Here I was thinking that there’d be less to talk about at the end of May, and I arrive today with bushels of juicy morsels to bedeck your “spring has sprung,” yoink-happy anthems.
Today, we bring you snippets from nearly every corner of the Powersports industry, from MotoGP changing hands (and Harley erecting a stand at a few of the Grand Prix’s EU races), to Energica’s decision to partner up with an ex-NASA engineer for AI in battery development, and Ruroc’s new Star Wars helmet collection.
We even have ANOTHER Special Edition Ducati bike to bookend the week’s news gander, so let’s set to and see what y’all think of our industry’s pre-June movement.
A view of MotoAmerica’s grid. Media provided from RoadRacing World.1. Industry Insider: Liberty Media is Buying MotoGP and WorldSBK
This little tidbit has been around since April, but sits no less relevant to today’s batch of newsie goodness… and trust me, by the time we start chatting about Harley, you’ll be interested.
On April first, Liberty Media Corporation announced plans to acquire “approximately 86% of Dorna, with Dorna management retaining approximately 14% of their equity in the business” (via Liberty Media Corporation). In acquiring Dorna, LMC effectively laid hands on MotoGP and WorldSBK, with the corporation’s Q1 Financial Results showing MotoGP’s majority stake under LMC’s subsidiary, Formula One (Liberty).
The acquirement is expected to be finalized by the end of this year, with the completion of the agreement being subject to “the receipt of clearances and approvals by competition and foreign investment law authorities in various jurisdictions” (via Roadracing World)
By the way, everybody seems to be getting their way with this agreement; LMC’s CEO is excited to be taking on a global league player with a high cash flow, and Ezpeleta’s excited to see what LMC’s impeccable track record brings to the expansion of MotoGP:
| “We are thrilled to expand our portfolio of leading live sports and entertainment assets with the acquisition of MotoGP. MotoGP is a global league with a loyal, enthusiastic fan base, captivating racing and a highly cash flow generative financial profile.
Carmelo and his management team have built a great sporting spectacle that we can expand to a wider global audience. The business has significant upside, and we intend to grow the sport for MotoGP fans, teams, commercial partners and our shareholders.” – Greg Maffei, President and CEO, Liberty Media Corporation (Roadracing World). |
| “This is the perfect next step in the evolution of MotoGP, and we are excited for what this milestone brings to Dorna, the MotoGP paddock and racing fans. We are proud of the global sport we’ve grown, and this transaction is a testament to the value of the sport today and its growth potential.
Liberty has an incredible track record in developing sports assets and we could not wish for a better partner to expand MotoGP’s fanbase around the world.” – Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO, Dorna (Roadracing World). |
The news also gives us a good idea of Dorna’s enterprise value, listed in Roadracing World’s press release as €4.2 billion for Dorna/MotoGP™, resulting in an equity value of €3.5 billion.
That’s a lot of cheddar.
Personally, I’m noticing MotoAmerica’s King of the Baggers (KOTB) series has been sharing the MotoGP circuit this year and drawing my own conclusions… but with MotoGP now under the same parent company as Formula One, your guess is as good as ours as to what the future holds.
What changes, if any, do you believe the Liberty Media Corporation will make to MotoGP’s current setup?
2. DEBUNKED: Harley-Davidson is not “Joining” MotoGP
KOTB’s efforts this past April at COTA. Media sourced from MotorAmerica.There’s been a lot of talk in the past about Harley’s intentions when it comes to superbike racing, specifically, their intentions with MotoGP.
While the American bike brand’s involvement with Buell from 1998-2009 spoke volumes on certain board members’ dreams for a world-class paddock full of big-bore superbikes, Buell was eventually set free in 2009, allowing HD to turn to other methods of appealing to a newer, younger consumer.
Today, Harley is active in the King of the Baggers series, with 2023’s efforts locking in laurels for Vance & Hines/Mission Foods Harley-Davidson bagger rider Hayden Gillim (Harley), and 2024 showing off neck-and-neck action between Indian’s Troy Herfoss and Harley’s indomitable Kyle Wyman on April 13th, Race Two (MotoAmerica).
For those of you who were unaware, Harley-Davdison – the brand – has been recently present at a handful of MotoGP circuits in Europe, erecting a stand to show off the Pan America 1250 that finished the 15th edition of the Africa Eco Race as a standard bike (an impressive feat).
Harley’s Pan America will continue to be present at MotoGP on the following dates:
- May 24 – 26: Grand Premio de Catalunya
- May 31 – June 2: Gran Premio d’Italia
- June 28 – 30: TT Assen
- July 5 – 7: Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland
- August 2 – 4: British Grand Prix
- August 16 – 18: Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich
Why am I taking time blathering on about Harley and MotoGP? Well, this morning, I read an article ambiguously titled, “Harley joins MotoGP.”
Considering Harley already tried the superbike MotoGP route at the turn of the century and gave up before setting rubber to grid, it would be a shame if a misunderstanding led to misconceptions about where Harley is currently at in relations to the Grand Prix tracks.
Below is information on Harley’s current affiliation with the MotoGP circuit, backed by relevant sources:
- Back in April, Harley-Davidson was in MotoAmerica’s KOTB (Mission King Of The Baggers) series, riding on MotoGP asphalt at COTA (MotoAmerica).
- Harley-Davidson will be present with a stand on certain days of MotoGP Europe (Motorcycle Sports).
- Harley-Davidson’s efforts with KOTB could soon be a thing in Europe, thanks to a circa-2023 partnership landed with MotoAmerica and MotorSport Vision Racing (MSVR), where MSVR agreed to be KOTB’s European promotional partner (Roadracing World press release).
- A reminder that Harley last attempted to enter MotoGP around the year 2000, working briefly with the aid of British motor-sport engineering firm Ilmor on a 1000cc V-twin superbike. The brand got cold feet in the same decade that they also let go of Buell and Buell’s racing heritage (Mat Oxley via Motorsport Magazine).
Currently, Harley’s presence as an official factory race team is more or less limited to their successes in bagger racing; beyond this, we need only look at the brand’s actions.
HD attendance with Joan Pedrero’s Pan America 1250 at select GP Europe rounds certainly shows they intend on making true to their words in “bring[ing] the Harley-Davidson experience to motorcycling enthusiasts across Europe”… but could Harley-Davidson still be dreaming of the MotoGP grid?
If anything changes, we’ll be one of the first to let you know; until then, we’ll keep a weather eye on movement over at Liberty Media Corporation (LMC), and any residual movement between MotoAmerica and MotoGP.
3. Electric Everything: Energica’s Using AI to Improve their Batteries
Energica’s motorcycling efforts. Media provided by Energica.Wait – don’t shout doom and gloom on Energica’s AI tech idea until you’ve seen what they’re up to!
The idea to integrate AI for battery optimization comes fromEnergica’s partnership with Electra, an applied AI-ML for battery management software solutions founded by an ex-NASA engineer.
The tech Energica wants has been affectionately christened “Brains for Batteries.” When hooked up to the battery management systems (BMS) in Energica’s vehicles (presumably this includes their electric motorcycles), performance ramps up “across the board.”
In plain English, Electra’s AI tech measures battery health with 97% accuracy and extends battery life by 20%. Energica’s currently holding a very nice record of 260 miles (420km) for mixed-use range limit in their current electric motorcycle range, meaning that Electra’s “Brains for Batteries” (B4B) would be extending that mixed-use range to roughly 300 miles, or 483km.
The real kicker is in the sheer manifestation of Energica’s press release, which I quote verbatim here:
“AI is crucial in managing real-time battery performance, benefitting drivers, vehicle PEMs, and fleet operators alike.”
To this we add the words of Electra’s CEO – the ex-NASA engineer – and Energica’s CTO:
“The battery is the heart of any electric vehicle. Adding a ‘Brain’ to manage it, supported by AI, not only enhances performance and durability but also addresses fundamental driver and industry concerns.”
– Fabrizio Martini, Founder and CEO, Electra (press release) |
| “We met Electra and were immediately interested in their AI solutions related to batteries, a crucial element on which we have based our know-how from the beginning.
Together with their team, we have started a research and development collaboration to apply AI to the BMS of our batteries. The objective is to better monitor the data and optimize the range…” – Giampiero Testoni, CTO of Energica Motor Company. |
What do you think? Does Electra’s AI tech have promise for electric motorcycles?
4. May the Force Be With You: Ruroc’s New Star Wars Helmet Collection
Blank TV , or picture frame with copy space, isolated against white backgroundIf you’ve ever made a habit of booking your holidays around the beginning of May with a nerdy grin, you might like Ruroc’s new Star Wars collection.
Per the recent debut, the graphics chosen for this year’s sci-fi homage dress Ruroc’s EOX, a lid known for being lighter, with less-noisy vents and more Cardo capability than the predecessor, the ATLAS 4.0.
(Our gal Mika did a reveal moment here, if you want to take a closer look at the lid.)
In terms of graphics, we have three themes for 2024:
- The Rebel Pilot
- Resistance Pilot
- Mandalorian
The collection just dropped yesterday, and you can find all three lids at Ruroc’s dedicated website. Expect the following featured perks to be in line with the brand’s usual reputation for style and quality:
- ECE 22.06 and DOT certifications
- 40% increased riding stability *vs atlas 4.0
- Connect to 15 friends up to 1.6km away
- Best-in-class 215° field of view
- 6 high-flow vents for perfect climate control
- The lightest yet most robust carbon composite currently available from Ruroc
Be sure to check the three shell sizes available before ordering, and let us know which of Ruroc’s Star Wars graphics is your personal jam.
5. Monster Madness: Meet Ducati’s Special Edition Senna
Ducati’s new Special Edition Monster Senna. Media sourced from Ducati.Of course, our weekly news round-up wouldn’t be finished without a load of Bologna bike beauty, would it?
Ducati’s created a Special Edition Monster to commemorate the memory of Formula 1® Champion, Ayrton Senna, with the hashtag #LegendsRideOn. The decision to pay homage to Senna, in particular, apparently stems from the man’s adoration for Ducati’s bikes.
Ducati CEO, Claudio Domenicali, makes proud mention in a LinkedIn post of Senna’s 851 SP and his eventual collaboration with Ducati in creating the 916 Senna.
It was Ayrton, by the way, who was one of the first to recieve Ducati’s first-ever Monster, the Monster 900 – hence, the reason Ducati chose this exact model for Senna’s second namesake.
We’re told that Ducati will make a limited series of 341 units, with Domenicali’s explanation for that exact number below:
“We chose this number to celebrate the 3 World Titles won by Senna in Formula 1® and the 41 Grands Prix concluded with victory, numbers that describe an extraordinary career and unparalleled talent.”
– Claudio Domenicali, CEO, Ducati (LinkedIn) |
Expect each bike to carry the exact shades that Senns wore throughout his Formula 1® career, with Pricing starting from an MSRP of $25,0000 USD.
What do you think of Ducati’s new Special Edition Monster Senna?