Mandelli: Founded in 1945 and still in family ownership and operation, Mandelli's extensive involvement in the motorcycle components business has often been overshadowed by the dominant position in key sectors of the bicycle industry. All that changed in 2021 though with the announcement of its purchase of noted scooter and urban mobility apparel and accessory specialist Tucano Urbano. CEO Marco Biollo gave IDN an insight into some of the exciting plans they have for leveraging the synergies between the two businesses, but, initially, in typical Mandelli family fashion, they will be focussed on the integration of Tucano Urbano into the business before going public with some very interesting ideas and opportunities that the acquisition represents; www.mandelli.net
Landport: In common with many of the market's battery vendors in Europe, Dutch battery specialist Landport has responded to the new European regulations on sulphuric acid that became effective from February 1st (EU 2019/1148 - prohibiting the sale of sulphuric acid to end users) by increasing its investment into closed SLA or GEL batteries - the advantage being that they are factory-activated (filled and charged). The batteries are immediately ready for use and the dealer no longer has any additional battery acid handling overhead; www.landportbv.com
Merlin: British waxed cotton and textile apparel brand with three different collections - Heritage, Leisure Moto and D3O equipped Riderwear - for three different segments of the motorcycle ownership and riding experience; www.merlinbikegear.com
Ognibene: Founded in 1948 and still family founder owned and operated, in 2019 Ognibene supplied 4,600 km of industrial and motorcycle chain to customers all over the world! But there is more to the leader in transmission technology than advanced sprockets and chain packages. Its Trofeo ("Trophy") brake products programme saw the addition of new heat and wear- resistant ceramic brake pads recently - delivering improved performance all the way from low temperatures right up to over 500 degrees Centigrade"; www.ognibenechaintech.com
MIPS: Quite simply the best thought-out and most thoroughly researched and tested motorcycle helmet additive technology yet conceived. Helmets with the increasingly recognisable 'Yellow DOT' are typically premium safety and feature-rich designs, and MIPS continues to innovate with the latest generation of its Virtual Test Lab (VTL) technology proving and evaluation system ensuring that each MIPS system is custom-tuned for the helmet design it is fitted to. Its patented system and "our 20 plus years of research and simulating real-world accidents have led us to this ground-breaking way to virtually test helmets," says MIPS CEO Max Strandwitz; www.mipsprotection.com
Öhlins Racing: Now part of the huge American Tenneco Group (which additionally swallowed up Federal Mogul last year), the Swedish suspension specialist continues to enjoy motorcycle industry market leadership. Following its introduction a year ago, Öhlins gave an EICMA debut to its latest MX and Enduro shock absorber - the TTX Flow DV. "This new twin-tube shock was engineered to help dramatically improve the riding experience by delivering exceptional traction and comfort without compromising bottoming resistance and chassis stability". Öhlins claims it represents "a complete overhaul of flow damper technology, resulting in more accurate and consistent damping during both compression and rebound". "The shock's new high-speed compression adjuster allows riders to adapt their set-up to virtually any track condition or riding style," said Johnny Bräster, two-wheel OE aftermarket sales, marketing and product management; www.ohlins.com
Plastic Bike: The noted Italian sports and race bike specialist produces advanced, lightweight, aerodynamically efficient, ergonomic and stylish bodywork for many of the most popular race bikes and production models in a range of advanced materials from GFK, carbon and composites; www.plastic-bike.com
Bull-It Jeans: The British riding jeans brand is widely appreciated as just about the best that riders can buy if they are serious about protection. Manufacturer Covec has an innovation track record matched by no other brand. They were the first in the world to achieve CE Level II for a motorcycle denim jeans in 2013. Vertically manufactured from polymer - through filament yarn - into spun yarn, the technique delivers super lightweight fabrics for jeans and motorcycle racers; www.bull-it.com
