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Motorcycle sales in Italy were 145,405 units in 2023 (+ 14.88 %), with all months in positive territory - the best Italian market numbers since before the ' 07 /' 08 Financial Crisis . In total Powered Two-Wheeler terms ( PTW ) the Italian market was + 17.94 % in 2023 with a massive 318,948 units registered . By far the largest annual market performance in Italy since before the ' 07 /' 08 Financial Crisis . Scooters were up by + 20.64 % at 173,543 units . The top selling motorcycle was the Benelli TRK 502 / X , followed by the Honda Africa Twin in a market where Maxi Scooters and ADV / Enduro style machines continue to gain share . Italy ' s PTW units sold number means that , on its own , it is not far off being 60 % the size of the total United States combined Scooter , On-Highway , ADV (' Dual Sport ') and Off-Highway motorcycle / PTW market ( 551,342 units sold in USA in FY2023 /+ 2.6 %).
The troubled , cash-starved electric motorcycle industry continues to rack up casualties . Of particular interest to us here at AMD has been the announcement that the manufacturer of the premium spec and premium priced Arc Vector finally waived the white flag of surrender , filing for bankruptcy protection in the UK . Insanely expensive and originally funded by Jaguar Land Rover , it had already had to ' reorganize ' at least once ( in 2019 to our certain knowledge ) and renamed itself Arc V Ltd . In 2021 , CEO Mark Truman blamed distribution issues in the U . S . for its downfall . According to Visor Down , Arc has only ever delivered 11 of its stylish but over-ambitious and predictably doomed electric motorcycle project , including to Hollywood actor and businessman Ryan Reynolds and to Middle Eastern Royalty .
Harley has selected Ottawa based Kinaxis ( TSX : KXS ) as its supply chain management platform solution of choice , with the object being to " drive supply chain efficiencies ." Described as a " global leader in endto-end supply chain orchestration " ( which we think is posh speak for ' proper '), Kinaxis has been chosen to " accelerate the transformation of the company ' s global supply chain ." Kinaxis says it " provides end-to-end supply chain transparency and improved demand planning capabilities to adapt and respond to any demand changes faster and with more accuracy ." Used by global auto brands such as Volvo , Ford , Subaru and GM , and claims more than 40,000 users in 100 + countries .
Triumph Rocket 3 Storm R and GT By Ben Purvis
It ' s been 20 years since Triumph launched perhaps the boldest bike ever to wear the badge - the vast 2.3- liter Rocket III cruiser that leapt into the early-2000s cruiser capacity war and annihilated its rivals in terms of size and power . Now in its second generation , the Rocket has just been given a substantial performance increase to become the Rocket 3 Storm . To decipher that name , the ' III ' of the original Rocket switched to ' 3 ' when the second-generation Rocket was launched in 2019 with a new aluminum chassis and even larger 2.5- liter triple . The new ' Storm ' name is added to all 2024-on versions to denote their power increase , which takes them from 165 hp to 180 hp at 7,000 rpm . Both the sportier ' R ' and touring-biased ' GT ' versions get the Storm treatment , and that new power figure means they now outgun the 177 hp Speed Triple 1200 that was , until now , Triumph ' s most powerful fullproduction bike . Demonstrating one of the benefits of using a relatively low-stressed 2,458 cc triple instead of a highly strung ,
Almost every electric motorcycle is direct drive - the motor is permanently geared to the rear wheel via a single ratio - so there ' s no need for a clutch or gear shifter . But American EV pioneer Zero is considering adding a false clutch lever to its electric bikes to give them an extra dimension of controllability . While the purpose of a clutch is simply to disengage drive from an engine to the transmission , so you can come to a halt without stalling , and to shift gears smoothly , in reality , riders use that lefthand lever in a much more subtle way . It ' s as important as the throttle , or even more so , when it comes to deciding how fast you get off the line when the lights go green . It ' s used to moderate the amount of engine braking at the rear wheel when smaller-capacity motor , Triumph didn ' t need to make any mechanical changes to get the Storm ' s extra 15 hp . All it took was some remapping of the engine electronics , which simultaneously ensured the Storm meets the latest Euro 5 + emissions limits and , remarkably , makes the new version fractionally more economical than the previous Rocket . Triumph had previously offered a small run of handmade Rocket 3s , the ' TFC ' ( Triumph Factory Custom ) model from 2019 , with a similar output , but the Storm brings that performance level to mass production . As well as the power increase , peak torque rises fractionally from 221 Nm to 225 Nm with the new tune , but Triumph hasn ' t felt the need to make big changes to the bike ' s chassis , styling or equipment . The 2024 Storm models get a more blacked-out look , with less chrome than before , as well as new wheels that are claimed to be 1 kg lighter than the previous design , improving handling , but the Showa suspension - 47 mm USD forks and a rear monoshock - is unchanged , as are the dual Brembo M4.30
you downshift and can be invaluable in giving fine control during low-speed maneuvers . When an experienced rider gets on an electric bike for the first time , it ' s the lack of a clutch lever , more than anything else , that is initially jarring . While electric motors offer vast torque at low revs , without a clutch you ' re at the mercy of a pre-programmed torque curve and throttle response map when it comes to getaways , and changing the amount of regenerative braking available often means delving into the depths of menus hidden in the dashboard ' s user interface . Zero ' s new idea , revealed in a patent application from the company , is to use a control that looks , feels and operates like a clutch lever , but doesn ' t actually
Stylema four-piston radial front brakes , with an equally large M4.32 caliper at the back . The Rocket 3 is still a heavy machine despite the 2019-on alloy chassis , and the 2024 versions come in at 317 kg for the Storm R model , with lower bars and mid-mounted pegs , and 320 kg for the more luxurious Storm GT with tall bars , heated grips , a screen , forward foot controls and a pillion backrest . Both have high levels of equipment , including cornering ABS and traction control via a six-axis inertial measurement unit , keyless ignition , cruise control and hill hold control , plus all the smartphone connectivity that ' s expected on modern bikes .
Zero pseudo-clutch could transform electric bikes By Ben Purvis
involve fitting a real clutch between the electric motor and transmission . Instead , the lever will operate a rotary sensor that alters the amount of torque reaching the rear wheel , or back-torque from regenerative braking when the bike is decelerating , to mimic the response of a clutch . Pull the lever in and the power and torque to the rear wheel is cut , even when the throttle is wide open . Release it again and the torque is returned to the wheel . That means riders with years of ingrained experience of balancing throttle and clutch controls will be able to get the same response from an electric bike , using the ' pseudo-clutch ' lever alongside the throttle . It ' s not just useful for the sake of familiarity , though , as it gives the ability to control the throttle mapping on the fly in a natural , instinctive way , and perhaps more importantly control the amount of regenerative braking on the rear wheel without switching between modes . And with relatively few additional components - most of the changes are software driven , not hardware ones - it ' s a system that shouldn ' t add substantially to prices .
24 AFTERMARKET MOTO DESIGN - JUNE 2024 www . AMDmag . com