By Ben Purvis and Robin Bradley
IDN presents an ' A-Z ' round-up of some of the news from the OEM community at EICMA in November 2022 . It is not exhaustive , but hopefully this will be a reference point for IDN readers . There are also some 2023 model range reports from manufacturers who were not EICMA exhibitors elsewhere in this edition - such as in the Bradley Report . The reports here are by Ben Purvis ( mostly !), Robin Bradley and Sara Viney ...
A-Z
Aprilia SpA ( IT ) .................................................... 16 Benelli ( IT ) ............................................................ 16 Betamotor SpA ( IT ) .............................................. 18 Bimota Motor SpA ( IT ) ........................................ 18 Brixton Motorcycles ( GB ) .................................... 18 Cake 0 Emission AB ( SE ) ...................................... 20 Davinci Motor Corporation ( CN ) ........................ 20 Ducati Motorcycles SpA ( IT ) ................................ 20 Honda Motor Co Ltd ( JP ) .................................... 22 Horwin Europe GmbH ( AT ) .................................. 24 Indian Motorcycle Company ( US ) ........................ 24
Kawasaki ( JP ) ...................................................... 24 Kove ( CN ) ............................................................ 25 Moto Morini SpA ( IT ) .......................................... 25 Peugeot Motorcycles ( FR ) .................................... 26 Royal Enfield ( IN ) ................................................ 26 Suzuki Motor Corporation ( JP ) ............................ 26 Triumph Motorcycles Ltd ( GB ) ............................ 28 Vmoto Limited ( AU ) ............................................ 28 Yamaha Motor Co Ltd ( JP ) .................................. 29 Zhejiang CFMoto Power Co Ltd ( CN ) .................. 20
Aprilia
Given that EICMA is Aprilia ' s home expo , the Italian brand had a relatively quiet 2022 in new ICE model terms , but does its ELECTRICa concept signal a potentially huge shift to battery power in the near future ? The Piaggio Group as a whole has already made
ELECTRICa concept
Benelli
Under the wing of the rapidly growing Qianjiang empire , the last couple of years have seen plenty of leaks about Benelli ' s ambitious plans for the future , and the firm ' s launches for 2023 show some of those schemes are starting to be realised . The headline new models for the European market include the TRK702 and TRK702X , a duo of Adventure bikes that appear to make Benelli ' s recently launched TRK800 somewhat redundant by offering the same level of power in a cheaper , lighter package . It is based around the new 698 cc twin that is also appearing in some QJMotor models , and appears to be a close relation to CFMoto ' s similarly-sized two-cylinder ( itself a distant descendant of a Kawasaki design ). The TRK702 models each make 56 kW ( 75 hp ) at
Tornado Naked Twin ( TNT ) 500
several moves to electric power , but the ELECTRICa is the first to come from its sportiest brand . Aprilia ' s model is no superbike , though , instead drawing on the days when every teenager lusted after a learnerlegal Aprilia 50 cc or 125 cc machine . No power or performance figures have been mentioned yet , but Aprilia says the bike is aimed at the youngest of riders , hinting that it may fall into the moped category , allowing users as young as 14 in some European countries . The motor is mounted on the front of the swingarm , rather like Vmoto ' s new Stash model and some other Chinese-made models . Piaggio is a member of the European Swappable Batteries Motorcycle Consortium , so it is likely that the ELECTRICa will use a standardised , swappable battery rather than an integral unit . Aprilia ' s primary ICE news was the RS660 Extrema , a high-end version of the existing RS660 sports bike , stripped back to improve its power-to-weight ratio .
TRK702
8,750 rpm , exactly matching the output of the Benelli-designed 754 cc twin used in the TRK800 . The 702 chassis is similar to that of the 502 that ' s been topping Italian sales charts for the last couple of years , but the new bikes ' styling and performance is on a far higher level . Both TRK702 models are fitted with non-adjustable 50 mm USD forks and a monoshock that ' s adjustable for preload only . The ' X ' version uses wire wheels , 19 inches at the front , 17 at the rear , and axial-mount brakes ; while the road-oriented TRK702 has 17-inch cast alloys front and rear at each end and radialmount calipers , but both bikes weigh 235 kg including a full 20-litre tank of fuel . The styling mirrors the accomplished design of the TRK800 , with far better proportions and shapes than the unbalanced looking 502 . Deliveries are due to start in early 2023 .
RS660 Extrema
An SC-Project exhaust , carbon body components and a single-seat rear end help bring the power to 100 hp and the kerb weight down to an impressive 166 kg including fuel , while new quickshifter software allows you to switch to an upside-down shift pattern for track use without changing any components .
Riders in the A2 class will be tempted by Benelli ' s second new offering , the Tornado Naked Twin ( TNT ) 500 . Based around the firm ' s existing 500 cc parallel twin engine , the TNT500 roadster makes 35 kW ( 47 hp ) to slot into the A2 licence category and debuts a new ' family ' face for Benelli . Unusually , it has two rectangular headlights , stacked one above the other , but with the upper lamp set ahead of the lower one , both flanked by three-dimensional DRLs made of frosted white plastic to give a consistent glow across their surface . Upside-down forks and radial brakes continue the high-spec , low-cost theme of recent Benellis , and there ' s a colour TFT dashboard complete with USB socket . Key figures are a kerb weight of 199 kg , a 14- litre tank and a low , 784 mm seat height . A full-faired ' Tornado Twin ' version is also expected in the future , but the TNT500 comes first , reaching dealers in the second half of 2023 . Benelli ' s new model blitz is completed by the BKX250 and BKX250S , a duo based on a 19 kW ( 25 hp ) DOHC single that also feature the same family look as the TNT500 , with stacked lights and glowing DRLs . The BKX250 has an Adventure bike look , with wire wheels and a small front fairing , while the 250S uses the same main mechanical components but loses the front bodywork and gains 17-inch alloy wheels to get a street-scrambler style . Both are due in mid-2023 .
16 INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS -DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023 www . idnmag . com