Damon Motors Partners With Auteco to Electrify Latin America

Canadian motorcycle maker has announced a new strategic alliance with Colombia-based distributor Auteco Mobility to deliver its line of custom, tech-saturated electric motorcycles to the Latin American market.  

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Damon may still be a small player in the motorcycle industry, but the Vancouver-based company has earned plenty of attention and respect for its emphasis on cutting-edge technology. This includes CoPilot, a 360-degree safety system that keeps the rider informed of impending dangers around the bike, and Shift, an adaptable riding position system. Damon’s approach to the industry is unique, choosing to build motorcycles that are smarter and more tech-rich than anything on the market today. 

The general nature of the partnership is for Auteco, a market-leading importer and manufacturer in Latin America, to lead the development of a sales strategy for Damon in the region. Auteco’s roster includes well-known brands like Kawasaki and Kymco, plus its own Victory brand of motorcycles (not that Victory). With a dozen years of experience selling conventional gas-powered models, Auteco is also considered a market leader in the field of EVs, including scooters and bicycles. 

With more than 800 dealers, 500 service shops and 3,000 parts retailers in the region, Auteco is obviously well-positioned to bring the Damon name into this new market. 

The limited-edition Damon Motors HyperSport Premier.

“Damon and Auteco Mobility jointly believe we need to deliver significantly safer motorcycles, while accelerating a clean energy future,” said Damon’s founder and CEO, Jay Giraud. “With this shared vision of motorcycle electrification, we’re excited to introduce the Damon Experience to this new region and customize our innovation to create the quintessential Latin American Damon motorcycle brand.” 

The joint partnership will also allow Auteco to license aspects of Damon’s CoPilot technology for use on its own line of Victory motorcycles, though it’s not clear if this is going to be limited to future electric models.  

Perhaps the most intriguing part of the agreement is the announcement of a collaboration between the two firms on the creation of a new model catered specifically to the Latin American market. Given the sport-minded nature of the current Damon range, we’re interested to see what that model will look like. However, Auteco’s chairman of the board, Jose Fernando Vasquez Gutierrez, seems to indicate that something akin to Damon’s existing HyperSport models will be a fit in the region. 

“Damon’s high-performance HyperSport has captured the imagination of Latin American riders who crave safer, technologically-advanced, electric motorcycles,” said Gutierrez. “Together with Damon Motors, we look to fulfill this market need and deliver an ultra-premium, North American EV product line for the next-generation of motorcyclists.”