Indian conglomerate and TVS Motor Company - owner of Norton Motorcycles since 2020 - has passed Yamaha to become world's third-largest motorcycle manufacturer by annual unit volume. TVS sold approximately 5.46 million motorcycles and scooters in 2025, a 20.7% increase from 4.52 million units the previous year. Yamaha recorded roughly 5 million units, up just 0.8% year over year. The change marks one of the most notable reshuffles in the global motorcycle industry in recent years. Honda, meanwhile, retained its dominant position with 16.44 million units sold globally in 2025, while Hero MotoCorp remained second with 6.25 million units.
Spain - Electric motorcycle manufacturer Stark Future is to enter the FIM EnduroGP World Championship. The Stark OxMoto EnduroGP Team is to race the Stark VARG in E2 and E3 classes of the 2026 Paulo Duarte FIM EnduroGP World Championship. "EnduroGP is not just another championship. It is one of the purest tests of rider, machine, consistency, and endurance in the world of off-road motorsport," said founder Anton Vass. The news comes just weeks after Stark claimed the 2026 FIM SuperEnduro Manufacturers' World Championship title - the first time an electric motorcycle manufacturer has won the title in the series". www.starkfuture.com
Germany - The IVM (German Motorcycle Industry Trade Association) has announced Leo Schlüter as the new project manager for the development of INTERMOT (19-21 February 2027) in Cologne.
International - The 2026 annual Distinguished Gentleman's Ride is slated for Sunday May 17. Uniting classic and vintage styled motorcycle riders from all over the world to raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer research and men's mental health. Founded 15 years ago in Sydney, Australia by Mark Hawwa, the event is generously supported by Triumph Motorcycles and is said to have raised USD $7.6m in 2025 with 127,000 participants in 1,038 Cities across 108 countries. www.gentlemansride.com
Dainese - Following its 'near death experience' in the hands of successive Private Equity ownerships, the 2025 announced sale of Dainese Group to London based "distressed asset" specialists HPS Investment Partners and Arcmont Asset Management has now been given the green light by EU regulators. The deal includes AGV Helmets and TCX Boots. Lino Dainese sold the apparel business he had built to Bahrain based Investcorp for a reported 'Enterprise Value' of € 130m. in 2022. In turn, Investcorp 'flipped' it to American conglomerate Carlyle Group in 2022, for a reported € 630m. The deal with HPS/Arcmont is reported to have been a debt-for-equity swap for a nominal fee of € 1.
If you want more CAKE (the former electric motorcycle brand in Sweden that is) you may be in luck. The owner since the 2024 bankruptcy is Brages Holding AS, a Norwegian car retailer led by Espen Digernes. His ambitions for the well-regarded, robust, design-led CAKE branded premium urban utility PTW platforms has been to restart production build a strong dealer network. The first stage now appears to be in sight, having partnered with the Chinese Keeway Group (Benelli, Morbidelli etc) to "return to production" and start "a fresh push toward sustainable, purpose-built mobility." The companies will "combine CAKE's distinctive design and engineering with Keeway's established production capabilities, a move both sides describe as a "strategic reset and a foundation for long-term stability."
In a multi-year transition that will run from late 2026 through the end of 2028, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.is to formally relocate its U.S. subsidiary from Cypress, California, to Kennesaw, Georgia, selling the land, offices, and warehouse facilities at its 25.1-acre Cypress campus that have been its US Corporate HQ since 1979.
