TRIALS CLUB GOES ELECTRIC

OSET- looking to get more youngsters into trials

OSET, the kids’ electric motorcycle manufacturer, has teamed up with Hook Woods, one of the south’s premier trials venues, and has loaned the club three bikes to help encourage more youngsters to try trials riding.Jim Connor, chairman of Hook Woods Trials Club and owner of the site which is in West Horsley, Surrey, says the bikes will be used for monthly open days where children from as young as four will get free coaching.

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BRIT BECOMES TOP CREATIVE AT MV AGUSTA

British motorcycle stylist Adrian Morton, a Royal College of Art graduate, has been elevated to the role of design director at MV Agusta.

Morton: Thinking ahead

Morton originally moved to Italy to work for Cagiva in 1994. He then became a designer at Benelli in 1999 before returning to the Castiglioni fold in 2005 as senior designer at MV Agusta.

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HUSQVARNA FACTORY TO CLOSE

New Husqvarna proprietor Pierer Industries, which is headed up by KTM chief executive Stefan Pierer, has announced that the brand’s factory at Cassinetta di Biandronno in Italy’s Varese region will shut down on 1 August.

Husqvarna - factory closing

Pierer has reportedly said that most of more than 200 production workers at the plant will then be made redundant after assembly of a final batch of about 3500 motorcycles from components in stock. Approximately 30 staff will be retained in sales and warehousing roles. Husqvarna, which posted an operating loss of almost £30m last year when it was still owned by BMW, already has an inventory of 12,000 unsold bikes.

Italian commentators expect Husqvarna R&D to be transferred to KTM in Austria and production of a revised off-road-only range to be outsourced to KTM’s Indian associate Bajaj. Local newspaper Varese News has described the move as “industrial looting” while Italian trade unions are trying to mobilise their affected members to take strike action or occupy the factory.

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NEW THINK! CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED

A new THINK! road safety campaign to encourage motorcyclists to improve their defensive riding skills was launched on 18 April by Road Safety Minister Stephen Hammond.

New THINK! campaign to be launched- VIDEO BELOW

The ‘stay in control’ campaign, which the Department for Transport says has been developed with partners from the motorcycle industry, advises bikers to ride defensively and seek further training to sharpen their skills.

Posters, leaflets and other promotional material will be distributed to hundreds of motorcycle dealerships across the country. The campaign will run throughout the peak riding season this spring and summer.

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BENNETTS BACKS LIGHTWEIGHT TT

Leading specialist motorcycle insurance broker Bennetts has signed a deal with the Isle of Man government to make its promotional website BikeSocial.co.uk title sponsor of the Lightweight TT. Television personality and Bennetts ambassador Charley Boorman will also be on hand to start this three-lap race for 650cc twin-cylinder machines on 7 June.

Lightweight TT - Bennetts are backing it

Launched by Bennetts in 2012, BikeSocial.co.uk is billed as an online destination where “bikers can get the latest news and reviews, interact via blogs and forums, promote their own events regardless of size, highlight their favourite routes and download others, show off photos of their pride and joy or a recent trip and much more”. Former Motor Cycle News editor Marc Potter was heavily involved in its creation but has since moved on.

Bennetts associate director Hannah Squirrell commented: “The Isle of Man TT is a unique event with an illustrious history and wonderful aura. No other event away from the track has the exhilaration of the Isle of Man TT and we’re delighted to be partnering it with BikeSocial.co.uk.”

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New Lexmoto ZSX 125

The new Lexmoto ZSX 125 is aimed at the commuter market. It uses the 158FMI-B engine, a variation of the standard engine used on many existing Lexmoto models, but is geared to be more responsive for commuter riding.

ZSX 125

It features a digital dash display and LED indicators, and is available in red or black at an SRP of £1499. Distributor Llexeter says that the Piaggio-badged version of this co-produced bike was 2011 China Motorcycle of the Year

tel: 0844 567 8887
www.lexmoto.co.uk

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FIRST HARLEY DEALER IN WALES

For the first time ever, Wales now has its own Harley-Davidson dealership! Officially opened over the weekend of 13-14 April, when hundreds of bikers turned out to visit the showroom and enjoy the festivities, the brand new 6,000 sq ft showroom is part of the M&P Direct 54,000 sq ft site at Phoenix Way, Gorseinon, Swansea, now completely rebuilt after being destroyed by fire two years ago.

Harley Swansea!

The showroom, which has room for the display of 20 bikes and incorporates a large clothing and accessories area, is located alongside M&P’s Kawasaki showrooms. Also on the site are the warehouse and offices of On 2 Wheels Distribution plus the Busters mail order operation. 

First Harley Dealer in Wales

Dealer principal at Swansea Harley-Davidson is Greg Bassett who manages a staff of five. After the opening, which included live music and traditional Welsh food, he said the showroom had been overwhelmed by the number of bikers who had turned out, despite rain and high winds.

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ALL CHANGE AT DUCATI

Bologna/Ingolstadt, April 18, 2013 – Claudio Domenicali, currently General Manager and Member of the Board of Directors at Ducati Motor Holding, has been named as the successor to CEO Gabriele Del Torchio, who will leave the company to take up new professional challenges.

Claudio Domenicali - new CEO at Ducati

Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ducati Motor Holding, praised the successful work of Gabriele Del Torchio, who has spent six years at the top of the premium brand: “Del Torchio guided Ducati out of an economically difficult phase, back to a successful growth path and to the top of the worldwide segment of premium performance motorcycles. For that achievement, we express our gratitude on behalf of all Audi and Ducati employees and wish him all the best in his future tasks.”

“I look back on six intensive, exciting and successful years,” commented Gabriele Del Torchio in response to Rupert Stadler’s best wishes in his farewell speech to the company. “It was an intense experience which will remain an unforgettable memory. I leave Ducati in the knowledge that I have helped to place the company on a path of growth and strength.”

The new Ducati CEO, Claudio Domenicali, joined Ducati as a project leader in 1991. He had previously studied mechanical engineering at Università degli Studi di Bologna. After passing through various management positions, he was promoted to Managing Director of Ducati Corse in 1999. In 2005, he took over as R&D Director and in 2009 was appointed General Manager Operations and Product Development. In 2012, he was confirmed as a member of the newly formed Board of Directors after the sale of Ducati Motor Holding to AUDI AG.

“Domenicali knows Ducati and the motorcycle business more than anyone. He embodies continuity and Ducati’s values in an exceptional manner,” stated Audi CEO Stadler.

Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A – An Audi Group Company

Founded in 1926, Ducati has been producing sport-inspired motorcycles since 1946. Their motorcycles are characterised by “Desmodromic” performance engines, innovative design and avant-garde technology. Covering several market segments, Ducati's range of motorcycles are divided into model families which include: Diavel, Hypermotard, Monster, Multistrada, Streetfighter and Superbike.

These authentic icons of “made in Italy” are sold in over 80 countries around the world, with concentration on the European, North-American and Asia Pacific markets. Ducati competes in both the World Superbike Championship and, with an official team, the World MotoGP Championship. In Superbike Ducati has won 17 Manufacturers' titles and 14 Riders' titles and in 2011 passed the historic milestone of 300 race victories. Ducati have participated in MotoGP since 2003, and took both the Manufacturers' and Riders' titles in 2007.

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EVENT: NEWARK TRADE TRIAL

The Trade and Press trial takes place at the Newark Showground, Nottinghamshire, over two days (22-23 June) as part of the Carole Nash Newark Bike Bonanza show and autojumble. The AJS and Matchless Poachers Club is organising the event on behalf of Classicbikeshsows, the show wing of Mortons Motorycle Media.

Trade and Press Trial

This is a fun trial for the trade rather than a serious event. Entry fee is a minimum of £20, all profits to charity. Each entrant is given a free T-shirt and is entitled to free camping and admission to the show. Further details:

Glynis Roberts 01507 529431
groberts@mortons.co.uk
www.classicbikeshows.com

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CREWE HONDA’S 50 YEARS

CREWE HONDA’S 50 YEARS

Crewe Honda- 50 year service award

Roger Morris (left), owner of Crewe Honda Centre, was recently presented with a 50 year service award by Honda area manager Steve Tordoff. The West Street, Crewe, motorcycle business, which was founded in 1920 and has been in the Morris family for four generations, took up the Honda franchise in 1962. 

Roger Morris, who has recently installed a new workshop and has a staff of five, says thanks to the Rolls Royce and Toyota factories at nearby Derby, business so far this year has been steady, particularly with scooter and commuter bikes.

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Really cool new helmet from Shark

New Shark Raw

Very cool looking with an Urban feel..

A product of Shark's urban Metro division, the RAW can be worn in three ways; as an open face helmet, with goggles only or with goggles and face mask. Technical features include an integrated ventilation system, quick-release goggles with a Zeiss lens and an anti-fog insert. It also comes Sharktooth ready and has a removable and washable natural bamboo fibre interior. Prices, dependant on design, start at £189.99 SRP.

Nevis Marketing
tel: 01425 478936
www.nevis.uk.com

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CCM- looking for 10 UK dealers

CCM is looking to appoint 10 UK dealers to launch the new GP 450 Adventure bike and listed below are the following incentives:

• Fantastic Dealer earnings
• Dealer Floorplanning Finance facilities
• Point of Sale options
• Marketing and advertising support
• End User finance packages available
• Account Managers appointed
• CCM is back with a brand new machine for the adventure market designed and built in Britain to the highest quality ISO9001 / 2008.

CCM- on the lookout for new dealers

Known for their accomplishment in the motocross industry and achievements in Dakar, CCM have spent four years developing the GP 450, which will be the most capable lightweight off-road adventure bike in its class.

It is built for Adventure riders as a genuine Adventure bike, capable of extreme Adventure riding.

For the rider that wants to roam further and to more remote regions, the fuel capacity allows for this with an under-seat tank holding 11 litres, and 2 other smaller tanks providing a total 17 litres capable of a range of more than 400 km.

GP-450 has a significant power to weight ratio, with a figure of 0.31 hp/kg, with a weight of 130kg dry, and an output from the 449.5cc (98x59.6) 4v DOHC engine with titanium values and Keihin EFI of 40/41 BHP at 7,000 rpm, together with torque of 42.80Nm at 6,500 rpm.

The frame itself is 6082 T6 forged aluminum, lightweight bonded and machine finished, resulting in a hi tech Rolling Chassis directly developed from its MX racing team www.ccm-racing.com . The cast aluminum-swinging arm integrates a linkage system for the rear shock, which is also multi adjustable, with 12 steps in damping and 24 compression. Forks are 47mm USD with 18 steps of rebound damping and 12 steps of compression.

Added extras include options of electronically adjustable suspension on the move, hard and soft luggage, lockable panniers and spotlights, a front-facing HD video recorder, Garmin navigation systems and long-range tanks and many more. All options to enhance the ride and provide the ultimate off-road Adventure and offer opportunity for increased profits from the CCM brand.

The new CCM model carries full European Whole Vehicle Type Approval, so it will be available to buy, not only in the UK but around Europe and other regions.

Visit www.ccm-motorcycles.com for more details

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SUDDEN DEATH OF DEREK LORD

SUDDEN DEATH OF DEREK LORD

Derek Lord has died

Derek Lord, well known throughout the trials scene in the North West, died suddenly on 1 April. He was 73. A lifetime friend of Alan Clews and the late Jim Sandiford, he worked for Jim Sandiford Imports during the 80’s before returning to his original trade as an engineer. A huge part of North West trials for all his life, he was the driving force behind the annual Ted Ogden Reunion. The funeral is at 11am on 12 April at All Saints Church, Clayton-le-Moors, Accrington.


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Steve McQueen Motorbike To Go On Sale

The actor's bike will be sold in the International Classic MotorCycle Show at Bonham's in Stafford on April 28.

Steve McQueen's motorcycle to go on sale

The 1914 Indian Model F is an example of a board-track racing motorcycle and is estimated to reach between £22,000 and £28,000.

These early purpose-built motorcycles lacked a clutch, throttle and brakes, and were push-started and run flat-out.

McQueen was an avid motorcycle and race car enthusiast. When he had the opportunity to drive in a movie, he performed many of his own stunts.Some of his most memorable sequences were the car chases in Bullitt and motorcycle escapades in The Great Escape.
McQueen played the lead in the Sturges film, which gave Hollywood's depiction of a historical mass escape from a Second World War POW camp, Stalag Luft III.

However, insurance concerns prevented the star performing the film's widely noted motorcycle leap, which was instead done by his friend and fellow cycle enthusiast Bud Ekins, who resembled McQueen from a distance.


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NEW TIMING SPONSOR FOR BSB SERIES

The MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship has announced a partnership with luxury watch manufacturer BRM Chronographes. 

Official BSB timekeeper

This brand will henceforth be billed as “official timekeeper” of MCE BSB, with its logo credited on the official live timing service at BSB events and in the associated timing and data TV graphics. BRM will also enjoy a comprehensive package of premium marketing rights in association with the MCE BSB series.

In addition, it will provide trophies to the winners of a newly created BRM Vitesse Award, which will record the combined best lap-time performance over the qualifying practice and race elements of each MCE BSB event. BRM will also present V6-44-Hybride watches to each of the six BSB title fighters, the winning team manager and the Motorpoint British Supersport Champion, as well as, in due course, producing a special limited-edition BSB watch.

 MCE BSB series director Stuart Higgs said: “We are very pleased to announce a new partnership with BRM Chronographes whose heritage and passion is derived from motorsport. The BRM awards of unique trophies and luxury watches will certainly add further prestige to each event. MCE BSB Championships have recently been decided by just 0.006 of a second, highlighting the perfect association with precision timekeeping.”

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