Goldwing owners – or riders of any other Honda – could soon benefit from a navigation system which reroutes your ride to avoid bad weather, according to a recent patent filed by the company. The big H is working hard to keep the Goldwing ahead in the high tech rider aid stakes, what with rival manufacturers adopting features like collision avoidance and radar-assisted adaptive cruise control. Honda’s new navigation system will, according to the patent, make use of online weather data automatically rerouting to avoid rain storms and the like. It could potentially make use of live information from the countless Honda cars on the road and even be available as a smartphone app, so might even be something anyone could

Bonhams has just sold what is claimed to be the oldest motorcycle in the world, a Hildebrand & Wolfmuller which first saw the light of day in 1894. Part of an impressive collection owned by the late Peter and Ulrike Buhner from Germany, it sold for Euro 195,500 euros including buyer’s premium (about £175,000). The Hildebrand was the first motorcycle to enter series production, a 1488cc parallel-twin which could hit speeds approaching 30mph. It also features a bicycle-style step-through frame, ‘spoon’ type brakes (with metal pads acting directly on the wheel) and a rear mudguard which doubles as water tank. Rubber straps fitted either side of the bike were used to return the engine to TDC, ready for starting. This particular

There’s nothing new about crash detection systems, but a fresh version recently patented by Honda could take them to a new level of sophistication – Honda is developing a system that can tell whether or not you are injured, and call for help. Current systems, such as that offered by Triumph, will automatically make the call if sensors on the bike or on your phone detect a crash. Honda’s new system adds a Bluetooth headset to the helmet, working in conjunction with the bike sensors and the rider’s phone to obtain a more accurate picture of what’s happened, and whether you really do need help. It uses Bluetooth signals between headset, sensors and phone to detect their relative positions. So if your

The motorcycle/scooter courier is back, and it’s official, with the number of express deliveries (of all types, not just two-wheelers) more than doubling since 2019. Until recently the golden age of the courier seemed to be long gone – in the 1970s and ‘80s, with countless papers and documents needing urgent same-day delivery in those pre-internet times, a bike was often the fastest way to do it. But now, thanks to Covid and the explosion of internet shopping, the demand for ‘last mile’ deliveries has gone through the roof. Dr Tracey Worth, Chief Executive of the Institute of Couriers, called on the motorcycle industry to take advantage of what she called “low hanging fruit.” In a speech to the Motorcycle Industry

Have you ever dropped a bike at low speed? Yep, most of us have known the dreaded wobble while attempting a U-turn, just before the bike tips you onto the tarmac – it’s usually more embarrassing than dangerous, but can still ruin your day. Now technology company Intellias has launched a system that could make low speed drops a thing of the past. Publicly launched at the recent CES Show in Las Vegas, a global showcase for all kinds of new tech, the Intellias system uses sensors around the bike to detect speed and lean angle. When these calculate that the machine is going off balance, it makes a counter movement at the handlebars to prevent it. In keeping with its

Ural sidecar outfits, including the legendary two-wheel drive version, are back on sale in the UK with a new importer – but they are no longer made in Russia. Production was moved last summer from Ural’s factory in Irbit, central Russia to a site in Petropavlovsk, northern Kazakhstan, 370 miles south east of the original factory, where Urals had been made since 1941. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and the international sanctions which it brought down on Russia, made continued production at Irbit impossible. The company itself wasn’t subject to sanctions, but the venerable flat-twin has been radically updated in recent years, with 80% of its components now sourced from outside Russia, including Brembo brakes, Nippon Denso electrics and Paioli forks. Ilya Khait,

Egyptian rider Ali Abdo has set a new world record for the longest journey by electric motorcycle. He rode 12,749km (7921.86 miles) across Egypt in what he billed as his ‘Ride to COP 27’, hoping the feat would raise awareness about climate change, especially amongst the young. It took him 30 days (10th October to 9th November), averaging 264 miles a day. And the bike? A standard spec Energica EVA EsseEsse9, which has an 18.9kwh battery and an official range of 143 miles. Abdo has previously broken electric records on an EsseEsse9, setting the longest distance ridden in 24 hours (571.58 miles) and last year broke the record for the longest journey on an electric motorcycle in a single country –

We know the Government is keen for us to transition from petrol-powered motorcycles and scooters to electrics, but how far are they prepared to go? The government of Uganda has shown the way, by offering all Ugandan riders a free electric bike if they’re prepared to trade-in their petrol machine! Uganda, like many African countries, relies on fleets of 125cc geared motorcycles as cheap local taxis. Governments are keen to electrify these ‘boda bodas’ or ‘okadas’, and back in October we reported how okadas are being banned in Lagos, the capital of Nigeria, though on safety grounds. President Msueveni’s policy is more generous – in his year-end national address he announced that the government will provide a new electric motorcycle as a

Royal Enfield is investing 50 million euros in Spanish manufacturer Stark, which builds an electric MX bike, as a quicker route to developing its own battery-powered machines. We reported in October last year that Indian giant Hero is investing in Zero as a quick buy-in to electric bike technology – now it seems that Eicher Motors (EML) – Royal Enfield’s parent company – is also looking west for electrics. Stark Future currently makes the Varg, an electric motocross bike which claims more power than a typical 450cc MX machine. Now Royal Enfield’s parent will gain a 10% stake in the Spanish company and pave the way for a partnership that will include, “collaborative research and development in electric motorcycles, technology sharing,

Sammy Miller’s museum has just completed the restoration of an 1898 Quadrant – at 125 years old it’s one of the oldest surviving British motorcycles there is. It features a French-made Le Brutus engine with period automatic inlet valve, offering 1.5hp. Unusually, it has a two-speed transmission with shaft final drive at a time when most bikes stuck with a relatively crude single-speed belt-drive set up. Starting is via bicycle-type pedals and as with any veteran machine, the rider has to cope with several controls to keep the engine happy, including mixture and ignition timing adjustments. The Quadrant is the oldest bike on display at Sammy Miller’s New Forest-based museum, which is well worth a visit. Another recent restoration – much

A motorcycle which converts into a skidoo or snowmobile? Not as daft as it sounds, with parts of the UK possibly becoming snowbound before Christmas. Canadian manufacturer Daymak has launched the Combat, which can swap its wheels for a snow-friendly track-and-ski chassis. In motorcycle form, the Daymak Combat looks like a fat-tyred monkey bike. Designed more for off-road terrain than tarmac (it’s not actually road legal), it’s powered by a 5Kw electric motor which peaks at 19Kw (nearly 19bhp). The 4.8KWh battery is what you’d expect for a 125cc-equivalent bike, though Daymak claims a relatively modest 50-mile range, and the top speed is limited to 44mph. Converting the Combat to snow use doesn’t look like a five-minute job, with the front wheel and

We’ve heard it said before, but has the death of the two-stroke been exaggerated? For road bikes perhaps, but Italian engine maker Motori Minarelli still thinks there is life in the stroker, at least for enduro machines – it has unveiled a new engine which it says meets Euro 5 emissions standards (Euro 5 is the fifth iteration of European emissions limits that have got steadily stricter since the original Euro1 came in 1999.) The company showed the new single-cylinder 300cc engine at the EICMA show in Milan. Said to be based on Yamaha’s YZ250 power unit, which is designed for enduro use, Minarelli’s version has been designed in-house and features electronic fuel injection and electric start. The University of Modena