I was very privileged to visit the EICMA Motorcycle and Accessory expo in Milan Italy as a guest of the Italian Trade Agency. Held at the Rho Fieramilano Expo Centre, it is on a scale that is mind-boggling to the uninitiated. I landed in Milan at 5:30 AM on Tuesday 5th November and got shuttled to my hotel. A quick freshen up and I was on the bus to the Expo venue at 8:15 AM. To call the Fiera Milano Exhibition Centre impressive would be a radical understatement! It is as state-of-the-art as you will find anywhere, and a glorious testimony to Italian architectural and engineering prowess. It is a huge facility covering 330,000 sq. metres and is powered totally by renewable energy. Hats off to the Italian Trade Agency for promoting the exceptional Italian manufacturing and design prowess in this fashion. This was the 81st Edition of this unparalleled and iconic event showcasing “The Contribution of Powered Two-Wheelers to Sustainable Urban Mobility”.
The event runs from the 5th to the 10th of November and attracts people from the motorcycle industry from all over the globe. The first two days are reserved for press and industry buyers and dealers, and the amount of people visiting is significant. The last day of my visit was open to all and sundry and I can categorically state that I have never before seen so many people in one place at one time. Trying to get around requires huge patience. If any of you think for even a moment that the Chinese influence on the world of motorcycling is not serious or likely to be short-lived, think again! The Chinese manufacturing presence at EICMA was a veritable Asian Invasion.
All the big industry players were there, as well as the who’s who of accessory manufacturers. The biggest stand of all was Honda. They not only had their range of bikes on display but also an amazing concept bike which was truly intriguing. It featured a “Compressor V3 engine” in a single-sided swingarm sport chassis. The motor is essentially a parallel twin which constitutes the forward part of the 75-degree V, with a third cylinder facing rearwards. The compressor is an electric turbo-shaped pump which pressurises the airbox. The motor is incredibly slim. It barely sticks out from behind the front wheel when viewed from the front. I don’t have details on displacement but it appears to be 600 cc plus. What will it sound like I wonder? I hope it makes it to production.
The other Honda that I found interesting was the funky 750 ADV-X Adventure Scooter. It uses NC running gear and sports a DCT gearbox. It has been a massive success in Europe and I get why. It has a tall stance for dirt but carries its weight low. It also has footpegs in the normal place but offers scooter-type floorboards which allows a variety of foot positions. Equipped with cruise control and good wind protection, with an adjustable screen, it will be a kick-ass tourer. A couple of years back a fellow entered one in an Adventure bike enduro event and won overall. Unlike the NC, it has burly USD front forks. This thing could elicit a cult following of note if marketed cleverly! It sells for around 7,500 Euros or about R150,000…Honda, I want one!
There are many models that we don’t get in SA and a few that we will probably get, like the CB1000 Hornet which looks really cool. By and large the other changes to the Honda lineup are evolutionary rather than revolutionary. The CRF300 Rally looks great in HRC colours and has minor suspension tweaks. The Trans Alp has dual headlights, making it a bit more distinctive. There was a CBR650R featuring the new e-clutch as well as their new Honda GB350S which will now be available in Europe and not only in the East. I like its retro look and vibe, but I think the 20-odd horsepower is rather underwhelming. With its Indian-built opposition offering 400 ccs and double the power it would only be appealing at a huge price discount.
Kawasaki featured their current range with the capacity of their current 1000s in touring guise bumped to 1100 cc. The other really interesting teaser was the 21’ front wheel of what is ostensibly a new KLE500 poking out of a box and possibly featuring the engine from the Ninja 500. How the bike is specced remains to be seen. The hard chargers want a lightweight Rally replica, however, I believe it is more likely going to compete with Honda’s NX500 and appeal to a wider audience. Kawasaki really needs an Adventure bike given their decent dirt bike range, and the middleweight range is where the biggest volumes are likely to be.
Electric-powered vehicles were in abundance, a testament to manufacturers bending to legislative pressure. Having grown up in the ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) age, I cannot say that it excites me at all, but it is what it is. The next environmental issue will be trying to dispose of myriads of toxic batteries, but that too is a discussion for another day. The Chinese are leading this charge with electric-powered two and three-wheelers of every description. Bicycles, motorcycles, three-wheelers, you name it, all with electric motors. They all look very cool and I see an application for e-bikes for recreational use where the range is not such an issue, but in South Africa with our bigger distances, range anxiety will be ever-present.
Yamaha had their new MT-09 and Tracer on display and for me, the jury is still out on the new styling. A truly fine motorcycle, but what were they thinking? The retro GP version is another story though. As beautiful as the MT-09 is ugly. They certainly are getting good mileage out of their CP2 and CP3 engines across a number of models. The MT-07 is not as hard on the eye and has significantly upgraded specs. The new R-9 is an absolute cracker. A real-world powered proper sportbike, which is stunning looking to boot.
Suzuki unveiled a bike that excited me a lot. Their new DRZ-4S is a euro 5 compliant version of their epic DR-Z400 dually. This one is fuel-injected and still sports a 5-speed gearbox. It weighs just over 150 kg with proper suspension with 11” travel. This is just what you need when you are tired of trying to muscle a bloated big adventure bike down a gnarly trail. Critics will say it is underpowered and perhaps too heavy, yet it enjoys brilliant, reliable real-world performance without requiring an oil change every 10 hours. Hopefully, the price in SA will make sense. There is a Motard version (DR-Z4SM) too. Looking at the Suzuki range of bikes there is a lot to like. They use their magnificent 1000 cc four-cylinder to good effect across a range of real-world bikes. Similarly, they are utilizing the brilliant smooth and torquey 800 cc twin in a stunning range of fine practical bikes from the DL Adventure bike to the naked roadster. This creates an economy of scale which makes for decent pricing.
The BMW Motorrad stand was permanently swamped, showcasing the popularity that this brand enjoys. Pride of place was their new R 1300 GS Adventure, with its lab-sided high-tech industrial look. It is huge! With optional bags that strap to the side of the body, it looks wider than my Suzuki Jimny! As always, it will be a fine motorcycle which the BMW faithful will no doubt buy in droves, despite its eye-watering price. The whole display reeked of class, from their Tourers to the S 1000 RR sports weapons and the GSs. Their “concept” GS 450 created quite a stir. It features a 450 cc parallel-twin powering a bike with a 17” rear and 19” front wheel. Again, I can already hear the derisive howls from the dirt donks who demand 18” and 21” wheels on any bike with dirt road aspirations. Let me remind you that the spirit of GS is “All Roads”. The proposed wheel size fits this brief perfectly.
Ducati had their race bikes on centre stage, from the Moto-e bike which weighs 235 kg, to Pecco’s MotoGP weapon with ‘over 260 HP’ at 157 kg, and Bulega’s WSB Panigale with 235 hp at 167 kg. The bikes on display are as functionally superb as always with the added “form” for which all Italian vehicles, be they with two wheels or four, are famous. They are making good use of the V4 motors across a range of Multistrada and the magnificent Panigale. The Scrambler range have had a styling and feature refresh with TFT displays and the like. New to their stand are their dirt bikes which have enjoyed significant race success already in Italy, as well as a new V2 Panigale with significantly less power, but lighter than the previous model. Again, emphasis on rideable bikes rather than spec sheet wonders which, in reality, are way beyond the skill set of most.
Aprilia and Moto Guzzi were well represented on an expansive stand featuring their range of bikes. Biggies for me were Aprilia’s 450 Tuareg, RS 660 Factory and the good-looking Moto Guzzi Stelvio. Aprilia had male models, you know those kind of fellows that look so smooth that they can slide uphill, adorning their bikes, all dressed in Aprilia riding kit. The Italians just have such a way of presenting stuff in an amazing and alluring way.
The Vespa stand was absolutely stunning, complimenting the understated simplistic and classic design of their scooters. It was decorated in classic pastel shades that complimented the scooters on display to perfection. Absolute class! So apt to have this kind of display in the fashion capital of the world. They are as much fashion icons as they are practical and efficient forms of urban mobility.
Chinese manufacturers Kove, Voge, Zontes and CF Moto have served notice that they have the design and manufacturing prowess to take on the best in the world. Their range of bikes is really impressive, featuring world-class power from thoroughly modern motors. The overall fit and finish of the bikes are decent too. They will be a thorn in the flesh of the established players in time to come for sure. CF Moto and Kove in particular, have already proven their bikes to be competitive at a really high level. Both had stands with impressive displays of their bikes. CF Moto showed a prototype 1000 cc V-4 motor which is claimed to produce over 200 horsepower, so it would seem that they have aspirations to take on the big guns. They feature both sports bikes and adventure bikes with impressive specs. The bikes are all a great value proposition.
Indian giant Hero made much of their new World Rally Champion, Botswana national Ross Branch. There was a giant robotic sculpturing machine chiselling a huge block of Styrofoam into a statue of Ross hitting a berm on his rally bike. A bike of interest in the South African context was the new 210 cc liquid-cooled X-Pulse. It looks lean, mean and purposeful. The weight is quoted as 173 kg which is rather heavy for a 210 cc bike. Can’t wait to try one of those. It offers a sort of street-legal CRF230 equivalent, so you can commute in the week and smash the trails on the weekend. It will make a great all-road Tiddler Tourer. Their off-road experience is starting to show with their new offerings. Ross’s Rally 450 was on display in all its glory! They had him autographing photos for his myriads of fans.
The other Indian brand enjoying enduring success is Royal Enfield. They are not quite there in the styling department in my humble opinion, but there is no question that their recent offerings offer good value and solid engineering. A bike that would be brilliant in the SA context is the 450 Himalayan. Tough and capable, and now with decent suspension and power, it would be a brilliant adventure option. The new Bear 650 Scrambler looks rather nice too. I believe that someone in Cape Town is importing some REs but I’m not sure who.
I bumped into our very own Saffers Stuart and Kyle from Suzuki SA, as well as the KTM crew of Riaan Neveling, Gareth Davidson and Dieter Engelbrecht. It is brilliant to see our boys playing such an integral part in the KTM global setup. Had to cut my tour of the KTM stand short with Riaan as he had to meet Brad Binder who popped in to endorse the stunning new KTM 990 RC and RC R launched at the show. Also launched, and an addition to the already comprehensive 390 range, was a new KTM 390 Adventure R. This will undoubtedly be a weapon in the dirt with WP Apex suspension and 18” rear and 21” front wheels. Distance work will be a pleasure with the “Rally tower” wind protection and Cruise Control. This may just be the off-road option many have been looking for. The 1390 Adventure S is a distance-eating machine with all-road ability. The new models bode well for KTM, reaffirming their “Ready to Race” mantra.
Triumph appears to be going from strength to strength too. Of particular interest to me was the new 850 Tiger Sport. With 17” wheels, it promises to continue the Triumph tradition of decent handling bikes. Their new dirt bikes look very impressive too. They have such a good range of models with the dirt-worthy Tiger 900s and 1200s, as well as their iconic Bonneville range. The new 400s have been a runaway success too. Their stand was inundated with visitors, just showing the solid mark they continue to make on the motorcycle scene.
The accessory manufacturers were there in force, just showing how spoilt for choice the European motorcyclist is. The likes of GIVI, SW-Motech, Wunderlich, Oxford, Dainese, Forma, Sidi, IXS and many other household brands were all in attendance. Helmet manufacturers like Arai, HJC, Shoei, Premier, Scorpion, AGV, Acerbis and the like had impressive displays of their ranges. There are a number of companies making bespoke components for bikes. In fact, it is impossible to consider who was missing at EICMA. It is as if everyone who is anyone in the motorcycle industry was represented there. The Chinese influence extends from manufacturers of bespoke accessories to the aforementioned motorcycle manufacturers all trying to get a slice of the lucrative European market.
It was great to rub shoulders and chat with industry players from all over the world. In the South African context, I met Harry Pienaar from Bike Gear in Gqeberha, a predominantly online accessories company that I have dealt with for many years. Harry was very busy with meetings with industry players to see what would benefit SA motorcyclists. A vastly experienced, yet humble rider who has toured with motorcycles all over the world, Harry knows what works from personal experience. SW-Motech’s range of quality products has been a staple for Bike Gear for yonks. It was also a pleasure to meet members of the worldwide motorcycling press, notably Sean Finley, Co-Owner and GM of CycleNews in the USA. We stayed in the same hotel, and as is the way with lifelong motorcycle enthusiasts, chatted up a storm. Chewing the fat with the world’s biking brotherhood never ceases to amaze me. Dr Manan Chaturvedi from xBHP in India sat next to me at the Gala dinner, and despite our diverse backgrounds, we found that we had so much in common when it came to bikes. Of such chance meetings lifelong friendships can be born.
EICMA is an incredible initiative that, over the years, has grown from strength to strength. It has put Italy in the world’s motorcycling spotlight and is a bucket list event for a motorcycling “lifer” like myself. I cannot think of a better way to promote Italy and all it has to offer to motorcycling. A huge shout out to the Italian Trade Agency for inviting ZA Bikers to this brilliant event. EICMA is some of the glue that binds the world of motorcycling together. Long may it continue!
