Spain

Spain is rolling out mandatory Motorcycle gear to solve rising fatalities

from the Wayfarer with illustration by the Wayfarer SPAIN— All motorcyclists might soon be required to wear full-face helmets and gloves every time they ride. In USA, there is some reasoning and freedoms left while across the pond, the control-ist regimes are “welcomed” by mute citizens, reminiscent of 1930s. There are many reasons for a road accident and many more for a motorcycle related accident. In USA, even the Feds and NHTSA know that it is the people with more than two-wheels who are reckless and blind and have the shameless (illegal) luxury of texting and dialing while driving. Yet, why not blame the most fuel-efficient and cheapest transport vehicle available to a citizen–the motorcycle –and its rider for accidents and fatalities. You might as well say roads kill people and force people into house arrests or ghetto patrol with Judge Dredd being the only one with a gun and a motorcycle! Even open-face helmets are not good enough for Spain as full-face helmets are being advocated to be mandatory. No gloves? Well, they want to save your middle-finger for later! Gloves are to be mandatory riding equipment as well. While there’s no specified timeline regarding the implementation of these various new mandates, driving license for two-wheelers itself will be staggered and handed out in stages to those completing courses. Maybe Spain will mandate a College Degree in Motorcycle Riding to allow a citizen to get a motorcycle driving license. Meanwhile, the rest of the users of Spain’s roads are not required to know anything about motorcycles, including the lawmakers!

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A 17-year-old is taking the motorcycle racing world by storm

by James Warren from https://www.theolivepress.es SPAIN has often been called the mecca for motorcycle racing, with world champions being cultivated from the moment they can sit on a bike. Household names like Marc Marquez, Aleix Espargaro and current champ Joan Mir all started riding and racing while they were at school, making use of Spain’s love of two wheels to develop their talents unhindered. As these riders fight to earn their latest victories in 2021, they all have one eye on one name that is causing waves in the Moto3 World Championship. And that name is Pedro Acosta, a young 17-year-old from Mazarron, Murcia. So far in 2021, the young man has taken three victories and one podium in the first four races, shattering records for the 250cc class and leaving experts to hail him as a ‘future legend’. But how has this teenager become one of the most exciting prospects since Marc Marquez arrived on the scene back in 2008. The answer can be found at the Circuito de Cartagena, a race track six kilometres northwest of the popular resort. The circuit is popular with trackday riders, people who own motorcycles who rent sessions on the track to hone their skills. Acosta’s father, also Pedro, was one such rider, with a love for American legend Kevin Schwanz, and eager for his son to inherit his love for two wheels. “Dad had a Suzuki like Schwantz’s and I grew up looking at the photos and videos of him.” said Acosta in an interview with Spanish publication Marca. Acosta’s father, keen to see his son carry on the mantle, give him a €150 Chinese Motina bike at the age of five, and brought him to track days at the Cartagena circuit to watch his father ride. “At first he was not

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The weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix

Lowes and Fernandez chasing big gains in Spain The Elf Marc VDS Racing Team remains on the Iberian Peninsula to make the short trip across the border from Portimao to Jerez for this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix. The famous Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto hosted the Spanish and Andalusian rounds as part of a double-header that kicked off a heavily revamped European schedule last July. Sam Lowes and Augusto Fernandez enjoyed a successful pre-season test in Jerez just a few weeks ago and both are confident they can play a prominent role in the 23-lap battle, which is scheduled to commence at 1220pm local time on Sunday. Successive top six finishes, including a gritty ride to an outstanding fifth last time out in Portimao, have given Fernandez a huge injection of confidence heading into his home Grand Prix. Fernandez finished 13th in both Jerez battles last season but the 4.4km track has special memories for the 23-year-old after he started on the front row and finished on the podium for the first time in his World Championship career in 2019. “We are getting closer to where we need to be” “I’m really excited to start the weekend in Jerez after the strong race in Portimao. I finished really close to the podium and I was in the front group for the whole race and that’s where I want to stay now. It seems like we are getting closer and closer to where we need to be, so hopefully we can continue to improve and fight for a top position again.” Lowes is determined to reassert his authority on the 2021 title chase after a first corner crash meant the Briton left round three in Portugal empty-handed. The Jerez track is the perfect place for Lowes to rediscover his winning touch after

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A Look at the New Electric Motorcycles from Soriano

by Andrew Wheeler from https://www.engineering.com The Giaguaro motorcycles come with a three-speed manual gearbox and 15 or 20kWh battery packs. Most electric vehicles (EVs) propel themselves with electric motors that use energy from battery-stored electricity collected from a charging station. And electric automobiles are steadily gaining in popularity among mainstream automotive manufacturers and automobile customers. In 2020, you can buy the Chrysler Fiat 500e, which has an all-electric powertrain, the Chevrolet Bolt EV, the Hyundai Kona, the Honda Clarity Electric, the Nissan Leaf, the Tesla Model X and so on. But what about electric motorcycles? There are more than a few to choose from, and that list now includes the V1-R, V1-S and V1-Gara series motorcycle from Soriano Motori Corp. The company was founded in 2020 and was spun off from its parent company Soriano Motori Factory SpA, which was founded in Madrid in 1939. The Giaguaro (Italian for Jaguar) V1 Gara goes from 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds and runs from a 75kW electric motor with 100 horsepower. Propulsion engineers from the United States and the European Union worked together to create the series. With a 72kW motor and 96 horsepower, the Giaguaro V1S is still powerful, but accelerates a bit more slowly than the V1 Gara. With 96 horsepower, the V1S accelerates from 0-60 mph in 4.4 seconds, as does the third new model, the Giaguaro V1R, though it has a less powerful motor (60kW) with less horsepower (80). Bottom Line Each Soriano Giaguaro comes with a manual three-speed gearbox. They range in price from $28,000-$34,000, which is expensive for motorcycles. Part of the increased cost is due to the limited number of units available. The current plan, according to Soriano, is for a production run of 100 units. The company is currently taking preorders.

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