The Massachusetts Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure has advanced a new draft rule that specifically excludes off-highway vehicles from the definition of children's products. A previous version of the bill would have included youth OHV products in the wider PFAS prohibition, effectively banning these products from sale in the state.
New Harley CEO Artie Starrs has gotten off clean in terms of LiveWire taint. Jochen Zeitz' role as LiveWire CEO is being taken over by Harley CFO and President of Operations Jonathan Root - the board's original, late 2024 preferred choice as Jochen Zeitz' H-D CEO replacement - until investor and Hedge Fund H Partners decided it wanted skin in that game. Zeitz has served as LiveWire's board chair since September 2022 when Harley-Davidson spun off LiveWire (NYSE: LVWR). Harley still holds about 90% of LiveWire stock, and Harley executives fill the majority of LiveWire's board seats. Karim Donnez remains as CEO of LiveWire, a role he has held since June 2023. Based in Milwaukee, it manufactures and sells electric motorcycles and STACYC electric balance bikes. It recorded $8.6m in net revenue the first six months of 2025 compared with $11.4m during the same period of 2024. The company posted an operating loss of $38.9m the first six months of this year compared with an operating loss of $58.6m a year earlier. The company recorded declining sales in 2024 and this year so far, posting net losses totaling over $200m combined in 2023 and 2024. Doubt we'll be hearing a big fat shout of 'Thank You' from Mr Root for what is, undoubtedly, a poison chalice of a consolation prize. The fact that the CEO post has not been handed to the new Harley CEO is the clearest signal yet that LiveWire's race is run.
Energica in Italy looks to be on the comeback trail after its bankruptcy and subsequent liquidation. Global Sales Director Stefano Benatti has announced the completion of a sale to a Singapore based group of investors. Founded at Modena in 2014, he says that the new iteration of the company will continue with a new financial base and the same development team; www.energicamotor.com
The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) has acquired off-road industry organisation ORBA (Off-Road Business Association). "The new partnership supercharges the aftermarket industry leader's support of off-road industry's business and advocacy needs." ORBA represents businesses and professionals in the off-road and powersports industries (motorcycles, ATVs, side-by-sides, snowmobiles). The synergy arises from the fact that off-road products and services are the largest and fastest-growing segment of the automotive aftermarket industry. However, the move is being seen by some as a power-grab - one that further weakens the powersports industry's distinct identity; www.sema.org
The NHRA celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2026 and has announced what it describes as a "historic 2026 Schedule for our 75th Anniversary Season". There are 20 races in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series that features national events at two new facilities - South Georgia Motorsports Park just outside of Valdosta, Ga., on May 1-3 at the sixth event of the season, and Maryland International Raceway, just outside of Washington, D.C., on May 29-31; www.nhra.com
Billy Joel's Long Island, NY vintage motorcycle shop is set to close after 15 years. The motorcycle enthusiast opened his 20th Century Cycle in Oyster Bay, NY, in 2010, not far from where he grew up in Long Island. He set it up as a place to store and repair his motorcycles and showcase his collection, free to the public. His collection of vintage bikes dates from the 1940s to the 1970s and includes a 1977 Harley-Davidson XLCR and a 1952 Vincent Rapide as part of a 75-bike collection that features Triumphs, Ducatis, Moto Guzzis, Indians, and BMWs - primarily mid-20th-century motorcycles.
The provisional 2026 WorldSBK schedule, the first to be released under the imprimatur of new Dorna Sports owner Liberty Media (Colorado, USA) again features 12 rounds. The season will kick off at Australia's Phillip Island in late February and wrap up in Jerez, Spain, in mid-October. 2026 will see a debut of the WorldSPB class in Portimao, alongside earlier dates for Aragon and Balaton Park (Hungary - which is retained after its 2025 debut), while Cremona shifts to a September slot; www.worldsbk.com
