ACEM

Europe - 2021 key market registrations surpass 2019

The latest data from ACEM, the Brussels based international motorcycle trade association for Europe, shows full year 2021 new motorcycle and scooter/moped registrations in Europe's key markets (ICE and Electric combined) as now being above the pre-pandemic levels reported for 2019.
Motorcycle registrations in five of the largest European markets (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and UK) rose by +7.8% compared to 2020. A total of 949,470 motorcycles were registered in the main European markets in 2021, compared to 880,763 units in 2020. Almost all the main national motorcycle markets registered volume gains in 2021. 

Italy remained the largest European market with a total of 269,600 vehicles registered (with a staggering +23.6% growth on a year-on-year basis). France, the second largest market, grew +8.5% (206,955 motorcycles), whilst Germany, the third largest motorcycle market in Europe, saw a decrease of -9.7% (199,132 motorcycles) - partly compensating for the extremely positive and counterintuitive results seen there in 2020.
The Spanish and UK motorcycle markets grew by +8.0% (166,513 units) and +10.2% (107,270 units) respectively.
Moped registrations in the six European moped markets monitored by ACEM (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain) reached a total of 264,807 units. This figure represents a decrease of -5.6% compared to the same period in 2020.
Electric motorcycle registrations (all L-category vehicles) were +28.2% in Europe's 'Big FIVE' markets at 23,084 units. Italy is the largest electric L-category vehicle market in Europe at 6,233 units (+10.9%) in 2021, with Spain second (5,494 units/-6.5%), France third (4,585 units/+61.0%), Germany fourth (3,541 units/+30.1%) and the UK fifth with 3,231 units (+243.4%).

 

Commenting on the current situation of the sector, Antonio Perlot, ACEM Secretary General, said: "The registration figures for the year 2021 confirm the recovery of the market, after the impact of COVID-19 in the first months of last year. If we look at motorcycle and moped registrations combined, the key European markets have grown continuously between 2019 and 2021."
"Even more, if we consider the moped and the motorcycle segment separately, each of them had a higher number of registrations in 2021 than in 2019. This upward trend for three consecutive years confirms the attractiveness of our vehicles is well present, even in the current context, both as urban mobility solutions and as leisure opportunities."

BMW

2022 BMW K1600 updated

When BMW failed to upgrade the K1600's unique six-cylinder engine to meet Euro 5 emissions rules (in time for 1st January 2021 implementation) there were fears that the bikes could be phased out - but BMW has launched an emissions-friendly K1600 range for 2022.
While the line-up is unaltered, with the K1600 GT, K1600 GTL, K1600 B and K1600 Grand America in the range, all the models have been improved for next year.

It turns out that getting the 1,649 cc inline six to pass Euro 5 limits wasn't too hard. An additional set of lambda sensors in the exhausts, allied to a pair of knock sensors and some reprogrammed electronic controls were all it took, resulting in no loss of peak power. In fact, the 160 hp maximum - modest for the engine's size and six-cylinder layout - now arrives 1,000 rpm lower than before at a mere 6,750 rpm, with peak torque rising from 129 lb-ft to nearly 133 lb-ft and arriving at 5,250 rpm.
The engine updates also include the addition of adjustable engine brake control, helping to prevent rear wheel lock-up on downshifts, and the ability to run on lower-octane fuel than the recommended 95 RON when necessary.
Chassis-wise, the electronic suspension is improved for 2022 with a six-axis sensor that helps automatically adjust the front and rear damping, but from a rider's perspective the biggest updates are the on-board technology - comprehensively updated, including the addition of a new TFT screen - measuring 10.25" corner-to-corner - with a split-screen function to allow instruments and navigation to share the same space. Programmable buttons in the fairing side can be assigned to a variety of functions, and since the display has phone connectivity, BMW has even incorporated a phone cubby above the dash.

Norton Motorcycles

Norton V4 reborn as V4SV

Under new ownership, the Norton brand is bringing back the V4. After Norton Motorcycles (UK) Ltd folded early in 2020 - with its remains being sold piecemeal by liquidators - the depths of the problems with the company's flagship V4 superbike started to emerge. Now, after months of work to fix and improve the bike, it's heading back into production.

The current iteration of Norton might have a familiar name and logo, but it's a new company, The Norton Motorcycle Co Ltd, owned by Indian bike-making giant TVS, which bought the brand and other assets when the old company was liquidated. Originally, there were hopes that the handful of V4SS models that had reached customers would be able to be repaired and improved, but having discovered a list of 35 faults, 20 of them safety issues, the company has decided that's not viable. It continues to try to support customers where possible but isn't liable for the flaws in the old bikes.
The new Norton V4SV might look near identical to the previous V4SS, but it's had some big changes to fix the previous problems.
Under the carbon fibre skin lies essentially the same 1,200 cc V4 engine, albeit with flaws in the original addressed. Power is down from the previous 200 hp to a more modest 185 hp at 12,500 rpm and torque is reduced from 130 Nm to 125 Nm at 9,000 rpm, but the bore, stroke, V-angle and compression ratio are all the same as before.
It sits in the same TIG-welded aluminium tube frame, with off-the-shelf Öhlins NIX 30 forks and TTXGP shock, with Brembo brakes - all proven parts. On board, there's a 6" TFT dash, keyless start and, as before, a rear-facing camera, although it doesn't replace the mirrors.

Two versions are to be offered, one in bare carbon, with carbon fibre BST wheels, the other finished in silver - rather than the chrome-effect of the original - and using forged alloy Oz-Racing rims in red.
One major change that's yet to be seen is the exhaust. The original V4s were never given full emissions certification, but the new version is intended to achieve Euro 5, and as such will get a compliant catalytic converter and silencer in final production form, with the race-style pipe seen here offered for track use.

Mahindra and TVS

Mahindra and TVS developing
flex-fuel bikes
By Ben Purvis


While the recent rise to 10% bioethanol in standard UK petrol has already made waves among riders - particularly owners of older bikes that might not be able to use the new fuel - spare a thought for Indian motorcyclists and manufacturers as they will soon have to deal with much higher levels of ethanol.
Under current plans, India intends to up bioethanol levels to 20% in standard petrol in 2025, and the country’s government has asked manufacturers to examine the possibility of a shift to 100% ethanol blends in the future. As a result, both Mahindra and TVS are reported to have started projects to develop flex-fuel motorcycles that can run on a wide variety of alcohol levels in their fuel.

Flex-fuel engines are far from new. They’re already commonplace in parts of the world like Brazil, where millions of cars and bikes are able to run on high-ethanol blends as well as more conventional petrol. In much of Europe and North America, ethanol mixes of up to 85% (E85) are widely available, retaining 15% fossil fuel petrol to help alleviate problems starting pure ethanol (E100) engines at low temperatures. In many areas, winter-grade fuel with lower ethanol content is supplied during cold weather.
In contrast, the Brazilian approach is often to have two separate fuel tanks, a larger one for ethanol fuels up to E100, and a small tank filled with conventional petrol that’s used just during cold starts. These are the sort of issues that TVS and Mahindra will be investigating in their flex-fuel projects.
Whether the same approach will be applied in Europe may depend largely on how quickly electric vehicles are adopted. With many countries aiming to phase out new internal combustion engine vehicles within the next decade or so, there may not be time to fully embrace ethanol fuels and to develop and manufacture vehicles that can use higher percentages of ethanol before companies have to make the wholesale switch to electric power.

Husqvarna

Husqvarna ADV

Since becoming part of the Pierer Industrie Group in 2013 - after six years under BMW ownership - Husqvarna's model range has been exclusively made of single-cylinder machines, but the new Norden 901 changes all that by adopting the engine and chassis from the KTM 890 Adventure.
The Husqvarna road-bike recipe in the Pierer era is familiar; take an existing KTM and transform it with neo-retro styling. The Svartipilen and Vitpilen models have already proved it's a concept that works, spreading across a variety of sizes, but with the Norden the company is entering a new market altogether. Not only by using the LC8c parallel twin engine, but by adding a fairing to the mix to create an adventure bike that draws on 1980s and 90s Paris-Dakar influences.

Norden 901

Since the bike is KTM 890 Adventure-derived, the key specs are identical. Those include the 889 cc capacity, 105 hp and 73.8 lb-ft peaks and the use of WP suspension front and rear. The frame is straight from the Adventure, too, but there are changes to make the Husqvarna a different proposition.
The WP Apex suspension, for instance, has longer travel than the KTM 890 Adventure, with 220 mm stroke at the front and 215 mm movement at the back. In comparison, the 890 Adventure has 200 mm movement at each end, although the more hardcore 890 Adventure R's WP Xplor suspension is longer still, with 240 mm travel. The wheels are identical to the KTM, measuring 21" at the front, 18" rear and fitted with Pirelli Scorpion STR tyres. The brakes are from J.Juan, like the KTM's, but bear Husqvarna branding.
Like the KTM, the Norden's fuel tank is split into two sections, low down either side of the engine, connected to a single filler in the conventional spot, but the Husqvarna's tank is a new moulding to suit its styling. That gives a slightly smaller capacity, although at 19 litres it should still have plenty of range.
As befits the Norden's adventure bike style, the seat is adjustable to either 'high' or 'low' positions, and the bars can be shifted forwards and back by 30 mm to tailor the riding position. Riding modes include Street, Off-Road and Rain as standard, and there's an option fourth 'Explorer' mode that can be dealer-installed as a software update. A 5" TFT display controls it all, as well as the cornering ABS and traction control, which has nine settings. An up/down quickshifter is standard.

Moto Guzzi

Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello

Moto Guzzi isn't generally associated with cutting-edge technology, but the company'sthe new V100 Mandello - which marks the brand's centenary - is an intriguing combination of traditional ideas and futuristic thinking.
The bike's stance and styling are traditional sports tourer, avoiding the trend towards high-rise, adventure-bike-inspired machines, and the V-twin engine's cylinders poking out on either side leave no doubt that it's a Guzzi. But that engine is completely new, and the bike hides technical elements that aren't just new to Guzzi, but new to motorcycling altogether.

Measuring 1,042 cc, the engine differs from previous 'small block' Guzzis by using water cooling, helping it along to a peak power of 115 hp and max torque of 77 lb-ft. Not earth-shattering numbers, but plenty for a bike like this. It drives through a shaft hidden inside a newly designed single-sided swingarm and differs from previous Guzzis by having cylinder heads rotated 90 degrees, with the intakes in the middle of the 'V' and the exhaust pointing downwards. Those heads hold twin camshafts and four valves per cylinder.
However, it's the bodywork that, despite its conventional appearance, hides the V100's big news. As well as an electrically adjustable screen, there are automatic, electric wind deflectors mounted on either side of the 17.5 litre tank. These flaps shift position depending on speed and the selected riding mode, deflecting air around the rider and creating genuinely 'active' aerodynamics. Guzzi says that they help reduce wind blast on the rider to make the V100 feel like a machine with a much fuller fairing.
Elsewhere, there are four riding modes, four traction control settings, three engine braking levels and three power maps for the engine, plus cornering lights and an IMU to ensure the ABS and traction control work even when the bike is banked over.
Guzzi will offer two versions, with the base V100 supplemented by a higher-spec version using Öhlins Smart EC 2.0 semi-active suspension, a quickshifter and multimedia control through the TFT dashboard.

Benelli

Benelli TRK702 and reborn TNT899 - new twin and triple from Benelli

In Italy Benelli's TRK502 is proving to be a roaring success - regularly topping sales charts - and now a larger-capacity machine with the same style has been type-approved in China, where most modern Benellis are built.
The TRK702 looks near identical to the TRK502, but confusingly it adds yet another parallel twin engine to the company's range. At the moment Benelli has two parallel twins. The smaller engine is made in 250 cc, 300 cc and 500 cc forms, with a 550 cc version recently shown in China, too. 

TRK702X

The larger one, which is effectively two thirds of the old 1,130 cc triple used in the TNT 1130, measures 754 cc and is used in models like the Benelli 752S and the Leoncino 800. However, the TRK702, which has yet to be officially revealed, uses neither of these designs - instead adopting a 693 cc twin that appears near identical to the motor used in CFMoto's 700CL-X.
According to the official type-approval documents, the engine is made by Benelli's parent company, Qianjiang, so it's not simply a bought-in CFMoto unit despite sharing exactly the same capacity and appearing visually similar.
The TRK702's specs show that it makes 75 hp, which puts it very close to the 81 hp achieved by the larger, heavier 745 cc engine used in the Leoncino 800. In fact, the engine is even lighter than the 500 cc unit from the TRK502, leading to the TRK702 - which is visually almost indistinguishable from the smaller bike - to weigh less, it's 220 kg wet compared to 235 kg for the TRK502 in the same state.

TNT899

The Chinese type-approvals show that the TRK702 will be made in two forms - an alloy-wheeled, street-oriented model and a TRK702X with wire wheels and a more off-road look. Both use Brembo brakes, and versions with alloy luggage fitted have also been approved for sale.
Another upcoming Benelli to achieve Chinese type-approval is a reborn version of the old TNT899 triple. Looking similar to the earlier model, designed by Adrian Morton, the updated machine has been modified to meet newer emissions limits, with a carbon canister visible, mounted on the side of the engine, to help reduced evaporative emissions. The power matches the old model (118 hp), and it weighs 220 kg ready-to-ride including fuel.