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New York, NY (February 13, 2026) - Following North America's only MotoGP Round at Circuit of the Americas, Aprilia returns to Austin to host Aprilia Racers Days at COTA, taking place Monday, March 30th, and Tuesday, March 31st, 2026 - delivering an unmatched post-race riding experience at one of the most iconic circuits in the world.

Watch your heroes race on Sunday, then join them on track Monday!

Monday, March 30th will be an exclusive VIP experience, featuring invited guests, special access, and the presence of Aprilia MotoGP riders and members of Aprilia Racing and Trackhouse MotoGP Team. This intimate day is designed to bring participants closer than ever to the passion, performance, and people behind Aprilia's racing DNA.

Set within the MotoGP race garages, Aprilia Racers Days at COTA offers a truly unheard-of environment. Rider groups are limited to just 45 participants, maximizing track time, exclusivity, and the adrenaline that comes from riding the Circuit of the Americas immediately following MotoGP race weekend. As always, each ticket includes complimentary professional photography and lunch, along with the opportunity to ride select models from the 2026 Aprilia lineup on track. This is more than a track day - it's a rare opportunity to ride, connect, and experience Aprilia in its element.

Event Details - VIP Experience (Monday, 3/30)

● Price: $1,500

● Aprilia Racing Team in Attendance

● VIP Guests

● On-Site Coaching

● Communal Garages (first come, first served)

● 1 Demo Ride Per Guest

● Complimentary Lunch

● Complimentary Photography

● Aprilia Gift Bag Including Commemorative T-Shirt

Event Details - Standard ARD Ticket (Tuesday, 3/31)

● Price: $850

● Communal Garages

● 1 Demo Ride Per Guest

● Complimentary Lunch

● Complimentary Photography

More Than Just a Ride - An Unmatched Experience

Aprilia Racers Days is about more than just riding - it's about precision, passion, and performance. With expert coaching, professional photography, and direct support from Aprilia-trained technicians and brand representatives, every rider gets an immersive and tailored experience. Enthusiasts can ride the full Aprilia street lineup, including the RSV4, Tuono V4, RS 660, Tuono 660, and RS 457 or bring their own motorcycles for additional track time in skill-based riding groups.

Sign Up for the Aprilia Racers Days Experience.

Aprilia Racers Days at Circuit of the Americas 2026 is an unmissable event for riders looking to elevate their skills and experience the thrill of Aprilia's high-performance motorcycles. Spaces are limited, so secure your spot today!

For registration and more details, visit: https://aprilia.ticketspice.com/cota-2026

For any additional questions, please contact marketing@us.piaggio.com.

Aprilia Racers Days events will be supported directly by Aprilia trained technicians and product specialists, as well as partners Pirelli, Dainese and AGV to offer the best on track experience with expert advice, performance and protection. The cost of participation in the events will not only qualify for an incredible track day experience with your existing motorcycle, but also include a VIP Aprilia Racers Days package, with ability to demo a new Aprilia for one of the track day sessions, equipped with Pirelli performance tires. Additionally, activities will include coaching, event photography, and an included lunch.

The post Aprilia Racers Days Returns to COTA for Two-Day Event appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

As I wrote about KTM, it is sometimes hard to see what has changed for some parts and on some bikes. This is especially true for Honda, where the riders told us they have tested a lot of parts to improve the bike. Yet comparing pictures I took at Sepang (in hindsight, woefully few) with the photos from the Valencia test and the Portimão round, it is hard to see much difference.

On the one hand, that is not surprising, given that the one thing that we know the Honda riders were focused on was on ensuring the engine was right. Honda moves from Category D last year to Category C in 2026, which means they have to homologate an engine design at Buriram and then use that design for the rest of the season. So a lot of the work done at Sepang was about validating the engine, checking power delivery and engine character, and making sure it will remain in one piece throughout the season.

• Read more about Sepang MotoGP Test Analysis, Part 4: A Photo Essay Deep Dive Into Honda - Closing In On The Top
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By Adam Wheeler. Photos by Aprilia Racing.

Wooden legs, marriages to motorcycles, VR46 affinity, and a laconic and often flippant approach to the non-racing component of being a MotoGP winner: Marco Bezzecchi is certainly one of a kind on the grid and has been so for the majority of his four-season tenure in the premier class. The fresh unignorable truth is that the 27-year-old must be considered as a viable championship threat in 2026.

Aside from a brief flurry of results at the beginning (two wins and three podium appearances in the first five rounds) and then the middle (one win and four podiums from six outings) of his second MotoGP season in 2023, the Italian sizzled through his hottest streak to-date in the second half of 2025. His first campaign on the works Aprilia RS-GP ended with a second career bronze medal in the standings. He only missed the rostrum four times from R10 onwards and tallied three wins in total; two coming at the final dates in Portugal and Valencia.

Yes, those successes came after he'd punted Marc Marquez off the track and into surgery at the Indonesian Grand Prix for round 18 of 22. He also profited from Aprilia's unflinching attention for the majority of 2025 due to the misfortunes and travails of teammate Jorge Martin. But there is little doubt that Bezzecchi was able to mobilize the environment he found in Noale (200km north of his home on the Rimini coast) and could harness the strengths of the Aprilia once the team had worked through issues of stability, qualifying speed and rear grip. The factory subsequently rose to second place in the Constructors Standings for the first time.

Late 2025, Bezzecchi was formidable. How much of that potential can run in 2026? "The target is to try to start in a good way," he admitted at the Aprilia Racing team launch in Milan during mid-January. "That is what we missed last year. it could be fantastic to try to start in a competitive way, fighting for top fives, top three. Then after a couple of races, we can set a clear[er] target."

The opening laps of 2026 have been logged already, and the mood has remained chipper as Bezz headed the third and final day of testing at the Sepang International Circuit and was 2nd on overall fastest times. The Sepang test comes with a big asterisk. It is usually a trial period for new ideas and solutions and the track conditions are normally very favourable for grip.

"You really need to be super-focused, and you really need to try to feel everything from the bike and try to be precise on the comments because the track is very good," he told the media in Malaysia. "The pace is very strong compared to the race. It's much, much faster." Bezzecchi could only rank 11th at the Malaysian Grand Prix in October as the Aprilia struggled to utilise effective rear traction at the 20th race of the year. It was his worst score since the wet French Grand Prix at Le Mans back in May. "It's not super-easy…" he added on the nature of the work at the Sepang test, "but it's also super-nice to ride in the track like this."

Bezzecchi has 1 brand, 1 countryman and 1 family to worry about in 2026: small numbers but big obstacles. He also must crack the conundrum of extending his form throughout a nine month, 22-GP and 44 race weekend haul. Here's why he might scale the pole and become the first MotoGP #1 not to have won a championship in other categories since Fabio Quartararo in 2021.

1. Aprilia is ready?

It has taken half a decade since their first premier class podium in the MotoGP era in 2021 but Aprilia have moulded the RS-GP to be a bona fide championship foil for what will be the bike's last roll of the dice. Aprilia is the only constructor aside from Ducati to have won at least one Grand Prix every season since 2022 (the year of their first triumph) and under Massimo Rivola's stewardship and with the influence of former Ducati and KTM Technical Director Fabiano Sterlacchini (who replaced HRC-bound Romano Albesiano) for 2025 the Piaggio Group-owned brand has been creeping closer and closer.

2025 was a disaster for their project with Jorge Martin, but the fact that the firm tempted the 2024 champion away from Ducati stock in the first place was already testament to how they have been progressing in the last 24 months.

Aprilia won four Grands Prix with two different riders in 2025 despite the setback with Martin and all the disruptive speculation of the-then champion's future and status with the factory team. The Spaniard's absence thrust Bezzecchi into the fore and for a campaign where he had to prove his capability, not only as a racer but also a rider who could develop a prototype and lead a factory: roles he never had to face from the comfy confines of the Ducati-shod VR46 set-up from 2022-2024 (and where his credentials had diminished after a poor '24 with just one 3rd place finish to his credit and sliding from 3rd to 12th in the points table).

Bezz found a tight, family-esque nest that had worked effectively for Maverick Viñales. It was an extension of what he had/has at Valentino Rossi's squad and setup. "I have to be honest, it's cool because I have nice people around me in the team. But also at home, with the staff from the academy, my friends. And for the moment, I feel good," he said in Milan. The bonhomie means that he was the first rider in 2026 to confirm his future for the next two-year cycle of MotoGP. "In my mind, when I signed for Aprilia, I wanted to create a relationship. To try to be a rider for them for many years; this was my idea," he said after the 'wedding' on the eve of the Sepang test.

"It takes pressure off Marco, and that was the priority," Rivola commented on the contract extension in Malaysia. "It was our priority to continue with Marco, because we saw his commitment: there was something special. And also in his way of working. We get along quite good together."

Positive vibes in 2025 and then into 2026 led to conviction for another two years. Which, for all the camaraderie (that can be so temporal if results do not flow), means Bezzecchi is also assured by Aprilia's technical nuance. Sterlacchini's last crack with the current RS-GP means the race department have prioritised electronics and aerodynamics this year. The Italian described his thought process at the official launch. "What we want in terms of aerodynamics is to 'stretch the cover'," he said. "So, to obtain better efficiency, so you can generate better aerodynamic forces that are productive for performance. But you don't have the drawback that you have to 'pay' to have this benefit." This refinement could well be on-point thanks to the fruits of what both he and Rivola explained as the maturation of the technical crew. "You have to create a group of people that are working together to try to create in the fastest way possible solutions. Solution to the problem or solution to improve performance," he stated.

Since 2022 Aprilia have been fast, but also a little ragged in terms of consistency and durability. The overseas GPs in particular have been grim, with just one podium finish by Viñales coming in 2023 before the Phillip Island breakthrough five months ago. If both factory and rider can elevate for 2026 then they will undoubtedly be a sharper foe for the Ducati hoards. "Expectation normally is the one that kills us," Rivola said with a smile in Milan. "I'm very curious to see Marco…we need to manage that. Obviously, the expectation is high for the championship."

2. Marco is ready?

The ability was without question but there were rational doubts about Bezzecchi's attitude and aptitude to front an expensive and high-profile works effort early last year. 2024 had been horrific: only four top five results was not an impressive return for a rider of his ilk as he struggled to find the narrow window on the Ducati GP23. Marco earned props for breaking away from VR46 and seeking personal and external re-evaluation in black: new bike, new team, new culture. "It was a possibility for me to try to use this opportunity as a first-time factory rider," he reflected last month.

Martin-less, things look acceptable (two 6th positions in the first three rounds) but he kicked on from the Jerez test after round five; both as an Aprilia employee and a MotoGP protagonist. "I didn't become a leader, I just tried to be myself and I just tried to push everyone to reach what was not only my target, but also the target of the team," he said, before adding with typical nonchalance: "then, the rest came, how do you say, naturally."

Bezzecchi went from 'B rider' to 'A' by default but then 'earned the part'. "I learned a lot in how I feel the modification on the bike every time," he admitted. "Basically, in MotoGP, I think that you always have to make steps day-by-day. You can never stop, and this is what the factory is trying to do, and also what I'm trying to do in all the areas that I can. So physically and in terms of skills during the riding and in terms of also mentality."

The steps and improvements were transparent. The results came. But he was also smoothing the rough edges. Take qualifying as an example. He needed the first nine Grands Prix to reach the second row of the grid, and was then 1st or 2nd in Q2 five times from the final seven events.

Bezzecchi looked more comfortable as a Grand Prix winner. There was an aura of dependability about his presence. Although his capacity to effectively cope with the extra attention, all the requests and the scrutiny was harder to gauge. "In our sport, the pressure is always there, because when you are slow, you have the pressure to go home. And when you are fast, you have the pressure to try to win," he mused at the 2026 team presentation. "At the moment, I'm facing everything with positivity and try to use this as an advantage. I know it will not be easy. There will be some moments where maybe we will struggle a bit, but it's part of the process, it's part of the game."

Personally, I am fascinated to see how Bezzecchi deals with the possible status as a championship leader. He adopts the jokey and sometimes dismissive demeanour of his mentor at VR46 but the time could swiftly arrive when Marco has to step-up from being a character actor to a movie lead. Does he have the personality and 'tools' at his disposal to engage and inspire? To make an impact? Or will he be a champion 'blip' in the annals of the series?

3. Are the others ready?

Ducati. Marc Marquez. Alex Marquez. And a simmering Pecco Bagnaia (who might potentially be Bezzecchi's teammate for 2027). Four principal hurdles to the objective. Marc, six years younger than Marco, sets the bar and is a year entrenched with the best team and on the best bike. The only nagging slither of doubt is his fitness and the chance of another injury during the season that could cost the Catalan points or appearances. Bezzecchi's closest face-off with a prime Marquez came at the 2025 San Marino Grand Prix where only a mistake into Quercia halfway through the 27 laps cost him the lead and a chance of the win…but he ended-up only half a second behind the champion-elect at Misano.

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Bezzecchi might feel he has the match of Alex and despatched the younger Marquez without issue at the season-closing Valencian Grand Prix, but a resurgent Bagnaia could be a harder test as the Aprilia man will be all too aware of his friend's possibilities. Bezz can also turn into the VR46 enclave for insight when it's needed; Valentino also rallied against some fiery rivals with aplomb.

In truth - for the next few months at least - MotoGP needs a defiant and geared-up Marco Bezzecchi. A disruptor to 'MarquezGP' and the Ducati dominion. He'll gain extra fans and support purely by being 'the most likely one'. Overall, it is a warm, shiny stage of opportunity. "We can only work on our bikes, on ourselves, not on the others," Rivola summarised in Malaysia. "Honestly, I think it's going to be quite an interesting championship. Again, with someone leading - that is still the same - but we will stay in the slipstream."

B2B News | Stark Future has begun 2026 with significant acceleration, delivering more than 200% year-on-year growth in January. Tripling sales in a softer overall market underscores sustained demand for high-performance electric motorcycles and growing confidence among customers, dealers, suppliers, and financial partners. Recent international podium finishes further validate the reliability and performance of Stark's electric platform under world-class racing conditions, reinforcing the company's strong commercial trajectory.

The start to 2026 reflects not only demand strength, but a more mature operating foundation. Over recent months, Stark has sharpened execution across the organisation, building clearer operating rhythms with suppliers and dealers while intensifying its focus on unit economics. Targeted capital expenditure has been deployed across manufacturing, quality control, and diagnostics, including line balancing, end-of-line test automation, and app-enabled service tools , all designed to increase throughput, improve first-fix rates, and deliver a more predictable production cadence.

"January's 3x year-on-year growth reflects both healthy demand and the operational performance we have built into the company," said Anton Wass, CEO and Founder of Stark Future. "In 2026, our focus is controlled growth, operational excellence, and long-term platform innovation. We are investing heavily in R&D to expand into the large street motorcycle categories, while strengthening our supply chain to further improve margins and build a more predictable, scalable business for riders, dealers, and stakeholders."

Stark continues to advance motorcycle-specific cell formats and battery pack architectures for future platforms, enhancing performance, range, and cost efficiency. A multi-sourcing strategy across strategic components has further strengthened supply resilience, stabilised lead times, and supported margin discipline as volumes scale.

To accelerate innovation and support its product roadmap, the company has approved a €36 million CAPEX programme for motorcycle R&D in 2026. The investment is primarily focused on new street motorcycle platforms, including the development of next-generation, high-performance electric powertrains and the advanced test-and-measurement infrastructure required to bring technologies from prototype to series production. Where necessary, Stark has also adapted logistics and sourcing strategies to navigate evolving global trade conditions without compromising quality, compliance, or performance.

All images © Stark Future

Earlier this year, THE PACK reported on the bankruptcy of Swedish electric motorcycle manufacturer RGNT. Shortly after publication, CEO Jonathan Åström informed us that discussions were underway to reboot the brand. With respect for the brand and in the interest of the electric motorcycle industry, we agreed on the request to pause this publication while efforts to secure new backing were ongoing. With the relaunch now formally confirmed, RGNT is once again restarting operations under a new entity formed by its existing team.

Swedish electric motorcycle manufacturer RGNT is resuming operations after its core assets were acquired by a new entity formed by the existing team. The move follows the January 20, 2026 bankruptcy filing of RGNT Reborn AB, which the company says was primarily triggered by a serious breach of contract by a former logistics partner that disrupted operations and cash flow.

According to CEO Jonathan Åström, the acquisition includes RGNT's intellectual property, tooling, remaining inventory and the full team behind the brand. The company states that this structure ensures business continuity, with the same design philosophy and production approach remaining in place.

RGNT confirmed that all existing warranties on its Turbo models will remain valid and honoured without interruption. Open orders for the Street Classic are secured and will be fulfilled according to the original schedule.

The company also noted that approximately 30 units of the RGNT Turbo remain available for sale in 2026. Once this inventory is sold out, the focus will shift fully to production and customer deliveries of the Street Classic, which are scheduled to begin in Q4 2026.

The remainder of 2026 will be dedicated to finalising development, certification, homologation and production ramp-up of the Street Classic, positioned as RGNT's flagship model combining Scandinavian design with modern electric performance.

In a statement, Åström said the company is "deeply thankful for the unwavering support from our community, dealers, suppliers and customers throughout this transition."

The relaunch marks yet another chapter for the Gothenburg-based electric motorcycle maker, which has now undergone restructuring more than once as it navigates the challenging landscape of premium electric two-wheeler manufacturing.

Two days of testing - hopefully in good weather - take place at the iconic Phillip Island circuit ahead of Round 1 of the 2026 season

Two days of testing are split into sessions for the WorldSBK and WorldSSP fields, giving them plenty of track time ahead of the season opener

The star factory Ducati rider arrives in Australia with a new bike and renewed fire to claim his first World Championship

Astro-JJR HIPPO Suzuki and MAR Performance Moto combine for the 2026 Daytona 200 with Carl Soltisz, of Super Carl Racing, piloting the team's Suzuki GSXR-750.

"Continuing the relationship that took current British Supersport Champion Rhys Irwin and former Australian Supersport Champion Tom Toparis to Daytona in previous years, we are again joining forces to provide Carl a platform to showcase his talent and commitment to a wide audience," said team owner Stuart Tromans. "We hope this will lead to further opportunities both in the USA and further afield here in the UK.

"The team has enjoyed considerable success with 2 x Daytona participant Harry Truelove and current British Champion Rhys Irwin as well as the much-missed former MotoAmerica rider Shane Richardson who we sadly lost in 2025. We hope Carl's experience and meticulous working practices along with a first-class racing pedigree and attitude will bring a valuable contribution to this HIPPO supported venture."

Rider Carl Soltisz added "I am super excited to team up with the Astro MAR Performance HIPPO Suzuki team for the 84th running of the iconic Daytona 200. Malcom Ashley and I talked during the off-season and developed a great working relationship after discovering that we shared similar racing ambitions and goals.

"Having raced every Daytona 200 since 2015, and recently notching a personal best 11th-place finish in 2025 while riding with a broken arm, I feel I bring crucial Daytona experience, knowledge, and strategy to the party. Combined with the team's own Daytona experience and their tremendous achievements in the British Championship over the years, I think we have a great opportunity to score our best Daytona 200 finish yet. Now that we have teamed up I am looking forward to taking on this challenge."

MAR is owned and run by Malcom Ashley, a former BSB Superbike rider who now owns and operates MAR Performance MOTO specializing in GSX-R preparation.

ASTRO-JJR HIPPO Suzuki is a front-running British Supersport team that has since 2022 been instrumental in the development of the Supersport Next Gen category in the UK and abroad with development taking place in the USA and Australia alongside the UK team.

Super Carl Racing is the race team owned and operated by rider/engineer "Super" Carl Soltisz. It is a top-10 MotoAmerica Supersport team that has been competing in the series since its start in 2015. For more information, visit www.carlsoltisz.com.

The post Daytona 200: Carl Soltisz On Astro-JJR HIPPO & MAR Suzuki appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

After multiple championship-winning seasons in MotoAmerica's Supersport class, Strack Racing Yamaha is taking a big step forward by entering the Superbike Championship in 2026 alongside their continuation in Supersport. The move marks the next phase in the team's long-term growth at the national level.

Two-time, back-to-back Supersport Champion Mathew Scholtz will set aside his #1 Strack Racing Yamaha YZF-R9 and swing his leg over the brand-new #11 Strack Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbike. For Scholtz, he returns to MotoAmerica's premier class where he previously notched five Superbike wins prior to joining Strack Racing in 2024. The South African brings championship momentum and continuity as the team expands into MotoAmerica's premier race class.

Also continuing with Strack Racing Yamaha is Scholtz's Supersport teammate from the past year, Blake Davis. The 19-year-old from Virginia finished third in the 2025 Supersport standings and, with both season champion Scholtz and runner-up PJ Jacobsen moving up to Superbike, Davis is the odds-on favorite to make it three years in a row for Strack Racing Yamaha to win the Supersport crown.

Davis will be back aboard the #22 Strack Racing Yamaha YZF-R9 as he and the team continue to develop the Supersport Next Generation machine.

With Scholtz in Superbike and Davis continuing in Supersport, Strack Racing Yamaha will work in close technical alignment with Attack Performance, strengthening the Superbike program while maintaining championship-level performance across both race classes.

Commenting on his team's 2026 racing plans, Strack Racing Yamaha's team owner Peter Strack said, "Supersport enabled us to build a championship foundation, and that didn't happen easily—it was deliberate and strategic. With Yamaha and Attack Performance aligned with us technically, we're confident about stepping into Superbike while continuing to compete at the front of a stacked Supersport field."

About continuing with Strack Racing Yamaha and moving back up to Superbike, Scholtz said, "Coming back to Superbike with Strack Racing Yamaha feels like the right move at the right time for me. What we've built together in Supersport gives us a strong foundation, and I'm excited to take that momentum back into the premier class with a team I trust."

Davis had this to say about his second year with Strack Racing Yamaha and his plans to keep the Supersport title in the team: "I'm excited to continue with Strack Racing Yamaha and build on what we started last season. The Supersport class is stacked, and my goal is to be fighting for wins every race while continuing to develop the R9 with the team."

Commenting on the continued partnership, Yamaha Racing's Assistant Department Manager for YMUS Jeff Sidlovsky said, "Yamaha Racing is proud to support Strack Racing stepping up to the Superbike class with Mathew Scholtz, and continuing to build on their championship foundation in the Supersport class with Blake Davis. The team's commitment to excellence is evident, and Mathew, Blake, and the team continue to grow. We value the collaboration between Strack Racing and Attack Performance as this strengthens the bonds between our racing partners, elevates the Yamaha brand, and promotes the strength of the YZF-R1 and YZF-R9."

The post MotoAmerica: Strack Steps Up To Superbike appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

A delve into a few notable topics ahead of MotoGP landing in Thailand for Round 1 of what's set to be another compelling campaign.

Here we go then. The Sepang Shakedown and Official Test kicked off proceedings as another MotoGP season bursts into life, with 2026 the last of its kind before a new era begins in 2027.

With the opening Grand Prix of the year in Thailand now rapidly approaching, what's to know ahead of another stint of enjoying the most exciting sport on earth? If you're a familiar face around here, then you'll have a very good idea already. But, if you're a new fan (welcome, first and foremost), then this should give you a good leg up as we strap in for MotoGP to go racing in 2026.

• Chasing the eighth

Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team), having completed the greatest sporting comeback in 2025, now sets out to clinch an eighth MotoGP World Championship title in 2026.

And despite undergoing another winter of rehabilitation following the shoulder injury sustained in October's Indonesian Grand Prix, the #93 will land at the Thai Grand Prix as the rider to beat. After all, Marc Marquez lines up on the grid at Round 1 as the reigning World Champion for the first time since 2020. The target will be on his back, with the numerous chasers setting out to try and beat one of the greatest motorcycle racers of all time. A tough ask.

• A quintet of MotoGP World Champions

It's not just the 73-time MotoGP winner who knows how to climb to MotoGP's summit and conquer the world. Marc Marquez is joined on the 2026 grid, as he was last season, by four other MotoGP Champions. 2024 king Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing), 2023 and 2022 number one Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), 2021 ruler Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), and 2020 master Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol) have all tasted title-winning success between Marquez's last two championship wins in 2019 and 2025.

Will a new name be added to that illustrious list in 2026?

• The arrival of Toprak

Another name who is well known for World Championship title victories is MotoGP rookie Toprak Razgatlioglu. The three-time WorldSBK champion links up with Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP in 2026 and is set to become the first Turkish rider to compete in MotoGP, and while a title victory isn't likely to come this season, Razgatlioglu's arrival into the Grand Prix paddock is properly exciting. The #07 is without doubt one of the most talented motorcycle riders on the planet, so once he's in his groove, expect fireworks from the 29-year-old.

• Bem-vindo de volta, Brasil!

While we welcome our first-ever Turkish MotoGP rider to the grid, we also get ready to witness Brazil's Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) enter the fray. The 2025 Moto2 World Champion became the first from his country to win a Grand Prix title last season, as Moreira picks up the baton left by our last Brazilian rider Alex Barros, who last raced in MotoGP back in 2007.

Oh, and what about that for timing? Because Round 2 takes us back to Brazil for the first time since 1992, and back to Goiânia for the first time since 1989.

• Hunting a debut victory

Five riders on the 2026 grid are all dreaming of clinching their first MotoGP win this season. There's of course our two rookies, Razgatlioglu and Moreira. Then there's 2024 Moto2 World Champion Ai Ogura (Trackhouse MotoGP Team), Honda HRC Castrol's Luca Marini, and the one most will be talking about… Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).

Is 2026 the year Acosta finally clinches his maiden MotoGP win? The Spaniard is a 10-time podium finisher in the class and finished P4 in the Championship in 2025, and having risen through the ranks as a leading star, Acosta will want nothing more than to collect a Sunday 25-point haul.

• Awakening sleeping giants

Honda HRC Castrol are hunting their first victory in five long years. And after Mir was able to climb onto the podium twice in the last six races, coupled with a positive pre-season, HRC are becoming a force once again.

Then there's Yamaha. There may have been a hiccup or two in pre-season, but the Iwata marque are now armed with a bold new V4 engine. A mammoth task still lies ahead in what is a huge change in philosophy for the Japanese manufacturer, but the foundations for success are being laid.

• The last dance of MotoGP's 1000cc era

Contracts expiring, new regulations looming. There's an almighty shake up coming for 2027 and already, things are getting very, very interesting. Big name moves. Shocks on the cards. Keep your eyes firmly fixed on what's about to unfold both on and off track in MotoGP.

The post MotoGP: Key Things to Know Ahead of the Thailand Opener appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

We're excited to announce that CVMA Round 5 will be streamed live!

• Round 5 Saturday:

https://youtube.com/live/2OyJEQLKSVo?feature=share

• Round 5 Sunday:

https://youtube.com/live/FUmQ9ZylrDM?feature=share

Subscribe to the 951 Live YouTube Channel to get notified as soon as we go live. And please encourage your friends, family, and motorcycle racing fans to subscribe and tune in for most races.

The post CVMA: Round 5 Will Be Streamed Live appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. (YMUS) has announced its official, factory-supported teams for the 2026 MotoAmerica season, and four teams go to the fore, including Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing, Strack Racing Yamaha, Liberty Yamaha Racing, and Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing.

"Yamaha Racing is pleased to announce our official teams for the 2026 MotoAmerica season," commented Jeff Sidlovsky, Yamaha Racing Assistant Department Manager for YMUS. "We're proud to continue our partnerships with a strong group of teams competing across four MotoAmerica classes, showcasing the strength of the YZF-R1, YZF-R9, and YZF-R7. We're also excited to continue our involvement in the MotoAmerica Talent Cup, a series that aligns well with our BLU CRU initiative by developing young riders and creating a pathway to the highest levels of competition. With a great rider lineup that blends emerging talent and championship-proven experience, we're looking forward to an exciting 2026 MotoAmerica season."

Entering its seventh season as an official YMUS Superbike team, Attack Performance Progressive Yamaha Racing will feature a strong, two-rider lineup that includes incumbent Bobby Fong and returning fan favorite JD Beach, who will both be aboard Yamaha YZF-R1 Superbikes.

Fong is coming off a standout debut season with the team. Earning six Superbike victories and finishing third in the standings last year, he looks to contend for another championship in 2026. Joining the team this year is Beach, who returns to Yamaha where he has enjoyed a lot of success in both road racing and flat track, including two MotoAmerica Supersport Championships and two Superbike victories.

Strack Racing Yamaha returns for 2026 with its championship-proven, tandem of Mathew Scholtz and Blake Davis. In addition to making another run at a MotoAmerica Supersport title, the team will expand its efforts to Superbike. Following a highly successful two-year campaign with the team that yielded 19 wins and 31 podiums en route to back-to-back Supersport titles, Scholtz will head the team's efforts in Superbike. Before his tenure with the team, the South African enjoyed success aboard the Yamaha YZF-R1, including five Superbike victories and the 2017 MotoAmerica Superstock 1000 Championship.

Davis returns for his second season with Strack Racing Yamaha to lead the team's Supersport title defense and continue the development of Yamaha's YZF-R9 next-generation Supersport platform. The 2022 and 2023 Twins Cup Champion earned three wins and 10 podiums last season, finishing third in the championship aboard his #22 R9.  

Also competing for top honors in MotoAmerica Supersport is Liberty Yamaha Racing, formerly known as Giaccmoto Yamaha Racing. Liberty St. Development returns for a second year to support the program and assumes title sponsorship for the 2026 season. Dominic Doyle returns to lead the team aboard the Liberty Yamaha YZF-R9. The 24-year-old South African brings multiple wins across MotoAmerica support classes and was the 2020 Junior Cup Championship runner-up. Following strong results in Twins Cup and the Super Hooligan National Championship over the past few seasons, Doyle is poised to challenge for Supersport victories in 2026.

Yamaha BLU CRU Estenson Racing returns in 2026 with an expanded, two-class effort in Twins Cup and Talent Cup. Already a championship-proven program as an official YMUS American Flat Track team, Estenson Racing became an official YMUS MotoAmerica Talent Cup team in 2025. Sam Drane returns to the team after an impressive rookie season in the series, finishing third overall in the inaugural Talent Cup Championship. The young Australian earned one victory and nine podiums across seven rounds and now sets his sights on the Talent Cup title, while also making his Twins Cup debut aboard the Yamaha YZF-R7.

For more racing news, click here: https://www.yamahamotorsports.com/racing

The post MotoAmerica: Yamaha Announces Official Teams for 2026 appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

LapSnap Acquired by American Interests, Establishes U.S.-Based Company Focused on Data-Driven Motorsports Performance

LapSnap Inc., a newly incorporated American company, has acquired the LapSnap motorsports telemetry analysis app. The acquisition formalizes the app's transition into a U.S.-based company and marks a renewed commitment to helping track enthusiasts turn raw telemetry data into real lap time improvements.

LapSnap eliminates the guesswork traditionally associated with motorsports data analysis. The app presents telemetry in a clear, actionable way, allowing riders to quickly identify where lap time is gained or lost and how to improve their performance.

"Most people using lap timer systems never take the time to look at the data they are collecting," said a spokesperson for LapSnap. "LapSnap bridges that gap by allowing you to download data from your lap timer directly to your phone or tablet. The software makes it understandable, practical, and immediately useful—-so users can see how to improve their technique."

Used by track-day goers, racers, and motorsports enthusiasts, LapSnap analyzes performance data such as GPS speed, line selection, RPM, lean angle, and brake/throttle usage. This data helps users make informed improvements session over session. The app also allows users to compare their data to other users, which eliminates the guesswork as to why one rider may be faster than the other.

With the formation of LapSnap Inc., the company plans to continue investing in the app's core capabilities while expanding its analysis tools and improving usability for drivers of all experience levels. LapSnap currently supports popular GPS telemetry systems including AiM, Racebox and GPS enabled GoPros. Additional telemetry systems are planned to be supported in the future.

LapSnap is available on iOS/Android and can be found at https://lapsnap.app

About LapSnap Inc.
LapSnap Inc. is a U.S.-based motorsports technology company focused on simplifying telemetry analysis for drivers. Through its mobile app, the company helps track enthusiasts understand their data, improve performance, and go faster on track.

More, from a press release issued by Joel Ohman:

MotoAmerica Racer Joel Ohman Partners With LapSnap, Releases 2025 Racing Data for Free

Track day riders can now compare their performance directly against MotoAmerica-level telemetry gathered during the 2025 season.

Joel Ohman, a MotoAmerica racer with three years of professional competition experience, has announced he is making his 2025 racing data freely available through the LapSnap mobile app. The data release includes telemetry from all regular-season MotoAmerica events across the United States, giving track day riders unprecedented access to professional-level data.

Ohman, who formerly raced with Team Hammer and currently competes under his personal Open Source Racing banner, is releasing detailed telemetry data including lap times, brake and throttle inputs, lean angle, and GPS traces for all MotoAmerica tracks including Circuit of the Americas, The Ridge, Laguna Seca, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Virginia International Raceway, Road America, Road Atlanta, Barber Motorsports Park, and Mid-Ohio. The data was gathered from his MotoAmerica Supersport-spec Suzuki GSX-R750 during MotoAmerica qualifying and race sessions.

"I want to give other riders tools to help improve their riding by comparing their data directly to mine," said Ohman. "The ability to see exactly where and how a faster rider approaches each corner can be invaluable for someone looking to take their skills to the next level. This type of data was something I wished I had when I started racing. My hope is it shows people that it's possible to go from a novice racer to a national competitor in just a few years like I did. The data removes the guesswork."

LapSnap's overlay feature allows riders to compare their own data side-by-side with Ohman's telemetry, often revealing counter-intuitive insights. "The results are sometimes surprising," Ohman explained. "For example, it's common for intermediate riders to actually be too fast mid-corner. Comparing data, they might see that I'm actually slower at certain points on the track, which allows you to get on the throttle earlier and achieve a better exit. These are the kinds of details that can transform someone's understanding of their riding technique."

The LapSnap app is compatible with popular data logging systems including AiM lap timers, GoPro cameras with GPS, and RaceBox devices, with additional lap timer systems planned for future releases. The app is available to download on both iOS and Android app stores. Track day riders and racers can access Ohman's complete data library by downloading LapSnap and searching for his rider profile within the app.

About LapSnap

LapSnap is a mobile application designed for track day riders and motorcycle racers to analyze and compare performance data directly on their mobile devices. The app is compatible with popular data logging systems including AiM lap timers, RaceBox devices, and GoPro cameras with GPS. Additional telemetry systems will be supported in future releases.

About Joel Ohman

Joel Ohman is a MotoAmerica racer with three years of professional racing experience, from Seattle, Washington. He started racing club events in 2019, and entered his first MotoAmerica race in 2022. He owns and operates Open Source Racing, with a mission to help other riders improve their technique by providing transparency and insight into the racing world.

The post LapSnap Telemetry Analysis App Available With Track Data appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

The Golden State Championship is looking forward to Round Two of the series, set for March 14-15 at Apex Motorsports Park in Southern California with co-host and legendary racer John Hopkins, promising even more competition and thrilling racing. 

The inaugural round of the AMA-sanctioned Golden State Championship was a big success, kicking off January 31-February 1 at Buttonwillow Kart Track, delivering high-octane racing, packed grids, and a weekend full of excitement. The event attracted riders from across the country, including top American road race professionals, Supermoto pros, Motocross and Flat Track racers, and rising stars from the MotoAmerica Mini Cup.

The first weekend featured 16 classes, 4 classes using the dirt section, with the remaining classes contested on asphalt. The track layout, including a challenging dirt section with a deep mud pit, produced intense battles that tested rider skill, adaptability, and strategy. Racing was safe, and the paddock buzzed with enthusiasm from teams, riders, and fans.

Round 1 also featured a $2,000 purse, plus an additional $1,700 in cash bonuses, ensuring every top-three podium finisher received a payout thanks to sponsor Redwood Pipe and Drain. With 155 race entries, the championship's first round set a high bar for competition and excitement. Series owner Hawk Mazzotta and co-host Bronson Pierce teamed up for this first round and had a blast and huge success working together!

"The goal here is to bring back Supermoto, and provide a stepping stone to MotoAmerica for our youth road racers. It has been in the works for a long time, and it's finally come to fruition. I am really happy with how the first event went overall, and confident everything will only get better as we are always learning. I couldn't have asked for a better partner in preparing and running this first event with Bronson, we worked so well together and had a blast while doing so. This has been a gritty process of hands on build it and they will come, they came! We are so pumped for round 2 and the high energy and vibes, let's keep it going!"

Huge gratitude to partners and sponsors, including MotoAmerica, AMA, USMCA, Trackhouse, Yamaha, Bike911, Redwood Pipe and Drain, Dunlop, Roadracing World, California Customs, SDI Insulation, Cardo Systems, KYT, Bison, Yamalube, Farmers Brewing Company, ProTech Signs, Throttle Sauce, DP Brakes, BluCru, Signsations, Ohvale, 73Motorparts, VNM Sport, CT Racing-Pirelli/Metzler, our flag man Andy, volunteers, corner workers, and families who made the weekend possible.

For more information and updates visit hawkmazzottamotocamp.com

The post Golden State Championship Heading to Round 2 At Apex appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

• Produced in a limited series of 873 numbered units, the Formula 73 celebrates the Super Sport 750 Desmo, one the most iconic models in Ducati history.
• An Urban Café Racer that combines modern technology with the authentic charm of the 750 Super Sport Desmo.
• The short film A Piece of Timeless celebrates the birth of this special bike.

Borgo Panigale (Bologna, Italy), 12 February, 2026 - In its centenary year, the Borgo Panigale manufacturer presents the Formula 73, a motorcycle that revives, in a modern version, the spirit of a model and an era that helped create the Ducati legend and inspired the principles that still guide it today. The Formula 73 celebrates the 750 Super Sport Desmo, the first Ducati road bike equipped with a desmodromic valve timing system.

The Super Sport was in fact a replica of the 750 Imola Desmo with which Paul Smart and Bruno Spaggiari triumphed in the 1972 200 Miglia di Imola, the first European competition for production-derived motorcycles, a formula which in the 1980s would give rise to Superbike. The historic victory at Imola and the subsequent birth of the 750 Super Sport Desmo represented the first and fundamental episode in Ducati's saga in production-derived racing, where it has achieved a world championship record that now stands at more than 400 victories, sixteen rider titles and twenty-one manufacturer titles.

The 750 Super Sport Desmo was born in a decade of great change and contrasts, marked by intense cultural creativity. It was a period characterised by changes in society and a widespread desire for renewal. An extraordinary artistic vitality influenced music, cinema, fashion and thought, making the 1970s a complex and deeply significant era.

The Formula 73 was created today as a tribute to that epoch-making motorcycle, which already embodied the values of Style, Sophistication and Performance that have inspired Ducati ever since. The Formula 73 is a model dedicated to motorcycle enthusiasts with timeless charm, who love to stand out by riding a bike with an unmistakable design and strong personality, shunning conformity and paying attention to every detail in their daily lives.

The Formula 73 is the star of the short film 'A Piece of Timeless', in which Italian actor Stefano Accorsi, a great Ducati enthusiast, reflects on his experience of trying it for the first time. Stefano, drawing a parallel between riding a motorcycle and acting, recounts his relationship with acting and the world of motorsports in this film.

• Unmistakable personality

The Ducati Formula 73 line is a contemporary reinterpretation of the legendary 1973 750 Super Sport Desmo. Sleek and slender, this bike conveys agility thanks to its minimalist yet elegant aesthetics. Equipped with the iconic air-cooled Ducati twin-cylinder engine, it combines the rebellious spirit of Urban Café Racers with the timeless charm of what many collectors consider to be the most significant motorcycle in Ducati's history.

Every detail contributes to making the Formula 73 unique. The silver and aqua green livery, inspired by the original 750 Super Sport Desmo, is the result of careful research in the company's historical archives carried out by the Ducati Style Centre. The vertical gold stripe on the tank echoes the original unpainted strip on the 750 Imola Desmo, which allowed the team to check the fuel level without complicating and weighing down the bike with additional instruments. The clip-on handlebars with bar-end mirrors, the short, tapered fairing and tail confirm the Café Racer personality of this collector's bike.

The many billet aluminium components, such as the brake and clutch levers with oil reservoirs, the footpegs and the Rizoma fuel cap supplied as standard, catch the eye and further enhance a bike designed to be admired both when stationary and in motion.

Like all Ducati limited edition models, the Formula 73 features the model name and serial number on the steering plate. Each bike comes with a certificate of authenticity, as well as a collection of period images and sketches created by the Ducati Style Centre, presented in a special box.

• Innovation in tradition

The Ducati Formula 73 is a timeless creation, faithful to the technical solutions that made the 750 Super Sport Desmo iconic, yet at the same time a modern, high-tech motorcycle.

Its 803 cc Desmodue engine is an L-twin with desmodromic distribution and two valves, Euro5+ approved, faithful to the technical standards on which Ducati built its legend in the 1970s and 1980s. An authentic engine, capable of 73 horsepower at 8,250 rpm, which goes beyond the concept of performance to unequivocally define the personality of the Formula 73, becoming a fundamental element of both the style and riding experience of the bike. The silencer, developed in collaboration with Termignoni with aesthetic details specifically designed for this model, gives the bike a full and evocative voice, and the Ride-by-Wire throttle makes the engine response quick, progressive and smooth even at low revs.

The steel trellis frame of the Formula 73 reinforces the connection with the Super Sport Desmo that inspired it. Sleek and painted in aqua green, it becomes part of the livery and, together with the 17-inch spoked wheels with Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tyres, contributes to making the bike manoeuvrable and easy to ride.

The Formula 73 is a complete motorcycle, thanks to its electronic systems, which include DTC traction control, Cornering ABS, the Ducati Quick Shift system and two Riding Modes. This makes every ride, from your commute to work to trips over mountain passes, safer and more enjoyable, making every moment spent in the saddle unique.

• Availability

Fans wishing to complete their look with technical garments inspired by the aesthetics of this collector's motorcycle can choose a helmet, created in collaboration with Arai, and a sports jacket that echo the Formula 73 livery. The Ducati Formula 73 will be produced in a numbered series limited to 873 units and will arrive in European dealerships in spring 2026. Distribution will be completed in the rest of the world by the end of summer.

The launch video of the bike is available on Ducati's YouTube official channel.

Formula 73

• Livery

• • 750 Super Sport Desmo replica

• Main standard equipment

• • Desmodue engine, 803 cm3
  • Maximum power: 73 CV @ 8,250 RPM
  • Maximum torque: 65.2 Nm @ 7,000 RPM
  • Type-approved Termignoni silencer
  • Wet weight no fuel: 183 Kg
  • Steel trellis frame
  • Upside-down 41 mm KYB front fork
  • KYB shock, preload adjustable
  • Front brake: 4-piston Brembo radial caliper and 330 mm disc
  • Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV tyres, 120/70 and 180/55
  • Electronic package with Inertial Measurement Unit: cornering ABS; Ducati Traction Control (DTC); Power Modes; Ducati Quick Shift (DQS)
  • Full TFT 4,3" dashboard
  • Riding Modes (Sport, Road)
  • Full-LED lights with DRL
  • Ducati Multimedia System (DMS) ready, Turn-by-turn navigation

The post Ducati Unveils Formula 73, Limited to 873 Numbered Units appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

The Gresini rider is out of the season opener as he continues his recovery from injury.

Aldeguer fractured the shaft of his left femur in a pre-season training incident in Valencia, Spain, and underwent surgery in early January to address the injury. However, the team confirmed on social media that he has fallen just short in his bid to be fit for the opening round of the campaign and will continue focusing on his rehabilitation: "Aldeguer keeps pushing forward with determination and perseverance. His recovery is moving fast, but not enough to see him in Thailand. He'll miss the Buriram tests and the season opener."

Michele Pirro will replace the #54 in Thailand. We wish you a speedy recovery, Fermin!

The post MotoGP: Aldeguer to Miss ThaiGP Round appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

Fermin Aldeguer is to miss the final test of the 2026 MotoGP season at Buriram on February 21st and 22nd, as well as the first round of the season in Thailand to be held a week later, from February 27th to March 1st. Gresini Racing today announced that Spaniard is still recovering from breaking his femur in a training accident at the beginning of January. Aldeguer is to be replaced by Ducati test rider Michele Pirro at the first round of MotoGP.

It was widely expected that Aldeguer would not be fit for Buriram. It usually takes between 6 to 8 weeks before a femur fracture has healed sufficiently to carry your full weight. Returning to full fitness can take many months. The Buriram round of MotoGP starts 7 weeks after Aldeguer's crash, which is too early to have much strength in the leg. 

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Many questions remain unanswered heading into the 2026 WorldSSP season, after big rider moves and a new manufacturer joining the fray

The Portuguese MotoGP star has a new home in WorldSBK with the German manufacturer and is already being hailed as one of this season's big profiles

Foto: Heritage & Legends 

SDI RACING ENTERS THE 2026 KING OF THE BAGGERS SEASON WITH TYLER O'HARA

Two-time MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Champion Tyler O'Hara joins SDI Racing for the 2026 championship season.

SDI Racing, LLC proudly announces the signing of two-time MotoAmerica King of the Baggers Champion Tyler O'Hara, who will race the Indian Motorcycle factory-supported SDI Racing Indian Challenger in the 2026 MotoAmerica King of the Baggers season.

Former factory Indian Motorcycle team rider, MotoAmerica champion and one of the most respected competitors in American road racing, O'Hara's return to full-time competition with SDI Racing marks an exciting new chapter for the team. He brings a championship-winning background that includes multiple MotoAmerica titles and a Bonneville Land Speed record. Known for his technical feedback, consistency, and ability to perform under pressure, O'Hara is a natural fit for SDI Racing's performance-driven program.

Tyler O'Hara, No. 29:

"I'm excited to join the SDI Racing Team for the 2026 MotoAmerica King of the Baggers season. SDI has proven they can win races, and the work the team has put in gives me full confidence that we have the tools to be competitive. I trained hard all winter and am ready to go racing. The goal is clear: podiums, wins and a shot at the National Championship. Big thanks to SDI Racing and to all our partners and sponsors for their trust and support."

For the 2026 season, SDI Racing returns with a refined and unified program, bringing back the same core crew now operating with greater cohesion and momentum. Finishing the 2025 season on the top step of the podium, the team is energized to build on its foundation with O'Hara as it sets its sights on strong results throughout the championship series.

Joe Tardiff, Chief Operating Officer, SDI Racing:

"Tyler brings an incredible amount of experience and professionalism to the team. His understanding of the motorcycle, his craft and his approach to development align perfectly with what we're building at SDI Racing. We're excited to get to work, continue strengthening our program and compete at the level we know this team is capable of."

SDI Racing continues its strong partnership with support from Cameron Ashley, Law Tigers, Drag Specialties and SDI Insulation, with additional support from S&S, Dunlop, K-Tech Suspension, Indian Motorcycle, FreedomRoad Financial, Motion Pro, RMR Construction and LWG Construction for the 2026 race season. More exciting partnerships will be announced soon.

The 2026 MotoAmerica King of the Baggers season kicks off March 5 on the high banks of the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. For more information regarding the King of the Baggers series, visit MotoAmerica.com.

The post SDI Signs 2X MotoAmerica Bagger Champion Tyler O'Hara appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

• Announcement confirms eight returning models for 2026, 2027
• Represented categories include adventure, miniMOTO, scooter and trials

American Honda announced today the return of eight beloved two-wheel models for the 2026 and 2027 model years. The collection of motorcycles represents a broad variety of categories, including adventure, miniMOTO, scooter and trials, reaffirming the brand's commitment to riders of all styles and skill levels. The legendary Africa Twin adventure-touring platform continues its journey with four versions, all boasting refined purpose and familiar capability. Meanwhile, enthusiasts of classic fun and urban mobility can look forward to the timeless, retro-inspired Trail125, Dax 125 and Monkey miniMOTO machines, plus the approachable Navi. The ever-popular PCX and ADV160 scooters return with their blend of comfort, efficiency and style, and the competition-proven Montesa Cota platform—comprising two trim levels—makes a triumphant showing for riders passionate about the sport of trials. Together, these returning models highlight Honda's broad appeal and dedication to delivering memorable riding experiences.

"From adventure touring to urban commuting and pure fun on two wheels, the eight returning models included in this announcement reinforce Honda's commitment to enjoyable experiences for a wide variety of riders," said Colin Miller, Manager of Experiential Marketing at American Honda. "Each of these motorcycles reflects the diverse passions of our customers and our dedication to meeting riders wherever their journey begins."

• 2026 Africa Twin:

Few motorcycles embody the spirit of adventure like Honda's Africa Twin. Developed for riders who see the world as a network of possibilities rather than paved limits, the legendary model continues to deliver Honda's "True Adventure" philosophy through its rare balance of comfort, performance and capability. Whether carving through winding highways or exploring rugged dirt roads, the Africa Twin rewards curiosity with confidence—offering proven engineering, advanced technology and an unmistakable connection between rider and machine. Available in a nimble, off-road-focused standard version and the mileage-eating Adventure Sports ES trim level (both of which are offered with a manual transmission or Honda's high-tech automatic DCT), the Africa Twin remains the ultimate expression of go-anywhere freedom, backed by Honda's uncompromising reliability and global adventure heritage.

• Colors
  • Africa Twin: Pearl White; Matte Black Metallic
  • Africa Twin DCT: Pearl White; Matte Black Metallic
  • Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES: Pearl White
  • Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES DCT: Pearl White

• MSRP
  • Africa Twin: $15,199
  • Africa Twin DCT: $15,999
  • Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES: $17,799
  • Africa Twin Adventure Sports ES DCT: $18,599

• Available: February
• Info

• 2026 Trail125

Paying homage to Honda's beloved Trail models of the '60s, '70s and '80s, the Trail125 blends classic miniMOTO design with modern engineering. With its timeless silhouette, automatic centrifugal clutch and fuel-efficient engine, the Trail125 feels equally at home on city streets and casual backroads. Carrying forward the adventurous spirit that made the original CT line legendary, this model delivers fun and practicality in equal portions.

• Colors: Glowing Red; Black Metallic
• MSRP: $4,199
• Available: April
• Info

• 2026 Dax 125

With its playful personality and unmistakable retro design, Honda's Dax 125 is a fun, easygoing machine that blends nostalgia with everyday usability. Its iconic T-shaped pressed-steel frame, chunky styling and approachable ergonomics make it instantly familiar to those who remember the original CT70, also known as the Trail 70, while newer riders appreciate its smooth 123.9cc engine, automatic centrifugal clutch and friendly handling. Equal parts playful and practical, the Dax 125 offers unique design, approachable performance and timeless Honda charm—perfect for reliving old memories or creating new ones.

• Color: Pearl Black
• MSRP: $4,199
• Available: April
• Info

• 2026 Monkey

Honda's beloved Monkey offers an irresistible blend of classic charm and modern performance that has made it a favorite among a diverse array of riders. Its compact size and plush suspension make it approachable for new enthusiasts, while its capable fuel-injected engine, five-speed transmission and ABS braking deliver practical everyday usability. With a throwback silhouette, chrome accents and refined engineering, the Monkey continues to celebrate Honda's heritage while offering fun, accessible mobility for today's streets.

• Color: Matte Black Metallic
• MSRP: $4,399
• Available: March
• Info

• 2026 Navi

In just a few years on the U.S. market, Honda's Navi has become one of the nation's best-selling motorcycles, thanks to its unique blend of scooter-like simplicity and motorcycle-inspired styling. The model's smooth, fuel-efficient 109cc engine, easy-to-use V-Matic automatic transmission and lightweight chassis make it an easy choice for riders of all skill levels, while bold styling cues and practical touches—like a convenient lockable storage pod—add everyday usefulness. Affordable, fun and confidence-inspiring, the Navi is an effortless option for enjoying two-wheel mobility.

• Colors
  • Non-painted: White
  • Painted: Arctic Silver Metallic; Pearl Red; Blue Metallic

• MSRP
  • Non-painted: $2,199
  • Painted: $2,349

• Available: February
• Info

• 2026 PCX

One of the most stylish and practical scooters on the road, Honda's PCX offers an easy, comfortable way to move through city streets and beyond. Its efficient engine, automatic transmission and Honda Selectable Torque Control deliver smooth, confidence-inspiring performance, while conveniences like generous under-seat storage, LED lighting and a USB-C charging port simplify everyday commuting. Blending modern capability with premium touches, the PCX continues to set the standard for dependable, affordable urban mobility.

• Color: Pearl Gray
• MSRP: $4,349
• Available: April
• Info

• 2027 ADV160

Continuing to redefine what a scooter can be, Honda's ADV160 combines everyday practicality with genuine adventure-inspired versatility. As comfortable on the daily commute as it is exploring rougher roads, this scooter delivers efficient, responsive performance and features that support confidence beyond smooth pavement. With its 157cc engine, durable chassis, ample ground clearance, long-travel suspension and distinctive ADV styling, the ADV160 is engineered to handle a wider range of riding environments than a traditional urban scooter. From smart technology to utility-focused details, every feature is purpose-built to optimize comfort, control and versatility, making it a compelling option for riders seeking adventure-ready flexibility in a compact, approachable package.

• Color: Matte Black Metallic
• MSRP: $4,499
• Available: June
• Info

• 2026 Montesa Cota Models

Developed and refined through years of elite competition, including substantial input from perennial FIM World Champion Toni Bou, the Montesa Cota platform continues to set the benchmark in trials performance. The precision-focused Cota 4RT 301RR represents the pinnacle for riders tackling the most demanding sections, while the Cota 4RT 260R delivers a more accessible entry point with proven capability for those progressing in the sport. With lightweight construction, smooth four-stroke power and exceptional balance, both models make navigating technical terrain easier and more controlled than ever.

• Colors
  • Montesa Cota 4RT 260R: Red
  • Montesa Cota 4RT 301RR: Light Green

• MSRP
  • Montesa Cota 4RT 260R: $9,849
  • Montesa Cota 4RT 301RR: $12,949

• Available: February
• Info
  • Montesa Cota 4RT 260R
  • Montesa Cota 4RT 301RR

The post Honda Revives Eight Iconic Motorcycle Models for 2026-2027 appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

Dave Moses Joins the New Jersey Motorsports Park Team as the Riders Club Track Supervisor

MILLVILLE, NJ (February 11, 2026) - New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) is proud to announce that Dave Moses, long-time Riders Club Coach, has officially joined the NJMP team as the Riders Club Track Supervisor.

Moses history of track instruction includes NJMP Riders Club since 2019 and four years at Absolute Cycle Experience. For years, he led the intro-class in discerning proper racing techniques by providing real-time feedback and post-session debriefs.

In his new role as NJMP's Riders Club Track Supervisor he will help oversee the Riders Club instructors as well as enforce organizational policies to ensure a safe and cohesive track day experience for all.

"We are thrilled to officially add Dave to the NJMP team," remarks Charity Giovanelli, Riders Club Director, "Dave shows a true passion for the sport, and even more so, for safety and procedure. With him on the team, the Riders Club will continue to provide superior club management for its members."

The New Jersey Motorsports Park Riders Club is a private membership experience for road-racing enthusiasts. The program offers track days and other benefits in a safe and controlled environment run by experienced management and certified instructors.

In 2026, the Riders Club boasts a reduced registration rate, an improved cancellation policy, benefits with partner RevZilla, and reciprocal track resources.

The post NJMP Hires New Riders Club Track Supervisor appeared first on Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News.

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The tables are turned for this episode of the Paddock Pass Podcast. We asked our Patreon supporters for their MotoGP hot takes after the Sepang MotoGP test, and boy did they deliver. Will Fabio Quartararo pull a Maverick Viñales with Yamaha's V4? Will Marc Marquez do a one-year deal with Ducati then head back to Honda? What, exactly, is up with KTM? We also give our one-line verdicts on the Sepang MotoGP test, and discuss the MotoGP launch. Read Adam's piece on the launch here.

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By Adam Wheeler. Photos by www.motogp.com

MotoGP certainly nailed its second annual official championship launch in two aspects and chuckled at the best attempts of the Malaysian tropical weather to drown proceedings.

Firstly, it looked stunning. The downtown Kuala Lumpur location, in the beaming light of the PETRONAS Twin Towers, gave power and prominence. The vast proscenium setup and neon branding also transmitted the impression of a major show. Watching the stream, it radiated through a screen and clearly wowed the public on the ground, despite the awkward rainy conditions. MotoGP gained a sense of elevated significance; you only had to look at the expressions and reactions of the riders themselves when they took their turn to come on stage. There were mixes of elation, bemusement, a little surprise and perhaps some appreciation. The 'thank yous' flowed freely from almost everyone who had a microphone shoved into their face.

It was also an 'in-your-face' reminder of the emotion and the fandom towards their endeavours. The Grand Prix paddock had just completed a week of draining testing activity 37 miles south at the Sepang International Circuit and in front of empty grandstands, and the launch was a splendid way of breaking that intense bubble. Of momentarily throwing away the blinkers.

The second distinction was the appearance of the Grand Prix bikes, as each team took their turn to motor up a small 'urban circuit'. "What better noise is there?" new Red Bull KTM Tech3 Team Principal Gunther Steiner admitted to the presenters while Maverick Viñales and Enea Bastianini gingerly revved the RC16s along the street. The rainfall had put a dampener on things and nullified the chance of any burnouts or stoppies but the thunder of MotoGP bikes bounced off the skyscrapers to such an effect that it could be felt through the livestream. Placing two of the most charismatic riders on the grid - Jack Miller and Toprak Razgatlıoğlu - into the run first was a shrewd choice as the Australia and Turk decided to slide side-saddle. The soaking street did deprive us of another one-handed Marc Marquez sliding burnout however.

In 2025 the riders steered road models of their respective brands in central Bangkok which was a commercial and convenient workaround, but the multi-million-pound prototype race bikes are as much a character of the series as the riders and it was a smart move to have them included. This has to be an essential ingredient for the future.

The 2026 launch was shown through the MotoGP App, YouTube (where it logged over 200k views) and through respective TV broadcast partners like DAZN so it was easy to find. It happened before lunch CET and early morning EST (middle of the night PST) and the aped the weather in terms of flooding social media channels. The teaser of the MotoGP grid group photo in front of the PETRONAS towers on Friday whet the appetite and underlined that the series has ambition to scale.

Kuala Lumpur was 'safe' territory. MotoGP is popular in the country, and the Malaysian Grand Prix is a reliable hotbed of attendance with a record 191,000 spectators in 2025, building on another record-buster of 184,900 in 2024. The fans were there in their thousands, even with the troublesome skies.

For 2026 KL was also practical. The logistics and the costs for the teams were relatively low. Bikes and staff were already in the country, and the launch required only a few extra nights in a central hotel. By using Malaysia, Dorna have now tapped into two of their prime Asian fanbases in two years and perhaps only Jakarta remains on the shelf in terms of the full canon of guaranteed public, willing hosts and partners and cost-effective solutions (all potential barriers to a European-based equivalent, outside the power-foundations of Spain and Italy).

Shows of this ilk can tend to drag but the production pace was swift, questions to riders were brief and humorous and the transitions from stage to bikes were seamless. Yes, the continuous hype of the native presenters can grate (my personal favourite was the query to the laconic 12-season veteran Franco Morbidelli if he was familiar with the Sepang International Circuit. "Yeah, I'm familiar with the track," the Italian smirked) but their job is to sensationalise…and it was all in English. Perhaps a more sensitive blend between whipping up the crowd and sustaining the interest of the larger streaming audience should be a goal for 2027?

Noises from the teams and paddock staff were very complimentary, even if behind-the-scenes there was more chaos than anticipated when it came to communication and planning. But, apparently, Dorna hustled admirably as a unified crew to cope with the ruinous appearance of the rain. Spectacles of this size should be treated accordingly - Dorna should invest further in a specialised organisational team and experienced event staff - to minimise any 'seat-of-the-pants' risk, and to foster collaboration with all the parties involved.

Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali and Head of MotoGP Communication, Artur Vilalta, told me in Italy in January that the Ducati Lenovo Team launch needs six months of planning between the respective groups and people like Madonna di Campiglio, Audi, Ducati Corse, sponsors and other stakeholders. The Italians have been running the three-day 'Campioni in Pista' gathering for four years in a row now. Kuala Lumpur was Dorna's second attempt and undoubtedly there will an internal debrief. What could have been better? More national or regional emphasis might have been engaged with more warning. As an example, how can someone like Honda Malaysia allocate budget and resources within their annual event schedule for large activation, and piggyback MotoGP without the earliest possible warning?

Why does this matter? Perhaps it doesn't but more hands to the pump might lead to a better pump.

Emails for the 'MotoGP 2027' fixture should be drafted now.

The MotoGP launch also lacked a commercial presence through the stream. Yes, promotional slots for the series' main partners may have overinflated a near two-hour ceremony but there are surely other creative ways to give some exposure to key groups?

One of the salient questions in the wake of social media footage still dripping into people's feeds is: who is the launch for? All that expense and effort for an already partisan market? Is it a TV bonanza? If so, what can be done to harness that further? To hammer home MotoGP's messaging, brand and potential?

Conjuring a ceremony that wows fans in a city centre but that also hold the attention of those watching internationally is a tricky elixir to perfect. After Kuala Lumpur 2026 it's clear that bringing MotoGP (and those motorcycles) outside of a circuit and into an 'alien' setting is a great conduit to make the series more accessible. In my opinion, the TV side is important - of course - but the launch should now be seen as Dorna's premium ticket for the uninitiated to hear and see what the technology and the people are about. These touchpoints sometimes happen throughout the season with proactive companies using their tie-in to MotoGP for regional marketing purposes (getting riders and bikes to signings in non-motorcycling settings) but nothing matches the now established size of the official 'opener'.

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The launch needs assets like more renowned musical acts (how can MotoGP work more with the likes of Monster Energy and Red Bull?) and then strong local promotion (pop-ups, flash-mobs, media deals etc) months before it happens. Why not aim for a Grand Prix-esque attendance on the streets?

2025 and Bangkok was a lunge in the right direction. 2026 in Kuala Lumpur showed that MotoGP can create sufficient 'wow' away from race asphalt and has further solidified the championship launch as a crucial date in the calendar. It created genuine buzz ahead of a season that many ingrained fans already know could be quite formulaic as the 1000cc era dwindles.

Where (and how) will Dorna and MotoGP take this flagship next?

By Adam Wheeler. Photos by Yamaha Racing/shotbybavo

"If he is healthy then he is one of the candidates." Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing Team Principal Hans Corvers offers an apt summary of 25-year-old rider Maxime Renaux over a WhatsApp call. The amiable and straight-talking Belgian has already told us how Yamaha have made organisational changes to arrest a decline of results and a spell that has delivered just one MXGP win in two seasons, earned by Renaux (three in total since he moved into the premier class as MX2 world champ in 2022). He is now extoling the potential impact once more of his long-term athlete - the 2022 MXGP rookie of the year - as the Argentine Grand Prix draws closer.

The reorganisation for 2026 by Yamaha and team led to the initiative to employ former Honda stalwart Tim Gajser to sit alongside Renaux. The Slovenian is the most prolific MXGP world champion from the last ten years. His signature represents the first time Yamaha have signed a premier class title winner since Stefan Everts in 2000.

Gajser has coveted plenty of attention since his switch from red to blue (he rode for Honda since 2014) but Corvers, smartly dressed in his team sweatshirt ahead of the crew's first race appearance of 2026 in Sardinia, needs no prompting to talk about Renaux.

The #959 came into the Kemea team to win the MX2 2021 title and has been their lynchpin in MXGP after spending his entire Pro career on YZ machibery. There was a phase last summer where Renaux's frustration with his spate of injury problems and the waning competitive state of the YZ450F (neither Calvin Vlaanderen nor Jago Geerts were able to consistently fight for podium trophies; the South African making three 3rd positions throughout the course of the 20-round campaign) caused rife speculation that he wanted to end his Yamaha contract a year early. Allegedly discussions were held with Ducati and options were explored for Renaux to extradite himself from his deal but Yamaha held firm. The off-season brought a turnover and placated Renaux's concerns.

If Gajser and Renaux are fit and satisfied with the state of the 2026 YZ450FM then Yamaha have the best combination of experience and results, narrowly shading the titles and wins tallied by Kawasaki's Romain Febvre and Pauls Jonass. HRC and KTM will both draft rookies into the fray this season.

Corvers believes the recruitment of Gajser will give his French charge a 'poke' due to the equal billing. Renaux was eclipsed for wins and podiums by former teammate Jeremy Seewer in 2022 and 2023, but Gajser's slot in joint-P4 for the all-time list of titles (and 5th for career victories) is another level.

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"He's strong now and he has a 'gun' next to him," the Belgian says. "People have said to me 'there will be an internal fight' but, and I've said this before: I like this! I've known Maxime for many years and it was the same in 2020 and 2021 when Jago [Geerts] should have been the main guy for the [MX2] title, no discussion, and Max was the underdog. We know what happened. Max is our gun, beyond doubt, and Tim is not coming in above him or below but by the side and we believe strongly in him. The eyes are now on Gajser…and that will make Maxime dangerous. I think he needs it and it's the right moment. He will make a really strong season."

Yamaha have won just 12 Grands Prix in the six seasons since 2020 and one in the last two years. The MXGP team will focus on just two riders for the first time this decade but the potency of Gajser and Renaux - even if the former is new to Iwata technology - means they are well placed to boost the figures. Corvers acknowledges the high level of the competition. "Romain [Febvre], Gajser, [Jeffrey] Herlings, Maxime and [Lucas] Coenen for me are the top five guys that are a little bit higher," he opines. "Then you have [Ruben] Fernandez, [Pauls] Jonass and the new guys like [Tom] Vialle, [Kay] De Wolf and [Andrea] Adamo. [Kevin] Hormgo, at the beginning of last year was good as well, and [Thibault] Benistant is coming in. It's amazing; hard to know which way it will go…and I'm a long time in motocross!"

By Adam Wheeler. Photos by Ducati Corse/Falex

Gigi Dall'Igna wanders to an unoccupied high table and a couple of stools with a replenished glass of wine in hand. He graciously waits while I grab a quick refill at the adjacent bar. The location for our chat is in the furthest corner of the Chalet Spinale restaurant, atop one of the snowy Dolomite peaks in the resort of Madonna di Campiglio for the 2026 MotoGP Ducati Lenovo Team launch. We have escaped to this enclave to try and avoid the hubbub of Ducati/Audi/Madonna di Campiglio's many guests and the live music that is pre-facing the evening dinner.

The angle for our talk revolves around Ducati's use of technology in Grand Prix for a story for The Telegraph. We were supposed to sit down at the public presentation of the 2026 livery and, of course, Marc Marquez and Pecco Bagnaia, in the icy village centre of Madonna di Campiglio a few hours earlier but the 59-year-old hadn't been feeling too well after a full day of interviews and media duties.

He is in better form now and still prepared to tackle a few questions.

To call Dall'Igna the 'Adrian Newey' of MotoGP is not too much of an exaggeration. Since he was fished from Aprilia in 2013, he has helped shape Ducati Corse to become the proactive and innovative powerhouse at the top of MotoGP and WorldSBK.

At the team unveiling inside the Pala di Campiglio conference hall earlier in the day he commented about his department's prolificacy, and told host Gavin Emmett about the pride in the eight-year-old ride height device that helped revolutionise MotoGP perceptions of downforce and electronics for corner-exit grip. Along with mass damper technology, 'scoops', holeshot devices and experimentation with aerodynamics (that was swiftly adopted and employed to further extremes by other brands like Aprilia and KTM), Ducati can claim to be the most influential manufacturer at the peak of motorcycle sport and since HRC refined their seamless gearbox in the early '10s.

There are several topics that I would have loved to dissect with Dall'Igna, such as his fascination with Marc Marquez, his real thoughts on the causes of Pecco Bagnaia's torrid 2025 season, and his opinions on the next MotoGP regulations window that has been designed to reel back many of the loophole solutions that Ducati Corse forged. But we have a tight time frame, and I'm also well aware from previous interviews with Gigi that I'm unlikely to pluck the ripest fruit, so the discourse heads in a particular direction.

Before jumping in the dark ski lift to ascend to Chalet Spinale, I had spoken with Ducati Motor Holdings CEO Claudio Domenicali. "Luckily with Gigi, since we met, we had a fantastic alignment because he really likes to innovate…" the Italian told me. For a man accustomed to secretive projects, it's little surprise that Dall'Igna - tall, wiry and busy-faced - can squint, smile and get away with some non-committal comments. Still, his words carry stock. He is an authority. A record 88 consecutive Grand Prix podium finishes for Ducati machinery, a streak stretching back to the summer of 2021, is quite the haul. And, based on the recently closed 2026 Sepang International Circuit pre-season test in Malaysia, where his unofficially monikered GP25 and GP26s filled five of the top seven fastest positions, 2026 is going to be another season of glimmering trophies.

You talked about the ride height device in the presentation. Seeing as 2026 is the last year for the technology, has there been much investment in it?

Yes, still. We started back with the ride height in, probably, 2018 some time, and every single year we improved it. Either the system, the stroke or the system for how it works. Now it is really quite complex. It's [improvement for 2026] not about reliability but performance.

The Desmosedici GP24 won all but one Grand Prix in 2024 and is regarded as one of the best motorcycles in the modern era of MotoGP. Will you be sad to see the current edition of the bike and its 2025 and 2026 derivatives moved to the museum in a matter of months?

Absolutely…but the rules have been the same for I-don't-remember-how-long, so, now it is time to change. Above all because of the speed of the bikes. 360kmph? It's quite high, and I think it is important to reduce it because the tracks now cannot really permit this. We have to remember now that these rules will stay until 2032, so, from tomorrow, there is plenty of time to improve and increase the speed [of the 850] again.

Do you see possibilities with the new technical rules for 2027 onwards? Or restrictions?

Hmmm, previously there did not seem to be opportunities either but then we came up with new ideas, new concepts and new solutions. I think it will be the same [for 2027]. For sure, in the beginning, the possibilities will be a bit less than today but anyway people's brains rise to the challenge.

The Ducati Corse group has a mixture of engineering talent. Some of which have flowed to other brands in recent years…

I think we are the only ones that don't try to catch from other manufacturers. We build the people internally. We bring the young ones from university and grow them in the system and, honestly speaking, I am really happy about this philosophy. We have a lot of really clever young people that can become a good platform for the future.

How do you find working with the current generation of young technicians? How do you see the differences in attitude?

This [pointing to the iPhone on the table] is the new reality. You have to move with the tools now. I am surprised about young people. I'm really happy to work with them because their attitude is fresh. It helps us to stay younger! More or less like Valentino [Rossi]; he build the academy with young riders and also took profit himself. It is the same for us.

In your view what has been one of the biggest changes for R&D in racing and MotoGP? Is it the influx of AI?

One of the keys is to understand better the tyres. Ten years ago, you didn't really fully understand what the tyre needs to then understand the performance of the system. I think in the last years the goal was to know how you can get the best from them. For sure using AI…but this is normal, it's a tool of the job. Still, AI needs the idea. It needs you to tell it what you want or to look for. The human side has to steer the system in the proper direction.

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88 MotoGP podiums in a row: that's quite some feat…

88 podiums is really a lot. For sure sooner or later the day will come when it doesn't happen. Sport moves like this. But I hope it will be far away.

How will you and the Ducati Corse team manage the 2026 championship and developing the new 850 at same time?

Everything depends on the result of the Sepang test. If it goes quite well then you can have time to spend on the 2027 project. Otherwise, you have to keep concentration and focus on the '26. For a small manufacturer like us it is necessary to understand what is going on and steer things accordingly. No quiet life for us yet!

By Adam Wheeler. Photos by Yamaha Racing/shotbybavo

Herlings and Gajser occupied most of the scant off-season MXGP chatter with the first unveiling of their new colours last month. The Dutchman and Slovenian - ten world titles between them - had been with their previous brands for 16 and 11 years respectively and had taken all their accolades with those teams and manufacturers. Herlings' first appearance in HRC guise and Gajser's initial airing with the blue Yamaha YZ450F represented two of the biggest shifts in the premier class landscape this century.

Herlings is hardly a publicity hound although his video interviews and photoshoots meant that HRC won the PR 'duel' compared to Yamaha's somewhat understated communication with Gajser's unveiling. Tim was the first to compete however, and the decent outing in the chilly Sardinian sand at Alghero was encouraging, a week before Herlings makes his Honda bow at Mantova for round two of the Italian campaign on February 8th.

Both champions are still in the 'honeymoon' phase of their fresh career chapters (everything is going 'well', 'positive' and 'motivating'), but the pre-season international events before the Argentine Grand Prix in one month will provide more critical data in race conditions. By all accounts Gajser has been able to make some shortcuts with the new factory YZ450FM.

"We know that every good guy who gets on a [new] bike says 'wow'…but what stood out [for Tim] was his happiness with the power and he felt immediately comfortable with the chassis," team owner Hans Corvers told us. "He said he felt more stable than with his previous brand. He's almost a month with the bike now and he gets faster and faster with the suspension work: something that is normal. We are now only onto [small] details, and the two he wanted improvement for were the footpegs and the front brake. They were too sharp, and he really likes a really strong front brake so we just changed the calliper and then it was OK! The pace is fine. It's nice."

Corvers also says that "Yamaha have worked hard on the bike and on many things." The 61-year-old Belgian has presided over Yamaha's MXGP effort since 2024 after earning MX2 GP wins with five different riders, the rider's crown with Maxime Renaux in 2021 and four manufacturer's titles with the YZ250F. The former Kemea team's transition from 250s to 450s also came during an unstable period for Yamaha Motor Europe's motocross racing programme in terms of their structure, teams, riders and resources. "In the last few years they tried to do their best but it was difficult," Corvers admits reluctantly but with typical honesty. "Moving up from MX2 was not my goal at that moment [at the end of 2023]," he adds. "But we did it, and there were things that could have been better and needed changing for organisation and R&D. Also, my team's organisation…"

2024 and 2025 delivered slim pickings for results. Calvin Vlaanderen posted two 3rd positions in '24 while Renaux missed the campaign through a foot injury, and although the Frenchman won the 2025 Argentine Grand Prix he was again hit by physical problems. Vlaanderen brought another three trophies as Geerts toiled on the bigger bike without success. Both Vlaanderen and Geerts moved on for 2026. "2025 was a disaster," Covers admits. "My worst season in 30 years with Kemea and with Yamaha. We've been in the world championship since 2012, so I think I have some experience. So, the internal organisation changed. Andrea Dosoli came on top for the technical side, Paolo [Pavesio] moved to MotoGP and the R&D team changed a bit. In the team we also changed the Crew Chiefs and other things. If it will work? I will tell you in a year!"

Yamaha's re-evaluation, together with Corvers and the YRRD development group (the technical wing of Michele Rinaldi's old racing division) and YME's reorientation meant new perspective. The plan to emulate KTM's profitable flow for talent through European championship achievement all the way to MXGP (Herlings, Jordi Tixier, Pauls Jonass, Jorge Prado, Rene Hofer, Tom Vialle, Simon Laengenfelder, Liam Everts and the Coenen brothers all emerged from different levels of KTM backing in EMX) was put on hold, and led to dialogue with a 'big hitter' like Gajser.

Corvers describes the process. "We talked a lot and had many meetings and many discussions and we changed our approach. Normally it should have been [former MX2 charge] Thibault Benistant that should have grown and been the next MXGP guy next to Maxime but things went differently. We were heading in that 'line' but when you are as multi-national as Yamaha and in the top five of the world and you want to compete for the title then sometimes you have to look at it differently. Sometimes in football or cycling they also take the good guys to win."

"It was time for all of us to make a move like this because our riders in the line-up were not ready to give us what we needed and expected," he adds. "Nothing against the youngsters…but we also had a lot of bad luck because Maxime started the season so nicely in Argentina and while he's in shape and healthy now it meant three years with the same story [of injury] and we could not take the risk to have a fourth year like that."

Yamaha now have arguably the most formidable MXGP roster with Gajser and Renaux both multiple winners and bringing fourteen accumulative seasons of experience in the category. Corvers insists that Renaux is "happy' with the alterations. Post-2025 Motocross of Nations there was a sustained period during the off-season where the 25-year-old was allegedly looking to break his contract early and join the factory Ducati effort.

It seems Yamaha have responded to the malaise of the past two years and are scrambling to crest the series they last ruled in 2015. "What's nice is that there was a loud bell ringing: not just from the riders, but inside the team, from Monster and everywhere, and Yamaha reacted in a proper way and I'm thankful that they did," Corvers says. "It was hard in the beginning but now there is calm and everybody knows what to do and there is a nice structure."

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By Adam Wheeler. Photos by KTM.

Acosta's fate, and the plans of the Austrians (and their mainly-British-owned French associate team Tech3) for what should be their third five-year contract chapter for MotoGP were the more prominent themes from the activation. Sure, Binder - looking even more trim for his seventh MotoGP term, all on the RC16, and twelfth as a Red Bull KTM athlete - was being asked about his new Crew Chief Phil Marron and Viñales was probed repeatedly on his unusual union with Jorge Lorenzo but it was the words and demeanour of both Pedro and KTM Motorsports Director Pit Beirer that gathered the most attention.

With gossip already swirling about Fabio Quartararo jumping from one Japanese camp to another and Jorge Martin continuing his tour of MotoGP motorcycles by allegedly considering a Japanese bike for the first time (and for the first time in any class since 2018), Acosta's re-up with KTM or leap into new waters has increased in urgency, especially with Marc Marquez pausing on his commitment to MotoGP in the wake of his shoulder injury but unlikely to deviate from factory Ducati status.

Acosta showed expert ability in deflecting enquiries about his future while holding a video call with the press. "I think today is not the day to talk about that, I mean, we are in the KTM presentation…" he said when asked about his time frame for 2027 and beyond.

DARK ORANGE

The general feeling is that Acosta sees his path away from the factory that brought him to prominence since he first entered the Red Bull Rookies series in 2019 (he finished runner-up in his first two races). The impression comes from the cloud surrounding Pedro in the early phases of the 2025 season where speculation was rife that he would escape his KTM contract prematurely and steer a Ducati for 2026. That breakaway did not happen, but it stemmed from the-then 20-year-old's grump with the competitiveness of the RC16 and the wavering period of uncertainty for KTM; not only for their continuance in MotoGP but their existence as a brand and position as Europe's largest motorcycle manufacturer.

Acosta crashed in the first Grand Prix in Thailand. Then finished 8th, 7th and then 8th in Qatar; where he was upstaged as the company's leading rider by new recruit Viñales (and at the Lusail Circuit where Acosta had debuted with the fastest lap and even performed an audacious overtaking move on Marquez twelve months previously). During that spell he struggled with grip and vibration and swapped between bikes with the mass damper and without, until he eventually claimed to be using his GASGAS settings from 2024. "I mean, it's already a topic every time that I entered into the box," he said of the vibration issue that affected his Americas Grand Prix and round three DNF. "For this we need to find a solution because we already one year like this…"

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"We have to be better. Need to be closer," he had urged on Thursday at Austin. Acosta then stirred the pot by gifting his manager, Albert Valera, a signed helmet that featured the phrase 'turning point'. "When you have a bad situation, you need to make a turning point, let's say. You know what I mean?" he said, somewhat vaguely, at the following Grand Prix in Qatar. "It's about everything: the bike, learning how to push, how the brand is understanding what is going on. Everybody has to go in the same direction. It is not only the rider pushing for one and the factory pushing for another, let's say. In the end I understand that every manufacturer wants something new but sometimes it is clever to go back and understand what is going on."

Further comments, and a general air of being fed-up, only increased the sensation that Acosta's impatience for competitiveness was darkening his tenure in orange. "It's frustration," he said in Jerez. "It's not easy to ride like this, to compete like this or achieve a target like this. I hope we can make the flip."

The story of 2025 showed that Acosta, Crew Chief Paul Trevathan and KTM managed to zero-in for set-up and become a regular rostrum threat. The second half of the campaign delivered 5 podiums and 7 Sprint medals. But Pedro remains one of only five riders on the current grid to have not sampled MotoGP success (the others are Luca Marini and Ai Ogura as well as the two rookies for 2026). Watching countryman and former rival Fermin Aldeguer coast to victory in Indonesia by almost seven seconds must have been nibbled at his anxiety.

From the cool and pressure-less climes of 2026 pre-season, Acosta was reflective. "At the beginning of last year, maybe my expectation was too high, and it was not easy to accept the bad moments," he admitted to us. "Thailand, Argentina, Austin, even Jerez was not easy at all…."

"Maybe the key this year will be to be much more calm, maybe also try to be much more cold, let's say, in the way that doesn't make things [crazy] just for my feelings," he added.

TIPPING POINTS

Pit Beirer later said that KTM were "busy talking to our current four riders to keep them on board", and Acosta seemed to indicate that the door was not closed on another KTM agreement. The company and the MotoGP team seem to be in far more settled phase compared to the beginning of 2025; even if all the brands are juggling various pistons, for 2026 formidability and 2027 optimisation with the 850s, Pirellis, less aero and ride-height-free grand prix. Acosta might have the race-winning package he craves after all and the first rounds will be revealing.

"At the end of last year, we go to Malaysia [pre-season test] with some updates of my 2024 bike, but [there] was not really anything new, until mid-season," Acosta revealed this week. "And this year I see a big step, you know? And this makes you super-confident. Also, it's true that the general situation of the factory is not the same than one year ago. You can feel it in the faces of the people, everyone is more calm and more confident. This makes you breathe."

In Trevathan and his team (with several hand-picked members) top-billing at KTM and Red Bull favour, Acosta has almost all of the ingredients an elite-level athlete requires. The subject of the motorcycle remains loose in the equation. This means KTM could have a few weeks, laps and a couple of races to secure their generational talent. "I have to say that I'm impressed," Pedro also claimed in the wake of his visit to the factory for the official photoshoot and the traditional start-of-year bike-build for the race team "but we never know how much the other brands was working, knowing that in one year a new regulation will come."

Acosta's youth and his family's roots (we cannot underestimate the allure of a paycheck from another brand that doubles the salary) as well as his competitive thirst do not cloud his intelligent awareness that timing and strategy are critical to career progress. "It's quite difficult to know who will be the manufacturer to beat," he understated. "But it's true that I'm quite optimistic, after seeing how much KTM was working."

He is linked to Ducati, and that means a sensible bet in joining the current powerhouse of the series and a manufacturer with sharp experience of Pirelli tyres in WorldSBK. But it means ditching Red Bull and sliding into the pitbox next to Marquez; who has successfully vanquished every single teammate in his MotoGP stint, ending the careers of two. And, as a result of 2025, edging a Ducati legend like Pecco Bagnaia out of the factory team frame. Yes, Acosta is billed as Marquez's successor, but good luck as his main rival for the next 24 months while also developing a fledgling technical platform.

KTM POISED TO RETURN

Beirer did not carry the air of a man resigned to losing the rider that finished P4 in the world in 2025. The German has plenty of meetings in the agenda for the coming weeks as KTM need to agree terms with Dorna to continue in MotoGP (as do the other brands and satellite teams), rubber stamp the plan for the 850's development and investment and also bank Gunther Steiner's Tech3 squad association for the same term. Somewhere at the top of that pile has to come Acosta but also the other three racers… and all in-and-around a hectic phase of tests in Malaysia and Thailand, a championship launch in Kuala Lumpur and the first Grand Prix in the final week of February. The activities in Sepang will be crucial for all 11 teams in the series…but extra significant to how KTM can balance their assets.

"He made no secret that he expects still another step on the bike [before] we're in the situation to give him a contract for the future," Pit told us. "We made a very clear plan how we're going to phase the beginning of the season and how we're going to phase the Sepang test. I'm pretty sure that also the Sepang test will be important to show not just Pedro but all our riders what we've delivered over the winter."

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"Now it's also time to make the framework on the contract side," Beirer continued. "I feel in the next four weeks everybody really needs to be sure that 'this is my partner who produces material which costs a lot of money and the resources…'. In the next 4 weeks I feel really important things need to be decided."

The fact that KTM were one of the first to display their 850 engine for MotoGP 2027, and shared video images of the bike's early rolling chassis testing during December 2025 is a positive sign that they will indeed be part of the grid until the end of 2031. "Even in all the difficulties for the company, don't expect that we could've built an 850 just because I wanted to build one,' he stressed. "I had to get permission from the board of directors and supervisory board to do so. That commitment was there a long time ago otherwise there'd have been no bike on track in December."

"Thanks to Bajaj we're still here," he admitted. "With their strong commitment, they saved the company. They gave us the chance to work, to repair and we are on a really good way to repair this company. Now we have all their backing to go into the future of MotoGP."

If Acosta does join the flurry of social media silly season chatter in the coming weeks, even before he'd raced the 2026 RC16, then KTM can still look to Binder's resilience and Viñales rejuvenation and perhaps even Enea Bastianini's unpredictable speedbursts. And then there is the matter of the KTM 'pipeline' and a certain 19-year-old by the name of David Alonso who could easily gobble some of Pedro's hype in the coming years of MotoGP.

Thanks to Neil Morrison and David Emmett.

By Adam Wheeler. Photos by Falex/Ducati Corse.

Well-fed and watered, we were among the first to leave the mountaintop Spinale chalet on the second night of the 'Campioni in Pista' Ducati Lenovo Team launch, held in the snowy peaks of the Dolomites in northeastern Italy. Outside the restaurant that was populated by Ducati senior management and associated guests from sponsors and significant groups like Audi as well as a healthy media attendance, was a frozen 44,000-euro Panigale V4 R. Wallets were aching. Two of us entered the first ski lift capsule for the dark descent and return to the resort town of Madonna di Campiglio. Surprisingly, the second batch of people to exit the station at the bottom was 2022 and 2023 world champion Pecco Bagnaia, accompanied by his sister and PA Carola and his manager from the VR46 set-up.

It's possible that the recently turned 29-year-old was tired after long day of promotion duties showing off the new Ducati Corse factory colours for what will be his sixth campaign in that distinctive 'red'. But the fact that he left his teammate, Marc Marquez, shuffling on the small restaurant dancefloor under the illumination of content creators' mobile phones and with the bonhomie of figures like Ducati Corse General Manager Gigi Dall'Igna and Ducati Motor Holding CEO Claudio Domenicali for company was a stark contrast of circumstances. Speculation about Bagnaia's fate with the team and brand wafted invisibly over the first official day of 'Campioni in Pista', especially with recent rumours of Pedro Acosta's imminent deal with the Italians popping up online in the preceding days. Marquez, who has not raced a Grand Prix bike since October 5th, meanwhile revelled in the attention befitting of the company's third different world champion in four years and with the assurance of a man that is clearly feted and wanted by the Bologna-based firm.

It was hard not to draw a parallel with the glistening, icy Panigale outside the restaurant doors and Bagnaia's apparent future with the Ducati Corse flagship effort. Bewilderment of the Italian's erratic competitiveness in 2025 after three glorious seasons has still not thawed either. From the entire MotoGP grid, only Fabio Quartararo and Brad Binder have been with their respective teams (seven years) longer than Bagnaia with Ducati Corse's flagship. Once again Marquez has dwarfed a teammate, even one as entrenched and celebrated as Pecco with his native brand.

2026 is a bridge year for MotoGP technology, the end of a contract window for the five manufacturers on the grid with Dorna Sports as well as satellite teams and brands. Of course, it will also be the final Grand Prix term for riders, either in the championship itself or with their current employees. As the series sorts itself out for the next five and two-year phases, the transfer stories and narratives arcs will be as fascinating and fervent as any of the -on-track action in the coming months. "2026 will be tricky, not on track, outside the track," Marc said to us in the post-presentation press conference. The clamour for confirmation of plans and the changes to the fabric of MotoGP means that a raft of announcements could surface earlier than expected, so teams and riders can dispel with endless questions and conjecture while they get on with the business of succeeding in the last volley of the current 1000s and then also charting progress of the development of the 850s.

Marquez, the second oldest rider in MotoGP, sits in the familiar position of being 'first' in this mire of mixture. The Catalan's eventual decision will arrange the subsequent spaces, the budgets, the priorities and the possibilities for his peers.

In Madonna di Campiglio Marc's replies to enquires about what he will do were not the first and will not be the last. A seasoned veteran of the game, he was giving little away but the team launch press conference was the opening salvo of questions for his timeline and considerations for possible fifteenth and sixteenth seasons in MotoGP and that Valentino Rossi-eclipsing tenth title bid.

Why go again? Marc is clearly nestling comfortably in a plump Ducati bosom; voluptuous with potential for 2027 thanks to Ducati Corse's extensive experience with Pirelli tyres through their achievements in WorldSBK. Domenicali allegedly said to Sky Sports Italia that re-upping with their star was the priority. His seventh MotoGP championship and the glut of 11 GP victories in 2025 has not quenched the thirst. "I have a big passion about riding a bike," he had said on stage for the presentation. "But not [just] riding a bike, about competition. It's the best fuel I have in my body. And a season like 2025 just creates more motivation."

In the press conference he was more revealing. "I'm happy with my life, I'm happy with my work, if you can say 'work'," he added. "The most difficult challenge of my career I have already done, that was to come back [from his broken right arm]. Now if something [more success] arrives, it's welcome."

A final one-year sortie with the GP26 is unlikely, even if Marquez answered "nothing" to TNT commentator Gavin Emmett's question about what would be at the top of a wishlist for the forthcoming Sepang test. He might be content with his race bike based on the GP25 and with electronics and aero upgrades and final revision to Ducati's masterful rear ride height device to come for 2026, but if Marc continues as a Grand Prix rider then it will be for both 2027 and 2028. "If we decide to go forward, it will be a two-year contract…" he said. "The project of manufacturers are by two years. If not, it will not be a big benefit for the team and the manufacturer."

Why call it a day? As much as Marc blurs the separation between work and passion, 2026 will be a busy year for him. His profile means a loaded calendar of promotion requirements for his employer as well as MotoGP itself. The requests will be dizzying. You have to wonder why he isn't already tired with the periphery of the circus before then contending with the pressures of the paddock and the demands of the travel. Then, there is the physical wear and tear of 107 crashes in the last five years and the nagging doubt that his right shoulder is still not quite ready. "If you asked me two weeks ago, I would say, 'hmm, so so'," he said, earnestly, about the current state of the joint. "But as [with] every rehabilitation or recovery, we have some ups and downs, and now I start to feel better and better. I don't know which percentage I am, because I don't know what will be my 100%. I think it will be the same as before, but I need to analyse this and try to discover."

Marc also hinted at the drain of yet another circle of recovery. Something he's already frustratingly familiar with after the four operations it took to get him race ready between 2020 and 2024. "Yeah, another year we did a long winter, tough winter, about the mental side because a lot of physiotherapy sessions," he half-sighed "and a lot of gym sessions with low weights."

Ducati deservingly flaunted their MotoGP feats in numbers through the presentation: 1-2 in the championship, a third Triple Crown (Rider, Constructor, Team titles), 17 GP wins from 22 in 2025 (and 44 podiums) and 6 of the first 8 riders in the standings. Although its unlikely, there is the slim possibility that they don't hit the mark with the 850 for 2027. Ducati Corse could get it wrong. 2027 will scramble the paint palette of MotoGP and the dominant hue of scarlet could well turn another shade. Marc might re-enter the basin of frustration that he found in his last two years with HRC. "Nobody can promise the best bike," he warned. "You have to feel and follow your instinct what is the best project for yourself."

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Realistically, where could he go? A reunion with a resurgent HRC seems the most imaginable factory move. Aprilia would not sit right, KTM would struggle for budget and Yamaha is a different type of project. Marquez speaks in glowing terms of his one-year experience alongside brother Alex at Gresini, so that would be the next most logical choice if he wants to copy Rossi's graceful ease into retirement outside of 'works' status, but it would also make little sense for arguably the series' all-time greatest rider.

Marc's sensitivity to Bagnaia's situation led him to lament the speediness with how 2027 and 2028 will undoubtedly be cemented. He said of the pecking order: "It's not fair, but it's like this."

"I would like to go more forward and wait a bit more and decide our future mid-season," he added. "[But] I think some riders will close already before the first race. It's true that I'm one of them, we are in conversations, but I need to analyse everything, what is the best for my professional and personal life."

Bagnaia could already be out of Ducati Lenovo. If not, then he might only have a handful of races to prove that 2025 was a brief mind-bend. Thanks to 31 GP wins to-date and those two titles he is already a Ducati 'legend' but six years could be the point where both rider and team need to refresh. Pecco's career prospects with Ducati will endure if he takes the easy option of steering a Desmosedici from the VR46 squad because if MM93 sticks around for another brace of seasons then it's quite clear who will be bringing the heat.

By Adam Wheeler. Photo by Shot by Bavo.

Five world championships and a record tally of 112 Grand Prix wins give 31-year-old Jeffrey Herlings a hefty distinction in FIM MXGP (the series reaches its 68th year of existence in 2026). The fact that the Dutchman achieved every single success with Red Bull KTM means his jump to HRC represented a seismic shift in the landscape of Grand Prix. Herlings' two-season agreement with the Japanese is perhaps the biggest rider shake-up this century because of what he achieved and symbolised with KTM: the orange 84 pervaded over both the MX2 and MXGP classes whether he was dominant on track or absent through injury. Herlings either ghosted his rivals or was a distant spectre; his excellence lurking in the background of the results sheets that he couldn't penetrate.

Austria for Japan/Italy, 450 SX-F for CRF450R, Alpinestars for Fox: from January 1st Herlings abandoned every consistent staple of his career since he impacted the world championship as a shining 15-year-old in 2010.

The change to Honda occurred through the period of uncertainty at KTM last summer and the offer of a strong contract from HRC that had mitigations for injury (there was no clause in the fine print). After sixteen seasons in orange, Herlings was also attracted by the novelty of possibility: the motivational benefits of a void outside of his comfort zone. According to sources close to the racer, he had doubts about the move before and during (even after) the process but forged ahead with his decision. The duration of his outgoing KTM deal meant he could not ride a Honda until January 1st 2026 and officially replaced Yamaha-bound Tim Gajser - a five times champion himself and Honda stalwart since 2015 - at the turn of the year.

The factory unit have then been doubling down with Herlings who will have to adjust to alternative suspension beyond WP and an aluminium chassis. "To have a little taste of Honda we gave him a production bike, all stock, from January 1st," Pereira tells us. "He rode quite a few times before we arrived with all the Japanese, all the engineers and the whole crew and then we switched to the prototype."

Like teammates Tom Vialle (also new to HRC after seven terms with Red Bull KTM in MX2 and then AMA 250SX and MX) and Ruben Fernandez, Herlings will race the factory pre-production CRF. Vialle completed tests in November and raced the Paris Supercross for his debut. Fernandez, who will begin his fourth campaign as an HRC rider, rode the new model through the second half of the 2025 championship and to 4th place in the MXGP standings.

Herlings' initial laps with HRC was an exercise of acute acclimatisation. While both parties are clearly in a honeymoon period and any progress with feeling, speed and potential are positive steps, there is an urgency to get '84' ready to tackle the likes of world champion Romain Febvre and former teammate Lucas Coenen as well as incoming MXGP rookies like Kay de Wolf and Andrea Adamo. According to Pereira the process was effective. "We already had already some idea what we're going to face and what we were going to test with him but you never know until the first day," the Brazilian said. "We were trying to get a base bike that we think that will suit for him very well but being 17 years with a different manufacturer, it's not easy. However, we were together 12 hours a day for three days solid and he was really happy: learning the team, learning how the bike handles, what he needs from the bike, what he needs from us, and also what we need from him. To be honest, I was also really happy. I think nobody from the HRC or the team expected that everything would go so smooth and so easy."

Pereira said that Herlings was extremely curious. For the team it meant a different working approach after a decade of orientating their championship hopes around Gajser. "Tim was with Honda for a long time, so let's say, testing-wise, we knew what he was looking for and we knew the requests. But with Jeffrey everything is new, so there are many questions and many ideas. Things coming from his mind and what he wishes for engine character, suspension and handling. But, in a short time, we were able to give him a base."

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"Both riders [Herlings and Gajser] are really professional," he explains. "Both riders really know what they want because they are both on that high level. The requests for the specification are always met with the best we can give because we like to be on that level as well! But with Jeff there's more questions than usual for us!"

In terms of different bike set-ups for the two championships, Honda are still in the exploration stages but the latest generation of the CRF means the '84' might already have alternative parameters to what HRC had to shape for Gajser. "Tim never rode the new prototype, so it's kind of like a 'reset'," Pereira says. "But it's not a big deal for us and the Japanese can meet the requests Jeffery has."

Herlings' Honda debut will come on February 8th in the shallow sand of Mantova for the second round of the Internazionali d'Italia. The whole HRC line-up will compete in Italy. Herlings will then enter the Hawkstone Park International in the UK the following weekend with Vialle while Fernandez and HRC MX2 rider Valerio Lata will ride the opening dates of the 2026 Spanish Championship. MXGP begins in Argentina on March 7-8.

By Adam Wheeler. Photos by Ray Archer.

Kay de Wolf has ended a strong half decade in the MX2 class of the FIM Motocross World Championship and will bump into MXGP at the age of 21 for 2026. The Dutchman will steer a factory Nestaan Husqvarna FC 450 and is expected to be part of an official six-rider Austrian works line-up; three of which in the premier division (along with Lucas Coenen and Andrea Adamo). In the wake of Jeffrey Herlings' departure from Red Bull KTM colours after sixteen seasons, De Wolf ensures that the Netherlands will still have factory representation from the depths of Mundering.

Husqvarna confirmed the news last Friday for 2026 as De Wolf continues his association with Kay Henneken's team run by Rasmus Jorgensen and a squad he joined as a teenager for EMX125 in in 2019. Ironically De Wolf made the decision for his future (and for the last year of his current deal with the KTM Group) at the 2025 Motocross of Nations in the USA where he won the MX2 category. "I had to think about it. I missed the deadline by over a week!" he smiles when asked about the choice between another term in MX2 (he could still race another two, based on the 23-year age rule) and the entry to MXGP.

De Wolf should join other MX2 champions like Maxime Renaux, Tom Vialle and Adamo (both also potentially making their MXGP debuts in 2026) on the 450 while incumbent #1, Simon Längenfelder, has opted to try and become the first back-to-back MX2 title winner since Jorge Prado in 2019. Kay (pronounced 'Ky') has finished 7th, 6th, 6th, 1st and 2nd in his five MX2 campaigns and waves farewell to the competition after two years of last race, last lap championship finales.

"A new chapter and it's the right time," he says, exclusively. "I wanted to defend my 250 title in 2025 and I was doing it pretty well despite some injuries."

De Wolf's biggest obstacle was the spell of three consecutive race in France, Germany and Latvia, and then the British Grand Prix at Matterley Basin. He finished 13-3-3-10 at those events. "I went through a lot of pain: France was bad," he explains. "I'd twisted my right ankle and there were a lot of right-handed turns! The tiniest touch or tip on the ground can ruin your whole race with an injury like that. It was the first of a triple header and those things just don't heal that quickly. I went to Germany and was trying not to touch the ground with my foot and ended up doing down on my shoulder. I could not raise my arm. Going into Latvia there was a lot of rain. I didn't have power in my right shoulder and couldn't put my right foot down. I crashed quite a few times there. It was a rough set of GPs and I learned how to charge myself-up mentally and that's something I can take into the future. It was a big learning lesson; going through that pain barrier."

He was then only minutes from re-stamping his champion status at the storm-hit second moto in Australia. His water-logged bike expired a lap before the red flag in Darwin for what was a dramatic and sensational closer to a season where De Wolf had chased Längenfelder and also dealt with Adamo for long stages. "I gave it all I had," he recalls. "That's why I have no regrets. I could hear the water in my engine and I was kinda prepared for it. The lap before it died I was actually hopeful because it sounded better but then I had to go through a puddle that I could not avoid. I tried everything to miss that water because we had information from the team that Simon was quite far behind. I missed it by two minutes but as soon as I walked back I was quite neutral because we gave everything. That's why I've slept well ever since. The whole team gave it all."

De Wolf had travelled to Australia trailing Längenfelder by only 16 points. He lowered to 13 after Saturday's Qualification Heat and then only 10 in the wake of the first moto. The tension meant some close calls between the pair on-track. De Wolf was criticised by some for his tactics when he passed his German rival. "I had people saying they wanted to kill me afterwards," he grins. "I laughed with it. In my opinion he still had an 'open ticket' from Turkey last year and a really unnecessary pass that could have ended my 2024 title. A lot of things happened after that race and a lot of opinions. People can say what they want…"

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Despite the low moments and flashes of controversy, De Wolf was otherwise exceptional. He won the most Grands Prix, the most motos and totalled 15 podiums from 20. His perfect weekend of topping every single MX2 period or outing at Lommel for the Belgian Grand Prix was a masterclass. Now he has drawn a line under the year and his career chapter.

Rather than aspiring to a dizzying rookie season like Romain Febvre (2015), Tim Gajser (2016), Jeffrey Herlings (2nd in the championship with 6 victories in 2017) or Lucas Coenen (also a runner-up with 13 trophies in 2025), De Wolf is being modest and realistic, while also anticipating a contest against the likes of Herlings and co. "It's not just about racing my heroes but learning from them and hopefully take that experience into later years and chase the world title," he said pre-emptively of 2026.

There is cause for optimism, however. De Wolf was one of the tallest and heaviest riders in MX2; a reason why he was comprehensively defeated in Grand Prix holeshots. His technique also lends itself to the greater torque and output of the 450, much in the same way as former teammate and title foe Lucas Coenen. "A lot better than a 250 actually," he says of the suitability of his style for the extra cc's. "I ride it smoothly compared to the 250. Because of my weight I have to hang-it-out on the 250 more whereas on the 450 I have it more under control. It's really enjoyable and I've already shown some good speed on different tracks."

Nestaan Husqvarna will again split classes with De Wolf in MXGP and Liam Everts in MX2. The team last divided their efforts between two bikes in 2024 when they fielded Mattia Guadagnini on the FC 450.

By Adam Wheeler. Photos by Ray Archer.

Tim Gajser could not defeat brandmates Hunter and Jett Lawrence for a second year in a row at the Motocross of Nations this month but the decorated MXGP racer at least gave Honda a farewell top three with 3rd place in the MXGP class in Indiana.

Gajser, along with Jeffrey Herlings, is set to embark on two of the biggest team and manufacturer changes in modern MXGP history. The 29-year-old, who first represented the Japanese in 2014 and from the confines of Giacomo Gariboldi's team in MX2, killed the engine on an -eleven season association with the factory in the USA, and a union that delivered five titles and over 50 Grand Prix victories (putting him 5th on the all-time list). Gajser famously won the premier class division in his first term with the CRF450R in 2016, which was also Honda's first success in the blue ribband competition since 2000.

2025 started positively for #243 with five consecutive podium finishes, including three wins, but then he controversially hit a partially concealed marshal's mound at Frauenfeld for round six of the series and sustained a displaced right shoulder. He missed nine Grands Prix after surgery and returned to grasp one more trophy with a runner-up classification at the penultimate round in China.

"I had a really comfortable lead, over 50 points, but then the crash happened in Switzerland," he explains. "I gave my best to come back as soon as possible but when I tried in Agueda [Portugal, round seven] it was too damaged. Surgery…and then it [recovery] took way-longer than expected. Without that crash I felt like [2025] was my season…but this is the sport sometimes."

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At Ironman Gajser still wasn't quite back to total fitness. "I still don't have full mobility of the shoulder, but we are working on it and it will be 100% for next year," he said in the paddock in Indiana. "In the last two GPs the speed was there, and Ironman was another step in the right direction. I can go motivated into the off-season: many changes! I'm looking forward and I'm excited."

During his recovery this summer, Gajser had been negotiating another new deal with Honda but the company had their head-turned by the prospect of Jeffrey Herlings, and enticed double MX2 world champ and AMA 250SX #1 Tom Vialle back to Europe. Gajser, allegedly, found a willing new employer with Yamaha.

"Strange that it was my last race on a red bike," he said on Sunday at the MXoN. "I have been with Honda since the end of 2013, twelve years is a long time! It's definitely going to be different next year but sometimes a fresh beginning is also good. I am always super-motivated - motivation is never my problem - but it gives me something extra: to go on a new bike, do the testing, see how it feels. It will be good!"

Yamaha have yet to confirm Gajser's deal, and the identity of his teammates. Honda meanwhile are also in a contractual bind with KTM to announce Vialle and Herlings, although Vialle should be declared prior to his debut appearance at the 2025 Paris Supercross in mid-November. Ruben Fernandez - the third CFR450R racer for 2026 and on the pre-production model of the latest generation of the bike - should be announced as part of the overall team roster.

By Adam Wheeler. Photos by Ray Archer.

There is still no official news about Maxime Renaux's contract status with the factory Monster Energy Yamaha team but the luckless 25-year-old, who recently helped Team France to the third step of the podium at the 2025 Motocross of Nations, indicated that his future with the Japanese is far from clear.

"Still to be decided," he said exclusively at Ironman Raceway. "There is a chance obviously…but it is not really in my hands anymore. I gave my opinion. I need changes."

Despite having another term to run on his deal with Hans Corvers' team, Renaux has been linked with a premature departure and has caught the attention of Ducati Corse Off-Road who are on the brink of announcing their link-up with Louis Vosters' unit (who had fielded Fantic machinery for the last two seasons) and had dissolved their partnership with Mattia Guadagnini, leaving a slot next to Jeremy Seewer open for 2026 and the second year for the developing Desmo450 MX project.

Renaux's frustration has stemmed from a third injury-hit season in a row. He won the opening round in Argentina, but then hurt his right hand, broke some ribs and cracked the top of his femur, effecting his hip area. He has appeared on an MXGP podium just once since the end of 2023. Although Renaux has rarely been 100% in 2025, the Yamaha YZ450F has also been lacking silverware compared to the Kawasaki KX450F, KTM 450 SX-F, the Honda CRF450R and even the Yamaha-based Fantic motorcycle ridden by Glenn Coldenhoff to P3 in the championship. Jago Geerts struggled to become a consistent top ten runner and broke off a career-long spell with Yamaha at the beginning of this week. Calvin Vlaanderen at least salvaged something for the Belgium-based crew with three 3rd positions this year and seems to be the sole constant for Yamaha with five-times world champion Tim Gajser also incoming.

"I came out of a very strong winter and was ready," Renaux recounts. "I won the first race of the season and then it went from bad to worse, injury after injury, and then always trying to recover. I pushed with a knife in the teeth. I went through hell this season and the biggest pain I've had while riding. A broken hand, a broken femur head. I was fighting all the time and the body took a big hit because of that. Of course, mentally, it's not easy to ride injured and you develop bad habits. I'm definitely looking forward to an off-season! And starting from a blank sheet to build up to next season."

"I need to put everything flat, whatever the future will be, and start from new," he added.

At Ironman there was talk that Yamaha would hold Renaux to the final year of his contract. The dispute is entering the final stages as both parties need to start their planning phase for 2026 testing. Although battered, Renaux insists he can return to be a major name in MXGP. "The hip was a bit better but not fully cured and I'll have a check-up as well as some real rest, which will help a lot," he said of his state at the MXoN. "The goal is to build up again. I'm not dealing with an injury like my foot in 2023. It's not as bad as that and I'm confident I will be back. I just need some time, and to erase all the suffering and bad habits. I need to start from the bottom and build up, and I've done that a lot of times in my career with some huge injuries. I know I'm capable of it. Hopefully we'll see again the real me."

MXGP currently waits to see whether that fast #959 will appear in blue or red.

By Adam Wheeler. Photos by Trackhouse Racing.

"I love motocross…!" a slow smile breaks across Ai Ogura's face. The 24-year-old Trackhouse Racing rookie and Aprilia rider has had a bumpy rookie MotoGP season. Good results and fast speed have also come with injury, education of the RS-GP's complexity and drops in form. He has also had to adapt to the American team's culture and their desire for stories and content, as well as the increased media demands from TV and the press. 2025 has been something of a whirlwind so far and the Japanese sits down for an interview expecting the same ream of questions about being the new boy in the category.

Having been tipped off by the ever-amiable Trackhouse press officer Maria Pohlmann and one or two of his mechanics that Ogura's current passion lies on the dirt rather than the tarmac (and it also serves as his main form of training, even if he did sustain a broken arm due to a motocross mishap in 2023) this interview was destined for another direction. Ogura's eyes widen slightly in surprise at the topic of discussion.

Over the course of the following 20 minutes at the Dutch TT, Ai's explanation of his fondness for the dirt helped shed some light on his alternative approach and philosophy. The slow-speaking and reserved racer has a very 'Zen' outlook; and even bemused his Trackhouse team during pre-season tests and the first events of the year by refusing to get rattled by the scale of the task ahead of him and the adjustment to 300bhp+, Michelin tyres, ride height devices and more.

Ai's chat is earnest but reserved. It gives him an air of mystery, but talking about non-MotoGP subjects creates plenty of smiling, a few laughs and seems to make him feel at ease. You cannot help but wonder if the same placidity feeds directly into that economic and elegant riding style for the RS-GP25

Ai, do you prefer a 250 or a 450?

I've tried a 450 maybe three or four times in my life! So, a 250.

You're based in Catalunya right?

Yes, Castelldefels.

So, some decent tracks to choose from…

I always go in the direction of Girona. Tracks like MX Golf, Vallgorguina. I just started training more in 2025 so I am still finding tracks.

Are you quite disciplined with the riding? Do you make motos and time attacks?

I ride until I am tired. Every session is around 20 minutes…but it's just for fun. I like to play with the motorcycle, and motocross is the best. There are a lot of different elements every lap. The track is changing, some corners are really flat, some have deep ruts and then there are the jumps! In one lap you get such variety that you cannot get on asphalt.

How does Davide Brivio [Team Manager] feel about it?

He loves motocross too!

Your roots are not in off-road, correct?

Yes. I only rode asphalt and pocketbike. I started motocross when I was 17, quite late. I did flat track from school years and I regret starting motocross so late. I was living in Barcelona when I was 18. I was racing in Europe when I was 16. Being in Barcelona helped me for doing more riding, different riding. Japanese riders now are doing motocross or flat track since they are very young. Me, [Ayumu] Sasaki or [Ryusei] Yamanaka brought that kind of information back to Japan and [the scene] started. It's always like this; [Hiroshi] Aoyama would be in Barcelona and said that all the Europeans would be riding all the time. I remember thinking 'ah, OK…'

Have your skills developed quickly?

In flat track I was quite OK from the first day, but motocross…?! It was a disaster, and maybe that's the reason why it's the best for me because even when I go to the track now to train most of the other riders are faster than me. That never happened on the asphalt in Japan. At least you have somebody to chase. That feeling was new. There is always something to learn and you feel the improvement in a big way and that's the best feeling.

Different to a good feeling in MotoGP?

Even if you make a fantastic result in GP, for me it's not 'fun'. It's not pure joy. For me, GP is something different. When I'm training, I have a lot of fun. In official GP sessions I almost never have fun.

Is there any transfer from MX to MotoGP for you?

Just the feeling of a bike. That's all. I don't know if I am getting better in MotoGP because I am training on a motocross bike. Maybe it's important…but I'm tired of thinking in that way. I have tried all kinds of bikes and maybe one day that will pay off but I don't like to think about what I need on a MotoGP bike and then try to find it somewhere else.

Ever tried sand?

I rode hardpack many times. In Japan it was hard to find a deep sand track. If I go to the Netherlands or Belgium then I don't think I will come back! I'd be stuck somewhere. I like motocross but I am not good at it.

Do you follow any of the MXGP or Supercross riders? Ever been to a GP or seen a Main Event?

I followed Ken [Roczen] a lot…and not because he was at HRC. I was interested more in motocross around 2017 and the legends like [Ryans] Dungey, Villopoto and James [Stewart] had gone. So, it was Ken, Eli [Tomac], Jason Anderson. Ken was riding for Honda then and I still follow him now. I've never been to MXGP or Supercross…and I'm in an American team!

Some of the other MotoGP riders are quite fast on the dirt: Marquez, Miller…

Maverick is super-fast.

What happened in 2023 and with the wrist injury…?

It was strange conditions. There was a long straight and one part was very muddy but before it was a dry patch that was super-hardpack and fast. I went straight into that deep mud and the bike just caught and stopped. I don't know if I broke my wrist when I was pushed over the bars or when I landed on the ground. Three broken bones and a dislocation and two-three ligaments. The doctor was happy to see my wrist at all. He thought I would never recover enough to ride.

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Did that make you apprehensive about motocross afterwards?

No! I was like 'come on, get better, I want to go again…' I never think 'oh, the season is happening and I cannot ride because it's dangerous'. No. It is dangerous because you are not any good! I have to train. Until I feel I am good then I train fully at it.

What is your training routine generally?

I do two-three days [per week] on the motorcycle and I run. In the Idemitsu time [Honda Team Asia] I used to cycle a lot. But I am not a big fan of cycling: it is unbelievably boring. After I left the team I switched to running and had more fun and gained more time. Cycling can be three-four hours, running is one hour or less.

Could you ever be tempted to try a motocross race?

My goal is…well, Japanese motocross is not at a high level [compared to world championship] but there is a Professional A and Professional B and National A and National B levels. I would like to be good enough to be one of the last riders in Professional A! You need to make a race to move up the levels but I've never been able to. Maybe after I retire! I want to make one. My friend is already doing 2-3 a year. He is a road racer but I used to train with him and he said it was nice experience, especially the start. I want to have a go…but no chance yet!