Hero MotoCorp, one of the leading Indian motorcycle manufacturers has appointed Markus Braunsperger to head its research and development operations. Markus Braunsperer is an ex-BMW motorrad R&D and a die-hard motorcycle racer.

Markus Braunsperger will report to Pawan Munpal starting in the first week of Octobber and take over all design and development.

Asian Honda Motor Co., Ltd., the regional headquarters of Honda in Asia & Oceania, announced that Thai Honda Manufacturing Co., Ltd, a Honda motorcycle, power product, and component manufacturer in Thailand, today reached a cumulative production total of 25 million units of power products. In addition, Honda is planning to export a new backpack sprayer, the first power product model fully researched and developed by Honda R&D Southeast Asia Co., Ltd., to customers worldwide this year.

Established in 1965 as Honda’s first production facility in Thailand, Thai Honda Manufacturing Co., Ltd. began producing power products in 1987. The company marked the milestone of cumulative production of 25 million units today, only two years after achieving the 20 million unit milestone in July 2012. A ceremony to commemorate the occasion was held at the plant, which is located in Bangkok.

Currently, Thai Honda produces a variety of high-quality power products such as general-purpose engines, water pumps, and brush cutters for customers in over 80 countries worldwide including Thailand, Japan, countries in Europe and North America, and elsewhere. Honda’s power products are used for a wide range of purposes such as agriculture, civil engineering, and for household needs and recreation. The most famous product is the small and lightweight GX engine series, which complies with CARB (California Air Resources Board) Tier III regulations, the most stringent emission regulation in the USA. Annual production capacity for power products is now approximately three million units.

The Honda CB300F is a naked-bike like the Honda CB500F but with the CBR300R engine. The engine used for the Honda CB300F is identical as the CBR300R it's no surprise that the performance is identical.

What has changed is that like the Honda CB500F, the handlebars are a bit taller for a more upright riding position and the neat and sharp styling is also inspired by the CB500F down to the new exhaust design.

The clever bit is that the loss of fairing brings a 4.5 kilograms weight saving that should make the horsepower and torque, and the CB300F's promise of a novice-friendly spread of power more juicy.

For several years the top Yamaha Yamaha sportsbike didn't received some serious updates, while the competition came with all sorts of gadgets and electronics. Now it's time to for happiness, Yamaha will finally update the Yamaha YZF-R1.

Our latest information suggests that Yamaha is planning to finally update the YZF-R1 for 2015, continuing the range shakeup that's already seen the quick-fire launches of the Yamaha FZ-09 naked-bike.

The next-generation YZF-R1 was already spied testing in early 2013, disguised with YZF-R6 bodywork. The motorcycle is understood to retain its crossplane crankshaft and a four-cylinder engine, despite rumors that Yamaha was considering an 1100cc triple. Updates are sure to include increased power – around 200 horsepower at the crank – and much-improved electronics to keep up with rivals like the BMW HP4, including semi-active suspension. Yamaha has already trademarked the names YZF-R1M and YZF-R1S, suggesting two spec levels.

Rumors in the European automotive industry suggest that Mercedes-Benz parent company, Daimler, is looking to buy a significant stake in MV Agusta. This would not be completely unexpected as both BMW and VW Group are active on the motorcycle market.

After MV Agusta was revived by Claudio Castiglioni, MV Agusta has been owned by Malaysian Proton, GEVI SpA and Harley-Davidson which returned the premium motorcycle manufacturer to the Castiglioni family for a nominal sum of US$ 1 in 2010.

Indian Hero MotoCorp have decided to invest 70 million US dollar in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Columbia, USA, through one of their fully owned subsidiaries, HMCL Columbia SAS, 38 million US dollar of this will be used for CAPEX while the rest will be used over the next three years as working capital.

The company aims to have its presence in 50 countries around the world by 2020 and sales exceeding 100 million units.

Kawasaki bids happy birthday to its alpha sportbike platform with two 30th anniversary editions based on the cutting-edge Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R and the Kawasaki Ninja ZX10R models. Distinguished with bold, black-and-white graphics over a signature Kawasaki lime green basecoat and further set apart with green rim stripes and anniversary badging, these are even more extroverted versions of two already aggressive motorcycles.

Bold new graphics are the only upgrade for the anniversary editions, but the underlying base motorcycle offers more than enough technology and performance to back up the in-your-face appearance
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Triumph began manufacturing Motorcycles in the United Kingdom in 1902 and in 2013 had 6.2 percent of the global market share in motorcycles over 500cc.

Triumph started production in Thailand in 2002, and currently employees over 1,000 people in the manufacture of motorcycle components and assembly of motorcycles. Like many other companies enjoying Thailand as a manufacturing location, Triumph has plans to increase production volumes significantly over the next 5 years. It has already noticed a move toward larger motorcycles in emerging markets, which should benefit their business.

Triumph enjoys a good working relationship with the Thailand Board of Investment and receives BOI privileges for motorcycles. In fact, the company identifies the incentives received from BOI as a reason why Thailand is a good operating base for the company. Also included among the reasons is that Thai staff are hard-working, diligent and offer good value. Thailand is also a good location to retain skilled expatriate staff seconded from the UK parent Company.

Ducati, founded in 1926, Ducati has been producing sport-inspired motorcycles since 1946. Their product is characterized by their high performance engines, innovative design and avant-garde technology.

In the 1983, the company became part of Cagiva group and five years later won the first World Superbike championship. Thirteen years later, in 1996, the company Ducati was acquired by the Texas Pacific Group.

Today Ducatis are sold in over 80 countries around the world, mainly in the European, North-American and Asia Pacific markets. Ducati Thailand started in 2011 in Amata City manufacturing mainly for the domestic market, although export volumes are growing. Since locating in Thailand, the company has been experiencing growth, and aims to manufacture over 10,000 bikes per year within next year.

The motorbike is the most important mode of transportation in Thailand. All across the country one can find motorbikes of every type being driven on paved streets and dirt roads. Almost every single Thai home has one to two motorbikes that are used by the entire family for either short-distance or long-distance commuting purposes. Running errands, going to work, heading to school, visiting relatives and friends, the motorbike is ubiquitous in Thailand today and it has great economic and social value. Motorbikes connect small villages to towns and towns to mid-sized cities; communities being linked to each other by a two-wheeled vehicle. A motorbike in Thailand not only serves as an indicator of status but also is a basic necessity.

The motorcycle industry established itself in the Kingdom of Thailand back in 1964. It was a small consumer market with potential and a promising production base. Fast forward to 2014 and there are four main players in the market, which include Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki. Even though there are not many companies in Thailand that manufacture and sell motorcycles, the competition amongst them is fierce. Indeed, the Thai motorcycle industry is in its maturity stage, thereby obligating Thailand's key players to use strong strategies to possess market share. Nowadays, the dominant force in this industry is Honda.