Sources : AMD , IDN , FT , Reuters , PSB , MPN , BDN , MCN , AP , Bloomberg , MSNW , Electrek , electricmotorcycles . news , RideApart . com , Motor1 . com , Cycle World , motorbikewriter . com
BRIEFS
As the corporate world grapples with sustaining work practices in a post pandemic landscape , American Honda has announced that it will " provide some of its U . S . associates more workplace flexibility by providing long-term opportunities to work remotely . Under this new approach , eligible associates will be able to work from home or in satellite locations for all or part of their workweek ." The company says the decision marks a " significant pivot toward the future as Honda adapts its policies to match evolving workstyles . Remote work is a critical recruiting and retention tool ."
The UK bike industry ' s annual consumer showcase , Motorcycle Live , is set to return after a two-year gap . The nine-day event has been scheduled at the National Exhibition Center , Birmingham , England , on 4-12 December 2021 . Tuesday 7 December will be a dedicated motorcycle trade day . The organizers say they are hoping for a 100,000 total attendance . www . motorcyclelive . co . uk
In addition to the investments into synthetic gasoline production technology announced by both Bosch and Audi three years ago , Porsche has now entered into a research agreement with Siemens , and BMW is investing in Californian start-up Prometheus Fuels - a company that plans to remove carbon-dioxide ( CO2 ) from the atmosphere and convert it into pump gas ; www . prometheusfuels . com
Gettysburg Bike Week celebrated two decades of being one of the premiere motorcycle rallies in the United States this year with a record attendance . After being canceled last year because of COVID-19 , the 20th anniversary event happened at the Allstar Events Complex in Gettysburg , Pennsylvania , from July 8 , 2021 through July 11 .
The MIC in California has a new membership manager - Lisa Delaney will lead member service operations while pursuing other powersports companies to join and participate in the industry association . Meanwhile the MIC has a new leader of the MIC IT Department - Eli Ralston .
Triumph - Radical Expansion as British Brand Targets US Market
By Ben Purvis
It ' s been thirty years since the first Hinckley-built Triumphs rolled off the production line , and despite growth since then , the company has remained focused on much the same market segments ever since . So the announcement that Triumph is developing a whole range of motocross and enduro machines marks arguably the biggest shift in focus in the Bloor-owned era . At the moment , the company isn ' t giving much away about the bikes themselves , saying only that it ' s developing a " comprehensive range of all-new competition motocross and enduro machines ". In the process , Triumph has signed two huge names from those worlds - ex-racers Ricky Carmichael and Ivan Cervantes , with a vast array of off-road titles between them in Motocross , Supercross and Enduro - to help guide the bikes ' development and the preparation of Triumph ' s entry into competition . While the Triumph brand has a strong heritage in off-road competition , it all dates back to the post-war era rather than Bloor ' s ownership . The company has largely steered clear of open competition in recent years , often preferring one-make championships and involvement like the supply of Moto2 engines , where it ' s not in direct rivalry with other bike companies . From a marketing perspective it ' s a strong strategy : proving motorsport credentials without the risk of being defeated on track by a direct rival . With the entry into what Triumph describes as " top tier championship racing in both Motocross and
Enduro ", it will be in direct competition with the likes of Kawasaki , Honda , Yamaha and KTM , all companies with decades of experience in off-road competition . Nick Bloor , Triumph ' s CEO , said the announcement " marks the beginning of a new chapter for the Triumph brand " and went on to explain " we are 100 % committed to making a long-lasting impact in this highly competitive and demanding world with a single-minded ambition to deliver a winning motorcycle line-up for a whole new generation of Triumph riders ." Why make the move into manufacturing a range of off-road machines now ? The answer lies in the American market . In the States , the already large market for ' off-highway ' motorcycles grew by 46.5 % in 2020 , and a further 45.4 % in the first quarter of 2021 . Triumph has eyed the US powersports market for several years and came within a whisker of entering it back in
Ricky Carmichael
2014 . At that time , Triumph planned to create a range of four-wheeled offroad vehicles including a 4wd side-by-side powered by a threecylinder engine . A number of engineers were employed for R & D and the company set up a sub-brand to market the vehicles under Trident Powersports , had its own trademarked logos and even a teaser website up and running , but shortly before it was due to be officially revealed , the project was canceled with no explanation . With an official announcement now made , Triumph appears set to go the whole way this time with its motocross and enduro models . While no technical details have been revealed , the intention to compete at the highest level suggests the machines will include newly developed 450 cc fourstroke singles . Triumph couldn ' t ask for more experience than that brought to the project by Ricky Carmichael , who is considered by many to be the greatest motocross rider the world has ever seen . He is quoted as saying : " This is an incredible opportunity for me to join this historic brand , and I am honored and humbled to be a part of the development and release of their offroad motorcycles . Building something from the ground up is something that is really intriguing to me at this stage of my career . What is impressive to me is Triumph ' s dedication and passion to develop a top of the class product . Everyone that I have been involved with on this project , from the engineers to design groups , R & D department etc ., have shown extreme passion for what they are doing and that is a recipe for success and something that I love being a part of . We all share that same passion , and that is to be the best ."
22 AFTERMARKET MOTO DESIGN - SEPTEMBER 2021 www . AMDchampionship . com