UK motorcycle sales struggled in the first half of 2023, declining overall by 2.6% to 62,277 - high inflation, squeezed incomes and the increasing cost of consumer credit were blamed. Although bikes in the 501-1000cc class saw sales soar by 17.3%, every other sector suffered a fall. The big 1000cc-plus machines were down by 1.2%, the 125-500s by 7.2% while sub-125s plummeted by 13.9%, though they were still the biggest capacity sector at 22,163. Scooters (those above 50cc) were down too, by 13.2%. According to trade magazine British Dealer News, continued high inflation is at the core of all this gloom, with rapidly increasing interest rates showing little sign of dampening down the economy. The higher rates have in turn put

Electric motorcycle sales may have languished in the UK so far this year, but the situation worldwide looks more bullish, with Kawasaki close to launching its 125cc-equivalent e-bikes, and Erik Buell’s long-awaited Fuell now available on pre-order. Kawasaki hasn’t officially revealed much about the upcoming Ninja EV and Z EV (faired and naked versions respectively) but the 125-equivalents have recently been approved for sale in Australia, with the paperwork revealing some of the key specifications. The biggest surprise is that both will use a pair of small batteries with a combined capacity of 3kwh, and that these will be removeable for easier charging. At around 12 kilos each, the batteries should be light enough for many riders to carry indoors. The

Globetrotting motorcycle tours are finally making a return, after a long hiatus during and post-Covid. In a symbolic move, Globebusters, probably the best known of the mega-tour operators, set off on their biggest tour since Covid in late July, a 22,000-mile epic across the Americas from Alaska to Patagonia. And in a sign that adventure motorcyclists are ready to travel again, the 142-day tour was sold out – and that was at a cool £37,995 per person. Globebusters was founded over 20 years ago by Kevin and Julia Sanders, who before they got into the tour business, set a new Guinness World Record for the fastest time across America, two-up. Globebusters proved a success, tapping into the desire for some (well-heeled)

Around one million motorcycles stolen in the UK since 1973 have never been recovered. That’s according to Dr Ken German, who served in the Metropolitan Police Stolen Car Squad unit and now holds a PhD in international vehicle crime. Dr German has calculated that over 900,000 bikes nicked in the last 50 years have never been recovered – add in those not reported, off-road and race machines, he writes, and the total amounts to a cool million. Between 1973 and 1987, 675,000 bikes were stolen in the UK, of which 405,000 were never recovered. These would have been cloned, stripped to their component parts, were exported or the subject of insurance fraud. In the following five years to 1992, 190,000 were

Looking for an ultra-rare workshop manual, parts list or brochure for your classic bike? The National Motorcycle Museum (NMM) may have the answer. It has digitised its entire collection of Bruce Main-Smith titles, with over 5000 documents available covering over 300 motorcycle marques from Ascot-Pullin to Zundapp, stretching from the late 19th century right up to the 1980s. Parts manufacturers like Lucas and Amal are included, plus sidecar makers Bruce Main-Smith (BMS) famously sold photocopies of out-of-print manuals and owners handbooks through the 1960s and ‘70s, amassing a huge list of obsolete titles which proved invaluable to classic bike owners and restorers. The man behind the venture, ex-motorcycle journalist Bruce Main-Smith, died in 2018. Now this impressive archive is available digitally, ordered online

A lower seat at the touch of a button is the promise of Ducati’s Easy Lift function. Already available on the Multistrada Rally, it’s now offered on the cheaper V4S as well, both on new bikes and as a free retrofit software upgrade. Making use of the Multistrada’s electronic suspension control, Easy Lift opens the suspension valves for three minutes after the ignition has been turned on. This effectively softens the rear shock and front forks, making what is a big, heavy machine easier to lift off its stand – the softer suspension also results in a lower seat height once the rider is aboard, a boon for those with shorter legs. The seat height can be set at one of

MCE, one of the big players in the UK motorcycle insurance market, went into administration on 17th July. The news was a shock to the motorcycle industry, with Northants-based MCE once claiming to be the UK’s leading bike insurance broker. MCE appeared to have been doing well until relatively recently. Its accounts for the year to 31st December 2020 reported a turnover of £36.8 million with profits almost doubling to £7.3 million – dividends too, were substantial, with nearly £10 million paid out to shareholders at the end of that year. At the time, MCE’s directors said that they were confident the company would continue to grow, thanks to “developing new opportunities in the insurance market.” Since then MCE’s financial situation has

Remember the Norton Nemesis? Well the outlandish V8 hyperbike could be poised to make a comeback, thanks to the National Motorcycle Museum – custodian of what promised to be the world’s fastest Norton – and The Motorbike Show. If you don’t remember the Nemesis, it was the wildcard centrepiece of the one of the many attempts to relaunch Norton, this one in 1998 by Al Melling. The bike certainly promised a lot, with a 1.5-litre V8 claiming 280bhp and a top speed of 225mph. The liquid-cooled motor revved to 14,000rpm (so the spec sheet claimed) and had three spark plugs per cylinder. Housed in a lightweight thinwall cast magnesium frame and mated to a six-speed gearbox with pushbutton change, it looked

Forget 1000cc+ ‘adventure bikes.’ The real way to have an adventure off the beaten track could be this, the humble 30mph UBCO. Hailing from New Zealand, the utility UBCO has been around for several years, but the maker has just launched a road legal adventure version, aimed at thrill seekers rather than sheep farmers and fence erectors. Designed as a practical working tool, the electric UBCO’s unique feature is two-wheel-drive – easy to do with a hub motor at each end. It’s also able to act as an energy source for power tools – just plug into the lithium-ion battery and you’re away. The small battery comes in a choice of three sizes (2.1, 2.6 or 3.1kwh), and UBCO claims a