This week, we have a rather special lineup for your perusal:
- We were able to get a hold of Damon’s new CEO, Dominique Kwong, who sat with us to talk about everything from the HyperSport to Damon.io.
- Honda’s V3 bike has officially been confirmed for a US debut, making room for what the trademark applications are calling “V3R E-Compressor.”
- The gravel-to-grid Puig PISTA R1000 GS Track Kit that was debuted at EICMA 2024 is officially open for pre-orders!
- Triumph has given us a good look at their Scrambler 400 XC, and it’ll be in the US by September.
The full interview with Damon Inc. is going live on Friday, but we’ve been able to provide a peek in the newsie list today! Let’s start with that interview, shall we?
Interview: CEO Dom Kwong Talks About Damon.io and the Hypersport
Dominique Kwong, CEO for Damon. Media sourced from Damon.The Vehicle, the Data, and What’s Coming Next for Damon Inc.
In the fast-paced world of electric vehicle startups, headlines can often overshadow the real story. That’s why, when major strategic shifts occur at companies like Damon Inc. (previously Damon Motorcycles), hearing directly from the source is the only way to keep hearsay at a minimum. Dominique Kwong, CEO of Damon Inc., recently shed light on the company’s pivot to an ‘asset-light’ business model and their evolving vision, and he was kind enough to make time for us in an interview that will be going live in its complete entirety on Friday.
We started by looking into Dominique’s background as an electrical engineer. After spending a number of years leading Alpinestars’ electronics team in the developping, maintenance, training, and servicing of their airbag tech and systems, Kwong revealed his return to Damon was driven by a continued passion for motorcycle safety:
– Dominique Kwong, CEO, Damon Inc. |
One of the big points Kwong wanted to nail home for us was that Damon’s focus isn’t solely on production of the HyperSport; in fact, partnering with ICE or EV manufacturers to make Damon’s safety technology a market-published reality was definitely on the table for the company at this time. In short, the HyperSport is still very much part of Damon’s commitment, but it needs more time. The company is open to partnering up with other labels to bring their safety tech to market faster:
– Dominique Kwong, CEO, Damon Inc. |
A key part of Damon’s future – and one we were keen to lean on for this interview – is Damon.io, a system that aims to use “contextual data” to provide riders with the ultimate control over their ride. Ideas like linking vehicle and environmental data with personal preferences to offer automated confidence and reduce distractions is a very real dream for Kwong, but while excited about the system’s potential, he wanted to emphasize strongly that rider data with Damon.io is never in danger of being mal-used or distributed beyond the rider’s private experience:
– Dominique Kwong, CEO, Damon Inc. |
Ultimately, Damon’s vision extends beyond a single vehicle to all forms of personal mobility, whether EV or ICE, and we’re curious to see where this takes the company in the coming years.
For the full, in-depth interview with CEO Dominique Kwong on Damon Inc.’s strategic shift, standby for Friday’s publishing. In the meantime, Damon’s vision is available on their website:
Fast Filings: Honda Confirms Incubating V3 Mystery Bike for the US
…And This Debut Includes an Electric Supercharger!
Remember that V3 bike that was found in filings from CycleWorld earlier this year? Well, it’s just been confirmed for a US debut along with hints that this V3 machine will carry the electric supercharger that we saw from Honda last year.
For those needing a reminder, Honda’s “E-Compressor” is essentially a battery-powered supercharger that promises instantaneous boost; Ben Purvis at CycleWorld highlights how this unit offers the benefits of forced induction without the downsides of traditional turbos or mechanical blowers, and is easier to package within the bike’s design.
According to this same report, Honda has filed trademark applications in the United States for both “V3R” and “V3R E-Compressor.” Last year, Honda debuted an electric supercharger at EICMA, so we are under the assumption that this “V3R E-Compressor” is just that: A V3 bike with an electric supercharger that now shows confirmation for our own markets here in the United States.
The “V3R” in the paperwork denotes a sporty model; although we haven’t been given the exact genre of the bike, we are estimating it likely that this model will be either a sportbike or a sporty touring model.
We’re told that there is a likelihood that this bike will be capable of 800cc; if this is correct, then the presence of the electric supercharger posits a strong likelihood that this 800cc bike will not necessarily feel like an 800cc bike.
Expect more details and a full unveiling later this year, with production potentially kicking off by early 2026. We’d also recommend to keep a weather eye out for Honda’s offerings at this year’s EICMA, seeing as the world’s largest bike expo has long been the home of motorcycle debuts worldwide. Only time will tell!
For a full deep dive into Honda’s trademark filings and the potential of the V3R with Honda’s new “E-Compressor,”, be sure to head over to CycleWorld’s coverage of the tech:
Conversation-Starters: Pre-Orders Open for Puig PISTA R1000 GS Track Kit
Puig Says It’s Time to Take Your BMW R1000 GS to the Track!
Back in June, I paid a visit to Michigan’s Grattan Raceway. The track was well-known for having several tricky stretches, not the least of which was “turn 7,” or what the locals called “Bus Stop” – a blind apex on a slight incline with the very devil in its curvature. I may have sacrificed by amenable little R3 to this turn, but the brand new Honda Africa Twin that came behind me made beautiful work of the grid’s lines – all of which to say that that single experience converted me to the idea that gravel-eating bike genres might very well have a bit of fun on the track here and there, too.
In line with this general mindset, we bring you the kit that debuted at last year’s iteration of EICMA: The Puig PISTA R1000 GS Track Kit. Puig (Puig Tech Parts) has taken the idea of BMW’s R1000 GS – the Bavarian, big-bore adventure-touring bike – and slapped bodywork on the thing to make it more aerodynamic and “sporty” for a track day.
Apparently, Puig’s goal with this “PISTA” ( “track” in Italian) is to develop a kit that not only looks cool but can be easily mounted with just a few adjustments. The key to this incredible idea lies in Puig’s meticulously designed geometry formula, which includes the following components:
- Sport windscreen
- Headlight covers
- Front fender
- Brake cooler
- Frontal spoilers
- Belly pan
- Lower spoiler
- Side deflectors
- Rear seat cowl
- Rear cover
- Tank cover
- Lever protector/mirror
Want to make the R1000 GS more aerodynamic but need lights for the streets? No problem – we’re told Puig has that too, and it has a front turn signal relocator kit and license plate support for the ideal translation from gravel to trans-country highways (via Belissimoto).
Riders wishing to get a closer look at this track kit will find it on Puig’s website, where we are told pre-orders are officially open and only 100 track kits will be made for this year.
To learn more about the Puig PISTA R1000GS kit and to place your pre-order, head over to the official Puig Tech Parts website:
From Triumph, With Love: Meet the Scrambler 400 XC
The Beginner-Friendly Retro Bike with Spoked Wheels and More
Triumph is beefing up its popular 400cc lineup with a new, off-road-styled retro cutie: The Scrambler 400 XC. Set to arrive in the US by September, we’re told that this beginner-friendly bike will be coming in nice and low at an MSRP of $6,695. For that price, MCN tells us that riders can look forward to fun perks like tubeless spoked wheels and tweaked bodywork while continuing with excellent choices like a highway-happy six-speed gearbox and a torque-assist clutch.
Naturally, the sibling closest in visuals to the XC is Triumph’s Scrambler 400 X, which carries the same tubular steel hybrid chassis housing a 398cc liquid-cooled TR-series single-cylinder engine. Expect the XC’s performance figures to remain unchanged from last year’s 4–line variants, featuring 39.5 hp @ 8000rpm and 27.7 lb-ft of torque @ 6500rpm.
Triumph’s Chief Commercial Officer, Paul Stroud, is looking forward to a “strong global demand for this model,” manifesting the following in light of the 400 XC’s pending debut:
– Paul Stroud, Triumph’s Chief Commercial Officer (MCN) |
Perhaps one of the best features about this bike is the dedicated scrambler kit that swaps the X’s cast alloy wheels for stylish spoked side-laced Excel hoops, shod in Metzeler Karoo Street rubber. The rider has also been gifted with the following componentry:
- A high-mounted, color-matched front mudguard
- An aluminum sump guard
- Engine bars
- Handguards
- A small flyscreen
Tire size remains the same as the 400 X, while a retro-happy analog speedometer joins the inclusion of an integrated LCD screen, ride-by-wire throttle, switchable traction control, and an off-road ABS mode. Triumph’s logo choice for this model is black – very appropriate, given the retro vibes – and three paint schemes are present for this year: yellow, grey, and white. Like its 400cc siblings, riders can expect the new Triumph Scrambler 400CX to support 10,000-mile service intervals and a two-year unlimited mileage warranty.
For a full dive into the rugged new Triumph Scrambler 400 XC, head over to MCN: