This week, we have quite a bit of Italian fun in the roster, as well as a considerable record:
- For the 22nd time, Ducati has won the Manufacturer’s Title in WorldSBK, begging the query as to why Ducati keeps on winning.
- Suzuki has released their 2027 Hayabusa – and, in true Suzuki form, everything we like is still there under a fresh coat of paint.
- Royal Enfield has partnered with Rough Crafts in the release of their Limited Edition Rough Crafts X Shotgun 650 – and only 10 units will be making their way to the U.S.
- Vespa’s collaborating with a restaurant that inhales breathtaking views of the azure Pampelonne beach and the French wine region. The end result is a Primavera 125 with a chic 1960s Italian vibe… and a picnic basket perfect for the summer’s saunters about Saint-Tropez.
Let’s start with Ducati’s record-breaking in WorldSBK, shall we?
Ducati Continues To Break Records (It’s Own)
WorldSBK Manufacturers’ Title #22 In the Bag… Now What?
….and Ducati’s Panigale V4 R remains the Queen of the season!
Yet again, we find that Ducati has officially made history in the production-based racing world, securing… yes, yet another record-breaking 22nd Manufacturers’ title in the FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) series. This 2026 crown also marks the fifth consecutive WorldSBK Manufacturers’ title captured by the dominant Panigale 4 R platform… but we were a tad more interested in why Ducati kept winning the Manufacturer’s title. After all, there are more OEMs out there apart from Ducati, yeah?
As Aruba.it Racing Ducati team member Iker Lecuona shares, Ducati’s overwhelming success in WorldSBK is unequivocally, entirely and without a question, due to Ducati’s excellence.
Are there many Ducati teams in WorldSBK? Four, and yes.
Do the amount of Ducati teams in WorldSBK help the company win titles consecutively until nobody bets in opposition? Also probably yes… but that’s just good business, baby.
According to Ducati’s recent press release (and an article published by Crash.net), Team Red’s record-breaking campaign was heavily anchored by the extraordinary performances of Aruba.It team members Nicolò Bulega and Iker Lecuona (Iker recently came over from Honda). Utilizing these two factory riders as well as their three other teams, Ducati secured a total of 24 victories and 44 podiums over the course of the season, totalling a staggering 849 points in the season overall. The Aruba.It duo also went on to mathematically secure the WorldSBK Teams’ Championship, making this the fifth team title in its history and its fifth consecutive crown.
Reflecting on the historic racing achievement, Luigi Dall’Igna, General Manager of Ducati Corse, was recorded to have stated the following:
– Luigi Dall’Igna, General Manager of Ducati Corse (Crash.net) |
Curious what Ducati has on the WorldSBK shelf so far? We hope you’re sitting down, because it’s a lot:
- 22 Manufacturers’ Titles
- 16 Riders’ Titles
- 473 overall victories
- 1,258 Podium Placements
It is no small exaggeration to say that Ducati’s current winning streak has now spanned generations of engineering innovation, reaching from the iconic years of the Ducati 888 all the way up to the successes achieved with the company’s modern Panigale V4 R.
Huge mazel-tov to the multitude of Ducati riders from the Webbikeworld team!
To read the full milestone celebration and historical breakdown, check out the coverage Ducati published in the official Ducati Media Newsroom.
Suzuki’s Hayabusa Emerges with New Colors for 2027
If it Ain’t Broke… Just Give It a Fresh Coat of Paint.
Where Ducati is the leader in grid excellence, Suzuki continues to find quiet wins across the proverbial board that is their model lineup. This month, we pay homage to the company’s own Peregrine Falcon, the Hayabusa. This year’s iteration – the MY2027 – has emerged with nothing new under the sun save, perhaps, a bit of fun in the form of a striking new Special Edition paint scheme.
‘Busa buyers can choose between two primary standard finishes – “Glass Sparkle Black” or “Metallic Reflective Blue” – while the new Hayabusa Special Edition shows off an exclusive “Pearl Brilliant White and Metallic Oort Gray” multi-tone colorway, both of which are accented by deep red graphics.
Naturally, the standard 2027 platform remains driven by Suzuki’s signature 1,340cc liquid-cooled inline-four heart, carrying the same addicting linear torque curve matched to effortless acceleration. The muscular engine is housed inside Suzuki’s twin-spar aluminum frame, which is complemented by Suzuki’s suite of electronic perks in the form of the brand’s Suzuki Intelligent Ride System (S.I.R.S.), which includes lean-sensitive traction control, motion-track ABS, anti-lift control, a bi-directional quickshifter, and smart cruise control.
Stoppage arrives at the scene in the form of Brembo Stylema front calipers mated to dual rotors and the whole kit and caboodle is dressed in the iconic falcon-inspired aerodynamic bodywork that has been turning heads for years.
Keen to get your hands on that Special Edition ‘Busa? We’re told by the Suzuki press release (published to Roadracing World), that the Special Edition package also comes equipped from the factory with a color-matched solo seat cowl, raised tank emblems, some stealthy blacked-out exhaust end caps, and custom badging.
Standard models start at an MSRP of $19,699, but expect to fork over a little extra – $20,399 – for the Special Edition.
For more specs, local dealership availability, or to view the full model lineup, visit the official Suzuki Cycles Portal.
Limited Lovelies: Royal Enfield Drops the Rough Crafts X Shotgun 650
Gold Leaf Included…and Only 10 Are Coming to the U.S.
It feels like forever since I was riding a Royal Enfield, and I already miss the feeling of an accommodating engine cruising down long lines of well-paved freeways; perhaps this addicting vibe is why Royla Enfield has officially opened global registrations for an ultra-limited production run of its middleweight cruiser – the Shotgun 650 x Rough Crafts Edition – and why they’re letting some come to America.
For those of you less familiar with this new partner, Rough Crafts is a world-renowned custom motorcycle and design studio based in Taipei, Taiwan. The founder of this magnificent establishment is none other than Winston Yeh – badass name – and the brand is known for minimalist, low-profile, blacked-out designs that blend sleek cafe racer, bobber, and street tracker styles into one unforgettable design.
In this case, the design is affecting one of the biggest favorites of the Royal Enfield line: The Shotgun 650. According to the Royal Enfield Rough Crafts X Shotgun 650 Portal, this particular custom bit of pretty has been inspired directly by Winston Yeh’s acclaimed “Caliber Royale” – a custom build that shows off a signature black-and-gold aesthetic. This has the same, and is further accompanied by a cast brass collaboration badge pinned to the tank, gold-anodized front fork inner tubes, contrast-cut alloy rims, a premium quilted leather solo saddle, and black bar-end mirrors.
Underneath the custom paint and boutique growling, the Rough Crafts X Shotgun 650 retains the unforgettable foundations of the standard Shotgun 650 platform: A 648cc parallel-twin motor punting out 47 pretty ponies that float along behind a Showa Separate Function Big Piston fork (SF-BPF).
Out of the global pool of 100 units that will be sent out to a series of lucky owners, a highly restricted allocation of only 10 units is earmarked for the United States (boo), alongside a paltry two units destined for Canada (sorry, but that’s not nearly enough for my garage).
Buyers in this part of the hemisphere must register on Royal Enfield’s digital “Drop Zone” portal between today (technically July 15) and July 28 of this year; if they’re the lucky winners of this exclusive offer, Royal Enfield will reach out and the official live sales window for the Americas will open on July 28 at 10:00 AM EST on a strict first-come, first-served basis, with retail pricing pinned at a rather lean $7,999 USD / $10,799 CAD.
To secure your allocation or register for the live digital drop via the Royal Enfield Shotgun Rough Crafts Portal.
Scooters and Saint-Tropez: The Limited Edition Vespa X Gigi
New Partnership Shows Off a Picnic-Happy Vacation Scoot
Nobody feels complete without a two-wheeled piece of pretty. In truth, I know many – myself included – who prefer two such pieces of pretty: One for the zoomies, and one for the pleasure jaunts. If you’re anything like my riding mates, you’ve got a Honda Grom or a scooter on the side of the garage and, when you’re not wrenching on the blessed firstborn of your wallet’s proverbial loins, you find time to hop aboard something a little slower and a little lower to the ground for some first-rate whining about the local verdure.
On that note, Vespa has presented a prime unit as the very thing for these pick-a-nicking occasions: A recent partnership with a high-end Mediterranean hospitality house Gigi Rigolatto. The ens result has been a striking, limited-edition run of the iconic Primavera 125 scooter with elements of the South of Italy’s sun-drenched lifestyle.
We’re told that this “Vespa x Gigi” collaboration leans heavily into premium, bespoke design choices meant to evoke carefree maritime escapes; to that effect, we’ve been inundated with the following:
- One (1) Primavera 125
- Exclusive sun-yellow livery “meant to radiate the warmth of the Mediterranean coast.”
- A beautifully crafted, hand-stitched and padded cognac leather saddle accented with ivory stitching
- A custom tie graphic inspired by Gigi’s signature striped beach parasols and affixed to the Vespa’s shield
- A functional chrome luggage rack secured with tailored leather straps
- A rear rack extending into a beautifully crafted wicker picnic basket
Not bad, oui?
Of course, the classic package wouldn’t be complete without retro-inspired, ivory-white wheel rims wrapped in open-sidewall tires. Saint-Tropez has also been represented in the fact that this Vespa can only be created on an exclusive, per-request basis with pricing starting at a balmy €12,000.
If that’s too much for you, you could always mosey out from the morning markets of Saint-Tropez herself to ogle the two Vespa X Gigi Primavera 125 display units that will sit beneath the pines at Gigi Saint-Tropez throughout the summer season.
Check out the official release for more information or place an allocation request directly to the company via the Vespa Per Gigi Portal.