We recently reported (Euro Gossip-April) that despite Honda offering an airbag on its prestigious Goldwing, that BMW was unconvinced about the efficiency of the safety aid on a bike and were shelving their plans to launch a bike-mounted unit of their own. Well, BMW may now have to reconsider since the General German Automobile Association has released the results of tests they have carried out, which proves that such a system can be effective in not only saving lives, but also reducing spinal injuries.

Two 'Wings were used for the tests, complete with crash-test dummies wearing full-face helmets, which were propelled into the side of a people carrier (SUV) at 44 mph to replicate common collisions. One was a standard bike; the other had the optional airbag system fitted.

The standard bike allowed the rider to be catapulted across the vehicle, which could be seen as a positive result in some situations. But the worrying thing was that the 'rider' hit the top edge of the vehicle on the way, breaking their neck, which at the very least would leave the 'rider' paralyzed, even if they then escaped being hit by another vehicle when they landed.

The airbag-equipped bike showed the absorbent effect of the nitrogen-filled bag slowing the rider down so they only just touched the vehicle, reducing the risk of the neck being snapped. The 'rider' was however still thrown into the air, but any injuries were minor in comparison to the 'rider' on the standard bike.

The organization was so impressed with the results that they are urging all buyers of the behemoth Honda to purchase the airbag option. One wonders as a result of this if the home bike manufacturer, BMW, will now offer their system to riders in the future!

Austria

It now seems that KTM will not be taken over by American ATV giant Polaris as previously reported. Despite Polaris having acquired a 25% stake last year from KTM's owners Cross Industries, that is as far as it is going to go for the time being, as KTM now want to remain an independent company. This will not affect the agreement for KTM to distribute Polaris in Germany, or to supply Polaris with engines for some of their ATV's.

Germany

BMW may already be building its Superbike, according to factory insiders, ready for distribution to race teams in the near future. Based around the air-cooled 1200cc Boxer powerplant, it is expected to give 130 bhp with an all-in weight of just 364 lbs. If this is true it could give the unloved Ducati 999 another direct competitor and even take the sting out of the tail of the Italian's larger replacement.

Officially, BMW is denying that the 'HP Sport' will be among the five bikes being launched at the upcoming Cologne Show, but have not denied its existence. Therefore, perhaps a separate launch is on the cards at the end of the year ready for next season's racing?

Also emanating from informed German sources within the factory, are rumors of a big scooter complete with automatic gearbox. The machine could bridge the bike/scooter gap, although the whole thing seems strange given that the C1 failed to catch on, despite its unique selling points. Also in the rumor mill is a new Cruiser from BMW.

Italy

It seems Automatic bikes are going to be the thing of the future, or at least a trend with all the manufacturers. Aprilia it seems is thinking of possibly re-badging the concept Gilera Ferro shown a few years ago. Now that both companies are in the same stable, this would be a quick and easy new model without the normal heavy development costs.

Staying with Aprilia, rumors suggest that the new V-4 Superbike motor is already well developed and could be seen publicly early next year, as opposed to the 'official' comment earlier about a 2008 launch.

But the most intriguing rumor concerns the much talked about (secret) 450 motor. It now seems that it could be used to power a mini RSV Mille. Apparently a lot of work has been taking place on a machine codenamed the 'RSV-RR small'. Draw your own conclusions!

Ducati has unveiled a few of its 2007 range of bikes but have not let even their dealers see the 999 replacement. A recent dealer's launch saw a new S4R fitted with the 999's Testastretta engine, complete with 130 bhp on tap.

Also revealed was the new Sport 1000S that gets the fairing off the limited-edition Paul Smart Replica and now has a pillion seat. Twin exhausts replace the stacked 'replica' items, and a wet clutch is now fitted on the bike.

The 'naked' Sport also now comes with a twin seat and two pipes to go with a new black color scheme.

What was not there, though, was the much-rumored 1099cc-powered bike that is expected to offer 160 bhp from the new motor, not to mention more torque. Insiders have already hinted at possible 'S' and 'R' models following on from the bike, which is expected to have an appearance similar to the exclusive Desmosedici. The bike is expected to break cover to dealers and the public at the Milan show in November.

Ducati's production Hypermotard was captured out on a test ride being ridden by none other than Ducati boss, Federico Minoli. We reported earlier in the year that the green light had been given to turn the prototype into a production machine. The bike seen out on the road is very close to the concept machine. If it is this close to production, maybe we could see a surprise launch at the Milan show!

Still on the good news front, it seems that more than 700 orders have been placed for the Desmosedici RR road bike, which has taken the company by surprise. A second production line is being planned to meet orders of the $65,000 machine, and it is expected that the profits will help to move the company back towards financial stability.

However, it is not all good news as there have been factory strikes in support of 100 workers who have lost their jobs due to cutbacks at the Bologna factory. Talks are taking place to try to avert any more, which could delay orders!

A new Moto Guzzi has been spied testing on public roads. Believed to be the most powerful road-going Guzzi ever built, the 1200S is aimed at BMW's 1200R. Despite this, the bike is expected to be tuned for excellent mid-range performance and give just 105 bhp. Expect it to be launched at one of the forthcoming international shows and cost around $13,000.

MV Agusta is looking to use the services of legendary designer Massimo Tamburini to design its F4 replacement that should hit the dealer's showrooms in 2008. Apart from styling changes, expect the engine to increase in size to around 1100cc to mirror moves by the competition.

TM, the off-road specialists, has announced its 2007 line-up, all of which feature a new Sachs rear shock with either Marzocchi or Paoili forks at the front end. Ohlins' units are available at extra cost for the bikes, which now have a redesigned seat and new graphics. The 250 Enduro motor gets quite a few changes to give it more power and allow it to be more competitive.

India

Last month we reported that Royal Enfield was looking at bringing out new models for 2008. It now seems that they want to become an iconic brand like Harley-Davidson and Triumph!

To start the process, it is separating from its parent company Eicher Motors whose core business is making trucks and auto components. It seems by moving away and becoming a stand-alone company, it will attract investors more easily which will help them achieve their aims. The retro brand manufactured 30,000 bikes last year (2005), which does not seem that bad until you consider that the total bike production in India was over six million!

Korea

Korean bike manufacturer Hyosung is on the verge of producing the world's cheapest liter sports bike to top off its GTR range. Originally shown as a concept bike a few years ago, it would seem that the Suzuki-powered machine is set to join the rest of the stylish GTR range, which is currently selling well thanks to its competitive pricing structure.

Russia

If Russia is on your list of countries to tour by motorcycle, be extra careful as driver's concentration levels may be low when driving. A recent survey by Goodyear threw up the fact that many drivers admitted to having sex while driving, as well as drinking and driving! 

Sweden

The former 125cc World Champion in 1973 and 1974, Kent Anderson, recently passed away at his home in Sweden. He was just 64 years old. He won 18 GPs in his international career, with his best results being on Yamahas after moving from Monark and Bultaco machines.

UK

As reported previously, British manufacturer CCM is now back in production and is looking back at its competition past, with its latest bike, the SR 40. Once a major player in the world of 'Scrambling' (motocross) in the '60s and '70s, the firm is making just 150 of the new model, which is paying tribute to the works bikes ridden by factory rider Bob Wright in the British Championships.

The $11,000 machines use the Suzuki DR-Z400 motor and have 21-inch front and 18-inch rear to allow 'period' tires to be used. The retro theme is continued with rubber knee pads on the side of the petrol tank and 'competition' side panels to go with metal fenders! Rumor has it that a 'Cafe Racer' is being developed for launch at this year's British motorcycle show in late October to complete the historic line-up! The firm currently have a F35 flat-tracker (Supermoto) on sale.

Staying in the past or retro market, frame builders Harris are now remaking their F1 machines after interest in a 10-batch replica spiraled out of control. The bike was the race-orientated predecessor of the Harris Magnum road bike that sold so well in the '80s. Harris has of course been involved with many top level race teams over the years, building frames as well as complete bikes.

Thanks to the term 'classic' now having moved on, demand at Harris is high for the kits that will take the old air-cooled Suzuki GS1000, Kawasaki Z1000 or Honda CB900F motors that are now in plentiful supply. For full information visit www.harris-performance.com.

It has now been confirmed that the British Ilmor 800cc MotoGP bike will race in the last two rounds of this year's championship, with Australian Garry McCoy in the hot-seat. The bike has been built by Formula One engineer Mario Illien and chassis designer Eskil Suter and has already undergone extensive testing with very positive results.

Talking of rapid motorcycles, it is reported that a bike similar to the Triumph Daytona 1300 has been seen testing on roads near the Midlands factory. The prototype bike was believed to have been crushed after external consultants convinced Triumph that a Hayabusa-beating Superbike was not the way forward as it was likely to receive adverse publicity. Maybe there has been a change of heart after Kawasaki launched its ZX-14 without any adverse reaction!

Meanwhile, the Triumph factory has issued a recall on thousands of 2006 Speed Triples, Sprint STs and Daytona 955i models. It would appear that there is a potential for a bolt to snap on the rear brake caliper, allowing it to break free from its mounting and cause damage to the swingarm.

Following on from last month's lead story (Euro Gossip August) on European crash helmet standards not being as good as the U.S. Snell standard, a UK magazine in conjunction with an independent testing house (Helmet Protection Evaluation) has evaluated many of the popular helmets on sale. It has found many would not pass the Snell test, confirming the tester's public claims that the ECE 22.05 standard is not stringent enough. Walker states that some of the tests for the Euro standard were designed for car occupants and are well out of date with current research. Some were considerably outside the U.S. parameters, potentially exposing riders to considerable head trauma in a collision.

Christmas launches are already happening, and the world-famous Hamley's toy shop is gearing up for motorcyclists with Ducati Desmosedicis. No, they are not selling the full-sized versions, but radio-controlled models 1/5th the size of the real thing. The bikes are tipped to be the second best-seller behind a walking robot.

And Finally a Warning!

According to research by doctors in Okinawa Japan, male motorcyclists are more likely to become impotent than non-biking males. Apparently, 69% of their sample had erectile dysfunction caused by pressure and vibration in a bike's seat that reduces the blood supply to the genital area. I make no comment!


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