A Swedish woman has made the first unassisted ride across Africa by electric motorcycle. Sinje Gottwald, a sales manager for Swedish e-bike manufacturer CAKE, rode a Kalk AP trail bike, covering over 8000 miles in 125 days. An experienced overlander, having ridden round the world by bike in 2017-20, she decided to take four months out of her sales job to ride the CAKE from Spain to South Africa. “My dream was to see the world with my own eyes,” she said, “and open up my own and people’s views and ideas about Africa” – she also wanted to show that the 8,000 mile journey was possible on an electric bike without assistance. In 2019, German-born Thomas Jakel did ride the

The EU is considering wide reaching changes to driving licence rules, including a digital licence, more opportunities to ride a 125 on a car licence and the possibility of cross-EU driving bans. Since Brexit, the UK is no longer part of the EU, but it may still align many of its own laws with those of Europe, for simplicity. The digital licence would be available on smartphones, and valid at police checkpoints or for identification. Also under consideration is retaining the physical licence (possibly with a QR code to combat counterfeiting) and using a copy on the phone. On the 125cc entitlement on a full car licence, this is currently only available to riders in their home country, notably in Germany where

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,