Sources : AMD , IDN , FT , Reuters , PSB , MPN , BDN , MCN , AP , Bloomberg , MSNW , Electrek , electricmotorcycles . news , RideApart . com , Motor1 . com , Cycle World , motorbikewriter . com
BRIEFS
Having written recently in AMD about the effects that mandatory deadlines will have in galvanizing the move toward EV adoption ( in USA and elsewhere ). California ( CARB ) has now announced that it aims to require all new cars , trucks and SUVs ( and motorcycles no doubt ) to run on electricity or hydrogen by 2035 under a policy approved in August that " seeks a dramatic cut in carbon emissions and an eventual end to gasolinepowered vehicles ." The U . S . auto market gets 10 % of its sales from California , the nation ' s most populous state . The radical transformation in what people drive will require at least 15 times more vehicle chargers statewide and a more robust energy grid . The move comes after Democratic Gov . Gavin Newsom told state regulators two years ago to adopt a ban on gas-powered cars by 2035 - cutting vehicle emissions in half by 2040 . Expect the attorneys to get fat on this one for years to come !
It has been reported ( via Reuters ) that Honda is considering decoupling its supply chain from China . The report primarily affects Honda ' s automotive production , and ' only ' for sales outside China , but nonetheless the very possibility that it is even under consideration at all is pretty significant . The report states that " Honda Motor Co Ltd is considering building a separate supply chain that would reduce its dependence on China ." Nearly 40 % of Honda ' s automobile production took place in China in the last financial year . Honda would continue to keep its supply chain in China for the domestic market in the world ' s second largest economy , while building a separate one for markets outside of China . A Honda spokesperson said that this is not something announced by the company , adding that it has been working on reviewing and riskhedging its supply chain in general . Another Japanese automaker , former Ford subsidiary Mazda Motor Corp ., has said that it would ask its parts suppliers to increase stockpiles in Japan and produce components outside China .
The Zero SR / S has been awarded a ' Best Electric Motorcycle for 2020 ' by influential UK weekly newspaper Motorcycle News ( MCN ).
" Emergin ' Virgin : Coming Out Custom "
This year ' s Michael Lichter exhibition at the Buffalo Chip during the Sturgis Rally and Races featured an innovative one-time-only curated selection of stunning motorcycle design and engineering that showcased custom bike builds by craftspeople , artisans , designers and engineers from a disparate range of backgrounds and who may never before have turned their creativity towards ' Motorcycles as Art '. " Removing any kind of thematic limitation allowed some fantastic new
faces and works of art to emerge - showing truly how diverse the world of custom motorcycling is today ," said Michael . " Everything from a custom electric race bike to a customized Vintage 1984 BMW K100RS , a 1972 S2 aluminum Kawasaki , a custom Suzuki Speedway bike , a custom KTM , Panhead and Knucklehead choppers , and so much more . " A one-time collection of wall art and painted Bell helmets gave the chance to see legendary artwork on the walls of the exhibit hall surrounding the bikes ." More than 30 builders and a dozen artists had accepted Michael Lichter ' s invitation . www . motorcyclesasart . com
Electric BMW Boxer Conversion By Ben Purvis
The question of how classic bike owners will adapt as and when new models switch to electric power is one that most of us still ignore - but while petrol will still be available for decades to come , it is still an issue that will one day need to be addressed . Although options like carbon-neutral synthetic e-fuels promise to make even existing combustion engines much greener in future , there ' s already a movement that ' s seeing classic cars get converted to electric power . Now there ' s a motorcycle equivalent courtesy of kits from Dutch company LM Creations . The company ' s first offering is an electric conversion for BMW boxers made between 1969 and 1995 . To achieve the transformation , LM Creations has created a cast alloy casing that holds the electric motor while mimicking the appearance of the original boxer twin . For a modern twist , the prototype isn ' t fitted with the original bike ' s now unnecessary cylinders , and simply has the original BMW rocker covers mounted on long studs to put them in the right position , leaving a gap between them and the engine cases . The motor itself is a 20 kW unit , making 72 Nm of torque and revving to 7,500 rpm . So , when it ' s bolted to the original BMW transmission , its rev range isn ' t dissimilar to the original
combustion engine it replaces , allowing the gears and clutch to be used conventionally . To avoid spoiling the bike ' s look , the battery is a relatively small 4.3 kWh pack , mounted inside the ' fuel tank ' - which is actually a purpose-made , fiberglass replica that also houses the control electronics and charger . The frame , brakes and suspension are all unaltered from the original bike . Since the small battery only weighs 24 kg , and the electric motor is lighter than the petrol engine , the resulting bike isn ' t much heavier than the BMW it ' s based on . But it hasn ' t got a lot of range - LM Creations says it ' s good for about 80 km between charges at urban speeds , which will equate to rather less than that if you go faster . Price-wise , each of the components
can be had separately , but there are discounts for buying a complete kit . With a slower 1.8 kW charger , the full kit is € 8,950 , rising to € 9,450 for a version with a faster 3.3 kWh charger . You ' ll need a 1969-1995 BMW , too , of course . In the future , LM Creations intends to make additional kits for other pre-unit bikes including Harley-Davidsons , Urals , Moto Guzzis and Triumphs .
12 AFTERMARKET MOTO DESIGN - SEPTEMBER 2022 www . AMDchampionship . com