SBS Friction: The Danish brake pad and discs manufacturer’s race credentials are the stuff of legends with some 40 World Championships won by riders and teams using its products over the last 20 years. This year saw the company sign an agreement to sponsor eight rounds of the WSBK series. Its most recent product news is that the SBS line is to go “100 percent NRS Safe” by embracing mechanical bonding for all ceramic and sintered brake pads. Last year SBS succeeded in launching a sinter material for street brake pads using the NUCAP Retention System (NRS) technology for its SP programme. Now a new range of world leading road racing brake pads with NRS technology has been tested for a year and was launched with a new Dynamic Racing Concept at EICMA. SBS says it has committed to going towards being “100% NRS Safe” throughout its brake product line. The NRS technology is said to be the most advanced mechanical pad to backing plate attachment technology in the industry with a zero-failure rate in over a billion units used worldwide in all applications. SBS also introduced a range of clutch kits at the show; www.sbs.dk
Rapid Bike: The latest news from the Italian fuelling technology specialist is of a new App and Bluetooth adapter for iOS and Android that will allow riders to monitor engine performance indicators such as revs, throttle position and lean angle while recording all relevant data from the riding session. The new interface will be accessible at any time and includes a set of information grids to evaluate and refine the riding style, whether on the track or the road; www.rapidbike.com
BMC Filters: A 2018 sponsor of the Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team, BMC’s Italian made air filters are made from metallic mesh containing an oiled multi-layer cotton filtration material which is said to “guarantee a high level of filtering efficiency with a limited loss of air pressure. The oil used gives the material its “sticky” adhesive characteristic which aids in the retention of impurities without compromising or blocking air flow penetration, creating a continuous filtering process”; www.bmcairfilters.com
LeoVince: The bearable lightness of LeoVince? Developed in collaboration with its Racing Department, the new LV-10 Titanium by Italian exhaust specialist LeoVince has a muffler and collector made using very pure, very light and very strong grade 1 titanium. Hand TIG-welded in a control chamber, the ‘Titanium’ is said to achieve a 30 percent weight reduction compared to stainless steel and delivers “high ductility, strength and corrosion resistance”. Applying experience gained in the Moto 2 and Moto 3 championships, the company says the LV-10 Titanium “expresses the maximum in racing technology applied to a tailpipe designed for standard bikes” and is available as an approved fitment for street bike applications; www.leovince.com
Polisport: Recent new products from the Portuguese off-road and MX plastics specialist include the dual compound Armadillo pipe guard in high-temperature elastomer and stainless steel, with a universal fit for two-stroke machines, the ‘Fortress’ skid plate for full coverage of the engine, available with linkage protection, MX style (single point mount) ‘Hammer’ hand and master cylinder protector that uses a new universal mounting system for quick and easy installation and precision fit. Also new is the company’s range of frame protectors; www.polisport.com
BS Battery: French designer and manufacturer of OEM and aftermarket powersports industry lead acid batteries and charging, diagnostic and testing units for all battery formats, Paris based BS Battery is owned and operated by Alain and Benjamin Sebban, with operations in north and south America, Japan, Asia and more than 54 countries worldwide. The company’s ‘Plug & Play’ AGM (Advanced Glass Material) factory-activated ‘SLA’ Max battery range has three terminal-specific, heavy duty, higher cranking amp applications than OE battery upgrades for most current H-D models. “With no more acid to handle during the initial battery activation procedure, the ‘SLA’ concept is the ultimate user-friendly “Plug & Play” motorcycle battery solution”; www.bs-battery.com
MIPS: Developed by Swedish neurosurgeon Hans von Holst and Peter Halldin of the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology, MIPS (Multi-Directional Impact Protection System) is an “ingredient brand” and technology that is becoming widely adopted by leading motorcycle helmet brands (MSR, Answer, Kabuto, Thor, Bell, KYT, Fly Racing, Scott, Alpinestars, Troy Lee Designs and more) that protects the brain from rotational motion. A low friction layer allows a sliding movement of 10-15 mm in all directions, reducing the rotational motion (kinematics) to the brain during angled impacts to the head. Rotational motion is a combination of rotational energy (angular velocity) and rotational forces from angular acceleration that both affect the brain and increases the risk for minor and severe brain injuries. MIPS says that its added protection system has been “proven to reduce the rotational motion when implemented in a helmet by absorbing and redirecting energies and forces otherwise transmitted to the brain”; www.mipsprotection.com
Andreani Group International: The noted Italian suspension expert continues to have success with its popular suspension training courses and add to its popular Misano front fork cartridge programme with over 250 applications in total, including 2018 models such as the Honda X-ADV, KYMCO AK 550 and Kawasaki Versys 1000. This year has also seen a surge in demand for its speciality suspension technician tool kits and market leading suspension tuning and set-up tools such as its SP5 vacuum pump - “the newest, lightest and most innovative vacuum pump” on the market. Fully electronic and developed to make the filling and vacuuming of shock absorbers of any kind and brand easier, more precise and fully automated, new generation software allows technicians to make “all suspension service and tuning procedures with an easy-to-use and extremely efficient 7” touch screen display”; www.andreanigroup.com
