bikes

Norton will fill the high-end technology deficit for TVS Motor

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by Chanchal Pal Chauhan from https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com Norton is one of the most iconic British brands, besides Triumph, Royal Enfield and BSA. Incidentally now all of the remaining famed British brands either have Indian owners or strong engineering relationships with local entities. Another Indian company bags a storied European brand. This time it’s TVS Motor, the third largest two wheeler maker from the world’s biggest bikes and scooter market, and getting ‘Norton’ under its belt would not just fill the technology deficit, but would also make it a serious contender in the super-bike category, something its rivals are always vying for. Industry veterans cite it as a major catch for any aspiring Indian company aiming to hit the global circuit in style. “Norton is a major brand in the developed markets of Europe and the US and at Rs 150 crore, it’s a steal. The brand has a major pull and would fill the void for TVS Motors in technology and take it many years ahead of its rivals,” says a two wheeler specialist. TVS Motor Company has announced the Norton acquisition on Friday. Norton is one of the most iconic British brands, besides Triumph, Royal Enfield and BSA. Incidentally now all of the remaining famed British brands either have Indian owners or strong engineering relationships with local entities. Typical of the cash-starved British brands, Norton was started in Birmingham in 1898 by James Lansdowne Norton. It has a fantastic global appeal, a strong unique design and British heritage carried for decades. It has always been closely associated with “Motor Racing” and also makes superbikes in various categories across markets. It is a brand which has a huge opportunity for TVS to scale up and create value. TVS Motors can now focus on these developed markets with a known brand and […]

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Wary of public transport, coronavirus-hit Americans turn to bikes

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from https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com The coronavirus pandemic has sparked a surge in bike sales across the United States, according to a major manufacturer and a half dozen retailers interviewed by Reuters. “I’m 51 and healthy, but I don’t want to get on the subway,” said John Donohue, a Brooklyn-based artist who bought a bike two weeks ago. Donohue, who doesn’t own a car, says he’s not sure when he’ll be comfortable on mass transit again. The coronavirus pandemic has sparked a surge in bike sales across the United States, according to a major manufacturer and a half dozen retailers interviewed by Reuters. Many of the purchases are by people looking for a way to get outside at a time of sweeping shutdowns and stay-at-home orders aimed at containing the virus: Even the worst affected states are allowing people out to exercise. Still, a portion of the sales, especially in urban areas, are to people like Donohue who also want to avoid the risk of contagion on buses or subways. He plans to use his new 24-gear hybrid for journeys such as regular visits to a printing shop across town that he normally travels to by subway. A key feature, he said, was the bright red panniers he added to carry his artwork. To be sure, bikes remain well down the list of U.S. commuting preferences. About 870,000 Americans, on average, commuted to work by bicycle in the five years through 2017, or about 0.6% of all workers, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The rate was higher in urban areas, at about 1.1%, and about 20 cities with at least 60,000 residents had rates of about 5% or more. A more recent survey, though, showed a higher percentage of U.S. workers using a bike to get to work. Private research firm Statista

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CAC Racer Is the Bike Harley-Davidson Didn’t Want, But Joe Petrali Built Anyway

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com It sold earlier this year for $181,500 during the Mecum motorcycle auction in Las Vegas. It managed to do so thanks to the fact that it is one of only 12 such motorcycles known to have been made and, more importantly, it was built in person by the legendary Joe Petrali. We’re talking about a 1934 Harley-Davidson CAC, a motorcycle designed specially not to race on the makeshift cinder tracks of that era, but on actual, purpose made speedways. And its arrival was made possible by the resilience of Class A racing champion Joe Petrali. The Italian-American agreed to race for Harley for the first time in 1925, after proving his worth on bikes made by the competition. He quickly managed to do the same for the new employer by winning two national titles the following year riding H-D machines, just as the company decided to end its involvement in racing. Harley returned to the starting grid in 1931, and quickly re-signed Petrali, only this time the man had bigger plans than ever before. Eyeing an entry in speedway racing, he needed a dedicated machine for the task, and tried to sell his idea to Harley-Davidson. Word is the time’s higher-ups apparently weren’t impressed, and were reluctant to back the idea, so Petrali convinced several engineers to help him build the motorcycle over the weekends over at Harley. That bike is the CAC, a motorcycle powered by a 500cc engine with a single cylinder and no transmission and clutch. The official story goes that there were a total of 20 CAC bikes built, and an additional 5 spare engines, but that number is likely lower than that, at about 12. One of them is this one here, which sold earlier this year in pretty much

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Muscle Bikes: Triumph Rocket 3 vs Yamaha V-Max vs Ducati Diavel vs Indian FTR 1200

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by Syed Shiraz from https://www.ibtimes.co.in/ Muscle bikes are the rebels of the motorcycle world. Let’s take a look at a few of them before the electrics finally take over. What are muscle bikes? Well, the simple definition is: Muscle bikes are street legal drag bikes that can also cruise comfortably. In other words, these are bikes that can amble along easily with the laziest of cruisers but can also fluster the quickest sportbikes on dragstrips. Let’s take a look at some of the best muscle bikes in India. Triumph Rocket 3 The Rocket 3, since 2004 when it was first launched, has held the record for being the motorcycle with the biggest engine in the world among series production motorcycles. It used to come with a monstrous 2.3-liter inline-three motor, but Triumph apparently thought that it was not big enough so they gave the all-new Rocket 3 launched last year a 2.5-liter mill. It now makes a locomotive pulling 221 Nm of torque, which is again the highest figure in the world among all production motorcycles. While at it, they also brought the weight down of the motorcycle by 40 kilograms! It’s priced at Rs. 18 lakh. Please note that all prices mentioned in this article are ex-showroom, PAN India prices. Yamaha V-Max This motorcycle has long been discontinued, but it earns a mention here as it’s the one that started it all, that too way back in 1985! In fact, it did something back then that no other motorcycle in this list (yes, not even the Rocket 3) does even right now—it made way more horsepower than the fastest sportbike of its time! The 1985 Yamaha V-Max was pushing around 145 horsepower when the fastest motorcycle of the time, the Kawasaki GPZ900R, was making just around 115! The torque

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Kawasaki Announces New Agreement with Roadrunner Financial to Offer Financing for Credit Builders and First-Time Buyers

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Foothill Ranch, Calif. – Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. is pleased to announce a new financing agreement with Roadrunner Financial to offer competitive near-prime loans to Credit Builders with 550-660+ FICO scores. Roadrunner delivers a revolutionary lender experience through digital applications with instant decisions, comprehensive credit coverage, and unbeatable dealer and customer support. Kawasaki joins a group of Powersports and Outdoor Power Equipment partners that utilize Roadrunner Financial to bring great finance offers to their customers. The relationship with Kawasaki allows Roadrunner to offer an enhanced program with improved near-prime rates with no fees for dealers. “Roadrunner Financial is a key addition for Kawasaki and our dealers” said Kawasaki Senior Vice President, Sales and Operations Bill Jenkins. “The focus on a near-prime credit program will offer dealers new opportunities for financing customers on Kawasaki powersports products.” “Roadrunner will give Kawasaki dealers a new tool to close deals that would usually walk out the door.” When asked about the new financing agreement, Jon Vestal, VP of Sales at Roadrunner Financial said, “We’re very excited to strengthen our relationship with Kawasaki. By targeting near-prime, we plan to deliver significant incremental sales for Kawasaki in 2020 and beyond.” This new Kawasaki program from Roadrunner Financial will be available to Kawasaki dealers starting March 1st, 2020. About Roadrunner Financial: Roadrunner Financial offers financing for customers across the entire credit spectrum. Roadrunner’s credit program suite includes ‘Roadrunner Prime’, ‘Roadrunner Credit Builder’ for customers down to 550 FICO, a first-time buyer program, ‘Roadrunner Lease’, and a pre-owned vehicle program. Founded in 2016 and based in New York, Roadrunner helps dealers finance more customers by taking the traditional hassles of lending and replacing them with one seamless process that can take as little as a few minutes. Roadrunner’s unique financing experience offers instant decisions, electronic contracting, and financing for more than

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Electric scooters can help cities move beyond cars v pedestrians

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by Alex Hern from https://www.theguardian.com The government is showing signs of legalising electric scooters on roads, but new laws should be about safety, not horsepower If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that being hit by a scooter hurts less than being hit by a bike. That may sound like a strangely negative place to start, but it’s sort of fundamental to why I’m glad the government is finally showing signs of legalising the use of electronic scooters on public roads across the UK. The current state of the law is a mess. Its broad strokes are reasonable enough: powered vehicles require an MOT and registration to use on public roads, while unpowered vehicles do not. Pavements are for foot traffic only. Access requirements complicate matters, but only a little: wheelchairs, both manual and powered – legally, “class three invalid carriages” – can go on pavements, while some – class four – can go on roads as well. Then, in the 1980s, the law was modernised to support the first generation of electric bikes. Fitted with simple motors that aided hill climbs, it felt silly to ban them as electric vehicles, and so a new category – the “electrically assisted pedal cycle” – was invented, and the laws amended further in 2015 to remove weight limits, allow for four wheels and increase the maximum power of the motor. Which means, as the law stands, you can ride a four-wheeled vehicle of potentially unlimited weight, largely powered by a motor up to 15.5mph, on public roads without training, licensing or registration. But not an electronic scooter. Nor, for that matter, a 5kg, 10mph “hoverboard”, unlikely to hurt anyone save its rider. Looking at the laws from the ground up, the distinguishing characteristic should be safety, not how a

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Facing financial crunch, UK based Norton Motorcycle goes into administration; India roll out hit

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by Ketan Thakkar from https://economictimes.indiatimes.com Norton had set up an equally owned joint venture with Pune-based Kinetic Motoroyale in 2017 to start making mid-size motorcycles for India and Southeast Asian Markets by 2018. The project got delayed due to financial crunch at the UK-based entity. UK-based premium bike maker Norton Motorcycle’s India roll out may be hit, as the company has gone into administration after failing to pay outstanding dues to the UK authorities. According to a news report, the company is struggling to pay a tax bill and faces a winding-up order under the UK’s insolvency law. Norton had set up an equally owned joint venture with Pune-based Kinetic Motoroyale in 2017 to start making mid-size motorcycles for India and Southeast Asian Markets by 2018. The project got delayed due to financial crunch at the UK-based entity. When contacted, Kinetic Motoroyale managing director Ajinkya Firodia told ET that Norton was looking to raise funds. Firodia said he would be travelling shortly to the UK to understand the situation better and seek clarity. “Norton Motoroyale (the joint venture) is a separate company and continues to exist and hold its rights in its territories of India and Asean countries. After our visit, we shall understand the extent of impact, if any. The India-side development of all parts is nearly complete for the 650 Atlas. For some parts developed in the UK or Europe for Norton, I shall seek clarity from the administrator,” Firodia added. When queried if the 650cc bike would get further delayed, he said it was “difficult to predict” now. Kinetic Motoroyale had set up a 30,000-unit capacity plant in Ahmednagar in Maharashtra. A range of Norton bikes were expected to be made at this plant for Indian and Southeast Asian markets. According to media reports, Norton, which was

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Denver Motorcycle Show reinforces industry’s new focus

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The Progressive International Motorcycle Show rolled through Denver last weekend, and if memory serves, it was the first appearance in a half-decade or so. Colorado once had a major part in non-Harley-centric motorcycle drama. The Copper Mountain Cycle Jam was a giant event that featured the AMA Supermoto circuit amongst the high Rockies and brought thousands from out-of-state. Pikes Peak International Raceway was home to an AMA SuperBike round that featured some great racing on the unconventional race course. There was even of a round national vintage racing with AHRMA at Pueblo. Those days, and that motorcycle industry is gone, casualties of the Great Recession and a millennial generation hooked on phones, not speed and adventure. So when the IMS came to town, it was a solid look at how the industry is trying to recast itself. The first clear observation was the number of women. Women have always been the great, untapped market. And between gear, smaller bikes and dropping some of the macho facade, the industry seems to be getting it. The attendees certainly did. The second was the focus on new riders. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation demo area and multi-brand new rider section took up a third of the floor. You can’t get people hooked on riding if you don’t get them on a bike first. And the industry is finally putting the full-court press on making that happen with young, old, men and women all hopping on the wide range of demo alternatives. And actually riding, on an indoor course set-up just to train new riders. The motorcycle industry is not alone in the current active sports paradox. The technology in current bikes makes them safer, more accessible and more exciting than ever. Bikes are ever more sophisticated, with electronics and computing power surpassing desktop computers

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Monster Energy® Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac Captures First 450SX Win of the Season at Round 3

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January 18, 2020 | Angel Stadium | Anaheim, Calif. Foothill Ranch, Calif. (January 19, 2020) – Eli Tomac and his No. 3 Monster Energy® Kawasaki KX™450 ascended to the top step of the podium at Round 3 of Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship. Racing returned to Anaheim, California for the second and final stop at Angel Stadium, with Tomac grabbing his 28th career 450SX win, meanwhile 450SX rookie and teammate Adam Cianciarulo continued to impress by finishing in sixth place amongst the title contenders. For the third week in a row, the Monster Energy Kawasaki dynamic duo kicked off the day by qualifying with the two fastest times as Cianciarulo clocked the fastest lap time of 51.865 with Tomac hot on his heels in second with a 51.934. The two Monster Energy Kawasaki riders were the only two riders to put in a hot lap in under 52 seconds. For the third week in a row, Cianciarulo was the fastest qualifier heading into the night show. Tomac lined up for the first 450SX heat race and right out of the gate was able to tuck under the competition in the first turn. The No. 3 machine wasted no time getting out front and quickly darted away from the competition as he built an impressive nine-second gap over the field and went onto claim his first 450SX heat race win of the season. Carrying the confidence of qualifying into the night show, Cianciarulo shot out of the 450SX Heat 2 gate in second place, but by the second turn had already claimed the lead. Cianciarulo began clicking off laps where he was able to lead the first half of the heat race before surrendering the top spot and finishing second. In the 450SX Main Event both Tomac and

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