Honda's NC750X 'urban adventurer' has scooped a Red Dot design award - the sixth consecutive year that a Honda PTW has picked up a Red Dot accolade. Meanwhile, Honda's EM1 e: has won an IF Design Award, following its own Red Dot recognition in 2024. On its arrival in 2023, the EM1 e: was the first electric personal-use Honda two-wheeler to go on sale in Europe. Powered by the Honda Mobile Power Pack e: swappable battery, it features "simple and slim packaging realised by the optimisation of the layout of key components.
The WorldSBK series is to see a new entry class introduced - World Sportbike. The FIM and Dorna Sports say it will debut in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship in 2026. World Sportbike is set to succeed the World Supersport 300 class, which has provided an accessible and competitive stepping stone for emerging talent since its introduction in 2017. Building upon the foundations laid by World Supersport 300, World Sportbike aims to further streamline the path for young riders transitioning towards World Supersport. It will feature "agile motorcycles with mid-tier capacity engines." WorldSSP300 was the category in which Ana Carrasco made history in 2018 as the first woman to win a motorcycle circuit racing world championship.
Honda is celebrating a very special anniversary. The Japanese company's total worldwide motorcycle and scooter production has reached a record 500 million units - 76 years after the company began series production of the "Dream D-Type" motorcycle in Japan in 1949, one year after the company was founded.
Bangalore based Indian electric bike maker Ultraviolette has announced a strategic partnership with Dutch importer MotoMondo, signing them up as official importer and distributor for the UK and Benelux region. The deal will bring its performance electric motorcycles, starting with the sporty-looking F77 Mach 2, to European markets. Jan Ykema, MD at MotoMondo, is quoted in BDN as saying "Ultraviolette is the most advanced electric motorcycle brand in the world. The technology is unprecedented, and we have only just seen the beginning. Ultraviolette will disrupt the current motorcycle market by offering a real alternative to all combustion engines."
As elsewhere in Europe, especially in Germany, it has been a tough two years for the motorcycle industry in the UK with multiple (and some high profile) dealerships and dealership groups facing insolvency. The UK market has also seen at least two motorcycle brands enter bankruptcy. MUTT Motorcycle Company of Birmingham, England filed insolvency in March 2025, despite good reviews for its 125 and 250 cc retro-styled, custom-inspired motorcycles. Now, Bolton, England based CCM Motorcycles has been closed down after more than 50 years in the motorcycle manufacturing business. Founded in 1971 by Alan Clews, the company was originally called Clews Competition Machines. An initial downsize earlier this year appears not to have satisfied its investors. Development of its upcoming Project X adventure bike had been paused and Completely Motorbikes, one of its largest retail partners closed its doors in 2024. Broader challenges in the industry, including a slump in new bike sales and the introduction of stringent Euro 5+ regulations, are said to have further impacted the business. Annual production had typically been around 300 units but that slumped to around 150 in 2024.
