Eric de Seynes, Yamaha’s European President and Chairman of its supervisory board, has downplayed the potential role of hydrogen as an alternative fuel for bikes, highlighting the many practical difficulties. “Hydrogen is obviously a next-generation technology, but it requires a lot of energy (to produce),” he said when interviewed by Motorcycle News. “So until the world is producing more energy, cleaner energy, green energy, hydrogen is a dream. We know how to make a scooter run with hydrogen, how it works and how we can manage it. But to make it real for our customers is another story.” He added that hydrogen needs three times the space of petrol for storage and if kept in liquid form needs to be cryogenically

Bright, long-lasting LED lights may now be standard issue on modern motorcycles, but the next generation of illumination is already under development – lasers. Some cars have already have laser headlights, which offer a brighter light even than the latest LEDs, illuminating the road up to 600 metres ahead. So far they haven’t made it onto bikes, thanks to bulky packaging and a high price, though BMW showed a K1600GT with prototype laser headlight in 2016. However, we could see laser lights on motorcycles before too long, with two major manufacturers having submitted patent applications which look like serious production options. Both Honda and Yamaha are developing systems which place the bulky laser unit under the seat, rather than try and

Poor quality helmets and lack of infrastructure have been blamed for a sharp rise in motorcycle casualties in some African countries. Road deaths across Africa have risen by 17% in the past decade, according to World Health Organisation (WHO) figures, compared to a 5% average drop across the whole world. The WHO puts this partly down to a general rise in motorised traffic in Africa, but particularly to the increase in small motorcycles used as taxis, the famous ‘boda boda,’ of East Africa. “About 10 years ago we saw a big increase in motorcycles in Kenya,” said Gladys Nyachieo of the Multimedia University of Kenya. “Very quickly we saw an increase in motorcycle-related accidents.” Helmets are compulsory in both Kenya and Rwanda,

What puts you off electric motorcycles? If it’s the lack of gearchanging and involvement with rising and falling engine revs, then Toyota may have something for you. The company has been working on a simulated manual transmission for electric cars since early 2022 and there’s no reason why e-motorcycles won’t be able to use the same kit. Drivers get a ‘manual’ gear-lever and clutch, but the actual changes are simulated by onboard electronics. In late 2022 the company installed the system in a Lexus UX300e, and Takashi Watanabe, Chief Engineer of Lexus’ electric vehicle department at the time, described how it felt. “From the outside, this vehicle is as quiet as any other BEV. But the driver is able to experience

Yamaha has unveiled the battery-powered Booster, which could be the basis of a new class of powered two-wheeler. It’s not an electric moped – it’s got pedals which you have to use to get power. Nor is it an electric bicycle – top speed is 30mph rather than the 15.5mph ‘pedelecs’ are restricted to. In fact, it’s not a fast e-bicycle (S-pedelec) either – these can reach nearly 30mph but are clearly developed from pedal bikes. Instead, Yamaha is hoping that the Booster will help pioneer a new class of PTW which blurs the lines between all of these camps, perhaps giving the best of all worlds. With the latticework alloy frame, pedals and saddle, it could not be mistaken for

Fancy riding a two-wheeled Bentley? Well now you can, except that it’s not really a Bentley at all but a Ducati Diavel. Based on the 168bhp Diavel V4, it’s been repainted in a Bentley-esque British Racing Green (though Ducati call it ‘Scarab Green’), tweaked bodywork to make it look slightly less aggressive and a revised silencer in two banks of two outlets. The idea is to suggest a resemblance between the V4 Duke and the £1.7 million Bentley Batur, the most powerful production car offered with the flying ‘B’ badge. Price? Well, at £58,000 the Bentleyised Diavel is quite a pricey accessory to sit next to the Batur in your garage. If that’s not exclusive or expensive enough Ducati is also offering