Space saving versatility
Leading French workshop equipment manufacturer Marolo Test has added to its Modu-Lift programme with the ergonomic new EXTRA FLAT hydraulic lift version at EICMA this year - with a user-friendly, super low 75mm (3 inch) ground-to-deck height for improved workshop ergonomics, making it ideal where space is limited or for machines where ground clearance is an issue.
It is a heavy-duty CE certified design rated at 600kg/1,320lbs lift capacity with unique front wheel lock sensor in the retractable front wheel stop for genuine one-person operation.
Using twin rams and valves for safety and a large automatic run-up ramp, in many workshops it will eliminate the need to dig a ground pit. It features a full 1,200mm deck height when raised, with a 2,300mm deck length and 750mm width.
MAROLO TEST
www.marolotest.com
Kawasaki Z800 accessories
SHAD offers accessories for this naked bike that include the SH39 top case or the new semi-rigid E-04 and E-48 bags, as well as a new SHAD Style seat.
Spanish manufacturer SHAD's new 40 - 58 litre capacity E-48 extendable semi-rigid panniers attach to the Z800 with a new side bag holder, or can be held with Velcro straps, and have rings that allow the use of a heat protector (insulation thermal pad).
Described as "sporty, elegant and practical", their SH39 top case is said to be the lightest in its class, as both the base and the cover are designed with high-strength but minimum thickness material that has good impact and scratch resistance. The optimised internal volume allows maximum space use and offers a capacity of up to 39 litres. It has an airtight pressure closure and includes plate and screw set.
The E-04, also shown here, is a small semi-rigid bag with crystal touch screen and an upper compartment to use with 5.5" smartphones which is attached to the bike with a universal tank base. Capacity is 3 litres and it comes with a universal USB motorcycle adapter.
The SHAD Style seat was specifically designed for the Z800 and increases the contact surface for both rider and passenger. The use of 3D MESH technology offers prolonged use without losing shape as it absorbs vibration, dampens rebound, does not deform over time, nor is it sensitive to temperature changes. The seat is said to be 100% waterproof and water-resistant thanks to its thermo-sealed seams.
SHAD also has a heated version available for the Z800, featuring a management console that includes temperature level selection (36 - 42°), automatic stop/start to regulate a stable temperature, one-minute fast warm-up, a thermal map designed to distribute the heat uniformly and a versatile mounting system which links directly to the battery or through the ignition key.
This is the latest in a range of heated seat options by SHAD that includes fitments for models such as Piaggio's Mp3, the Honda NC700x/NC750X, NC700S/750S, CBF600/1000 and Integra 750, Suzuki's V-Strom and the Yamaha T-MAX and Yamaha MT09.
NAD SL
www.shad.es
X.Garage helmet range
Part of the new 2016 X.Garage retro style range from NEXX are these two helmet styles, the X.G 100 full-face and the XG.10, a classic three-quarter helmet. Some of the helmets were designed in collaboration with lifestyle and fashion house Maria Riding Company, and the colour schemes hark back to the 60s and 70s, with pinstripes and high-gloss graphics and Special Maria versions, lending a personal touch.
All X.Garage helmets feature very light outer shells made with a new X-Matrix technology, a process that combines multiaxial fibreglass, 3D organic fibres, special aramid fibres and carbon reinforcement. The result is described as a "super strong and lightweight shell that is 35% stronger than normal fibreglass for extension and bending resistance". The interiors are fully lined with X.Mart Dry, which is a skin-friendly, anti-allergenic and anti-bacterial performance fabric that keeps the interiors cool and dry.
To complete the authentic styling and allow riders to customise their helmet, an extensive inventory-friendly line of accessories is available, including three different colour peaks (suitable for both helmets) and six differently tinted shields tailored with optic leather bands and subtle branding for X.G 100 versions.
NEXX HELMETS
www.nexx-helmets.com
Anniversary edition valve cover
Celebrating their 30th anniversary, this limited edition "special” from German BMW parts and accessory specialist Siebenrock is a "classic look" valve cover for all 2-valve BMW Boxers from 1969 and up. With "many detail improvements" and 30th anniversary logo, it is available in black powder-coat with polished edges.
Siebenrock, Germany; www.siebenrock.com
Three Sparks for the Scrambler
Spark, the Italian exhaust manufacturer, has always offered a large range of aftermarket exhaust solutions for Ducati models - now they have unveiled three options for the Ducati Scrambler.
The slip-on CLASSIC is EU approved and fitted with a removable catalytic converter, approved according to European legislation, in a design described as being "taken from the past, with the muffler outlets being reminiscent of classic design lines but extremely short, so the swingarm and rear wheel can be seen clearly".
The EU approved EVO5 is available in carbon, dark style, titanium and stainless steel; the third, the "very extreme version", is a 103 dB racing configuration, a short slip-on designed in collaboration with Pepo of XTR fame in Spain.
SPARK By VECCHI
www.spark.it
Japanese manufacturer motorcycle exports to Europe down over 5 percent for first nine months of 2015
According to the latest data released by the motorcycle industry trade association in Japan (JAMA), Japanese motorcycle manufacturer exports to Europe declined again in August - down by -37.8 percent (to 6,791 units - the lowest September figure for over 15 years) and stand at 106,938 units for the first nine months of the year (-5.57 percent).
In total PTW terms exports to Europe were -28.22 percent in September and are down at -4.26 percent for the first nine months of 2015 (120,685 units).
The picture continues to be bad for Japanese made motorcycle exports to the United States, with September down at -13 percent (7,969 units) compared to September 2014, and down by -25.62 percent for the first nine months (82,784 units).
The increasing number of units being made by the Japanese brands elsewhere in Asia, the US and South/Central America goes some way to explaining the data, though the majority of higher value larger displacement machines are still made in Japan with their overseas factories primarily engaged in making and selling scooters and smaller cc units in 'emerging' markets where import tariffs are high, and ATV/UTV units - especially in the United States.
Worldwide total Japanese manufacturer motorcycle production is on the increase though, with this year's annual total expected to be higher than the 597,058 units produced by them in 2014 (563,309 units in 2013). However, in 2007 (for example), prior to the global economic downturn, the Japanese manufacturers were producing more than double that figure, i.e. 1,676,097 units worldwide.
www.jama.org
New and first-registration pre-owned PTWs +13.05 percent YTD in Poland
According to the latest statistics released by the motorcycle industry trade association in Poland (PZPM), the number of new motorcycles registered there was up by +74.75 percent in September (1,564 units) and is now running at 145.72 percent for the year-to-date (20,429 units).
In total new PTW registration terms, September was down by -3.15 percent and is flat for the year as a whole so far at -0.54 percent.
The statistics for Poland are difficult to compare with elsewhere in the EU, and with domestic Polish year-on-year data. It is a small but fast growing market, one where the number of mopeds sold has a big impact on the overall PTW picture; the Polish new moped market was -27.38 percent at 2,090 units for September and is running at -31.41 percent (24,979 units) for the year-to-date.
It is also a market where the high number of pre-owned motorcycles that are registered for the first time in Poland (imported from Germany and other markets) represents good news for the parts and accessory industry.
However, at the higher value new motorcycles end of the market, the growth is statistically impressive. The data collected by ACEM, the Brussels based international motorcycle industry trade association for Europe, shows that Poland was actually the 7th largest in the EU in 2014 at 9,847 units - only a little less than The Netherlands.
In that context this year's registrations are already well ahead of last year, with three more months of data still to come. The pre-owned motorcycles seeing their first registration in Poland so far this year are put at 51,841 units for the year so far (+31.51 percent), taking the total new and pre-owned motorcycle count to 72,270 units for the year-to-date, which is up by +51.40 percent over the first nine months of 2014.
Including new and pre-owned mopeds, that makes Poland a 108,413 unit market (+13.05 percent) in terms of new PTWs of all kinds that are new to the roads of Poland in the first nine months of this year.
www.pzpm.org.pl
