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Italian suspension specialist Andreani Group ( Pesaro ) is taking its United States brand support a stage further with the establishment of Andreani USA Inc . The initial focus will be on the specialty Andreani suspension tools programmes and offering suspension courses for technicians . The new division is being headed up by Elisa Andreani .
KTM ' s World Adventure Week is planned for July 4th to 10th 2022 . The programme is designed to " encourage mass participation by all adventurers , no matter what bike they are on - a unique opportunity to go out and ride ". The main goal is to complete 1,000 km or more in seven days .
Russia was the fifth largest European retail market in 2021 - valued at £ 337.2bn ; it won ' t be in 2022 !
Honda Motor Co ., Ltd has announced a one million euro donation to the Japanese Red Cross Society to support humanitarian aid for those affected in Ukraine and neighbouring countries . The donations will be used to support the crisis response in Ukraine , and the relief efforts in nearby countries hosting refugees .
The Board of Directors of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme ( FIM ) announced its condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its decision to suspend the Motorcycle Federation of Russia ( MFR ) and the Belarusian Federation of Motorcycle Sport ( BFMS ) as a result . The FIM Board also recommended that all affiliated members of the FIM and FIM Continental Unions take similar action . Consistent with this action , riders from these federations will also be prohibited from participation in FIM sanctioned events .
Yamaha electric power steering revealed
By Ben Purvis
Yamaha has officially unveiled its electric power steering system for motorcycles - promising to use the system throughout the year on its works machines in the All- Japan Motocross Championship before spreading it across more machines in the future . You might initially wonder whether power steering is really something that bikes or riders are asking for , but its development is potentially a huge step forward for motorcycle safety systems . Modern electronics can already intervene in braking via ABS , acceleration via traction control and deceleration via electronic engine braking control systems - preventing lock ups or wheelspin , even during cornering with the latest designs assisted by inertial measurement units ( IMUs ). Although less widespread , we ' ve also
seen electronically controlled clutches and gearchanges , which leaves steering as the only remaining element of purely human-operated control on some bikes . Yamaha ' s electric power steering ( EPS ) means that now there ' s a way for computers to intervene there , too . Traditionalists might rail at the idea of a computer stepping in , but when it comes to ABS and TC systems , there ' s no shortage of evidence that such rider aids can be lifesavers without being obtrusive
- and EPS is likely to be the same . That ' s why its proving ground is motocross , throwing the system directly against the toughest possible challenge . Mechanically , Yamaha ' s EPS is quite simple . There ' s a powerful electric motor attached to the front of the headstock , geared to the steering stem to work as an actuator . A ' magnetostrictive ' torque sensor measures how much effort the rider is putting into moving the bars , while a computer measures that force and decides whether to use the actuator to help . It ' s basically the same as the technology used on e-bicycles , which measure the
“ The final piece in the rider-aid jigsaw falls into place ”
pedalling effort being put in by riders to decide how much electric assistance to add . In its simplest form , the system - which was first run covertly during races in last year ' s All-Japan Motocross Championship before being publicly adopted by the works team this year - acts as the ultimate steering damper . Because it can tell the difference between the rider ' s inputs at the bars and external influences like bumps that are trying to change the course of the front wheel , it can assist with the former while counteracting the latter . Yamaha says that the power steering side of the system is most significant at low speeds - when large movements at the bars are more common - while at high speeds the steering damper effect is more pronounced . Even in this , relatively simple form , the system is hugely promising . It should be able to eliminate tankslappers , potentially enabling bike designers to adopt more aggressive steering geometry for sharper responses . As it assists in steering , it also means geometries that would otherwise make the bars harder to turn can also be considered - opening the door to different rake , trail and front wheel and tyre sizes to maximise grip and cornering ability . Looking further into the future , the system could also become more active , perhaps with programming to step in and help if a rider ' s inputs are likely to cause an accident . The idea of ' target fixation ' - where riders unconsciously steer towards whatever they ' re looking at - is already well proven , and often blamed for crashes , particularly single-vehicle accidents where a bike runs wide on a corner . With the right combination of active steering control assisted by camera or radar technology , there ' s potential for a bike to step in and help in those situations . Yamaha ' s MOTOBOT project , where a robot rider was given control of an R1 superbike on track , shows that the technology for auto-riding is already available . Honda and BMW have also both demonstrated self-riding bikes with servo-operated steering , and electronics giant Bosch is working on a similar setup . Active steering control is coming , and Yamaha ' s EPS is a huge leap towards getting it onto real-world machines .