INTERMOT 2016

INTERMOT dealer initiatives include IDN International Night

International Dealer News is pleased to announce that it is again collaborating with INTERMOT to present the “International Night” business networking reception at 18:00 hrs on the Trade Day, Wednesday October 5th.

An established and popular opportunity for exhibitors to meet with their importer/distributors and key dealers, it will be staged, as usual, at the Dealer Lounge Business Centre of the Koelnmesse exhibition centre, in the Business District off the main boulevard between halls 4 and 5.
The show is open to the media on Tuesday October 4th, with Wednesday October 5th being the International Trade Day, and will be open to all visitors Thursday October 6th to Sunday October 9th.

Promoted by International Dealer News, and hosted by INTERMOT and the show’s sponsors, International Night is unique in the international motorcycle industry - the only ‘meet & greet’ business reception specifically for international industry professionals of all kinds. 

The ‘Cologne’ Show has always been regarded as the world’s primary international motorcycle industry expo, and with the backing of International Dealer News and worldwide exhibitor and trade visitor footprint that is expected to reach at least 68 international markets and over 55,000 trade visitors in total (43 percent of them from outside Germany), this is a unique opportunity to meet colleagues from the industry in a relaxed environment as the show closes (at 18:00 hours) on the special Trade Visitor day.
Additional trade initiatives operated by INTERMOT include exclusive trade visitor vendor exhibition space in the business district; the Dealer Card, which provides show access privileges; and the online Matchmaking365 service, which is an expo visit experience optimiser – it enables trade visitors to gain an overview of the suppliers of selected product groups in the run-up to the fair, establish valuable business contacts and place targeted meeting requests.

www.intermot-cologne.com

Comment by Editor, Robin Bradley

Statistics, Safety and Shows

As the motorcycle industry in Europe gears-up for a multiple dose of Expo activity in October and November, the motorcycle registrations news from most of Europe’s primary markets is positive, and the rapidly evolving technology landscape in which we find ourselves means that these are exciting and significant times.
With C-ITS and much more on the horizon (as discussed at ACEM’s September conference), tackling the issue of motorcycle safety and the place of PTWs in the European road traffic accident fatality statistics is a timely initiative. Timely because the next generation of technology can make a real difference to motorcycle accident prevention and outcomes.
In the “kaizen” that is the management of large-scale economic impactors, though our humble little backwater of the capitalist world may not appear to amount to much, replicated a hundred times the economic benefits (to say nothing of the social, emotional and practical impacts) of reducing motorcycle fatalities becomes significant.
When motorcycle safety and the apparent and glaringly disproportionate role of motorcycling in the accident statistics first started to come to the EU’s attention a decade ago, Riders’ Rights groups (in particular) were vocal in their opposition to those who wished the two-wheel lifestyle ill.

 ‘better products at better prices’

As that opposition started to find its expression in research and hard facts, and in sensible and serious proposals to respect and protect a group of consumers who account to close to 10 percent of tax paying, voting age EU citizens, the EU started to take notice of riders, and from being a part of the problem, the recent ACEM conference showed just how far the EU’s opinion of motorcyclists has travelled in the past decade.
They are now “vulnerable road users” with every right to expect the same consideration from regulators, transport policy makers and other road users as that given to car drivers, bicycle users and pedestrians.
As manufacturers start to evolve systems that will contribute to improved customer safety and, importantly, do so without compromising the riding experience, we have yet another group of reasons to be optimistic about the two-wheel lifestyle’s future, and yet another marginal gain by which our industry’s ability to survive and thrive becomes ever more assured.
Yes, the riding experience will be different, but it has always evolved, it has never stood still, and neither should it. Much has been written about the scale and nature of the changes that have taken place in the motorcycle industry in the past decade, and they have been “off the scale”.
But although the statistical recovery seen so far cannot yet be regarded as “game changing”, the changes to the landscape in which the motorcycle industry now finds itself in product design and quality, regulatory, technology and policy terms is a massively changed game.
However, the recovery in new motorcycle registrations can now be regarded as “robust” - further improvement from the signs seen when the industry was getting ready for INTERMOT in 2014.
At that stage it looked as if the first signs of an end to market decline seen in the second half of 2013 could well result in an at worst “flat” market in 2014, and so it proved. That provided the foundation for the growth seen overall by the end of 2015. Indeed, it does now look like the modest growth we are seeing will sustain through 2016.
This month’s ‘StatZone’ includes the ACEM EU data to the end of July, in addition to many of the major individual markets’ August data. That report shows the cumulative growth of sales month-on-month so far this year, but we have also included the sales graph from 2008 through to the end of 2015.
The dramatic, alarming, potentially fatal market decline seen for so long is clearly now arrested, and the change seen in 2014 and 2015 should become a three-year trend in three months’ time.
What that graph also shows, however, is the recovery being strongest not at the budget end of motorcycling, but at the “top end” in terms of larger displacements and higher retail value machines.
This means our still yet relatively modest three-year recovery in unit number terms will have had a disproportionately positive impact on dealership revenues and on the budgets that the manufacturers have to further push the envelope of technology and safety.
The market is on the cusp of entering a virtuous cycle of improvement that is the exact reverse of the cycle of decline that we tumbled into a decade ago. As the machines get better, as the reasons to ride become ever increasingly undeniable, and as the price points consumers are willing to pay for higher quality continue to improve, then the cycle could become self-perpetuating.
The better and safer the manufacturers can make the machines, and the safer and better policy makers and regulators make the riding environment, then the more units we’ll sell and the more consumers will want to buy.
When it comes to “better products at better prices” there are, famously, two ways to interpret the dynamic. There is an inexorable drive towards wanting to see better ownership solutions available at lower price points for everything we buy, but there is also that well known abstract concept of value.
The mistake most businesses (and consumers) make about the concept of “value” is to assume that it is rooted in price, but that has never been the case. “Value” is 100 percent a function of quality, and is the factor that gives price its meaning.
Better products that can do more to keep you on the road, keep you out of the emergency room, and make it easier to ride in more conditions may not please the righteous tribes of “legacy” riders who see purity in machines as inanimate objects. However, to the zillions of consumers who will eventually dominate a landscape in which nobody has any pre-digital world experience to define expectations, better quality really will mean a better price.

AIMExpo 2017

AIMExpo moving from Orlando, Florida, to Columbus, Ohio, for 2017

 

The American International Motorcycle Expo (AIMExpo) has revealed its plan to move “North America’s premier powersports trade show” to a new host city in 2017, with The Greater Columbus Convention Centre (GCCC) at Columbus, Ohio, to be the chosen venue for the event from 2017.

(Photo courtesy: brandcolumbus.com)

The show is to remain a 4-day expo, but will be held a month earlier than its current mid-October slot in September – with September 21-24 booked for 2017.
Owned and operated since 2015 by the Motorcycle Industry Council in the United States (MIC), the organisers are saying that “geographically, Columbus is ideally placed, with 41 percent of both franchised and independent dealerships in the U.S. located within a 500-mile radius [of Columbus], including major markets like Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., St. Louis, and more.
“Ohio’s state capital is also the 15th-largest city in the country, and consistently ranks among the top cities for business growth”.
The move also continues the US powersports industry’s tradition of staging its most popular trade events in the Mid-West, with Advanstar’s now closed Dealer News International Powersports Expo having been held at Cincinnati, Ohio, for many years before it moved to Indianapolis, and Easyrider’s Events’ V-Twin Expo being staged at Cincinnati since its inception.

(Photo: Greater Columbus Convention Center)

“The key questions are ‘Why Move’, and ‘Why Columbus’,” said Larry Little, Vice President and General Manager, AIMExpo. “When we debuted AIMExpo as a new platform for the powersports industry, Orlando proved an outstanding launch location, but the vision was always to visit other geographical centres. Carefully listening to the exhibitor and greater industry community, it was clear that our next step would be to a location more immediately accessible to the retailer population”.
“Why Columbus?” Mike Webster, Senior Vice President, MIC Events, added: “Ideally situated among one of the highest concentrations of dealers anywhere in America, the Greater Columbus Convention Centre is the perfect size for AIMExpo to take over the whole convention centre and to own the town. The city centre location and adjoining hotels will deliver the tight-knit industry experience attendees have also requested. Columbus is a model of urban revitalisation, and the ‘after-show’ atmosphere with hundreds of restaurants, bars and markets, all within just a few blocks, must be seen and experienced to be appreciated”.
Since its inception in 2013, AIMExpo has shown impressive growth each year in Orlando, Florida, with 2016 showing its most significant growth to date for dealer registrations, increasing to 130 percent as at this point last year. With this strategic move in 2017 to the largest logistical region for dealerships, those numbers are sure to grow even higher.
Of this year’s show, the MIC says that “hundreds of exhibitors will showcase the latest the powersports industry has to offer at AIMExpo in Orlando, October 13-16.
“In addition to new product launches, the latest innovations being showcased on the show floor, and an expansive demo space outdoors, AIMExpo attendees will have the opportunity to connect with others throughout the industry at numerous networking events, while dealer attendees can take advantage of the unparalleled curriculum of the Powersports Dealer Seminars presented by Powersports Business during the two trade days of AIMExpo, October 13 and 14”.

www.aimexpousa.com

TecMate

TecMate new product blitz Part II

Internationally respected battery charger, maintenance system and accessory manufacturer TecMate has already unveiled several new products this year, but their “innovation blitz” continues with a whole range of new products and updates to established top-sellers due for unveiling at this year’s INTERMOT Expo at Cologne, Germany, in October, many of which are already available.

Updated USB stick charger delivers 2400mA fast charge; battery protection with LED battery monitor

The OptiMate USB O-105 is a 3300mA dual output USB charger with 90° opposed outlets. Powered through the bike plug (DIN/Ø12mm) that fits the OEM socket on BMW and Triumph motorcycles, battery protection prevents accidental vehicle battery discharge.
The OptiMate USB O-100 is a popular USB ‘stick’ charger that just got better. The updated version delivers 2400mA to fast-charge any USB device. Battery protection shuts down USB charging if the vehicle battery drops down to 45-50%. Once shut down, it becomes a three LED battery monitor. 

A 3300mA dual output USB charger with 90 degree opposed outlets

Among cable offerings in the OptiMate range are the O-67F SAE to DC2.5mm socket and O-67M SAE to DC2.5 plug adapter; the O-111 USB mini charge cable with built-in circuitry that allows a Garmin or Tom Tom GPS to receive charge from any USB charger; the O-112 USB micro charge cable with built-in circuitry that hooks up with Android and Microsoft phones, on board cameras and Bluetooth communication devices; and the O-113 Lightning long and short cable set for iPhone 5/6 and iPad 3, 4 and Air. 

M18 panel-mounted SAE socket and mounting slots on the SAE connector of the O-01 battery lead

SAE to DC2.5mm socket and plug adapter

USB micro charge cable with built-in circuitry that hooks up with Android/MS phones, camera and Bluetooth devices

Long and short Lightning cable set for iPhone 5/6 and iPad 3, 4 and Air

A few more products that are slated for release at INTERMOT include the OptiMate 1 table top version and an update to TecMate’s flagship powersports product, the OptiMate 4 Dual Program. New in cables will be the O-40 M18 panel-mounted SAE socket and mounting slots on the SAE connector of the O-01 battery lead.
Martin Human, TecMate’s CEO, says: “As a company that designs all our own products, we know that new introductions and continuous improvement is essential in keeping us ahead of the game. We have over the years introduced many new concepts into powersport, some of which have become the ‘go to’ products in their sector. It’s not only my opinion, ask our customers, including those who co-brand our OptiMate products”!

TECMATE
www.tecmate.com

Galfer

Oversize rear brake kit for KTM and Husqvarna

Spanish manufacturer Galfer, a leader in friction products, has launched what it describes as a “very powerful” brake kit that upgrades the rear brake performance on KTM and Husqvarna models.

Transforming the rear disc size from 220mm to 240mm, this new kit offers the possibility to increase the rear brake power up to 35% depending on weather conditions and racetrack. The oversize disc is said to reduce overheating and eliminate fade problems.
The new brake kit is available for all KTM bike models from 2004 and between 125cc and 530cc. It is also compatible with Husqvarna models from 2014 between 125cc and 501cc. The new kits are available in ‘Tsunami’ grooved disc version RWS, and in Standard WS version. Both versions include an orange anodised bracket to adjust the brake calliper and a set of sinter metal brake pads.

INDUSTRIAS GALFER
www.galfer.eu

IXON

In&motion equips IXON riders involved in MotoGP with new airbag solution

In June French apparel manufacturer IXON entered into a partnership with In&motion, a wearable smart protection system specialist, that has seen IXON riders in MotoGP start to test a new In&motion airbag system that will, eventually, become available to all riders buying suits from IXON.

Initially developed for the ski market, the In&motion airbag vest was unveiled in 2014, and motorcycle racing has been the second application for its technology that the company has developed.
In&motion has been working on the technology for several years already, with IXON racers contributing to the development of the algorithm, acquiring data in practice and race conditions. Meanwhile IXON and In&motion developed an interface allowing an easy integration of the In&motion airbag in the suits while preserving the pilot comfort.
Several riders, including Bradley Smith of the Monster Yamaha Tech3 team, have been wearing the new airbag solution since the start of the 2016 season under their suit.
Epidemiological data has been captured and used to develop a new airbag design that is able to cover vulnerable and regularly injured body areas – such as the thorax, shoulders, back, etc.

IXON racing service, a major player in several racing championships such as MotoGP and FSBK, as well as riders such as Bradley Smith (MotoGP), Xavier Simeon (Moto2) and Gregory Leblanc (FSBK), have been involved since the conception of the system in order to make sure the fit and ergonomics were all that they needed to be.
The In&motion technology is a multi-purpose platform which has been adapted to motorcycle racing through the development of the detection algorithm to deliver a reliable solution that offers efficient and effective protection.
The technology embedded in the In&box measures movements in real time and is able to identify serious falls to trigger the inflation of the airbag in less than one tenth of a second (100 milliseconds). The company says that “on the one hand, the airbag can absorb the shock energy and on the other hand, it limits trauma to the spine and vital organs.

Special attention was given to the airbag design and its integration in the suits. The In&motion team says that riding comfort must not be compromised in order to improve the protective performance – the two are complementary to each other.
Pierre-François Tissot, co-founder and CMO at In&motion says that “it’s fascinating and exciting to work in such a context of high level motorcycle racing. Riders are used to take into account the technical environment related to their motorbike. Thus, it was easier to have them involved since the very beginning of the new airbag system development, and their feedbacks enabled us to rapidly come to a first suitable solution.
“Several riders already successfully adopted the airbag, and we have seen inflations during heat races and during official races. This way we are able to develop a system that genuinely is specified by users, for users”.
Pierre-Francois told IDN that the product will be on show at INTERMOT and EICMA, and that the next stage in development will be to use the same rider-involved approach to developing the road- going version of the system and plan production scale-up.

IXON
www.ixon.com

In&motion
www.inemotion.com

Orina

High-spec ‘Impact’ CE approved sports gloves

German glove specialist Orina say they are one of the few manufacturers that offers CE approved motorcycle gloves - “meeting the standards of EN13594:2015 requires a lot of work in the development as well as the expertise in this field.  

“Our new ‘Impact’ sports glove has a leather outer shell that is composed of Technalin Gold cowhide leather and goat skin on the back, and abrasion resistant kangaroo leather on the palm.  For a high level of protection, Carbolex protectors are located on the knuckles and on the base of the palm, and the fingers and cuffs are reinforced with SuperFabric”.
Kevlar lining is used on the back, and the ring and little fingers are joined by a bridge, minimising the dislocation risk.  Stretch panels on the fingers and below the knuckles provide for a high freedom of movement. 
Air vents on the knuckle protector and perforation on the fourchettes ensure enough ventilation, and the “Coolmax“ breathable lining keeps the hands cool and transports moisture away from the skin.  Velcro straps on the cuffs and wrists assure the perfect fit and optimal position of the protectors.  Available in different colour combinations and sizes from 7-12.

ORINA BW GmbH
www.orina.de