The Indonesian motorcycle market maintains its upward momentum, after seeing a slight reduction in the first half of the year. The first half had closed with a 0.9% reduction in motorcycle sales, but rebounded by 4.1% up to October.
The upswing was the result of the Indonesian government’s commitment to electrify the country’s vehicles. In April 2024, the government committed U$455 million to subsidise the purchase of electric motorcycles aiming to cover the purchase of 800,000 new electric motorcycles and the conversion of 200,000 combustion engine motorcycles into electric ones. The subsidy program provides an IDR 7 million discount on the purchase of electric motorcycles. Hence the segment has increased by 96.6% this year.
The Chinese EV leader Yadea was quick to capitalise on the opportunity and invested heavily to produce electric scooters and motorcycles in Indonesia.
The inaugural vehicle delivery ceremony, held on March 14th, 2024, in Cikarang, Bekasi, Indonesia, marked a monumental milestone for Yadea’s expansion efforts in the Southeast Asian region.
Situated in Bekasi, West Java Province, the Yadea Indonesia production base encompasses a sprawling 28,000 square meters, boasting state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge technologies, and an annual production capacity of 300,000 units.
KTM’s parent company, Pierer Mobility AG has failed to source for a cash infusion of at least €100 million, and as a result, KTM AG is now insolvent. The company has entered ‘self-administration’ in order to stave off bankruptcy. In other words, they are working on a reorganisation plan with their creditors within a 90-day timeframe.
As part of the restructuring efforts, Pierer Mobility outlined plans for KTM that involve scaling back production and gradually reducing surplus inventory. These measures aim to diminish the output of the company’s Austrian facilities by over €1 billion in the coming two years.
The impact on Pierer Mobility’s stock was severe, with a further 45% decline to 6.9 Swiss Francs. All in all, their stock has plummeted by 88.1% from its previous high of 95.00 Swiss Francs on 14 January 2022. This marked the steepest single-day decrease in the company’s history.
KTM’s problem began when they increased production to cater for the market demand post-Covid-19 pandemic. However, it soon became apparent that their production had grossly outstripped demand, leaving dealers with excess stock. To exacerbate their woes further, there is currently an industrial crisis across Europe, coupled with a decrease in the demand for motorcycles due to rising costs of living.
Some pundits have also pointed out the quality issues faced by the LC8c engine platform, which powers the 790 and 890 ranges.
Pierer Industrie AG, the parent company of Pierer Mobility, which is co-owned by Stefan Pierer and Bajaj Auto Ltd. of India, has been seeking to restructure its debt.
On Monday, the company approached its creditors with a request to prolong the maturity of nearly €250 million ($262 million) of its liabilities.
KTM CEO Stefan Pierer said alongside newly appointed Co-CEO Gottfried Neumeister: “Over the past three decades, we have grown to become Europe’s largest motorcycle manufacturer.
“We inspire millions of motorcycle riders around the world with our products. Now we are taking a pit stop for the future. The KTM brand is my life’s work, and I will fight for it.”
“The enthusiasm of our employees is our most important competitive advantage,” Gottfried Neumeister added. “Their passion is the reason why KTM is globally synonymous with peak performance.
“We build our motorcycles reliably and robustly for every race, for every terrain. Now it’s about making the company robust. Robust for the future. So that we can quickly focus again on what we do best: building the coolest motorcycles in the world.”
Despite Neumeister’s positive tone, a separate statement released by Pierer Mobility on the same day stated that the company expects KTM to end the 2024 financial year with a negative net financial outlook said to be in the ‘very high’ hundreds of millions.
Since 1992, KTM has grown from 160 employees and a production volume of 6000 bikes, to over 5000 employees and the capability of producing 1000 motorcycles per day. As such, further job cuts are expected.
Suzuki Q1 and Q2 2024 worldwide sales has increased, so much so that the maker has adjusted their forecast higher for the entire year.
Suzuki sold 523,000 bikes in Q1 and 499,000 bikes in Q2 this year, compared to 479,000 in Q1 and 494,000 in Q2, 2023. Should the trend continue, Suzuki will see a 4.5 percent increase in revenues, 10.4 percent increase in profits, and 4.9 percent rise in global motorcycle sales.
The manufacturer’s annual sales has been increasing steadily since 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic struck. They had sold 1,535,000 motorcycles that year, 1,634,000 in 2021, 1,859,000 in 2022, and 1,912,000 in 2023. So, the higher projections for FY 2024, given their current performance should see sales above the 2,000,000 mark.
Breaking performance down by region, Asia continues to be the best performer by notching up 1,225,000 sales from 2020-2023. The Asian countries which saw the biggest sales during the same period were India with 557,000 units, China (374,000), and the Philippines (136,000). Other Asian countries contributed 158,000 of sales, altogether.
Suzuki hopes that the new 2024 Suzuki V-Strom 250SX which we reviewed recently will strengthen their sales in the Asian region.
The updated 2025 BMW F 900 R and 2025 BMW F 900 XR have been announced. Both feature lower weight, improved ergonomics, upgraded suspension, and revised aerodynamics. Most of the changes went to the XR sport-tourer variant.
With both variants based on the same F 900 platform, they share several features and components. The different being that the F 900 R is a ‘roadster’ in BMW’s terms a.k.a. naked bike, while the F 900 XR is a sport-tourer, hence the ‘X’ designation.
Highlights
The 895cc, parallel-twin, with 270° cranks is now Euro 5+ compliant but remain unchanged, including its peak power output of 105hp at 8,500 RPM and 93.0Nm of peak torque at 6,500 RPM.
Engine power is channelled through an anti-hopping slipper clutch, but now with the aid of the MSR Engine Drag Torque Control electronic aid to reduce engine braking at while downshifting at higher RPMs.
Both variants receive upgraded 43mm upside down, fully-adjustable forks. However, the R variant has 135mm, and the XR has 170mm of fork travel.
The monoshock at the back of each variant is adjustable for preload and rebound damping only. Owners can opt for the Dynamic ESA suspension.
The wheels are cast aluminium and borrowed from the S 1000 R, reducing 1.8kg on both ends. Lighter wheels means lesser unsprung weight allowing for quicker handling, faster acceleration and deceleration.
Speaking of weight reduction, a new, 800g lighter battery. All in all, there is a 3kg weight reduction for both the 2025 BMW F 900 R and 2025 BMW F 900 XR.
Other revisions include the lights, now featuring turn signals that also function as the brake lights.
The headlight now features Headlight Pro functionality as standard, with additional LEDs that light up inside corners while cornering.
Ergonomics on F 900 R have been revised to provide a sportier riding position. There is an optional sport seat to raise the ride height from 835mm to 860mm. There is also an optional 780mm low seat, which added to an optional low suspension results in a seat height of 760mm.
A for the F 900 XR, the windscreen is reshaped and handguards are fitted as standard. There is an optional 30mm higher windscreen through the Premium Package.
Electronic features include the two standard Road and Rain ride modes. The optional Ride Modes Pro adds Dynamic Mode as part of the Premium Package. Dynamic Traction Control and BMW Motorrad ABS Pro are included as standard, as is Dynamic Brake Control, which improves braking by suppressing any throttle input under deceleration.
Colour options and prices
Base price of the 2025 BMW F 900 R starts from USD8,995 (RM40,187.04), and comes in three colour options called Snapper Rocks Blue Metallic; Style Sport: Racing Blue/Light White (+USD695/RM3,105.06); Triple Black: Black Storm Metallic (+USD235/RM1,049.84).
Base price of the 2025 F 900 XR starts from USD12,370 (RM55,261.97) and is available in Racing Red; Style Sport: Racing Blue/Light White (+USD375/RM1,675.37); or Triple Black: Black Storm Metallic (+USD275/RM1,228.65).
As far as we know, there are numerous Benelli fans in Malaysia, although we have not seen many new Benellis on the road these days apart from the odd Leoncino. So, will this 2025 Benelli Tornado 550 sportbike be a hit?
The 2025 Tornado 550 is the uprated model after the Tornado 500 prototype was teased at EICMA last year.
As such, it sports a new 554cc parallel-twin, claimed to produce 56hp at 8,250 RPM and 54Nm at 5,400 RPM, and is Euro5+ compliant. So, it is not shared with the Leoncino 500 nor the 502 range. There is of course a six-speed gearbox, but there is no mention of a slipper clutch.
The frame is no other than tubular steel, with yes, none other than Marzocchi forks. These are 41mm and fully adjustable. The monoshock at the back is bolted directly to the swingarm and is adjustable for preload and rebound.
Brakes consist of dual 320mm discs up front, both clamped by four-piston Brembo monobloc calipers (not the usual Benelli-branded ones). Dual channel ABS is standard. Wheels on both ends are 17-inch, made from aluminium alloy. Seat height is a low 790mm. The bike’s weight was not announced, too, but we hope it will be light unlike how hefty other Benellis are.
The bike is equipped with several electronic features including a 5-inch TFT colour screen with smartphone connectivity for navigation, music streaming, and phone call management.
The Benelli Tornado 550 will be available in 2025 in three colour options called Midnight Black, Tech Silver, and Gres White.
So, the motorcycling world has been shifting towards dual-purpose/adventure and sport-touring motorcycles for many seasons now. Say ‘dual-purpose’ and people usually think about those 1000cc and above behemoths such as the GS, Africa Twin, Super Adventure, V-Strom 1050… But, there is a demand for lightweight adventure bikes, as well, hence the 250cc dual-purpose/adventure market is fought over teeth and nails by manufacturers. And this is where the 2024 Suzuki V-Strom 250SX fits in.
The smallest of the V-Strom family is not new, by the way, and it was in fact one of the very first 250cc adventure bikes, known as the DL250 since 2017. However, the updated bike, now wearing the ‘V-Strom’ family name has just arrived in Malaysia.
Features
As with its peers in this segment, it is a simple bike.
The engine is a 248cc, single-cylinder, SOHC, oil-cooled unit which produces 26hp at 9,300 RPM and 22.2Nm at 7,300 RPM. Before we forget, the bike is a certified EEV – Energy Efficient Vehicle.
That power is sent through a six-speed transmission. There is no assist and slipper clutch.
The engine is housed in a tubular steel frame, to which the front telescopic forks and rear monoshock are also mounted.
Brakes are discs front and rear, with ABS as standard.
Steering angle is a relaxed 27º, seat height is 835mm, and kerb weight is 167kg.
Lighting is LED all-around, the instrument panel consists of an LCD screen, and there is a USB charging port at the side of the instrument “tower.”
Speaking of the tower, the windscreen occupies a high position and is unadjustable.
There are several adventure bike features such as hand protectors and a small sump guard.
And that is all, folks.
Riding the 2024 Suzuki V-Strom 250SX
The seat heigh of 835mm is not low but it is not the highest among its rivals, either. Suzuki did a great job of slimming the area where the seat meets the tank, allowing the rider to place a foot on the ground easily. Anyway, just an advice from us, which we learned from Chris Birch, “The biggest mistake among new adventure bike riders is trying to place both feet on the ground at the same time. Putting one foot down is more secure.”
Having ridden other 250cc adventure bikes before, we kind of expected the engine’s torque to be further up the rev range. Instead, the Suzuki pulled away briskly when the clutch was released.
It turned out to be a good thing because it made short work of riding through heavy traffic. We took the bike off-road and that low-down torque made the bike easy to manage, too. All we needed to do was open the throttle slightly and modulate the clutch. Easy.
While it makes a “mere” 26hp, we found that it was more than sufficient while cruising at 120-130km/h on highways. If you are looking for high top speeds from this bike, you are missing the point.
Road handling is good, just like other Suzukis, but the bike turned in a little slower, before plopping on its side. We attributed that to the MRF tyres. These tyres offer some good grip on dry roads and light off-road trails, but they are super slippery in the wet. The first to go was the front as it tries to slide underneath. So, to overcome this, we pushed the bike down on wet roads and leaned to the inside when it was dry.
But the true revelation of the Suzuki V-Strom 250SX is the suspension. It was supple yet held its own when hitting bumps and potholes. In fact, we had to confirm it by purposely riding over bumpy roads and through potholes. We even jumped over speed bumps. Sorry, Suzuki Malaysia.
Mated to superbly padded seats and you have a bike that made riding around in KL an easy and comfortable affair. Riding it felt like a bigger bike but with lower weight and easier handling.
The icing on the cake was the fuel frugal engine. We averaged 31km/litre consistently despite riding the bike between 110-130km/h.
Build quality
The bike’s build quality was superb: Flush fitting panels, even paint, and there was no wayward cables and wires when you took down past the top triple clamp. Even the undersides of luggage rack was smooth to the touch.
Pricing
It is actually hard to believe that the 2024 Suzuki V-Strom 250SX is priced at only RM17,800, while all its rivals are above RM20,000. You get a lot of value given its quality, engine, suspension, comfort, and looks.
Conclusion
Truth is, if you want an user-friendly beginning adventure bike, or a lightweight adventure bike for the daily commute, this is it. Beginners can use the V-Strom 250SX to learn the intricacies of off-road riding, while veteran riders can look forward to a jump they can jump on and ride away.
In closing, it is a great buy. Just make ours in Champion Yellow No. 2.
Yamaha announced several months ago that they will be trying out a new V4 engine in MotoGP next year. It is the first time that the manufacturer will be fielding the configuration since MotoGP first signalled the start of four-stroke engines in 2002. However, it is not the first Yamaha V4 Grand Prix engine.
Just like what is happening now since Fabio Quartararo’s rider’s title in 2021, Yamaha’s GP efforts had lost their way in the early 1980s. The maker had won three world 500cc titles on the trot in 1978, 1979, and 1980 with ‘King’ Kenny Roberts onboard the Yamaha YZR500 OW48 inline-four two-stroke machine, but Suzuki had been close especially in 1980 with their rotary valved square four RG500.
1980 Yamaha YZR500 OW48
So, Yamaha built their own rotary valved square four engine for the 1981 season, dubbed the OW60. But Suzuki improved their bike further and caused Roberts to finish third overall behind Suzuki riders Marco Lucchinelli and Randy Mamola.
Yamaha YZR500 OW60
Yamaha decided to take another route for 1982, this time with the OW61 V4. However, Roberts found it difficult to ride and he dropped to fifth in the championship. Legend has it that the OW61 was so bad that Yamaha’s race chief Mike Maekawa personally dumped the bikes into the crusher at the end of the season.
Yamaha YZR500 OW61
The factory introduced an improved OW70 V4 for 1983 and Roberts so nearly won his fourth title that year, only to lose by a mere 2 points to Freddie Spencer on the sweeter handling Honda NS500 V3.
“The Yamaha OW70 was the first GP bike to utilise Öhlins suspension.”
1983 Yamaha YZR500 OW70
Frustrated, Roberts decided to retire but it was too soon because in 1984, Eddie Lawson was crowned champion on the new OW76, becoming the first V4 champion. Lawson would repeat the feat in 1986 and 1988.
1984 Yamaha YZR500 OW76
Thus it became apparent to other makers that the V4 configuration is the best bet for power and chassis performance. Honda, Suzuki, Cagiva soon built their own V4 machines. This continued until the 500cc two-strokes were replaced by 990cc four-strokes in 2002.
Hence, if Roberts’ era was the war between Yamaha and Suzuki, Lawson’s era started the epic Honda vs. Yamaha war in 500cc GP. Freddie Spencer (Honda – 1985), Lawson (Yamaha – 1986, 1988, Honda – 1989), Wayne Gardner (Honda – 1987).
Freddie Spencer on the Honda NSR500
Eddie Lawson on the Yamaha YZR500 OW76
Wayne Gardner on the Honda NSR500
Come 1990, it was another American rider who would go on to be a GP legend on the Yamaha V4 GP bike: Wayne Rainey. He would win the title in 1990, 1991, and 1992 while battling his Suzuki arch rival, Kevin Schwantz on the Suzuki.
Wayne Rainey in 1990…
1991…
1992…
Rainey was on his way to his fourth consecutive title in 1993 but a crash at Misano caused him to be paralysed from the chest down.
and 1993
Schwantz would take his only 500cc GP title that year.
“1993 was also the end of the Yamaha V4’s winning streak and they would not win another 500cc two-stroke title.”
The subsequent years from 1994 to 2001 saw Honda’s dominance of the championship with Mick Doohan (1994-1998), Alex Criville (1999), Valentino Rossi (who won 11 races in 2001). The only year when a Honda rider did not win the championship was in 2000 when Kenny Roberts, Jr. won on a Suzuki ).
Mick Doohan in 1994
“Yamaha’s next championship title would only materialise in 2004 when Valentino Rossi switched over from Honda.”
However, Yamaha had gone the inline-four route in MotoGP since the beginning in 2002, perhaps because they worked off the YZF-R1’s engine as the base. The R1 ruled the 1000cc superbike sales during the time, anyway, so Yamaha may have wanted to tie in the R1 to the YZR-M1 racebike.
They are the last manufacturer to switch to a V4 in MotoGP after Suzuki left the championship, amongst their rivals Ducati, Aprilia, KTM, and Honda who run V4 bikes. In any case, Yamaha has said that the performance of new V4 engine will be compared against the inline-four, and will only complete the changeover should the new engine perform better.
Let us see if the new engine will debut in the Winter Tests.
Michelin Malaysia expanded its motorcycle tyre line-up with the introduction of the Power 6 earlier this year. The Power 6 is the successor to the Power 5 and in terms of line-up, it sits above Michelin’s Road 6 sports touring tyre, and just below the Power GP2.
The Power 6 has been developed using knowledge derived from MotoGP. It utilises a new carcass construction as well as silica rubber that maximises long-term durability and grip in all conditions.
As for the compound of the tyre, the Power 6 is made of dual compound material – soft on the outside and hard in the middle. This is said to improve cornering grip while also improving long durability.
The Power 6 is a road tyre and hence a lot of its construction material is focused on that. According to Michelin, the Power 6 is designed for 10% track use and 90% road use. But despite that, some reviews suggest that the new tyre does pretty well on track as well.
What bikes is it suitable for?
When Michelin Malaysia introduced the tyre back in April, the company said the tyre is suitable for bikes above 600cc. However, according to the official press release on the company’s global media site, the Power 6 is suitable for motorcycles over 300cc, and has already been homologated on the 2024 KTM 390 Duke.
What is it like?
Michelin Malaysia handed us a pair for review about two months ago. We fitted it onto a Aprilia Shiver belonging to a member of our team.
The 10 year bike previously ran on Michelin Power GT at the rear and a Power Cup 2 on the front. According to owner Raimi, this set up gave him the confidence to attack corners.
Raimi is not exactly a power rider in the usual sense, he rides about 200km per weekend and describes himself as a leisure rider.
After two months and 2000km of corner carving fun, and having ridden the bike in fair and rainy weather, Raimi came back with a glowing report.
He said that it has good wet weather grip, and it performs in the wet just as Michelin describes it. He was initially concerned that the hard compound of the mid-section may result in some squirms or slides, but there was none of that.
In the dry, he said the bike feels more ‘flickable’, with sharper cornering characteristics and more predictable grip than his previous tyre choice.
However, he mentions that some tend to mistake the tyre for the Road 6, so Michelin’s idea of having the Power 6 branding embosses onto the tyre was a good idea.
Raimi gave the tyre 5 stars and loves the fact that despite riding 2000km on the tyre, it still looks new.
The Michelin Power 6 is available in Malaysia from RM1,020 to RM2,000 depending on the size of the tyre.
Jorge Martin is the MotoGP 2024 Champion, after finishing third in the final race of the season – the Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona. Title rival Francesco Bagnaia won the race.
The Spaniard becomes the first independent team world champion in the MotoGP era with Pramac, having won seven sprints and three grands prix in a consistent 2024 campaign. It is Martin’s first world championship at the premier class level and comes in his final race for both Ducati and Pramac, ahead of a factory Aprilia switch in 2025. Pramac is also switching to Yamaha next season.
Martin came into the race with a 19-point lead after Bagnaia won the Sprint on Saturday, with Martin finishing third. The advantage meant that Martin had needed a minimum of 7 points from a 9th place finish to secure the championship.
Bagnaia had led Martin into the first turn at the start, but the latter was overtaken by Gresini Ducati rider Marc Marquez into the first turn on Lap 2. Marquez went ahead to ride close to Bagnaia but never challenged for the lead.
Behind Martin, Bagnaia’s factory Ducati teammate Enea Bastianini was looking threatening but was passed by the factory Aprilia rider Aleix Espargaro who was on his last MotoGP race. A mistake later by Bastianini dropped him down the order, and it looked like Espargaro was protecting Martin’s third placing.
So, the top three held station as Martin settled into his rhythm and rode unchallenged to the chequered flag to win the championship by 10 points over Bagnaia. Second place finisher Marquez locked out third place in the championship in his first season on a Ducati. Espargaro was pushed hard by the other Gresini rider, Alex Marquez in the closing stages and ceded his position in the very last lap.
With Bastianini already securing fourth in the championship, the battle was for fifth overall between rookie Pedro Acosta on the GasGas and KTM factory rider Brad Binder. Binder finished sixth after clawing through the field from 18th, while Acosta slumped from 5th to 10th in the race. Acosta will join Binder as his teammate next season.
The new 2025 Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello ‘Wind Tunnel’ celebrates the brand’s innovative use of the wind tunnel to aid the design of their motorcycles. Additionally, the 2025 Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello S will receive a radar system.
The Moto Guzzi V100 Mandello ‘Wind Tunnel’ edition celebrates the 70th anniversary of the manufacturer’s wind tunnel. Moto Guzzi had launched their own wind tunnel on 12 April 1954 in Mandello Del Lario.
Indeed, the first V100 Mandello launched in 2022 is claimed to be the first motorcycle to employ adaptive aerodynamics. The system will be retained for the 2025 edition. It alters the position of the deflectors on the sides of the fuel tank according to the speed and selected riding mode, in turn reduces wind pressure by up to 22% to the rider.
Moto Guzzi say: “It enables the overall dimensions to remain contained, offering protection and comfort only when necessary and required by the rider. The shape of the Mandello V100 were also developed through more than 200 hours of CFD calculations and tests in the wind tunnel.”
The 2024 version of the Mandello S has already been imbued with high-tech goodies such as Öhlins semi-active suspension, quickshifter, tyre pressure monitoring system, phone connectivity, and heated grips. For 2025, the version will be equipped with Moto Guzzi’s PFF Rider Assistance Solution consisting of a 4D radar imaging for forward collision warning, blind spot warning, lane change assistance. This system made its debut on the Moto Guzzi Stelvio.
Other updates carried over from the Stelvio are changes to the gearbox to improve gear change feel and a central radiator guard.
The 1024cc, 90° V-Twin engine is now Euro5+ compliant, but its peak power and torque remain unchanged at 113hp and 104.4Nm, respectively. 82% of that peak torque is already available from 3,500 RPM.
The standard model will be available in two colours, ‘Blu Oceano’ and ‘Grigio Titanio’. The Mandello S comes in ‘Verde Ghiaccio’ and ‘Rossi Lava’ for 2025, whereas the Wind Tunnel comes solely in a red and black livery.
The 2025 Moto Guzzi V7 range will sport several updates to bring it up to date with its contemporaries, along with the launch of a new V7 Sport. The V7 Sport receives the highest specifications, while the V7 Stone and V7 Special get several updates, too.
Firstly, all three variants share the same 853cc, tranversely-mounted, 90° V-Twin engine, which in now Euro5+ compliant. There is a 4% power increase, bringing the maximum to 66.4hp at 6,800 RPM, while torque increases from 72.9Nm to 79Nm. 85% of that maximum torque is available from 3,500 RPM.
2025 Moto Guzzi V7 Stone
The airbox’s volume increased 27% resulting in those power and torque gains. Piston cooling is also improved via an enhanced oil jet system.
The throttle has gone from a cabled system to a ride-by-wire system, opening up the possibility for ride modes. The V7 Sport has three modes: Sport, Road, Rain. The V7 Stone and V7 Special has only Road and Rain modes. The V7 Sport also receives a six-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU) for lean-angle sensitive ABS and traction control.
2025 Moto Guzzi V7 Special
Suspension and brakes on the V7 Stone and V7 Special remain unchanged, but the V7 Sport gains new preload-adjustable 41mm upside-down forks, and preload-adjustable twin shock absorbers at the back. The wheels on the V7 Sport are also lighter cast alloy, dropping 1.8kg off its weight compared to its siblings.
The 2025 Moto Guzzi V7 Sport also has dual 320mm floating discs, radial-mounted Brembo monobloc 4-piston calipers, and uprated master cylinder up front.
A switch from cable throttle to ride by wire enables the introduction of riding modes too, with the Stone and Special getting ‘Rain’ or ‘Road’ options, and the Sport getting an additional ‘Sport’ function. Ditching the old-school cable throttle means the V7 now gets cruise control too and has also allowed the use of more aggressive valve lift profiles, boosting performance.
The headlight is now LED, dumping the archaic halogen lamp. The switchgear blocks have likewise been revise to accommodate new functions including cruise control. There are also revisions to the side panels, rear mudguard, and exhaust.
Prices for all three 2025 Moto Guzzi V7 have not been revealed.
The Bata brand of footwear is a global phenomenon. It is so well engrained in the lives of so many in so many countries for so long that the population of almost any of those countries thought that Bata is a local brand. For example, Malaysians think it originated from Malaysia, Indonesians think that it began in Indonesia (as they do with everything, anyway), even some countries in Africa think the same, too. But did you know there were Bata tyres, too?
Yup, that picture above was taken in 1932. The gentleman on the left was Dr. Ferdinand Porsche and the driver was Hans Stuck, in an Auto Union race car. Auto Union was what became Audi later.
History of Bata
The Bata Corporation (Baťa in the Czech Republic and Slovakia) is a multinational footwear, apparel, and fashion accessories manufacturer and retailer of Moravian (Czech) origin, headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The corporation is one of the world’s leading shoemakers by volume with 150 million pairs of shoes sold annually. It has a retail presence of over 5,300 shops in more than 70 countries across five continents and 21 production facilities in 18 countries. Bata is an employer to over 32,000 people globally.
A family-owned business for over 125 years, the company is organized into three business units: Bata, Bata Industrials (safety shoes) and AW Lab (sports style). Bata is a portfolio company with more than 20 brands and labels, such as Bata, North Star, Power, Bubblegummers, sprint, Weinbrenner, Sandak, and Toughees.
The T. & A. Baťa Shoe Company was founded on 21 September 1894 in the Moravian town of Zlín, Austria-Hungary (today in the Czech Republic), by three siblings: Tomáš Baťa, his brother Antonín, and his sister Anna. The Baťa family had been cobblers for generations. The company employed 10 full-time employees with a fixed work schedule and a regular weekly wage.
But Tomáš ran into financial difficulties almost as soon as the company was set up. So he decided to sew shoes from canvas instead of leather, which becme extremely popular. The company soon grew to 50 employees.
Tomáš was also active in seeking out new manufacturing techniques a-nd kept modernising his factory for mss production. By 1912, Baťa was employing 1500 full-time workers, plus another several hundred who worked out of their homes in neighbouring villages.
World War I
The company fortunately continued to do well when World War I broke out in 1914, as they secured orders from the military. In fact, Bata’s employees increased 10 times between 1914 and 1918.
However, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was broken up after the war, giving birth Czechoslovakia (and the Balkan states). The new country’s currency was devalued by 75%, demand for products dropped, production was cut back, and unemployment was at an all-time high. Tomáš Baťa responded to the crisis by cutting the price of Bata shoes in half. The company’s workers agreed to a temporary 40 percent reduction in wages; in turn, Baťa provided food, clothing, and other necessities at half-price. He also introduced one of the first profit-sharing initiatives, transforming all employees into associates with a shared interest in the company’s success (today’s equivalent of performance-based incentives and stock options).
Baťa also began to build towns and factories outside of Czechoslovakia and to diversify into such industries as tanning (1915), energy (1917), agriculture (1917), forestry (1918), newspaper publishing (1918), brick manufacturing (1918), wood processing (1919), rubber (1923), construction (1924), railway and air transport (1924), book publishing (1926), the film industry (1927), food processing (1927), chemical production (1928), tyre manufacturing (1930), insurance (1930), textile production (1931), motor transport (1932), sea transport (1932), and coal mining (1932), airplane manufacturing (1934), synthetic fibre production (1935), and river transport (1938). In 1923 the company boasted 112 branches.
But we are here to talk about Bata tyres, so let us carry on from there.
Bata tyres
In the 1930’s, tyres in Czechoslovakia were either overpriced imports or local high quality tyres. The high cost of transporting goods caused by the price of foreign tyres prompted Tomáš Bat’a to set up his own tyre factories.
In 1932, the first Bata tyres were used on the journey from Zlín to Luhačovice. The demand for Bata tyres grew rapidly, so Tomáš Bata built new factories and expanded production both in terms of the number of units and the breadth of the product range, displacing competing tyres from Czechoslovakia.
Unfortunately, 1932 was also the year when Tomáš Bat’a died after his airplane crashed during takeoff.
Then, in 1939, World War II broke out.
After The Great War
The Bata company’s assets in Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Poland and Yugoslavia were confiscated and nationalised.
In 1945, the decision was taken that Bata Development Limited in Great Britain would become the service headquarters of the Bata Shoe Organisation. Now based in the West, Thomas J. Bata, along with many Czechoslovakian expatriates, began to rebuild the business.
Back in Czechoslovakia, the three largest tyre manufacturers agreed to merge and create a single brand. The three were Bata, Rubena, and Mitas, therefore birthing the brand Barum.
Barum continues to operate through the communist regime’s rule until 1992 when they signed a contract with Continental. Barum Continental became the second largest joint venture in the Czech Republic when they began operating on 1 March 1993.
As for the Bata, they continued to produce shoes the world over, and leaving the tyre business altogether.
