News

Motorcycle.com is saddened to learn of the passing of Jeff Smith, an AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer known for his contributions to motorcycling in both racing and in industry leadership roles. He was 91.

Stage 5 of the Sonora Rally brought a demanding final push through dunes where mistakes proved costly, and with no time left to recover, riders focused on simply finishing after a week of heat, attrition, and navigation challenges. In the end, Ciaran Naran secured the overall moto win, Eric Pucelik and Mike Shirley took the auto victory, and competitors crossed the finish line exhausted but fulfilled—proving that survival itself is one of the rally’s greatest achievements.

Day four of the Sonora Rally pushed riders deep into the brutal Gran Desierto de Altar, where extreme heat, mechanical failures, and navigation challenges thinned the field. With attrition mounting and survival becoming just as critical as speed, competitors returned to La Salina for a rare second night before facing a final stage with no room for error. We’ll continue sharing daily updates as the rally unfolds. Stay tuned.

Day Three of the 2026 Sonora Rally pushed competitors from Caborca to La Salina across the longest and most demanding stage of the week. With 265 kilometers of dunes, desert, and coastal terrain, racers faced a relentless test of endurance, navigation, and survival. We’ll continue sharing daily updates as the rally unfolds. Stay tuned.

Day Two of the 2026 Sonora Rally pushes north from Puerto Libertad to Caborca, delivering a brutal mix of speed, navigation, and punishing desert heat. What began with fast ranch roads quickly turned into a test of precision through dunes, dust, and mechanical attrition, shaking up the standings across multiple classes. We’ll be bringing you daily updates as competitors battle deeper into Sonora. Stay tuned.

If you find yourself near Pickerington, Ohio this September, consider checking out the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

Hot on the tails of our recent RS12 and V03 reviews, Bridgestone expands its participation in the Endurance World Championship. Surely, our coverage had something to do with it. Ha.

Day One of the 2026 Sonora Rally is underway from Puerto Peñasco to Puerto Libertad, marking the explosive start of this year's rally raid. We'll be sharing daily updates as competitors take on the rally. Stay tuned.

MV Agusta is taking steps to ensure spare parts will get to its customers with the help of DHL Supply Chain.

The Bagger World Cup is getting some Italian flavor in the form of the ParkinGO Team and rider Filippo Rovelli.

Friend of MO, Olivier de Vaulx is offering a discount on his excellent photobooks for a limited time.

Earlier this week, KTM announced it is expanding its four-year premium warranty to its entire street bike lineup, regardless of displacement. We didn't expect the comments to blow up as they did, with many citing the Magnuson–Moss Warranty Act prohibiting tying a warranty to dealer service. It should come as no surprise if news of Husqvarna adopting its sister brand's four-year premium warranty will draw a similar response.

Extending a warranty is especially valuable for riders given the high cost of major mechanical repairs. It’s also reassuring to know that the coverage stays with the motorcycle rather than the original owner.

Electric motorcycles continue to impress with Stark Future showcasing the advantage these machines can have over their ICE counterparts in a short-circuit competitive environment.

BMW revealed a new Superhooligan racer based on the R 1300 R, fittingly at Daytona Bike Week, as it is commemorating the 50th anniversary of Steve McLaughlin's win on the R 90 S at the first Superbike race at Daytona.

Yamaha Motor Co. announced it is relocating its U.S. operations from its current location in Cypress, California, to Kennesaw, Georgia. Cypress has been home to the Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. subsidiary since 1979 (a year after Yamaha acquired the land), so this was clearly not a brash decision.

While KTM has provided more details, with the press release below citing the bike can be "determined by numbers," one number remains to be listed: the MSRP. We suppose it's one of those, "if you have to ask," kind of things.

Another day, another recall, and in a troubling trend, yet another recall to correct a problem that was supposed to be fixed in a previous recall. We’ve seen this happen recently with the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R, and again for the Ducati Panigale V4 and Streetfighter V4, with both manufacturers issuing second recalls for the same problem. The latest example is from Harley-Davidson for the 2021-2026 Sportster S to prevent a problem with upper triple clamps cracking.

After nearly three decades of hosting GP races at Philip Island, the circuit will no longer hold the Australian round of the series – at least for the next six years. Starting in 2027, Adelaide, the largest city in South Australia and fifth largest in the country, will host a 2.6-mile city center circuit for the grand prix championship.

Racing legend Chris Carr has been appointed the new Series Director of the Progressive American Flat Track championship. The 2004 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee and seven-time AMA Grand National Champion will oversee all competition-related aspects of Flat Track racing.

Garmin announced the latest version of its zūmo motorcycle GPS, introducing new features including a live lean-angle display and adventure-ready high-definition topographic maps. The Garmin zūmo XT3 will be available at Garmin's official website on February 20 in two sizes. The 6.0-inch version will retail for $600 while the smaller 4.7-inch version will start at $500.

It is with sad hearts that we learn of the passing of George Barber, founder of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer was 85.

MV Agusta released a rather curious press release to reaffirm its commitment to offer a complete electronic package as standard across its entire lineup, without any extra fees. There are some exceptions, however, such as electronic suspension only being available for models designed for it, so "complete" is a relative term. But in those cases, it's the features are included with the MSRP as standard factory equipment.

Earlier this month, a federal judge ordered a sweeping shutdown in the Mojave Desert, closing thousands of miles of trails. Not only is this a major hit for the off-road community, but it sets a precedent for future closures – of which California has seen plenty of in the past decades. Consider taking a look at post below and signing the Blue Ribbon Coalition's appeal to keep trails open for everyone.

Quad Lock and Ducati have teamed up for the Italian marque's centennial.

The American Motorcyclist Association announced an 18-event schedule for the 2026 Beta AMA National Dual Sport series. The schedule opens with the Devil's Creek Dual Sport in Brooksville, Florida, on Feb. 28-March 1, and runs to the LA-Barstow to Vegas on Nov. 27-28.

Investment firm Carolwood LP has officially closed its acquisition of a controlling interest in Indian Motorcycle from Polaris Industries. Terms of the deal were not released, but we expect details to emerge in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the next few days. What we do know is that Polaris will continue to hold a minority stake in Indian, and that the brand contributed about $478 million, or 7.0% of Polaris' revenue for the year ended June 30, 2025.

Ducatisti from around the world will be gathering at the Misano World Circuit, July 3-5, for the 2026 edition of World Ducati Week.

All we have to say is... fashion.

Ducati reported a 7% decrease in motorcycle sales volume in 2025, citing a number of factors including limited availability of several models due to Euro 5+ regulations. Ducati reported sales of 50,895 motorcycles through the year, down from 54,495 motorcycles in 2024.

Dunlop has been named the official tire supplier for the Harley-Davidson Bagger World Cup. Dunlop will provide tires and trackside support for the 12-race, six-round championship.

Steve Wise, AMA Hall of Fame member and one of the most well-rounded motorcycle racers of all time, has passed away at the age of 68.

WP Suspension is expanding its business, moving into producing brake components. The newly formed WP Braking Systems (a.k.a. WP Brakes) will be introducing a range of 19 all-new components, and, like WP Suspension, will likely become the main brake supplier for KTM and its sister brands, Husqvarna and GasGas (WP Suspension is a wholly owned subsidiary of KTM AG).

KTM AG is laying off about 500 employees, mainly from middle management and salaried positions, as the company seeks to reduce fixed costs. According to KTM AG, the company had a headcount of 3,794 employees as of December 31, 2025.

KTM AG continues to strengthen its leadership team, with former BMW Motorrad Vice President Stephan Reiff set to join the company as its new chief commercial officer. Reiff will assume his new role on April1.

Electric motorcycle brand Verge is introducing the world's first solid-state battery designed for production motorcycles. Unlike the mostly lithium-ion batteries with liquid or gel electrolytes currently proliferating the industry, solid-state batteries theoretically hold higher energy densities, can charge at faster rates, and are non-flammable.

KTM's heavyweight ADV models are finally about to land in the U.S., with the 2026 1390 Super Adventure R due to arrive in February, and the 2027 1390 Super Adventure S EVO (which we reviewed just before the holidays) will follow in March.

Motorcycle rights advocate, AMA Hall of Famer, and United States Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell has passed away at the age of 92.

Pierer Mobility (the company soon to be known as Bajaj Mobility) announced it is extending the contract of Chief Executive Officer Gottfried Neumeister through to the end of 2028.

Harley-Davidson announced a series of changes to its executive team. The executive turnover is one of the first public changes the company has made since Artie Starrs stepped into the chief executive officer role on October 1.

Backcountry Discovery Routes is introducing a new four-day 550-mile loop in Northern California. Dubbed the Lost Coast BDR-X, the route is designed for a wide range of skill levels, taking them through dramatic ocean vistas, mountain towns, and redwood groves.

Harley-Davidson announced more than $600,000 in contingency program cash awards supporting MotoAmerica and American Flat Track racers in the 2026 season.

The fifth generation of Ducati Monsters is officially here, with the first production models now rolling off the assembly line at Borno Panigale, Italy.

Dainese is donating a special Demone GP D-air 3X racing leather and AGV Pista GP RR helmet customized for Valentino Rossi to raise money for the UNICEF Road Safety Program. The custom kit is the first in a limited run of 46 featuring a special black and gold graphic scheme with the nine-time World Champion's iconic "Soleluna" sun and moon graphic in celebration of Rossi's 46th birthday.

Indian Motorcycle announced a new multi-year partnership with the Vance & Hines Motorsports team to compete in the MotoAmerica King of the Baggers series.

Triumph announced its entry into the inaurgural World Sportbike Championship, providing factory support to the PHR Performance team and the Daytona 660.

Friend of MO and photog extraordinaire, Olivier de Vaulx has produced his second adventure motorcycle-focused photobook, and this time it's all about The North. Replete with world-class photography aimed at inspiring riders to get out and explore, Olivier brings the feeling of adventure off the pages and to another level through his work after spending 9,000+ miles riding solo through Canada and Alaska. Pre-orders are open now, just in time for the holidays.

Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. has announced that its in-house Kawasaki Performance Oils brand will be bringing a new 4-stroke synthetic racing oil to market. The KPO Full Synthetic SAE 10W-40 4-Stroke Racing Oil is a triple-synthetic blend designed for high-performance applications and said to offer enhanced thermal efficiency, improved component longevity, and provide greater sheer resistance under extreme loads. As we round the bend toward the Thanksgiving holiday, we'd like to remind everyone that oil-related opinions shouldn't be discussed at the table, as the holidays should be a joyous occasion instead of one filled with strife.

Arai revealed its latest Isle of Man TT-themed helmet, the 17th special edition helmet from its partnership with the legendary island race.

Schuberth has announced two new helmets: The Schuberth S3 Carbon and Schuberth C5 ANC.

With the YZF-R7 getting updated for 2026, it comes as no surprise, then, that Yamaha Motor Europe will be entering the R7 into the inaugural FIM World Sportbike World Championship.