Just as we approach the last of the new bike launches for this year, we also are given some up-to-date trading figures for some of the major players in the bike world. Whilst to most they are boring and irrelevant, they do give an insight as to what is likely to happen in the near future as far as new bikes are concerned. Add to this the increasing news of tie-ups with Chinese and Far East manufacturers.
Aprilia's 850 Mana, released of the recent EICMA show in Milan, offers a completely automatic transmission and sequential shift with 7 gears allowing riders to find the best-adapted configuration for traffic or higher speed riding conditions.
As usual, though, we continue to bring you all the news from Europe and the rest of the world so you remain well informed and can make your own judgements when visiting your local dealers!
Italy
Although this is being written just prior to the Milan Show and all the new bike launches, sources have already confirmed and produced pictures of some of the bikes we have mentioned in this column over the last year from Aprilia. Watch for MCUSA's article with info about the automatic Mana 850 parallel-Twin, the Tuono-ish Shiver 750 V-Twin, and a peek at the new 1000cc V-4 superbike engine claimed to crank out more than 200 horsepower that all emerged for the final major European show of the year.
Piaggio themselves have just announced that its net sales revenue was up by 10.9% to £611m ($222,052,600 US) for the first half of the year. By far the biggest contribution to these profits came from the motorcycle sector which grew 26% thanks to some stunning new bikes from Moto Guzzi. A 60% rise in sales in the USA was also reported at the press conference!
The 500cc Fuoco from the Italian company Gilera serves up a futuristic-looking three-wheeled maxi-scooter.
are set to launch a new three-wheeler maxi-scooter called the Fuoco. The 500cc machine is based on its stablemate the Piaggio MP3, but has been set up for more sportier handling and comes with a fresh new look.
Italian firm Extreme Design has beaten British bike manufacturer
Triumph to the post, with a fully faired Rocket III tourer. We have mentioned the factory version for some months now in this column, but it has yet to be launched. However, Italian businessman Dario Arciprete showed his company's version at the recent Cologne show, much to upset of Triumph themselves who were just down the walk-way. The bike has an all-enveloping fairing and panniers, along with sat-nav and on-bike entertainment. Rumour has it that the price of the touring kit and the bike is less than Triumph will be selling the factory-produced version at, and the bike looks very close to the 'official' version! More information on
www.extremedesign.it
Italian innovation offers another entrant into the twin front wheel set-up as the IRS company displays its transformation of this Suzuki SV1000.
If you want to have something really different to ride round on, then a look at an Italian website may well be worth some of your time. IRS have added a twin front wheel set-up to the front of a Suzuki SV1000 to mimic the Piaggio MP3 twin front wheel scooter, complete with tilting linkage. The machine has a new frame underneath the standard bodywork, which is retained like most of the original donor machine. More information at
www.irs1000.it
China
One of China's largest motorcycle manufacturers,
the Jincheng Corporation has just announced a 'strategic alliance' with Italian manufacturer Aprilia. According to the Beijing Review, Jincheng has been recognized by China's State Administration for Industry and Commerce as "the country's leading brand."
Jincheng Corporation's two-cylinder 4-stroke JC250-6 assists Jincheng's claim as one of China's largest motorcycle manufacturers.
The company actually exported more than 500,000 bikes to 40 countries, (in addition to home sales) and produced annual revenues over $625 million in the 2005 financial year. As a result of such figures, they have headed China's motorcycle industry in terms of exports and foreign exchange income for the past nine years.
Aprilia is of course owned by Piaggio, which owns other brands like
Moto Guzzi and has branches all over Europe which, no doubt was instrumental in the deal with Jincheng. Announcing the tie-up, Wang Jian, president of the Chinese Group of companies said, "This is an outstanding partnership for Jincheng, and a pivotal step towards our global expansion." (Read takeover?)
Jincheng machines are already distributed by Devon Motorcycles in the USA and they also announced that a new Italian-designed 150cc Eupolo Scooter would soon be appearing for this market to join the range of existing small-capacity machines. However, the Aprilia link could soon see some much larger models appearing in the near future.
Austria
KTM has added the Super Duke R streetfighter to its 2007 lineup, with the new model sporting more aggressive steering and increased suspension travel.
have re-engineered the SuperDuke for 2007 and added a tuned version the 'R' for those who want that little bit more. Restyling has taken place, which includes a 25% larger bigger fuel tank to address common complaints about the bikes lack of range. Apart from engine management changes, the motor remains the same as does the main chassis. Radial brakes appear though and the suspension has been tweaked. No prices are available as yet, but expect the bikes to go on sale next spring.
France
PSA,
Peugeot Citroen's Peugeot scooter manufacturing division, has joined the bandwagon and has started to transfer production to the Far East. Like many others, the new joint venture with the ST Jinan Qinqi Motorcycle Company has been forged to help cut costs so they can remain competitive. Initially only the Speedflight model will be manufactured outside its Montbeliard scooter factory in eastern France.
The French Automotive giant has recently announced 10,000 redundancies, or one in 13, of its workforce in Europe! Its new partner currently turns out over a million scooters and motorcycles and already has an existing link with Suzuki.
Germany
Sachs motorcycles has been reorganized into the new Sachs Fahrzeug- und Motorentechnik company, with Germany's oldest motorcycle manufacturer continuing to produces machines like the XTC125.
We recently reported that
Sachs, Germany's oldest motorcycle manufacturer, had gone into liquidation due to a huge pension liability they inherited from the Hercules bicycle operation that they bought in the '60s. Now we can report that they have been rescued by a management buy-out, finally signed at the beginning of November. Sachs Fahrzeug- und Motorentechnik GmbH is now the successor company of the Nuremberg-based Hercules Werke GmbH, which was established in 1886, making this year its 120th anniversary.
The deal was achieved mainly thanks to the insolvency administrator allowing continued trading while legal proceedings went through. This enabled the company to continue to develop new models, such as the stunning new XTC125, recently unveiled at the Intermot fair in Cologne in October (and already selling well), giving them excellent prospects for the future.
Moving on, a 125cc racing machine may hold the technology that will see even more adjustment become available for street machines. The KWS, which stands for Krispler Walter System, runs an advanced version of a hub-centre steering system.
Hub-centre steering is nothing new, but this one differs in that the wheel spindle can be moved forwards or backwards whilst on the move to alter the bikes rake angle for quicker steering when needed. The hub-centre system already separates out steering and suspension, so this is the next stage on from that.
The mighty Honda Motor Company posted a slight decrease (4.3%) in overall second quarter earnings compared to last year, but motorcycle sales showed a healthy gain of 13.1%, with 2,816,000 units sold.
Co-inventor Walter Aschauer said, that he believes whilst it is a good system for the racetrack, its real advantage will be for road bikes. The KWS system enables stability on the open road to be turned into quick response for twisty back roads, making a bike more versatile. There are no production plans at present as the company is looking to sell the patents to a major manufacturer.
Japan
It is that time of the year when we get the trading figures from the 'Big Four' Japanese manufacturers, and these make for some interesting reading! (However, it should be born in mind that overall figures also include cars, power products, ships etc.)
Biggest of all,
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. has announced its consolidated financial results for the second quarter of 2006. Their net income totalled JPY 127.9 billion ( $1,095,790,000 US), a decrease of 4.3% from the corresponding period in 2005. Sales of motorcycles totalled 2,816,000 units, an increase of 13.1% from the corresponding period in 2005. Unit sales in Japan were 98,000 units, a decrease of 5.8%. Overseas unit sales were 2,718,000 units, an increase of 14.0%, due mainly to the healthy unit sales in India and Brazil.
Because of its robust sales in North America, aided no doubt by the new ZX-14, Kawasaki plans to invest even more of its resources into motorcycle production.
meanwhile has announced its group net profit more than doubled in the fiscal first half to September thanks to profit increases from aircraft parts and motorcycles. The Kobe-based heavy machinery maker said its net profit climbed to Y11.41 billion ($97,755,310 US)from Y5.23 billion ($44,808,090 US)a year earlier, while sales rose 8.8% to Y645.85 billion ($5,533,330,000 US) from Y593.58 billion ($5,085,500,000 US).
Despite a decrease in the domestic market, Kawasaki's increasing motorcycle sales in North America and Europe contributed to the 14% increase in the company's sales in the general machinery division to Y189.93 billion ($1,627,230,000 US). (Meanwhile their shipbuilding interests took a dive due to high steel prices.) Kawasaki have announced that as a result of these figures they plan to beef up motorcycle production, especially of large bikes, in response to the increasing demand in the U.S. and Europe. They aim to invest 50 billion yen in its Akashi Works so they can increase the annual output by 50% to 300,000 by the year 2010. The company also intends to change the emphasis of its technology research centre at the Akashi plant, which currently focuses on petrol engines, to start developing next-generation technologies. Currently they lag behind competitors Honda and Yamaha who already have hybrid and electric vehicles in production.
Suzuki's profits increased an impressive 28% overall, although no specific numbers were released about its motorcycle sales. The Japanese firm will produce an interesting addition to its 2007 lineup, the Hayabusa-powered B-King.
too announced a net profit rise of 28% overall, mainly due to its car sales. The maker of small cars and motorcycles posted a group net profit of Y39.46 billion ($338,074,030 US in the interim period, up from Y30.94 billion ($264,965,320 US) a year earlier. Interestingly there was no mention of motorcycles amongst the report on their figures by the Japanese press!
Last but not least,
Yamaha Motor Co. has reported that its group net profit during the July-September quarter fell 8.4%. Rated the second-largest Japanese motorcycle manufacturer by sales volume behind Honda, it saw its July-September group net profit fall to Y15.39 billion ($131,797,550 US) from Y16.79 billion ($143,786,930 US) a year earlier. Its group sales actually grew 12% to Y362.08 billion ($3,100,800,000 US) from Y324.31 billion ($2,777,340,000 US), while group operating profit edged up 0.7% to Y24.18 billion ($207,073,740 US) from Y24.00 billion ($205,532,250 US). They continue to predict a group net profit of Y76 billion ($650,852,110 US) with sales of Y1.520 trillion ($13,017,040,000 US) by the end of the financial year.
Netherlands
Dutch custom builder Jos Urresti modeled his version of the Stealth Fighter after the Nighthawk F-117.
has just announced that the 'fully adjustable on the move system' developed for BMW as "ESA" will soon be available as an option for many other machines as well. Electronic Damping System or EDS uses a hard-wired dash/bar-mounted unit to operate it. Electronic servos mounted on the actual damping adjusters controlled by the weatherproof pad can then alter damping and spring rates to pre-set levels by the rider whilst on the move. Currently it costs £430 ($823 US) as an extra on BMWs, so future prices are likely to be similar when it appears for sports bikes as well as touring-orientated machines.
Dutch specials builder Jos Urresti has just built his own version of a Nighthawk F-117 stealth fighter using a Suzuki GSX-R750 motor. The radical machine takes livery from the traditional USAF colours, and its parts come from a whole variety of sources including a Honda Civic car. See it at
www.jj-streetfighters.nl
Spain
Suzuki is upping the production of bikes at its Spanish factory in Gijon in Asturia. Plans are in place for 30,000 units to roll out for the European market next year. These will be mainly 125 and 200cc Burgman scooters.
Switzerland
Peraves, a Swiss company, has produced the intriguing Mono Tracer, which employs a BMW K-series motor and reaches speeds upwards of 150 mph via its efficient aerodynamics.
Ever felt that you might want heating or air con on a bike, or maybe a good hi-fi? Well if this has crossed your mind you might want to consider the Mono Tracer from Swiss firm
Peraves. The strange elongated bubble-shaped machine is powered by a BMW K-series motor and will do 155 mph thanks to its excellent aerodynamics. The original gearbox is replaced by a four-speed unit with an electric reverse, and an automatic version is available for those who want to go the whole car route.
Car pedals sit below the handlebars that still have a twistgrip to control power. Buttons operate the stabilizers when coming to rest. The makers claim you still have the benefits of riding a bike (it banks to corner) while enjoying the creature comforts of a car like leather seats. However, the size of the Mono Tracer makes filtering a no-go activity. The price may put a few people off as well; at £28,000 ($55,599 US) it is not cheap!
United Kingdom
Funded by the UK's National Motorcycle Museum this latest Norton racer is powered by a Wankel rotary engine that produces 170 bhp.
The International British Bike Show at the end of October saw the launch of a new all-British Norton powered by a Wankel rotary engine. The 170-bhp bike has been developed by Brian Crighton who was the driving force behind the successful Norton race team of the late eighties and early nineties. This new 21st Century machine is basically a development of the last 1994 racers, but could be turned into a road legal machine according to Crighton. It has been funded by the
National Motorcycle Museum in the UK where a lot of the original race bikes are on show.
The 588cc twin-rotor motor is now fuel injected and is controlled by fly-by-wire technology that also controls variable inlet tracts. The motor is mounted in a Spondon twin-spar aluminium frame with a single shock rear. Front forks are from Ohlins and braking is provided by AP calipers. Amazingly the whole machine weighs in at 130kg (287 lbs), some 15 kg less than a certain Valentino Rossi's GP machine! Watch this space for more information on testing and race success next year!
One of the bikes to debut at the recent Intermot show in Cologne, Germany was the Q450, a carbon-framed Supermoto designed by Eric English.
As predicted,
CCM launched a new Café Racer at the same show with power being provided by a Suzuki DR-Z400 motor. Offered in both road and race versions, the bike received favorable comments, and the Bolton-based firm generally did well with their whole new range of machines detailed here previously.
Among the many new bikes at the recent Intermot bikes show in Cologne Germany was a British-designed Supermoto called the Q450. Bizarrely, the bike's creator is called Eric English and he has spent years of his life designing and building the carbon-framed Supermoto machine. It is now ready to go into production with Taiwanese quad builder Cectek ready for the 2007 season as purely a competition machine, but the aim is to produce a road legal version as quickly as possible.
Jim Redman raced the RC164 most of the way through the 1964 Grand Prix season until Honda handed him the famous "Six." The GP racer was almost auctioned at a recent Bonham's event, but the bids didn't meet the $700,000 reserve.
The bike is very light weighing in at just 102 kg (225 lbs) and is based on the idea of mass centralization; hence the fuel is carried under the seat. This also keeps the bike very slim in appearance. Ohlins suspension and AP racing brakes are used to keep the bike in the exclusive bracket. It is powered by a 450cc single-cylinder motor with fuel injection currently giving a whopping 60-bhp and putting it well in front of anything similar on the market. This was developed by a British company involved in F1 car racing so it should stand up to the rigours of motorcycle competition! No prices have been given yet but see
www.synergymotorsports.com for more information.
Billed as the 'sale of the century,' a recent bike auction had a Honda RC164 GP bike owned by former world champion Jim Redman on offer to bidders in the Midlands. The four-cylinder bike was the stop-gap machine until the fabulous six-cylinder 250 appeared, and it was actually used by Jim in 1964 to gain second place in the world standings. Owned by him since then and recently restored, the bike had a reserve of £375,000 ($718,391 US). However, despite three bidders being interested, the final bid was only (!) £328,000 ($628,352 US) which would have cost the buyer just short of £400,000 ($766,284 US) with commission and taxes. It remained unsold!
British custom builder Roger Allmond has already created the impressive T-Bob (above) and is now producing a Victory-powered machine dubbed XYZ.
We featured Roger Allmond's stunning Ducati Bobber, the T-Bob, some time ago. Well, now the British custom builder has just launched his second major machine in the shape of the XYZ, a Victory-powered minimalist machine that is currently attracting a lot of attention in the UK. The bike is once again hand-built, this time in just six weeks, and is based around a Victory V-Twin motor. The detail and style is still impressive to say the least. Check it out at
www.allmondcycledesign.com
And Finally
If you feel you are not noticed by car drivers when you are riding your bike, you could follow the lead of some Australian bikers. Riding with the slogan "What do we have to do to be noticed?" they rode naked through the streets of Sydney. Successful? Well, they appeared on every news broadcast, but whether it was successful from a motorcycling perspective, only time will tell!
Tell us what you think about this month's installment of Euro Gossip in the
MCUSA Forum.
