kicks-off at the Phillip Island GP circuit near Melbourne, Australia, on February 23rd.








EBR EUROPE

Alkmaar, The Netherlands

Tel: +31 72 220 24 05

Edwin.Belonje@ebr.com
www.ebr.com

American Report - 30th Jan 2014



San Diego, California based Nuviz is running a kickstarter funds raising programme to launch what it claims will be the world's first heads-up display for motorcycle helmets. It is reported that the 'Ride:HUD' will sync with a smartphone and deliver information on a transparent LCoS (Liquid Crystal on Silicone) screen attached to the outside of a full-face helmet. www.ridenuviz.com


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Bombardier Recreational Products (BRP) has reported sales of CAN $866m for its third quarter (to October 31st 2013), which is up by 18 percent over 2012, driven by increased demand for its 'Side-x-Side' vehicles and snowmobile models. www.brp.com




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El Paso, Texas based aftermarket performance parts maker MSD Performance Group has been bought from Chapter 11 bankruptcy by Hot Rod Brands LLC., an affiliate of $1.2bn private equity company Z Capital. Well known in Drag Racing circles, MSD produces performance and fuel injection products under a number of names, including MSD, Racepak, Powerteq, Edge, Superchips  and the Vigilante brand of tuning products. www.msdignition.com



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In the last MotoWEEK we reported that Elio Motors of Troy, Michigan, was to produce three-wheeled, two passenger vehicles at a facility at Shreeveport, La. A further announcement has confirmed that the facility is a former GM Assembly and Stamping Plant, at which GM ceased operations in 2012. Elio will rent some 1.5 million square feet, and has acquired all of GM’s existing equipment in a fully operational state. CEP Paul Elio has also confirmed that his company has raised over $7 million in funding and that he is targeting production to begin in 2015. His plans call for more than 90 percent of the vehicle content to be North American, using as many existing and proven parts as possible. www.eliomotors.com




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UK based CNC billet shock absorber manufacturer Nitron Racing Systems has announced further expansion of its North American management team. With a warehouse and service center at the Miller Motorsports Park (Tooele, Utah) and business offices at Charlotte, N.C., Technical Director Lenny Albin, who manages assembly, sales and shipping at their Utah facility, is joined by Peter Jones as business manager at Charlotte. Founded in 1998 and still headed up by Guy Evans, the manufacturer says it now has over 200 dealers worldwide and offers top end race-proven fitments for Aprilia, BMW, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, Laverda, Suzuki, Triumph, MV Agusta, Yamaha and Bimota models, among others. www.nitron.co.uk



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Polaris industries of Minneapolis, Mn, has announced that it is merging its sales service, corporate marketing and interactive teams and operations into a single unified global customer excellence organisation led by CP of global customer excellence Tim Larson. The change doesn’t affect the company’s Indian or Victory motorcycle sales force. www.polaris.com 



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According to the Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), PTW exports to the United States fell by -17.64 percent (to 15,063 units) for the month of November, compared to November 2012. This is the fourth consecutive month of decline in exports compared to the equivalent year-ago periods. Yamaha (34.1 percent) and Kawasaki (23.1 percent) were the strongest brands in the United States in November, with Suzuki only exporting 66.2 percent of their November 2012 performance. By contrast, PTW exports worldwide by the ‘Big-Four’ continued the trend of modest growth overall with a slight increase in November 2013 – increasing by 2.3 percent (to 39,343 units). 

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The Spanish Shiro Helmet brand has announced the appointment of Fulmer Helmets of Memphis, TN, as its US importer. Fulmer sells dealer direct (only) and cites dealer requests for higher price point options as the motive to take on Shiro distribution alongside their own brands. Founded in 1993, Shiro remains a family-owned business and includes MX2 World Motocross and Moto3 among its promotional sponsorships in Europe. www.shirohelmet.com


LeoVince Exhausts

Promet to continue LeoVince
exhausts brand
 


Polish manufacturer Promet has announced a strategic partnership that will enable them to continue the international sales of all the motorcycle exhaust products branded LeoVince and Sito.

The announcement follows the closure of Sito Gruppo Industriale, but with Promet having been manufacturing the product line for the Italian company for more than 15 years, the deal will allow the brand and product line to be continued.
Promet claim that the deal will result in a number of improvements, including the opportunity to boost the international profile of the brand and invest further in research and development as production restarts.

MaroloTest lifts

MaroloTest modular lift program 





A few months ago we reported on a new trike lift manufactured in France by MaroloTest.
One of the world’s first specialty motorcycle workshop equipment manufacturers, MaroloTest was founded in 1958 when it introduced what is thought to have been the first ever motorcycle specific dynamometer – a PTW diagnostic test bench for the small cc mopeds and scooters that dominated the European market at that time.

Founder Paul Marchand, who pioneered what has become an ‘everyday’ in automotive and motorcycle performance, tuning and diagnostics, and fast forward to the 21st Century and MaroloTest is still in the vanguard of motorcycle dynamometer design in conjunction with Daniel Fuchs.





These days under the ownership of Jean-Luc Marchand who bought the company in 2000, the Marolo-Test offer is a turnkey motorcycle workshop solution with many patented and proprietary designs and techniques.

Not least among these are their ModuLift and VariLift workshop lift programs which feature pneumatic or hydraulic power options, according to customer preference, and a materials and equipment specification which delivers ergonomic and versatile workshop space solutions.
Their trike lift features a system of six removable plates for 2-, 3- or 4- wheel vehicle configuration, with the Harley-Davidson Tri Glide as the blueprint for the system.
MaroloTest’s specifications meet or exceed all worldwide approval standards and can be specified for US, European and other international power sources.

International Sales and Marketing Director Raphael Girard told AMD Magazine that “although we offer dealers the choice of pneumatic or hydraulic power, 80 percent of our sales are pneumatic because of the ease of use, reliability and cost-effectiveness of pneumatic power.”
In addition to dynamometers and lifts, check out their MaroloBio program – an environmentally friendly solvent-free parts washer system that offers a cost effective alternate to the increasingly regulation-restricted issue of waste disposal.




MAROLO TEST

Cholet Cedex, FRANCE

Tel: +33 (0)2 41 29 29 29

contact@marolotest.com
www.marolotest.com

Sunday 12 January 2014

ETRA closes

ETRA closes due to lack of funds


Founded in 1995 as an attempt to fill what was seen as a missing link for dealer/retailer representation in the bicycle and motorcycle industries in Europe, the European Twowheel Retailer’s Association (ETRA) has announced that it is to close with immediate effect due to insufficient funding.


The organisation was a European economic interest grouping (trade association) of national two wheel retail organisations in Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, UK and The Netherlands with a claimed representation for nearly 7,000 independent bicycle, moped and motorcycle sellers.
Though based in Belgium (Gent), ETRA is not to be confused with FEBIAC (la Fédération Belge de l'Industrie de l'Automobile et du Cycle), the Brussels based domestic Belgian motorcycle industry trade association that is a member of ACEM.
At this stage, it is unclear what implications ETRA’s closure has for the ‘Sustainable-2-wheels’ initiative that ETRA has been organising for the past four years as part of European Mobility Week.

America Report 13th Jan

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Philadelphia, PA based Christini Technologies is now adding dealers for an increased range of complete AWD (all wheel drive) off-roaders and dual sports modles based on Gasgas 250cc and Chinese made replica Honda 450X two and four strokes. Featuring their own frame and branded parts such as Rekluse clutches, Nissin brakes, FMF exhausts and Marzocchi front forks, Christini originally had just made AWD conversion kits for Honda and KTM for several years.  www.christini.com




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Californian off-road exhaust specialist FMF Racing has been chosen to supply exhaust systems for Husqvarna's World Motocross, Enduro World Championship and Extreme Enduro race teams.  www.fmfracing.com



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Twisted Throttle, the Exeter, Rhode Island based distributor that specialises in US imports for European brands has added the durable polymer based British made R&G Racing crash protectors programme. The company also distributes accessories and luggage for SW Motech/Bags Connection in Germany, German made MRA Windshields, and MACNA branded apparel by Dutch motorcycle gear specialist Splash Design. The company has also announced expansion for its Canadian sales with the acquisition of Toronto based distributor A Vicious Cycle.   www.twistedthrottle.com



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BRP (Bombardier Recreational Products) has inaugurated a new €130m facility at Queretaro, Mexico, where it will assemble Rotax engines for its Can-Am off-road vehicles and the 'Spark' model line-up of Sea-Doo PWCs. It is already making composite hulls and decks there in advance of a complete transfer of all Sea-Doo watercraft operations to the new factory in 2015, at which time the workforce is expected to exceed 1,100 people. BRP already has one facility in Mexico, in the Texas border town of Juarez, where it already employs 1,250 people assembling all Can-Am ATVs and Side-x-Side models.   www.brp.com



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BMW Motorrad USA has issued a recall for 2,475 production year 2012 K1600 GT and GTL models - citing an engine control unit defect that could cause stalling. 
www.bmw-motorrad.com



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Elio Motors of Troy, Michigan CEO Paul Elio says that he hopes to have his 84 mpg three-wheeled two-passenger vehicles being produced at  a US facility at Shreeveport, La., and on the market by the end of 2014. Weighing in at some 1200 lbs the three-cylinder 55 hp fuel injected 'Elio' is expected to have an MSRP of around $6,800 Cooper Tire and Rubber (parent company of UK tyre maker Avon) will supply  what are being described as "inovative low rolling resistence technology" tires as an important contribution to meeting the vehicle's frugal fuel consumption ambitions.   www.eliomotors.com



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KTM North America says its dealers achieved a 29 percent year-on-year sales boost for the Austrian manufacturer for the period from January to November 2013, with November sales up 49 percent over the year-ago month. A recent news report in the United States quoted KTM management there as saying that at 107,000 KTM was the number one selling European motorcycle manufacturer in 2012, topping BMW for the first time; that street bike sales, currently just 10 percent of KTMs numbers could rise to as much as 25-30 percent once the present 'on-highway' line-up is completed with new model and displacement offers, especially at the entry level price-point; and that sales in North America have now grown continuously for 36 months.  www.ktm.com



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Japanese exhaust and performance tuning specialist Yoshimura has capitalised on its experience working with Suzuki on specials sold through Suzuki dealers only by developing a 'Speed and Style' kit for the new Honda Grom. They will be available to licensed Honda dealers in the United States only through Parts Unlimited and Tucker Rocky Distributing.  www.yoshimura-rd.com

Europeam Motorcyclists' Forum


FEMA's third European Motorcyclists' Forum   


Organised by FEMA (Federation of European Motorcyclists' Associations), the Brussels based Riders Rights group lobby organisation, the 3rd European Motorcyclists' Forum will focus on Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) in the context of the EU Horizon 2020 initiative.
"Powered Two Wheeler (PTW) users are market consumers using new technology to improve their riding experience or to increase their safety", says Aline Delhaye, General Secretary of FEMA.
Aline Delhaye,
General Secretary of FEMA

"However, as vulnerable road users, they are also impacted by ITS deployment. The specificities of this transport mode need to be carefully understood and integrated into ITS deployment activities to guarantee that PTW use is rightly integrated into tomorrow’s transport system".
The Forum – which is being organised under the umbrella of the Riderscan project – will discuss the safety challenges faced by powered two wheelers (PTWs) "in an ever more connected transport system" and look at EU transport/mobility challenges, safety strategies and the role of ITS, motorcycling and ITS challenges, addressing research and deployment issues; practical considerations related to the use of PTWs in Europe and the priorities and challenges faced by the motorcycling sector both at EU and national level.
It is hoped that the Forum, which is being hosted by MEP Bernd Lange in the European Parliament premises on March 5th 2014 (from 3 to 6pm), with discussions continuing all day on March 6th will arrive at a consensus of recommendations for optimal integration of PTWs into ITS-driven policies.

Puig parts for Honda CB500X


Honda CB 500X parts from Puig



PUIG Hi-Tech Parts from Spain has a new line of parts for the 2013 Honda CB 500X. The touring screen is 165 mm higher than stock and its design has been studied through virtual wind tunnels to improve windblast protection. It has a precise fit, mounts with stock hardware and does not require modification. The screen can also be purchased drilled with a visor, which provides multi-options to personalise inclination and height.




The rear fender is available in matt black and carbon look. It also has a precise fit, is supplied with fitting instructions and is said to give great performance by protecting the undertail from dust, rain and rocks.



The R12 sliders will protect the bike in case it tips over. Made of nylon, with a rubber on top to protect the rider from knee hits. Supplied with instructions, and the pucks are available in different colours.





MOTOPLASTIC/PUIG
Barcelona, SPAIN
Tel: +34 938 490633
Fax: +34 938 490988
info@puig.tv
www.puig.tv

Japanese export for November

Japanese manufacturer exports to Europe increase in November


Motorcycle exports to Europe by the big four Japanese manufacturers were up in November, in the 250cc plus sector, by 33.8 percent at 11,743 units – which continues the upward trend seen in October when they increased by 29 percent.
However, for the year to date, the first 11 months of 2013, exports to Europe remain down by 17 percent at 111,577 units.
In total PTW terms, Japanese exports to Europe were down 15.1 percent at 126,819 units for the first 11 months of 2013.


Worldwide Japanese exports of all PTWs were slightly up in November (+2.3 percent/39,343 units) but were 13.18 percent down for the year to date at 382,283 units.
Japanese motorcycle exports to the United States were down in November, for the second consecutive month, at -24.16 percent; the trend towards the end of the year has resulted in 11 month year to date US export figures dipping into slightly negative territory for the first time since March 2013 at -0.02 percent (107, 326 units).
Total PTW exports to the United States were also down in November at -17.64 percent/15,063 units, bringing the January-November 2013 figure to 142,415 units (-6.25 percent).
In worldwide total PTW export terms for the 11 months to November 2013, Yamaha exported the most units at 143,810 (+1.24 percent), however Suzuki, who are in second place having exported 95,708 units, have grown strongest, being +10.29 percent. Honda are the biggest losers (down 39.07 percent at 86,893 units) with Kawasaki exporting the fewest units at 56,322 (down -19.25 percent).

MAGURA 190 Radial brake master cylinder


MAGURA to update radial
master cylinder programme


EVER since its introduction, the MAGURA 190 Radial brake master cylinder has been a brake and clutch control benchmark for many riders and dealers, but the company has announced that a new version is currently undergoing the final development stages.
To be named HC3, Magura say that the brand identity is designed to integrate two of what they see as the most important design process features.
The ‘HC’ refers to the fully patented “MAGURA Hard Core Braking technology”, which has been designed to reduce the internal friction in the master cylinder while improving the compatibility for long-term use with ABS systems.
The ‘3’ is said to refer to the “innovative mechanical lever ratio adjustment, which effectively offers three piston diameters in one master cylinder”.


Magura claim that this represents a genuine evolution for race master cylinder design and “largest change seen in brake master hydraulic technology for many years”. The company says
that the HC3 is “honed from the highest quality aluminium alloy, combining decades of hydraulic
know-how with modern technology”, and that it will be “top of the shopping list for all those who wish to reduce lap times”.
Magura say that the design compatibility with all modern ABS systems means that the HC3 is also suitable for all high end specials builders, modern Supersport riders, and that it will be “as   popular in the paddock as in the streetfighter scene”.
By relocating the lever securing bolt (within pit stop time limits) the HC3 mimics having three separate pistons by converting the master cylinder for a higher or lower piston dimension (11/12/13mm, 14/15/16mm and 17/18/19mm).

MAGURA
Bad Urach, GERMANY
Tel: +49 (0)7125 153 262
mot@magura.de
www.magura.com