This is a new weekly motorcycle industry news brief (please click the link and subscribe). It’s not a commitment (for you), not a hassle (for me), it’s just a few pieces of info a week that may open your riding experience up to what’s happening outside your favorite brand and around the world. Be aware that if you subscribe to this Substack and also listen to the podcast Chasing the Horizon, you’ll get some repeats between the two.
What’s up at BMW Motorrad (vis-a-vis WorldSBK)
I’m not insane, though. I know y’all expect me to know what’s going on with the mothership, and I shall not disappoint. Having said that, the only thing of note to mention isn’t really corporate news, but rather racing news. BMW Motorrad extended Miguel Oliveira’s contract with the factory World Superbike team through 2027 “and beyond,” saying the former MotoGP rider has performed well enough to warrant the extension. Oliveira missed two 2026 races due to a shoulder injury, but still managed to achieve four podium finishes in his first WorldSBK season. For racing fans, this matters because it shows BMW’s commitment to WorldSBK and, by extension, the M 1000 RR platform. AND in late-breaking news, Danilo Petrucci announced that he will amicably part with BMW’s WSBK team after the 2026 season.
Tariffs and Canada
Look, I’m not going to get into politics, but we can’t ignore the effects tariffs have on the motorcycle industry. The Trump administration is feuding with Canada’s government and Prime Minister Mark Carney’s retaliation could hit U.S. motorcycle manufacturers pretty hard. The latest threat is a 50% tariff on all “large” bikes originating in the U.S., which means over 800cc. It’s a pretty substantial hit if it goes into effect as planned on 8 September—it would make a $20,000 motorcycle cost $35,000 before any other fees or taxes are applied (though that’s probably in Canadian dollars, one of which is worth $0.73 U.S. dollars as of this writing). The tariff is carefully worded, however, and hinges on “country of origin” rather than where the manufacturer is based. It also affects goods already in transit when the tariff goes into effect, which means there’s no carve-out for bikes already on the way when the calendar clicks over. While there’s no guarantees all the tariffs and counter-tariffs will actually go into effect, this could be devastating for Canadian sales of Harley-Davidson and Indian motorcycles assembled in Wisconsin, Iowa and Pennsylvania. But it could be a boon for any manufacturer in any other country. Theoretically, it wouldn’t affect Harleys built in India (too small) or Thailand (Pan Americas and Sportsters built for non-U.S. markets), but I’m not an expert on all things tariffs. (Note: the retaliatory tariffs did indeed go into effect as scheduled.)
Gold Stars on the Great Plains?
The first shipment of Gold Stars from a resurrected BSA hit the floor of one U.S. dealer; the 652cc thumper is retailing for about $7,500. We’ve been waiting for this to happen since the company—now owned by Mahindra Group out of India—said they’d send bikes to the U.S. in 2022. There’s not much more information though, so it’s hard to get too excited about this apparent return. Another thing tamping down my excitement is that the bike looks like a run-of-the-mill retro bike. I mean … why not just get a Royal Enfield or a Kawasaki W800? Same idea, but proven platforms with global support networks.
Bultaco is back, baby!
Outside the U.S., it might be time to get excited about the return of Bultaco. Sure, the new 292cc Rally GT 300 is just a rebadged Leonart made in China, but it’s a lightweight (331 lbs) 28-horse adventure bike just looking for some market share. The cost in Spain is about €4,000, equivalent to about $4,650 in the U.S. (if you could get it here, which you can’t). Not unlike what’s going on with BSA, this is another example of a modern company leveraging an old marque’s legacy to hopefully sell more bikes. The difference here is “Bultaco” isn’t trying to deliver a brand-new bike designed from the ground up—they’re just slapping different branding on an already-existing motorcycle. I wholly appreciate that they’re not trying to hide that fact and it’s actually kind of nice to see that the nostalgia market isn’t exclusive to North America.
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