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Ducati V2 Future Champ Academy Begins in 2026

Ducati will start a new riding academy in 2026, called Ducati V2 Future Champ Academy. It is aimed at getting young riders into racing, for both domestic and international talents.

Stating the obvious, the programme is designed to allow young racers the chance to ride the brand’s Panigale V2 motorcycle, as well as creating a talent pool for the future.

The new racing academy will kick off in 2026, with the project set to form part of the Italian Championship (CIV), World Ducati Week 2026, and the World Superbike paddock. The format will include traditional sessions like pre-season testing, qualifying, and a double race for each round.

Garage51 is a platform that allows young riders to learn about motorcycles and racing, and is run by Michele Pirro, Ducati’s official test rider. Pirro will offer riders from the new Ducati V2 academy technical guidance, with further details about the project to be revealed at next month’s EICMA show, in Milan.

Francesco Milicia, VP Global Sales and After Sales Ducati, said: “Ducati’s history is deeply intertwined with the world of racing, and investing in young riders means building tomorrow’s champions today. This is why we are very proud to launch the V2 Future Champ Ducati Academy, a strongly desired project designed to guide new talents from passion to professionalism, offering them all the tools they need to become protagonists in the motorcycle racing world of the future.

“The format was created for those who want to take a challenge and improve, relying on the support of an excellence like Ducati, which has made racing its essence. The key to this journey is Michele, whose commitment to the development of the Desmosedici GP has contributed significantly to Ducati’s current results. I would like to thank him not only as a professional but also as a friend: with his experience, technical expertise, and enthusiasm, he will certainly be an inspiration to our young riders.”

Please go to the official Ducati V2 Future Champ webpage for more information.

It is a great step for Ducati to take this step as other manufacturers such as KTM with their Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and Austrian Junior Cup.

No Demand for Electric Motorcycles – BMW Motorad CEO

BMW Motorrad’s CEO, Markus Flasch says that the company is not particularly keen in making electric motorcycles or dirtbikes. However, electric scooters are ongoing.

Speacking to US website Common Tread, Flasch laid out some of BMW Motorrad’s plans, including for their future superbikes.

“You can look forward to seeing something smaller than the 1000 cc [S 1000 RR]. But it’s a bit too early to talk about it.” However, the inline-four engine will stay at 1000cc for the S 1000 range i.e. S 1000 RR/M 1000 RR, S 1000 R/M 1000 R, S 1000 XR/M 1000 XR.

As such the smaller superbike in question could be from the F 900, or even the G 310 range.

Flasch does not want to follow his rivals Triumph and Ducati who have since dabbled into the motocross and enduro segment, as BMW Motorrad’s products are already covering many areas. “We are making this decision talking to our customers and talking to our dealer base and we ended up, for the moment, not going this route,” he told Courts.

Back to electric motorcycles, BMW will not make an electric motorcycle at the moment, as Flasch says customer response is behind that decision, too. Instead, they will continue with electric scooters, since the CE range is leading the 11 kW and above segment.

Second Time Losing a Brother to Accident

Mohamad Faizin Mohd Zainodin, 21, could only grieve after losing another younger brother in an accident. The incident occurred at Kilometer 97.6 of the North-South Highway (northbound), near Yong Peng, yesterday.

His younger brother, the late Mohamad Fauzan, 19, who was a second-year student at the Tun Syed Nasir Syed Ismail Polytechnic in Pagoh, died after his motorcycle crashed into a lorry that had stopped in the emergency lane due to a breakdown. The accident happened at 7:45 pm yesterday.

This accident caused Mohamad Faizin to lose his brother for the second time, after a similar tragedy occurred two years ago which claimed the life of his third younger brother in Johor Bahru.

According to Mohamad Faizin, he received the sad news at 8 pm from an acquaintance who informed him that his brother, who was also the second child of five siblings, had been in an accident.

“As soon as I was informed about it, I thought to myself, have I lost another younger brother? We lost Mohamad Zakuan (when he was 15 years old) two years ago also because of an accident.”

“This time, I have lost another brother, even though the grief from the first has not yet subsided,” said Mohamad Faizin, who is also a student at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) in Skudai.

However, Mohamad Faizin said that he and his family are accepting this fate with open hearts because Allah loves him more.

ohamad Faizin said that before the accident, his brother was on his way back to campus after meeting friends in Batu Pahat.

The Batu Pahat District Police Chief, Assistant Commissioner Shahrulanuar Mushaddat Abdullah Sani, said the victim sustained severe injuries to his head and internal organs and was confirmed dead at the scene by the medical team.

“The 49-year-old lorry driver was unharmed, and the case is being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for reckless or dangerous driving,” he said.

92 Percent of Commercial Vehicles Yet to Install Speed Limiter Devices

92 percent, or 100,675 commercial vehicles, have not verified their Speed Limiter Device (SLD) installation to date.

The Senior Director of Enforcement for the Road Transport Department (JPJ), Datuk Muhammad Kifli Ma Hassan, said that since the enforcement of SLD usage began last Wednesday, 8,130 commercial vehicles have been confirmed to be using SLDs, involving 513 express buses, 290 tour buses, and 7,227 goods vehicles.

According to him, from the total of 108,805 vehicles that need to be inspected in the first phase of the SLD usage enforcement, 2,015 express buses, 5,951 tour buses, and 92,709 goods vehicles have not verifired their SLD installation.

“In the first three days of enforcement, 2,180 vehicles were inspected, and from that number, 385 vehicles, involving 144 express buses and 221 goods vehicles, were penalized for failing to present the SLD functionality verification slip.”

“The enforcement of SLD usage involves commercial vehicles built after January 1, 2015, for tour buses and express buses with a Laden Weight (BDM) exceeding 5,000 kilograms (kg), while for goods vehicles, it is those with a BDM exceeding 3,500 kg,” he said in a press conference at the Gombak Enforcement Station yesterday.

He said that JPJ reminds that all installation, configuration, and activation of SLDs must be verified by a JPJ-recognized body through the issuance of a Verification Slip and SLD Functionality Report.

“The parties authorized to issue this document are vehicle manufacturers and producers, JPJ-recognized Technical Services (TS), workshops or service facilities, or Certification Bodies accredited by the Department of Standards Malaysia (JSM) that are recognized by JPJ.

“This verification slip must be presented during inspections at Computerized Vehicle Inspection Centers (Puspakom) or during permit renewal transactions with the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) or the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board,” he said.

Muhammad Kifli said that, additionally, the slip must be kept inside the vehicle and renewed every two years.

“No compromise will be given after the full enforcement date. A Notice 114 (an inquiry summons) will be issued to any vehicle owner who fails to comply with this regulation,” he said.

Royal Enfield Sold 124,328 Motorcycles in September

Royal Enfield has just sold 124,328 motorcycles in September 2025 alone.

That record breaking feat is historic, among other applicable adjectives, compared to 86,978 in the same month last year. It equates to a 43 percent year-on-year increase.

The majority – 113,573 – were sold in India compared to 79,325 in September 2024. Exports increased sharply, too, which saw 10,7555 bikes shipped compared to 7,653 last year.

Royal Enfield’s boss, B. Govindarajan, summed it up pretty well. He called it an “incredible start to the festive season” and pointed to the newly updated Meteor 350 as a hit with the community. Historically, Royal Enfield’s strength is not in one motorcycle, instead it is distributed throughout their range i.e. Bullet, Classic, Meteor, Hunter, Himalayan, and the 650 twins.

However, the lion’s share was contributed by their new 350 lineup. Indeed, 1,07,478 units were sold.

In terms of Q2 2026 sales (yes, it is considered as 2026 financial year), Royal Enfield sold a total of 5,91,903 units, marking a 30% YoY growth over 4,54,779 units in the same period last year.

Tyre Makers Inspect Tyres Following Op Grip

Leading tyre makers brought their technical personnel to detect misconduct and issues with imported products stored in the warehouse.

Eight international and local tyre manufacturing companies, namely Michelin, Bridgestone, Toyo, Continental, Goodyear, Yokohama, Maxxis, and Pirelli, participated in the inspection, following the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) recent Op Grip.

Among the offenses detected by the companies’ technical teams were those related to modified production dates, counterfeit remolded tires, and the entry of tyres from Europe.

Enforcement officers from the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) and SIRIM Berhad were also present to conduct the inspection.

Besides the technical inspection, the Senior Director of MACC’s Special Operations Division, Datuk Mohamad Zamri Zainul Abidin, held discussions with tire industry representatives at the MACC Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Mohamad Zamri said industry representatives need to find more sustainable solutions to ensure no further leakage of government revenue in the tyre import industry.

He asked all industry players to ensure the issue is fully resolved because it not only involves government revenue but also the safety of road consumers.

“We ask industry players to go down to the field or the warehouses raided in the recent Op Grip themselves so that they can understand this issue more closely and implement immediate solutions.

“More importantly, this matter involves the safety of road consumers,” he said.

On Monday, the MACC raided several companies at 23 locations nationwide, which are believed to be involved in tyre smuggling and the forgery of import and export documents, causing the government to lose approximately RM350 million in tax revenue from 2020 until now.

The raids were conducted on companies involved in import businesses, as well as tyre storage warehouses and containers.

As a result of the raids, the MACC has frozen private and company bank accounts involving an estimated value of about RM70 million.

The raids were carried out through an integrated operation, Op Grip, led by the MACC’s Special Operations Division in collaboration with the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN), Bank Negara Malaysia, and the Royal Malaysian Customs Department in the Klang Valley, Penang, and Johor.