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Madrid based Acciona ( electric PTW brand Silence ' s parent company ) has partnered with Nissan for the distribution of its new Silence S04 NanoCar , a lightweight , 100 % electric fourwheeled vehicle specifically designed for urban living . Starting in June 2024 , Nissan held the distribution rights in France and Italy for the car , as well as Silence ’ s electric motorcycles , followed by expansion into additional European markets in September .
CFMoto has been awarded a prestigious Red Dot product design award for its 800NK , the flagship model of CFMoto ' s NK family . The award is for " cutting edge design " and is the first such award for a Chinese motorcycle manufacturer .
Another European electric motorcycle maker has filed for bankruptcy - this time it is the British " ultra-premium " manufacturer of the Arc Vector . Arc was initially backed by funding from Jaguar Land Rover , who ultimately pulled out of the project . This is not the first time its battery has gone flat - having already been reorganised in 2019 due to a lack of investment and renamed Arc V Ltd . in 2021 . Arc CEO Mark Truman blamed distribution issues in the U . S . for the brand ' s downfall .
The third edition of the Yamaha R7 European SuperFinale is to take place alongside the final round of the FIM Endurance World Championship ( EWC ) at the legendary Bol d ’ Or at the Paul Ricard Circuit in September .
Yamaha Motor Europe has achieved ISO 20121 certification for the FIM R3 bLU cRU World Cup and Yamaha Racing Hospitality . The certification recognises Yamaha ' s " sustainable event management " for the programme ' s Racing Hospitality operation in the FIM Superbike World Championship .
Honda has collected four 2024 Red Dot design awards in the Product Design category - the fifth consecutive year that Honda has won at the Red Dot Design awards . The four products recognised are the EM1 e : electric moped , the Motocompacto ultra-compact foldable e-scooter , BF350 large-size outboard motor and Miimo robotic lawn mower .
Ducati has been awarded a Red Dot ' Best of the Best ' award with the Diavel V4 - the fourth ' Best of the Best ' at the Red Dot awards , following recognitions for the 1199 Panigale , XDiavel and Diavel 1260 .
Keeway to revive the historic Morbidelli brand
Through MBP Moto ( Moto Bologna Passioni ), its Bologna based subsidiary , the Chinese Keeway Group has acquired the Morbidelli brand . " The initiative marks a new chapter in the history of MBP Moto , as well as in that of motorcycle innovation , combining the cutting-edge design and technology of MBP Moto with the extraordinary sporting and image heritage of the Pesaro Morbidelli brand ," said Dante Bustos , CMO of Keeway Group , when the news was announced in April 2024 . " This acquisition is a testament to MBP Moto ' s aspiration for excellence in the motorcycle industry . We are thrilled to welcome a historic premium brand like Morbidelli into our family . It will allow us to blend the legacy of racing and ' Made in Italy ' craftsmanship with our vision of the future of motorcycling . Our passion for innovation , combined with Morbidelli ' s rich heritage , will lead to the creation of motorcycles with an unrivalled blend of performance , design and history ." The Morbidelli range will consist of road and crossover motorcycles from 125 to 1000 cc and scooters between 125 and 500 cc . The first launches will initially concern Europe , the United States and China , and will continue in all the countries where the Keeway Group is present . The product portfolio will also include an initial range of electric motorcycles and scooters starting from the first half of 2025 . The investments and strategy are being described as " longterm " with " Centro Stile Morbidelli " and a new Research and Development Centre being created in Bologna . Morbidelli started making motorcycles in Pesaro in 1968 . The first bike was a 50 cc GP . The first race win was in 1971 , with Gilberto Parlotti in the Czechoslovakian Grand Prix , on a 125 . In 1975 , he won the 125 class World Manufacturers ' and Riders ' Championship , with Paolo Pileri in the saddle . Between 1975 and 1977 he won a total of seven world titles , between Riders and Constructors , including that of the 250 class in 1977 with Mario Lega . Morbidelli made his debut in the premier class in 1970 , with a four-cylinder 500 , but without
Morbidelli began building wood working tools and then raced motorcycles as a hobby before starting to manufacture bikes for the public in the 1970s .
Giancarlo Morbidelli
particular success , and in 1982 the racing department ceased operations . In 1999 Giancarlo Morbidelli created a museum dedicated to motorcycles in Pesaro , which became one of the most important in the world , but it closed its doors the same year Morbidelli passed away , in 2020 at the age of 85 . In their time , the Morbidellis represented the state-of-the-art of the competitions in which they took part , winning races and titles . The success came from a meeting between Giancarlo Morbidelli and German designer Jörg Möller in Pesaro in 1974 . Regarded as a " Wizard " of two-stroke engines , the Morbidelli engines were designed by Möller . Morbidelli unveiled a prototype of the first road Morbidelli , the first eight-cylinder road motorcycle ever presented . Called simply ' V8 ', it was a super-tourer with an 850 cc engine , which , in design terms , derived from the Cosworth Formula 1 engine . To be produced in a limited series of 12 pieces a year and signed by Pininfarina , the definitive version appeared in 1994 , and was the most expensive motorcycle in the world . MBP Moto was founded in 2021 by Keeway Group . At EICMA 2022 and 2023 , MBP Moto unveiled a line-up of prototypes that generated widespread interest . Keeway is owned in China by the Qianjiang Group - the owner of Benelli and QJMotor . It has a portfolio of companies and vehicle brands in more than 100 countries , including Keeway Motorcycles , founded in Hungary in 1999 , and MBP Moto . As a shareholder and global distributor of Benelli , the Keeway Group is a multinational company with operations in Italy , Spain , Hungary , Germany , the United States and China . It currently sells over 500,000 PTWs worldwide .
12 INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - JULY / AUGUST 2024 www . idnmag . com