Back in June, the MV Agusta family joined "the entire world of motorcycling sports in congratulating Giacomo Agostini on the day of his 80th birthday". A living legend of motorcycle racing, "Ago" has inspired many and written some of the most epic pages of the sports history. "His name is forever tied to that of MV Agusta, and the successes they reached together are still unequalled".
CAKE, the Swedish electric motorcycle pioneer, has opened a pop-up store at Shoreditch in the fashionable district of East London in the UK. The store will act as a hub from which to build a local organisation ahead of the UK's stated aim of banning new ICE vehicles by 2030. The brainchild of noted designer Stefan Ytterborn, the CAKE hallmarks are ergonomics, utility, durability, simplicity and sustainability.
LS2 Helmet co-owner Paul Liao has celebrated the 15th anniversary of the brand by opening a new 16,000 sq m distribution centre at Terrassa, Barcelona, with capacity for some 180,000 helmets and 50,000 jackets. Sold in 115 countries through 96 distributors, LS2 sells to more than 7,000 retail stores around Europe (BDN).
Ducati achieved an unprecedented thousandth podium finish in World Superbikes at the end of July when Alvaro Bautista took his Panigale V4 R to his seventh win of this 35th WSBK season in Race 1 of the Czech Round.
Honda has announced a strategic partnership with Hanwa Co., Ltd., a major Japan-based trading company, "toward stable procurement of essential metals for batteries necessary for its electrified vehicles". To realise carbon neutrality for all of its products and corporate activities by 2050, "Honda is striving to make battery-electric vehicles (EVs) and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCVs) represent 100% of its global vehicle sales by 2040. Through this partnership, Hanwa's strengths in resource procurement will ensure stable procurement in the medium to long term of essential metals necessary for batteries such as nickel, cobalt and lithium, positioning the mined resources secured by Hanwa at the core".
Sony and Honda have signed a joint venture agreement to establish a new company "to engage in the sale of high-value-added electric vehicles (EVs) and provide services for mobility". Sony Honda Mobility Inc. will aim to bring together Honda's "cutting-edge environmental and safety technologies, mobility development capabilities, vehicle body manufacturing technology and aftersales service management experience, with Sony's expertise in the development and application of imaging, sensing, telecommunication, network and entertainment technologies to realise a new generation of mobility and services that are closely aligned with users and the environment".
US specialist motorcycle dealer education and sales and marketing agency Brands That Shine (Jessica Shine) has added further to its burgeoning portfolio with a deal to represent British specialist R&G in the United States. R&G is one of the world's leading specialist crash protection product manufacturers offering Aero frame sliders, engine case covers, crash bars and fork protectors and is an official partner of the 2022 MotoAmerica Championship as well as sponsoring two teams in the Series - Team Hammer and Tom Wood Powersports. MotoAmerica has given its official approval for R&G engine case covers, lever guards and tank sliders. Look for R&G at AIMEXPO 2023 (Feb 15-17, Las Vegas).
Sources: AMD, IDN, FT, Reuters, PSB, MPN, BDN, MCN, AP, Bloomberg, MSNW, Electrek, electricmotorcycles.news, RideApart.com, Motor1.com, Cycle World, motorbikewriter.com
