The French Hill Climb Championship for motorcycles grows to eight rounds in 2027 and starts as early as the beginning of April in Brittany. Sancey and Rogliano, two venues with a long history, join the calendar, while the previous opener in Chanaz is missing.
With the Fang 01, Indian electric motorcycle maker Ultraviolette is showing a helmet that looks more like science-fiction armour than a classic full-face helmet. The concept is one of three helmet studies, and whether any of them will go into production is still open.
In the riders’ championship Marc Marquez can hardly be stopped any more, but the MotoGP manufacturers’ standings are still wide open. After the Qatar Grand Prix, Aprilia is just eight points behind Ducati, with a budget considered the smallest of all five factories.
At EICMA 2026, GR1T Motorcycles showed two more offshoots of its G1 platform, the G1XR Raider and the G1M Mission. When the start-up’s first electric motorcycles will actually be built and delivered, however, is still unclear.
BMW has no R 1300 S in its line-up, so accessories specialist Wunderlich built one itself for EICMA 2026. The R 1300 S Sprint is based on an R 1300 R and continues the line of earlier sport boxers such as the R 1100 S, the R 1200 S and the HP2 Sport.
Decisions on new closures and restrictions for motorcycles are usually made once the season is over. On the B500, near Oberhof and at the Sudelfeld, such decisions are due in the coming weeks.
In the Außerfern region, further roads could soon be closed to motorcycles with a stationary noise level above 95 decibels, as the Tyrolean state parliament reviews an extension of the ban. Ironically, the justification is motorcycles that are avoiding the existing closures.
Italy has issued new rules for underride protection on crash barriers, which is meant to protect fallen motorcyclists from posts and edges. A single serious accident can trigger an obligation, but designers and road operators may opt out with a justification.
