NEWS
BRIEFS
Praga ZS 800 - limitededition relaunch By Ben Purvis
Sources : AMD , IDN , FT , Reuters , PSB , MPN , BDN , MCN , AP , Bloomberg , MSNW , Electrek , electricmotorcycles . news , RideApart . com , Motor1 . com , Cycle World , motorbikewriter . com
In partnership with Cardo , Ducati ' s new communication system V3 intercom offers enthusiasts " the most innovative communication technologies - such as Dynamic Mesh Communication ( DMC ) connectivity - without sacrificing the unmistakable Ducati red . The streamlined , antenna-free silhouette makes this intercom aerodynamic , improving comfort , silence and aesthetics , and the magnetic mount for attachment to the helmet simplifies installation ".
Brembo has become a MotoGP " Braking Inspiration Partner ". This new partnership began at the seasonopening Grande Premio Tissot de Portugal , with MotoGP welcoming Brembo to a whole new role in the paddock for the next three seasons . The partnership sees Brembo supplying data for all-new graphics across the global television broadcast , as well as featuring in some exclusive behind-the-scenes content . " Putting even more information at fans ' fingertips and unlocking the secrets to braking in the world ' s fastest motorcycle racing championship , the new graphics , highlighted as Data powered by Brembo , comprise a special replay showing the heaviest braking point on each circuit and a motion tracker graphic showcasing the reality of deceleration in MotoGP ".
In its 75th anniversary year , Honda has won Red Dot Design awards in the Product Design category for the European designed CB750 Hornet and XL750 Transalp models . Honda ' s design team in Rome created the CB750 Hornet " as a new , contemporary expression of technical beauty with sharp lines and aggressive angles ". In addition , the XL750 Transalp received top honours from the Red Dot jury . Marking a return of the Transalp name to Honda ' s motorcycle line-up after nearly a decade , the XL750 Transalp " brings the comfortable do-it-all crossover to a new generation of riders . Built around the same allnew 755 cc parallel twin-cylinder engine as the Hornet , it faithfully references the iconic 1986 original XL600V Transalp , but with an unmistakeably modern look , thanks to the sculpted fairing and screen ".
While there ' s no shortage of defunct motorcycle brands " resting " at the moment , Praga is a name that relatively few will be aware of , even though the company behind it has been running for well over a century . As the name suggests , Praga is from the Czech Republic , based in Prague , where it ' s made machinery since 1907 . Its first motorcycle came in 1929 when Praga merged with rival company CKD , in the process adopting the BD 500 model , a singlecylinder machine with a bevel-drive overhead camshaft that had been launched two years earlier . However , by 1933 the motorcycle project was ended , and Praga returned to its core business building trucks and buses . The Praga brand reappeared on two wheels in the 1990s with a range of enduro models , but production of those machines ended twenty years ago . Praga still makes trucks today , but has also expanded to make track-oriented supercars and even aeroplanes , and with the ZS 800 , the company is getting back on two wheels again . Designed as a tribute to the BD 500 , combining traditional looks with cutting-edge technology , the ZS 800 borrows its 773 cc parallel twin engine from Kawasaki ' s W800 , because it ' s the only modern , emissions-friendly design that shares the original BD ' s air-cooled design and bevel-drive
Yamaha - Q4 and FY 2022
For its 2022 financial year ended December 2022 , Yamaha says that in overall corporate business terms it surpassed 2,000bn yen in net sales ( 2,248.5bn yen ) and 200bn in operating income for the first time . " Sales increased due to robust demand and profits rose from implementing our break-evenpoint management style , progress with passing on price increases and foreign exchange effects "; Yamaha maintained a " stable financial footing " with an operating margin of 10.0 %. In its ' Land Mobility ' segment ( which includes motorcycles ), Yamaha says that for its 2023 financial year it expects " strong demand for and higher sales of motorcycles in emerging markets " and for it to continue camshaft arrangement . The ZS 800 keeps the engine stock to stick within emissions limits , making 37 kW ( 50 hp ) and 60 Nm ( 44 lb-ft ) - numbers that seem perfectly fine until you discover the ZS 800 ' s price , direct from the factory it is € 86,000 . That ' s before shipping or any import duties or sales taxes are added . Unsurprisingly , Praga doesn ' t expect to sell many , with only 28 due to be made . The first was already sold to a customer in Dubai before the bike was even announced . While the engine can ' t justify the expense , the rest of the ZS 800 is impressive . The frame might be simple steel tube , but all the nuts and bolts are titanium and the wheels , despite
to benefit from the effects of price increases . Total Motorcycle unit sales for the period were 4,774,000 units worldwide ( up from 4,531,000 in 2021 ), worth 1,291.7bn yen ( up from 1.016.5bn yen in 2021 ). Unit sales in Europe were 199,000 units ( up by + 10,000 looking like wires , are actually crafted from forged carbon fibre . Öhlins supplies a TTX22 shock for the girder forks at the front , but there ' s no rear suspension at all . Any semblance of comfort comes only from another Öhlins shock that supports the rear of the rider ' s seat . Another unusual touch , seemingly at odds with the bike ' s price , is the use of drum brakes front and rear , albeit beautifully crafted ones . While the ZS 800 ' s huge price makes it an irrelevance to the vast majority of motorcyclists , if all 28 examples find buyers fast , it could encourage Praga to expand the two-wheeled project towards a more mass-made , affordable machine in the future .
units over 2021 ), worth 190.0bn yen ; 68,000 units in North America ( worth 61.9bn yen ), which was up by + 55,700 units ; 95,000 units in Japan ( 55.3bn yen ) and 3,826,000 units in Asia ( 723,000 elsewhere ), worth 783.2bn yen ( 201.3bn yen from ' other ' markets ).
24 INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - APRIL / MAY 2023 www . idnmag . com