Euro Gossip July 2007

Austria

Last month we mentioned new KTM bikes using the new LC4-690 motor, which it now seems will power quite a few bikes in a new lineup. It has already been spotted mounted in a full-on sportbike disguised as a Cagiva Mito being ridden at the Hungaroring racetrack in Hungary. Given that the fairing normally envelopes a small 125, it gives you some idea how compact the new bike is likely to be, despite using many of the current Supermoto's components. Given that the engine gives 65 hp at present, it should be good for 70-plus when the bike is finally finished, which will make it quite desirable as a lightweight sports machine.

KTM has not denied they are working on it, although there are no dates for the bike's release. However, the KTM Duke III, which also uses the same powerplant, is expected to break cover later this year.

Now that World Superbike rules have been altered to allow 1200cc V-twins and Ducati have shown their new contender (see Italy/Ducati), expect to see the KTM RC8 Superbike get a bigger engine. Rumors suggest it could go as far as 1199cc despite the 1190cc that it has already gone to on the bench!

Just three months after the X-Bow sports car was launched, KTM has announced the 1000th order, numbers which I am sure some of the established specialist sports car makers would like to post!

Czechoslovakia

In an interesting move which could give more credence to rumors emanating from BMW about more bikes moving away from shaft drive, CZ Chains has signed an exclusive contract with BMW to become the OEM for BMW's motorcycle division. CZ will supply the timing chains for all 'Boxer' engines as well as O-ring chains for the GS 650 models. (CZ is already the OEM supplier to Husqvarna, KTM, Gas Gas and Beta)

Germany

The biennial Intermot trade show will take place at the Koelnmesse in Cologne on October 8-12, 2008. Last year the event attracted 1122 exhibiting companies from 36 countries and 187,000 visitors, which included 52,000 from the trade. See www.intermot-koeln.de for more information.

MZ has been very quiet in the past few years and has not appeared at any international shows. Now it appears that they have been quietly working away and we can expect to see five new models very soon including a 250 Supermoto. Watch this space for more information as soon as it becomes available!

Wunderlich, the German tuning house, has now created its own version of the BMW HP2 based on a stock R1200GS. Called the WR2, it is very light at 179kg (20 kg lighter than standard) and has an increased power output. The engine produces 20 hp more thanks to their 'Chilipower' tuning package. Different suspension is used, which increases the ground clearance and the bike is clothed in carbon fiber bodywork to help with the weight reduction. All parts are available separately, allowing customers to adapt their own bikes according to the depth of their pockets!

In addition, they have just launched additional pannier petrol tanks for the GS range, which carry an additional 18 liters (4.75 gallon) of fuel. This makes the overall capacity 38 liters (10.04 gallons), which should give a very useful range, even if they do cost $1900 with their built-in spot lights!

Still claiming to be Germany's oldest motorcycle manufacturer, Sachs, is poised to launch a sporty new 2-stroke scooter that offers the styling and performance normally associated with European models at a price that is closer to budget Chinese products. Called the Speedforce, it is manufactured in China to keep production costs low, but designed and engineered in Germany, to keep quality high. In terms of specification, the Speedforce certainly has got what it takes to compete in the sports scooter market. Angular bodywork, twin headlights, sports mirrors and a mini fairing around the dashboard are bang up-to-date. Twelve-inch black 6-spoke alloy wheels are fitted with sports profile tires and the 160mm front disc brake provides more than adequate stopping power. Its 50cc air-cooled 2-stroke motor meets current European emission requirements. At 87kg (191.80 lbs) this is one of the lighter scooters on the market, giving it a good power-to-weight ratio.

Italy

Roberto Colaninno, the chairman of the Piaggio Group, announced at the recent annual shareholders meeting that the group would shortly begin construction of a 10 million euro scooter factory in Vietnam. In addition, there would be 44 million euro invested in India, which would include a manufacturing plant for light diesel engines. In an effort to cut costs and to help fund these investments, more components would be sourced from China in the future. A total of 25 totally new products would be launched in 2008, including 55 new models, he concluded.

It is certainly no secret and one we have been mentioning in this column for a long time, but now a picture of Aprilia's 1000cc V-4 Superbike has been seen outside the factory. Looking every inch a MotoGP clone, it is likely to be officially seen in public at the end of this year, although it will not be on sale until 2009. You may well remember the engine, a 65-degree V-4, was actually shown to the public at shows last year, but nothing in the way of styling or the chassis details has been leaked before.

It would appear that the bike will use an aluminum beam frame to mount the 210-hp motor which, it is hoped, will be a lot better than the competition's, like Ducati's Desmocedici RR. The bike will hopefully cost less than half of the Ducati, although given the lead time, this is difficult to accurately predict until the final production version is revealed and production costs known.

Also leaked at the same time were pictures of the new half-faired version of the Shiver we have also previously mentioned!

Benelli continues to steam ahead with new models thanks to the Chinese owners pumping in more money to R&D. Seen recently is a 450 motocross bike, which they were quite open about when questioned. However, also spotted was a Supermoto version, which seems to make sense, but one they would not talk about. Look out for both at Milan is all my informant would say!

As reported last month, Frederico Minoli, the former CEO of Ducati, has now departed and Gabriele Del Torchio has taken his place. However, according to recently released figures, he has left them well on the road to financial recovery and in good financial health. The figures published for the first quarter of this year show revenue increased by 24.5% to 64.5 million Euro ($89.11 million U.S.). Operating profit increased by a staggering 55.4% to 6.2 million Euro ($8.57 million U.S.) and net profit went from 1 million Euro ($1.38 million U.S.) in the first three months of last year to 3.8 million Euro ($5.25 million U.S.) for a similar period this year. The rises are attributed mainly to the success of the 1098, but the factory actually shipped 8903 machines of all types to its dealer network. All regions apart from France and Japan showed increases in sales during this period.

According to Ducati over 25,000 tickets were sold for the fifth World Ducati Week (WDW) that took place at the revamped Misano race track on Italy's Adriatic Coast. Riders came from over 28 different countries to take part in this event that was last run in 2004.

The Ducati Desmosedici RR made its first ever public appearance in action around the Misano Circuit on the Saturday ridden by official Ducati MotoGP Team test rider, Vittoriano Guareschi. The pre-production version of the L-four cylinder MotoGP machine took to the circuit for a 15 minute session to demonstrate its 200-hp performance. Over 170 people from 19 countries have already placed orders for the bike that is going into production this autumn.

The Ducati 1098 F08, Ducati's future World Superbike challenger, also made its public debut with a number of laps, ridden by two-time World Superbike champion Troy Bayliss. The 1098 F08 machine, which is still in its factory development stage, sported a plain black carbon-fiber bodywork and aluminum fuel-tank. The 1098 F08 will replace the 999 and fully complies with the draft regulations for the World Superbike Championship issued by the FIM.

Meanwhile, development of the 848, the smaller brother to the 1098, is on hold while orders for the 1098 are met. However, expect to see it on display at the Milan show at the end of this year.

Earlier this year we mentioned that the Moto Morini MM3 had been given the green light for production, but now it seems that the project has been shelved in favor of a BMW GS-styled bike! No reasons have been given.

The Beta Rev-3, a 50cc trials, bike has been completely redesigned with a brand new frame and engine. This new model has a new six-speed engine compared to the old four-speed model, which will give the rider a better choice of gears, vitally important with such a small engine. The new version will also come with a heavy duty clutch as a standard on the engine, which now produces more power than the 2006 bike. The new bike will still have a 19-inch front and 17-inch rear wheels.

United Kingdom

Triumph's worst kept secret, the Street Triple, is now official, as we have predicted for months. The motor is the same as the Daytona 675's but has been retuned to give 107 hp at 11,700 rpm and 51 lb-ft at 9,1000 rpm. The frame too is unaltered, but now forms part of the bike's styling. Conventional brakes replace the radial items to keep the costs down and also help with the weight reduction, bringing the Street Triple down to 167 kg and keeping the cost down to $10,000.

Seminal Sports Car manufacturer Lotus, who also provides automotive engineering solutions for other manufacturers, was asked last year by a British bike magazine to come up with some ideas as to how MotoGP bikes may progress in the future. Their designers suggested amongst other things that adjustable wheelbases may join the list of variables on race bikes. The adjustment would be, according to them, possible by making the swingarm capable of being altered for straight-line stability and then short wheelbase agility on corners. It now seems that they thought the idea has distinct possibilities for use and have now patented the idea in case somebody else wants to use it!

British-based film special effects wizard Chris Corbould has just built the latest vehicle for the new Batman film, 'The Dark Knight.' Called a 'Batpod', the two-wheeled machine will be ridden by top stunt rider Jean-Pierre Goy. It is powered by two engines mounted inside each of the two wheels, which are shod with massive 500-section tires. No details of the engines used for the six bikes have been released, but it is claimed the bike is very fast and will be used as much as possible instead of creating effects digitally. (A Yamaha 250 Catalina was used as the basis for the original sidecar used in earlier films. Most of this was just cosmetic alteration, unlike this new machine which has been built from scratch.)

As for the Rest of the World

China

Last month we reported that Honda had succeeded in winning a trademark case in Chinese court. Now it seems that Yamaha has also won a lawsuit against Chinese motorcycle makers, who it claimed used its logo without authorization. China's Supreme People's Court awarded Yamaha 130 million yen ($1.065 million U.S.) in damages, the largest amount ever in a Chinese lawsuit over a motorcycle trademark. Yamaha had filed the suit against Zhejiang Huatian Industry Co. and three other firms, claiming that they manufactured and sold motorcycles bearing Yamaha's logo without permission. In addition to the damages, the firms were ordered to cease production and sales of the vehicles in question and issue a public apology.

India

As predicted in this column, the home grown Indian factories are on the move globally. TVS, the third largest, has just announced a 50 million Euro ($69.08 million U.S) investment in Indonesia, where it plans to build a factory to act as a hub for its bike manufacturing operation. Initially 300,000 bikes will be built there. Meanwhile, Bajaj, the second-largest producer, already has plants in Indonesia, Nigeria, and Iran, but market leader Hero cannot join them thanks to its tie-up with its partner Honda.

Korea

Hyosung is a name that has been featured more and more in this column thanks to their new impressive range of bikes that are now competing well with Japanese machines. Obviously, their rise has been noticed by others outside the bike industry because the company has just been acquired by another South Korean company. Hyosung Motors and Machinery Inc. has just been acquired by S&T Corporation of South Korea. (S&T stands for Science and Technology) While the bikes will still carry the Hyosung brand name on the tanks, the manufacturing company producing Hyosung motorcycles has been renamed S&T Motors Co. Ltd. (Founded in 1979, the S&T Corporation is one of South Korea's biggest groups, comprising 13 companies and is a world leader in heat exchangers and several other industrial technologies.)
 
Kymco has recently announced an updated version of their Xciting 500 'Superscoot.' This new version features a new fuel-injection system which provides increased power and torque and also complies with the latest Euro 3 emissions laws, making it greener and more fuel efficient. Technically, the new Xciting 500i combines the ease of an automatic transmission with the ability to cruise comfortably at 'real' road speeds. It is powered by a fuel-injected, 4-stroke, DOHC, liquid-cooled engine, giving a claimed top speed of 95 mph. Moving closer to a motorcycle in specifications, it has adjustable hydraulic rear shocks, telescopic front forks, and twin front discs.

And finally

In the Philippines, bikers are facing demands to have their bikes registration numbers painted on both sides of their helmets. The numbers have to be waterproof. The proposal is an effort to help curb crime where bikes are used as the getaway vehicles and the helmets are used to disguise the perpetrators. Let's hope it does not catch on elsewhere, otherwise you may need a helmet for every bike you own!

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