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Ducati has introduced its first carbon-frame electric mountain bike ( e-MTB ), the 2024 Powerstage RR Limited Edition . Based on a Shimano EP801 drive unit , premium features include Öhlins front and rear suspension .
The parent company board of BMW Motorrad has approved a further share buy-back programme with a volume of up to € 2bn . The repurchased shares will be largely cancelled , reducing share capital accordingly . It is scheduled to start upon conclusion of the first buy-back programme , which was started in July 2022 , and is expected to be completed in mid-2023 . The authorisation to repurchase up to 10 % of the share capital within five years was granted by the Annual General Meeting of BMW AG in May 2022 .
Iván Cervantes , five-times Enduro World Champion and Triumph Global Ambassador , has officially claimed the Guinness World Records title for ' The greatest distance on a motorcycle in 24 hours ( individual )'. Riding a Tiger 1200 GT Explorer on the High-Speed Ring at the Nardò Technical Centre in Italy , Iván travelled more than 2,493 miles in a 24- hour period . This beat the previous record of 2,116.39 miles set by American Carl Reese in 2017 , by a huge margin of more than 372.82 miles . To do so , Cervantes had to ride consistently at speeds of over 124 mph . Surpassing the existing record with five hours to spare , he went on to set a new benchmark of 2,485.49 miles by riding a further 376.551 miles .
New EU battery regulations " challenge some SBMC specifications "
The Brussels based Swappable Battery Motorcycle Consortium ' s annual meeting was hosted by Honda at its R & D facility in Offenbach , Germany , from June 29-30 , 2023 - with over 60 technical , regulatory and end user experience experts attending . One of the key objectives of SBMC is ensuring that batteries can be exchanged among different PTW brands and types . The Consortium , now with 39 members , has therefore announced its support for an EU initiative that is designed " to make it safe and convenient for users to swap batteries ". Batteries are considered a key technology in the transition to climate neutrality , and to a more " circular economy ". Global demand for batteries is increasing rapidly and is set to increase 14 times by 2030 . Therefore , to minimise the environmental impact , the European Commission has proposed a new Regulation concerning the design , manufacture and recycling of all types of batteries sold in the EU - one that will come into force before the end of this year . Battery manufacturers will thus be subject to stricter environmental and due diligence requirements if they want to sell on the European market . " These new rules challenge some of the SBMC specifications , however , the Consortium envisions to address them , as they aim to make batteries sustainable throughout their entire life cycle - from the sourcing of materials to their collection , recycling and repurposing ". Key measures foreseen by the regulation include ensuring that portable batteries should be readily removable and replaceable by end users or independent operators during the lifetime of the appliance .
• There will be a requirement for a compulsory carbon footprint declaration and labelling for ' light means of transport ' ( LMT vehicle ) batteries ( electric scooters , motorcycles and bikes with a battery above 25 kg ).
• A digital battery passport for LMT batteries is proposed to
Honda hosted more than 60 technical , regulatory and end user experience experts for the SBMC annual meeting at its Offenbach , Germany R & D Centre in June . efficiently gather and reuse information on individual batteries placed on the market .
• There will be a due diligence policy for all business operators placing batteries on the EU market - except for SMEs [ hopefully this excludes dealers from the need to do so ]. This will be implemented to address the social and environmental risks linked to sourcing , processing and trading raw materials .
• There will be stricter waste collection targets for LMT batteries of 51 % by 2028 and 61 % by 2031- all waste LMT batteries must be collected , free of charge for end users , regardless of their nature , chemical composition , condition , brand or origin .
• Minimum levels of recycled content from manufacturing and consumer waste must be used in new LMT batteries : eight years after the entry into force of the regulation - 16 % for cobalt , 85 % for lead , 6 % for lithium and 6 % for nickel . www . sb-mc . net