International News Round
What's new in the world of motorcycling
John Newman
We are not alone! Motorcycle life is happening across the planet, and the developing and industrialising countries like India, Indonesia and Thailand are growing thousands of new riders and enthusiasts.
Here are a few stories we've picked out from the 'round the world' feeds that drop into the Wemoto News inbox.
India
Honda India has introduced an innovative and direct way to purchase motorcycles. It's launched an app to boost its lightweight CB Hornet 160R, and it has yielded sales of 10,000 bikes in 53 cities across the country.
The app details prices, specifications including colour choice, reviews and comparisons with other machines; all accessed through a smartphone. Potential purchasers can also rev the bike and hear the exhaust note at power and on idle. And if you decide to buy, you can purchase through a secure online payment system after receiving details of waiting time, nearest dealer etc.
Australia
A new crash helmet is dividing opinion, as all innovations will do. It's called the VOZ RSS 1.0 and it's clipped on rather than strapped, with a hinge at the top of the helmet. It wraps around the head like a clam shell and the chin is supported in an adjustable cup.
The helmet's inventors say that it gives a better fit while a smaller opening at the bottom helps to keep out air and reduce wind noise and 'lift'. If it needs to be taken off in an emergency, the top hinge and lower clips allow easier removal from an injured rider's head.
It goes on sale in January, initially for around $650 (Australian).
UK (Cornwall)
Do you sometimes wonder how many more valuable old bikes there are still to be discovered? There cannot be many old sheds, barns and garages left that will yield up further two-wheeled treasure.
But in the Bodmin Moor area of Cornwall, eight Brough Superior motorcycles have been found. They were collected by Frank Vague, a Brough enthusiast, and have laid in his barn for fifty years, submerged under old machinery parts, household clutter and dust.
They will be auctioned in April by Bonhams at the Stafford Classic Show and according to Ben Walker, the Director of their motorcycle department: “This is the last known collection of unrestored Brough Superiors; there will not be another opportunity like this. There were only eight four cylinder machines built, and the example in this collection is the final one to be discovered”.
USA
Those Bonhams people operate in the USA too, and at their auction in Las Vegas, January 7th, they will be selling a suitably glittery Evel Knievel Harley Davidson, as used in a feature film he made titled 'Viva Knievel': a daft tale involving his death to smuggle drugs into the US.
The bike is more interesting, though: a 1976 1000cc Sportster that was one of a number ordered from the factory to appear in the film, and until recently this one was displayed in a California dealership.
Now fully restored, it's expected to fetch around $80-100,000. You might just have time to fly out, or you could bid online.
The Los Angeles Times has reported on a recent survey conducted by the US Motorcycle Industry Council, indicating that motorcycling is becoming more popular among women across that continent.
Women now account for 14% of all US motorcycle riders; they are younger than their male counterparts, better trained and better educated. The majority ride cruiser style bikes and those models where a lower seat height is available.
Dealers have been asked to take note of this new(ish) rider cohort to boost sales and attract a wider customer base that has, until now, relied almost solely on older white men.
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