BMW Motorrad

BMW - mixed results for H1

A total of 107,555 BMW motorcycles and scooters were delivered to customers in the period January to June 2022, down slightly (-0.1%) on the 107,610 units sold in the first half of 2021. Q2 saw 60,152 units delivered, -7.5% down compared to 65,018 units in Q2, 2021.

For H1, 2022 revenues were up slightly at € 1,663m (+2.6%), with Q2 accounting for greater than half of that at € 864m (-0.5% compared to Q2, 2021).
Motorcycle segment EBIT for H1, 2022 totalled € 235m, which was -17.3% compared to the same period of 2021; with an EBIT margin of 14.1% (HY1 2021: 17.5%; Q2 2022: 14.7%; Q2 2021: 17.2%).
Speaking in corporate terms, the BMW Group says that it expects the current "high volatility to continue" through H2 - "we expect business conditions to remain difficult. The ongoing supply bottlenecks, particularly for semiconductors, the war in Ukraine and interruptions in supply chains have led to a decline in deliveries".
Also primarily addressing its automotive markets, BMW says that "the percentage of electrified vehicles should still increase significantly, and sales of fully electric vehicles are expected to more than double".
As an indicator of the transport market's 'direction of travel' it is interesting to note that this amounted to 75,890 fully electric vehicles of all kinds in the first six months of 2022 and that electrified vehicles’ share of total deliveries (which includes hybrids) rose to 15.9% from 11.4% in the first half of 2021.

News Briefs

Barcelona based luggage manufacturer SHAD has won two ABC Mobility Awards for 2022 for its TR40 adventure saddlebags and the upcoming TR55 aluminium top case for two helmets. These are the sixth and seventh international design awards for SHAD's TERRA range in just two years. The prestigious ABC Mobility Awards are design awards given by the German Design Council.

It's official! The new world record attempt by Polini Motori and the journalist Valerio Boni - the "24h Polini Minibike" - has now received the official record from the Guinness Book of Records. The purpose of the challenge was to cover as many kilometres on a minibike as possible in 24 hours. On the 7 Laghi track in Castelletto di Branduzzo (PV), Valerio, helped by the Polini team's staff, the new record is now officially recognised at 751.488 km - a total of 1,236 laps - using a single Polini 910 Carena RS HP 6.2 minibike with 17 stops for refuelling, one front and three rear tyre changes, one new chain, two pairs of new pads and one clutch. Hurrah!

Airoh has been named the official helmet of the Enduro KTM Trophy.

Enduro tyre specialist Borilli Racing of Brazil has announced a € 5.7m investment for the construction of a new plant in Tapejara, Brazil. The new plant will be 100% automated and have a capacity of 600 tons/month of rubber processing.

Following the recent news that Piaggio is to run a share buyback programme, BMW AG has announced that it will buy back its own shares up to € 2bn from July 2022 to Dec 2023. The re-acquired shares will be largely cancelled, reducing outstanding share capital accordingly. This is a first stage in an AGM authorisation for BMW AG to buy back up to 10% of its share capital within five years.

Ducati has opened a new mono-brand flagship store in Barcelona, "just a few metres from the Sagrada Familia". There is a historical link between Barcelona and Ducati - the Catalan city was the only place outside Italy to produce Ducati motorbikes. They were made under licence between 1960 and the end of the 1970s. Ducati bikes won the 24 Hours of Montjuïc for 12 of the 36 times they entered.


Anoka, Minnesota based Bell Helmets owner Vista Outdoor Inc. has "entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Irvine, California based Fox Racing, a global icon in performance motocross, mountain bike and lifestyle gear for adventure seekers". The initial purchase price is said to be $540m. Founded in 1974 by Geoff Fox, a Ph.D. who taught physics at the University of Santa Clara, Moto-X Fox started as a small distribution business for European MX parts and accessories in a 1,500 sq ft building in Campbell, California. Fox Racing grew net sales by approx. 20% CAG from calendar year 2019 to 2021 and is expected to grow in excess of that in 2022.

The name American Bantam is to make a powersports industry comeback. The Pennsylvania business was the designer and builder of the original U.S. Army Jeep in 1940. The new American Bantam Car Corp. will introduce what it is describing as a new class of vehicle - "Street-Legal Off Road" - designed for ATV/SxS buyers. CEO and founder Charlie Paglee describes American Bantam as "a heritage mobility brand bringing cutting-edge plug-in hybrid-electric powertrain technology to propel the off-road industry into the 21st century."

The death of Fraser Scott has been announced - the founder of revolutionary chain oiling tech manufacturer Scottoiler.

Cardo has partnered with KTM to provide a special edition of KTM Packtalk Edge rider communications suite. Featuring a distinctive KTM orange finish, the recently released EDGE includes second-generation Dynamic Mesh Communication (DMC) connectivity, audio clarity from JBL, Natural Voice Operation technology, an enhanced microphone and noise cancellation system, faster pairing in DMC and Bluetooth modes, and is capable of connecting up to 15 riders with a range of nearly one mile.

Piaggio Group has signed an agreement with a consortium of banks to extend and increase its revolving line of credit to € 200m. This is up from the € 187.5m credit facility signed in 2018. The money is from Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Banca Nazionale del Lavoro, HSBC, Intesa Sanpaolo, ING Bank and Unicredit. "The main purpose of the agreement is to extend the revolving credit facility expiring in July 2022 by two and a half years and improve the quality of the Piaggio Group's debt profile by expanding its financial flexibility and residual average life".


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

Athena

YZ450F 2020-22 Big Bore and stock replacement cylinder kits

Once again, Athena has surpassed itself with these new Big Bore and Standard Bore kits for Yamaha YZ450F 2020-2022, designed and manufactured in Italy for "performance, reliability and endurance". 

Big Bore cylinder kit

"Tested on the bench and on the track, both kits can be installed without having to make any changes to the motorbike crankcase, and include the forged piston designed by Athena, the aluminium cylinder with self-lubricating and anti-seizure coating on the barrel and the corresponding range of gaskets made using Athena's 40 plus years of gasket manufacturing experience".
The new Athena Big Bore cylinder boasts excellent torque and power performance, delivering 6 hp more than the original set-up. To achieve this, Athena says that its engineers "designed top-quality, high-precision components.

Standard Bore cylinder kit

"The aluminium cylinder in this cylinder kit features 102 mm bore, which provides a significant increase in torque and power at low, medium and high revs. The forged piston included in the kit was designed by Athena engineers together with the cylinder to create a system that performs even better than the original. The results obtained from bench and track tests also demonstrated an increase in the compression ratio".
Athena has also researched and re-engineered the Standard Bore cylinder kit. It ensures the same durability and reliability as the original kit, and at the same time maintains the new features of the YZ450 F 2020-2022 engine.
Athena's new aluminium cylinder has been heat-treated to improve its mechanical properties and to ensure maximum resistance even at high temperatures; the included forged piston has a molybdenum disulphide coating on the shell - which further reduces friction and improves the sliding.

ATHENA
www.athena.eu

HP Corse

HP Corse SP-1 Short for 649 cc X-CAPE

Owned by Italian hydroforming experts Steelform, Italian performance exhaust specialist HP Corse has turned its attention to the new Moto Morini X-CAPE 649 cc, 60 hp adventure bike.

The company's new 300 mm SP-1 Short, in ultra-light weight grey or ceramicised black titanium, is a simple, minimalist 'Less is More' oval design high line exhaust with conical end cap and hydroformed end spout that guarantees a performance-optimising, uninterrupted gas flow.

Available in two versions - Euro 5 and RACE only - with the optional 'Decat' tube (in TIG-welded low thickness CNC-bent stainless steel), it has a carbon fibre heatshield, crankcase catalyst protection, hand TIG-welded frame bracket in reinforced titanium and laser-engraved HP Corse titanium logo and Euro 5 engraved approval (134/2014 and 2016/1824G).

HP CORSE by STEELFORM SRL
www.hpcorse.com

Kappa

Kappa 'Stryker' soft bags

Last year Kappa launched 'Stryker', a design line initially consisting of two universal and expandable soft bags. The collection now has an additional three new items: the ST102W waterproof cylinder bag, the ST103W saddle bag and the practical ST104W cargo bag. All models share the same materials, adjustable straps for quick attachment and the "decidedly inclusive price".

All bags are adaptable to all motorcycle models with a practical and secure fastening system. They are made of durable, seamless, high-frequency welded tarpaulin PVC and equipped with a practical twist lock, ensuring that contents stay dry. The bags are made in accordance with Reach regulations and are waterproof and wear-resistant.
With a 30-litre capacity and a fairly compact size, the ST102W cylinder bag can be attached to the saddle or rack via two adjustable elastic straps supplied. There is also an easy-carry handle and a shoulder strap. Dimensions are 50 x 27 x 27 cm (l x h x d).
The ST103W saddle bag has a 40-litre capacity, and attachment is also by two supplied adjustable universal elastic straps. Dimensions are 54 x 30 x 30 cm (l x h x d).
The ST104W is a versatile and compact 15-litre capacity cargo model, also ideal for carrying by hand, that can be attached to the rack or on top of the side case using four adjustable and universal straps. Technical features include a practical rear mesh pocket, reflective prints for improved visibility and a reinforced interior to provide greater support to the structure of the bag. Dimensions are 38 x 26 x 16 cm (l x h x d).

KAPPA
www.kappamoto.com

Koso Europe

Koso RX3 series

The high-tech digital instrumentation specialist Koso's RX3 multifunction meter is compact, lightweight, easy to use and ideally suited for motorcycles, trikes or scooters.
Functions such as speedometer, rev counter, odometer, gear indicator, target distance or target speed and many more are integrated in the multifunction meter.

The RX3 is available in two versions: with a display of 15,000 rpm and the latest version, the RX3 unlimited, with a display of 10,000 rpm.
The RX3 features a brightly coloured 3.5" TFT LCD display in a modern design and with a brand-new, user-friendly interface.
The background can be personalised by choosing from five different colours and the brightness setting guarantees the readability of the display day and night.

KOSO EUROPE
www.kosoeurope.com

Lightech

High-tech, lightweight licence plate holders and LED options

One of the staples of the parts and accessory industry in Europe are replacement licence plate holders. Whether its regulations or cost, nearly all OEM licence plates can be improved to look more stylish, be lighter or simply have better ergonomics.
Italian manufacturer Lightech is a major player in this space, with a range of designs for an unmatched selection of models and the deep inventory to match.

Lightech licence plate holders are made in a special PA12 polymer compound mixed with carbon fibre for strength, durability, light weight, vibration resistance and stylish good looks. The license plate holder is available either as a basic license plate holder without accessories or as kit that includes a reflector and a patented license plate light design.
The license plate light is called 'PYTHON' and is 100% made in Italy. This light has powerful LEDs - four white and two red - for combined use as a rear light or additional brake light.
The reflector and the license plate light are E approved (European Approval), while the license plate holder kits are TÜV approved (KBA 91919), therefore all in full compliance with the rules for street use. There is an adjustable reflector support and a special sliding bracket, which allow the installation of the OEM indicators or aftermarkets indicators (where possible).

 

Each Lightech licence plate holder is developed for specific bikes/models, but Lightech has also created a universal version (TAR013), which is provided with an application kit. Lightech has also developed different plate supports according to the size of the licence plates in use - six different models are available. Special coloured Ergal (zinc aluminium alloy) bolts and washer kits are sold separately for a full customisation.
Lightech also offers a wide range of approved LED turn signals for its (and other) licence plate holders - some in ABS, some in aluminium. Some models are only turn signals, other models are multi-functional.
The company has also invested in the research and development of a new line of patented LED turn signal designs with Multipixel Technology and two other designs that offer a direction indicator and front white light, or direction indicator and rear brake light.

LIGHTECH S.R.L.
www.lightech.it