Euro Gossip December 2005

With the November Milan Show being the last of the big European shows, we have now seen all the new models for 2006 - unless somebody is holding something back. This now leaves me a whole year to fill with rumors and potential show stoppers for next year's shows.

It was pleasing to see that virtually all of the bikes mentioned in this column over the last year eventually made their public debuts. BMW finally showed its replacement for the R1100S in the shape of the R1200S, which makes a huge step forward in terms of style and performance.

But, more importantly, BMW also revealed the F800S and the F800ST we have mentioned throughout 2005, showing our sources are as good as anybody else's!

So the latest rumor is that BMW is working on following Honda's airbag-kitted Goldwing with their own version on one of the big tourers. Look out too for ABS that works when the bike is leaned over and a traction-control system.

Aprilia also lived up to expectation with the new RSV1000R and the RSV1000R Factory, not forgetting the little RS125. Also announced were the exciting new enduro/supermoto twins, the RVX and SVX. What was surprising was Aprilia's public statement that it plans to eclipse KTM in terms of off-road sales within 10 years. The Italian company also revealed its revolutionary 450/550cc twin-cylinder motor will eventually be used to power road-going sports bikes, which is an interesting thought!

Sister firm Moto Guzzi also came home with a new large tourer as predicted - the 1133cc Norge. This is aimed at the BMW touring market and has all the necessary accoutrements, so it should be a success. One we did not predict was the California Vintage, a bike acknowledging the firm's past association with the California police. It is no relic though and has the 1064cc engine from the current large Breva.

Ducati had already launched two bikes at the British show, and that left just the S4RS to take center stage as a brand new unveiling at Milan. However, it also showed a Hypermotard concept bike as a taster of things to come. (Ducati North America CEO Michael Lock said at the Long Beach motorcycle show that it is "almost certain" the Hypermotard will enter production. -Ed)

Since then, TPG, the American investment firm, has agreed to sell its majority shareholding of 33% of Ducati to Italian Investors, namely InvestIndustrial Holdings owned by Carlo and Andrea Bonomi. This means for the first time in a decade it becomes a truly Italian company again. This new major player could end rumors of financial troubles for the Bologna firm and set them up for the future.

Bimota made an impressive splash with the new DB6 Delerio, a naked streetfighter derived from the current DB5. However, restyling has taken place to make the bike fresh and new in appearance in order to ensure strong sales.

As predicted, Benelli launched the TRE-K, an adventure bike set for the big time and ready to go head to head with the Multistrada. Benelli's new Chinese owners Quianjiang want as many new bikes as possible and in every category, all with brand-new engines. Expect therefore to see constant updates in this column on these as the new owners definitely have the finances to make it all happen. In China Quianjiang sells 1.5 million bikes and would like to see similar sales in the west!

Derbi's concept bike, the Mulhacen, has finally made it into production in very much the same state as when it first made its public debut. The only changes, like the larger fuel tank and headlight, are for practical reasons, but the rest remains the same, like the Yamaha XT660 motor which the MT-03 also uses!

Although not a road bike, Cagiva has created the world's most powerful 125 confusingly called the Mito 525SP. Named after its last GP bike to win a race with John Kocinski, the C594 is a very impressive two-stroke with a claimed power output of 37 bhp. For the record, that would make the 525SP more powerful than the bike on which current MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi had when he won the 125cc World title! This new machine is for an Italian Production racing series and is unlikely to be seen outside its home country.

Swedish manufacturer Highland has launched a new U.S.-styled dirt-tracker with a 750cc V-Twin motor. Based on the 950cc motor from its other bikes, it's claimed to make 85 bhp. However, coupled with an all-up weight of just 140 kg (309 lbs) the bike should be no slouch. Top-quality components are used to justify the 13,100 pounds ($23,250) price tag for this machine that will spearhead an attack on the road bike market. It is rumored that the next one will go directly up against the Ducati Monster, which seems to be everyone's target these days!

Italjet, now under new management, is back from the dead. It has two new bikes in the shape of the Grifon and Bazooka. Both cafe, racers with 650cc V-Twin engines from Hyosung, the 79-bhp bikes should be more than enough for the city use they are intended for. The new company is headed by Masimo Tartarini, who is the son of the former president when the company went under in 2002. He recently sold his share in Derbi to raise the finance to rebuild Italjet, which he intends to be a small, select builder of quality machines rather than a producer of bikes for the mass market. The two new models are expected to cost around 5,000 pounds ($8,800) when they are put on sale in the spring of 2006. Despite the styling being based on U.S. short-track racers, the majority of the bike is relatively simple, taking parts from the Hyosung 650 Comet from whence comes the engine.

KTM have now shown the new Adventure models that have lost the carburetted 942cc lump in favour of the 999cc fuel injected motor from the 990 Super Duke. Team Orange has also shown the 950 Super Enduro R Twin that is designed to blow BMW's HP2 into the wind. Lighter and faster, it costs 3,500 pounds ($6,200) less than the German machine, and the latter point alone should be more than enough to clinch the deal!

Moto Morini, who has featured here before with the Cosaro 1200 revealed a year ago, is now ready to put this naked bike into production. Not so well known is the 9 1/2 shown at the same time, which is also now ready for the production line. Very similar to the original concept bike, it now shares the larger 1187 cc motor of its stablemate instead of the 998cc motor it originally had. However, it retains the 9 1/2 tag as a salute to the old 3 1/2 350 V-Twin that formed the basis of the firm's range back in the early 1970s. Smaller valves and ports are used along with a higher compression ratio to achieve different engine characteristics along with better fuel consumption. The torquier machine is expected to be priced to compete head on with the Ducati Monster range! (Once again, their words!)

Gianni Berti, Morini's marketing manager, has stated that more models from Morini will be coming soon, including a tourer and a superbike. A factory insider has hinted at a bike with more power than the Corsaro's 140 bhp is on the drawing board, an engine that has been tested at 190 bhp!

You might not have heard the name Terra Modena before, but this tiny Italian firm has just launched the Ferrari of the Supermoto world. It is debatable whether there is call for such a machine, especially with a price tag of 13,000 pounds ($23,000), but you do get a genuine Ferrari-designed 450cc single-cylinder motor for your bucks. What you will not get is any paint on the bike, or any plastic, because the bike's founder, Dario Calzavarna, thinks such things are ugly. There are no options either because it is designed as "the 'ultimate" straight off the production line. Believe it or not, he sold seven within two days of launching the bike!

Rumors abound about a strange hybrid at Triumph's Hinckley factory. Imagine a cross between a Tiger and a Speed Triple with an inverted fork, road tyres and single seat, and you get a Supermoto-type bike that could damage sales of the Ducati Multistrada! Watch this space for more information when it becomes available.

Likewise, watch out for a new 675 Speed Triple, a meaty streetfighter based on the new Daytona 675. Taking over from the Speed Four, itself a stripped down TT600, the bike is likely to break cover in the early part of 2007. Triumph is remaining very tight-lipped about the bike's existence, giving further credence to the rumors!

Husqvarna, fresh from winning the S2 (450cc) Manufacturers Supermoto World Championship and taking the S1 (open class) Supermoto World Championship with Gerald Delepine, has announced its latest offensive on the Supermoto race scene, the limited-edition 2006 SM450RR. Designed to be competitive straight from the crate, the new Husky has been developed with experience direct from the World Championship winning team.

The 450RR follows on the Husqvarna tradition of producing class-leading race bikes, as started with the renowned SMR630 Eddy Seel replica. With availability expected for early January 2006, the high-specification SM450RR offers racers in the highly competitive S2 class the perfect opportunity to start the season on a high and to be competitive from the first race, all for a UK suggested retail price of 7,995 pounds ($14,000).

Feeling hard done by? Consider then the plight of Australian bikers who are facing new legislation based on power-to-weight ratios. Learners will be allowed a ratio of 200 bhp per ton and up to 660cc maximums. In real terms, this means a 200-kg (441 lb) bike would have only 40 bhp and a 600cc Honda would be restricted to just 33 bhp to comply!

Those with a good memory may remember the Australian-built Vee Two Squalo. This beautiful hand-built bike used a Ducati 900SS motor to power it back in the '90s. Well, a high-spec version is now going to be built using the motor from a Ducati 999, complete with a supercharger! Vee Two is now owned by the giant Australian Automotive Components, so there is no shortage of cash to prevent production. The first bike is expected to be shown at the Melbourne Motor Show early in 2006 and will go on sale later in the year with a price tag of around 25,000 pounds ($44,300).

Yamaha is looking to increase sales of motorcycles in Asia outside Japan by introducing high-performance models and adding flagship stores. In two to three years, the company aims to raise sales of automatic-transmission motorcycles out of total cycle sales in the region to about 30%, up from roughly 20% at present. It also plans to introduce other high-end models (priced between 100,000 yen and 150,000 yen) and open large flagship dealerships in India.

In Asia, Yamaha focuses on the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region (including Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam) as its strategic market for motorcycles. However, demand in Thailand and Vietnam has dipped, so the firm is racing to increase sales of automatic-transmission motorcycles elsewhere, chiefly in Indonesia. It will also introduce other high-performance models to the Asian market to push up average prices. Yamaha's sales in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam totalled 168.6 billion yen in 2004. It aims to raise that figure to 273 billion yen in 2007.

And in India, the Yamaha plans to develop flagship stores, which it has been opening in Thailand and Vietnam. Yamaha has around 450 sales sites in India, but only one of these is a flagship store. In the near term, it plans to raise the number of such sites in India to 40-50.

Lastly, bike-related crime in Nigeria is being combated by preventing night-time use of bikes. Anybody found riding after dark faces eight months in prison while their pillions get four months. Don't ask!

To finish off on a more reasonable note, season's greetings to you all, happy and safe riding, and I hope to see you all next year for more of the same rumors, sightings and news!


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