Slaw Dog
If case you doggies didn’t notice, WE have a sponsor for this post now. That’s right, MotoSport.com has jumped onboard for this weekly masterpiece. If you want to save some money, click this link and shop and get FREE tubes with a Michelin Starcross 5 Tire Combos.
Monster, Slaying
2020 was not a great year for many. You know, killer bees and all. One company that seems to be doing okay is Monster—which title sponsors Supercross and a bunch of teams and riders and a lot of action sport stars and on and on and on. I think they even sponsor Ping Pong, but I can’t be sure.
According to Front Office Sports, Monster last week announced record net sales of $1.2 billion in Q4, up 17.6% year-over-year. Yeah, doggies, that’s a lot of Slay videos that can be made!
In addition, according to the report, “As of Dec. 31, 2020, Monster Beverage is holding $1.18 billion in cash and cash equivalents, along with $881.4 million in short-term investments, and $44.3 million in long-term investments.”
That’s a LOT of money to play with!
Viewing Selling Churros
Slaw is a big fan of The Viewing. Punk rock, moto, beers, all things Slaw is a fan of and The Viewing is as well. In their latest video, Darryn Durham and Patrick Evans set up a business with sweet and delicious treats they are calling “The Best Churros North of the Border.” I mean, not as good as a classic Slaw Dog, but hey, to each their own.
KTM, Honda, Yamaha and Piaggio Coming Together
A bunch of interesting emails hit Slaw’s inbox yesterday, as Honda, KTM, Yamaha and Piaggio announced a letter of intent to set up a Swappable Batteries Consortium for Motorcycles and Light Electric Vehicles.
Being honest, I don’t really know what this means going forward, so yeah, sounds cool and all.
Here is more from the KTM press release:
In the context of the Paris Climate Agreement and the development of electromobility, the founding members of the consortium believe that the availability of a standardized swappable battery system would both promote the widespread use of light electric vehicles and contribute to a more sustainable life-cycle management of batteries used in the transport sector.
Also, by extending the range, shortening the charging time and lowering vehicle and infrastructure costs, the manufacturers will try to answer to customers’ main concerns regarding the future of electromobility.
The aim of the Consortium will, therefore, be to define the standardized technical specifications of the swappable battery system for vehicles belonging to the L-category: mopeds, motorcycles, tricycles and quadricycles. By working closely with interested stakeholders and National, European and International standardization bodies, the founding members of the Consortium will be involved in the creation of international technical standards.
The Consortium will start its activity in May 2021. The four founding members encourage all interested stakeholders to join the cooperation to enrich the consortium’s expertise.
Stefan Pierer, KTM AG CEO: “Sustainability is one of the key drivers to the future of mobility and electrification will play a major role in achieving this goal. For powered two-wheelers the constraints of electric drivetrains regarding range, charging time and initial cost are still evident. To overcome these challenges and provide a better customer experience, a swappable battery system based on international technical standards will become a viable solution. Considering the entire lifecycle, a widespread application of batteries compliant with a common standard will support secondary use as well as circular economy. We are glad to be part of the Consortium as we strive towards our goals in the e-mobility sector.”
KTM has been a part of the electric two-wheeler industry from the very get-go and has developed key products in the electric segment in its drive for innovation, while encouraging new entrants to motorcycling and also helping to grow the next generation of riders.
JS7 Spring Championship Throwback
In case you haven’t noticed, the JS7 Freestone Spring Championship is coming to Freestone March 15-19. Chili is bringing, like, 14 video cameras, a baby, some hot dogs and a whole crew of dudes. Want some amateur motocross coverage again on a real scale? We’re bringing it. For now, check out this throwback to the JS7 Spring Championship in 2016. You’ll probably remember some of these names!
