International Dealer News IDN 153 February/March 2020 | Page 12

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NEWS
BRIEFS
BMW has filed a patent for
wireless electric motorcycle
charging. Its concept has a
wireless charging receiver built
into the pad at the base of the
electric motorcycle’s side stand
- the only non-rubber
component that comes into
contact with the ground. When
the rider parks the electric
motorcycle, the side stand’s pad
would land on the wireless
charger (which houses an AC
coil). Wireless charging power is
correlated to the distance
between the charger and
receiver, so works best when
the two are in nearly direct
contact - the BMW design does
exactly that.
Triumph Bajaj plan going ahead
Indian conglomerate and KTM
shareholder Bajaj Auto has confirmed
that the non-equity global partnership
agreed in 2017 with British
manufacturer Triumph to manufacture
a new range of mid-capacity
motorcycles is still alive and well.
More than two years of radio silence
since the initial announcement in
2017, after Bajaj had ended its long-
term relationship with Kawasaki, had
led some observers to assume that the
plans had gone south - perhaps
because of India's plans to go all
electric by 2030. It would not have
been the first time that a planned
alliance between Triumph and one of
the Indian 'majors' had failed to
mature.
However, the company has stated that
the first bike under the partnership
will be rolled out in 2022 and will
carry a starting price tag in India of
around € 2,550 (GBP£2,150/
US$2,800) according to Triumph
Motorcycle Chief Commercial Officer
Paul Stroud. The new bikes will be
manufactured at Bajaj Auto's Chakan
facility and be of various styles in the
200 to 500 cc range.
"The Triumph brand is iconic the world
over," said Bajaj Auto Managing
Director Rajiv Bajaj, "so we are
confident that there will be a huge
appetite in India and other emerging
markets for these new products."
New information since the original
announcement is that Bajaj will take
over distribution of Triumph's UK built
large displacement models in India
(where it currently sells around 1,000
bikes out of total annual production of
around 62,000) and export and sell
the new models worldwide wherever
it has an existing sales structure.
Indeed, remarks by Triumph
Managing Director Nick Bloor in a
January 2020 press conference in
India appear to suggest that Triumph's
own dealer network in Europe, USA
and elsewhere could also be 'in-play',
stating that "the products that will
come out of the partnership will also
help attract a younger, but still
discerning customer audience and is
another step in our ambition to
expand globally, particularly in the
fast-growing markets of South East
Asia, but also driving growth in more
mature territories like Europe".
KTM Adventure Rally
In New Delhi, Piaggio Group has
unveiled the new Baramati,
Maharashtra produced Ape E-City, a
full electric battery swap technology
version of its iconic three-wheeler -
marking the Group’s entry onto the
Indian electric commercial vehicle
market. India is implementing a
policy to support electric mobility,
especially for 2- and 3-wheel
vehicles, through the roll-out of the
FAME programme (Faster Adoption
and Manufacturing of Hybrid and
Electric Vehicles) to promote the
purchase of electric or hybrid vehicles
with incentives - including a
reduction from 12% to 5% in Indian
VAT equivalent. India’s electric
vehicle market is currently worth
around US $71m, but is expected to
exceed $700m by 2025. On Sept. 30,
2019, the Piaggio Group reported
sales in India of 142,500 commercial
vehicles, with a 5.6% increase in
revenues for an overall share of
23.8% of the Indian three-wheeler
market and leadership in the Cargo
segment at 42.9%.
Pierer Mobility AG (PM), the
newly branded KTM owner, has
completed the integration of
PEXCO GmbH, the Schweinfurt,
Germany based E-Bike business
that it bought in 2019. The
board of PM has approved
taking over the remaining 60%
of the shares in PEXCO GmbH
from Pierer Industrie AG. PEXCO
makes E-bicycles under the
Husqvarna and R Raymon
brands.
12
KTM has announced
the venue for the
fourth annual edition
of the European KTM
Adventure Rally,
which will take place
in Nafpaktos, Greece, on June 9-
12, 2020. With the 2020 KTM
Adventure Rally basecamp set in
the beachside town of
Nafpaktos, "200 attendees will
be able to join an exclusive
Ready to Race community event
that will include three full days
of riding on some of the best
mountain trails Greece has to
offer".
Following two successful
editions in Italy and one in
Bosnia in 2019, the
European KTM Adventure
Rally is complementing
established KTM
Adventure events that
have been taking place in
Australia, New Zealand, USA,
Canada and South Africa. With its
latest edition in Bosnia receiving
excellent reviews by
participants, KTM is promising "a
three-day-long exploration of
the heart of mountainous
Greece".
Organised by KTM, the rally is a
"community event designed to
suit all rider abilities" from
beginners to seasoned
Adventure professionals. For
2020, participants can join one
of the guided riding groups and
enjoy three days of hardcore
riding alongside like-minded
KTM fans or select the self-
navigating option. The event will
be open to 200 motorcyclists
with the following KTM bikes:
640, 690, 390, 790, 950, 990,
1050, 1090, 1190 and 1290
Adventure models.
ktm-adventure-rally.com
Bradbury Bros and Rob
Hunter merge, join PDG
Powersports Distribution Group (PDG)
is proud to announce that it has
concluded the purchase of the entire
share capital of Bradbury Bros and the
business and assets of Rob Hunter &
Co Ltd. The combined business will be
re-branded to "Bradbury Hunter" and
become one of the largest parts
wholesalers in the UK, with a sales
team of eleven account managers
across the country. With these
acquisitions, PDG further positions
itself as a leading European distributor
of premium motorcycle parts and
accessories.
"There is great strategic rationale for
the combination as the two companies
complement
each
other
INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020
geographically, where Bradbury has
historically been more active in the
North and Scotland and Rob Hunter
focused on the Midlands and South,
while sharing a similar product portfolio
with brands such as EBC, HiFlo, JT,
Yuasa, Silkolene and Castrol, which will
be further expanded under the
ownership of PDG," Denis Bradbury
says, "and I am delighted with this
transaction and look forward to
working with Rob's sales team under
the wings of PDG."
Rob Hunter, who has managed the
eponymous company since its creation
over 50 years ago, commented: "This
deal provides continuity and will benefit
our customers, suppliers and staff who
have supported us over the years. Denis
and I have very complementary
businesses and I've no doubt that they
will be much stronger together."
Lee Martin, who will join the
management team at Bradbury Hunter,
thinks this acquisition is a natural fit for
PDG: "We aim to build a leading
position in the UK hard parts
distribution business, and this
combination gives us the perfect
platform to achieve this."
Tom Beyers, CEO of parent company
PDG, said: "We are very pleased to
bring together these two great
companies. PDG will continue to invest
in the UK as well as other key European
markets."
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