2026 is shaping as much as be fairly the Drama-Llama🦙 – we weren’t even capable of cowl half of it on this week’s listing:
- 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 latest 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 below this celebratory umbrella will possible be a Scout Bobber present in Homologation filings!
- Since EICMA, MV Agusta has been spreading whispers of the return of a motorbike 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 planet to introduce solid-state battery know-how into manufacturing bikes.” The query is solely when the factor will arrive in a Verge bike.
Let’s start with Group Crimson’s quite dramatic flip to the brand new 12 months, we could?
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: Suppose “Boys in Blue,” however with a extra chiseled jawline) have efficiently recovered a large haul of racing parts stolen from the Ducati manufacturing unit. In keeping with protection from MCN, the “stash” included MotoGP and Superbike elements valued at roughly $230,000 (€215,000), with the entire equipment and caboodle discovered two days earlier than Christmas. The placement of the loot was discovered throughout the dwelling 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 observe fanatic’s moist dream: Quite a few Brembo brake calipers (together with MotoGP-spec componentry), Öhlins suspension models, 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; due to Ducati’s strict management of this stuff, police have been capable of establish the perpetrator utilizing surveillance footage from the manufacturing unit, monitoring the motion of the tools and defending every 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 latest design filings revealed 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 immediately from the ever-incomparable Dennis Chung on Motorcycle.com, the place we’re informed that this new 2026 Diavel V4 S can have vital {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 models courtesy of what we predict can 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 outdated 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, take a look at the report at Motorcycle.com.
New Stuff: Honda Declares Up to date E-Clutch Tech and 15 Bikes for 2026
15 Fashions Introduced with a Concentrate on Accessibility
Honda kicked off the brand new 12 months with a massive announcement (published to their platform on January 7), revealing a 15-model on-road lineup for 2026. This transfer alerts a serious strategic shift towards tech accessibility and aggressive pricing, beginning with the enlargement of Honda’s E-Clutch know-how to a fourth bike – the fan-favorite CB750 Hornet.
Past the devices, Large Crimson is taking a swing on the budget-friendly market nook (an space they know effectively), with large 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 minimize their bike costs, the reply lies within the rising tide of aggressive Chinese language bike firms who’ve been undercutting Japanese manufacturers on worth for a number of seasons now. Honda is forcibly reducing 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 “large bike” ought to nonetheless have a wing on the tank – and on this financial system, we definitely dig the hassle.
To see the total listing of the 15 fashions and the up to date pricing for the 2026 season, take a look at the official release at Honda’s Powersports website.
Quick Filings: Indian to Have fun 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 latest press release 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 Motorcycle.com has confirmed that this celebratory Bobber will borrow the high-output SpeedPlus 1250 engine from the 101 Scout; due to the center 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 unit cruisers in Indian’s present lineup to this point (or future date, that’s).
Past the celebratory grunt, this explicit Scout Bobber is predicted 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 a wide range of merchandise, packages, and rider promotions promised to drop by 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 total 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 Initiatives: 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 told us at the time in a press release 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, due to the usage of electrical oil and water pumps.
Now, we now 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 apart 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 assume time will inform, sure?
For extra on this engine, make sure to take a look at MV Agusta’s press release when they revealed their 5-cylinder “quadrato” engine to EICMA back in November.
Electrical All the pieces: Why Verge’s New Battery Announcement is So Essential for the EV Market
Strong-State Tech Guarantees 370 Miles of Vary and Double the Charging Velocity
We’ve been discussing solid-state batteries (SSBs) as a “sometime” know-how for years within the motorbike market. SSBs are a a lot larger power density, which means that riders who’ve entry to a motorbike with an SSB would have higher vary – or quite, the identical vary as a conventional battery however at practically half the burden and dimension, and probably even at practically double the charging speeds (with the precise charger… as everyone knows, that may be a tricky one for immediately’s grids).
Couple the above perks with the truth that a motorbike carrying SSB know-how would possible carry one thing smaller than your typical EV bike; ergo, an SSB host bike would really feel flickable and lightweight within the corners with out sacrificing the mileage wanted for an untampered lengthy haul. In brief, tright here’s a purpose why this know-how 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 planet to introduce solid-state battery know-how into manufacturing bikes,” we figured Verge had simply moved that “sometime” know-how dream to “immediately.”
The true query is, when will this solid-state battery be obtainable to the general public?
Effectively we now have a sneak peek on the beginnings of that reply right here, in an excerpt from Verge’s launch article:
| “Strong-state batteries have been a outstanding subject in discussions associated to the automotive trade in recent times. They’re created from a stable electrolyte, which makes them considerably safer and extra environment friendly than lithium-ion batteries created from liquid or gel electrolytes. Many main automobile producers have been testing solid-state know-how in their very own automobiles, and wider adoption in manufacturing automobiles is predicted going into the following decade.
Verge is one step forward, as the corporate is ready to ship the primary bikes outfitted 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 Motorcycles) |
Ramping up the everyday Verge bike’s vary from 217 miles to 370 miles is spectacular, however the charging information is the actual bit of pleasure for a lot of; within the bike deliberate for this battery, Verge is claiming in their recent press release 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 nervousness argument that has been in EV boards throughout the ‘internet; who is aware of, maybe 370 miles of vary is simply what’s wanted to persuade ICE riders to strive one thing just a little quieter.
In any case, Verge would have alleviated the 2 greatest questions from ICE riders coming into the EV Powersports market – how far you possibly can go, and the way lengthy you must wait to maintain shifting.
For extra on the solid-state partnership and Verge’s upcoming mannequin specs, go to the total report on Verge Motorcycles’ website.
*Media sourced from Ducati, Honda, Indian Bikes (press release published to PRNewsWire), MV Agusta, Visordown (Photograph credit score – Arma dei Carabinieri), and Verge Motorcycles*
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