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New BMW M1000RR 50 Years M revealed to celebrate half a century of M machinery

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BMW are celebrating 50 years of their motorsport division with a special version of their flagship M1000RR superbike.

Available to order from Saturday May 21 until Wednesday November 30 of this year, the snappily named M1000RR 50 Years M builds on the premium base machine with a new ‘Sao Paulo Yellow’ colour scheme, also available on the BMW M4 car.

BMW M1000RR 50 Years M static studio shot

What’s more, it will also feature the optional £4560 Competition Package as standard – meaning a number of goodies including an aluminium swingarm that shaves 220g, plenty of carbon fibre trim, a pillion package and a code to unlock the onboard GPS data module.

If you’re not familiar with the M1000RR, it arrived in September 2020 as the first BMW motorcycle to sport the iconic M badge. It costs £30,160.

BMW M1000RR 50 Years M and 3.0 CSL

However, rather than a showpiece for the discerning superbike collector, it built on the pre-existing S1000RR as the basis for racing machinery – with a stronger more tuneable engine with a 5bhp power increase to 209bhp, winglets, and even tweaked geometry.

You also got manually adjustable Marzocchi suspension like the base model S1000RR and Dunlop SportSmart TT tyres, rather than the semi active set-up found on even the middling-spec £17,450 S1000RR Sport. Anything that didn’t give a racing advantage was thrown away and it’s been the base bike for the factory World Superbike team since 2021.

BMW M1000RR 50 Years M and old BMW race bike

This same recipe remains for the special edition, which is true to the M Sport philosophy, but is a shame given the milestone it represents and the hefty price tag its likely to command (no exact figure was available at the time of writing).

For that price and exclusivity, we’d have expected at least semi-active suspension, which can be found on the rival £34,295 Ducati Panigale V4 SP2, or even just a limited production run.

BMW M1000RR 50 Years M in paddock where it belongs

MCN had an exclusive behind the scenes look at the bike before its reveal and asked BMW’s Head of Sales and Marketing, Dr. Alexander Wehr, about why the 50 Years M doesn’t feature more tech. “It is specifically designed to the World Superbike series and for this purpose,” said Dr Wehr, who’s already bagged his own 50 Years M.

“The colour is a statement,” he continued. “I think this idea of having products that really fit different mindsets and lifestyles is really great. There’s going to be a celebration all-year-long.”

The BMW Motorsport division was founded in 1972 with the 3.0 CSL (pictured below), which went on to make its racing debut the following year.

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UK design house creates last-mile electric delivery scoot for Middle East and North African markets

A side view of the Barq Rena Max

A Warwick-based design house has created a plug-in last mile delivery scooter for the Middle East and North African (MENA) markets to tackle the growing consumer demand in the region.

Called the Rena Max, the electric workhorse was designed and engineered by Callum, who worked on behalf of Barq – a company specialising in mobility solutions.

“Callum is about creating bespoke solutions that are a potent blend of design and engineering expertise,” said Design Director, Ian Callum. “Rena Max has a sense of style that is sometimes forgotten with future mobility solutions.”

As is the growing trend amongst electric delivery scooters, the Rena Max makes use of swappable battery technology – powered by 5.6KwH lithium-ion units that offer a claimed range of up to 93 miles. You also get three riding modes and a reverse gear, with power provided by a 7KW motor.

Dressed in a set of linear bodywork similar to the premium BMW CE 04 electric maxi scooter, the Rena Max also enjoys a 79-litre top box with food-safe lining, plus a nine-litre cool box, and five-litre cubby hole up front.

The rear top box has 79-litres of storage

There’s also space to carry a pair of two-litre bottles, or fast food cups securely – with additional space for the rider to store their own drinks and personal belongings.

Away from the storage, information is also relayed to the rider via a Samsung Galaxy Tab Active3 touchscreen tablet. Creative lead, Aleck Jones, explains why: “Riders usually get their route information on a handheld device.

“That’s neither easy to follow nor glance at. It led us to prioritise the touchscreen in the dash layout with a specified mounting angle that minimises glare and reflections.”

Elsewhere, the Barq rolls on 13in front and 14in rear tubeless tyres in an attempt to minimise punctures on unpaved roads. An electronically controlled locking system also logs and tracks all openings of the back box to keep goods protected when the bike is not in use.

Production of the Rena Max is expected to take place in the MENA region, too.

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Yamaha becomes the latest major manufacturer to pursue electric bike sales

Yamaha have planted their flag in the move to electric with the unveiling of two scooters, one pedelec (which is a bit of a licence weirdo for us) plus three electric bicycles.

This isn’t Yamaha’s first giant leap towards electrification: they unveiled the TY-E electric trials bike in 2018, then they partnered with Taiwanese manufacturer Gogoro three years ago but it is their first serious move towards production electric bikes.

The new Yamaha electric range is all about city riding

Like most big manufacturers heading into electric, Yamaha think the immediate future is people buzzing around town rather than heading for the hills.

“The concept of mobility has continuously evolved over the years, and consequently our cities and infrastructures have adapted to these changes,” says Eric de Seynes, Yamaha’s European President. “However, one thing that has remained the same over the decades is the universal desire and need for personal mobility that gives a real sense of freedom.”

The E01 is Yamaha’s 125cc equivalent scooter

Both scooters Yamaha have shown are developments of their two concepts from the Tokyo Motor Show in 2019.

The first one we’ll see fully in just a couple of weeks is the NEO’s (nope, we’ve no idea about the apostrophe either…), which is based on the E02 concept. The NEO’s is designed to be a 50cc equivalent with removable batteries aimed at commuters.

The Yamaha NEO’s will have swappable battery power

The original concept used similar running gear to the Gogoro Smartscooter 2, which has a pair of 9kg batteries under the seat, giving it a 60-mile range.

The Smartscooter 2 weighs just 112kg, with an 8.5bhp electric motor that gives it a top speed of 58mph. The genius of the Smartscooter is that Gogoro have installed a huge network of battery swapping stations across Taiwan, so you never charge the bike up yourself, you just swap the batteries and carry on.

Yamaha have revealed a range of new electric models

You pay Gogoro a monthly fee, a bit like having a mobile phone with a data plan. Yamaha say they plan to unveil the NEO’s fully before the end of the month and it will arrive in dealers this spring.

Yamaha also revealed that there will be a new version of the 125cc equivalent E01 scooter but it’s a little way off yet.

Yamaha’s next step towards bringing that to production will be to set up a ride sharing hub in a major European city – think Milan or Paris where bikes aren’t pinched for fun rather than London.

Yamaha say they’ll run that experiment for two to three years and after that, they’ll assemble all their learnings into a production bike.

The big question is how it will work because the E01 patents show a large fixed battery that’s charged in the bike, rather than swappable batteries like the NEO’s. That would require more infrastructure to sort, which we’re also lagging behind with here.

If Yamaha can crack it, especially with Gogoro’s help, it could be the key to unlocking electric bike infrastructure and help prolong the life of large capacity petrol bikes.

Yamaha scooter highlights

NEO’s scooter revealed

Battery-swapping tech

Aimed ay urban riders

More models to follow

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Ovaobike reveal six-model range as new E-Brand hits Britain!

Yes, another new Far Eastern electric bike brand – but this time with a difference. Taiwanese-built Ovaobike may be new to Brit bikers but the current three-model range boasting Brembo brakes and a claimed 80mph performance, with three more premium models due later this year, means we should take them seriously.

Ovaobike MCR-H

Ovaobike’s first model is a 14in wheeled fun bike available in three different 125-300cc equivalent forms – the MCR-H, MCR-M and MCR-S, with ‘MCR’ standing for ‘Mini City Racer’.

The H is the base model, with a 125cc-equivilent 9.1kW (12bhp) hub motor and 4.8kWh battery. It’s set to cost $9,701.40. The mid-range M and top-spec S, meanwhile, feature a more powerful 17kW (23bhp) motor and twin batteries giving 9.6kWh, regenerative braking and a claimed range of up to 230km. The M’s priced at $13,162 with the single seat S $14,159.

Ovaobike MCR-S rear

They also feature switchable modes, LCD dashes, quality detailing and components including Brembo brakes and a ‘Turbo’ button which temporarily boosts power by 10% if there’s over 50% battery life left.

Ovaobike MCR models ready to hit the UK

And three more all-new, full-size models – the MXR off-roader, aggressively-styled CT-X scooter and retro-styled, 17in wheeled CR-21 café racer – are expected this year.

Ovaobike stand at bike show

The bikes are being brought into the UK by the new Rainbow Electric Motorbike Company set up in Devon by Ian Johnson and partner Christine. Ian is a Ducati fan and the pair were looking for a new opportunity after their caravan business was hit by Covid. The firm will also be retailing bikes from a new showroom in Ashburton, near Newton Abbot. Two demo bikes are already available with more imminent.

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Combat’s new Bomber: $105k V-twin unveiled.

Extreme American V-twin brand Combat – formerly known as Confederate Motorcycles – have announced their 2022 range of bikes which is now headed by the new $104,880 ‘Bomber’.

The new bike is based on the original FA-13 Bomber and, according to Combat, “completes the package with a new, laid-back seat angle coupled with forward controls to make this bike the cruiser to lead all cruisers”.

Combat Bomber left side in white.

Like all Combats, it’s powered by an S&S air-cooled V-twin and has a handmade aluminium monocoque chassis featuring a Hossack-style front-end. It’s available in raw aluminium or all-black.

Combat Bomber left side in black.

Combat’s 2022 range includes the long-popular Wraith, F117 Fighter and P51 Fighter. The $89,148 F-117 Fighter is the brand’s ‘entry-level’ bike and, say Combat, “Strikes the balance between raw beauty and aggression,” which is nice.

Combat Bomber right side in black.

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HYDROGEN HYPERCAR MAKER HYPERION LEAVES CALIFORNIA FOR OHIO

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C8 CORVETTE STINGRAY MARKET MAY BE COOLING OFF

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Audi gets approval for new electric car plant in China

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Toyota resumes normal North America operations

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If You Own One of These Used Cars, Consider Selling It

Published by InsideHook By Alex Lauer The last thing on your mind right now is probably selling your car. After all, offloading your daily driver likely means you will then....

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Ford Turns to Tesla for Talent

Published by The Street By Rob Lenihan Ford CEO Jim Farley welcomes Tesla veteran Alan Clarke to the fold in the latest development in the EV war. Ford (F) –....

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FORD PERFORMANCE PARTS ADDS BRONCO BEADLOCK WHEELS TO CATALOG

Published by Muscle Cars and Trucks While the Ford Bronco is offered with what looks to be beadlock wheels on the Sasquatch Package, they are in fact only beadlock capable.....

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Stellantis mines tech industry for software talent

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All about the Toyota Land Cruiser 100

Published by Daily Monitor I recently laid eyes on a short film in which a brand new German saloon (three-pointed star, no less) was being driven more sideways than forward....

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Fisker Draws Its Weapon Against Tesla and GM

Published by The Street By Tony Owusu The automaker announced an electric model priced at less than $30,000 Tesla (TSLA) – Get Tesla Inc Report may have a firm grip....

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750 HP GMC CANYON-BASED SVE SYCLONE RETURNS FOR 2022

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RAM REVOLUTION EV TO OFFER A RANGE EXTENDER VARIANT

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