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BRIEFS
Vespa , Moto Guzzi and Aprilia owner Piaggio ' s Boston based ' Fast Forward ' ( PFF - " a leader in smart following technology ") has entered into a proof-of-concept collaboration with NASDAQ listed Trimble ( Sunnyvale , California ) to enable robots and machines to follow humans and other machines in industrial applications . The companies have integrated a patent-pending PFFtag smart following module prototype developed by PFF onto a Boston Dynamics ' ' Spot ' robot platform controlled by Trimble ' s advanced positioning technology .
Polaris and Optimus Ride are partnering to bring fully autonomous Global Electric Motorcar ( GEM ) vehicles to market . The joint development agreement builds upon an investment Polaris made in Optimus last year . An exclusive line of Polaris GEM electric low-speed vehicles ( LSVs ) will be manufactured to fully integrate Optimus Ride ' s autonomous software and hardware suite direct from the factory , for deployment nationwide on streets in residential communities , corporate and academic campuses , and other localized environments .
Responding to the inflationary pressures from freight and materials issues , tire maker Mitas has become the first manufacturer in Europe to publicly confirm that " unprecedented raw material and logistic cost increases " have led it to announce price increases of between 4.5 % and 7.5 % on its two- wheel and specialty tires . Production plants of Mitas tires are located in Prague , Zlín and Otrokovice in the Czech Republic , in Serbia , Slovenia , and in the USA at Charles City in Iowa .
The Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association ( ROHVA ) Board of Directors has announced it has elected Russ Brenan , senior advisor , government relations and public affairs , at Kawasaki Motors Corp ., U . S . A ., as its chair . Alexandre Borduas , senior advisor , public affairs and government relations , BRP , Inc . was elected as vice chair . Michael Mitchell , senior general counsel , Polaris Inc ., was elected secretary / treasurer .
Vance & Hines Launches New V-Twin for NHRA Motorcycle Racing
Performance product maker Vance & Hines has announced the launch of a new 160 cubic inch V-twin engine for use in NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle drag racing . The engine is specifically designed for use with the NHRA-approved Buell 1190RX bodywork . This is the first time that Vance & Hines has designed an engine for use in a Buell race bike . The new powerplant , tagged the " VH160VT ," was developed at the company ' s Racing Development Center ( RDC ) in Brownsburg , Indiana . The engine architecture is a 60-degree
MotoAmerica , North America ' s premier motorcycle road racing series , has announced that Indian Motorcycles is to be an Official Partner of the 2021 MotoAmerica KOTB series . Having come away with a win in the debut of the King of the Baggers at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca last year when Tyler O ' Hara rode his S & S Indian Challenger to victory , O ' Hara has announced that he will defend his title in the threeround 2021 King of The Baggers Championship on his Indian Challenger . " It ' s great news that Indian is getting behind the King of the Baggers ," said MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey . " They won the first event at Laguna last year and we all saw how hugely popular the event was . It ' s perfect that they are coming on board with both sponsorship and a team . The series promises to be intense and Indian starts
V-twin with pushrod-driven valves that is said to be capable of turning 10,000 + rpm . It has been approved by NHRA and will be offered to teams participating in NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle racing . The engine will be sold as a complete , running engine or components may be ordered through the Vance & Hines RDC as well . Some teams are expected to purchase a builder ' s kit , which allows a racing team to take advantage of Vance & Hines proven technology while incorporating their own cams and cylinder head porting specs to create a powerplant that works best for their team . " This is a natural extension of our company ' s involvement in motorcycle drag racing ," said Mike Kennedy , president of Vance & Hines . " Terry Vance and Byron Hines became legends in the NHRA with their history of winning . As we have for the past 40 years , we continue to support teams by providing great vehicles , great engines and great components ." Vance & Hines launched a four-valve
the season as the team to beat ." In addition to the sponsorship and the team , Indian will also have a support truck onsite at the MotoAmerica rounds that feature the King of the Baggers Series - Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta ( April 30-May 2 ), Road America ( June 11-13 ) and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca ( July 9-11 ). " After the overwhelming fan reaction to the 2020 debut of
Suzuki-based racing engine earlier this year , which can be used in several drag racing classes . In its first outing at the NHRA Gatornationals race in Florida , Vance & Hines rider Angelle Sampey hit 200 mph in her second run and was the # 1 PSM qualifier at the event . The VH160VT engine will be available starting on June 1 , 2021 through the Vance & Hines Racing Development Center . www . vanceandhines . com
Indian On Board as Official King of the Baggers Series Partner
King of the Baggers with Tyler O ' Hara ' s win on an Indian Challenger , we are proud to sponsor MotoAmerica ' s 2021 King of the Baggers race series ," said Gary Gray , VP of Racing , Technology & Service .
22 AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - MAY 2021 www . AMDchampionship . com