The 43rd edition of the Dakar Rally is set to be held in Saudi Arabia for the second time. The marathon will be held for 14 days, lasting from 3rd January until 15th January 2021 in cooperation with the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation.
Despite already having individually developed very different E-motorcycle and scooter projects, all at various stages of gestation, in a joint announcement in September, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki said that the 2019 created consortium established to develop swappable electric two- wheeler battery tech has finally produced results with a large scale proof of concept and demonstration test underway in association with Osaka University.
German publisher Vogel, who closed its Bike & Business magazine and blog three months ago, has announced its sale to another German publisher, one with roots in the motorcycle industry, Syburger Verlag GmbH, owners of online platform www.motorrad.net and "MotorradSzene", "MOTORRAD NEWS" and "Tourenfahrer" magazines.
The MIC (the U.S. motorcycle industry trade association) says year-to-date sales of new motorcycles and scooters through September 2020 increased +10.2 percent compared to the same period last year.
Legendary wheel maker Roberto Marchesini passed away in Italy after a long illness. The former Campagnolo man started his own business as an aluminium and magnesium foundry in 1988 with his lightweight, high-strength magnesium wheels famously being adopted first by Ducati, then by dozens of race teams, privateers and OEMs worldwide. The company he founded became part of the Brembo Group in 2000.
Indian Motorcycle manufacturer Polaris Industries has signed a 10-year deal with Zero Motorcycles to partner over the development of EVs using Zero powertrains - initially in Polaris ATV, UTV and snowmobile applications. Polaris unveiled its 'rEV'd up' strategy with co-development of Zero powered models slated for a MY2020 launch. The strategy aims to offer customers "an electric vehicle option within each of the company's core product segments by 2025," according to CEO Scott Wine.
Polaris says sales of its roadster style Slingshot reverse three-wheel trike doubled in the USA between May and September this year, with Q3 up by mid-50 percent. Slingshot features Polaris' first ever four-cylinder engine and AutoDrive transmission.
Family owned French distributor SIFAM is expanding - the company will stay in the South of France, at Nice, but has a second logistics facility in development at Avignon, where it will have an additional 8,500 sq m available to take the company to over 15,000 sq m in total. The extra space will allow SIFAM to increase its inventory to include nearly 40,000 SKUs and make nearly 1,000 shipments daily. SIFAM sells to 2,600 dealers in France and some 6,000 in total throughout Europe.
Italjet has announced that once volume production of its 125 and 200 cc Dragster scooters starts (Q1 2021?), one of its first customers will be the world famous Imola race track, where the purposeful and stylish Dragster will be the official pit bike. A 499 unit special edition run in June sold out immediately.
In the absence of its planned collaboration with AIMExpo in January, Texas based distributor Tucker Powersports is going on the road. The company plans a series of road show style stops at cities around the USA where it will invite dealers to meet with its vendors, brand managers and sales staff.
Sources: AMD, IDN, FT, Reuters, PSB, MPN, B&B, BDN, MCN, AP, Bloomberg, MNW, electricmotorcycles.news, RideApart.com, Motor1.com
