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BRIEFS
Battery electric vehicles took 54 % of total new car sales in Norway in 2020 - making it the first country in the world in which EVs have outsold ICE units in a year and putting the nation well on track to meet its previously announced objective of eliminating all new combustion engine vehicle sales by 2025 and a zero emissions nation by 2050 .
December 2020 saw the motorcycle market in India achieve record growth for new motorcycle sales , with most manufacturers seeing double digit growth there . India is already the largest motorcycle market in the world . Despite the implementation of the new B26 standard in April 2020 , among the successes India ' s 1.353 billion population gave Royal Enfield + 35 % ( 65,492 units in December ), Yamaha + 33 % growth ( 39,224 units ) and TVS ( who bought Norton in 2020 ) + 13 % for a 285,000 unit annual total .
Newark , California-based EV startup Lucid ( formerly ATIEVA ) has revealed the production version of its Air saloon , an electric performance saloon with the top of the range 4WD ' Dream ' Edition making up to 1,065 bhp equivalent with a claimed maximum range of 517 miles , 235 mph unrestricted top speed and a $ 161,500 price tag . Founded in 2007 and headed by the former VP Engineering at Tesla , Lucid has a factory under construction at Casa Grande , Arizona , that will eventually have a capacity of over 380,000 vehicles a year .
Recent reporting suggests that Ducati has filed papers with the United States EPA ( Environmental Protection Agency ) for another Pikes Peak special edition . Although motorcycles have been removed from the event for the time being following the death of Carlin Dunne on a Ducati Streetfighter V4 in June 2019 , the company appears to be looking to sell an updated Pikes Peak Special Edition , based on the 170 hp / 92 ft-lb of torque 2021 iteration of the Multistrada V4 .
Royal Enfield continues to extend its global footprint and is now " taking it to the Man " with the opening of its latest standalone flagship store in Tokyo . Its local distributor PCI Co . Ltd . will introduce five models into a Japanese market in which there are emerging signs of growth ahead for low-cost lightweights - the Bullet 500 , Classic 500 , Himalayan and the Continental GT and Interceptor 650 twins .
Vance & Hines Launches New Four-Valve Suzuki Racing Engine
Santa Fe Springs based Vance & Hines has finally launched its longanticipated four-valve motor for Suzuki GS-based drag racers - for Pro Stock , Pro Mod and Pro Street classes . The new powerplant will debut at the NHRA Gator Nationals in Gainesville , FL , in mid- March . Several teams will be competing with the new Suzukibased motor and a new Vance & Hines-designed chassis at that event . " The scale of this launch is unprecedented in the drag racing world and it highlights our company ' s technical capabilities ," said Vance & Hines President Mike Kennedy . " This engine and the cylinder head design are applicable to several racing classes and easily adaptable to every team that is currently running a two-valve Suzuki GS . " This launch is a proud moment for Vance & Hines and hopefully will net many victories for our Suzuki riders in 2021 and beyond ." The new four-valve head modernizes the technology in Suzuki drag racing motors to provide increased valve lift and reduced mass in the valve train . It replaces the two-valve design , which was introduced in 1998 , and it retains the 1,850 cubic centimeters engine displacement . " For the first time , Vance & Hines has
Vance & Hines has additionally announced that the NHRA ' s winningest female , Angelle Sampey , will ride the company ' s new four-valve Suzuki-powered race bike in the 2021 NHRA Camping World series . The team ' s quest for the championship in 2021 is a partnership between Vance & Hines and global food producer Mission Foods . A three-time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle ( PSM ) champion , Sampey ' s 43 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle wins make her the NHRA ' s top female athlete . She has the fourth most wins in NHRA PSM history . In 2019 and 2020 , Sampey was a member of Vance & Hines ' Harley- Davidson-sponsored team . integrated finger follower technology rather than a shim-under-bucket design in a drag racing cylinder head , which allows for less mass in the valve train and increased rpm ," says ex- Harley man Kennedy . " The intake and exhaust port spigots are modular , so they can be adapted to different air boxes and exhaust pipes without redesigning or remanufacturing the head itself . This allows the new head to be used not only in NHRA ' s Pro Stock Motorcycle class , but also in the Pro Mod and Pro Street classes ." Design credit for the motor , codenamed " VHIL18504V ," goes to six-time NHRA champion Andrew Hines . The head was completely developed in Solid Works CAD design and was a fully functional running model prior to production . " The 1,850 cc motor is approaching nearly 400 hp , and we believe that this is just the start of a new era of Suzuki drag racing championships ," said
Sampey will be among the first to ride Vance & Hines ' new fourvalve Suzuki-powered machine . " I ' m so excited to be part of the Vance & Hines team again this year ," said Sampey . " This is a first-class company that gives me the best bikes I ' ve ever ridden . I ' m feeling really good about what we can accomplish together this year ." Vance & Hines President & CEO , Mike Kennedy , is a big admirer of Sampey . " We ' re happy to be working with Angelle once again . Vance & Hines is in a wonderful position right now . We ' ve got one of the top riders in the
Andrew . " Right now , this four-valve design is more powerful than the best of our two-valve motors . And there ' s room to get better and faster with this architecture ." Vance & Hines is the preferred provider of racing equipment for many teams in drag racing . The company is known for fully supporting customers by having all the necessary components in stock and available for racing teams . Currently Vance & Hines is taking orders for complete motors or individual cylinder head packages . The new chassis is also available and leverages the experience and data gained from thousands of runs in NHRA competition . www . vanceandhines . com
Vance & Hines Launches NHRA Motorcycle Race Team
sport aboard our outstanding new equipment , and we have Mission Foods as our new team partner . I couldn ' t have hoped for anything better as we go into the 2021 season ."
20 AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - MARCH 2021 www . AMDchampionship . com