China is coming. They are entering the European motorcycle market – watch the gallery
When MotoMari arrived at the EICMA motorcycle show in Italy in November, the other Estonians were already there. MotoMari, or Maria, had her leg in a cast following an accident at the Alakonnu roadbook rally and was moving around the show in a rented wheelchair. She happened to run into the people from Tartu Motohoov in the corridor and asked what interesting things the men had discovered at the show. Besides the Chinese products, they found many electric vehicles and plenty of rally version bikes. There were also many motorcycles from completely unknown manufacturers, which can be seen in the gallery.
Gallery: private collection
The men unanimously agreed that electricity was the big theme of the first day. “Everywhere you look, there’s Chinese electric stuff: motorcycles, bicycles, scooters, all sorts of bikes! Even small delivery trucks,” noted Motohoov mechanic Jaan Kübarsepp. He added that there was also an enormous amount of Chinese products, from batteries to clothes and small gadgets. Margus Halling, who works in the same position at the same company, pointed out that one of the four large halls they visited was entirely dedicated to Chinese products.
The men, who work as motorcycle mechanics, were not particularly enthusiastic about electric motorcycles, but they acknowledged that this is likely our future, something we can no longer ignore. “We will have to start learning about electricity and get hands-on with these machines to understand them,” said Margus. For the first time, Tartu Motohoov closed its doors, and the entire team came to see how things are done elsewhere. The mechanics aimed to find better and more efficient tools and methods for their work.
However, the men were amazed that major brands like Kawasaki hadn’t made any significant progress; everything remained the same. “Motocross bikes are pretty much the same, and ATVs haven’t been developed further—the way they were made 20 years ago is how they are now. They are very high quality, but the appearance is no longer as stylish; new things look retro,” they remarked. Margus noted that, at the same time, Chinese and Taiwanese products are continually improving and developing rapidly.
What do the mechanics think about the planned vehicles powered by hydrogen or ammonia? “We’ll wait until something concrete comes out of these developments. Research is ongoing, and something is bound to happen; something will change in the future. Motorcycling is also about emotions—it needs to make noise and vibrate, and a proper bike should somewhat overpower the rider—can you get that emotion with an electric bike?” pondered Margus.
Jaan added that electric bikes have advanced tremendously. “A few years ago, we went to a motorcycle show in Cologne, and the only electric bikes had motors in the rear wheel and were mostly scooters. But now there are large electric motorcycles with separate motors, which are rarely placed in the rear wheel anymore. Electric motors have become smaller,” Jaan noted from his observations. Margus noticed an electric motor at EICMA with a torque of 1000 newton meters, which he said was impressive. “A regular gasoline engine gives you 50-80 newton-meters of torque,” Margus added.
The men also observed that many companies showcased rally versions of their bikes. “Many manufacturers had their rally versions with navigation towers on display,” Margus remarked, noting that Dakar-style motorcycle rallies are gaining popularity. There has also been a significant increase in tuning companies specializing in converting motorcycles for rally setups.
This year, the EICMA motorcycle show will take place in Milan, Italy, for the 110th time from November 7th to 10th. Early bird tickets are available for 15 euros per day until September 16th. If you want to see the Chinese innovations and updates from well-known brands, start planning your trip now.
