My Car Check says the used motorbike, scooter and moped market has been irregular, as the riding season enters its final month. Rob Hobson said: “It really has been an unusual year in the used two-wheel market. Some traders say they are busier than ever, but against that used bikes advertised through the classifieds seem […]
Harley-Davidson is paying US authorities $12m (£9m) to settle allegations its motorbikes polluted the air at higher levels than allowed. It has also been ordered to stop selling “super tuners”, devices that enable motorbikes to generate power but also increases emissions.
The motorbike, scooter and moped sector is described as “muted”, with inclement weather and a contracting new bike market suggested as reasons for the relative inactivity. My Car Check’s Rob Hobson said: “It is very much a mixed report this month. New registration numbers for 2016 are still up, although July was down compared to the same month in 2015 – the first time that’s happened this year.
The National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA) has written to Andrew Jones MP, parliamentary undersecretary of state for transport, calling for a reform of the current testing regime for motorcycle riders.
The Department for Transport (DfT) has responded to The National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA) letter which outlined concerns that the promised plug-in motorcycle grant scheme had still not been delivered.
The Metzeler Sportec M7 RR has completed a hat trick of comparative tyre tests, following up its Motorcycle News and Motorrad victories with a third in the German magazine, PS. The Sportec M7 RR prevailed over the Pirelli Diablo Rosso III, Bridgestone Battlax Hypersport S21, Continental Sport Attack 3, Michelin Pilot Power 3, and Dunlop SportSmart2.
The National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA) has written to Andrew Jones MP, parliamentary undersecretary of State for Transport, raising their concerns that the promised plug-in motorcycle grant scheme has still not been delivered.
Overall demand for motorcycles is up 7.5 per cent in the latest year-to-date figures. Commenting on the Motor Cycle Industry Association new bike registrations statistics, Stephen Latham, head of the National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA), said: “Demand for motorcycles continued to grow in May with a 3.5 per cent increase over the same period last year.”
Dunlop tyres helped Michael Dunlop to a sub-17 minute lap around the iconic 37.73 mile Isle of Man TT Mountain Course, twice shattering the existing lap record, which was held by 23-time TT winner John McGuinness. The Hawk Racing BMW rider averaged 133mph on the opening two laps of the six lap race, achieving the tyre supplier’s objective of creating the 133mph Club on day one.
The Isle of Man TT gets underway on Saturday 4 June, with a strong line-up of road racers confirmed to run on Dunlop rubber. The brand is irrevocably tied to the event having participated at every event since the first race in 1907.
Dunlop is supporting the launch of its new RoadSmart III tyre with a new social media campaign, #DunlopRoadtrip. The campaign gives riders the opportunity to share videos and images of their ‘Ultimate Road Trip’ across the summer, with each month’s top three winning a set of RoadSmart III tyres. The pan-European competition will be fronted by 23-time TT winner John McGuinness – see below for his roadtrip video – and will take place on the official Dunlop Moto Facebook and Twitter pages.
High expectations of growth in motorcycle sales for March 2016 were tempered somewhat by low product supply. While the market started strongly this year, overall growth was only 1.6 per cent compared with March 2015. “Following a strong start to 2016, the NMDA had high expectations that March would follow suit on the back of the new 16-plate change, however the market was up by only 230 bikes compared to March 2015 – marking an overall growth of just 1.4 per cent”, said Stephen Latham, head of the National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA) which represents motorcycle retailers across the UK.
Figures from the Motor Cycle Industry Association show that 4972 bikes were registered last month – 987 more than February 2015. Confidence in the economy and high employment figures were cited as two contributing reasons.
Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd., has introduced the new zūmo 345LM, 395LM and zūmo 595LM motorcycle satnavs. The rugged, weatherproof models offer Garmin Adventurous Routing so riders can select the level of twists and hills on every journey. The zūmo 345/395/595LM present innovative features specifically designed for motorcyclists with the introduction of rider alerts, helpful smart features, new streaming music options and much more.
My Car Check Trade’s motorcycle expert, Rob Hobson, has added his analysis of the segment to the company’s 2016 forecasts of the car and light commercial vehicle markets. He praises manufacturers’ latest products, but questions the segment’s ability to attract new customers. He said: “Following a 12 per cent increase in new bike registrations last year, and a relatively strong used sector, most in the trade seem reasonably optimistic that the upward trend can continue.
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.