Kawasaki

Kawasaki - Q3 and nine months to end of 2022

Commenting on the sales performance in Europe and North America for the nine-month period of its 2022/2023 financial year (to the end of December 2022), Kawasaki stated that "the retail market remains strong, despite a slight slowdown".  

In Southeast Asia "demand is recovering, although it varies by country" and cites supply chain risks as continuing to be the primary challenge - "shortage of semiconductors and raw materials affect our product supply" but that "logistics disruption is improving".

Motorcycle shipments in developed markets totalled 157,000 units for the nine-month period (+ 20,000 units), however, Europe was down in Q3 by some 7,000 units at 38,000, with Japan and Australia essentially flat over the year-ago quarter, and Canada up by 3,000 units (to 8,000) and the United States up by 25,000 units at 81,000.

In emerging markets, units were up by 42,000 units in total for the quarter at 238,000 units. Its largest emerging market is the Philippines, which was up by 52,000 units at 158,000.

Third quarter revenue from motorcycle and related sales was +4.2% over Q3 2021 at 413.7bn yen, with developed markets +27.5bn yen at 139.5bn and emerging markets +13.0bn at 85.9bn yen.

Stat Attack

KTM parent company PIERER Mobility has added more detail to the provisional FY2022 results it published in January, confirming a year of extraordinary growth with group revenues of € 2,437m (+19%) and unit sales of 375,492 motorcycles (+13%), of which 268,575 were KTM branded units, 75,266 were Husqvarna and 31,651 were GasGas models. In addition, 118,465 e-bicycles and bicycles (+15%) were sold. EBIT was € 235m (+22%) and EBITDA was € 381m (+15%). The group spent € 268 m on "growth initiatives" in 2022, which included the continuing construction of its new 14,000 sq m North American HQ campus in Georgia. The year also saw a 25.1% equity investment in MV Agusta and the takeover of European distribution for KTM's Chinese sales and production partner CFMoto. 

 

The latest available ZIV data for quad/ATV and three-wheeler sales in Germany show 2022 sales of 1,565 quads (+95.87%), with some 95% of those is the sub 300 cc class. Sales of ATVs totalled 20,278 (-15.39%); 4,335 three-wheelers were sold (+6.43%), with Piaggio's MP3 the market share leader (36.19% of sales), followed by BRP/Can-Am, Peugeot, Yamaha and Rewaco.  

 

In Germany in 2022, Zero was the electric motorcycle market share leader, but with just 357 units sold for a +32.2% increase, we are still talking ultra-low volumes at this stage. Vmoto was in second place in market share terms, followed by KTM, Tinbot and Electric Motion. NIU was the electric scooter market share leader (1,390 units/+171.0%) ahead of Scutum, Horwin, BMW and Piaggio. 

 

Ducati has confirmed that 2022 saw it break the one billion euro revenue barrier for the first time in its history (+24%), selling 61,562 units (+3.6%) - the first time it has broken the 60k unit volume mark - and had 821 dealerships worldwide for another record. 

Global BMW Motorrad unit sales grew by 4.4% in 2022 to 202,895 units. However, sales in Europe were down slightly (-0.3%/110,788 units) with sales of 24,129 units in Germany representing a -7.1% home market unit decline. The French market took 21,223 units in 2022 (+6.7%) while Italy was -2.3% (15,668 units) and Spain was -0.9% (12,502 units). North, Central and South American sales were +14.4% (45,775 units), of which 17,690 were in the USA (+10.4%). The company only introduced two completely new models in 2022 - the CE 04 electric scooter, which has not sold well yet, and a Roadster styled M1000 iteration.

Cross-Center

Cross-Center looking to 'spoke out'

Leading international spoke set manufacturer and wheel builder Cross-Center in Sweden told IDN that the company is closing in on adding its 1,000th spoke set to its application list, with thousands of motorcycle models covered.

Manufactured in-house using high quality Swedish steel and shipped worldwide, despite the uncertainties confronting the motorcycle industry, Cross-Center has continued to grow.

"We are really happy to be in the spoke and wheel business," owner Tobbe Bergh told IDN. "Of all the sectors of the market, I think the spoke market is still a growth market and the demand we are seeing just continues to increase - we expect 2023 to be a tenth year of consecutive growth for our spoke sales."

Tobbe told us that its latest application is for the Swedish Monark Model 87 from 1953 to 1955 (front and rear - set No. 50-0822 and 50-0823.). "That spoke set is not even on the website yet, and already we have been able to identify over 10 new spoke sets that we will make shortly. 

"It takes a lot of time to find all the information about the models, their rim sizes and the OEM number cross-reference of hubs and spokes. Sometimes that takes longer than simply making the spoke sets."

'we are a genuinely global centre for the international motorcycle spoke industry'

The sheer scale of the number of individual spoke set requirements in the international motorcycle industry is almost endless, and Tobbe says that he receives requests from all over the world for spoke sets, so "the time has now come to look for distributors."

Cross-Center is also a wheel builder, and through its 'CC Products' brand also makes and sells Motocross and Enduro racing parts, but it is the company's large range of spokes that it is best known for.

"From a distributor perspective, we would be a great business to work with because we always carry a deep inventory and are genuinely responsive," Tobbe explained. "We are a genuinely global centre for all kinds of motorcycle spokes, not just MX, but street, ADV, sport, touring, custom, naked style and even electric bike spokes too.

"We can turn orders around very quickly because we have all spoke sets in stock, which is the kind of service level that our customers need," he says.

www.cross-center.com

BS Battery

BS Battery becomes an Official Aprilia Racing Team sponsor

French battery specialist BS Battery and Aprilia Racing Team have agreed a new partnership for the 2023 and 2024 race seasons.

The French battery manufacturer is now an Official Sponsor of Aprilia Racing, supporting its RS-GP bikes and top riders on track with the attempt on the 2023 MotoGP World Championship spearheaded by Aleix Espargaró and Maverick Viñales.

BS Battery General Manager Benjamin Sebban (left) with Aprilia Racing's Massimo Rivola

Benjamin Sebban, General Manager BS Battery, said: "We are proud to extend our relationship with Aprilia into the racing world. Brand and bikes are extremely powerful - we share the same DNA when it comes to innovation, passion and sharing.

"We both fight to keep our sport accessible to all as their club #bearacer claims. Standing by Aprilia Racing's side is an honour, we are excited to start the season with the team and share exceptional moments with our clients too.

"I thank Massimo Rivola and all the Aprilia Racing management team for the warm welcome received. The BS Battery team stands by your side."

Massimo Rivola, Aprilia Racing CEO, said: "We are proud to have a partner like BS Battery at our side. A collaboration that stems from our enthusiasm and common values of innovation, technology and competition. One which we hope will prove its worth on circuits all over the world. Seeing important brands deciding to support our commitment fills us with pride."

www.bs-battery.com

AIMExpo 2023 Review part 3

Spectro Oils:  The Intercontinental Lubricants subsidiary has been bought by the U.S. subsidiary of Swiss oil brand Motorex (manufactured by Bucher AG). The deal sees the assets, including IP, commercial activity and blending and storage operations at Brookfield, Connecticut. Alex Josefson, the founder's grandson and current President of Spectro, is quoted as stating: "We have a longstanding and excellent relationship with Motorex, so when this agreement was first discussed, it seemed like the natural next step for our company; www.motorex.com 

GPR Italia: Founded in 1968, GPR's reputation for race success and huge range of exhaust products and applications is gaining traction in the United States. Its new GPR Tech accessories programme is opening doors for the company worldwide; www.gpr.it 

BMC: The Italian air and oil filter manufacturer numbers Formula 1 race teams among its test benches; www.bmciarfilters.com

National Cycle: Recent new product introductions from the world-famous Maywood, Illinois based windscreen manufacturer include replacement screens for 2021-23 Honda PCX150 manufactured in 3.0 mm Quantum hardcoated polycarbonate for outstanding scratch resistance and strength. Quantum hardcoating gives these windscreens much better optical definition and clarity, and they will stay that way a lot longer. The durable polycarbonate construction means 23 times greater impact resistance than acrylic/Lucite plastic, with the Quantum hardcoating increasing scratch resistance 30 times over inferior plastics; www.nationalcycle.com

Innteck USA: Founded in Piedmont, Italy, in 2004, Innteck has grown steadily ever since and is now one of the principal distribution businesses in Italy and elsewhere around Europe. The company sells to some 2,000 dealers worldwide, ships over 200 orders per day and lists nearly 10,000 part numbers in its catalogue, from Meteor pistons and Pod Active knee braces to Showa suspension and SKT, from Trigg and KYB to PBR and Rekluse - in which connection, Innteck's USA facility is also based in Boise, Idaho; www.innteck.com 

UBCO: Founded in New Zealand in 2015, and now with a U.S. HQ at Portland, Oregon, UBCO describes its designs as "two-wheel drive, electric, lightweight utility vehicles". Rugged, robust and righteous, UBCO's vehicles are versatile and fun and distributed to the powersports market in the U.S. by Tucker; www.ubco.com

Fantic Motor: Acquiring U.S. distribution of the electric PTWs for the well thought-of Italian come-back brand was a coup for Tucker Powersports and is proving to be a catalyst for its ambitions to achieve critical mass and take ownership in the electric two-wheel space in the United States; www.tucker.com, www.fanticmotor.it

Partech USA: Ron Stimpson of the U.S. operation for the high-tech Taiwanese precision manufacturer of advanced ergonomic rearsets, lightweight, high-strength handlebars and top clamps, footpegs, levers and more; www.partech.com.tw

MITAS Tires: Still making all its tyres in Europe, the Slovenia based tyre manufacturer can trace its history back to 1920 - but there's nothing outdated about its contemporary range of street and off-road tyres; www.mitas-moto.com

Yamaha

Yamaha Ténéré 700 'Explore' and 'Extreme' editions 

When it hit the market in 2019, Yamaha's Ténéré 700 was something of a revolution - fulfilling a demand for an affordable, capable adventure bike that rival machines simply couldn't cater for. Such is its success that the original Ténéré 700 was soon joined by the Rally Edition and the chunkier World Raid, and now Yamaha has added another two versions to the range.

The Ténéré 700 'Extreme' Edition and Ténéré 700 'Explore' Edition each take the standard bike in a slightly different direction, essentially working like options packages without the expense of selecting customising parts from the aftermarket catalogue. 

'Explore'

The 'Extreme' Edition, as its name suggests, is aimed at increasing the Ténéré's off-road ability. It borrows the more capable suspension from the World Raid model, including fully-adjustable KYB forks and a longer rear shock, adding 20 mm more travel at each end and the same amount to the ground clearance, but without the big fuel tank and extra weight of the World Raid. The off-road style is enhanced with titanium footpegs, alloy radiator guards and an 'enduro' front fender, as well as a 'rally' seat that's got 20 mm more padding than standard - pushing the seat height up to 910 mm in total.

While most of those parts are straight from the existing options range, the 'Extreme' Edition manages to be cheaper than adding them individually, with a € 900 premium in the markets where it's offered: France, Italy and Germany. At the moment, other countries don't get either the 'Extreme' or 'Explore' models.

'Extreme'

The 'Explore' version takes its tweaks in the other direction, moving the Ténéré towards a more touring-oriented role at the expense of some off-road ability. It uses 20 mm shorter travel, lower suspension than the standard bike, dropping the ground clearance by 15 mm and taking the seat height down to only 860 mm, a full 50 mm less than the 'Extreme' Edition. 

Adding a taller, wider screen with a total area 50% larger than standard, the 'Explore' promises better wind protection for the rider, and it also gets mount brackets for luggage as standard, with the option of adding either hard or soft side cases as an extra-cost option. 

Again, available only in France, Germany and Italy, at least initially, the 'Explore' Edition carries an € 800 premium over the stock Ténéré 700.

GPR Tech

GPR Tech top cases for BMW ADV models

Italian exhaust specialist GPR Italia recently leveraged its manufacturing expertise to start a new line of luggage and related touring accessories called GPR Tech.

The new brand is dedicated, initially, to accessories for Adventure models, and seen here is a new model-specific case kit for the BMW R 1200 GS Adventure and R 1250 GS Adventure.

Made of aluminium and equipped with a beautiful internal padded lining to protect the helmets, it is available in black and silver in 35, 45 and 55 litre capacities. The easy install kit is equipped with a model-specific mounting plate - designed especially for the geometry of the BMW Adventure series models.

GPR ITALIA SRL

www.gpr.it

Barkbusters

Barkbusters for Adventure Bike Models

Leading handguard manufacturer Barkbusters (Australia) continues to grow its range of applications - "allowing discerning riders to switch out inferior OEM offerings with the best quality hand protection on the market".

New model-specific handguards (that include all mounting hardware) are now available to fit the KTM 1290 Super Adventure R/S from 2021 and up, Triumph Tiger 660 Sport 2022 and up (seen here), Ducati Desert X 2022 and up, and Aprilia Tuareg 2022 and up.

The full wrap-around two-point mount aluminium hardware kit is compatible with several of Barkbusters' most popular handguard designs, including its Jet, Storm, VPS and Carbon.

BARKBUSTERS 

barkbusters.net/what-fits-my

Athena

Athena Yamaha-Minarelli horizontal engine race kit

This new race kit for Yamaha-Minarelli horizontal engines consists of a 70 cc cylinder kit and accessories that, installed together, will deliver a race-ready performance on the engines of the iconic Aprilia Rally, Malaguti F10, F12 and F15 and Yamaha Jog models.

Produced by Alonte (VI), Italy based Athena, this additional race kit follows on from the success of its Yamaha-Minarelli vertical engine race kit. Marking its 50th anniversary this year, Athena has been a high-performance motorcycle, scooter and moped spare parts industry leader.

"Athena's R&D team has brought the innovative, patent-pending technical solutions to the design of the kit and its components - consisting of the cylinder kit and coordinating accessories that, together, will reach performance levels never achieved before".

This 47.6 mm big bore cylinder kit is described as the most powerful of its kind. "The cylinder ports are revolutionised by a new fixing system to the crankcases (patent pending) with special dedicated bolts, replacing the normal studs. The exhaust ports are thus redesigned for an increase in the engine performance in terms of torque and power. 

"The 1.5 mm protrusion of the cylinder head profile allows a perfect centering of the cylinder and a further improved sealing capacity. Finally, the Athena racing crankshaft, available with 10 mm and 12 mm piston pins, is forged in steel and has lightened counterweights with aluminium inserts for improved balance at any speed".

Developed in collaboration with Selettra, the new variable advance ignition kit has a control unit with high calculation capacity, and it is perfect for the management of speed acceleration, with two selectable race mappings.

"The racing exhaust kit has been designed to make the most of the air-cooled horizontal Minarelli engine. The exhaust system is manufactured with precise craftsmanship and treated to handle the smallest particulars".

The kit is complete with the components designed for the intake unit: three air filters of different shapes, race-ready carburetors (one 24 mm with a Powerjet system and one 28 mm) and a big valve kit for engine supercharging.

ATHENA

www.athena.eu

Airoh

Airoh's golden son

In any discipline, nine World Championships is quite an achievement. To celebrate Airoh rider and race legend Tony Cairoli's career, among the initiatives to mark his achievements, Airoh donated a special edition gold Aviator 3 helmet to him at the end of his last race in MXGP, as a tribute to his legendary career.

Fast forward to 2023, and Airoh has now made a replica of that helmet available for sale.

"This is not just a mere and simple replica, rather it is an ECE 22-06 homologated special helmet with all the innovative features of the Aviator 3 - a top of the range off-road helmet created by hand by skilled Italian craftsmen paying maximum attention to even the smallest detail - including golden inner linings.

"It is available in four shell sizes and designed in the Airoh wind tunnel to optimise shape, performance and comfort. Each helmet will come complete with a special postcard with the signature of the nine times world champion".

The product has the "revolutionary" AMS2 Plus (Airoh Multiaction Safety System Plus) to dissipate kinetic energy in case of impact, the AEFR (Airoh Emergency Fast Release) for quick removal of the cheek pads, and the AMLS (Airoh Magnetic Lining System) that includes both crown padding and cheek pads. 

The eight air vents and the spoilers with integrated extractors and cutting-edge AHS hydration system (Airoh Hydration System) are directly integrated in the EPS to maximise comfort.

In other news, Airoh is celebrating its 126th World Championship title with Billy Bolt's successful defence of his Superenduro World Championship in Poland in March 2023 - with a perfect season of five victories out of five races.

LOCATELLI S.P.A. 

www.airoh.com

Piaggio Group

Piaggio reports "best year ever" - highest turnover for Aprilia

Commenting on its 2022 full-year financial performance, Piaggio Group Chairman and CEO Roberto Colaninno stated that "the Piaggio Group closed 2022 with its best results ever, setting new records for all indicators, including net sales of more than € 2bn and net profit up 41.4% to € 84.9m. 

"The geopolitical and macroeconomic situation was and continues to be complicated, but we are confident and optimistic about 2023 and will continue along the important growth path we have already mapped out - confirming our investment plans and our commitment to ESG issues. 

For the year ended 31 December 2022, the Group sold 516,200 two-wheelers worldwide, an increase of 14.8% from 449,700 in 2021, generating net sales of € 1,683.8m (+23% from € 1,369m at 31 December 2021).

The figure includes spares and accessories, on which turnover totalled € 155.5m, (+11.6% from € 139.4m in 2021).

Turnover from two-wheeler sales in 2022 was particularly strong in Asia Pacific (+57.1%), followed by the Americas (+42.7%) and EMEA (+10.3%), while a slight decrease was reported in India (-5.3%).

In Europe, the Piaggio Group confirmed its leadership in the scooter segment with a share of 22.9% (22.7% at 31 December 2021) and further strengthened its positioning on the North American scooter market, with a share of 35.4% (35% at 31 December 2021). In North America, the Group is also consolidating its presence in the motorcycle segment with the Aprilia and Moto Guzzi brands.

The scooter sector reported a 14.3% rise in worldwide sales, led by the Vespa brand, which recorded a turnover increase of almost 30%, by the Piaggio Liberty high-wheel scooter, by the new Piaggio 1 electric scooter and by the Aprilia scooters.

The motorcycle sector closed 2022 with a 19.7% improvement in sales volumes and record results. The Aprilia brand reported its highest ever turnover, up more than 30%, with particularly strong support from the Aprilia RS, Tuareg 660 and Tuono 1100, and a positive effect from the excellent results achieved by Aprilia Racing in the MotoGP Championship: in addition to Aleix Espargaró’s historic first victory, the team achieved eight podiums and two pole positions.

Moto Guzzi reported record sales volumes and turnover up by more than 15% to the best result ever, led by the all-terrain V85TT, the new Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello and the V7 range.

In corporate terms, consolidated net sales of € 2,087.4m was the highest figure ever reported, up 25.1% (€ 1,668.7m at 31.12.2021).

News Briefs

Kreidler Europe Motor GmbH (based near Bielefeld in Germany) is insolvent. Founded by Anton Kreidler in 1903, the cult status of the Kreidler brand (owned by two-wheeler manufacturer Cycle Union GmbH/Prophete Group) was being leveraged for the development and sale of bicycles, scooters, mopeds and small motorcycles from 50 to 125 cc under the "Kreidler" label. Five plus years ago, the production of all ICE series models was discontinued with the focus instead on selling two-wheelers with electric drives, e-bikes and pedelecs. (B&B) 

Royal Enfield's electric motorcycles are "in advanced stages of testing", according to reports. A bike coded L1C is expected to be on sale by 2025. Meanwhile, in other and almost certainly not unconnected news, RE parent company Eicher Motors recently made a strategic € 50,000,000 (10.35%) investment in Anton Wass' 2019 founded Barcelona based Stark Future SL - of insanely good Stark 'Varga' electric MX bike fame.

Norton has started to make deliveries of its new, re-engineered V4SV - the 185 bhp, 1,200 cc V-four luxury sports bike that got caught up in the fallout from the collapse of the Garner era Norton farrago before the brand was bought out of bankruptcy by Indian conglomerate TVS and rehomed at a new production facility at Solihull, Birmingham, in England. Deliveries of its new Commando variants are also underway in this, Norton's 125th anniversary year. (BDN)

Energica Motor Company has delivered its first shipments to Japan and Australia - deliveries include Energica's newest model, the Experia. In Japan it has signed a strategic partnership with importer Estar & Co., Ltd., who has opened a mono-brand showroom in Kobe, on the man-made island of Rokkō Island. It showed the 2023 Energica range at the Tokyo Motorcycle Show in March. Energica has partnered with Australian Electric Motor Co. to import its electric motorcycles into Australia and New Zealand. From its HQ on the Gold Coast, AEMC is developing a network of dealers throughout the continent. Additionally, Energica recently introduced its products to the Pakistan market. 

Based at Remagen near Bonn, E-scooter manufacturer Kumpan (owned by e-bility GmbH) has filed for bankruptcy. Delivery bottlenecks for urgently needed components, high energy prices and seasonal reluctance to buy have led to losses. The start-up, founded in 2010 by the three German-Swedish Tykesson brothers, designs, develops and produces e-scooters in various performance levels and sells them under the brand name Kumpan electric. It is hoped that an investor can be found. (B&B)

BDN reports that uncertainty has been hanging over road racing in northern and southern Ireland with the cancellations a real possibility unless funds can be raised to meet spiralling public liability insurance costs. The events affected could include the iconic North West 200, Ulster GP, Tandragee, Armoy and the Sunflower event at the Bishopscourt circuit. Check the MCIU (Northern Ireland) and Motor Cycling Ireland (Republic of Ireland) websites for updates.

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has announced a basic agreement on a partnership for software development with KPIT Technologies Limited of India - one of the largest software integration partners for the automotive and mobility industry. The two companies will work together on software development in areas such as operating systems for the next generation of electrical/electronic (EE) architecture; electrified powertrains; advanced safety and automated driving; IVI (In Vehicle Infotainment ) and connected technologies.

British MX spoke wheel specialist Talon expanded its Yeovil, England factory last year, with all products designed and produced in-house. Well known for its partnership with HRC, the company followed up its production of extended swingarms for KTM Group brands with a new range of triple clamps. (BDN)

With four victories and four further podium places, BMW Motorrad once again achieved a great result in the Motorrad magazine readers' vote in Germany for 2023.

Sources: AMD, IDN, FT, Reuters, PSB, MPN, BDN, MCN, AP, Bloomberg, MSNW, Electrek, electricmotorcycles.news, RideApart.com, Motor1.com, Cycle World, motorbikewriter.com

AIMExpo 2023 Review part 2

Parts Unlimited, Drag Specialties, Parts Europe: Just four weeks after its successful Spring NVP New Product Expo at Louisville, Kentucky, the management of LeMans backed AIMExpo on the basis that an industry-wide nexus is an important foundation for a market that needs to take every opportunity to influence the shape of its own future - just as vendors do. From the left - CEO Mike Collins, President of Parts Canada James Danyluk, industry legend and Drag Specialties 'lifer' Tom Motzko, VP of Sales Jeff Derge and Chairman Paul Langley; www.dragspecialties.com 

SBS Friction: Christel Munk Pederson is leading the Danish manufacturer into a "green and pleasant land" as the first manufacturer to have embraced the 'Better Brakes' regulatory programme with transition into manufacturing brake pads with 0% copper, nickel and antimony in a new range of ceramic and sintered brake pad formulations. The results have been spectacular, proving that green manufacturing does not need to compromise performance. This new generation of SBS pads has a similar wear profile to its previous pads, but with an improved sense of grip and performance stability, with improved fade performance and coefficient of friction; www.sbs.dk  

Central Powersports Distribution: CPD of Watertown, South Dakota, is a well-known European motorcycle distributor who handles U.S. sales for the likes of Rieju and Torrot in Spain, SWM in Italy and Portuguese manufacturer AJP; www.rieju-usa.com 

Heidenau Tires: Distributed in USA by Moto Amore Llc, Heidenau was founded in 1946 and still makes its tyres in Germany. When it started handcrafting its tyres 77 years ago, Heidenau employed a dozen people and produced 35 tyre designs. These days the company employs more than 200 people at its global headquarters just outside Dresden and produces 550 unique tyre designs and distributes them to 45 countries around the world; www.heidenautires.com

Antigravity Batteries: USA made lithium batteries featuring Restart Technology and Bluetooth Battery Trackers - a monitoring system allows the rider to track the battery's voltage, health and status, and notifies if the battery is going dead. Available for lithium and lead/acid batteries, Battery Tracker allows riders to track battery status from their smartphone; www.antigravitybatteries.com 

INNOVV: Rock Liu's genuinely innovative INNOVV brand is a 'Do-It-All' range of dual action cameras that feature dual 120-degree field of view and simultaneous front and rear facing recording (the INNOVV K3 dash cam). It has been designed, specified and "built specifically for powersports. It allows riders to protect their vehicles and record their road trips". The easy install kit brings top-end capabilities and robust construction within every motorcycle rider's reach. The K3 cameras are small enough to be hardly noticeable; www.innovv.com 

K&N Engineering: It is easy to overlook just how diverse the product offer from the Riverside, California based filter specialist really is, but even by its standards, the move into engine oil is a major brand extension. K&N's fully synthetic "Ultra-Premium" engine oil is available in 20W-50 for V-twin applications and 10W-40 for sport bikes and ATVs, featuring K&N 'Synthmax' additive technology. It can be used as a 3 in 1 formula as K&N says that it can be used as an engine, transmission, wet clutch and primary oil; www.knfilters.com

KTM North America

KTM North America - new corporate headquarters

PIERER Mobility AG, the Austria based parent company of KTM North America, Inc. and PIERER New Mobility North America, has officially opened its new North American headquarters in Murrieta, California.

Special guests from all over the world were in attendance for a ribbon-cutting ceremony that officially unveiled world-class facilities dedicated to the company's premium motorcycle brands KTM, Husqvarna Motorcycles, GasGas and MV Agusta; in addition to bicycle brands Husqvarna E-Bicycles, GasGas Bicycles and FELT Bicycles and high-end components under the WP brand.

With global headquarters based in Austria, PIERER Mobility AG is Europe's leading manufacturer of powered two-wheelers and has been an active player in the North American market since 1967. 

"This is an emotional day for me," said Stefan Pierer, CEO of PIERER Mobility AG. "Exactly 30 years ago, I started in the USA with only a dozen employees. Today, we are Europe's leading Powered Two-Wheeler group, we're selling approx. 100,000 units annually in the U.S. market, so more than one billion dollars in sales. The most important success factor for us is racing, that is the driving force that pushed us over the years, even in the U.S. market. Building our new North American headquarters in Murrieta was the biggest single investment we've ever made. We have set a new standard for the whole U.S. market."

The new headquarters is part of KTM North America's commitment to growing the sport of motorcycling through "continuous investment in infrastructure, R&D, technical training, and continuing education for the company's class-leading products and technology. Specifically, in North America, the organisation has grown to almost 360 employees in 2023, and this new building allows for further room to expand and grow to support its network of more than 1,000 independently owned dealers across North America".

CEO of KTM North America, Inc. and PIERER New Mobility North America, Inc., John Hinz said: "The campus and our facilities have been designed for our employees, race teams, athletes and, truly, for our dealers across North America to help support our brands and help support sales. This new campus showcases not only the facilities as a tool for our employees and dealers, but it's our commitment, our dedication and our investment into the motorcycle and bicycle industry here in North America."

The development was initially announced in August 2021 and the project officially broke ground in November of the same year. Following an extraordinary development phase over the past 15 months, the $53m corporate campus is now operational with three state-of-the-art buildings that include over 130,000 sq ft of space dedicated to the company's technical development, administrative offices, media relations, dealer training, warehouse and world championship racing departments, with 12 additional acres set aside for future development.

The group's purpose-built private motorsports facility - RD Field - sits one block south of the corporate campus, equipped with two supercross test tracks, hard enduro test track and a trials competition section for product testing and athlete training.

BMW

BMW working on small electric bike

Although BMW has been at the forefront of electric motorcycle development for over a decade - initially with the C Evolution scooter and now with the CE-04 - the company has yet to launch a battery-powered motorcycle. A new patent revealing designs for a small electric motorcycle using powertrain parts from the CE-04 could change that.

Focus might have been on scooters so far, but BMW's electric plans also include 'real' bikes. Not only has BMW shown several electric concept bikes over the years, but it also trademarked a whole run of model names for production versions, each starting with 'DC'. So while future electric BMW scooters will have 'CE-' followed by a number, the electric motorcycles will use 'DC-' and a number. The number appears to roughly approximate the capacity of equivalent combustion engine models, so the CE-04 has similar power to a 400 cc scooter.

If that's the case, the bike seen in the latest patent could well be the 'DC-04', because it appears to use the same battery and motor as the CE-04, but cleverly repositioned into a much more compact, motorcycle-shaped package.

The motor itself is turned 90 degrees so its shaft runs longitudinally rather than across, reducing the vehicle's width, and the motor is then tilted to around a 45-degree angle in the chassis. It drives the front sprocket via a bevel gear that doubles as a reduction ratio, with a belt final drive and larger rear sprocket adding a second layer of reduction to bring the high-speed electric motor down to an appropriate range for the wheel.

Like the motor, the battery pack looks to be the same unit used in the CE-04, but again, it's mounted at an angle, parallel to the motor and fitting neatly behind the front wheel and below the 'fuel tank' - which is now an empty storage compartment that appears easily big enough to swallow a full-face helmet. The charging and electronic control circuits are split into two main units, one mounted below the transmission, the other sandwiched between the drive motor and the battery pack. Again, these parts look very similar to the equivalents used in the CE-04, but have been moved to suit their new home.

Overall, the bike appears to be the same size as the G310R, with a similar swingarm, rear shock and seat. That would suit the 400 cc-equivalent performance of the CE-04 motor, which is good for a peak power of 31 kW (42 hp) - a worthwhile step up from the 25 kW (34 hp) achieved by the G310's single-cylinder, 313 cc engine. Like the G310, the bike could easily be adapted to multiple roles without changing the main components. The ICE model is already sold as the G310R roadster, the G310GS adventure bike and the G310RR sports bike, so if this patent is pursued, it could instantly create a whole range of BMW EV motorcycles without requiring the expensive development of any new driveline parts.

Rieju

Rieju - all-time production record

Based at Figueres near Girona in Catalonia/north-east Spain, Rieju had a storming 2022, manufacturing a record number of machines in a year than at any time since it was founded in 1942 - quite a way to celebrate its 80th anniversary.

The prior peak was in 2006 in the years before the financial crisis of 2007-2009, but with 22,000 units built in 2022, that record has now been surpassed.

The company exports 82% of its production to more than 60 countries, with France and Germany as its main markets. Rieju has a high level of commitment to electric vehicles and sells its full model range line-up in the United States through Central Powersports Distribution (CDP) at Watertown, SD.

www.rieju.com

Italian motorcycle registrations

Italy - Q1 2023 motorcycle registrations +18.99%

According to the latest available data from ANCMA - the motorcycle industry trade association in Italy - the first quarter has started strongly again with January up by +22.36% (9,482 units), February +7.06% (11,269 units) and March +25.85% (18,225 units).

For the first quarter, registrations were +18.99% at 38,976 units compared to the very good Q1 in 2022 (32,757 units) - the best first quarter in Italy since before 2014 at least.

In total new PTW registration terms, Q1 was +31.01% at 78,787 units - by far the best first quarter in Italy for a generation. Of those, ANCMA is classifying 39,811 as scooters, which is up by 45.39% on Q1 2022.

The Honda Africa Twin is the best-selling motorcycle in 2023 so far (1,525 units), followed by the BMW R 1200 GS (1,141 units), Benelli TRK 502/X (1,126) and Yamaha's Tracer 900 (1,080 units). Honda dominates the scooter market in Italy with all top five of the best sellers, for a total of 12,866 units registered in Q1 2023, which is more than 12% of all scooters sold so far this year. The Honda SH350 was the top selling scooter, followed by the SH 150, the X-ADV 750 (interestingly, with 2,587 units sold), the SH 125 and the ADV 350 in fifth spot (1,921 units). Indeed, the Honda Forza 350 was in seventh spot, behind the KYMCO Agility 125 R16.

For the record: full year new motorcycle registrations were +6.35% in 2022 at 126,571 units. Total PTW registrations in Italy for the 2022 full year were essentially flat at +0.09%, but the 270,416 total of new model registrations was the best for the Italian market since before 2011; of those, ANCMA classified 143,845 as scooters (-4.84% compared to the full year 2021).

2023 FIM World Supercross Championship

WSX 2023 six-event schedule

After the two pilot events in 2022 - events that saw more than 85,000 fans enjoy world-class Supercross action in Cardiff, Wales and Melbourne, Australia - SX Global today announced a six-event calendar for the 2023 FIM World Supercross Championship (WSX). 

The 2023 schedule will expand the championship's global footprint with FIM-sanctioned championship rounds in France, Germany and Canada, while also returning to Australia and the UK. The championship will also expand into Southeast Asia, with the exact location to be announced in the near future.  

SX Global CEO Adam Bailey says: "It's incredibly gratifying to see our vision for a truly global Supercross championship steadily coming to fruition. Our goals, while ambitious, are clear - to elevate Supercross to a global audience through a truly international calendar of events; to visit diverse destinations that have well-established and passionate fan bases, and to visit new regions where Supercross can grow and flourish.

"We believe the 2023 schedule delivers on these promises, yet it's only the tip of the spear. We have so much more room for growth in regions across the globe that are hungry to witness this incredible spectacle first hand. We are only scratching the surface of our long-term plan for WSX."

2023 World Supercross Championship Calendar 

• British GP - Villa Park, Birmingham, 1 July
• French GP - Groupama Stadium Lyon-Décines, 22 July
• Asian GP - TBA Southeast Asia, 30 Sept
• German GP - Merkur Spiel Arena, Düsseldorf, 14 Oct
• Canadian GP - Vancouver, BC, 28 Oct
• Australian GP - Marvel Stadium, Melbourne, 24-25 Nov

www.wsxchampionship.com

Kappa

KV56 full-face by Kappa

Available in two versions and certified to the new European ECE 22-06 standard, the KV56 technically advanced, triple shell full-face thermoplastic helmet has a removable interior lining and an efficient ventilation system and "impressive technical and aesthetic details, available in a wide range of sizes and unisex".

Versatile and bold, it comes in two versions: solid colour (the basic version) and Graphic Neon, featuring sophisticated and ultra-modern graphic elements. Up close the lines resemble a bright web, a laser beam that extends across the shell, with glossy and matt finishes and vivid contrasting or tone-on-tone colours, and almost iridescent shades.

Standard equipment includes a nose guard and wind deflector, anti-scratch visor suitable for a Pinlock lens, an inner sun visor and a micrometric strap fastening. The removable and washable interior lining enhances comfort, as does the efficient ventilation system with two front air vents (one upper and one on the chin guard) and two rear extractors.

The weight is 1,490 g +/- 50 g and colours include matt black, matt titanium, white (solid colours) and matt black/red, matt black, matt black/pink, black/blue, grey/yellow and white/red (Graphic Neon).

KAPPA

www.kappamoto.com

Merlin

Merlin to produce BSA apparel collection

British protective motorcycle apparel brand Merlin has partnered with the 'new-gen' BSA Motorcycle business in the UK to release a dual-branded collection of protective clothing and lifestyle apparel.

'Liberation' leather jacket

The collection, which will be distributed alongside the new BSA Gold Star, will consist of protective jackets, jeans and gloves as well as a selection of hoodies, T-shirts, sweatshirts and accessories. Each item is branded with both BSA and Merlin logos.

James Franklin, Brand and Product Director at Merlin, said of the collaboration: "As a proud British brand we found it fitting to team up with BSA to support its relaunch. BSA is a household name and we are excited to release this range with them. 

'Empire' waxed cotton jacket

"This comprehensive collection allows BSA riders and fans to represent two great British names and experience the high quality that Merlin has always provided. We proudly produce this collection using staple ingredients from the core Merlin collection, such as Halley Stevensons waxed cotton, DuPont, Kevlar, D3O armour and YKK zips."

Highlights of the range include the 'Liberation' leather jacket in soft, supple cowhide leather with pre-fitted D3O armour to the shoulders and elbows, removable 100 g thermal vest and a short jacket-to-jean connecting zip.

The 'Empire' jacket is a 12 oz Halley Stevensons waxed cotton outer for the traditional waxy feel that most retro riders look for. There is a fixed Reissa waterproof membrane and a removable full-body 150 g thermal for weatherproofing, pre-fitted D3O armour at the shoulders and elbows.

BSA x Merlin clothing is available from Lukas Distribution, distributors of the BSA brand. 

MERLIN MOTORCYCLE CLOTHING 

www.merlinbikegear.com

www.lukasdistribution.co.uk

Honda

Honda - Q3 FY 22/23 to December 2022

Honda has reported global group unit sales of 5,083,000 (the period to 31/12/22) worth 789.6bn yen for Q3 of its 2022/2023 financial year (a +19.7% sales revenue increase), which was up from 3,227,000 units in Q3 of its 2021/2022 financial year; in Q3 2022/2023 consolidated unit sales were 4,602,000 (up from 2,877,000 units in Q3 2021/2022). Motorcycle segment operating profit for the quarter was 151.7bn yen at an operating margin of 14.6%. 

Despite the impact of the semiconductor supply shortage, for the nine-month period, Motorcycle segment sales revenue was 2,202.3bn yen (+37.5%) and total global unit shipments were 14,285,000 (+1,410,000).

YTD motorcycle wholesale shipments (the nine-month period) were fractionally down in Japan at 179,000 units (-1,000); 339,000 in North America (+7,000 units); massively up in Asia at 12,310,000 units (+1,408,000 - India and Indonesia are by far Honda's largest two Asian markets, and both were up YTD), but down by 17,000 units in Europe at 223,000 units, with 1,234,000 units shipped elsewhere (unit sales in Brazil topped the one million unit mark for the nine-month period for the first time since 2014). 

Motorcycle segment operating profit for the nine-month period was massively up (+62.0%) at 376.5bn yen - "due primarily to strong sales [in Asia], the positive effects of pricing that reflects increased product value and favourable currency effects".