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The KBA ( Federal Motor Transport Authority ) in Germany reported a total of 16,973 newly registered motorcycles in February 2023 , + 29.5 % more than in February 2022 . In the first two months of 2023 , the 25,410 new motorcycle registrations recorded by the KBA are an increase of + 35.7 % compared to 2022 . Also , according to the KBA , 25,041 used motorcycles changed hands in Germany in February , a decrease of -11.6 %. After two months , 44,319 new and used sales were registered , which is -4.7 % less than in the same period of 2022 . ( B & B )

Motorex is the new original equipment supplier for all Fantic production motorcycles and the official lubricant partner for all Fantic racing activities .

The KBA ( Federal Motor Transport Authority in Flensburg ) has reported that a total of 4,913,099 motorcycles are registered in Germany ( the ' Motorcycle Park '). According to Bike und Business , " industry insiders put the average age of German motorcycles continuing to age - at 19 years ".

WorldSBK returns to Imola for the first time since 2019 , hosting Round 7 of the 2023 championship at the iconic Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola , from the 14th to the 16th of July . All three classes will take to the track that weekend . The legendary track featured on the WSBK calendar for the first time back in 2001 .

German distributor Hartje continues on the expansion trail - fuelling growth of its dedicated Moto division with a series of new brand additions to its portfolio . Recently added are a number of product lines manufactured by 3D printing specialist MOTOISM of Munich ; www . motoism-customs . com

Internationally respected Dutch apparel manufacturer REV ' IT ! Sport International will return for a second year as the title sponsor of MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship for 2023 .

Patents have emerged revealing that KTM is developing a semi-automatic transmission option for its 1,301 cc V- twin powered models - potentially giving the company a tool to compete with Honda ' s popular DCT gearboxes with a fraction of the complexity . Honda ' s dual-clutch transmissions allow seamless gearchanges by allowing two ratios to be engaged simultaneously . Essentially , it ' s like having two gearboxes in parallel , each with its own clutch , so the electronics can feed in one clutch while disengaging the other to provide a shift without any interruption in the power reaching the rear wheel . Its clever , but also heavy , costly and complex . Even so , it ' s a system that ' s proved popular , particularly with buyers of the Africa Twin , where DCT versions account for close to half the total sales . KTM ' s 1290 Adventure is a key rival to the Africa Twin so perhaps it ' s unsurprising that the Austrian company is working on its own semiautomatic gearbox . However , the KTM design is far simpler than Honda ' s . Instead of the complex DCT , it relies purely on the increasingly competent ability of modern quickshifters to achieve clutchless changes . With the ability to modulate throttle and ignition , quickshifters able to make rapid , clutchless upshifts and

downshifts are already commonplace , so to achieve a semi , or even fullyautomatic box , KTM only needs to add a system to allow the bike to start and stop , plus a mechanism to electrically replicate the shifts usually made by the rider ' s foot . The company ' s patent explains that the problem of starting and stopping without a clutch lever is achieved simply by using a scooter-style centrifugal clutch . This is something that ' s already been tried , and MV Agusta even offers models with its own ' SCS ' transmission - using a Rekluse centrifugal clutch and an up / down quickshifter - to eliminate the need to use the clutch lever at all . The second problem - automating the gearshifts - is solved by adding an electronic actuator to turn the shift drum inside the transmission , replacing the usual foot-operated mechanism . That allows gearchanges to be made at the touch of a button or fully automatically , using a map of throttle position , revs and road speed to decide on the appropriate ratio at any particular time . One element that KTM ' s design has been forced to add is a transmission locking system . The adoption of a centrifugal clutch means that when the engine ' s turned off , the clutch is disengaged , so you can ' t simply leave the bike in gear if it ' s parked on a

Honda has reported global group unit sales of 5,083,000 ( the period to 31 / 12 / 22 ) worth 789.6bn yen for Q3 of its 2022 / 2023 financial year ( a + 19.7 % sales revenue increase ), which was up from 3,227,000 units in Q3 of its 2021 / 2022 financial year ; in Q3 2022 / 2023 consolidated unit sales were 4,602,000 ( up from 2,877,000 units in Q3 2021 / 2022 ). Motorcycle segment operating profit for the quarter was 151.7bn yen at an operating margin of 14.6 %. Despite the impact of the semiconductor supply shortage , for the nine-month period , Motorcycle segment sales revenue was 2,202.3bn yen (+ 37.5 %) and total global unit

shipments were 14,285,000 (+ 1,410,000 ). YTD motorcycle wholesale shipments ( the nine-month period ) were fractionally down in Japan at 179,000 units ( -1,000 ); 339,000 in North America (+ 7,000 units ); massively up in Asia at 12,310,000 units (+ 1,408,000 - India and Indonesia are by far Honda ' s largest two Asian markets , and both were up YTD ), but down by 17,000 units in Europe at 223,000 units , with 1,234,000 units shipped elsewhere ( unit sales in Brazil topped the one million unit mark for the nine-month period for the first time since 2014 ). Motorcycle segment operating profit for the nine-month period

slope . The transmission lock solves that problem . It uses a pawl inside the gearbox that drops a claw into the teeth of one gear , locking it solid . The pawl is moved by the shift drum , only allowing the lock to be engaged when a ' park ' position is chosen . Electronics prevent the system from shifting into park when the bike is in motion , rather like a car with an auto transmission . Such is the detail of the drawings in KTM ' s patent application , it ' s even possible to read the part numbers on some of the components . It ' s from these part numbers that we know the main elements of the gearbox are taken straight from the 1,301 cc ' 1290 ' models , with the 1290 Super Duke R and 1290 Super Adventure both using the same components . KTM is known to be working on a touring derivative of the Super Duke at the moment , which is a potential target for the semi-auto transmission , and the Super Adventure could also benefit from the system as it aims to steal buyers away from the Africa Twin .

was massively up (+ 62.0 %) at 376.5bn yen - " due primarily to strong sales [ in Asia ], the positive effects of pricing that reflects increased product value and favourable currency effects ".