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Piaggio ' s Aprilia SXR 160 scooter has been named " Scooter of the Year " in India by Autocar magazine . The Autocar Awards are widely considered the most prestigious in India , and Autocar the most authoritative magazine in a still crowed print and online media landscape .
Shaftsbury , UK based British GP2 championship-winning Spirit Motorcycles ( Rod McDonagh ) has bought the internationally respected UK hub and sprocket manufacturer and wheel building business Talon Engineering . Former owner and Managing Director Rob Sartin , whose father George started the business in 1972 , will stay on to assist with the transition .
Maxxis ATV and motorcycle tyres are now available to dealers in Europe from Wasserliesch , Germany based Parts Europe . Maxxis claims a 70 % share of OE supply in the sport quad and ATV markets and is also a Tier 1 OE supplier to KTM and Husqvarna in the MX and enduro sectors .
Pirelli has announced a fourth generation in its DIABLO ROSSO tyre family - described as a " highperformance Supersports tyre " for " motorcyclists who love a more dynamic riding style - owners of Supersports , Hypernaked or crossover bikes who demand a high level of grip with precise feedback and great handling on different types of asphalt , in all weather conditions ".
Yamaha consolidated business results for 2020 ( full year to December 2020 )
Yamaha has released its full year 2020 results with total corporate net sales for Yamaha Motor Co ., Ltd .’ s consolidated accounting period of 1,471.3bn yen ( a decrease of 193.5bn yen or 11.6 % compared with the previous fiscal year ). In its ' Land Mobility Business ' ( essentially its motorcycles division ) net sales were 946.5bn yen ( a decrease of 173.4bn yen or 15.5 % compared with the previous fiscal year ) and operating income was 18.5bn yen ( a decrease of 23.2bn yen or 55.7 %). The company said that " for motorcycles in developed markets , immediate total demand has recovered , but production was unable to keep up with the rapid pace of recovery and unit sales fell . In addition , temporary closures of factories in Japan and France lowered utilisation rates , which in turn led to decreased sales and profits . " For motorcycles in emerging markets , total demand is generally trending toward recovery , but the lockdowns and restrictions on social activities due to COVID-19 have led to an economic slowdown , declining consumer sentiment and other effects , and this resulted in lower sales and profits overall ." Total unit sales in 2020 were 3.802 million units , down from 5.056 million in 2019 . European unit sales were 180,000 units ( modestly down from
186,000 in 2019 ); in North America unit sales were 56,000 units ( down from 63,000 ); in Japan domestic unit sales were essentially ' flat ' at 86,000 units ( down from 88,000 in 2019 ). Yamaha is forecasting strong unit recovery in 2021 at around 4.778 million , with Europe expected to account for just over 200,000 of those . 2020 net sales revenue in the ' Land Mobility ' division was 9.465bn yen , down from 1,119.8bn in 2019 . Yamaha ' s Asian business lost ground with 3.077 million units sold in 2020 ( against 4.271 million units in 2019 ). For differing reasons , Yamaha ' s sales or revenue , or both , were down in Indonesia , Philippines and Vietnam . Sales in Taiwan were up . " India has seen total demand recover and sales of new models have been strong , with results from August onward exceeding those of the previous year .
" There has been a spike in demand for outdoor recreation products ( recreational vehicles , ATVs , ROVs and snowmobiles ) with greater sales seen in our principal markets , including the biggest market - North America - with sales and profits both growing . " For electrically power-assisted bicycles , the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan brought about production delays and the ceasing of sales work , resulting in lower complete bicycle unit sales and thus lower sales numbers . However , an increase in sales of e-Bike system kits improved the model mix , bringing in higher profits ." In other news , Yamaha has announced that it is to rationalise its production footprint in Japan , consolidating and relocating the motorcycle production