Asia

Aprilia to compete with Enfields?

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There might be an Aprilia model to compete with Royal Enfield Classic 350 which is a top-selling model in its class since launch. A new test mule has been spotted in Europe and it has a similar engine casing as the RS 457. It also features old-school styling and body parts that indicates that the world is finally noticing the timeless appeal (and profits) of Enfield models which have built a nice empire in mid-capacity motorcycles for over a decade now. A new retro-styled test bike is getting testes around Europe which on close scrutiny of spied photos suggests it is an Aprilia. Multiple aspects convince eager enthusiasts to claim it is an upcoming Aprilia motorcycle. Engine casing visible on the right hand side is similar to the RS 457’s unit. This test model’s motor appears to be larger in the images. It has a larger exhaust also. But there are many features giving it an appearance of RS 457. However, the design is not very impressive so this would have to be a very early prototype. The aesthetics of its headlight, tank shrouds, and the tail section, seem as if they were all assembled by a local garage shop. A retrofitted model is not exactly a test mule so the mystery is intriguing indeed. RS 457 uses a 457cc, twin-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine with 47.6bhp and 43.5Nm linked to a six-speed gearbox. It has a slipper clutch. Aprilia may carry these forward with different tuning. A slim USD front forks, dual rear shocks, and single disc at both ends are possible indications as well. Its alloy wheels and TVS tyres seem to be borrowed from the RS. It could take any amount of time before Aprilia debuts this retro-styled motorcycle in production form. The current iteration of RS 457 has […]

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Classic Legends to get USD 105m investment

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Mahindra and Mahindra, along with others to invest USD 105 mn in Classic Legends The bestselling ‘Scorpio’ car manufacturer will invest USD 105 million along with existing shareholders and new investors, Mahindra said in an exchange filing.This will be over the course of next two to three years. Mahindra owns 60% of Classic Legends, which manufactures two-wheelers such as Jawa, Yezdi, and BSA. This is while investments in premium motorcycle segment in India is heating up with Harley-Davidson and Triumph partnering domestic companies, Hero MotoCorp and Bajaj respectively. Classic Legends has so far not made any inroads into this segment that is still largely dominated by Eicher’s Royal Enfield motorcycles. * * * * Invest in freedom, check out the membership options for Bandit’s Bikernet; click to know more.

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Financial Weightage of Light-Weight Motorcycles

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Volume Sales, Fuel-efficiency, On-road manoeuvrability A decade ago, almost all manufacturers released fairly uninspired, derivative lightweight motorcycles that fit the commuter model, and sold like hot cakes irrespective of lacking common features in American bikes. Not to mention they were fugly like Satan’s spawn. They would make the mid-weight class look like a run-of-the-mill hack job, with the primary focus on cutting costs wherever possible. Thankfully, Royal Enfield changed all of that and stepped up its game with each new model release. Click here to read this global report on emerging motorcycle market. * * * * * * * * Follow the leader, click to subscribe to Bikernet’s Free Weekly Newsletter.

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Harley-Davidson Unveils The X 350 In China

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from inputs by Enrico Punsalang from https://www.rideapart.com The first QJ Motor-built Harley-Davidson machine is ready to hit the road. Harley-Davidson has confirmed rumors and revealed 2023 X 350 in China. It goes without saying that the X 350 is a bike that marks a new milestone for Harley’s history. It’s their first foray into the sub-500cc segment in the modern era and the first two-wheeler to be crafted by their Chinese partner, QJ Motor. Retro flair is prominent by the round instrument console, mirrors, and headlight shape, while the aerodynamic and brawny radiator shrouds, as well as the flat-track-inspired tail section, exude a distinctive charm. Interestingly, unlike Harley’s traditional cruisers, the X 350 is entirely devoid of chrome, further adding to its unconventional, surprisingly sporty appeal. It has mid-controls, a low handlebar, and a tall 32-inch seat height that puts the rider in a more neutral position instead of the usual foot-forward, laid-back posture. A basic digital-analog instrument cluster reflects the fact that this bike was designed with a budget in mind. H-D X350 is powered by a 353cc, liquid-cooled, parallel-twin engine borrowed from previous models in QJ Motor’s lineup. Producing 36 horsepower and 22.8 pound-feet of torque, the chain drive is matched with a six-speed manual gearbox. Its recognizable fuel tank stores 13.5 liters. Keep in mind that this motorcycle is exclusive to China and costs approximately $4,793. This is less than comparable motorcycles in the 300 to 400 cc category. However, the X500 may be aimed at beginner market in USA and would be based on Benelli Leoncino. (Benelli being owned by QJ). It is expected that the Harley-Davidson will launch the X500 first in China and other Asian markets before bringing it home to USA and probably to Europe as well. * * * * * *

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Is Royal Enfield Releasing Major Updates To Its 650 Range For 2024?

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by Enrico Punsalang from https://www.rideapart.com Most interesting of all would have to be a sportier Continental GT 650. Ever since their debut back in 2018, the Continental 650 and Interceptor 650 pretty much propelled Royal Enfield to the global spotlight. Prior to the launch of these bikes, the brand had a decent footprint in Europe and Asia, with its retro-style machines being a favorite among classic aficionados. While the 650 Twins are well and truly classic in nature, they brought fairly modern performance technology to the equation. Naturally, a motorcycle with modern-day amenities such as ABS, electronic fuel-injection, and most of all, reliability, is something that anyone can appreciate. Throw in classic styling and an ultra affordable price tag, and what you have is a recipe for success. Indeed, in the past five years of the bikes’ existence, Royal Enfield has somehow managed to continue raking in sales by just updating colors and releasing special editions every now and then. As such, it isn’t at all surprising that the rumor mills have once again been churning. Word around the block is that RE is gearing up to drop major updates on the 650 model range, particularly to the sporty Continental GT. These updates may indeed be foreshadowed by the components we see in the Super Meteor 650. At this point, it’s important to note that Royal Enfield has yet to release any information on the upcoming 650 range, so the best we can do is speculate. Nevertheless, multiple sources suggest that the bike will break cover in time for the 2024 model year. So, what exactly can we expect? Well, our friends at VisorDown have an interesting prediction, and it’s that the upcoming Continental GT 650 will be equipped with alloy wheels, and possibly even the inverted front forks found on the

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Royal Enfield is coming after Harley-Davidson

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In its last financial year before the pandemic struck, Enfield company sold about 824,000 bikes globally. Harley, by contrast, shipped about 218,000. Last year Enfield company doubled the size of one of its three factories, bringing overall production capacity to 1.2 million motorcycles a year. To build buzz Enfield company has tried marketing to American customizers and flat-track competitors, and in 2018 it put Cayla Rivas, a teenage motorcycle racer, on a souped-up Continental in pursuit of a speed record for its bike class—and compelling footage for YouTube. (She hit 157 mph on Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats.) Although it may sound counterintuitive, “the U.S. and Europe are very important” to making Enfield the aspirational bike of choice for the developing world, he says. Lal wants to be as big a player in the West as possible, but he argues that Royal Enfield doesn’t necessarily have to sell that many bikes in developed countries for the strategy to be considered a success. What it does need to do is move enough to give them a patina of cool at home and in other emerging markets, such as Southeast Asia. Read the full article at Bloomberg. Click Here.

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Yamaha MT-25 launched, MT-15 previewed

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from https://www.thesundaily.my YAMAHA’s first “hyper naked” (Ed: That sounds a bit naughty!) motorcycle, the MT-09 took the Asian market by a storm when it was launched, just as the naked bike category popularity grew. Here in Malaysia, there has been a significant increase of interest in the street naked category and on Saturday, Hong Leong Yamaha Motor announces its fulfillment of this void with the launching of the Yamaha MT-25. Introduced with the usual Yamaha fanfare at the Sofitel Hotel and Resort in Kuala Lumpur, the new model promises to be another hot item in the Yamaha model range. “The Yamaha MT-25 packs aggressive styling and notable performance and is indeed a cutting-edge new addition to Yamaha’s class-defining naked bike segment,” said the company. “With high torque performance, high handle bar and upright riding position, the MT-25 will be a comfortable ride in the city. It has all the original Yamaha MT-Series DNA built in with a multitude of innovative features.” Powered by the tested and proven performance-driven with features ranging from liquid-cooled 249cc,four4-stroke, in-line two-cylinder, DOHC, eight-valve, fuel-injected power plant capable of producing 35.5hp at 12,000rpm of power and a torque of 23.6Nm at 10,000rpm, the MT-25 is “a force to be reckoned with in its class”. The new “Master of Torque” uses inverted front forks that not only provides sure cornering performance but also supports an agile and comfortable riding style while it’s predator-type dual slant LED position lights plus a central mounted LED headlight, full digital LCD meter panel with shift timing light, sleek LED signal indicators with hazard light functionality makes it an impressive looking bike. In addition to this, the MT-25 is equipped with the dual channel anti-lock braking system (ABS) for both front and rear wheels, a sought-after feature most Malaysian riders have been

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Motorcycle racing in Asia is growing at unrivaled pace

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by Renato Marques from https://macaudailytimes.com.mo The first-ever person of Portuguese nationality to hold the position, Jorge Viegas has served as president of the global governing and sanctioning body of motorcycle racing, the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), for just over a year now. In an exclusive interview with the Times last week, Viegas shared his opinions on the development of the sport in Asia and worldwide, speaking also about the ambitions of his presidency. He also offered some advice to Macau motorcycling event organizers, while stressing again that his organization has no jurisdiction over the annual event, part of the Macau Grand Prix. After one year at the helm of the FIM, Viegas remarked on his success in making the organization more democratic and more transparent. He also claimed victory in his goal to give more importance to the constituent FIM committees, which he said had been “totally left out of decisions” in the past. “I am very pleased that I [accomplished] a small ‘revolution’ at the FIM at the internal level,” he said. “That was one of my goals and it was achieved.” Opening the FIM to the world had debunked the impression that the FIM was just “a bunch of old guys that liked to travel.” “I have been opening the doors of the FIM to the outside and have started to collaborate a lot more with the promoters. Next month, we will, for the first time, host a plenary meeting with all the committees with the presence of journalists. This has never happened before. I want to show what the FIM does.” “One of the first measures I took was to hold a press conference that took place at Losail during Qatar GP last year, in which I presented everyone from the FIM side that works in

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Harley Davidson: The Road Only Goes Downhill

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Harley-Davidson delays its first $30,000 electric motorcycle after unexpected findings during final quality checks The company delayed the motorcycle after ‘non-standard conditions’ were discvoered during final quality checks Dealers had begun selling pre-orders of the bike in January Harley-Davidson had forecast shipping 1,600 bikes Harley-Davidson has delayed production on its first electric motorcycle, called LiveWire. In an email sent to dealers last week, the company announced it had found a ‘non-standard condition’ in its final quality checks but didn’t elaborate further. The LiveWire was officially announced for commercial release last fall with a planned price of $29,799. ‘We recently discovered a non-standard condition during a final quality check; stopped production and deliveries; and began additional testing and analysis, which is progressing well,’ the company said in a statement. The Wall Street Journal reported that the decision came after a problem with the vehicle’s battery charging was discovered. The manufacturer did not say when they planned to resume production. The company had already begun delivering models of LiveWire to dealers in September. The company had expected to ship around 1,600 bikes, or an estimated 1 percent of the company’s total big shipments. The LiveWire is said to go from 0-60 mph in three seconds and reach top speeds of 110 mph. Harley-Davidson recommends users go to dealers to charge the vehicle rather than trying to use standard electrical outlets in their homes. It is powered by a 15.5 kWh battery and has a 105 horsepower magnetic engine and a range of 146 miles city driving on a single charge. Harley-Davidson had told potential customers to charge the bike only at registered dealers and not in their homes. The bike was first shown in The Avengers: Age of Ultron as a sleek prototype ridden by Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow character. The LiveWire

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Royal Enfield enters South Korea

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The iconic British motorcycle manufacturer arrives in Korea with its first flagship store, commencing its full operation, including after sales, spares and service. Cult motorcycle maker, Royal Enfield on Friday has announced its entry into South Korea, with Vintage Motors (Kiheung International) as its official distributor-partner in the country. The iconic British motorcycle manufacturer arrives in Korea with its first flagship store, commencing its full operation, including after sales, spares and service, the company said in a statement. Vimal Sumbly, APAC Business Head, said, “Our focus is to sustain and expand our reach in International markets especially in Asia pacific region. Royal Enfield has seen consistent growth in the APAC region with a 20% year-on-year growth. Korea is an important chapter in the growth story and we are thrilled to commence business here. We fully committed to focus all our energies on becoming part of the fabric of this country’s rich motorcycling culture.” This strategic announcement is in line with Royal Enfield’s focused international thrust of leading and expanding the global mid-sized motorcycle segment (250-750cc). Pablo Lee Jr, CEO, Kiheung Motors said, “Royal Enfield motorcycles will offer Korean two wheeler riders an opportunity to upgrade to a robust long-distance, leisure riding culture with its modern-classics machines, that are brilliant for long rides on the highway at the same time perfect to commute in heavy traffic in the city”. Royal Enfield enters South Korea, with line-up of three of its widely popular models featuring single-cylinder engines currently up to 500 cc: Bullet (500cc), Classic (500c), and Himalayan (410cc).

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