2026 is shaping as much as be fairly the Drama-Llama🦙 – we weren’t even in a position to cowl half of it on this week’s record:
- A former contractor has been discovered with stolen Ducati GP elements and equipment, all valued at over $230,000 USD!
- New filings present that Ducati is engaged on a 2026 Diavel V4 S for his or her beloved Ducatisti
- Honda’s current press launch has lifted the curtain on fifteen on-road bikes geared towards accessibility and bang-for-buck worth – all accompanying new updates of their E-Clutch tech system.
- Indian has begun a brand new “By no means Completed” anniversary marketing campaign, celebrating 125 years of Indian Bikes – and the primary bike underneath this celebratory umbrella will probably be a Scout Bobber present in Homologation filings!
- Since EICMA, MV Agusta has been spreading whispers of the return of a motorcycle now not of their lineup – and the potential return of the model’s F5 superbike may come housing MV Agusta’s 5-cylinder idea engine!
- Verge has introduced that they’re “the primary on the earth to introduce solid-state battery expertise into manufacturing bikes.” The query is solely when the factor will arrive in a Verge bike.
Let’s start with Group Purple’s reasonably dramatic flip to the brand new yr, lets?
Housebreaking in Bologna: $230k Ducati GP Stash Recovered
Italian Police Foil Excessive-Worth Heist of MotoGP and WSBK Parts
The Carabinieri of Borgo Panigale (edit: Assume “Boys in Blue,” however with a extra chiseled jawline) have efficiently recovered a large haul of racing elements stolen from the Ducati manufacturing facility. In response to protection from MCN, the “stash” included MotoGP and Superbike elements valued at roughly $230,000 (€215,000), with the entire package and caboodle discovered two days earlier than Christmas. The placement of the loot was discovered in the course of the residence raid of a 37-year-old former exterior contractor who had labored on electrical installations on the Ducati plant, thereby granting them entry to a veritable treasure of Ducati grid stuffs.
As for these curious what’s within the pile of elements, the recovered loot reads like a monitor fanatic’s moist dream: Quite a few Brembo brake calipers (together with MotoGP-spec componentry), Öhlins suspension items, and different high-value equipment like leathers, unique crew merchandise, and watches, together with caps in colours à la Enea Bastianini.
Ducati’s race-limited elements are a part of a serialized and strictly managed assortment, maintained for security and efficiency functions; because of Ducati’s strict management of this stuff, police have been in a position to establish the perpetrator utilizing surveillance footage from the manufacturing facility, monitoring the motion of the gear and defending every little thing from touchdown within the black market.
We’ll maintain tabs on whether or not or not anything is discovered related to this story; within the meantime, make sure to see the report at MCN for extra particulars.
Quick Filings: Ducati is Cooking up a 2026 Diavel V4 S
Leaked Designs Reveal Digital Suspension and RS-Impressed Intakes
On prime of celebrating Ducati’s race-spec stuffs coming again into the fold, the Bologna-based bike model can also be due for a mid-cycle refresh – and if current design filings printed by the EU Mental Property Workplace are any indicator, we’re about to get a Diavel V4 S for 2026.
The information surrounding this explicit mannequin comes right now from the ever-incomparable Dennis Chung on Bike.com, the place we’re informed that this new 2026 Diavel V4 S could have important {hardware} upgrades. Whereas the core V4 Granturismo engine stays unchanged, the chassis and aesthetic will purportedly get a pointy “S-spec” therapy and a few candy digital suspension items courtesy of what we predict might be a Marzocchi setup with Ducati Skyhook Suspension (DSS) (related towhat already exists on the Multistrada V4 S).
Visually, the brand new Diavel borrows the identical aggressive air intakes from the unique RS mannequin, however pairs these with a brand new set of sportier, five-spoke wheels and a redesigned four-piece slash-cut pipe system.
The sprint additionally seems to have grown, with a brand new rectangular housing hinting at a bigger show, changing the previous 5-inch unit with an additional 1.5 inches of TFT goodness.
To see the leaked design drawings and a full breakdown of the upcoming Diavel V4 S, try the report at Bike.com.
New Stuff: Honda Proclaims Up to date E-Clutch Tech and 15 Bikes for 2026
15 Fashions Introduced with a Deal with Accessibility
Honda kicked off the brand new yr with a large announcement (printed to their platform on January 7), revealing a 15-model on-road lineup for 2026. This transfer alerts a significant strategic shift towards tech accessibility and aggressive pricing, beginning with the growth of Honda’s E-Clutch expertise to a fourth bike – the fan-favorite CB750 Hornet.
Past the devices, Huge Purple is taking a swing on the budget-friendly market nook (an space they know effectively), with massive bike value cuts. In a daring transfer to bridge the hole for “miniMOTO” graduates, Honda is slashing costs by as much as $1,000 on mid-sized bikes just like the CB500 Hornet and CBR500R.
For these of you questioning why (and the way) Honda can reduce their bike costs, the reply lies within the rising tide of aggressive Chinese language bike corporations who’ve been undercutting Japanese manufacturers on worth for a number of seasons now. Honda is forcibly decreasing the barrier to entry for full-sized sportbikes to remain related to those rivals, all whereas persevering with to supply unique tech just like the E-Clutch.
Backside line, Honda is making a robust case for why that first “massive bike” ought to nonetheless have a wing on the tank – and on this financial system, we actually dig the hassle.
To see the complete record of the 15 fashions and the up to date pricing for the 2026 season, try the official launch at Honda’s Powersports web site.
Quick Filings: Indian to Have a good time 125 Years with a Particular Version Scout Bobber
Anniversary Mannequin to Characteristic SpeedPlus 1250 Engine
Indian Bike is popping 125 in 2026, and the model is kicking off the festivities with its brand-new “By no means Completed” anniversary marketing campaign. A current press launch announcement confirms Indian’s intentions to launch a gentle stream of limited-edition stuffs, with one of many particular version bits of magnificence assumed to be the very machine present in Australian homologation filings: An all-new one hundred and twenty fifth Anniversary Particular Version Scout Bobber.
Dennis Chung over at Bike.com has confirmed that this celebratory Bobber will borrow the high-output SpeedPlus 1250 engine from the 101 Scout; because of the guts swap, Indian’s new one hundred and twenty fifth Anniversary Particular Version Scout Bobber may also have output pushed to a claimed 111 hp, making it one of the vital aggressive manufacturing facility cruisers in Indian’s present lineup thus far (or future date, that’s).
Past the celebratory grunt, this explicit Scout Bobber is anticipated to hold a tech suite that features a 4-inch spherical RIDE COMMAND touchscreen and top-tier Brembo braking {hardware}, accompanying the bike’s signature “blacked-out” bobber silhouette, commemorative badging, and unique liveries.
With the promise of quite a lot of merchandise, applications, and rider promotions promised to drop via 2026, Indian’s “By no means Completed” anniversary marketing campaign means that the Scout is simply the tip of the iceberg for Indian’s birthday plans.
For the complete technical breakdown of the one hundred and twenty fifth Anniversary Scout and Indian’s “By no means Completed” marketing campaign, go to Indianmotorcycles.com.
Pipeline Tasks: MV Agusta’s 240hp “Quadrato” V5 Engine
A Radical New Platform Set to Rev Past 16,000 RPM
In an period of inflation and electrification, MV Agusta has given us what might be the defining flagship superbike of 2026. Whereas all of us noticed the ultra-cool 5-cylinder “quadrato” (sq.) engine unveiled as an idea at EICMA, MV Agusta informed us on the time in a press launch that this platform featured a singular “U-configuration” dual-crank format with three cylinders within the entrance and two within the rear.
The projected specs for this compact dual-crank design have been adopted up by the promise of 1150cc and capabilities past 240 hp and a 16,000 rpm redline – all whereas weighing in at a scant 132 lbs, because of using electrical oil and water pumps.
Now, now we have additional pleasure so as to add to this new MV coronary heart: Apparently, the bike that everybody’s suggesting for this engine is none aside from MV Agusta’s F5 superbike… a revamp of the F5, that’s. The corporate itself has hinted that this engine will debut in a “extremely anticipated mannequin that’s at the moment now not within the lineup,” including oil to that individual proverbial hearth.
I suppose time will inform, sure?
For extra on this engine, make sure to try MV Agusta’s press launch once they revealed their 5-cylinder “quadrato” engine to EICMA again in November.
Electrical Every little thing: Why Verge’s New Battery Announcement is So Necessary for the EV Market
Stable-State Tech Guarantees 370 Miles of Vary and Double the Charging Velocity
We’ve been discussing solid-state batteries (SSBs) as a “sometime” expertise for years within the bike market. SSBs are a a lot greater vitality density, which means that riders who’ve entry to a motorcycle with an SSB would have higher vary – or reasonably, the identical vary as a conventional battery however at almost half the burden and dimension, and probably even at almost double the charging speeds (with the correct charger… as everyone knows, that may be a tricky one for right now’s grids).
Couple the above perks with the truth that a motorcycle carrying SSB expertise would probably carry one thing smaller than your typical EV bike; ergo, an SSB host bike would really feel flickable and light-weight within the corners with out sacrificing the mileage wanted for an untampered lengthy haul. In brief, tright here’s a motive why this expertise is taken into account the holy grail of Electrical Automobiles within the Powersports house… so when Verge Bikes introduced themselves as “the primary on the earth to introduce solid-state battery expertise into manufacturing bikes,” we figured Verge had simply moved that “sometime” expertise dream to “right now.”
The actual query is, when will this solid-state battery be accessible to the general public?
Effectively now we have a sneak peek on the beginnings of that reply right here, in an excerpt from Verge’s launch article:
| “Stable-state batteries have been a distinguished matter in discussions associated to the automotive business in recent times. They’re comprised of a strong electrolyte, which makes them considerably safer and extra environment friendly than lithium-ion batteries comprised of liquid or gel electrolytes. Many main car producers have been testing solid-state expertise in their very own autos, and wider adoption in manufacturing autos is anticipated going into the subsequent decade.
Verge is one step forward, as the corporate is ready to ship the primary bikes geared up with solid-state batteries to its clients within the coming months.” – “VERGE MOTORCYCLES MAKES HISTORY: FIRST MOTORCYCLES WITH SOLID-STATE BATTERY TECHNOLOGY ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR CUSTOMERS.” January 5, 2026. (Verge Bikes) |
Ramping up the standard Verge bike’s vary from 217 miles to 370 miles is spectacular, however the charging knowledge is the actual bit of pleasure for a lot of; within the bike deliberate for this battery, Verge is claiming in their current press launch that riders can stay up for 186 miles of vary in simply 10 minutes, with acceleration displaying 0–62 mph in 3.5 seconds. If these metrics maintain up in real-world testing, it successfully dismantles the vary anxiousness argument that has been in EV boards throughout the ‘web; who is aware of, maybe 370 miles of vary is simply what’s wanted to persuade ICE riders to attempt one thing somewhat quieter.
In any case, Verge would have alleviated the 2 greatest questions from ICE riders getting into the EV Powersports market – how far you’ll be able to go, and the way lengthy it’s important to wait to maintain transferring.
For extra on the solid-state partnership and Verge’s upcoming mannequin specs, go to the complete report on Verge Bikes’ web site.
