ENGLISH TEXT We asked Alessandro Bonfardini, a legendary figure in the technical department for the development of new specific accessories for motorcycles and scooters, to tell us about the creation of the equipment that GIVI offers for many of the models on the market. When we talk about equipment, we’re talking about the mixture of specific and universal accessories offered for a single motorcycle or scooter model. How many vehicles to date have been “kitted out” with GIVI? It’s impossible to make an accurate guess. I can say that at the moment, there are around 700 motorcycle and scooter models, representing 32 brands, present in the “My Motorcycle” search area of our website. On top of these are the models for which we made accessories at some point during the 45 years of our company’s history, but which are no longer available because their production has ceased. So, I imagine that would make the list much longer. Whatever way you look at it, it’s an enormous number, which presumably makes the work particularly complicated. Absolutely. The specific components, for example the rear and side frames for mounting hard cases, the engine guards and the fairings, must be 100% compatible with the anchor points on the frame of the vehicle. We can’t afford any errors. Let’s start at the beginning: who or what inspires the decision to turn your attention to any given model? My staff and I keep a close eye on launches by motorcycle manufacturers. This task centres around the leading motorcycle trade shows, first and foremost EICMA, where every brand shows off the innovations which will hit the market the following year. That’s when we start drawing up a list of motorcycles and scooters which we see as particularly interesting for our standards, or which are receiving a lot of attention from the press and public. Our search knows no bounds; in fact, we create accessories for almost every type of motorcycles, from maxi-enduro to naked bikes and from tourers to new classics, and even small-displacement scooters. How does the process of designing the accessories go, once the motorcycle or scooter to be worked on has been selected? We have the vehicle brought to the prototype area at our Flero headquarters, and that’s where we start to examine it and to identify the anchor points we’re going to use for our supports. Once we’ve identified the correct position for the cases (side and rear), which also involves taking into account the space needed to travel with a passenger on board, we start producing a prototype of the fixing systems, which are then scanned so the 3D maths can be worked out. For a lot of motorcycle models, other specific LET’S DISCOVER THE WORLD OF GIVI EQUIPMENT accessories are also then designed, like tube engine guards, sump guards, sub-frames for soft bags, fixing systems for fairings, etc. How do you get the vehicles to your prototype area? Through the support of partners or dealerships, or maybe GIVI retailers? Over the years, we’ve built up excellent relationships with a lot of motorcycle dealerships. It’s mostly thanks to their support that we are able to study the models that interest us at our headquarters, just for a few days of course. In any case, we also have other channels we can rely on. Can you clarify the concept of “specific accessories”, as distinct from universal ones, for the readers of our magazine? The two types are intended to work together as part of a single equipment set-up. Cases and top cases are universal, but they require specific fixing systems for each different motorcycle model. The same is true for soft side bags, for which we produce specific stabilising subframes. The Tanklock and TanklockED tank bags adhere to the same philosophy: you can choose any bag from the range, but mounting it to your motorcycle requires a dedicated flange, which is screwed on to the fuel cap. Does the equipment reflect the type of motorcycle? Absolutely. Not just the dedicated accessories, but also specific ranges in terms of the style and materials of hard cases and soft bags. We have an immense wealth of solutions for maxienduros, which are completely in keeping with their owners’ needs. For naked bikes, we design sports fairings and Remove-X (quick-release) sub-frames for the use of soft side bags. For scooters, on the other hand, we offer windscreens, tunnel bags, and “urban” cases with different internal capacities. If you want to see just how vast the equipment options really are, the best thing to do is have a browse through the “My Motorcycle” area. Can you tell us about a piece of equipment that was particularly hard to make? Rather than a particular piece of equipment, I can tell you that designing the attachment for rear fixing systems is often the most demanding part, because they’re located on parts of the frame that are generally concealed by fairings, various coverings or rear handles. Which motorcycle has had the largest number of specific accessories made for it? Probably the BMW R1200GS / R1250GS, for which 28 specific items are available. Transforming a road bike or naked bike into a tourer is a challenge that GIVI has been pursuing basically forever. Can you pick out the motorcycle and the scooter for which this goal has best been achieved? That’s actually a very difficult question to answer. The right answer is subjective, and depends on the specific needs of every user. What I can say though is that the range of options made available by GIVI is so vast that we can satisfy even the most exacting of customers. ALLESTIMENTO COMPLETO PER HONDA CB750 HORNET (23) COMPLETE EQUIPMENT FOR THE HONDA CB750 HORNET (23) 28 Tech
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