Photo: BMW
BMW is not only one of the leading motorcycle manufacturers in the world but recently they tied their name to the very structures that govern the industry. The International Motorcycle Manufacturers Association (IMMA) appointed BMW Motorrad President Stephan Schaller as president, a position he will retain until May 2018.
The International Motorcycle Manufacturers Association (IMMA) is a worldwide trade organization that represents the interests of the affiliated two-wheeler and three-wheeler manufacturers at a global level. Regional and local associations representing the motorcycle industry can be found in Australia, Canada, Europe, India, Japan, South-East Asia, and the United States.
Mr. Schaller succeeds the former IMMA President Paul Jones from the United States Motorcycle Manufacturers Association (USMMA). Schaller became President of BMW Motorrad in 2012, but his expertise in the automotive industry spans more than three decades. At the same time, Mr. Schaller fills the position of President for the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM).
The decision to have Stephan Schaller as President and the appointment were agreed upon at the IMMA General Assembly hosted by the Federation of Asian Motorcycle Industries (FAMI) and the Indonesian Motorcycle Industry Association (AISI) in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia.
“It is a privilege and an honour to take over the IMMA Presidency. On behalf of all members, I thank Paul Jones for his leadership as President over the last two years. During my mandate, I will continue strengthening IMMA’s role as the trusted global voice of motorcycle manufacturers,” Schaller declared upon accepting the appointment.
In the absence of comprehensive statistics it's difficult to see how the sales of electric motorcycles evolved in the last few years, but even if some manufacturers went out of business, it looks like the remaining ones managed to compensate.
With batteries becoming better and cheaper and the motors being improved constantly, it's easy to see e-motorbikes becoming more affordable and sought after, especially as the networks of charging stations are also growing. Japan reportedly has now more EV charging stations than petrol ones, and it looks like the trend is slowly extending to more countries.
We don't expect to see electric motorbikes posing a credible threat to internal combustion ones anytime soon, but the green vehicles ARE slowly catching up. What response the motorcycle manufacturers have for this is a thing that we will find out in the coming years, so let's enjoy the sound and vibe of whatever bikes we have while we can, summer's around the corner.
Mr. Schaller succeeds the former IMMA President Paul Jones from the United States Motorcycle Manufacturers Association (USMMA). Schaller became President of BMW Motorrad in 2012, but his expertise in the automotive industry spans more than three decades. At the same time, Mr. Schaller fills the position of President for the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM).
The decision to have Stephan Schaller as President and the appointment were agreed upon at the IMMA General Assembly hosted by the Federation of Asian Motorcycle Industries (FAMI) and the Indonesian Motorcycle Industry Association (AISI) in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia.
“It is a privilege and an honour to take over the IMMA Presidency. On behalf of all members, I thank Paul Jones for his leadership as President over the last two years. During my mandate, I will continue strengthening IMMA’s role as the trusted global voice of motorcycle manufacturers,” Schaller declared upon accepting the appointment.
Where do we go now?
The motorcycle industry as we know it is about to change significantly and this process is only becoming stronger, bigger and deeper. Obviously, we're talking about the emergence of electric motorcycles, still representing only a tiny fraction of the total number of motorbikes sold worldwide annually.In the absence of comprehensive statistics it's difficult to see how the sales of electric motorcycles evolved in the last few years, but even if some manufacturers went out of business, it looks like the remaining ones managed to compensate.
With batteries becoming better and cheaper and the motors being improved constantly, it's easy to see e-motorbikes becoming more affordable and sought after, especially as the networks of charging stations are also growing. Japan reportedly has now more EV charging stations than petrol ones, and it looks like the trend is slowly extending to more countries.
We don't expect to see electric motorbikes posing a credible threat to internal combustion ones anytime soon, but the green vehicles ARE slowly catching up. What response the motorcycle manufacturers have for this is a thing that we will find out in the coming years, so let's enjoy the sound and vibe of whatever bikes we have while we can, summer's around the corner.
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