A MASSIVE Happy New Year from the wBW team!
Hold on to your eggnog – this particular batch of bike news is a doozy:
- In a move that nobody saw coming, Energica has been swiped off the liquidation block with plans to re-enter Energica bikes to markets in the new year.
- A Canadian kingpin’s motorcycle collection has been seized by authorities; sources estimate the rows of ultra-rare MotoGP machines to be worth around $40 million.
- CFMoto’s 450 SR-S is being rebirthed as a Team Orange machine, and recent filings have shown that the KTM RC450 is close to market debut.
- With KTM slowly stabilizing from their chapter of financial difficulties, CEO Gottfried Neumeister has agreed to stay on until 2028, providing additional proof of stability to the riding community.
- Mips has acquired KOROYD!
Let’s start with the juicy bits surrounding Energica’s resuscitation, shall we?
Electric Everything: What’s Going On With Energica?
Prior Bankruptcy Announcement is Overwritten by New Chapter with Dealership Support
Energica, one of our favorite Italian electric powerhouses, has officially dodged their final curtain for new beginnings with Future Mobility! A recent press release from Energica has named a new lifeline for the company which has arrived in the form of a group of Singapore-based investors. We’re told these investors stepped in this past July with a formal offer and a significant deposit, saving Energica’s assets from being auctioned off.
For context, Energica revealed to our industry back in October of 2024 that, despite Energica’s wild sales records with the Experia model, parent company Ideanomics had chosen to shut Energica down. We learned later that Ideanomics was crumbling under the legal pressure of a mid-2025 SEC settlement; the former executives had engaged in massive fraud and revenue overstatement between 2017 and 2019, a legal disaster that slowly “starved” the Italian factory of the capital needed to maintain Energica’s payroll.
With Energica saved from the worst of the wreckage connected to Ideanomics, a new chapter emerges under new ownership structure, with CEO Stefano Benatti taking the helm (though the original management team remains at the helm in Italy). We’re told that Energica’s first order of business will be to support the existing riders, with regional distributors like Future Mobility in Belgium and the Netherlands already aiding in bridging the gap to ensure that parts and service is properly available and the Energica riding community isn’t left stranded.
Expect the production of core platforms like the Ego+, Eva Ribelle, and Experia to resume around now, with additional news to come in the new year.
Mazel and a huge congrats from the wBW team to Energica!!
Criminal Collections: Meet the “Most Valuable Criminal Motorcycle Collection in History”
FBI Raids Reveal $40M Superbike Stash Linked to Canadian Kingpin
In news that tops the ice-breaker topics of 2025, the FBI and Mexican law enforcement have found what could be the most valuable criminal motorcycle collection in history.
According to CBC News, the stash is mainly comprised of rows and rows of high-end GP bikes; these machines are thought to belong to Ryan Wedding, a 44-year-old Canadian and former Canadian Olympic snowboarder, now alleged to be an international drug kingpin. The collection carries a staggering estimated value of $40 million USD, with the sea of Ducati GP liveries including the iconic numbers of legends like Valentino Rossi, Loris Capirossi, and Jorge Lorenzo.
While the FBI hasn’t yet confirmed how many of these bikes are authentic factory race machines, the estimate suggests the real deal is likely present for many of these stolen motorcycles. Photos show what appear to be a 1980 Ducati NCR860 from the Hailwood era and the original Marc Márquez Moto2 bike, among others still to be identified.
As for the man himself, we’re told that Ryan Wedding has been on the run since being charged with multiple drug offenses last year, in 2024. Now on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list, Ryan has a $15 million bounty on his head and authorities continue to unearth rare finds connected to this man’s money-laundering network.
All the best to the relevant forces in the location of further laundering collections, and may these machines soon find their owners – or at the very least, the museums at which they can finally rest.
Fast Filings: KTM RC450 Breaks Cover via CFMoto Partnership
New Parallel-Twin Bike Sports 55 HP and WP Suspension
It is official: The long-rumored “490” gap in KTM’s lineup is finally being filled, with the bike’s DNA hailing straight from Team Orange’s Chinese partners.
The incomparable Ben Purvis (CycleWorld) has gifted us with yet another fantastic filing confirmation. We’re told that recent type-approval documents show a KTM RC450 on the way; this machine is slotted to be heavily based on the CFMoto 450SS – also known as the 450SR-S – and will house CFMoto’s 449cc parallel-twin heart, though KTM’s version will apparently be capable of squeezing out around 5 horsepower more than CFmoto’s two-wheeled brainchild.
As for go-go perks, we’re told the new RC450 will carry WP suspension, a single-sided swingarm and a belly-mounted pipe, as well as a shorter wheelbase (53.5 inches) and a lighter curb weight of just 370 lbs. The filings themselves talk about “KTMR2R” branding for the Chinese market, and the fact that test mules were spotted in Austria suggests a global rollout is coming up soon.
While the partnership between KTM and CFMoto has been active for nearly a decade, this marks a significant shift into shared platforms for the entry-level sportbike segment. For those of us in North America, don’t be surprised if this debuts as an RC490 to better align with KTM’s “bigger is better” christening habits.
Industry Insider: CEO Neumeister Anchors KTM Through 2028
Bajaj Mobility Confirms Leadership Stability Despite Ownership Shift
Speaking of Team Orange, KTM’s CEO will be staying for a while longer to ensure stability for our global community of Katoomers.
In a move designed to signal Team Orange’s “business as usual”, Bajaj Mobility (formerly Pierer Mobility) has extended CEO Gottfried Neumeister’s contract through to the end of 2028. This early extension comes hard on the heels of KTM’s previous financial struggles, looming deadlines and consolidation of the majority of their debt in favor of becoming a subsidiary of Bajaj Auto. To say stability is the number one objective is putting things lightly, and Neumeister’s continued presence is a vital piece of the puzzle as KTM, Husqvarna, and GasGas officially make this big transition under Bajaj’s proverbial wing.
According to motorcycle.com, Neumeister took over the reins following the departure of previous CEO Stefan Pierer, navigating the group through a notoriously difficult financial restructuring. He’s even agreed to step down from all outside board positions to focus exclusively on putting KTM back on the path to greatness, with additional deadlines including simplifying internal processes and strengthening the trust of dealers and suppliers who were rattled by the recent ownership changes.
Bottom line, Neumeister’s staying to help out the company suggests that, despite now being funded by an Indian company, the ethos of the brand will remain rooted in Austria. Time will tell of course, but it’s always good to see in which direction a company leans when restructuring like this.
Safety Synergy: Mips Acquires KOROYD
A New Powerhouse Pairing in Lid Markets
Mips AB, the Swedish leader in impact protection, has officially acquired the innovators behind a straw-like welded tube energy management system that spans head, body and hand protection across sport, motorsport, defence, industrial safety and child restraint industries. This merge of Mips and KOROYD brings together two of the safety industry’s most recognizable ingredient brands under one roof, leading to the unavoidable question:
What does this new merge mean for motorcycle riders?
We have answers from the most recent Mips press release to be published to our good markets:
- Each organization is known to specialize in different areas of lid tech. While Mips has mastered the art of managing rotational forces, KOROYD specializes in linear impact absorption and cooling.
- Mips wants to branch out. The brand’s CEO, Max Strandwitz, has noted that the acquisition of KOROYD is a “springboard into adjacent product safety areas,” though we’re told that both brands will have minimal blending and will continue to operate under their own leadership teams.
- Mips’ 25 years of research and KOROYD’s 99 patents are a magical blend set to expedite new innovations, technologies and more. At the most, we’re looking at a partnership that will expedite the next generation of lighter, more breathable and more protective motorcycle helmets. At the very least, some of that tech and innovation trickle-down from R&D will be expedited.
Of course, we couldn’t confirm the above without including some quotes from Max Strandwitz (CEO and President of Mips) and John Lloyd, Founder of KOROYD:
– Max Strandwitz, CEO and President, Mips (Mips) |
– John Lloyd, Founder, KOROYD (Mips) |
As someone obsessed with effective communication and safety predictions, this is undoubtedly a dream team scenario, especially for anyone who values their think tank. Big congrats to both Mips and KOROYD, and be sure to check back for updates!