International Dealer News IDN 146 December 2018 / January 2019 | Page 17

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OptiMate 7 Select - the
technician’s friend
Batteries used to have a simple
job - provide cranking amps to
the starter motor and power to
the ignition, and at the press of
a button the rider could fire up
that engine. Worst case
scenario, if the battery was flat,
the rider could bump-start the
vehicle and then the charging
system took over.
No more! With powersport
engine and electrical system
management increasingly
controlled by a powerful central
processor, which in turn utilises
a two-wire communication
system ( e.g. CAN-bus) to link up
with the fuel and ignition
system, wireless throttle and
even all the lights, the battery’s
job has been upgraded to an
essential component that has to
deliver power before the engine
runs and provide stable power
at idle or low speed running.
The problem is batteries keep
on getting downsized in
capacity, so when it comes to
engine diagnostics and ECU
software updates, the battery
cannot keep up. It needs help so
that the motorcycle service
technician can troubleshoot or
confirm if a new software
update is working right.
That is where the OptiMate 7
Select comes in, a diagnostic
battery saving charger and
power supply.
As a power supply it provides a
13.6V 8 Amp power supply
mode that is ideal for service
and custom bike shops; the
power supply mode guarantees
the battery voltage remains in
range during updating of
software or adjustment of
fuel/ignition map settings, and
there’s plenty of time to
troubleshoot electrical
problems without killing the
battery.
Then there is the new breed of
vehicle show room, where music
NEWS
BRIEFS
and lights attract attention and
there is always that showroom
rider who wants to turn
everything on and blast the
stereo system at full volume.
The OptiMate 7 is the
showroom as well as workshop
friend, ready to support and
quickly recharge that battery.
When it comes to charging,
there’s no need to worry what
type or size of 12V lead-acid
battery is in the vehicle.
OptiMate's unique AmpMatic
processor delivers temperature
compensated charge voltage
and adjusts charge current to
match the connected battery’s
size and condition.
Simply connect the charger and
let it do its job. If the
powersport vehicle is fitted
with an after-market high
performance AGM battery (e.g.
Odyssey’s PC range or Yuasa’s
GYZ range), a higher 14.7V
charge voltage can be selected.
If the battery is dead flat,
OptiMate’s proven desulphation
programme saves ‘dead’
batteries from as low as 0.5
volts, then tests the battery to
indicate how well it recovered.
www.tecmate.com
www.optimate1.com
Company President Ruggeromassimo
Jannuzzelli’s holding company Autjann
Srl has sold 100% of the share capital
in Italian motorcycle brand Moto
Morini to the Zhongneng Vehicle
Group. The Jannuzzelli family took over
ownership in 2015 and moved Moto
Morini from Bologna Trivolzio, south of
Milan, to a 3,500 sq m facility. Each
Morini is assembled by hand, starting
with its engine - each model is built on
request. Zhongneng is based in South
West China and produces some
500,000 small cc scooters annually and
makes engines for other manufacturers
and its own Zhen Motor brand.
Founder and President Chen Huanneng
says he has “great plans” for the brand
and that “it will remain on Italian soil”.
The new Michelin ‘Anakee
Adventure’ has been type-
approved for the R 1250 GS and
will be on sale in January as an
addition to Michelin’s ‘Trail’
range. Said to have exceptional
grip on wet roads, which is due to
a new generation silica-enhanced
compound, it is also claimed to
combine “outstanding
performance in dry weather with
stability and resistance to wear”
as a result of Michelin’s Dual
Compound 2CT/2CT+
technologies.
Kymco has announced its official entry
into India with its “game-changing”
Ionex electric scooter total solution. In
partnership with Twenty Two Motors,
an Indian company that focuses on
developing advanced connected
electric vehicles, Kymco says it is “set to
revolutionise the two-wheeler sector in
India by bringing the new era of
electric scooters and building the open
energy platforms long awaited by
Indian customers”. India is the largest
two-wheeler market in the world. The
Indian government is actively
promoting the use of electric vehicles
and the establishment of EV
infrastructure.