Tag Archives: Covid-19

Motorcycle News, News

MV Agusta continues amid pandemic

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While the pandemic is closing some motorcycle factories in Europe, MV Agusta in Lombardy, the epicentre of the Italian coronavirus contagion, continues production.

KTM, Husqvarna and GasGas will close their Austrian factories at the end of the month for two weeks and Moto Morini in Italy has already temporarily closed.

The Piaggio Group – owner of Aprilia, Moto Guzzi and Vespa – closed its factories over the weekend for a “deep clean” and plan to return to production this week.

There is no word from the Ducati factory in Bologna.

MV Agusta continues

MV Agusta has released a statement this morning (16 March 2020) to say it has reached an agreement with workers’ representatives to continue manufacture at their factory on the shores of Lake Varese, near Milan.

Despite a reduced workforce, they “guarantee production continuity”.

Production continues in “full compliance with the urgent provisions contained in the Prime Minister’s 11/03 decree and with the guidelines issued by Confindustria Lombardia”.

MV Agusta RVS#1 RVS heritage f4MV Agusta factory

A company statement says measures to reduce the presence of staff within the premises have immediately been adopted, such as the closure of non-essential departments, ‘smart working’, unused holiday allowances and Cassa Integrazione (redundancy fund) once the official decision will be announced.

“For those employees who will continue coming to work, the company has introduced a number of measures to prevent and contain the spreading of the Covid-19 epidemic, such as the supply of face masks, gloves, sanitising gel and detergents for the sanitation of work spaces and surfaces in addition to limiting access to common areas,” the statement says.

“Precise rules of conduct, by which every employee is required to abide, have been posted in every department (Covid-19 information circular on ‘rules of conduct and safety provisions’).

“Safety distances between workers are being respected in all areas of the plant, also thanks to the temporary reduction of the number of personnel on site.

“Up to the present moment, the company has no evidence of employees with symptoms connected to Covid-19.

“Normal production activity will therefore continue, yet with all due precautions, except for new Government provisions.”

MV Agusta 75th anniversaryTimur Sardarov

CEO Timur Sardarov says it is their “duty not to give up in this crisis situation, so that the economy of this community can recover once the emergency is over”.

“We took this decision with a great sense of responsibility, towards our employees in the first place, but also towards our local community, which cannot afford a breakdown of its production capability, and towards all the related industries on which so many workers and their families depend,” he says.

“The company has implemented all the information, prevention and containment measures required by the circumstances. We are determined to continue doing our best to support this community, fully respecting the rules and with maximum safety.”

Speed weekPepper, the Harley Road Glide Speed Week missile

The latest motorsport to be impacted is the Dry Lakes Racers Australia 30th Anniversary Speed Week and World Speed Trials Australia #2 at Lake Gairdner in South Australia.

It has been postponed to a date yet to be confirmed.

The announcement follows postponements and cancellations in F1, MotoGP, World Superbikes and many other motorsports.

Originally the DLRA had planned for three doctors to be in place for the two events, but as of today they only have one and there is no guarantee that even he will be available by the end of the week.

The South Australian Country Fire Service is also calling on its members to reduce their extra curricular volunteer activities as they are forced to replace members who have been inflicted with the virus.

“We could no longer guarantee the appropriate medical and fire services that are required for such and event,” the DLRA says.

“Now that the coronavirus has been officially identified as a pandemic, most public liability insurance policies consider any episodes to be exempt which would leave the DLRA open to financial ruin.

“Even with the concerted efforts that the DLRA were prepared to put into place through its mitigation plan would not be enough to ensure a safe risk free environment.”

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Is coronavirus a threat to riders?

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Our memes about the threat of coronavirus (above and below) have gone viral and been cited by several websites.

Virus meme pandemic coronavirus Covid-19

They may be humorous, but make no mistake; this pandemic is no laughing matter.

Virus threat

It has caused death and serious illness, the cancellation of major events, closing of borders and states of emergency in several countries. Click here for how it has affected motorcycling, in particular.

We’re no medical experts, so we reference the World Heath Organisation’s advice for avoiding the threat of coronavirus. Click here for details.

It basically says to wash your hands frequently and avoid crowded areas.

Obviously, if you have any of the symptoms, you should self-quarantine.

But if not, riding should be safe.

After all, riders wear a face mask of sorts and protective gloves, plus riding is a sort of isolation.

Riders also usually head out into the country where there is less chance of big group gatherings.

And we often stop for lunch at small coffee shops and restaurants. That means less chance of contracting the virus while also putting money in the pockets of small businesses.

We have not heard of any group rides being cancelled and planning is still ongoing for the Dubbo Rally in May.

Ride days

California Superbike School BMW K 1200 S track day - simpleRide day in Sydney

Motorcycling Events Group Australia which operates ride days at Sydney Motorsports Park and Phillip Island says they will go ahead, despite the virus.

They believe that the nature of their ride days makes for a “minimal risk of exposure”. They also supply hand sanitiser and follow WHO advice. 

Health tips

So, if you are out riding, here are a few tips to ensure your safety from the virus:

  • Wash hands thoroughly and frequently;
  • Use hand sanitiser frequently (put a small container in your jacket pocket);
  • Avoid touching your own eyes, nose and mouth (easy with a helmet on!);
  • Avoid physical touching of others, including shaking hands unless you have your gloves on;
  • Cover your nose and mouth if coughing or sneezing, and wash your hands immediately after;
  • Avoid others who are coughing and sneezing;
  • Wear breathing protection such as your helmet;
  • Avoid large groups;
  • Use your credit card instead of cash when buying fuel and food; and
  • Pack your own toilet paper!

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Pandemic halts motorcycle production

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Several motorcycle factories have halted motorcycle production as the coronavirus pandemic wreaks havoc across the world.

Australian PM Scott Morrison is banning organised non-essential gatherings of more than 500, US President Donald Trump has just declared a national emergency and countries are going into lockdown.

The coronavirus pandemic has already postponed and cancelled several motorsport events including MotoGP, F1, World Superbikes and many motorcycle rallies.

Pandemic halts bike production

KTM factory Virus meme pandemic coronavirus Covid-19KTM factory

Now the KTM group, which also includes Husqvarna and GasGas, will close their Austrian factories at the end of the month for two weeks and Moto Morini in Italy has already temporarily closed.

The Piaggio Group – owner of Aprilia, Moto Guzzi and Vespa – will close its factories this weekend for a “deep clean”, but we believe production will continue next week.

MV Agusta near Milan which is an epicentre of the contagion is playing a waiting game as the situation changes rapidly.

“At the moment the factory is continuing with production and we do not have any problems with the supply chain,” says spokeswoman Alessia Riboni.

“We will see in the next hours/days.”

Ducati has closed its museum and factory tours, but production is continuing.

Ducati factoryDucati factory

Apart from motorcycle factories, there could also be closures at component factories such as Brembo in Italy.

Davida Helmets in the UK has halted production because of a lack of components from Europe and Asia due to the virus.

So the effects for riders in coming months could be a lack of spare parts and further disruption to motorcycle rallies and races.

Even the Isle of Man TT, from 30 May to 12 June, could be under threat.

While we are unsure what Trump’s national emergency will mean for Harley-Davidson and Indian Motorcycle production, it hasn’t halted the Daytona Bike week in Florida which winds up this weekend.

How to stay safe in pandemicVirus meme panic coronavirus

Despite all the doom and gloom, there is no need for riders to panic and stay at home, unless they have virus symptoms.

After all, riders wear a face mask of sorts and protective gloves while riding a bike puts us in a type of isolation, certainly, 1.5m from others. 

Riders also usually head out into the country where there is less chance of big group gatherings.

And we often stop for lunch at small coffee shops and restaurants.

We have not heard of any group rides being cancelled and planning is still ongoing for the Dubbo Rally in May.

If you are concerned, there are several steps you can take to continue riding and stay safe.

  • Avoid large groups;
  • Use your credit card instead of cash when buying fuel and food; 
  • Wash your hands thoroughly, even tough you wear gloves; and
  • Pack your own toilet paper!

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

MotoGP, Motorcycle News, News

Coronavirus panic hits motorcycling

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As panic buying sets in over the coronavirus, bans are placed on large gatherings and northern Italy goes into lockdown, motorcycling looks set to be one of the victims.

Despite all the doom and gloom, there is no need for riders to panic and stay at home.

After all, we wear a face mask of sorts, protective gloves and riding a bike puts us in a type of isolation.

We also usually ride out in the country where there is less chance of big group gatherings.

If you are concerned, use your credit card instead of cash when buying fuel and food and make sure to wash your hands thoroughly. And maybe pack your own toilet paper!

Pandemic panic

Meanwhile, the world of motorcycle racing is starting to feel the impact of the coming pandemic.

The first two rounds of the MotoGP in Qatar and Thailand have been abandoned and now the third round in Austin, Texas, on 3-5 April 2020 is under threat as the city moves to prevent crowds of more than 2500.

World Superbikes also cancelled their first round this weekend in Qatar and even the Isle of Man TT, from 30 May to 12 June, could be under threat.

Some of these events may still go ahead for TV only, with no on-site crowds as F1 is considering.

Meanwhile, the Daytona Bike Week festivities are going ahead in Florida as planned.

Bike production

Ducati factoryDucati factory

The spreading contagion in Italy — now the worst affected country outside China — also looks likely to affect production of Aprilia, Moto Guzzi and MV Agusta motorcycles and many motorcycle components.

Their factories are near Milan which is an epicentre of the virus in the Lombardi region which is in virtual shutdown.

There are also factories in the region that make automotive components.

Ducati is in Bologna which is just outside the northern contagion regions of Lombardy and Veneto.

Ducati, Moto Guzzi and Vespa have already closed their museum and factory tours.

While the affects of these shutdowns won’t be felt here for some time, we expect there could be some shortage of parts in coming months.

But that doesn’t mean you panic and start clearing the shelves of oil filters!

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle News, News

Covid-19 could impact bike manufacture

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Ducati and Piaggio (Aprilia, Vespa, Moto Guzzi) have closed their museums due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 virus (coronavirus) in Italy, but their factories are still operating.

Chinese motorcycle factories were closed for a prolonged period over the Chinese Lunar New Year, but many, including Honda and CFMoto, have now restarted.

In the case of CFMoto, the factory is at around 80% due to workers still returning from extended new year celebrations with 100% production capacity expected over the next two weeks.

CFmoto factory coronavirusCFMoto factory

Supply chain

However, many component factories that supply automakers around the world have not reopened.

And now the virus has moved from a Chinese emergency to one that involves South Korea, Japan and Italy, three major manufacturers of motorcycles, cars and automotive parts.

The impact on motorcycle manufacture and supply of components could now be affected with Fiat-Chrysler the first to warn it could halt production at a European plant in weeks.

Data and analytics company GlobalData automotive editor David Leggett says this is an “inevitable consequence” on the automotive supply chain.

“Many factories in the Wuhan and Hubei province have been on lockdown since the start of the Chinese New Year holidays,” he says.

“The emerging problems for FCA outside of China are likely to be mirrored by other vehicle manufacturers and reflect both the long-run internationalisation of parts supply-chains and the predominance of ‘just-in-time’ lean manufacturing processes that keep inventory low.

“The next few weeks will be critical for automakers. The typical car is made up of 20,000 parts, and there is an elongated supply-chain of parts and sub-assemblies put together in complex sequence to create the finished vehicle.

“Korean manufacturers were the first to show up as impacted by China supply-chain disruption reflecting shorter shipment distances between China and Korea, but the FCA news indicates that impacts across the world are now coming over the horizon on shipment transit schedules.”

Museums close

moto guzzi factory museum V85Moto Guzzi museum’s big red doors will remain closed

As of yesterday, Italy had 374 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 12 deaths.

The epicentres of Covid-19 contagion in Italy are in Lombardy and Veneto regions where most of the auto factories are located.

Ducati’s factory in Bologna is just outside these central regions.

Public institutions and venues in these regions have been closed and mass meetings cancelled, including Ducati and Piaggio museum and factory tours.

The companies have notified the public that they have closed their museums for several weeks, but both confirm their factories are still operating.

We have not heard from MV Agusta which is near Milan in Lombardy, but their Facebook page has no reference to any closures.

Meanwhile, the organisers of the Geneva Motor Show, one of Europe’s premier motoring events, have confirmed the event is still due to take place as scheduled next week despite the first case of coronavirus in Switzerland.

The Covid-19 virus has already had some impact on Australian consumer confidence and our January motorcycle sales.

Now it could have a longer-term impact on motorcycle production and the supply of parts.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com