EST 1895 MOTORCYCLE SEPTEMBER 2017 The EssentialTRADER Guide to the Motorcycle Trade and Industry ■ www.motorcycletrader.net LUBRICANTS Round-up of the best SMOOTH slippery stuff AGGRESSIVE ELEGANT BEAUTIFULLOUD PLANET KNOX EXQUISITE MODERN Interview with the armour pioneer COMFORTABLE FANTIC 250 E STYLISHSTRIKING CASA TEST Trader samples the new enduro model APICO QUIET New product launch SLEEK ADVANCED VAT: WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS? AERO- Selecting the best way DYNAMIC STREAMLINED to calculate and pay your tax bill The latest.... ■ NEWS ■ PRODUCTS ■ BUSINESS ■ OPINIONS RYD. +PLUS TRADE MART THE DIRECTORY shoeihelmetsuk www.feridax.com SEPTEMBER 2017 FOLLOW US facebook.com/ Motorcycle.Trader.UK FOLLOW US twitter.com/ MCTraderUK CONTENTS REDCAT MARKETING LTD Newhaven, East Sussex BN9 0EF 39 EVENTS CALENDAR Tel: 01273 616040 www.motorcycletrader.net 65 REGISTRATION STATISTICS June & July 2017 PUBLISHING EDITOR: Jenni Foulkes COLUMNS [email protected] 11 ON CHINA Our man in China introduces SUBEDITOR: Zongshen to Norton David Bradford 36 ASSOCIATION VOICE ON-LINE EDITOR: A month in the life of the MCIA Andy Foulkes 65 END USER [email protected] Fantic, p26 Williams reckons he knows why scooter sales are plummeting DESIGN: Callum Tomsett FEATURES BUSINESS ADVERTISING: 12 BUSINESS NEWS 10 PRODUCT LAUNCH: CLEAN TRIAL Rod Sopp CYCLES 38 TRADE MART [email protected] Apico adds new range of lightweight Find your supplier here cycles to its portfolio CONTRIBUTORS: 40 BUSINESS JOURNAL 13 FEATURE: VETS GARAGE Illegal workers and new debt Adam Bernstein How motorcycle restoration is helping collection process David Bradford ex-servicemen Dave McMullan 43 TRADER DIRECTORY Stevie Muir 19 PRODUCT FEATURE: LUBRICANTS A-Z of company contact details – A competitive sector serviced by a importers, distributors, product and Mark Williams number of proactive brands service suppliers PRINTED BY: 26 PRODUCT TEST: FANTIC 250 E CASA Newman Thomson Ltd, Fantic’s back and on the enduro trail ADVERTISERS Burgess Hill 28 COMPANY PROFILE: KNOX INDEX While every effort is made to ensure Flying the flag for protection and that the information contained herein is AJS MOTORCYCLES 7 innovation correct, the publisher is unable to accept BIKE IT INSERT any claims or responsibility for any BIKESURE 33 incorrect information that may appear 34 SHOW PREVIEW: DIRT BIKE SHOW DIRT BIKE SHOW 35 for whatever reason. All rights reserved. Annual off-road show returns to FUCHS/SILKOLENE 21 No part of this publication may be Stoneleigh KNOX BACK COVER reproduced or transmitted in any form or NEO DISTRIBUTION/PUTOLINE 23 by any means, electronic or mechanical, ORO2U 4 including photocopy, recording or any REGULARS R&G 4 information storage and retrieval system, ROCK OIL 19 without permission in writing from the 5 NEWS VE 2 publisher. © Redcat Marketing Limited. WMD 7 15 NEW PRODUCTS www.motorcycletrader.net • September 2017 03 contents 3&4.indd 3 30/08/2017 07:01 DISTRIBUTED BY R&G WWW.RG-RACING.COM +44 (0) 1420 89007 [email protected] WILD ASS SPORT STYLE SMART AND PILLION STYLES ALSO AVAILABLE AVAILABLE IN 3 DIFFERENT MATERIALS NEOPRENE RUBBER POLYURETHANE + GEL POLYURETHANE TM M OTORCYCLE AIR CUSHION WILDASS WWW.RG-RACING.COM /CRASHPROTECTION /RNGRACING /RG_CRASHPROTECTION /RandGTV CALL AND ORDER YOUR TRADE AND DEALER FREE CATALOGUE NOW! ENQUIRIES ONLY! ALL MAJOR BRANDS STOCKED! CALL OR ORDER ONLINE 01597 822666 [email protected] www.oro2u.com contents 3&4.indd 4 30/08/2017 07:01 NEWS: MoreMore newsat www.motorcycletrader.net at www.motorcycletrader.net ­­– Updated –­­ Updated every every day day MOTOGEAR’S RECRUITING LATEST TRADE & Northamptonshire-based distributor Motogear has moved into new headquarters, and is recruiting in the following areas: INDUSTRY NEWS internal sales, external sales and logistics. For more information on remuneration, contact 01536 485 484, quoting the reference MCT. MCIA launches theft GOVERNMENT GREEN LIGHT FOR reporting scheme MCIA-ACCREDITED Trade victims urged to share break-in information TRAINING The government’s Driving The Motorcycle Industry domain. The Association is also and Vehicle Standards Agency Association (MCIA), and National keen to point out that recording (DVSA) is officially endorsing the Motorcycle Dealer Association theft details on this secure Motorcycle Industry Accreditation (NMDA) have responded to website is additional to, and not Centre’s (MCIAC’s) ATB recent increases in the theft of a substitute for, contacting local managers’ course. motorcycles from dealer premises police and insurance companies. Following evaluation, the by putting in place a simple system “Though this will naturally DVSA’s Mark Winn and Chris for dealers to centrally record involve extra work at a time when Parr jointly stated: “There is thefts they have suffered. the business may be under strain, clear evidence the MCIAC Quality In a joint statement the two it is a simple and straightforward Assurance Programme is based on organisations explained: “Given process,” states the MCIA. “The and reflects the DVSA’s National the structure of the police sharing of information will help Standards. The comprehensive force nationally, and its general the Association highlight the framework developed by MCIAC classification of crimes, there is issues current impacting the provides detailed and clear no central information that the motorcycle industry nationwide standards of business operations police can draw upon to establish and could assist police forces to that ATBs should aspire to.” whether the criminality is tackle the criminals that could well An evaluation report praised organised nationally or regionally.” be moving around the country.” course assets as “clear” and The MCIA claims that the The website is: “easy to follow” and would help submitted data will enable the size motorcycledealertheftreporting. improve standards. of the problem to be quantified, co.uk The MCIA’s Karen Cole, who allowing police to spot trends and set up MCIAC four years ago, determine geographical patterns. stated: “The DVSA has always In the event of a motorcycle been sympathetic to the aims business suffering a theft or break of MCIAC, but it was vital that in, the details can be recorded we had an official endorsement on the dedicated website www. gained through evaluation. We motorcycledealertheftreporting. are delighted that we now have co.uk. The MCIA reassures dealers this and that we have exceeded that this information will only be expectations.” shared with the police and will never be released into the public Look out for the Autumn 2017 offers from Bike It included with this issue. Offers valid until end of October, or while stocks last, so get in quick! www.motorcycletrader.net • September 2017 05 p005009_news_dB.indd 5 30/08/2017 21:58 NEWS: More at www.motorcycletrader.net ­­– Updated every day EUROPEAN Q2 STATS REVEAL DIP New MOT reminder IN REGISTRATIONS DVSA prepares to launch email alert service Motorcycle sales down five per cent across the Continent The National Motorcycle Dealers Combined registrations of Association (NMDA) reports that motorcycles and mopeds in the the Driver and Vehicle Standards EU were 682,008 units during Agency (DVSA) is developing an Q2 2017, representing a decrease MOT reminder service to ensure of three per cent compared to that motorcycle owners get their same quarter of the previous bikes tested on time. Coming soon: MOT reminders year, according to the latest At any one time, a significant from your smartphone figures released by the European number of motorcycles (and Association of Motorcycle cars) are overdue their MOT, yet to sign up to get an email one Manufacturers (ACEM). research shows that in the vast month before their machine’s Italy was the best performing majority of cases, the owners are MOT is due, and they’ll get market, with 137,483 units (+5.9 not deliberately avoiding getting another email if they still have per cent compared to Q2 2016). their vehicle tested. Rather, they not had the vehicle tested two Registrations also went up in have simply forgotten. weeks later. France (134,036 units, +4.5 per The DVSA wants to make sure The agency is still conducting cent). This contrasts with the these vehicles undertake MOT on user research and testing, prior situation in other large European time so that dangerous faults are to launching the service. Once markets such as Germany found, and can be fixed. live, it will be available on the (102,929 units, -12.6 per cent), Riders and drivers will be able gov.uk website. Spain (76,558 units, -5.3 per cent) and the UK (56,677 units, -14.1 per cent). Registrations of motorcycles in the EU reached 520,846 units during Q2 2017 (-4.9 per cent NMDA: ‘Up to date on compared to Q2 2016). The Italian motorcycle market is currently the largest in Europe with 124,913 data protection?’ units registered in Q2 2017 (+6.6 per cent compared to the same Dealer Association offers legal compliance help quarter of the previous year). Motorcycle registrations also increased in France (91,494 units, The new General Data Protection suppliers keep and use this data. +2.6 per cent), but decreased in Regulations (GDPR) introduce new Preparing for compliance will take Germany (88,322 units, -12.3 stricter requirements for keeping significant time and resources per cent), Spain (67,373 vehicles, and using personal data. The and putting in place a GDPR -8.1 per cent) and the UK (53,549 deadline for compliance is 25th implementation programme is units, -13.4 per cent). May 2018, and breaches of the new vital to ensure that businesses can Registrations in the moped rules will have major consequences. continue to use and share data in segment in the EU increased by The NMDA has outlined that it compliance with applicable laws. 3.66 per cent (161,162 units), is imperative for businesses to have The NMDA has drawn up a led by strong growth in the two a strategy for compliance in place, questionnaire for dealers to send largest European markets, namely as failure to comply will result in to suppliers, manufacturers, DMS France (42,542 units, up nine per harsh fines.