Italian Bike Week, the 2025 Grand Finale of the motorcycle festival season (Europe's 'Biketoberfest') returns to Lignano, Sabbiadoro (UD), north of Venice on the Adriatic coast on 18-21 September. This will be the fourth edition of an event that 'bookends' an outdoor season that has kicked-off with Biker Fest International at the same venue in mid-May each year ever since 1987; www.italianbikeweek.net
According to date published by La Mutuelle des Motards, one of France's largest motorcycle insurers, the top-ten most often stolen motorcycles in France in 2024 were - BMW R 1250 GS / GSA; Yamaha Tracer 7; BMW R1250RT; Yamaha Tracer 9 GT/GT+; Yamaha MT-09; Yamaha MT-10; BMW S1000RR; Yamaha Ténéré 700; KTM 125 Duke and Yamaha MT-07. The list is very BMW and Yamaha-centric but at least shows that French bike thieves have good taste!
Royal Enfield already has substantial facilities in the UK but emphasising the importance of continental European markets to its future plans, parent company Eicher Motors has approved the establishment of a Royal Enfield Europe BV branch in Germany later this year.
Colorado based F1 owner Liberty Media has been given the green light by the EU's competition authority to conclude its controversial plan to add Madrid based MotoGP and World SBK rights holder Dorna Sports - without any conditions being imposed. The € 4.3bn deal was first announced at the end of March 2024. Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna since 1998, will continue to run MotoGP along with his management team. Liberty Media will acquire 84% of Dorna, with MotoGP management retaining 16% of the business.
German BMW and adventure tourer parts and accessories specialist Wunderlich has again been chosen for first place in the "Accessories/ Conversions" by the readers of German magazine Motorrad in its 2025 Best Brand awards; www.wunderlich.com
Dainese, the Italian motorcycle gear and apparel company, has been sold by Carlyle Group for € 1 to London based Arcmont Asset Management and HPS Investment Partners. The transfer of ownership follows a period of financial losses at Dainese, with the company reportedly being some € 300 million in debt. The new owners have acquired Dainese in full as part of a restructuring plan - essentially a debt for equity swap (aka a 'debtor in possession' acquisition) that gets Carlyle off the hook for part of their original acquisition cost only. This is the latest stage in a fall from grace at the hands of sequential Private Equity investors. Founder Leo Dainese first sold the business he had loving built to Investcorp (the Bahrain Sovereign Wealth Fund) for € 285m in 2014. Investcorp financed that acquisition with credit provided by, yes, Arcmont and HPS. Investcorp flipped Dainese to Carlyle Group for an absurd enterprise value of € 630 million in 2022. In the Land of The Usurers, Dainese is now what is known as a 'Distressed Asset'.
Parts Europe has added the French ELF brand to its range of available motorcycle lubricants. Available in synthetic, semi-synthetic, and mineral versions, the ELF Moto range of motor oils covers a wide spectrum of motorcycles, from scooters to high-performance superbikes; fork oil and bike care products also available; www.partseurope.eu
In its 'late-model' annual, pre-Christmas incarnation, INTERMOT (Cologne, 4-7 December 2025) is promising "maximum visibility, high-quality contacts, long-term customer relationships - in person". The organisers (Koelnmesse and IVM) state that "this is where you can connect with your target groups - and bring even more industry success within your grasp. High purchasing power meets direct sales" with "an audience fully focused on new models, products and brands" backed by "unrivalled specialised trade, community and new target groups digital reach and powerful live experiences"; www.intermot-cologne.com
