Esposizione Internazionale Ciclo Motociclo e Accessori, or just EICMA for short, is the world’s foremost and longest-running Motorcycle and Accessory Expo. Hosted at the spectacular Milano Rho Fiera Expo Facility in Milan, it gives a whole new insight into the motorcycle and accessory industry. We have already told you about most of the standout bikes launched this year, so what I want to do is give you some different perspectives on this spectacle. I was privileged to have been invited by the Italian Trade Agency to cover the event, which, to my mind, not only lived up to expectation, but raised the bar significantly.
Living on the Southern tip of the African continent as we do, our cities are all relatively ‘young’ when compared to your typical European city. These cities were established before cars were even a figment of our imagination. As populations have exploded over time, the mayhem of the modern world is real, and it is imperative that solutions be found that make inner city living a pleasure rather than a pain.
In South Africa, motorcycles have generally been considered an indulgence rather than a necessity. When I consider the daily ‘lemming run’ of commuters between Pretoria and Jo’burg, the craziness of Cape Town traffic, and the congestion around greater Durban during peak hours, I believe we should adopt a more European way of thinking. EICMA put together some panel discussions on the challenges of urban mobility with European city management, as well as motorcycle manufacturers’ representatives, which were very illuminating.
European cities have many inner-city dwellers as well as businesses that are established in the cities. The city dwellers need to get around, and commuters to work from the suburbs also need to be considered. An interesting statistic is that one third of the car owners in European cities seldom use their cars, preferring more practical means of transport, be it buses, trams, motorcycles, scooters, trains and bicycles. For the first time, listening to the issues that they face, I started to understand the relevance of smaller vehicles, electric vehicles and practical solutions like small three-wheelers (two front wheels and a single rear driving wheel) that take up much less space, whether driven or parked. In many European countries, these can be ridden without a special licence. Your car licence will suffice.
Remember the BMW scooter with a roof, which could be ridden without a helmet, the BMW C1? Watch that space as manufacturers design simple, practical motorcycles for urban travel. The exciting thing for me is the change of thinking required by South African motorcyclists. Motorcycles as essential urban transport? Why not? I hear the naysayers suggesting that urban motorcyclists are vulnerable. Yes, they are, but the more bikes on our roads, the more motorcar drivers will consider them. Decent safety, skills, and awareness training also play a huge part in keeping you safe on the road. I have literally ridden bikes daily for 55 years and have had very few near misses, thanks to a constant high level of situational awareness.
A huge thumbs up to the EICMA organisers for putting the spotlight on the vital issue of urban mobility and bringing stakeholders together in a constructive manner to collaborate and come up with workable solutions. One thing was clear… two-wheelers have a vital role to play. Nothing deals with city snarl-ups better than a bike. That’s a fact! Motorcycles take up way less space, have a smaller eco footprint and require little space to park. It was refreshing to see that a significant number of the many thousands of people attending the Expo were there to find practical solutions to make their daily lives easier. Of course, there were enthusiasts aplenty drooling over their dream ride, and oh boy, there were plenty drool-worthy bikes to be seen! Hall upon hall was packed with two-wheeled kit. There were also plenty of excellent food and drink stalls to chill at and reflect on the experience. An outdoor display and a programme of events paid homage to Dakar, with riders strutting their stuff in the dirt.
Honda is huge all over the world and certainly in Europe. They had the biggest presence at EICMA by some margin. Having said that, they had all their models on display, so they needed lots of space. Goldwing to Grom and everything in between. The new V3R Electronically force-fed engined roadster looks proper! Slim, thanks to the narrow engine, with good suspension components and quality brakes. The tyres on the test bike showed proper track time use! Ricky Brabec’s 450 Rally bike was eye candy for the off-road boys, as was Luca Marini’s RC213V for those MotoGP fans. The 1000 Hornet, its retro CB1100 F-inspired sibling, and the stunning GT Sports Touring derivative, which all share the same 150-plus horsepower motor, drew huge attention. Africa Twins, TransAlps, NX500s and especially Honda’s incredible NC 750-derived X-ADV 750 Adventure drew huge attention too.
Ducati never fails to impress. On the mainstage backdrop to their stand was their all-conquering MM93 emblazoned GP25 MotoGP weapon, flanked by Nicolo Bulega’s Panigale V4 R and their Desmo 450MX. Also noteworthy were the two Panigale V2 tribute bikes, honouring Marc Marques and Pecco Bagnaia, sporting special paint jobs, subtly incorporating their race numbers. The stand was swamped by current and potential Ducatisti, ‘trying on the various models for size’. The Brembo stand next door had one of Marc’s GP25s in a glass case, showing off its super trick braking system. Huge carbon discs dominate the front wheel while a tiny metal disc rides on the rear. The cockpit of a modern MotoGP bike is a confusing array of buttons, levers and dampers. How the riders play such spectacular tunes on these instruments while exceeding 350 kph and then absorb eye-popping braking G forces is way beyond me.
Royal Enfield is making massive inroads into the world motorcycle market. Their magic mix of simple, real-world motorcycles that hark back to a time when the world made sense has struck a chord with the motorcycling world. Their stand sported all their current models as well as some cool custom takes on some models. A crated race-prepped Interceptor looked particularly sweet. A similar crate contained a dusty 750 Himalayan test bike. Adjustable shocks, tubeless spoke wheels, and what looks to be all-day comfortable ergonomics hint at a potentially hugely successful model when it comes to market, probably to be launched at EICMA next year. RE’s blend of real-world performance at excellent prices across their range is a sure-fire recipe for success, especially when you throw a whole bunch of soul into that mix! I’m a fan! Their electric bike, under development, the Flying Flea, looks unique and quirky in an old school cool kind of way.
Somewhere around 14 halls, each the size of a rugby field, jam-packed with motorcycles and every conceivable accessory that you can think of, is almost a system overload! If you can’t find what you are looking for at EICMA, it almost certainly isn’t made! Having said that, KTM, focusing on restructuring and getting the iconic Austrian brand back on track, chose not to indulge in the significant spend to have an EICMA presence. I suspect they will be back next year, all the better for it.
The premier Chinese brands had large stands. CFMOTO unveiled their V4 Superbike with variable front aero. It looks superb. I suspect that we may see a World Superbike contender in the near future. These brands seem to have a bottomless pit of funding to draw on as they churn out model after impressive model. Honda led the way back in the day. The sale of millions of humble C50 Step Throughs provided the cash flow for the legendary CB750 and all the other amazing models that we have seen from the big H over the years. The Chinese benefit from the huge market for small commuters in Asia, which they also satisfy in their millions. KTM could well learn from these examples. Tiny Dukes sold in huge numbers can fund the next generation of Super Dukes….Cash flow is king in business.
Kove continues to impress with attractive, well-built bikes with modern tech, at an affordable price point. The Chinese are also managing to build competitive bikes which are significantly lighter than their Japanese and European counterparts. The market has called for lighter bikes for ages, yet somewhat arrogantly, the established brands have ignored the cry, leaving the door ajar for attentive Chinese brands looking for every chink in their armour to exploit. New ‘old kids’ back on the block are Norton and BSA. Norton, now owned by Indian giant TVS, brought a svelte range of new bikes to EICMA. BSA, also now funded with Indian money (Mahindra, I believe), launched an incredibly good-looking 350cc adventure bike called the Thunderbolt. If it goes half as well as it looks, it will be a roaring success. The price point is also likely to be very attractive, going by comparative pricing with Royal Enfield models in the UK.
Familiar brands like Benelli, Moto Morini, Mondial, SWM, Loncin, QJMotor and Voge all had impressive stands. The scooter flag was also properly flown by Italjet, with their new 700cc beast making huge waves. Vespa displayed their range on a classy pastel shade stand, mirroring the classic colours of their scoots. Particularly impressive was the Lambretta stand with its beautifully crafted and coloured range spread on a classic white floor. They displayed a numbered, limited-edition range as well as a truly beautiful electric offering. Resisting the general urge to make electric bikes look sort of space age, their offering is thoroughly modern, but at the same time, classically Lambretta. It was cool to hang out with the South African Lambretta importer Corrie Moolman, sipping on cappuccinos surrounded by two-wheelers.
Taiwanese scooter manufacturers Kymco and SYM were also well represented. SYM featured two separate stories of their scooters used for extended tours by their owners. In one instance, a 20,000-kilometre return trip up the Dalton highway in Alaska, and the other an 8,000 km trip through part of Africa, over dirt roads and sand dunes. This emphasises the point I have always made. The adventure lies in the trip and not in how appropriate the bike is on which you do it. In fact, the less appropriate the bike, the greater the adventure.
BMW had their full range on display, including the parallel-twin-engined 450 GS, which was featured as a concept bike at EICMA 2024. Various versions of the new 450 were on display, but pride of place was undoubtedly the wire-wheeled GS version, resplendent in BMW Motorsport red, white and blue livery with gold wheel rims. I can’t wait to see the pricing on the 450s in South Africa. The CFMOTO 450, Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, and KTM 390 range have even more competition. The middleweight wars are hotting up!
Suzuki presented all the models that we are familiar with, from the iconic Hayabusa and GSX-Rs to the V-Strom Adventure bikes. An interesting new bike launched was the SV-7 EX, a middleweight Sports tourer powered by the iconic 650 90-degree V-Twin from the discontinued SL range. Triumph too had its full range, including their recently launched dirt bikes on show. Beautifully turned out and meticulously finished, their bikes ooze with class. I have yet to be disappointed with any new Triumph. Every bike they build takes the iconic brand up another notch.
The Indian manufacturers have certainly drawn a line in the sand. Hero unveiled a range of innovative electric urban mobility solutions under the ‘Vida’ banner. This included a super funky single gull wing door car, a motorcycle and, get this, a backpack which morphs into a ride-on electric tracked platform. Amazing! I bumped into current World Rally Champ and next-level nice guy Ross Branch on the Hero stand. His Championship-winning rally bike was on show, as well as a special Ross Branch signature edition 210 X-Pulse, complete with the no 1 plate numbers proudly displayed. He chuckled when I suggested that, whilst blasting his dirt bike through the Botswana bush as a kid, he could surely never have imagined putting his signature on thousands of bikes commemorating his world championship win. What an athlete and what an incredible brand ambassador! The other special bike on the Hero stand was an electric dirt bike for kids, the ‘Dirt e Bike’, which can literally be expanded in size as the child grows. Clever!
TVS had their new Apache Adventure model on display, which looks great, as well as their scooters and even a Shimano XT-equipped, full suspension, TVS-made mountain e-bike. Yamaha also went big. The R9, R7 and similarly engined Tracers, as well as their ‘Dark Side of Japan’ XSR range. Two XSR900 GPs in Kenny Roberts’ classical yellow and white colours looked fantastic, one with an endurance racing style half fairing, and the other with a full belly pan. Stunning! This is a bike that really blew me away when I had it on review. The superb CP3 900cc Triple is housed in an excellent chassis with suspension to match. An incredibly rewarding and competent real-world sportsbike. The ‘Blu Crew’ range of dirtbikes also drew much attention, as did the venerable T-Max scooter range. Both Harley-Davidson and Indian had ‘Battle of the Baggers’ race bikes on their stands. It takes real men to ride those monsters!
The sheer scale of EICMA could have me going nigh on forever. Every accessory manufacturer of note, Givi, Shad, Kappa, Puig, SW Motech, Wunderlich, Oxford, LS2 and then some seriously good new ones such as Loboo from China all impressed with brilliant, innovative and quality kit. Helmet brands like Arai, Airoh, Shoei, HJC, AGV and others, and lubricant maestros Liqui Moly and Motul were all represented. The array of Chinese and Taiwanese suppliers of comms systems, bespoke machined alloy goodies, replacement instruments and TFT displays, brake and clutch levers …you name it! If you can think of it, someone at EICMA will be displaying it.
What I have tried to bring across is the incredible array of manufacturers and accessory suppliers who bring their wares to EICMA. If you are looking to expand your motorcycle or urban mobility offering, you need to be at EICMA. For over 100 years, EICMA has served players in the two-wheeled industry by providing a platform for them to gain exposure to world markets. If you have a product or are looking for a product related to motorcycles, bicycles, or that enhances urban mobility, you need to be there! There is quite simply nothing like it! Take a ‘stroll’ through some of the pics I took to try and convey the scale of this remarkable event.
