The Milan Motorcycle show, better known as EICMA, is amazing. I don’t just say that because they fly me over here every year to enjoy the madness; it’s true. The halls are huge – in total, the floor space the bike show uses is something like six times the total hall space at Jeff’s Shed in Melbourne – but it’s not just that. There are not just one or two but four small racetracks laid out next to the halls, and instead of a few blokes jumping dirt bikes the top stunt riders in the world (including Chris Pfeiffer) amuse the punters.
I wrote about some of the headline models last time, but of course there’s always a lot more going on. Take the re-launch of Ossa – yes, the cloverleaf brand from Spain is back, albeit only with a pretty unimaginative trials bike. On of the American journalists put it into perspective when he called it another t-shirt company with a bike – like Indian…
Ooh, smacks for the Bear…
Apart from the Terblanche Guzzis, the big news from Italy was an all-new Multistrada from Ducati. It’s grown to 1200cc and puts out a most impressive 150 horses, and with upgraded suspension and a dry weight below 200kg it’s clearly meant to finally tackle BMW’s GS.
Ducati did quite a bit of upgrading on the rest of the range, too, as well as introducing the new “baby” Hypermotard 796 with 81 horses.
BMW’s satellite brand, the Swedish/Italian/German Husqvarna, launched a very sweet-looking 630 supermotard. That was matched by KTM’s Duke 690R with 72 horses and less than 150kg weight.
Benelli is taking advantage of the deep pockets of its new Chinese owner; the marquee showed the new TNT R 160 with just exactly that many horses, a dry clutch and a lot of carbon fibre.
Aprilia’s RSV4 R offers precisely the same power from only 1000cc, and presents as the people’s version of Max Biaggi’s Superbike. MV Agusta doesn’t seem unduly concerned by Harley-Davidson’s decision top put the company back on the market. It showed an upgraded F4 on a substantial stand that also included a full-on desert racing “Lucky Explorer” Cagiva.
You’ve seen most of the news from America, including the new touring Spyder from Can-Am and the upgraded Harley range, but there’s more to come. The Hammer S from Victory is a factory chopper rider’s factory chopper with 1721cc, 97 horsepower and 153Nm torque.
And of course the place is absolutely full of scooters, including a new electric-powered three wheeler from Peugeot which will remain a mystery to me (and you) because the tight-lipped girl on the desk refused to give out a press kit to anyone who wasn’t Italian…See you back in Oz!
Peter “The Bear” Thoeming
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