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Polaris owned US clothing manufacturer Klim has joined the motorcycle airbag market , specifically the airbag vest segment with its Ai-1 airbag vest based on the market leading " Detect-Protect-Perfect " technology platform developed by French specialist In & motion . Lightweight ( 1.5 kg ) and well ventilated , the tech is cunningly concealed in the back protector and fits under any motorcycle jacket . The Ai based tech detects dangerous situations by analysing 1,000 movements per second . The constantly evolving algorithm continuously processes data and if it detects a crash , the airbag inflates in less than 60 milliseconds . Operation is via Bluetooth with an ( IOS or Android ) app .
Husqvarna Motorcycles has extended its partnership with Boise , Idaho based Rekluse through 2022 . Owned by Race Winning Brands ( of Wiseco fame ) and now in its 20th year , the clutch component manufacturer will " continue to support Husqvarna ' s global racing efforts ".
Ducati and Carrera have entered into a multi-year global licensing agreement that will see the creation of a collection of dual-brand sunglasses and eyewear . Carrera also becomes Official Partner of Ducati Corse .
British motorcycle detailing specialist brand Muc-Off is to go dealer-direct in the UK .
Owned in Italy by the MOL Group , Panta Racing Fuel has become the Official Fuel Supplier of the reinvigorated WorldSSP . Already present in WorldSSP300 , Panta is also the official supplier for the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup , the FIM Endurance World Championship and the British Superbikes series .
British race veteran Graham Jarvis is to continue racing for Husqvarna in 2022 - for a 9th year . Together with his Jarvis Racing Team , Jarvis will compete on Husqvarna machinery in the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship and other selected national and international events . A five-time Erzbergrodeo winner and sixtime Romaniacs Hard Enduro Rallye winner , Jarvis formed his team specifically to take on the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship . He will compete on TE 300i together with fellow Brits Jono Richardson , Sam Winterburn and Grant Churchward .
Zongshen Cyclone RX6 By Ben Purvis
It has been a while since Norton showed the 650 cc parallel twin developed from its 1200 cc V4 superbike engine , and thanks to the company ' s subsequent bankruptcy and rebirth under TVS ownership , it ' s going to be a while longer before you can buy one . But riders in China can now get their hands on the same engine thanks to Zongshen ' s licencemade version powering the company ' s new RX6 adventure bike . Recently given a press launch in China , the RX6 looks impressive , not only thanks to that British-developed engine , but due to some high levels of equipment , including at least one idea we ' ve yet to see on any Western production bike . The engine itself started life being engineered for Norton by the experts at Ricardo , who had also created the V4 superbike engine it ' s derived from . However , the Norton bankruptcy clearly interrupted its development and Zongshen , which names its version ' ND650 ', had to invest its own R & D into turning the designs into a showroom-ready engine , altering some internal components . It was also a learning journey for Zongshen and the Chinese bike industry as a whole ,
Last year ' s CFMoto SR-C21 concept bike was an impressive-looking machine , but also something of an enigma , as the company revealed nothing about its specifications - we could see there was a twin-cylinder engine under the fairing , but were left speculating about its power and capacity . Now we have the answers , as CFMoto has type-approved its new 450SR sports bike in China and it ' s a doppelganger of the SR-C21 , albeit with a few downgraded components to make it viable for production . Visually , the 450SR - revealed in a single , low-resolution photo accompanying its approval paperwork - borrows the SR-C21 ' s styling with few changes . If anything , the addition of blue , white and black paintwork elevates it compared to the all-black concept . Notable changes include the addition of larger headlights sitting underneath the stylised , Z-shaped LED running lights that were shown on the concept , as well as a pillion seat . Roadgoing necessities like mirrors , indicators and a licence plate bracket since the advanced design of the twin included wear-resistant coatings that were not previously mass-made in China . Zongshen says its version of the engine has completed 33 reliability tests , including 20,000 cycles of the electric starter and a 400-hour intensive dyno run as well as four 1600-hour endurance runs . Zongshen is also manufacturing the transmission , which the company points out was developed for the original Norton 1200 , and therefore massively strong for the 650 engine . There have been suggestions in China that in the longer term , Zongshen also
are also added . The frame is identical to the concept bike ' s steel tube chassis , but different cast alloy footpeg brackets are another nod to mass production . Meanwhile , the most exotic elements of the SR- C21 - its Öhlins forks , Brembo radial brakes and single-sided swingarm - have been stripped away . They might have looked good , but a 450 cc sports bike isn ' t going to be a success if it ' s priced high enough to include all those components . The styling is the work of CFMoto ' s European R & D department , Modena 40 , based in Rimini , Italy . The ' 40 ' logo on the side of the bike is a nod to those roots . It ' s a good-looking machine , with a clear resemblance to the smaller intends to manufacture a licence-built version of the Ricardo 1200 cc V4 , and its experience with the 650 will certainly put it in a good position to do so . The RX6 sees the engine making 70 hp . It is bolted to a steel frame fitted with upside down forks , radial Nissin brakes with Bosch ABS . Despite the adventure-style stance , the 17-inch alloy wheels and road-oriented tyres show that it is really aimed at on-road touring ; 17 " wire wheels are an option . Coming in at 245 kg complete with fuel , it ' s not a lightweight machine , but Zongshen has packed the RX6 with kit , including an unusual twin camera set-up - one front facing , one at the back , both able to simultaneously stream images to the TFT dashboard . At the moment , the big remaining question is whether the RX6 will be sold outside China . With strong demand inside that country at the moment , and production expected to ramp up over time , it may be a while before we ' re able to get our hands on the machine , but Zongshen has often sold bikes in Europe , so it ' s likely that the RX6 will be available in other markets eventually .
CFMoto European-designed 450SR
By Ben Purvis
300SR sports bike , but a more aggressive overall stance , assisted by huge winglets on either side of the fairing . Performance-wise , the type-approval shows that the engine is a 449 cc parallel twin , making an impressive 37 kW ( 50 hp ). It ' s a new engine , unrelated to existing CFMoto designs , but intriguingly it could be related to the planned KTM ' 490 ' twin , which has long been expected to form the basis of a range of mid-sized machines from the Austrian manufacturer . CFMoto is closely tied to KTM and already makes the ' 790 ' and ' 890 ' versions of the LC8c engine , including its own 799 cc variant , used in the new CFMoto 800MT adventure bike .
16 INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - APRIL / MAY 2022 www . idnmag . com