Widely touted as a success during its debut in 2025, the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum's 'Pearl's Jam' will return on Monday, August 10. "This powerful day celebrates the incredible women of the motorcycle world while honoring the legacy of Pearl Hoel, the First Lady of the Sturgis Rally."
V-Twin Visionary's Route 66 Centennial Ride will celebrate the 100th anniversary of U.S. Route 66, known worldwide as the "Mother Road." Established on November 11, 1926, the 2,448-mile highway from Chicago, IL to Santa Monica, CA. Taking the 'backwards' route. The ride will set off from the Santa Monica pier at 12:00 noon on July 13 and head through California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois ending up in Chicago; www.vtwinvisionary.com.
The MIC reports that tariff changes could reshape the outlook for motorcycle industry. The Trump administration revised its Section 232 tariff structure for steel, aluminum, and copper in a proclamation that took effect April 6, removing certain finished motorcycles from the derivative-product list and excluding those products from Section 232 duties. "This appears to create more favorable treatment for some finished motorcycles, but aftermarket and replacement parts are still likely to be captured at 25%," said Scott Schloegel, Senior VP Government Relations for MIC, ROHVA, and SVIA.
Called Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), the MIC says that new battery and packaging laws being enacted state by state could require manufacturers, distributors, and/or dealers to fund and manage recycling programs for products they sell. The policy model behind these laws shifts some end-of-life management costs from governments to producers, and in practice can mean mandatory participation in stewardship organizations, reporting requirements, registration with state agencies, and financial contributions tied to covered products.
Despite making it onto the statute books in some other states, notably in Kansas, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) vetoed the bipartisan-supported Right-to-Race bill that had passed in the Wisconsin State Assembly and Senate. As elsewhere in the United States, the AMA supported Bill aims to protect existing motorsports racetracks from nuisance claims. It is estimated that the measure would help support the wide variety of racetracks throughout the state that are said to provide $2.46bn in total economic impact as well as provide 10,601 jobs in the state.
The inexorable march of automated-clutch convenience technology sees the Honda E-Clutch extended to the 2026 Transalp - the middleweight adventure becoming the fifth Honda model to come with the tech. (the announcement also includes CRF300L Rally dual-sport model).
New data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis show outdoor recreation continued to play a significant role in the U.S. economy in 2024, with powersports ranking among the sector's largest activities. According to the agency's latest Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account, outdoor recreation generated $1.3tn in economic output in 2024, supporting 5.2 million American jobs and accounting for 2.4% of U.S. gross domestic product. The sector grew 2.7% in real terms (inflation-adjusted) over 2023, reflecting continued demand for outdoor experiences throughout the nation.
The FIM H-D Bagger World Cup got underway at the MotoAmerica race weekend at Austin, Tx. (COTA Circuit) in March - the first (and first ever) of six rounds in 2026. Archie McDonald (Joe Rascal Racing, Australia) claimed victory in Race 1, with Jake Lewis (Saddlemen Race Development) second and Filippo Rovelli (ParkinGO Team, Italy) secured third. Race 2 saw Spaniard Oscar Gutiérrez (Niti Racing, Indonesia) taking the win, ahead of Eric Granadoto (Brazil) second with Archie McDonald demoted to third due to a three-second penalty track limits. Heading into the next round at the Mugello International Circuit during the MotoGP Grand Prix of Italy, May 29-31, Archie McDonald (AUS) heads the standings from Oscar Gutiérrez (SPA), Jake Lewis (USA), Eric Granado (BRA), and Filippo Rovelli (ITA) fifth, Cory West (USA), Travis Wyman (USA), Cody Wyman (USA) and Dimas Ekky Pratama (INA) ninth.
BRP has announced that it is suspending its full-year FY27 guidance following the effective April 6 amendment of Section 232 tariffs on Steel, Aluminum and Copper imports into the U.S. The amendment mainly leads to a 25% tariff on the total value of imported snowmobiles and the majority of ORV models, replacing the previous 50% tariff on applicable metal content only. The Company currently estimates the potential incremental tariff cost related to this amendment to be in excess of $500m for the remainder of the year, before any mitigation measures that could partially offset these impacts.
