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

Motorcycles in the EU may be subject to new end-of-life legislation on recycling and reuse. Targets for recycling, and the safe disposal of certain fluids and heavy metals, are set by the End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) Directive, which until now has not included motorcycles, but the European Commission is considering lumping them in with cars. The Directive prevents the use of certain heavy metals such as cadmium, specifies the de-pollution of fluids and specific components, and requires vehicles to be recycled at treatment facilities (ie not at home). Its current target for recycling is 85%, and in 2019 the EU average for recycling vehicles was 86.9%. The Federation of European Motorcyclists (FEMA) has hit back at plans to include motorcycles in the ELV

A helmet with integrated airbag – it sounds like something dreamt up by cartoonist Paul Sample for the long-running Ogri saga in Bike magazine during the 1970s. But 50 years on, it could be a reality – Italian helmet manufacturer Airoh has announced a prototype airbag helmet, which was unveiled at the Milan Show in November. Airbag systems are well established and relatively affordable in vests, jackets and leathers, but they have never been applied to a helmet until now. Airoh has teamed up with Swedish safety firm Autoliv, which specialises in airbag systems, having previously developed airbag vests as well as other inflatable systems designed to fit the front of motorcycles. Italian engineer Roberta Descrovi did the original research on

Electric motorcycles and scooter owners will have to start paying Vehicle Excise Duty (VED, better known as road tax) from 1st April 2025. It’s part of a wider end to the electric vehicle tax exemption which also sees the end of free road tax for electric cars and vans. Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said that this was to make the motoring tax system “fairer,” as the Office for Budget Responsibility estimates that by 2025 half of new car sales will be electric. Of course, this comment does not apply to electric two-wheelers, whose market is still at the embryo stage – in January-October 2022, electric scooters/motorcycles made up just 5.5% of new sales. However, electric motorcycles will only have