Anthony to ride all the way to Mongolia aboard a 125cc

Anthony the marketing man from Sinnis Motorcycles embarked on 3 months of planning to ride all the way to Mongolia aboard a 125cc Sinnis Apache as part of the Mongol Rally 2011 and after all the stress and paperwork he’s on his way!

On Friday 22nd of July he left Sinnis Brighton HQ bound for Goodwood where he will ride around the circuit before venturing to Dover to make contact with Europe. He will travel all day and hopefully arrive in the Czech Republic by Monday.

Anthony is riding all the way for leukaemia Research and he has already doubled his modest target! Crossing 12 countries, he will aim to cover 250-300 miles per day without support crossing some of the earth’s toughest terrain crossing mainland Europe, Eastern Europe, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia.



Anthony’s machine is a 2010 model Sinnis Apache supermoto and is fitted with a heavy duty chain, hand guards, an engine guard and rack carrying around 50 kilos. Anthony says “I really want to thank all the great brands that have supported me… Akito and Nitro stepped up at the very last moment having been let down by another ‘big’ brand, LS2 helmets, Lazer helmets, Silkolene, Putoline, Forcefield armour, Lloyd Lifestyle and many dealers have all played their part and I am so grateful!”

You can follow Anthony’s journey via his page www.facebook.com/anthonysadventure or support his cause at www.justgiving.com/antjack55





| Sinnis Motorcycles

New Bosch ABS for all motorcycle types

The old argument that antilock braking systems are too big and too heavy for motorbikes is no longer valid. “At 0.4 litres in size and 700 grams in weight, the current Bosch generation 9 is just over half the size and weight of the predecessor generation. This currently makes it the world's smallest motorcycle ABS,” says Tobias Fluck, a Bosch expert for motorcycle ABS. The company offers this modular system in various builds, ranging from a basic version to a premium version featuring an integrated electronic combined brake system. This means that the perfect solution is available for every motorbike, from the reasonably priced entry-level machine to the super-sports model. Generation 9 has been in series production since 2010, and currently features in models made by Kawasaki, BMW, Ducati, and KTM.

At present, if motorcyclists have to brake as quickly as possible in a critical situation, they face a difficult task. On most motorbikes, they have to first of all use the hand and foot brakes separately to control the braking pressure for front and rear wheels. Then they have to prevent the wheels locking up at all costs. The findings of a Bosch study based on GIDAS, the German database of accident statistics, therefore come as no surprise: 47 percent of motorcycle accidents are caused by wrong and hesitant braking. The antilock braking system solves this problem, allowing safe braking by preventing the wheels from locking up. This can both prevent a fall and significantly reduce braking distance. Up to now, however, ABS systems are a rare sight on motorcycles. Where cars have been rolling off the production lines in Europe with ABS as a standard feature since 2004, only 16 percent of newly manufactured motorbikes featured ABS in 2010.



The compact Bosch system is available in three versions
The previous ABS systems of all suppliers were based on passenger-car technology, and were thus comparatively large. While they could be installed in larger machines, this was often not possible in small motorcycles. So while the new generation of Bosch brake control systems was being developed for passenger cars, the engineers at the Bosch Engineering Centre in Japan came up with an ABS series especially for motorbikes. The result of their work was the ABS generation 9, only half the size of its predecessor. It is also modular, allowing variants to be produced for different ranges of functions, and its design is cost-effective, which is important if it is to be used widely in all motorcycles with hydraulic brake systems.

Despite its compact construction, the ABS 9 base offers full antilock protection. Moreover, sudden changes in road surface, caused for example by grit or patches of oil, no longer present cause for alarm. ABS allows even inexperienced riders to brake safely. The ABS 9 plus variant is especially suitable for powerful machines. Because it uses an additional pressure sensor, it takes effect even when pressure is being built up during emergency braking This specifically prevents the rear wheel rising, and thus heads off the risk of flipping over.

ABS 9 enhanced, the most powerful version, offers the additional eCBS function. eCBS stands for electronic combined brake system. What this means is a novel combination of front and rear brake. In this integrated version, it is enough for the rider to operate just one of the two brakes – front or rear: ABS 9 enhanced automatically applies the second brake without the rider having to apply more pressure and without changing braking strength. The motorbike can thus brake safely both on wet surfaces and on dry surfaces with a good grip.

Even now, ABS 9 enhanced can help to a moderate degree to stabilize righting moment and banking when braking in an inclined riding position. Moreover, even more functions can be added to the Bosch ABS with eCBS. Successful trials are currently being performed with versions that modulate braking pressure so effectively, even in curves, that the typical motorcycle accident as a result of over-braking the front or rear wheel can be largely ruled out even here. And a controlled intervention in the engine management system is also possible. This opens up the possibility of new functions such as traction control and hill-hold control.


ABS for all motorized two-wheelers from 2017
In 2009, more than 5,000 motorcyclists were killed on Europe's roads alone. According to the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), the danger of a fatal accident, for the same distance travelled, is 18 times higher for motorcyclists than for car drivers. And according to many scientific studies, ABS is the system with the greatest safety gain for motorcycles. For example, a study presented by Vägverket, the Swedish highways authority, in 2009 confirms that 38 percent of all accidents involving personal injury and 48 percent of all serious and fatal accidents could be prevented with the help of ABS. A Bosch study based on data from GIDAS, the major German accident statistics database, concludes that a quarter of all accidents with injuries and fatalities could be prevented if ABS was standard equipment. A further one-third of all accidents with injuries and fatalities could at least be mitigated by the antilock system. In 2010, findings such as these were enough to persuade the EU Commission to propose making ABS mandatory for motorized two-wheelers from 2017.

A study of the benefits of ABS conducted by the European Commission shows that more than 5,000 lives could be saved over the next ten years alone if ABS were made mandatory. A decision is expected to be taken this year. But for the emerging markets in Asia and South America as well, ABS promises a significant improvement in road safety. The condition for its use on a wide scale is a hydraulic brake system. In all markets, this standard is becoming more and more established.

| Bosch

BMW tests of BMW E-Scooter electric

Space is becoming increasingly scarce in the major conurbation centres and traffic density is growing continuously. Political and social conditions are changing. All these factors coalesce in increasing demands in terms of private transportation. The concept vehicle BMW E-Scooter with electric drive provides an innovative look at changing urban mobility needs.

While the currently available, purely electrically-powered scooters have been almost exclusively used inside towns and cities to date due to their performance and range, which makes them suitable for short distances only, the concept vehicle BMW E-Scooter offers a much broader spectrum of use.



High range and excellent performance figures.
Since it was conceived as a future-oriented vehicle for commuting between urban areas and the city centre, therefore attracting funding from the German Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development, there were two main requirements for its development: dynamic figures comparable to those of a maxi scooter with a combustion engine and a high range in realistic conditions of use.

The concept vehicle BMW E-Scooter provides the necessary sustained output and maximum speed for safe and reliable overtaking on urban motorways and also when carrying two people. It is also easily capable of managing hill starts on steep slopes with a pillion passenger.

The development study also has the necessary maximum output to be able to achieve acceleration figures within the important 0 - 60 km/h range, which are at the level of current maxi scooters powered by a 600 cc combustion engine.

The high storage capacity of the battery allows a daily driving range of over 100 kilometres. In this way, the BMW E-Scooter concept vehicle provides a long-term, zero-emissions urban and suburban travel option which is suitable for everyday use.


Fast charging at conventional power sockets.
The E-Scooter concept vehicle's battery is charged at regular household power sockets as found in Europe, the USA, Canada and Japan, so no special charging station is required. When the battery is completely flat, the charging period is less than three hours. However, practical experience has shown that the battery rarely runs out completely, so charging times are generally shorter.

Frame.
Unlike existing maxi scooters with combustion engines, the concept vehicle does not have a main frame. Instead, the aluminium battery casing -- which also contains the electronic system required for battery cell monitoring -- takes over the function of the frame. The steering head support is connected to it, as is the rear frame and the left-hand mounted single swing arm with directly hinged, horizontally installed shock absorber.

Electric machine, power electronics and charging device.
Due to its high output, the BMW Motorrad development study has no hub motor with direct drive or planetary gearbox. Instead, the high-performance electric machine is mounted behind the battery casing. The secondary drive consists of a toothed belt from the electric machine to the belt pulley mounted coaxially on the swinging fork pivot with drive pinion. From here, power transmission occurs via roller chain to the rear wheel. When the E-Scooter is decelerated in trailing throttle or when braking, the energy released is recuperated, thereby increasing the vehicle's range by between 10 and 20 per cent depending on driving profile.

The electrical components required for the electric drive are installed on the top of the battery casing. The external battery electronics system permanently collects and monitors data such as the temperature and voltage of the battery cells, both during travel and while charging. The power electronics acts as a control system and controls the electric machine. The charging device includes a charge cable which allows the battery to be recharged at a conventional household power socket. In addition to the other components like an ISO insulation monitor, high-voltage indicator and a high-voltage distributor, a DC-DC converter is included. It is required to change high voltage to low voltage power to supply the 12 volt vehicle supply and especially for the control units.

Cooling system.
During travel, the electric machine and power electronics are liquid-cooled, as is the charging device during charging. An electric coolant pump ensures coolant circulation through the radiator. While a coolant is commonly used for the battery in electrically powered cars, the E-Scooter concept vehicle uses an air cooling system in order to save space.

Safety.
BMW Motorrad is one of the very few motorcycle manufacturers to be able to draw on its own experience and expertise in the automobile field in the development of electrically powered vehicles. Synergies are derived from the development of the BMW E-Scooter concept vehicle not just in the ready availability of technical components but also in the area of high voltage
engineering and the associated safety requirements. Here for the first time, standards established by the leading automobile manufacturers relating to high voltage safety (> 60 volt) and functional reliability are being applied to a two-wheel vehicle with electric drive.

| BMW

D-air Racing by Dainese, the ultimate airbag suit for riders

After ten years in development, the highly-anticipated Dainese D-air Racing suit is now available to purchase in the UK. The high-tech suit not only operates as a protection device but it is also an impressive track day tool. Developed on race circuits with the help of top Dainese racers including Valentino Rossi, Marco Simoncelli and Leon Haslam. D-air Racing works in synergy with existing armour in race suits and gives airbag protection to shoulders and improves protection in the neck and upper chest area.

The electronic system identifies a fall or slide and immediately sends a trigger signal to the gas generator in the hump of the suit. This activates the internal airbag, which inflates within 30 millieseconds. D-air Racing has a patented 3D airbag structure, which provides the rider with controlled airbag expansion. It is the only airbag suit on the current market that works wirelessly without any connection to a motorcycle.



Aside from the unique safety features, the D-air Racing suit is a track day enthusiast’s ideal piece of kit. The system features data acquisition software developed by German company 2D (2d-datarecording), which supplies some of the top teams in MotoGP and F1. The software gives D-air wearers an effective tool to monitor riding performance and record telemetry data, which can be downloaded and displayed on a computer.

Extensive functions of the system include lap time data, GPS telemetry of the bike and diagrams in relation to time – assessment of braking spaces and lines through bends. Acceleration data is also available and the system is compatible with Google Earth, which enables plotting of racing lines on a mini map.


The D-air Racing system has passed all motorcycle personal protective equipment tests, not only for the current European standards but also for pre-standards, which will come into effect in the future. The D-air system is so innovative that the current standards were only partially able to meet the certification needs of an advanced system. TÜV SÜD were required to develop a new and more appropriate testing producer before submitting the D-air Racing system, which went far beyond the existing standards. D-air Racing is proud to be TÜV SÜD system certified.

| Dainese