According to TVS Motor Company, the limited-run Apache RTR 165 RP launched just over a week ago in India has just sold out.
The entire 200 units sold out in just a few days thanks to the sale process that was done entirely online.
The 164.9cc single-cylinder four-valve engine is the first motorcycle to ever produced under the Race Performance (RP) division.
The RTR 165 RP makes 19hp @ 10,000rpm and 14.2Nm @ 8,750rpm and power is delivered to the back wheel via a 5-speed super-slick transmission.
The RP is not just a nameplate, to ensure the best performance in its segment, the RTR 165 RP gets a new cylinder head with a 35 per cent increase in intake. The engine also gets a 15 per cent bigger valve controlled by Hi-Lift Hi-Duration cams and dual spring actuators for increased performance.
TVS also revised the bore stroke ratio of 1.37, to allow free-revving up the redline.
Other features include a new headlamp assembly and a 250mm rear disc brake claimed to be the first in its class.
Considering the success of the RTR 165 RP, TVS will spawn more RP series in the near future.
Former MotoGP rider, Danilo Petrucci managed to overcome his frustration to complete the fourth stage at third place.
The Italian had to sit out the second stage of the race after his KTM 450 Rally suffered mechanical problems.
He then bounced back to complete the 3rd stage at 22nd place before securing a podium in stage four of the race.
The ex-Ducati and KTM rider secured a third-place finish behind Pablo Quintanilla and Joan Barreda, who came out on top with his Honda.
The result saw Petrucci emerge as the best rookie of the day despite crossing the finish line with a 7-minute gap to Barreda.
Nevertheless, in terms of overall standings, Sam Sunderland (GASGAS Factory Racing) retains his lead of the race ahead of Matthias Walkner (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Adrien van Beveren (Monster Energy Yamaha Rally Team).
Ducati is set to feature eight machines in 2022 MotoGP after securing VR46 and Gresini Racing at the end of last season.
The Italian marquee will go all out after missing out on the 2021 World Championship title as Francesco Bagnaia slipped behind eventual winner, Fabio Quartararo with just a 26 points gap.
Despite the disappointment, Ducati was one of the dominant forces last season, as five out of their six riders managed to secure a podium finish.
Nevertheless, MotoGP manager, Carlo Pernat suggest that two of the riders could be on their way out at the end of the 2022 season.
“Jack Miller and Johann Zarco will, if there are no surprises, be in the riders’ market, I would say with 99.9% certainty.
“Jack is a good bet, but he comes from a lot of ups and downs.
“Yamaha, on the other hand, is the best-positioned factory as it has three strong riders: Quartararo, Morbidelli and Toprak,” said Pernat.
Moreover, Miller and Zarco will enter their final year contract with Ducati whereas Bagnaia has already secured a place with the team considering he is the main bet for the title in 2022.
Considering how well Jorge Martin did in his rookie season with Pramac, Ducati might reward him the factory seat in 2023.
Martin already told what his wishes are for the 2023 season, as quoted by La Gazzetta dello Sport; “My goal is to be world champion at Ducati and for that, I have to join the factory team. We hope to be on that team in 2023.”
Chinese motorcycle manufacturer is certainly stepping up their game including Brixton Motorcycles.
Last year, the company showcased the Cromwell 1200 at EICMA 2021, which was deemed as a worthy rival against the Triumph Bonneville.
The Cromwell 1200 features 1,200cc parallel-twin SOCH liquid-cooled engine capable of making 80.5hp @ 6,500rpm and 110Nm @ 3,000rpm.
While the Cromwell shows Brixton capability to challenge the big bike segment, there is no denying that the biggest demand lies in middleweight motorcycles ranging from 400cc to 700cc.
In an effort to further meet the demand for mid-capacity motorcycles, Brixton is set to roll out the new Crossfire 500 XC.
Unlike the standard Crossfire 500 that is clearly a road-oriented motorcycle, the XC is built to ride in all kinds of terrain, including light off-road.
Brixton will introduce the Crossfire 500 XC later this year with some information about the motorcycle that is already available on the company official website.
The XC will feature the same 486cc parallel-twin engine that makes 47hp and 43Nm.
Imagine paying more than GBP90,000 (RM510,000) for an electric motorcycle and the company ended up in administration.
That was the case for Arc, an electric motorcycle company that slipped into administration back in September 2019 after failing to deliver its promises.
In the meantime, Arc had put all the money invested into the Arc Vector project but plunging into administration puts the high-tech bike on hold.
After two years, the company is now back in the game after completing its turnaround thanks to CEO and designer, Mark Truman.
Truman has also revealed that the Arc Vector is back on track with deliveries that will be underway soon.
“We have a very healthy order book and customers are already going through our new commissioning suite in Central England to individually tailor each Vector motorcycle so that they are all unique,” he said.
Despite the uncertainty, the Arc Vector is an extraordinary machine, not just because of how it looks but also the mechanics behind it.
The entire bike is made entirely out of carbon fibre and features a front swingarm suspension and hub-centre steering. This is to allow the 16.8kW battery to become the structural member of the motorcycle.
Under the fancy get-up is a 95kW (127hp) electric motor that could take the bike up to a limited top speed of 200km/h.
According to Arc, the Vector has a range of up to 320km at full charge.
Difficult times bring out the best in people. And that could not be more true for a Vietnamese startup called Ru9.
Ru9 is a self described “sleep company”. A company that specialises in mattresses that provide excellent support for those with back problems.
If you’re wondering what Ru9 stands for, it’s actually a play on words.
“Ru Ngu” simply means to lull to sleep in Vietnamese, while 9 derives from Cloud 9.
So why in the world are you reading about a company that deals in mattresses on a motorcycling website?
Well, during the pandemic, the company recognised the efforts of the country’s front liners, especially the delivery riders called ‘shippers’ in Vietnam.
And a lot of these ‘shippers’ get their rest by taking a nap on their motorcycle. Check out the video below to see what we are going on about:
So this is where Ru9, standing true to its principals of getting a good rest, came up with the brilliant idea of turning mattresses into motorcycle seats as part of its latest campaign called “Thank You Shippers – Cảm Ơn Shippers”. A campaign to express appreciation to the delivery riders in Vietnam.
According to the company, a motorcycle is a resting place for delivery riders between the chaotic rides to find a peaceful moment. One of the most common sights in Saigon is to see a man with his feet dangling over the handlebars in a comfortable position, under shade.
But that can’t be very comfortable.
“To shippers, a motorbike is essential. They even spend more time on bike seats than on the bed at home. Therefore, we wanted to use our expertise to upgrade their bike seats, in order to make sure they can have a better rest amongst the nonstop rides,” – said Trang Dang, CEO of Ru9 (you can read about how she started up Ru9 after a slipped disc incident, here).
And so, as a sleep company, Ru9 wanted to make these short naps more comfortable.
Working with its craftsmen, the company turned its high-quality mattresses into comfortable motorcycle seats. And these seats will be given to 50 randomly chosen delivery riders.
On top of that, a further 50 delivery riders in Ho Chi Minh city will be randomly chosen to be gifted a Ru9 foam mattress, while any delivery rider will get a sweet discount on Ru9 mattresses.
Difficult times does bring out the best in companies and its people, indeed.
