EXCEPTIONAL EICMA

The statistics surrounding EICMA are impressive: 1,800 brands from 43 countries make the trip to Milan where they occupy eight pavilions with a total floor area of 280,000 square metres. Over six days around half-a-million visitors flock here to see what's new in the world of powered two-wheeled transport. Keen-eyed readers will note that I've not written 'motorcycle'. That's a term which no longer covers what the show's about. This year I'd estimate that around 20 % of all exhibits were electric vehicles of some form or other. Fairly predictably, every major manufacturer seemed keen to establish their green credentials, but there were also some surprising entries in this field from well-established tuning houses.

Questions as to whether Vespa's old GTS300 engine has been licensed for use seem to have been answered. Presumably, Piaggio think it's better to earn money from