Even for an industry insider, there's a limit to how many bike shows one can attend in a year. Dropping in on a major international car show as well hasn't exactly been a high priority. However, the Paris "Mondial de l'Automobile " was running around the same time as the K�Intermot, so the opportunity to catch both shows on the same trip seemed too good to miss. The ability to compare the two shows back-to-back revealed some interesting differences in attitude.
Automotive advances have a huge influence on the motorcycle industry, both in terms of style and technology, and many features find their way onto bikes a few years down the line. In fact, it makes you wonder why the transition often takes so long, be that edge design, which Ford promoted in the late eighties, or anti-lock brakes, which first appeared on a production vehicle back in the midsixties with the Jensen FF.
The different levels of funding explain some of it, although there certainly seems to be a lack of forward thinking at play too. Considering the fascination most bikers have with technical innovations, it shouldn't be too difficult to spot automotive advances which could cross the divide between four wheels and two.
The two shows couldn't really have been much different. Even on press day, the Mondial was packed to bursting point, making it hard to get a decent photo. Asking the professional models to get out of the way so I could photograph the damn vehicle won me some fierce scowls too.
The Intermot seemed quiet by comparison, with the exception of the scheduled press conferences, where journalists squeezed together waiting for covers to be pulled ceremoniously off new models. And financial turmoil notwithstanding, the car manufacturers had still invested heavily in impressive concept models and expensive stands.
By contrast, there was little to get excited about at the Intermot - we didn't even bother with a "Best of Show" award at the Designers' Night - and hospitality was notably frugal. In Paris and K�, the cars were fresh and innovative, while the bikes mostly continued existing themes.
More revelations are promised for the Milan EICMA, which seems to be taking over as the show in which to launch new models. That said, there's unlikely to be a seismic shift in the approach of the motorcycle manufacturers over the next few weeks.
The greatest difference was in the attitude towards fuel technology. While the Intermot had one hall dedicated to bikes using alternative power sources, the subject took up almost the whole show at the Mondial. Everywhere you looked, manufacturers were either boasting the lowest fuel consumption figures or the lowest carbon emissions for their current line-up , while there was hardly a petrol engine to be found among the numerous design studies.
The difference in approach was enormous. The car manufacturers appear to be tackling the real-world issues of transport pollution head on, while with the exception of a handful of electric scooters, most motorcycle companies are still producing expensive toys with little concern for the environment. Once again, the bike industry seems to have its collective heads in the sand.
One company that did produce an interesting solution was S&T Motors, aka Hyosung. In collaboration with Propower and partly funded by the Korean government, Hyosung has developed a scooter prototype known as the FC-1 , which uses a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell producing 1Kw.
This powers the scooter to a top speed of 70 km/h, giving a maximum range of 3 hours use, and zero emissions. It's a start, although it's a long
way from offering supersports level performance or touring comfort. The latest car studies promised both.
Somewhere in between came the Peugeot HYmotion3 - a tilting threewheeler with a roof that combines the principles of the BMW C1 and the Piaggio MP3. A logical development of both, the HYmotion3 also carries electric motors in each of its front wheels, while maintaining a supercharged 125cc petrol engine on the rear. Combined, these motors provide 21 Kw. of power, or zero emissions in electric-only mode.
Thanks to its track width, the HYmotion3 can be ridden with a regular car license in France and other countries with similar regulations - a vital point that the C1 failed to address. Interestingly, Piaggio has also widened the track on some of the MP3 range for the same reason. Interesting too was that Peugeot chose to introduce the new threewheeler at the Paris car show rather than the Intermot, which is an indication of its target audience as much as a demonstration of patriotism.
Otherwise, the Intermot offerings were generally underwhelming. The latest Yamaha R1 was well executed, and took the glory from Suzuki's new GSX-R , although the improvements these days are almost starting to get trivial. For the record, Ferraris haven't been too inspiring lately either.
At the opposite end of the scale, the "new" Enfield was nicely done, simply because it projected an honest classic image, which is what this Morgan of the motorcycle world does best. After several half-hearted attempts of would-be choppers, it was refreshing to see the company return to its true roots.
After numerous press photos, it was good to see Yamaha's new V-Max in the flesh, although I still feel the guys at GK Design could have done more in nearly quarter of a century since the original was introduced. The Sumowrestler looks turn the bike into something of a parody of itself, and while the sheer brutality will no doubt appeal to some customers, it really hasn't moved the game forwards.
The cluttered-looking new Diversion, released at the Intermot, went almost unnoticed, as did an updated ER-6 f over on the Kawasaki stand. Aprilia's RSV4 was one of the better designs at the show, if a little predictable, and Ducati followed with the 1100 version of the revamped Monster, complete with a single-sided rear end.
And finally, there was the Honda study, celebrating thirty years of the V4 engine. A purely static display piece, this was more sculpture than motorcycle. Nicely detailed and beautifully produced, it was nevertheless no more than a styling statement. It couldn't even freewheel downhill.
Impressed I was, but by the cars, not the bikes. Both industries are experiencing hard times right now, and according to insider accounts, the sales figures are much worse than the heavily massaged numbers we're being fed. And the bikes that are already out there aren't being used. Far from offering a cheap transport alternative, motorcycles seem to be weekend toys that are left unused and unloved once the price of gas starts to pinch. The car manufacturers are scared, but they are acting with resolution and conviction. The motorcycle industry better get its act together, and fast.
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