The cost of living is driving more riders to smaller motorcycles and scooters, says Hartford Australia who is importing small-capacity Taiwanese machines.
Ballina-based importer Joe Fisher says scooters and learner bikes have “gone crazy” despite a slow market.
“I come from a time when the industry was formed on XL250s and Belstaff jackets,” he says.
“We see a healthy return to this time where the cost of living is pushing more and more people to find cheaper alternatives to get to work.
“We think the LAMS (learner-approved motorcycle scheme) market is the growth area for the immediate future of the industry.
“I regularly travel between Brisbane and Sydney and it’s been a long time since I’ve seen so many get-to-work bikes in every town I pass through.
“It is indeed encouraging to be involved in our efforts to expand this market.”
Hartford range
Hartford Classic
So Joe is importing the Classic 250 ($4799 +ORC), and the 125cc Sienna (#3399) and 300cc Vita ($6199) scooters. The Sienna comes with a one-year warranty and the others with a 24-month warranty.
Hartford Sienna
Hartford Vita
They will be followed by liquid-cooled 450cc adventure and naked bikes later this year.
Adventure
Naked
The sole Aussie distributor is working on setting up a network of non-franchised dealers “willing to give us a god shot”.
He hopes to start with dealers on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane.
Joes has been involved in the industry since 1975.
“I think I’ve pretty well seen the good the bad and the ugly of the industry over that time,” he says.
“To keep the motorcycle companies off our case for as long as possible, we have formed a company (Aussie Motorcycle Imports Pty Ltd) as the importer and distributor of this new brand of Hartford under my personal name.”
Jawa Motorcycles have returned with such a vengeance in India, there could be pressure to export to other markets and delay the revival of BSA.
Currently, owners Mahindra Motorcycles are only licensed by the original Czech Jawa company to make and sell the bikes in India.
However, that could change in the next few years judging by the success of their three new Classic Legends models unveiled in India last November.
The bikes are currently sold out until November 2019 and caused such excitement that competitor Royal Enfield registered their first sales decline in several years in December.
Jawa Forty Two
BSA revival delayed?
Mahindra has released the bikes under the new brand called Classic Legends Private Ltd.
However, the revival of the British BSA brand could be held up while the company tries to cope with demand for its Jawa bikes.
The company had set up a website for Jawa orders but had to take it down after crashing from demand.
Jawa say they wanted to sell 90,000 bikes a year, but it could be more.
That will place huge pressure on their manufacturing resources and could delay the release of the BSA revival.
New Classic Legends
Perak bobber, Jawa and Jawa Forty Two
The new Indian-made Jawa motorcycles, currently only available for domestic sale, are the Jawa, Jawa Forty Two and Perak which will follow later this year.
The Jawa and Perak feature the traditional “egg-shaped” headlamp with integrated instruments. The Forty Two has a separate offset instrument pod.
Jawa
Forty Two
Other iconic features include a tool box, dual shocks, twin peashooter exhausts and flat bars.
Indian prices are Rs 1.64 lakh, Rs 1.55 lakh and Rs 1.89 lakh, respectively. That’s about $A3130-3600 ($US2280-2600, £1780-2050).
All are powered by a new 293cc liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine which has been styled to resemble the original air-cooled motor.
It has a very modest output of 20kW (27bhp) of power and 28Nm of torque.
The bikes come with a disc brake on the front with single-channel ABS and a rear drum brake. To be considered for global exported, Mahindra will first have to update to all discs and two-channel ABS.
Jawa Classic Legends tech specs
Jawa
ENGINE: 293cc Single Cylinder, 4 Stroke, Liquid Cooled, DOHC
BORE STROKE: 76 x 65
COMPRESSION: 11:1
POWER: 20kW (27bhp)
TORQUE: 28Nm
Jawa Forty Two
TRANSMISSION: Constant Mesh 6 Speed
FRAME: Double cradle
TYRES: 90/90 – 18; 120/80 – 17
SUSPENSION: Telescopic Hydraulic Fork; gas canister dual hydraulic shocks
BRAKES: 280mm disc with floating caliper and ABS; rear 153mm drum
Ducati could be considering a naked version of its V4 Panigale along the lines of this sexy custom V4 Penta by italian design company Officine GP Design.
Only nine of these V4 Penta models will be made and they start at an eye-watering €100,000 (about $A157,000, $US114,500, £87,300).
This ridiculous promo video seems to show that its purpose in life is to be a thing of beauty to be displayed by the pool, rather than actually ridden!
However, Ducati has a history of collaborating with design houses and other institutions to design custom motorcycles that end up being the inspiration for production models.
So there is every chance that the V4 could shed its fairing and become a naked model the Hypermotard or the axed Streetfighter model.
V4 Penta
However, designer Luca Pozzato has been a little too adventurous for this to translate faithfully into a production model.
For a start, it features expensive and heavy girder forks. Ducati is unlikely to follow suit.
Kawasaki has filed trademark applications for the retro name Meguro in Australia, New Zealand, USA, Europe, and the Philippines.
The trademark application seems to point to the development of more retro models such as the successful Z900RS and Z900RS Cafe and the new W800 Cafe (pictured above).
Z900RS
Z900RS Cafe
Meguro invested in Harley-Davidson during the Wall Street Crash of 1929 to gain technological know-how.
They used that knowledge to start making gearboxes and by 1937 were making their own motorcycles.
Megruo supplied bikes for the Japanese police and military and even went racing in the 1950s.
The company offered a range of motorcycles from 50cc to 350cc, but they were too expensive.
Kawasaki-Meguro B8 125cc
Meguro revived
Kawasaki saved the company from extinction in 1960 and made several models in a Kawasaki-Meguro partnership.
Together they made 125cc, 175cc and 250cc single-cylinder models, 500cc K-series twin and the 625cc Kawasaki W.
The W625 was the inspiration for the development of the retro parallel-twin W650 in 1999.
Kawasaki replaced the W650 with the the 775cc W800 in 2011.
While that air-cooled model appeared destined for extinction thanks to Euro emissions standards, Kawasaki surprised by unveiling the W800 Cafe at the EICMA motorcycle show in Milan last November.
W800 Cafe
Kawasaki Motor Australia confirms the W800 Cafe will arrive later this year.
Pricing and full specifications are not yet available for the retro model as production is not until mid-2019.
But it seems clear that Kawasaki intends to mine its historic roots with more retro models.
However, the name Meguro is not well-known outside of Japan.
The trademark application actually says the name could be used for “two-wheeled motor vehicles; motorcycles; scooters; mopeds; bicycles; structural parts for motorcycles”.
So “Meguro” could start appearing simply as badging on a range of retro models.
Or it could be the name for a whole new platform of neo-classic motorcycles.
Electric motors can be just about any shape and size and you can use multiple motors, while the batteries can also be any shape and size, especially if they are made up of a collection of smaller batteries linked together.
RMK says their “unconventional frame architecture” offers plenty of room for a large battery while keeping the overall bike weight at about 200kg.
RMK E2
The RMK E2 is still just a prototype, but the final production version will probably stay with the hubless rear wheel which incorporates an electric motor in a direct-drive situation.
They say the advantage of having the motor in the rear hubless wheel is lower rotational mass than a conventional bike while retaining similar unsprung mass. Tyre changes will also be easy.
RMK is moving into the testing phase, so final specifications have not yet been set.
However, the company does say the battery size “can be configured for 200-300km carefree riding, depending on customer preference”.
That’s not bad, but it’s nowhere near as good as Zero Motorcycle which has up to 320km of range.
With all electric vehicles, the range is a malleable figure.
It really does depend on how the vehicle is ridden/driven, ambient temperature and the consistency of throttle.
For example, range is totally opposite to a normal engine which goes further on the highway than in the city.
RMK say their fast-charging system will charge from flat to 80% in about two hours.
That’s a long time to wait to do another 160-240km.
Instant torque
RMK claim 50kW of power and “instant 320Nm torque from standstill all the way to a limited top speed of 160km/h”.
They say the motor has enough torque braking effect to be the primary rear brake. So it doesn’t need a brake disc, although the left lever does control regenerative motor braking.
The front wheel has a conventional set-up of dual brake discs controlled by the right lever.
Regenerative braking in most electric motorcycles and cars dramatically reduces the need for braking. In fact, when we rode the original 2014 Harley LiveWire in LA, we didn’t once use the brakes in traffic, except for the final stop.
Also, like the LiveWire, the RMK E2 has no gears.
The dashboard is on the tank and, together with the low headlight, offers a “clean electric experience with no clutter in your field of vision”.
However, tank-mounted instruments will be difficult to see while trying to keep your eyes on the road ahead.
There is no word on production schedule or pricing, but we hope it would be less than the LiveWire arriving in August in North America and Europe at just under $US30,000.
When the LiveWire arrives in Australia next year, it should cost more than $41,000!
If the Australian Greens had their way, we would all be riding electric motorcycles like the one above by 2030 and would foot the bill via government incentives.
Their plan includes:
Australian Greens transport spokesperson Senator Janet Rice announced the plan after the final report of her Select Committee on Electric Vehicles was released.
Greens rewards
“The Greens are the only party with a real plan to get Australia in the fast lane so that we can reap the rewards that will come from electric vehicles,” she says.
She doesn’t say what the rewards are, but with the current electric supply problems, labouring our system wth more electrical products could put us all in the dark.
The Greens also don’t mention anything about the environmental concerns of electricity from our coal-fired power plants and the disposal of batteries.
Their reference to “strong vehicle emissions standards” probably means faster acceptance of Euro standards.
The Greens would have us follow countries such as Sweden which is among the world leaders in EV adoption with more than 50,000 plug-in vehicles registered and a plan to have a 100% fossil-fuel-free vehicle fleet by 2030.
That’s not a reference to just new vehicles coming into or made in the country. That’s ALL vehicles.
That would mean a total ban on riding all motorcycles, except electric bikes like this!
Bolt electrics
Johammer J1
BMW electric C-Evolution scooter
Honda Riding Assist-e
Meanwhile, the Greens want the government to incentivise motorcyclists and drivers to buy EVs.
“The government has a choice to get Australia in the fast lane, but that means hitting the accelerator with ambitious targets and incentives to drive the uptake of electric vehicles,” Senator Rice says.
In the end, the motorist pays for those incentives through taxes, so where’s the incentive?
Any vehicle that proclaims to be all things to all people and all roads sounds like a compromise machine, but not the Triumph Tiger 800 XCx that comes pretty close to satisfying on all counts.
Last year the Tiger 800 range received a major upgrade with LED lighting, lighter weight, better ergos, six riding modes, up/down quick shifter, updated cruise control, full-colour instruments, back-lit controls, Brembo front brakes switchable ABS and traction control, and improved off-road ability.
Michael Oliver of Oliver’s Motorcycles in Moorooka says the Tiger 800 represents good value with a host of standard extras.
As I take the keys to the off-road oriented XCx, Michael points out the host of standard hardware such as bash plate, engine guards, USB charging socket, rear rack and handguards, stuff you pay extra for on most adventure tourers.
Standard bash plate and engine guards
Techno wonder
However, it was the standard tech that left me gob-smacked.
For a start, there are six rider modes, each of which can be customised to suit your personal riding style.
You can also choose the layout, colours and style of the full-colour TFT instruments while the cruise control has logically been shifted from the right switch block to the left.
Riders can choose to have the normal low-beam lights or the bright LED daytime running lights. I chose the LEDs because they seem to attract more attention.
Low beam
LEDs
There is even the option to switch between automatic indicators “Basic” and “Advanced” or off, although why anyone would turn off this most basic of safety features baffles me.
In Basic, it holds the indicator a few seconds after turning a corner, but Advanced switches off straight away.
I’m glad I selected Advanced, because I took the first exit at a roundabout and immediately after a car at a left-turn street was about to drive out in front of me but stopped when the indicator switched off.
Now that’s good primary safety tech.
There is also traction control and ABS for both road and off-road use, or you can switch it off.
I tried emergency stops in all the variations on both tar and ball-bearing gravel and was amazed at the results.
I thought I was good at emergency braking, but I could not beat any of the ABS settings, especially on gravel.
The dual Bembo front discs on the XCx may seem overkill on the gravel, but they work well albeit with a fair bit of fork dive.
Traction control is also a must as the 800cc triple brings on the power with a bit of a snap which can make it fishtail wildly on the dirt with traction switched off.
I found it quite difficult to control, but with the of-road traction switched on, it allowed some slide without losing control.
Riding
When I first headed out into traffic I reached out and pushed the high windscreen of the XCx forward and down to the bottom position.
It features a simple spring-and-rubber washer that just works.
Michael says he was worried it would rattle with age, but says it hasn’t on other models with the same adjustable screen.
Out on the highway, I reach out and pull it up. Simple and effective.
The contoured seat cossets my rear and the controls all fall easily to hand and foot. This is a the sort of bike you could easily use to do a lap of Australia and it wouldn’t matter if the road turned to gravel or you wanted to explore some national parks.
Tar and gravel
It’s also well suited to traffic with a light clutch, foolproof gears and a commanding position to view over traffic, although you easily adjust the seat down.
I’m 183cm tall and my heels touch the ground with the seat in the low 840mm position. That sounds high, but the narrow seat makes it easy to set foot on the ground.
That narrow waist also makes it very comfortable to ride standing up on gravel roads without feeling like you are riding a horse.
Narrow waist
I wouldn’t need bar risers in this position, either. Just roll the bars forward and let the natural bar bend lift them up into your hands.
The foot pegs are also nice and wide and provide a comfortably long reach.
Pillions will enjoy the wide and flat perch, long reach to the pegs and generous grab handles on each side.
What I didn’t enjoy is the heat coming up over my knees from the engine. I found myself riding with my knees out in the breeze in traffic, although I tucked them in on the highway.
The XCx mirrors are stylish and are set high and wide for plenty of rearward vision. However, at highway speeds, the right mirror vibrates and blurs the vision.
I think that’s because the gearing is set too low.
It provide good off-road ability, especially for slow-speed gnarly tracks.
But it makes the grips tingle a little at highway speed where it runs at 45000rpm in sixth. That’s about 500 revs too much, yet it still returns 3.5L/100km at that speed.
After a day’s riding with some high-spirited twisting roads, some gravel tracks and even a bit of trials riding on some rock shelves, the XCx returned a commendable 4.2L/100km.
I found I could quickly snick the gears through to fifth or sixth around town and the bike will still pull well from 3000 revs at 60km/h in fifth.
Despite all the tech and extras, the biggest attraction for me is the ride and handling of the XCx.
Thanks to WP forks and shock, the Tiger 800 XCx seems perfectly balanced in all situations from highway cruising to twisting tar and corrugated dirt roads.
However, if you are riding less than 80% road and more than 20% dirt, you might want more aggressive rubber than the all-round Bridgestone Battlewing tyres.
Triumph Tiger 800 XCx tech specs
ENGINE & TRANSMISSION
Type
Liquid-cooled, 12 valve, DOHC, in-line 3-cylinder
Capacity
800cc
Bore
74.05mm
Stroke
61.9mm
Compression
11.3:1
Max Power EC
70kW (94bhp) @ 9500rpm
Max Torque EC
79Nm @ 8050rpm
System
Multipoint sequential electronic fuel injection
Exhaust
Stainless steel 3 into 1 header system, side mounted stainless steel silencer
Final Drive
O-ring chain
Clutch
Wet, multi-plate
Gearbox
6 speed
CHASSIS
Frame
Tubular steel trellis frame
Swingarm
Twinsided, cast aluminium alloy
Front Wheel
Spoked, 21 x 2.15 in
Rear Wheel
Spoked, 17 x 4.25 in
Front Tyre
90/90-21
Rear Tyre
150/70 R17
Front Suspension
WP 43mm upside down forks, with adjustable rebound and compression damping, 220mm travel
Single 255mm disc, Nissin single piston sliding caliper, Switchable ABS
Instrument Display and Functions
TFT multifunctional instrument pack with digital speedometer, trip computer, digital tachometer, gear position indicator, fuel gauge, service indicator, ambient temperature, clock and five rider modes (Road/Offroad/Off-Road Pro/Sport/Track)
An Italian company plans to build a motorcycle with a howling, 150kW, upside-down, two-litre, triple engine and is seeking crowd-funding for the wacky idea.
While many motorcycle manufacturers are trying to build bikes with a lower centre of gravity for more stability, Nembo Motociclette says mass centralisation as featured in MotoGP bikes is more important.
With a rider on top of the bike, an upside-down engine with the heavy crank at the top would centralise mass.
Nembo say the bike will have 150kW of power, 210Nm of torque and weigh just 160kg.
They say it would be great for racing, but the video doesn’t seem to prove its speed or handling prowess. However, it does sound fantastic!
Upside-down history
The upside-down Nembo has been around for a while and was first publicly featured at the 2012 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este” at Lake Como, Italy.
Rechargeable batteries with magnesium instead of lithium could extend the range of electric vehicles as much as 50% and make them lighter and cheaper, new research has found.
CVMR Energy Metals says their eight-year research has found that magnesium (Mg) anodes in rechargeable batteries pack 50% more power as it has a higher energy density than lithium.
Rechargeable Li-ion batteries have dominated the rechargeable battery market since the 1990s and are the main energy source in electric vehicles.
Harley’s electric motorcycles, bicycles and scooters
However, lithium is rare and expensive, while magnesium is more widely available and therefore cheaper.
Other advantages are that Mg does not need an “intercalation” compound layer, so you can pack up to five-times more metal than lithium in the same-size rechargeable battery.
That also means batteries can be smaller and lighter, which is a huge boon for smaller electric vehicles such as motorcycles and scooters.
CVMR’s breakthrough comes in the use of a higher energy density cathode material and an electrolyte that helps the chemical reactions generate higher energy density than lithium batteries.
The American company hopes to have their magnesium-based batteries available in the next two years.
Magnesium batteries
Magnesium use in batteries is not new.
Non-rechargeable Mg batteries have been available for decades.
Magnesium dry batteries were widely used by the US military from 1965 to 1984 and Mg air batteries have been used as land-based backup systems and undersea power sources, using seawater as the electrolyte.
Although magnesium air batteries are primary cells (not rechargeable), they have the potential to become rechargeable by replacing their anode and electrolyte.
Rechargeable issues
The potential for rechargeable magnesium batteries has been known for some time.
However, finding a cost-effective high-energy density cathode material and suitable electrolytes has slowed progress.
The major problem has been the formation of a non-conductive layer on the Mg anode blocking the recharging of the battery.
In 2016, Honda’s Saitama Industrial Technology Center claimed they had a commercially viable Mg rechargeable battery that used vanadium as a cathode. However, these batteries have not yet hit the market.
Although CVMR owns one of the largest vanadium reserves in Africa, and vanadium has been touted as a suitable cathode in magnesium batteries, the company tested a host of other elements and compounds, such as zirconium, cobalt and tungsten.
They claim vanadium, manganese and transition metals are the most promising.
The US Department of Energy’s Joint Center for Energy Storage Research has also researched chemical reactions involving magnesium.
As part of those studies, Berkeley Lab discovered that the self-stabilising, thin oxide surface layer that forms on the magnesium has some inherent defects that cause unwanted reactions.
CVMR spokesman Kamran Khozan claims they have overcome these defects.
“Today’s scientific discoveries cannot take place in isolation,” he says.
“We all benefit from each other’s efforts, and owe a debt of gratitude to those who have the vision to be leaders in their field of specialisation.”
These stunningly beautiful Thruxton and Rocket TFC (Triumph Factory Custom) models are the first of a new line of limited-edition motorcycles from the British manufacturer.
Only 750 numbered models of each will be made worldwide when they are launched on May 1, 2019.
The Rocket TFC is based on the new Rocket III with single-sided swingarm, chunky forks, resigned cowl, new exhaust tips, beefier Brembo brakes and a more contoured rider’s seat.
No pricing for these limited-edition models has been released but expect to pay much more than the current Thruxton R ($21,100) and Rocket III ($23,990).
Triumph Motorcycles Australia hasn’t said what their allocation will be or whether it will be by customer order, only.
Thruxton TFC
The Thruxton TFC comes with lashings of carbon fibre, Öhlins suspension, Brembo brakes with adjustable lever, Metzler Racetec RR tyres, Vance & Hines pipes, flip-up Monza fuel cap, all-LED lighting and brushed aluminium accents.
A highlight is the hand-painted gold lining.
Thruxton TFC will also have 7.5kW more power at 79kW and 4Nm more torque at 115Nm.
At the same time, Thruxton TFC also has lightweight engine, body and frame components that strip weight.
However, the bike is not yet homologated for Australia, so the importers have not confirmed the exact output and weight figures.
Rocket TFC
There are no details yet on what the Rocket TFC will include.
However, the images give us a good look at the next model.
Triumph isn’t saying anything about the engine except that it has been “transformed”.
The current Rocket III has the biggest capacity engine of any production motorcycle with a 294cc triple, delivering 221Nm of torque and 109kW of power.
Rumours are that the new model could be powered by a 2.5-litre, 134kW engine.
It may also include many of Triumph’s high-tech rider-aid features such as traction control, cornering ABS and rider modes.
Other tech could include LED lighting, keyless ignition, Bluetooth connectivity and TFT instruments like all modern bikes seem to be getting.
