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VMoto Soco developing new café racer 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
Founded in 1980 , German chain store operator Polo Motorcycle and Sportswear GmbH is now , effectively , under American control and majority ownership . In July 2023 , Los Angeles based Ares Management Corp . took over the majority share in Equistone Partners - the London based equity investor that acquired Polo in 2015 . Headquartered near Düsseldorf , Polo operates over 90 stores in Germany , Austria and Switzerland . Polo ' s primary rival on the German motorcycle retail multiple landscape is 1938 founded , Hamburg based Detlev Louis - another motorcycle P & A / G & A retail chain store in Germany , with some 80 outlets , that has been owned since 2013 by Warren Buffett ' s Berkshire Hathaway .
In Germany , Bike & Business reports that CECRA , the voice of European car dealers and repair shops , welcomes the decision of the European Court of Justice that manufacturer-specific restrictions on access to vehicle on-board diagnostic systems ( OBD ) are unlawful . This decision by the Court reinforces the association ' s view that security gateways introduced under the pretext of cybersecurity are unfair and contrary to [ existing ] EU law .
The Japanese ALI Technologies Hoverbike start-up that IDN had reported on last year has filed bankruptcy . The company had hoped to " reimagine urban transport " with a futuristic single occupant machine that could fly for around 40 minutes at up to 100 km / h ( 62 mph ) on a single charge . The bike had gone on sale in 2021 at around $ 680,000 , having been acquired by U . S . investor Pono Capital and listed on the NASDAQ index in New York . However , nearly all of the investors withdrew their backing after the listing . A partnership with another U . S . firm at the end of 2023 saw operations in Japan cease amid hopes of being able to enter the U . S . market at a price point of around $ 200,000 . The business had hoped that a move to California would make it easier to achieve certification and overcome regulatory hurdles than had proven to be the case in Japan . However , in a February filing , U . S . parent company Aerwins Technologies said it had discontinued non-core operations .
VMoto Soco is creating a particular niche in the electric motorcycle market with its brand of affordable batterypowered machines . Following the impressive-looking VMoto Stash and Super Soco TC Max , the company is designing a pair of retro-styled café racer models . Appearing in a set of new design registrations , the two models are closely related , and both appear to be based on the underpinnings of the existing Super Soco TC Max , with the same frame and suspension as that bike , even sharing its headlight and instrument panel , but gaining a distinctly different
look thanks to all-new bodywork . The design makes more of an effort ( than the TC Max ) to replicate shapes that are familiar from combustion engine bikes , including a distinct ‘ fuel tank ’ sitting above a battery pack section that gives hints of an engine in the shapes set into its side . At the back , there ’ s a short , flat seat above the existing TC Max subframe , and the licence plate is mounted , along with a half-length rear fender , on a bracket extending from the swingarm . One variant has a small cowl above the headlight and wide , flat bars ; the other has a more bullet-shaped fairing and
BMW Motorrad says it has crowned its centenary year with the highest sales in its history - a total of 209,257 motorcycles and scooters delivered to customers in the calendar year - an increase of + 3.1 % year-on-year , its highest-ever sales . The company says that its Europe , Asia , North and Latin America regions , in particular , all posted " new sales highs and made a vital contribution to BMW Motorrad ' s record sales . " The brand ' s compelling line-up , with successful products that define its respective segments , along with the market introduction of popular new narrower , lower bars for a sportier stance . If , as it appears , the new bikes use the same batteries and motor as the existing TC Max , that means they have a motor rated at 3.9 kW , with a 5.1 kW peak , powered by a 72 V battery to give a top speed of around 95 km / h . Like the TC Max , they ’ ll be lightweight machines , coming in at around 100 kg , and with price tags in the same ballpark as 125 cc ICE bikes .
BMW Motorrad - 2023 record unit sales
Said to be a " passionate rider ", Markus Flasch has replaced Markus Schramm as the Head of BMW Motorrad , having held vehicle development and conception roles since he joined the company in 2025 .
For the first nine months of its 2023-4 financial year , Honda reported that it had sold 13 . 861 million motorcycles worldwide , which was down by -2.3 % over the corresponding period of their prior financial year . Sales in Europe were up by 101,000 units compared to the prior period at 324,000 units . In Asia sales were down by 426,000 units at 11.884 million units ; North America was up by 35,000 at 374,000 units ,
The much-hyped new 1300 cc iteration of BMW ' s categorydefining GS ADV platform is expected to sell record numbers in 2024 .
and domestic Japanese sales were up by a modest 2,000 units at 181,000 . Global motorcycle sector sales revenue was 2.358.0bn yen , an increase of 2.202.3bn yen ; sector operating profit was up by 376.5bn yen at 411.4bn yen for the nine-month period on an improved operating margin of 17.5 % ( up from 17.1 % for the prior period ).
models , like the powerful M 1000 R and the iconic R 1300 GS touring enduro , were strong factors in its successful performance in 2023 ". For Q4 2023 , worldwide unit sales were 44,348 , which was + 1.8 % on the final quarter of 2022 - itself a record year for BMW Motorrad .
Honda - global unit sales - 2.3 % for nine months to December 2023
26 INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - MARCH / APRIL 2024 www . idnmag . com