Sources : AMD , IDN , FT , Reuters , PSB , MPN , BDN , MCN , AP , Bloomberg , MSNW , Electrek , electricmotorcycles . news , RideApart . com , Motor1 . com , Cycle World , motorbikewriter . com
NEWS
BRIEFS
On the retirement of Arai ' s longserving distributor in southern Ireland , MotoDirect , a British distribution subsidiary of Bartenheim , France based BIHR , has added the Republic of Ireland to its exclusive sales territory for Arai Helmets . MotoDirect has been representing Arai in the United Kingdom since 2012 .
Ducati has presented the new livery for the Hypermotard 950 SP and updated the entire family to Euro 5 standard . " The new livery recalls the world of racing in its colours and that of freestyle sports in its graphic lines , underlining the dynamic character of the bike ". They are expected in dealerships in May .
Dorna Sports has announced the signing of an agreement with Aprilia Racing to continue participation in the FIM MotoGP World Championship through 2026 . From the 2022 season , the RS-GP factory bikes will be on track with the official Aprilia Racing Team .
In a continuation of its partnership with ADAC , Dorna has signed a contract for MotoGP racing to remain at the Sachsenring in Germany for another five years . The classic German track will stay on the MotoGP calendar until at least 2026 , remaining the home of the Liqui Moly Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland . One of the highlights of the sporting year in Germany since 1998 , some 200,000 attend the race weekend .
After being closed without notice by prior owner Vogel , Stephan Maderner ' s respected industry blog ' Bike & Business " is back in business - thanks to the rather more enlightened and PTW-friendly management at Syburger Verlag - publisher of Motorrad News , Motorrad Abenteuer and Touren Fahrer . B & B is published in print six times a year and as an online blog and newsletter weekly - " Welcome back Stephan !"
Dealernews reported that , following a tornado hitting Yamaha USA ' s hometown of Newnan , Georgia , a 200 % matching fund offer for all employee donations to put towards relief efforts had resulted in $ 50,760 being raised for the Coweta Community Foundation Tornado Relief programme as at May 14 .
Langen
By Ben Purvis
When you ask GBP £ 28,000 ( approx . € 32k ) plus VAT for a 250 cc twin , it ' s clear you ' re not aiming at the mass market - and in some ways that ' s the most fascinating aspect of new British brand Langen Motorcycles . It is a company that wants a personal relationship with each and every customer rather than simply more and more sales - one-on-one customer service is part of the package . Not that the firm ' s first offering isn ' t interesting in its own right . After all , the idea of a high-performance twostroke street bike is as long forgotten as the millennium bug , and conventional wisdom would suggest it ' s a format that can ' t hope to achieve modern emissions targets . Yet that is what Langen is offering , basing its handmade creation , simply called the Two Stroke , around a new V- twin from Italian firm Vins Motors . Started by former Ferrari engineers , Vins ' engine uses direct fuel injection to add petrol to the combustion chamber after the exhaust port has closed , preventing the usual 2-stroke problem of unburnt fuel escaping into the exhaust . It also has an additional injector that squirts oil into the crankcase , the ECU judging the perfect amount depending on revs and throttle opening . Vins is hoping to achieve Euro 5 emissions standards with the engine eventually , but at the moment Langen is to use the UK ' s Single Vehicle Approval rules to individually register each bike . The first 100 bikes will be made like this , and be limited to UK customers , with a further 150 planned for international markets - if there is the demand and if the engine does get Euro 5 approval . This second run will also need a quieter exhaust and ABS , both lacking on the initial UK-spec models . Despite a mere 249.5 cc capacity , the engine manages 75 bhp and 33 lb-ft of torque , not hitting its red line until 14,500 rpm .
Ducati Q1 unit sales + 33 %
Ducati reports a Q1 2021 continuation of the upward trend in results that was seen with the second half of 2020 . It delivered 12,803 bikes from January to March , recording an increase in sales of + 33 % compared to the same period in 2020 ; sales are also up 2 % compared to the first quarter of 2019 . Claudio Domenicali , Ducati CEO : " The performance in the first months of 2021 is certainly very positive . Motorcycles delivered to customers in the first quarter of the year grew not only compared to 2020 , already impacted by Covid , but also compared to 2019 . " Even more remarkable is the size of the order portfolio ( motorcycles to be delivered ) at the end of the quarter , which is the best-ever , with an extraordinary 93 % growth compared to 2020 and + 135 % compared to 2019 . " Enthusiasts are appreciating the 2021 range and the family of Ducatisti is expanding . The
global market situation is positive in the world of two wheels , while the supply and transport sectors are much more complex , with delivery delays and a shortage of various raw materials . " This makes it difficult to satisfy all the demand from our passionate customers , but at Ducati we are strongly motivated to do everything we can to reduce the inconvenience caused by this situation . I want to thank all the women and men who , in Borgo Panigale and in our subsidiaries around the world , are working with great commitment in this period of high seasonality ."
Langen is the brainchild of former CCM chief engineer Christofer Ratcliffe , so it ' s no surprise that the bike ' s tubular frame and handmade style bear some similarities to the CCM Spitfire models . However , the Langen is a much higher-spec machine , as befits its price . The frame is aluminium , not steel , and virtually every other metal part is CNC-machined from billet aluminium . The result is a weight of 114 kg , although since every example will be tailored to its owner ' s desires , from colour to the position of the bars and pegs , there ' s likely to be some variation between individual machines . Öhlins forks and twin K- Tech shocks complete the spec , along with HEL brake calipers .
In the first quarter of 2021 , Italy confirmed its position as the main market for Ducati with 2,354 motorcycles delivered , followed by the USA with 1,723 and Germany with 1,275 units . The Ducati Scrambler 800 range is the best performing in the quarter , while the Multistrada V4 is the model most delivered to customers , followed by the Streetfighter V4 .
Claudio Domenicali , Ducati CEO : " The performance in the first months of 2021 is certainly very positive ."
20 INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - JUNE / JULY 2021 www . idnmag . com