Honda’s latest innovation is the E-clutch – automatic electronic control of the clutch when starting, coming to a halt or changing gear (or as Honda describes it, when the ‘driving force changes’. The company already has a name for innovative transmissions, thanks to its well-established Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT) which allows push button or automatic gear changing on a six-speed box. Available on a whole range of bikes, from the NC750 to the Africa Twin and Goldwing, it’s been a great success, with the Goldwing DCT now outselling its manual counterpart. The E-clutch is different, in that there is still a clutch lever and there appears to be no automatic option. The rider still has to choose when to change gear via the

Suzuki is challenging online scooter retailers by launching its own ‘click to buy’ scheme, rolled out to its 125cc scooter range. After buying habits changed during lockdown, manufacturers are looking at ways of engaging buyers directly online and making the purchase process as simple and quick as possible. Available on the new Address 125, Avenis 125 and Burgman Street 125EX, Suzuki’s ‘click to buy’ scheme aims to do just that. Buyers hit the ‘click to buy’ option on the relevant model page (or visit buy.bikes.suzuki.co.uk) enter their postcode and choose a colour, after which they will be pointed to the nearest dealer which has the bike in stock. In fact, dealers shouldn’t lose out, because once the customer has added their details

Japanese manufacturers appear to be hedging their bets on what will power the motorcycle of the future. We know that they are working on battery-electric bikes (witness Kawasaki’s new pair of 125-equivalent electric Ninjas) but both the big K and Suzuki are also working on alternative types of propulsion. Kawasaki has announced a hybrid petrol/electric, Ninja 7 Hybrid/HEV with a 451cc parallel twin, plus a small 1.4kWh battery and 12bhp electric motor, giving a total output of 69bhp. The result, says Kawasaki, is a mid-size bike with 650-700cc equivalent performance but with the fuel consumption of a smaller bike – they are claiming 70.5mpg on the standard WMTC test, enough with the 14-litre tank to give a range of 217 miles.

Most of us know the veteran overlander Nick Sanders for his record-breaking motorcycle trips around the world, but his latest attempt is on something else – a Yamaha electric bicycle. Nick is no stranger to pedal power, having pedalled his way to several cycling records before turning to motorcycles. He entered the Guinness Book of Records in 1981 by cycling around the world in 138 days, cutting that to just 79 days three years later. He still holds the record for fastest cyclist around the coast of Britain – now aged 65, he’s decided to opt for some electric assistance. This will be Nick Sanders’ 11th round the world trip, and he left his home in Wales on 3rd September, planning to

White Motorcycle Concepts (WMC) has opened the order book for its Yamaha Tricity 300-based WMC300AE, a hybrid three-wheeler which claims to reduce CO2 emissions by 50% with fuel efficiency of 104mpg. But if you want one you’ll have to be quick (they’re only planning to make 10) and probably well-heeled (it’s ‘price on application’). The hybrid trike is basically a production version of the WMC300FR, which has been trialled by Northamptonshire Police. Starting with the 298cc tilting three-wheel Tricity, WMC has added a 5Kw electric motor and two rechargeable batteries, which charge through a standard three-pin plug. The electric power train takes over below 30mph, and its contribution tails off up to 40mph. In theory, this should give the best of

The Government is still considering what to do about the date for ending new sales of petrol motorcycles. Currently, the proposed end dates are 2030 for mopeds and 125s, and 2035 for all bigger bikes, but the recent pushback of the end date for petrol/diesel cars (from 2030 to 2035) has put these in doubt. In response to a query from the BMF, a spokesperson for the Department for Transport said: “The consultation on when to end the sale of new non-zero emission motorcycles (and other L-category vehicles) has been supported by a thorough programme of stakeholder engagement with manufacturers and the wider industry, including a positive Ministerial roundtable. We are now analysing the responses and will bring forward the Government’s

‘Box of bits’ restorations can cause no end of heartbreak, but this Brough Superior SS80 – coming up for auction on 26th October– could make a happy ending for its owner, who after buying the ‘basket case’ Brough in the 1990s, took 20 years to restore it to its current pristine condition. Charterhouse Auctions, which is putting the Brough under the hammer at the Haynes Motor Museum, along with 100 or so other bikes, expects it to make £65,000-£70,000 on the day. However, get two determined bidders in the same room, and maybe it really could get to six figures... Broughs – the British superbikes of the 1920s and ‘30s – are highly sought after today, and not just because of

Your next new bike could be equipped with an airbag as standard, especially if it’s a scooter. Autoliv, one of the world’s leading suppliers of airbags to car manufacturers, has developed a low-cost bike airbag, which could dramatically reduce rider injuries in a crash. The company says that its airbag reduces the critical Head Injury Criterion Score (HICS) – the target is 500, which was measured at 6794 for a rider on a non-airbag bike. With airbag, the HICS was cut to 118. Autoliv’s bike airbag works just like the same item in a car. Sensors detect a sudden deceleration and in milliseconds inflate the bag via a gas cannister. Until now, bike airbags have been hampered by the rider being

An electric motorcycle has completed the 200-mile Edinburgh Trial for the first time, unsupported and using only public charge points. It’s thought to be the first time an electric bike has finished any of the major long-distance trials – run by the Motorcycling Club (MCC) these consist of off-road special sections linked by road mileage. Engineer Fred Spaven is no stranger to battery bikes, having converted an Enfield Bullet to electric in 2015. An experienced MCC competitor (on a BSA Bantam) he was inspired to take the electric route while working on his PhD with University College London – UCL offered to part-fund a suitable bike out of its motorsports fund. Calculating he needed a 100-mile range between charges, Fred settled

If you get bombarded by emails and offers from your local motorcycle dealer this winter, then be sympathetic, because they may just be taking advice. The motorcycle trade has become increasingly seasonal, as leisure riders put their bikes away in the garage for the winter, hook them up to the Optimate and head indoors – consequently, sales of bikes, tyres, clothing and consumables all plummet. Some dealers struggle to survive this lean period, but motorcycle marketing man Dan Sagar, writing in trade paper British Dealer News, suggests that they take a leaf from the books of businesses which weathered the Covid lockdown well. The key, says Dan, is to keep in touch with customers via email newsletters and social media, with

What’s the most common scenario for a motorcycle crash? Common wisdom suggests junctions, which are certainly high on the list for road crashes in general, but when it comes to which vehicle types top which type of crash location, a different picture emerges. According to a study from Forbes Advisor, using Department for Transport road casualty data for 2012-2021, motorcycles were the most common vehicle type to crash in five different scenarios. These were: failing to make a left-hand bend (ie going straight on), the same for a right-hander and three different overtaking scenarios – overtaking on the nearside, and overtaking a moving or static vehicle on the offside. Most common of these for bikes was offside overtaking when the other vehicle

The International Laverda Owners Club (ILOC) is to mark its 50th birthday in advance by launching a book which celebrates the iconic Italian machines. Founded in 1974, the club has since been a must-join for fans of the well known triples, 650/750 twins and the earlier singles. The book is a history of the club, its members and their experiences, so includes articles about their life on bikes and their love of Laverdas, plus contributions from key people in the Laverda UK story. ILOC Chairman Keith Prentice commented “We thought long and hard about how best to mark such an historic event and decided the ILOC Anniversary Book is a fitting record and memento of 50 incredible years of the Owners’