Suzuki has filed multiple patent applications for a semi-automatic transmission system that may find its way on the next generation Hayabusa. Suzuki has filed three patents dealing with different aspects of the technology, filing each in Japan, the U.S. and in Germany.

Trust. It comes in many different forms, and it’s usually the foundation of any relationship.

If there’s ever anyone who is trying to increase the amount of motorcycle riders by establishing a consensus of ideas and opinions about how to improve the experience, we’d like to support them. And so it is with Give A Shift, the rider’s association brought together by our friend Robert Pandya that intends to elevate the status of motorcycling through constructive criticism from diverse and informed perspectives.

For many of us motorcyclists, cold climates and wintery conditions of the “off-season” means buttoning up our bikes until the tides of spring return with warmer temperatures to melt away the snow and ice. This, however, doesn’t have to be the case. Not if you live in the Northeast, anyhow. The Appalachian Moto Jam is relatively new event, best described as a free-format, “run what ya brung” traveling race series that’s open to any and all riders looking to race their motorcycles and have a great time.

Dorna Sports officially introduced the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup, a new electric Grand Prix racing class set to begin in 2019 as part of the MotoGP tour. Dorna also unveiled the Energica EvoGP, a race-tuned version of the Ego that will be the used for the MotoE World Cup.

An updated list of motorcycles certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lists two new Harley-Davidson Sportster variants for 2018.

A couple of days ago we reported on the somewhat gloomy news from Harley-Davidson about its year-end financial statement, in which it announced a downturn in sales and the upcoming closure of its Kansas City, MO, factory.

Marvel dropped a new trailer today for its upcoming film Ant-Man and the Wasp, which means it’s time once again to pore over any motorcycle chase scenes to see which models were used. To our surprise, the scenes in the trailer did not feature a Harley-Davidson, which has long been a partner of Marvel, but a Triumph Thruxton R.

Carey Hart’s Good Ride Rally hosted a special event at Fox Racing Headquarters where both the motocross and V-Twin industries got together to raise money on the behalf of our troops, and we had the privilege to attend. The Good Ride Rally is a series of rides, parties and events where all charitable donations go directly to America’s veterans, service men and women who have laid their lives on the line to protect our great country and freedoms.

The Mugen Shinden is the most decorated electric race bike around, having captured the last four TT Zero races and holding the record for electric motorcycles with a 119.279 mph lap of the Isle of Man TT‘s Mountain Course.

These two bikes aren’t your typical Craigslist deal o’ the day or backwoods barn finds – they’re the real deal – untouched, unmolested, unridden and unbelievable. What we have here is a 1990 Honda VFR750R RC30 and a 1991 Yamaha FZR750RT OW01, and both are just about as factory floor fresh today as they were almost 30 years ago.

The video begins with eight riders on Husqvarna 701 Supermotos messing about as they leave the track. Typical supermoto hooligans jumping their bikes and doing burnouts amongst other general acts of hooliganism. Turns out they may not be your typical motorcycle derelicts after all.

When it comes to a (relatively) affordable mass-produced electric motorcycle, Santa Cruz, California’s Zero is the most prevalent manufacturer of e-bikes. Sure, Italy’s Energica has a high-end line of electrics and KTM and BMW are bringing to market electric dirtbikes (the Freeride E-XC) and scooters (the C Evolution), respectively, but we’re still waiting on Harley’s LiveWire and an Indian version of the Brammo/Victory Empulse platform. Then there’s the ultra e-bike, Lightning’s LS 218, which is offered in small-scale production, as well as the RedShift dirtbike from Alta Motors.

Currently, most of the country is under a blanket of snow, ice and freezing temperatures. Not Southern California, though – this past weekend saw temperatures north of 80 – I had to bust out my flip-flops and work on my foot tan!

The MotoGP season is months away but that hasn’t stopped Ducati from presenting its 2018 Desmosedici GP racebikes and returning riders Andrea Dovizioso and Jorge Lorenzo.

Ahhh, Friday… One of my favorite F-words. It’s the one day, or night, that often feels the most lighthearted and carefree (once work is finished, of course) because the weekend is just starting and you still have another two full days ahead of you before starting the cycle all over again. Well, for most people, anyway…

Brave New World is the title of a 1932 novel by Aldous Huxley with a dystopian view of a hypothetical future society that is disoriented by new ways of being. This has some parallels to the motorcycle publishing industry, especially in the medium of printed magazines.

We’re not big fans of the extended-swingarm sportbike scene, as such modifications have deleterious effects to a motorcycle. And yet these kinds of bikes remain relevant to many riders, especially to those in parts of the country with a dearth of twisty roads. And, if your preconceived notion is that riders of bikes with extended wheelbases don’t know how to ride, you might need to reevaluate.

The idea of not wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle is one of those things that really makes me scratch my head, which I’m thankful to still have… thanks to, oh I don’t know, a helmet?

Skully, the techie helmet company with a reputation among riders worse than Harvey Weinstein’s, has reorganized itself and is preparing to deliver its AR-ready helmet this summer, according to a presentation at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last Sunday.

Recently, I logged more than 1000 miles on a Ural Gear Up. Many of those miles were spent on pavement, however, some of the most fun I had was riding it off-road. Bouncing the big three-wheeled machine through dirt trails and over rocky stream crossings was a blast. Something I didn’t have a chance to try while on the Ural, though, was riding on a frozen lake, or frozen anything for that matter.

Amongst a slew of other racing series that kicked off this past weekend was Monster Energy AMA Supercross, and the display of racing provided that night did not disappoint. Anaheim 1, the famed opening round, is always suspenseful as riders often change teams/brands in the off-season, return to settle the scores of years past, reignite old rivalries and spark new ones all the same.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Don’t engage with road-ragers. Just don’t – it’s not worth the aggravation or potentially negative outcome. Here, however, there’s no violent or crazy result, and the situation was handled overall pretty maturely by the motorcyclist, without any voices being raised or windows getting punched-out (save for the initial one-finger salute, but that’s basically a natural knee-jerk reaction).

Inspiring younger riders to get into motorcycling is perhaps the biggest buzz subject in the moto industry, as kids and young adults aren’t filling the two-wheel hole being dug by Boomers and Gen-Xers aging out of the activity we all adore. Pundits observe that children are less exposed to motorcycling than they were in generations past when motorbikes were emblematic for adventure and fun.

Two wheels can take you places four wheels cannot – for various reasons obviously, but mostly because of their size. Simply put, motorcycles can squeeze into tighter spaces and ride along narrower paths.

Harley-Davidson has reportedly filed a lawsuit against clothing brand Affliction alleging it is selling T-shirts with designs that resemble its Bar-and-Shield logo. According to a report by the Milwaukee Business Times, Harley-Davidson filed suit against the California-based clothing company in the U.S. District Court for Eastern Wisconsin.

The motorcycle industry may be facing hard times right now, but there’s never been a better time to be a fan. There’s a competitive racing series for every discipline and level of riding. From on-road to off-road, motocross and supercross to MotoAmerica and MotoGP, just to name a few. We also can’t forget about all the crazy new enduro series popping up all over the world, and quite possibly thee most exciting of the bunch: American Flat Track.

MV Agusta has unveiled many limited edition collaborative models recently of all kinds. It has produced the LH44 edition F4 designed in collaboration with F1 Champion, Lewis Hamilton as well as the Brutale 800RR Pirelli, a tip of the hat to the tire manufacturer following MV’s decision to use Pirelli as its sole tire supplier. MV Agusta has now released its 2018 F3 RC editions. 

Why is the motorcycle industry in a rut? I understand that consumer demographics are changing as baby boomers are aging and aren’t really buying motorcycles anymore. Gen-Xers? Well, as the last of the analog generations, you guys have basically been passed over in light of rapid advances in technology over the last 20 years – consider yourselves lucky. Which leaves a large part of the burden to us millennials bailing our asses out.

Klim has long been known in the adventure and snow segments as premium technical riding gear, and it has been the choice of moto-adventurers the world over. For 2018 it’s great to see Klim continuing to advance the functionality and technicality of its garments. Klim’s flagship model, the Badlands jacket and pant, has now been revised and revamped with even more real-world usability, upgraded armor developed with D3O, and higher-strength materials. Also, new going into 2018 is the women’s Artemis jacket which has been purpose-built with women in mind.

Last week, Motorcycle.com was first to break the news of trademark filings for “ Harley-Davidson Bronx.” Today, we can report on two more trademarks we believe were also filed for Harley-Davidson: “48X” and “Pan America.” UPDATE: further filings with the UK’s trademark office confirm these names were filed by Harley-Davidson.

For 34 years, District 37 Dual-Sport has hosted the LA to Barstow to Vegas ride, providing participants with a 400 mile-plus dual-sport ride through some of the most scenic countryside in the Southwest. Perhaps this is why the event in known around the world and not just in this corner of the United States.

Motorcycle licensing in the United Kingdom is a convoluted process that requires several steps to be taken before riders qualify for riding bigger and more powerful bikes. It’s a tiered process dependent on age and riding experience that begins with the AM Mopeds (less than 50cc) stage, then to the A1 Light Motorcycle (120cc to 125cc, less than 14.8 hp) and then the A2 Motorcycle (at least 395cc and between 26.8 and 46.9 hp).

Anything retro seems to be all the rage lately, and I’m okay with that because in a way, it pulls on our heartstrings. Technology is improving so quickly that it’s hard to keep up with all the latest and greatest. As soon as you think you have the best, something better comes along. But one thing that stays constant is the past, and this is where nostalgia comes into play.

The holidays are perhaps the craziest part of the year. With all the last-minute shopping, running around, bills, stress and travel, the holiday season can often bring out the best… and worst in people.

Since 1958, Honda has produced more than 100 million Super Cubs. As we approach the 60th anniversary of the Super Cub, Honda released a video showing how they are assembled at its factory in Kumamoto, Japan.

Baseball slugger Giancarlo Stanton is headed to Yankee Stadium, and it looks like the Motor Company might be joining him in the Bronx as Harley-Davidson has filed for two trademark applications to use the New York City borough as the name for a new motorcycle.

Bruce Brown, the director and creator of On Any Sunday, passed away yesterday, December 10, at the age of 80.

It’s not as cool as riding a roller coaster track on a real trials bike but then most of us aren’t paid by Red Bull to pull crazy stunts like that, there’s this motorcycle roller coaster in the Netherlands.

We MOrons love gymkhana videos. Heck, we even love gymkhana from the saddle ( here and here), but we have to bow down to the riders in this video. Not only are they throwing down some impressive gymkhana skills, but also doing it in the rain! So, to you, anonymous Japanese motorcycle police riders, we salute you!

American roadracer Jake Gagne has signed on as a rider for Honda’s Red Bull Superbike team to contest the 2018 FIM Superbike World Championship. Gagne, 24, joins the team full-time after filling the seat vacated by the late, great Nicky Hayden as a wild-car rider three times in the 2017 WSB season. His best results were a trio of 12th-place finishes.

UPDATE: Honda has now released a higher-quality video of the race in its entirety. Check it out below.

It’s not unusual to hear a Yamaha R1 engine screaming its cross-plane-crank howl down a racetrack, but it is odd to hear eight of them in chorus on a dirt-track course in cars. That was the combo of odd sights and sounds we witnessed at Perris Auto Speedway during an exhibition event at the Budweiser Oval Nationals sprint-car race on November 11.

A private school Latin teacher during the day, what does Chris “Teach” McNeil do when he’s not conjugating verbs or running a red pen through students’ tests? He’s absolutely riding the balls off of one of his BMWs. In this video, Elements, Teach shows us his interpretation of adventure riding while aboard an S1000XR.

Riding a motorcycle at its limits requires multiple inputs being made smoothly and simultaneously, and this expertise is on wonderous display in the video below. It shows police officer Quinn Redeker, Jr. ripping up a parking-lot course that was part of a motorcycle skills competition among police motor cops.

You don’t see this camera angle very often, and it’s really informative about the stresses a front tire undergoes on a MotoGP bike. What we have here is a testing session with  Danilo Petrucci riding his  Pramac Racing Team Ducati at Jerez with a forward-facing camera mounted to the bike’s belly pan. While viewing a video that consists of just a single shot may sound boring, seeing the tire squirm under braking and cornering is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Watching the suspension work is pretty cool, too. Go ahead, you’ve got 10 minutes to spend wishing you were as talented a rider as Petrucci.

This news slipped under our radar last month, but when the Kawasaki Ninja 400‘s European debuted at EICMA, the World Superbike Championship announced the new model will be eligible to race in the series’ relatively new World Supersport 300 class.

As futuristic as the future may one day be, I’ll be the guy hoarding all the loud, leaky, inefficient, fossil-fueled motors that most of the world will consider to be boat anchors and giant paperweights – call it my Redneck 401k. One day they might be considered old-fashioned, but there’s just something extremely gratifying about an internal combustion engine that an electric motor could never replicate. Mostly it’s the sound and feel, obviously, and it used to be about the performance, but electric motorcycles have evolved and come a long way in recent years.

In yet another testament to his greatness, Valentino Rossi has won at the 2017 Monza Rally Show. The Italian MotoGP star piloted his Ford Fiesta RC WRC rally car to a record-breaking sixth win in the 38th edition of the Monza Rally Show. This makes Valentino Rossi the most successful driver in the history of the rally which dates back to 1938 in Italy.

Hopefully, you’ll never experience the sinking feeling of having your motorcycle suddenly sputter and die while you’re in the left hand lane of a crowded highway traveling at 70 mph. Or maybe it’s that mushy wobble of a rear tire that is quickly going flat. Mechanical problems are never fun, but on the interstate, they can be dangerous if you don’t take the proper steps. So, what’s a rider to do?

We’ve all seen ‘Field of Dreams’ where Kevin Costner builds a baseball field into a cornfield, and while that was pretty neat, I think we can all agree building a motocross track into a cornfield is waaay cooler.

Privateer Superbike/Superstock 1000 racer Hayden Gillim suffered a horrifying crash last August at MotoAmerica’s race event at the new Pittsburgh International Race Complex, culminating in Gillim ragdoll-tumbling into a tire barrier at high speed while his GSX-R1000 cartwheeled and bounced all the way over the fence. The race was immediately red-flagged, as Gillim surely would be requiring prompt medical attention.

Here at Motorcycle.com, we’re fond of posting videos of people doing silly things on motorcycles. Sometimes, we post videos that should be a lesson to us all. Only occasionally do we find a video that meets the criteria of being truly MOronic. In this action-packed video, 58 members of the Indian army find a way to ride a motorcycle for more than a kilometer down an airport runway. After watching this video a few times, we’re certain that something this silly could only be pulled off by a military organization. Look at the precision with which they undertook the task. Impressive effort by all – well, maybe not by the one guy who failed to climb aboard the rolling flash mob.

Tom White, a motorcycle-industry entrepreneur, AMA Hall of Famer and philanthropist, is one of the rare people who absolutely no one has anything negative to say about him.

Have you ever thought of a clever idea for a new motorcycle product but never did anything with it because you didn’t know how to develop it or bring it to market? Now’s your chance to get your idea in front of industry experts as part of an inspiring contest sponsored by the Motorcycle Industry Council.

Recently, Can-Am sponsored the annual Road Warrior Ride which was organized by the Road Warrior Foundation (RWF). The RWF is a volunteer-operated foundation that seeks to improve the lives of veterans by “utiliz[ing] powersports and adventure to produce a challenging environment that takes people out and puts them back in the driver’s seat.” In the case of the Road Warrior Ride, this “adventure therapy” took the form of hitting the road from Austin, TX to Charleston, SC for a multi-day ride on Can-Am Spyders.

Almost 70 years after the creation of its first model, the Lambretta scooter has returned in the form of the 2018 Lambretta V-Special. Shown in public for the first time at EICMA on November 7, 2017, the scooter company, which is known for its cult following despite only being in production for 24 years, has teamed up with Austrian design studio KISKA (known to MO readers for the design of KTM and Husqvarna model lines) to produce a thoroughly modern Lambretta in three variations: V50 Special, V125 Special and V200 Special.

Honda released a single dimly-lit image teasing a new Africa Twin model to be revealed Nov. 6 at the 2017 EICMA show in Milan, Italy. The teaser affirms what we previously reported, that a new, more off-road capable Africa Twin is on the way.

What we have here is a fun Halloween video involving a pumpkin, a motorcycle tie-down, a hand saw, and an electric jigsaw – all in the name of creating the ultimate Halloween costume for a motorcyclist. While we can’t vouch for the DOT or Snell certification of this homemade helmet. It’s good for a laugh.

The California Air Resources Board has issued an executive order certifying the 2018 KTM 1290 Super Adventure S. Previously announced at EICMA last year alongside the Super Adventure R and T, the S version was offered in other markets but did not join its siblings in the U.S. as 2017 models. The CARB certification suggests that will change for 2018.