International Dealer News IDN 138 August/September 2017 | Page 48

news ROOM
KTM/Bajaj taking
BRIEFS Husky global
NEWS
Parts Europe parent company
LeMans Corporation has
announced February 10-11 as
dates for its 2018 Spring NVP
Product Expo at the Indiana
Convention Center, Indianapolis.
The event will feature some 300
Parts Unlimited and Drag
Specialties exhibitors.
The world’s fastest ever motorcycle,
the twin Suzuki Hyabusa engined
‘Top 1 Ack Attack’ streamliner,
piloted by Rocky Robinson, is headed
for Bolivia's Salar de Uyuni, for the
Top of the World Landspeed Trial on
August 3-8, 2017. The goal is to
exceed 400 mph and breaks the
team's own long standing LSR mark
of 376.363 mph set in 2010.
Portuguese plastic parts
specialist Polisport
BOOTH#
won a “Best of the
Best” design awards
2129
at the Red Dot
design awards in Germany
for its foldable bike stand.
Milan based Tucano Urbano has
achieved ISO 9001 certification
as “official recognition of its work on
the quality after a thorough audit
process carried out by the TÜV NORD
Italia certification body”. CEO Diego
Sgorbati says “it bears witness to
and supports the quality of the
company. Having quality certification
means being committed to a path
that is based on the continuous
improvement of the products and
processes”.
Irving, Texas, based MAG – the
parent company for distributor
Tucker Rocky and aftermarket
brands such as Vance & Hines,
Kuryakyn, Renthal and
Performance Machine - has
announced February 8 – 10 as
dates for its 2018 Dealer and
Brand Expo in Texas.
It is 10 years since KTM and Bajaj Auto
of India started their strategic
partnership, and the two have now
announced a collaboration to take
Husqvarna Motorcycles worldwide,
with a global roll-out in 2018.
The collaboration will also see KTM and
Husqvarna branded motorcycles
produced in India increased from the
expected 100,000 units in 2017 to over
200,000 units in the next years. The
Duke 125, 390 and RC 125 – 390 are
produced in Bajaj s production facility
in Chakan/India and distributed by the
two partners globally.
Husqvarna sold over 30,000 units in
2016 – a record for the brand – and
Stefan Pierer, CEO of KTM AG, and Rajiv
Bajaj, Managing Director of Bajaj Auto
Ltd., have decided to build on the
success achieved so far, and, in the long
run, no doubt exploit the opportunities
presented by the new fuel injected 2-
stroke engines.
The first models, Vitpilen 401, Svartpilen
401 and Vitpilen 701 will be produced
BOOTH#
44 7
in Mattighofen, Austria, and launched
in early 2018. Later in 2018, the Vitpilen
401 and Svartpilen 401 production for
the global markets will be transferred to
Bajaj’s Chakan factory. Bajaj aims to sell
Husqvarna Motorcycles at a similar
level as KTM products in India and
Indonesia.
In November 2007, Bajaj Auto first
acquired a 14.5% stake in KTM Power
Sports AG (holding company of KTM
Sportmotorcycles AG), and increased its
stake to 47.96 percent in 2013.
BMW +9.5 percent for first six months of 2017
BMW Motorrad have sold more
motorcycles and maxi scooters
in the first six months of 2017
than in any previous first half
year - deliveries increased by
+9.5%. as of June 2017, for a
total of 88,389 vehicles (80,754
units in the same period of
2016).
Stephan Schaller, General
Director of BMW Motorrad,
said: “For all of us at BMW
Motorrad it is a great pleasure
and a confirmation of all our
efforts that our customers
continue to show us that we are
on the right track with our
model initiative.”
The strongest growth was
recorded in Europe, with France
(9,447 units, up from 7,790),
Italy (9,099 units, up from
7,912), Spain (5,573 units, up
from 5,133) and UK/IE (5,410
units, up from 4,746) all up for
BMW again. Overall around
+12.9% more vehicles were
delivered in Europe compared
to the first half of 2016,
including in Germany.
BMW say that the South
American market in particular is
showing considerable growth
potential for them with a
“dynamic” increase in sales –
up by +16.3% to 8,306 units;
sales in China were also
significantly higher than in the
previous year (2,836
units/+18.8%).
The German motorcycle market
remains their single largest,
where it is market leader with
14,461 units sold so far in 2017
(+4.9 percent); in the U.S. BMW
Motorrad is +3.8% (7,157 units)
in a difficult market that is
seeing most manufacturers
losing sales.
The water-cooled R 1200 GS and
GS Adventure (17,159 units
sold, +17.3 percent) continue to
be BMW’s flagship models, with
the ‘Boxer’ engined R series
selling 49,240 units in the first
half of 2017 in total.
Overall, 12,763 S models were
delivered worldwide, with the S
1000 RR , S 1000 R and S 1000
XR Adventure bike doing well.