Landport

Landport expands SLA battery range - showing at INTERMOT and EICMA

Dutch battery specialist Landport is one vendor who is definitely not reducing its brand support at present. Understanding the value of maintaining and developing brand profile and recognition even when times are uncertain, it will be exhibiting at both INTERMOT (Köln, October 5-9) and EICMA in Milan (November 9-13).

Based at Raamsdonksveer (near Breda and Dordrecht in the Netherlands), Landport is a European battery specialist with almost 30 years of experience in importing and distributing batteries. "We offer an extensive range of batteries and battery chargers for various powersports, automotive and industrial applications," says Landport's Bart van Abeelen.
"We focus on long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships with our customers and suppliers, and we strive for absolute customer satisfaction along the way. With our own 'LP' brand, we serve the European aftermarket, offering one of the most complete ranges of powersports batteries available in Europe. 

"During the last motorcycle season, we saw that the demand for sealed batteries continued to increase massively. This is the result of the new regulations forbidding the sale of sulphuric acid to end-users since 2021.
"Most of our customers are switching their business from batteries with acid packs (conventional and AGM) to completely sealed alternatives (SLA and GEL). The main advantage of these is that they are factory-activated (filled and charged) and therefore ready to use. No acid handling is needed. 

"We have responded to this increased demand by expanding our range of SLA batteries. If you visit our stands during INTERMOT (stand H7 C031) and EICMA (H9 A70), we will be able to tell you all about our comprehensive SLA range and other technologies.
"The LP brand is available in six series with a total of 200 battery models suitable for motorcycles, scooters, all-terrain vehicles, jet skis, snowmobiles and lawn mowers - a massive range of applications.
"We offer the series DRY (conventional battery with acid pack), AGM (battery with fitting acid pack), SLA (completely sealed AGM battery), GEL (completely sealed GEL battery), LFP (lithium lifepo4 battery), and HVT (specially for heavy V-twin motorcycles). Contact us for an appointment, and we hope to see you soon on our stands."
www.landportbv.com

Ducati

Ducati Fiscals - H1 2022

Ducati says that it saw "record revenue for the first half of 2022 at € 542m, the highest figure ever recorded for the company in the first six months of the year, generating a € 68m operating profit (up over H1, 2021) on 33,265 motorbikes delivered".
The Multistrada V4 was the most popular model (6,139 units), followed by the Monster (4,776) and the Scrambler 800 family (3,999). "Demand remains high with an order portfolio up 86% over the same period last year".

Claudio Domenicali, Ducati CEO: "2022 is proving to be a more challenging year."

The company says that these "excellent results were despite the challenges imposed by the ongoing supply and logistics crisis. In the period from January to June 2022, the company's revenue grew by +5.4%, with operating profit +14.8% increase over the first half of 2021.
Deliveries were -3.6% compared to the year-ago period - largely due to the supply crisis.
Claudio Domenicali, Ducati CEO, said: "2021 was a record year for Ducati with the best result ever in terms of deliveries, revenues and operating profit. 2022 is proving to be a more challenging year, despite strong demand from enthusiasts, as evidenced by the order portfolio, which at the end of the first half is up +86% over the same period of 2021.
Italy was again the best market for Ducati with 6,028 motorcycles delivered, followed by North America (5,239 units), Germany (3,745) and France (2,647). Chinese sales were +12% at 2,411 motorcycles delivered.

 

"Ducati shipped 33,265 bikes in the first half of 2022, which was actually -3.6% down on 2021, with the Multistrada the top-seller (6,139 units), followed by the Monsters and the Scrambler 900s.

Ducati says it "continues its ambitious development path" and plans "entry into new market segments" with all investments self-financed". To date, the Ducati network has 797 dealerships in over 90 countries around the world, with 21 new outlets opened in the first six months of 2022.

Honda

Honda Hornet 750 parallel twin

Honda has been teasing its new Hornet project since last year, but the company has finally revealed some genuine photographic evidence along with the first specifications.
There's already a 745 cc twin in Honda's range, powering the NC750 line of bikes, but the new 755 cc twin for the Hornet (and the upcoming Transalp 750) is a very different proposition, despite sharing some characteristics. Like the NC engine and the Africa Twin's 1,084 cc twin, the Hornet's 755 cc unit uses the Unicam cylinder head arrangement, with a single camshaft acting directly on the intake valves and opening the exhausts via rockers. It's a compact layout that helps reduce both the size of the engine and its parts count. 

In terms of performance, the new Hornet engine is superior to the NC750 engine. Despite only a 10 cc capacity advantage, it offers a peak of 90.5 hp at 9,500 rpm, much more than the lazy 57 hp at 6,750 rpm of the NC. Torque is also up, from 50.9 lb-ft to 55.3 lb-ft, coming at 7,250 rpm. This new Hornet engine uses a 270-degree firing interval to replicate the throb of a 90-degree V-twin, and it will benefit from electronic throttles and the usual array of traction control and riding mode software.

The Hornet Test Project Leader is Fuyuki Hosokawa, who led the development of the current Fireblade. He said: "Before starting this project, we thought long and hard about what kind of performance we wanted to give to the rider. We knew that it was essential to keep the classic Hornet top end power 'hit' and at the same time, as a new generation Hornet for modern times, we wanted the engine to have a really strong torquey feel and 'throbbing' sensation at low to mid rpm.
"To get the kind of performance and lightweight handling we wanted, we knew we had to develop an all-new, short-stroke, twin-cylinder engine with a 270° crankshaft. This would not only deliver that top-end rush, but also the sporty lowdown torque, ideal for riding in urban environments and powering out of corners on the open road."

QJMotor

QJMotor - three models on sale in Germany

A couple of years ago, the QJMotor brand didn't even exist, but the company, an offshoot of the huge Qianjiang concern that owns Benelli, already has 37 models in production across every major market segment and promises even more. Until now, they've only been available in China, but the first export models have been given European type-approval and have gone on sale in Germany.

SRK400

Initially, the German market range starts with just three machines, but that number is going to grow throughout 2023. The first bikes are the SRK700, a modern, naked roadster built around a parallel twin engine, the SRK400 with similar looks but a smaller twin, and the SRV550, a more retro-styled offering using yet another parallel twin.

SRK700

The SRK700 is one of QJMotor's most recent models and the debut platform for a new twin that appears to be very similar to the engine used in the CFMoto 700 CL-X. The same engine is due to appear in future Benelli models, including the new TRK 702, and makes a claimed 73.4 hp in Euro 5-certfied form, with 67 Nm of torque - matching the Yamaha MT-07, its obvious target.
In Germany, the 196 kg SRK700 is substantially cheaper than the Yamaha MT-07 or the CFMoto 700 CL-X. The same applies to the SRK400, which, despite a larger engine, is arguably a rival for the Yamaha MT-03, matching it with 41 hp but more torque at 37 Nm. There's a weight penalty for the bigger engine - the SRK400 is 18 kg heavier than the MT-03 at 186 kg.

SRV550

The more retro-styled SRV550 uses the same 554 cc engine that's due to appear in MV Agusta's Lucky Explorer 5.5 adventure bike - also made by Qianjiang - and the same twin is expected to appear in updated versions of the Benelli TRK 502 and Leoncino 500. It has the same 47 hp output as the smaller 500 cc version of the engine to comply with European A2 licence rules, but makes an additional 6 Nm of torque at 51 Nm.

ACEM

H1 motorcycle registrations -0.5% in 'Big Five' markets

Released in late August, ACEM - Europe's Brussels based international motorcycle industry trade association - shows registrations of motorcycles and mopeds in Europe's largest markets remaining "stable" for the first half of 2022.
"Registrations of new motorcycles in five of the largest European markets (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and UK) showed a slight decrease of -0.5% (532,980 units) during the first six months of 2022, compared to the same period of 2021 (532,460 units)". The 'Big Five' markets account for just over 80% of European registrations.

Some of the largest European motorcycle markets registered increases, including Germany (117,800 motorcycles registered, +1.7%) and Spain (91,870 units, +10.7%). Registrations decreased in France (108,000 units, -6.4%), Italy (161,500 units, -2.8%) and the UK (53,650 motorcycles registered, -2.3%) compared to the first half of 2021.
The moped segment performed slightly better during the first six months of 2022. Moped registrations reached a total of about 134,500 units in the six largest European moped markets (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain). This represents an increase of +1.0 % in comparison to the first six months of 2021.

Commenting on the current situation of the sector, Antonio Perlot, ACEM Secretary General, said: "In recent months, two-wheeler sales have been affected by logistic disruptions at international level. This led to a backlog in vehicle deliveries in several European markets. Sales were also affected by rising energy costs and inflation, higher interest rates and broad economic uncertainty.
"Registrations for mopeds and motorcycles in Europe remained stable in comparison to the first half of 2021. Due to their relatively low purchasing and running costs, two-wheelers have fared much better than other private means of transport.
"We will know whether 2022 was a good year for our sector when the aggregated figures for the first nine months of the year become available." That data may not be available from ACEM until after EICMA.

Dorna

Dorna signs Saudi Arabia MotoGP deal

Madrid based Dorna Sports, the FIM's MotoGP rights holder, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Motorsport Company (SMC) to host a MotoGP round in Saudi Arabia - SMC is the dedicated commercial entity established to bring the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's (KSA) motorsport events under a single umbrella.
SMC acts as the local promoter for KSA's growing motorsport events portfolio, which currently includes the Formula 1 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the Formula E Diriyah ePrix, the world-renowned Dakar Rally and an annual round of the Extreme E series. 

Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta (left) with HRH Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al Abdullah Al-Faisal, Chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF) and the Saudi Motorsport Company (SMC).

The signing of the deal took place in September at the San Marino Grand Prix by HRH Prince Khalid Bin Sultan Al Abdullah Al-Faisal, Chairman of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation and the Saudi Motorsport Company and by Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta.
Commenting on the deal, Dorna stated: "The FIM MotoGP World Championship is watched by more than 800 million people, broadcasting live to more than 200 countries around the world. The addition of Saudi Arabia to the MotoGP calendar on an annual basis will see the sport expanding further into the Middle East, with Qatar currently hosting the only round in the region.
"The partnership initiative between SMC and Dorna will also see the establishment of a new talent development programme for young Saudi riders, designed to increase awareness of and accessibility to the sport in the Kingdom."
Carmelo Ezpeleta is quoted as saying: "As the leading global championship for two-wheel circuit racing, we are thrilled at this opportunity for MotoGP to expand its reach within the Middle East by adding an annual GP in Saudi Arabia. The region is a key market for motorsport and the demand in the Kingdom for events of this kind is growing, with research showing that 80% of Saudi fans wanting to see more in their country."

SIDI

SIDI celebrating Nancy van de Ven's WMX win

Dutchwoman Nancy van de Ven (25) ended the 2022 season at the top of the overall standings in the Women's Motocross World Championship with 201 points, ahead of Lynn Valk, second, and Larissa Papenmeier, third.
"The season started really well for me as I won in Mantua, where I also took the red plate. Of course, my main goal is always to win. But the races are really demanding, and things don't always go as you would like. Despite a crash in Portugal, and some bad luck in Sardinia, now I'm over the moon, I've done it - now I am leading the ranking and I have finally won my first world title.

"I have to thank everyone for their support, my family, the team, the fans and the sponsors. I couldn't be happier to have a company like SIDI by my side. They are always available, they support me regardless of the results, they have total faith in me, as I have in them. I am enormously grateful to them."
Nancy has worn various models of boots during her nine-year career before turning to the 'Atojo', which was officially added to the Treviso-based company's product range at the end of 2019. SIDI says that "these boots offer high resistance, comfort and quality materials to ensure the rider's riding sensibility and perfect feeling with the bike". 

"I appreciated the 'Atojo' from the first moment I wore them," explained van de Ven. "They are very light and absolutely flexible. I only need one riding session to be able to use them in the race. It's amazing. They are very comfortable and I feel protected. They last really long, and I really like their modern look - quite different from a lot of other models I see around."
www.sidisport.com