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Malta to ban rented e-scooters from March

The decision had been taken because of “intolerable abuse,” Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia said. A surprise announcement on Friday mentioned the cause as inconvenience to pedestrians. The violations are so many, doubling the number of enforcement officers overnight would not have solved the issue as per the minister. It is understood, private e-scooters will still be allowed, with incentives introduced to encourage people to buy their own. This decision makes Malta the first European country to ban rental scooters, although the French capital Paris took a similar decision after holding a referendum. Refer: https://blog.bikernet.com/paris-climate-accord-vs-paris-e-scooters/ Government earlier this year stated it will consider designated parking zones for the 5,000 scooters on the island, before banning them outright. The term e-scooter may be confusing– it is not the typical scooter such as a Vespa. Refer above images of an e-scooter. * * * * * * * * Click & know more about Bikernet’s Free Weekly Newsletter

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Electric Kawasaki Announced: Ninja E-1 and Z E-1

These Electric models will aim to capture the 125cc commuter class for urban mobility Kawasaki Europe has officially announced full specifications and details about its first electric motorcycles. Ninja e-1 sportbike and the naked Z e-1 are to be launched in Europe. Both models are classified as 125cc-class motorcycles and will reach European markets soon. It is expected that other markets including Australia, Japan, and America will get these too. Both the e-1 models are powered by the same air-cooled interior permanent magnet synchronous motor, rated at 6.7 hp at 2,800 rpm (claimed peak output of 12.1 hp), and a claimed 29.9 lb-ft. of torque. The curb weight is 298 pounds compared to 324 pounds for the Z 125. Each motorcycle will be powered by two removable 50.4 V lithium-ion battery packs, and each having a nominal capacity of 30 Ah. The batteries are mounted in parallel under a storage compartment where typically a fuel tank is located. After installation, the battery charge levels are shown on the left and right sides of a TFT display. Each battery has its own charge level indicator. Another interesting feature is the three different ways to charge these batteries: plugging it into a charger, connecting it to a charging dock, or, with the battery installed on the motorcycle, by connecting the charger to a port located in the tail. Kawasaki has claimed charging time from 0 to 100% in just 3.7 hours for each battery, and a partial charge from 20 to 85% in 1.6 hours. Knowing the industry reputation of Kawasaki in heavy machinery and not just motorcycles, one can be assured of quality and performance from electric motorcycles presented under a Kawasaki badge. * * * * Tinker and test beyond your garage. Get the free weekly newsletter from Bikernet Blog

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Honda CBR300R ABS 2022 : Road Test

by Kyle Smith from https://www.hagerty.com/ Picture this: You’re hanging around the Rock Store at the top of Mulholland Highway with your rental Camry the day before you fly home. The leather-clad crowd around praises the virtues of the GSXR600 chassis and the electronics package on the R1 for what seems like hours before a voice from the ether comes down and declares that, in fact, all of that sucks. Instead the holy follow the real truth of Slow Bike Fast. This truly enlightened rider who belongs to that voice is astride a miniscule machine that looks like a sportbike that stayed in the dryer just a bit too long and has an exhaust note like a mix of an old enduro machine and the Singer your mom used to repair your jeans way back when. Is this person insane or a prophet? There’s only one way to say for sure. I took the Honda CBR300R out for a week of playing in the canyons alongside some high-horsepower (and highly capable) machines to see if it truly held up. This 250cc-400cc market segment is now a packed class, with the KTM RC390, Yamaha R3, Kawasaki Ninja 400, and Suzuki GSX250R all competing for both attention from new riders and track rats alike. That is two very different subsets of buyers but it all boils down to similar wants and desires: Reliability, approachability, and fun factor. Honda comes right out and calls the 300 a commuter machine in some of its press materials. It is an evolution of the CBR250R which lived from 2011 to 2015, after which the engine was upsized to the current 286cc. The non-ABS equipped model comes in at $4,899 plus $600 in destination and freight charges. Add in the well-tuned ABS, as seen on our test bike,

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Royal Enfield Reveals Scram 411

ROYAL ENFIELD REVEALS ALL-NEW SCRAM 411 ADV CROSSOVER Ready. Set. Scram! Milwaukee, WI (Tuesday, March 15, 2022) – Royal Enfield, the global leader in the midsize (250cc – 750cc) motorcycling segment, today unveiled the Scram 411 – the brand’s first ADV crossover. The new Scram 411 is an engaging, accessible and capable street scrambler, with the heart of an adventure motorcycle. Built on Royal Enfield’s proven 411cc single-cylinder engine platform and the Harris Performance chassis, the Scram 411 combines spirited agility on urban streets, with competent rough-roading capabilities. Focused and purposeful changes in the riding geometry and ergonomics make it ideal for in-city riding, as well as unpredictable, challenging trails off the urban grid. Unveiled for global audiences today, the new Scram 411 is already available in India, and will be available in Europe, Asia Pacific, North America and Latin America later this year. The Scram 411 is scheduled to arrive in the U.S. late summer/early fall. Pricing and colorways will be announced in the coming months. The Scram 411 is a continuation of Royal Enfield’s constant pursuit of exploration, and building motorcycles to enable every adventure. One such motorcycle is the Himalayan—Royal Enfield’s flagship adventure tourer. Launched in 2016, the Himalayan has fostered a subculture of adventure touring around the world, most recently, even Antarctica’s South Pole. Its unique design and well-rounded capability make it among Royal Enfield’s best-selling motorcycles, and it is upon this stalwart platform that the style evolution continues with the more urban-focused ADV-crossover motorcycle—the Scram 411. The all-new Scram 411 is a new subspecies that has the authentic vibes of a scrambler and adventure touring in its DNA. With long-travel suspension and class-leading ground clearance paired with a 19-inch front wheel and 17-inch rear, the Scram 411 is playfully agile on city streets, yet is

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Alt-Rock Cruisers: BMW targets American brand’s market

by Jack Baruth from Hagerty.com BMW R18 meets Indian Challenger and Harley Heritage Classic The slightly ridiculous 1800cc, two-cylinder, leather-saddlebag, CHiPs-windshielded cruiser I’m trying to force through six stopped lanes of Los Angeles traffic can’t be taken as anything but an admission on the part of the Bayerische Motoren Werke that Harley-Davidson knows a) what boys like; b) what men want … in America, anyway. CLICK HERE To Read a comprehensive Road Test & Review of the cruiser models from the 3 motorcycle brands. Stay updated with Bikernet.com Free Weekly Newsletter CLICK Here for subscribing to a weekly dose of all things motorcycle.

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Super Soco TCMax & TS Street Hunter Electric Motorcycles

Super Soco TCMax 2022 from https://www.rushlane.com/ by Satya Singh Vmoto Soco had unveiled multiple products at EICMA 2021 including electric scooters, motorcycles and fleet vehicles Currently focused on European and US markets, Vmoto Soco Group will eventually expand its footprint globally. The company has set ambitious plans to emerge as one of the leading brands in e-mobility. Towards that end, Vmoto Soco spent some busy days at 2021 EICMA, where a number of new electric vehicles were showcased. Two of these are Super Soco TS Street Hunter, which seeks inspiration from the naked streetfighter design format. The other one is TCMax retro motorcycle. 2022 Super Soco Electric Motorcycles – styling and features Vmoto Soco’s TS range currently has TS and TS-X electric motorcycles. Overall styling of TS Street Hunter looks familiar to these motorcycles. Some key features include a quirky headlamp face, spear-shaped turn signals, wide handlebar, sculpted fuel tank, prominent side fairing, single-piece seat and trendy tail lamp. Super Soco TS Street Hunter It is likely that TS Street Hunter will be borrowing several of its features from existing TS motorcycles. There could be slight variations or tweaks in line with the bike’s sportier profile. Things like an all-LED lighting setup and full-digital instrument console are apparent. Instrument console used on TS 2021 displays a range of information such as battery status, real-time speed, odometer, full range, air temperature, clock and riding map. The screen has minimalistic black lettering against a light grey background, which should work well in terms of visibility in both bright and dark conditions. Any fancy stuff appears to have been intentionally avoided to save battery power. Another notable feature is racing-style side wings. These not only work to enhance the bike’s looks, but also ensure better cooling and improved stability at high speed. Like

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Crazy Affordable Honda Navi wrapped in miniMoto package Coming to the U.S.

from https://www.autoevolution.com  by Florina Spînu Honda is finally bringing the Navi to the U.S.! Adding to the miniMoto family for 2022, the machine combines the looks of a motorcycle with scooter features. Given its compact size, it makes up for a sporty and fun commuter that’s easy to maneuver around the city. Flaunting miniMoto aesthetics, the Navi is somewhat a cross between Honda’s Ruckus and Grom. It features a low 30-inch seat height that allows most riders to touch the ground with their feet and effortlessly hop on the ride. Not only that, but it’s easy to find a parking spot or handle it through the concrete urban jungle. The bike weighs 236 lbs (104 kgs), including all of its standard equipment and a full tank of fuel, so it’s a light machine that can be transported on an RV bumper rack. It even has a storage unit that is big enough to carry a backpack, a jacket, or a laptop. The bike is equipped with a 109cc air-cooled four-stroke single-cylinder, and it has scooter-like features that set it apart from other members of the miniMOTO family, such as a CVT transmission. That means no clutch, no shifting, no neutral or park. All the riders have to do is hop on, turn the key, press a button and start Navi-gating (pun intended). Those who want to get a taste of what this bike feels like will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with it this weekend at the IMS Outdoors motorcycle show in Costa Mesa, California. The Navi is set to hit the U.S. showrooms in January (February for California) next year. The bike will be available in four colors: Red, Grasshopper Green, Nut Brown, and Ranger Green. What’s more, it is offered at a crazy affordable

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Piaggio, KTM, Honda and Yamaha set up swappable batteries consortium

by Reuters from https://www.investing.com MILAN (Reuters) – Italian scooter maker Piaggio said on Monday it had set up a consortium with Honda Motor Co., KTM AG and Yamaha Motor Co. to encourage the use of swappable batteries for electric motorcycles and light electric vehicles. The Swappable Batteries Motorcycle Consortium (SBMC) aims to broaden the use of light electric vehicles, such as scooters, mopeds and motorcycles, and support a more sustainable management of their batteries, a joint statement said. It will focus on issues such as battery life, recharging times, infrastructure and costs and will work on defining international standard technical specifications for swappable batteries. The companies in the consortium said they welcomed others joining them to extend standards to as many companies as possible. “Urban mobility is going through a delicate transition moment towards electrification. Thanks to this consortium, motorbikes will keep their key role,” Piaggio Chief of Strategy and Product Michele Colaninno said. Honda’s Motorcycle Operations Chief Officer Yoshishige Nomura said the consortium’s objectives aimed to make electric motorbikes more convenient for clients, as their “use on large scale can substantially contribute to the creation of a more sustainable society”. Piaggio Group owns iconic two-wheeler brands such as Vespa, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, among others.

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BMW Vision AMBY showcases excellence against H-D Serial 1 e-bikes

SOURCE: https://www.autoevolution.com/ SOURCE: https://www.financialexpress.com/ BMW unveils Vision AMBY electric bikes: 300+ km range, 60 km/h top speed! BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY Breaks the Norm With Striking Design and Advanced Tech Of BMW’s 2021 IAA display, a very interesting one is the BMW i Vision AMBY, a peddle electric bicycle that boasts three speed ratings – 25 km/h for cycle tracks, 45 km/h for the city and 60 km/h for multi-lane roads (although, higher speeds would require a licence as well). The i Vision AMBY also gets the rest of fancy EV features like geofencing which can be used for automatically adjusting its speed. It is one of five different concept vehicles with which the BMW Group is presenting at the IAA Mobility event. While users of the BMW i Vision AMBY have to constantly pedal in order to benefit from the assistance of the electric drive system, BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY accelerates via a throttle grip One of the five concept vehicles showcased by BMW at IAA Mobility 2021 is truly innovative – neither a bike or a motorcycle, the BMW Motorrad Vision AMBY blends the best of each category with advanced connectivity and geofencing technology. BMW unveiled two electric vehicles with two wheels under the “Adaptive Mobility” (AMBY) concept. Both of them come with three speed levels for different types of road, and require an adequate driving license, insurance license plates, and a helmet for riding at maximum speed. Compared to the BMW i Vision AMBY that requires constant pedaling, the Motorrad Vision uses the throttle grip and features footrests instead of pedals, like a motorcycle. According to BMW, while it resembles a bicycle, the new Motorrad Vision flaunts the features of a powerful motorbike, including an 830 mm-tall (32.6”) seat, a large bicycle fork, a small headlight with

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