Sources : Revzilla / CT , SB , MPT , B & B , BDN , AP , Reuters , MSNW , MCN , AMD news ROOM
NEWS
BRIEFS
A new ‘ plug in ’ subsidy scheme for electric motorcycles in the UK has seen its first customers benefit from the incentive . Introduced by the UK Government ’ s Office for Low Emission Vehicles ( OLEV ) to increase the uptake of electric vehicles , the buyer of a Zero FXS ( average range of 60 miles , top speed of 85mph ) saw the price of his new bike reduced by £ 1,500 ( or 20 % of the total purchase cost ).
The next edition of the BMW Motorrad International GS Trophy 2018 is going to be held in Mongolia , in central Asia , in the early summer of 2018 .
Italian manufacturer Sidi is the official boots provider for Husqvarna Enduro , SuperEnduro and Extreme Enduro Team Riders . This twoyear agreement will see all six Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing Enduro , SuperEnduro and Extreme Enduro team riders based in Europe wearing Sidi boots throughout their 2017 and 2018 racing campaigns .
French brakes manufacturer Beringer has appointed Frog Specialities Llc . as its exclusive U . S . importer and distributor .
Piaggio reports global PTW unit sales + 6.7 percent
Piaggio has reported that it sold 344,000 two-wheelers worldwide in 2016 , up by + 6.7 % from 2015 ( 322,500 units ), generating net sales of 916.5 million euro , an improvement of + 3.6 % from 884.9 million euro in 2015 . The figure includes spares and accessories , on which turnover totalled 124.5 million euro ( a slight increase from 2015 ). Piaggio says that it continued to strengthen its leadership of the European two-wheeler market in 2016 , with an overall market share of 15.4 % ( 15.2 % in 2015 ), and 25.4 % ( 24.1 % in 2015 ) in the scooter sector alone , with a lead of more than 12 percentage points from the second competitor . On the Indian two-wheeler market , the Group reported volume growth of almost 40 %, thanks in part to the introduction of the well-received new Aprilia SR 150 scooter . The Group recently entered the motorcycle market in Thailand with the introduction of the Aprilia and Moto Guzzi brands , in addition to its existing Vespa and Piaggio branded scooter sales there . The Group says it maintained a particularly strong presence on the North American scooter market , with a share of 20.1 %; it also intends to strengthen its position in motorcycles in North America . In the scooter segment , global revenues in the ‘ high-wheel ’ segment made strong progress , largely thanks to the Beverly and the new Piaggio Medley ABS , which have boosted market share for Group vehicles since their launch . The Vespa brand strengthened its presence on the EMEA market , with revenues up by 5.6 %. Good performance was also reported for the Aprilia brand , which in August made its debut on the Indian scooter market ( the world ’ s largest market with annual sales of more 5 million vehicles ) with the Aprilia SR 150 sports scooter . The Group motorcycle sector also reported healthy performance , thanks to a + 13 % increase in Moto Guzzi sales , assisted by the new V9 Roamer and Bobber and by the MGX-21 , the large totally black cruiser , which had its world preview in August 2016 at the 76th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally . Aprilia ’ s good performance reflects the growth of the Supersport models in the Tuono V4 range , which reported a + 24.8 % increase in sales , and steady sales performance for the RSV4 1000 line . In global corporate terms , Piaggio says it has seen positive 2016 performance in all the sectors it is active in , with improvements in all its main indicators and a reduction in debt compared with 2015 . The company says it sold 532,000 vehicles of all kinds worldwide in 2016 , an increase of + 2.4 % from 519,700 in 2015 . Group consolidated net sales in 2016 totalled 1,313.1 million euro , an improvement of + 17.8 million euro and + 1.4 % (+ 2.8 % at constant exchange rates ) from 1,295.3 million euro in 2015 . 2016 closed with net profit of 14 million euro , an increase of + 18.3 % compared with 11.9 million euro in 2015 . At EICMA 2016 Piaggio unveiled its Vespa Elettrica project , confirming its commitment to development of alternative low-emission mobility solutions . Production and marketing of Vespa Elettrica are scheduled for the second half of 2017 . Additional new products at EICMA included the Moto Guzzi V7III , developed to mark the 50th anniversary of the debut of the first V7 model , the Moto Guzzi V9 MY 2017 and , for the Aprilia brand , the Shiver 900 and the Dorsoduro 900 , two new motorcycles offering enhanced performance compared with the previous versions . In January Piaggio announced the strengthening of its distribution network after opening its 200th Motoplex store in Europe , the Americas , Oceania , Asia and India – a concept that made its debut just two years ago . Motoplex stores are a network of Group multibrand stores in addition to its traditional distribution network .