International Dealer News 176 2024 IDN 176 January/February 2024 | Page 7

2024

New leader for BMW Motorrad

Markus Flasch is to take over the position as Head of BMW Motorrad - he succeeds Markus Schramm , who is retiring after five very successful years as Head of BMW Motorrad . Schramm joined the BMW Group in 1991 . After numerous management positions in sales , aftersales , controlling , group planning and product strategy , the passionate motorcyclist Schramm took over the position as Head of BMW Motorrad in May 2018 . After several record results , BMW says he led the brand to number one in the global premium motorcycle market for the first time . " Following the record 2022 result with 202,895 motorcycles and scooters handed over to customers , BMW Motorrad is targeting another record result in its 100th anniversary year ".
In Markus Flasch , BMW has apparently found another " passionate motorcyclist " prowling the corridors of its management suites . He will take over as Head of BMW Motorrad on 1st November , 2023 . In his most recent role as product line manager , Flasch has been responsible for the development and conception of all BMW vehicles in the middle and luxury classes , as well as the Rolls-Royce brand . " The passionate motorcyclist has worked for the BMW Group since 2015 and was previously Head of BMW M GmbH , among others . Under his leadership , BMW M GmbH rose to become the world ' s leading supplier of performance and high-performance cars , as well as the fusion of BMW M GmbH with BMW Motorsport ".
Flasch is quoted as saying : " As a rider , I am delighted to have the opportunity to build on BMW Motorrad ’ s great successes so far . Together with the highly motivated BMW Motorrad team , I will do everything I can to lead our brand to continued success in the future ."

Autoliv airbags on bikes by 2025

By Ben Purvis
For more than 70 years , Autoliv ( Stockholm , Sweden ) has been manufacturing safety equipment for cars and in a landmark move it ' s turning to motorcycles with the aim of bringing airbag technology to the mass market in 2025 . Autoliv might not be a household name , but the company has been at the forefront of car safety for decades . It developed the first car seatbelt back
' world ' s biggest automotive safety supplier getting on two wheels '
in 1956 , the seatbelt pretensioner in 1989 , the knee airbag in 1995 and the side curtain airbag in 1998 . In 2021 , it signed a deal with Piaggio to develop an affordable on-bike airbag system for motorcycles and scooters . Now the company says its on-bike airbags will reach production in the first quarter of 2025 as part of the company ' s ambitious goal of saving 100,000 lives per year by 2030 . At the moment , Autoliv estimates its safety equipment saves around 35,000 lives per year , so the prospect of reducing motorcycle-related fatalities could be a significant step towards that target . Although Honda has been equipping some Gold Wings with airbags across
two generations of the bike , starting in 2006 , the technology hasn ' t spread . Autoliv believes that by applying airbags to small-capacity bikes and scooters - the sort of vehicles that are vastly popular in places like China and India - there ' s scope to save a large number of lives . In those markets there ' s a lower use of helmets and a large proportion of motorcycle traffic is concentrated in cities . The Autoliv airbag system is generally similar to the one on the Honda Gold Wing , inflating a bag in front of the rider when it senses a frontal impact . It ' s suited to scooters and most motorcycles with upright riding positions .
While airbags are only intended to be effective in frontal crashes , Autoliv sees them as part of a holistic safety solution . The company is also developing worn airbags , to be fitted in vests or even in backpacks , and has also teamed up with Airoh to develop a helmet-mounted airbag system . Given the existing relationship between Autoliv and Piaggio , it ' s likely that the first production versions of the airbag will appear on bikes from one of the Italian manufacturer ' s brands , which also include Aprilia , Vespa and Moto Guzzi . In 2022 , Piaggio showed a prototype airbag-equipped version of the MP3 scooter at EICMA in Milan . news ROOM

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Osaka Motorcycle Show Osaka , JP • 15-17 Mar www . motorcycleshow . jp
Tokyo Motorcycle Show ( 51st ) Tokyo , JP • 22-24 Mar www . motorcycleshow . org
Warsaw Motorcycle Show Warsaw , PL • 22-24 Mar www . motorcycleshow . pl
Motobike Istanbul Istanbul , TR • 28-31 Mar motobike-istanbul . tr . messefrankfurt . com
Poznan Motor Show Poznan , PL • 4-7 Apr www . motorshow . pl
Nagoya Motorcycle Show Nagoya , JP • 5-7 Apr www . motorcycle-show . jp
Motorcycle Taiwan Taipei , TW • 17-20 Apr taiwanmotorcycleshow . com
Feria de las 2 Ruedas Medellin , CO • 2-5 May www . feria2ruedas . com
MC Messen Lillestrom , NO • 4-5 May www . mcmessen . no
Biker Fest International ( 38th ) Lignano Sabbiadoro , IT 9-12 May www . bikerfest . it
Inabike Jakarta , ID • 15-17 May www . inabike . net
Distinguished Gentleman ' s Ride ( DGR ) Worldwide • 19 May www . gentlemansride . com
Polis Mobility Cologne , DE • 22-24 May www . polis-mobility . com
Dhaka Bike Show Dhaka , BD • 23-25 May www . dhakabikeshow . com
Euro Bike Fest Pasohlavky , CZ • 23-26 May www . eurobikefest . cz
Concorso d ' Eleganza Villa d ' Este Como , IT • 24-26 May concorsodeleganzavilladeste . com
Bike Shed Show London , GB • 24-26 May www . bikeshedmoto . com
Isle of Man TT IOM , GB • 27 May-8 Jun www . iomtt . com
RELOAD . LAND Berlin , DE • 1-2 Jun www . reload . land
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Dates / venues subject to change or cancellation . (*) Some dates provisional . " Check before you buy " | Based on information as at 30 / 11 / 23