Piaggio's Aprilia SXR 160 scooter has been named "Scooter of the Year" in India by Autocar magazine. The Autocar Awards are widely considered the most prestigious in India, and Autocar the most authoritative magazine in a still crowed print and online media landscape.
Shaftsbury, UK based British GP2 championship-winning Spirit Motorcycles (Rod McDonagh) has bought the internationally respected UK hub and sprocket manufacturer and wheel building business Talon Engineering. Former owner and Managing Director Rob Sartin, whose father George started the business in 1972, will stay on to assist with the transition.
Maxxis ATV and motorcycle tyres are now available to dealers in Europe from Wasserliesch, Germany based Parts Europe. Maxxis claims a 70% share of OE supply in the sport quad and ATV markets and is also a Tier 1 OE supplier to KTM and Husqvarna in the MX and enduro sectors.
Pirelli has announced a fourth generation in its DIABLO ROSSO tyre family - described as a "high-performance Supersports tyre" for "motorcyclists who love a more dynamic riding style - owners of Supersports, Hypernaked or crossover bikes who demand a high level of grip with precise feedback and great handling on different types of asphalt, in all weather conditions".
Yamaha Motor Corp. will return as an Official OEM Partner for the upcoming 2021 AFT season. Yamaha says it is "well positioned to enjoy a powerful AFT campaign with potential 'bLU cRU' race winners and title contenders in all three classes." The company is increasing its contingency with a combined $472,000 available across all three classes, will serve as the entitlement sponsor for its home race, the Yamaha Atlanta Super TT at Atlanta Motorsport Speedway, on May 1, 2021.
In global terms, EU nations are leading the 'drive' to make hydrogen power an easier and more economic alternate to electric (under certain circumstances), with plans to install 40GW of electrolysers this decade - equipment to produce emissions-free hydrogen using water and renewable power. The EU currently has less than 0.1GW of electrolysers. It is betting on a rapid scale-up to decarbonise steel production, heavy transport and chemicals, the latter of which already uses hydrogen produced from fossil fuels. At present, production of 1 ton of steel results in 1.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide (and other waste products and toxics).
In what has been described as a "shock finding", a French risk-assessment study has said that a five-year lane-splitting trial caused a 12% increase in motorcycle crashes, so the French authorities have not legalised filtering. The study found that while riders were less likely to be rear ended, there was an increase in motorbikes running into the backs of other vehicles.
Sources: AMD, IDN, FT, Reuters, PSB, MPN, BDN, MCN, AP, Bloomberg, MSNW, Electrek, electricmotorcycles.news, RideApart.com, Motor1.com, Cycle World, motorbikewriter.com
