Reports suggest that promising Vancouver based electric sportbike manufacturer Damon Motorcycles will likely be removed from the NASDAQ stock market as its shares have "lost all value". Another example of an over optimistic EV start-up finding out the hard way that going public probably wasn't the best idea. Having lost one of its co-founders (Jay Giraud) its CEO, CMO and CTO Derek Doresteyn, the brand is now back in the hands of the other co-founder Dominique Kwong as CEO. Doresteyn was the man behind SF Bay Area Alta Motors and its much-admired Redshift MXR electric off-roader - before Harley screwed that pooch (having previously done much the same to Mission Motors - another Bay Area WV start-up). Damon has stated that it was back, and that it is moving into the mobility space, as well as open to licensing its safety and electric powertrain technology to industry partners.
BRP's Design and Innovation Team has been recognized with the coveted Red Dot Design Team of the Year 2025 award. Presented since 1988, prior recipients include Ferrari, Thule, Apple and Porsche.
In a pre-emptive move ahead of likely tariff impacts, Garland Tx. based price-point UTV', off-road, on-road and marine manufacturer Massimo (NASDAQ: MAMO) has moved its MVR Golf Cart Production to the U.S. to "enhance quality control and market positioning." Founded in 2009, Massimo is a manufacturer and distributor of internal combustion engine and electric powered powersports vehicles and pontoon boats. The company's 376,000 square foot factory is in the heart of the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas in the city of Garland; www.massimomotor.com
Pirelli is to become the Official MotoGP tire supplier from 2027 - Michelin will remain the exclusive supplier for MotoGP and MotoE until the end of the current technical regulations, at the close of the 2026 season. Pirelli is already the 'spec-tire' for Moto2, Moto3 and much of the Road to MotoGP. A new five-year contract will run thru 2031 inclusive; www.motogp.com
RideApart reports that Indian manufacturer Royal Enfield sent a year's worth of bikes to the US to beat tariffs - that's a 9,000-motorcycle stockpile, which is said to be well above its usual annual North American sales volume.
With the Progressive AFT Racing Series switching to an all-Production model formula for 2025, manufacturers, sponsors and race teams need to keep a close eye on whether the change will improve or reduce the effectiveness of their investments. The AFT Viewership & Metrics Dashboard delivers downloadable and up-to-date numbers that show exactly who's tuning in and how fast the audience is growing; www.amaproracing.com
AMA will award multiple racers with prestigious AMA National No. 1 Plates during the Roof Systems AMA Flat Track Grand Championship, which runs June 29-July 5 at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds in Du Quoin, Ill. There will also be a slew of special awards also up for grabs, such as the Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award, the Bill Werner AMA Fast Brain Award, and the Youth Racer and Vet/Sr. Racer of the Year Awards. Prior winners of the Nicky Hayden Award have included Jared Mees, Briar Bauman, Kody Kopp and Dallas Daniels; www.americanmotorcyclist.com
SEMA has welcomed the end of EV Mandates in the US. A successful bipartisan effort to end EV mandates are said to have marked "the result of a monumental, years-long effort to educate voters and lawmakers on the importance of preserving vehicle choice in the U.S. By halting a California-led effort to ban internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles through EV mandates for 40% of the nation's population, the Senate, and, before it the House of Representatives, has shown courage in the face of radical policymakers and exhibited confidence in American innovation and ingenuity borne out of the automotive aftermarket industry." California's Advanced Clean Cars II (ACC II) regulation "jeopardized a significant sector of the American economy. A third of the specialty automotive aftermarket is based on ICE technology. The Senate vote to end California's national EV mandate and ICE vehicle ban protects $100bn of annual economic impact to the nation's economy and the more than 330,000 American jobs that these policies threatened."
AMA has applauded Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) for signing Act 312 into law on March 18, establishing inherent risk for off-road motorcyclists and enhancing protections for event organizers throughout the state. The Act offers greater protections for private landowners who provide access to their land for off-road recreation and competition.