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Motorcycle thefts in USA rose 7 % last year , according to a new NICB report . Motorcycle thefts increased 7 % from 2021 to 2022 , marking a third year of rising thefts according to the NICB ' s 2022 Vehicle Type Theft Report . An average of 4,561 motorcycles were reported stolen each month in 2022 . Thefts climbed steadily from a low of 2,879 in February , peaking in July at 6,394 . Californians again led the pack in reporting the most motorcycle thefts with 9,838 stolen bikes in 2022 ( 30 % of all motorcycle thefts in USA ), followed by Florida ( 4,563 ) and Texas ( 4,145 ). The top 10 states for motorcycle thefts made up 60 % of the 54,736 motorcycle theft reports in the U . S . in 2022 . More than 40 % are recovered .

Peugeot Motocycles Deutschland ( PMD - which includes the BSA brand in Germany ) has appointed Éric Apode as new CEO , with former Triumph Germany dealer network director Boris Grimm as the new Country Manager Germany , and long-time marketing executive Priscilla Sellier as press director for Germany and Europe . Indian conglomerate Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd . ( M & M ) sold a 50 % equity share and a controlling 80 % stake in its Peugeot Motocycles subsidiary to private equity investor Mutares SE & Co . KGaA - a Germany based holding company . The decision to effectively offload the financial heavy lifting that Peugeot Motocyles required is thought to have been prompted by the long-term potential that M & M sees in focusing its capital resources primarily on the BSA brand .

The world ' s first ' strong ' hybrid production bikes have been launched in the form of Kawasaki ' s Ninja 7 Hybrid and Z7 Hybrid - but are they answers to a question that nobody asked ? The two bikes are essentially identical , differing only in their fairings and bar heights , with the Ninja taking a sportier role and the Z7 Hybrid a more upright roadster stance , and the technology both share is undeniably impressive . Power comes from a 451 cc parallel twin engine that ' s related to the twin in the new Eliminator 500 and the Ninja 500 and Z500 models that replace the previous Z400 and Ninja 400 , but in the two Hybrid models it puts out a peak of 43.5 kW ( 58.3 hp ) as there ' s no intention to meet the ' A2 ' licence rules that the other

' Ninja 7 Hybrid and Z7 Hybrid break new ground '

models comply with , leading to their sub-35 kW ( 47 hp ) outputs . However , the Ninja 7 Hybrid and Z7 Hybrid don ' t stop there , as both also get a 9 kW ( 12 hp ) electric motor coupled to a 48V lithium-ion battery that hides under the seat . The two powertrains can be used separately - allowing the bikes to operate in pure-electric mode for up to 12 km at low speeds , in petrol-only mode ( also recharging the battery ) when out of town or , by using the ' E- Boost ' function , combining both the electric and combustion engine power for a peak of 51.1 kW ( 68.5 hp ) to maximise performance for brief periods .

Z7

Ninja 7

As with most electric bikes , it ' s the torque of the electric motor rather than its peak power that really adds to performance , and Kawasaki says that the two hybrid machines offer performance that ' s on a par with a 650 cc-700 cc bike , but with off-the-line acceleration that matches a 1,000 cc superbike and economy that ' s better than a 250 cc machine . These two power units are combined via a shared transmission , an automated six-speed manual that ' s controlled by buttons on the left bar - there ' s no clutch lever or footoperated

lever - or can work in a full-automatic mode . E-Boost is activated using its own separate button . Like most four-wheeled hybrids , there ' s also an idle-stop system , so the combustion engine stops when you come to a halt , and in ' Eco ' mode , the bike will pull away using pure electric power before kicking the engine into life once on the move . The electric motor also allows Kawasaki to include a ' Walk ' setting that lets the bike use its electric power to shuffle forwards or backwards at low speeds , helping when it comes to parking or moving the bike around a garage . The tech is impressive , but the chassis spec is less imposing , with similar suspension and brakes as the Ninja 650 and Z650 models . Whether customers will buy these new hybrids remains to be seen , but given the relatively good fuel economy already achieved by bikes like Suzuki ' s GSX-S800 - while offering more performance - and the expected high prices of Kawasaki ' s hybrids , they could be facing a tough challenge to attract buyers beyond the most dedicated of early-adopters .