International Dealer News IDN 152 December 2019/January 2020 | Page 8

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production.
"This is an incredible
competitive advantage that will
help us keep control of the
entire value chain, ensuring the
quality of the products and
smoothness of the delivery."
In terms of organisation, Jaimy
Scevenels, VP Brand & Product
Rider Gear at Bihr, will oversee
the Rider Gear distribution
activities across countries and
entities. Terry Birtles, Managing
Director at MotoDirect, will
remain in charge of the day-to-
day UK operations, while RST
founder Jonny Towers will focus
on developing the RST brand
and act as a Senior Advisor to
Jaimy Scevenels.
Jaimy Scevenels said: "Bringing
both companies together will
enable us to achieve the
necessary scale to specialise
our teams and dedicate a part
of this sales force to our Rider
Gear activities. The expertise
gathered by the MotoDirect
team over the last 30 years
combined with the Bihr
firepower on the continent will
help us better promote the
brands we are distributing and
will help us better serve our
clients."
The deal is expected to be
closed by January 2020.
www.bihr.eu
www.moto-direct.com
RST founder Jonny Towers product testing
at Snetterton Circuit, UK, April 2019
Airoh Wind Tunnel - "Meticulous
attention to detail"
Demonstrating its commitment to
safety and comfort, Italian helmet
specialist Airoh (Locatelli) has taken the
ultimate step in being able to prove and
improve the aerodynamics of its shell
designs with the installation of an in-
house wind tunnel as part of its
extensive R&D investment and
facilities.
"Research, technology, innovation and
passion need to be harnessed in a
sophisticated system to improve
performance," says owner Antonio
Locatelli. "From the start, the strategy
that drives our company has always
been the same - the search for
continuous improvement.
"To get the best, we contacted the best
- a pool of engineers that worked with
our Research and Development
department for more than six months
to create a revolutionary wind tunnel
facility. Powered by subsonic, closed-
cycle Gottingen technology, and
designed to be used both in open and
closed test chambers, our exclusively
owned software and advanced
algorithms allow us to capture a unique
suite of dynamic measurements.
"Specifically, the lateral movement and
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inclination of the dummy head is
predicted through a remote-controlled
computer, allowing for the analyses of
the results by testing any type of
scenario on and off road.
"The power harnessed in our wind
tunnel simulates the most extreme
conditions of use - over 200 km/h - so
we can test the aerodynamic, acoustic
and thermal levels in the helmet. The
number of tests that can be performed
is stunning - ranging from
aerodynamic, static or in-movement
tests to displaying the flows, the side
strength, acoustic and thermal
measurements at different speeds, all
constantly
monitored
and
subsequently processed with the most
advanced computerised and 3D display
analysis systems."
The tests also rely on the pressure
sensors and two microphones
assembled on the dummy head. The
instruments actually analyse the noise
caused by the air flow on the helmet’s
surface and any possible turbulence
generated. Measuring is divided into
determination of the sound level (dBA),
octave analysis and frequency.
"Special attention is paid to analysing
INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - DECEMBER 2019 / JANUARY 2020
the stagnation points, the separation
lines and the transition boundary
between the laminar and the turbulent
layer; in this sense, special tracers are
used at the solid and gas state, which
are able to highlight the aerodynamic
strength result."
Thermodynamics is especially
important for those helmets that are
worn for several hours, with
challenging temperatures, in all kinds
of different scenarios. For this reason,
the dummy head is able to constantly
monitor the temperature on its surface,
allowing a 3D image to be created,
showing where the different
temperatures of the test are
highlighted with various colours.
"Usually, in the first phase of the test,
the head reaches an ideal temperature
for benchmarking and appears red;
while performing the test, areas
subject to different temperatures are
highlighted in different colours. This
change is generated by the
effectiveness of the air vents and the
air extractors, which perform a
fundamental role in ensuring optimal
comfort."
"Meticulous attention to details - and
a relentless and untiring search for the
best performance and the desire to
have motorcyclists wear the same
product as the most successful
champions - this is what pushed us to
create this truly unique tool - only in this
way can a helmet be given the AWT2
(Airoh Wind Tunnel Tested) seal of
approval."
www.airoh.com
www.idnmag.com