This week, we’ve had an interesting turn of events in the buy/sell category, among other things:
- Fuell has been auctioned off and sold for $170,000, raking in just 2% of the company’s total debts.
- KTM has released the all-new 300 XC-W HARDENDURO for both US and Canadian masses!
- MotoGP has seen a 53% year-after-year growth in its American broadcast viewership… which means the win Marc Marquez has snatched for Ducati five races early has been all the sweeter!
Let’s start with news of Fuell, shall we?
Electric Everything: Fuell is Auctioned Off for $170,000
That’s Just 2% of the company’s debts
An electric motorcycle company that had Erik on the leadership board has just been sold, and while this event isn’t the nicest news, it does highlight what happens when a company has great ideas but experiences a disconnect between design and pre-order transition to industrialization and fulfillment.
Our news today comes from the incomparable Micah Toll at Electrek; according to Toll’s coverage, Fuell’s bankruptcy led to auctioning the brand off remaining assets. This was a process that took twelve months to complete, and resulted in an unfortunate misalignment of figures. Out of the staggering $7 million in debt that Fuell owed, we’re told that the sale of the company was to go toward paying off the company’s debts – all well and good, unless the company’s assets sold for $170,000 or roughly 2% of the company’s overall debt… which is exactly what happened.
We’re told that assets sold included the following products (and price points):
- Fuell’s intellectual property, including their website, their patents and their trademark ($50,000)
- Completed Fuell Flluid models ($1,150–$1,600 each)
There are still the fees to be pid to the auctioneer, as well as other expenses… and then there is the small matter of paying outstanding creditors, including crowdfund backers who had pre-ordered Fuell’s bikes.
Bottom line, the post-pandemic e-motorcycle industry ain’t winning any medals anytime soon. We will be sure to keep you posted on residuals connected to this story as it comes down the pipeline.
For a detailed look at the final auction results and the end of the Fuell venture, be sure to check out the full report on Electrek:
New Stuff: KTM Publishes the KTM 300 EXC HARDENDURO
Better Suspension, Better Cooling and a Sweet New Design
It’s finally here! If you’re in need of a little bike therapy after that last story, here’s a nugget of nicety for you: KTM has officially released the 2026 KTM 300 EXC HARDENDURO! This is a motorcycle that carries Factory Racing expertise to markets, and it’s been tweaked a bit since we last saw the thing.
For 2026, the focus is all about refining the hardware. Firstly, the suspension has been adjusted to a 48 mm WP XACT Closed Cartridge fork with new damping settings, lighter, shorter springs, and a new one-piece hydro stop, resulting in a handy 200-gram weight saving. The WP XPLOR PDS rear shock is also been updated to make for a comprehensive package designed to be more in tune with rider needs.
A slew of competition-specific parts have also been chucked into that gloss orange chassis, including factory wheel sets with black and orange accents, a ribbed factory seat, and closed handguards. A robust skid plate joins the addition of a front brake disc guard and pull straps, while the EXC HARDENDURO’s cooling system has had a radiator fan and a new radiator cap with a standard thread installed for easier access. KTM was even so kind as to add a new protection cap on the CPC fuel connector to guard against dirt and damage. <3
Obviously, MY2026’s 300 EXC HARDENDURO wouldn’t be complete without some new graphics; the signature KTM orange has therefore been accentuated by a white and black color scheme.
All of the above has passed Euro 5+ homologation standards, and KTM tells us to look forward to units rolling off the Mattighofen production line sometime in September of this year (2025).
To find out when the new 2026 KTM 300 EXC HARDENDURO will be available in your local area, and for more information, visit KTM.com.
We Are the Champions: Marc Marquez and Ducati Secure MotoGP Champ Title
… with Five Races To Go!
“He who doesn’t risk never gets to drink champagne”… we aren’t sure of the wise person to spread this proverb, but we are 100% down for the residuals – and who better to pop a quality bottle for than the Ant of Cervera?
Those of you who haven’t the faintest idea what I’m talking about (better check that rock you’re under), as of September 28th of this year, Marc Marquez has secured the Grand Prix Riders Title with five weekends to spare. In plainspeak, Marc Márquez and Ducati are the 2025 MotoGP World Champions! Huzzah!
This victory at the Grand Prix of Japan marks an extraordinary milestone, and we aren’t even talking about the monumental amounts of effort it took for Marc Marquez to get back on the proverbial horse. This is Márquez’s very first world championship in Ducati red; for Ducati, Marquez’s win represents the company’s fourth consecutive Riders’ Title – an unprecedented achievement in the MotoGP era, and one that has been seeing all the more exposure, thanks to a 53% growth rate in viewership since Dorna Sports signed on with Fox Sports (via Forbes).
The Riders’ Title caps an incredible season of dominance built on raw stats: 14 Sprint victories, 11 GP wins, and 10 double wins (seven consecutive). The meticulous work behind these numbers tells us that over 100,000 hours of design and 80 engine changes were made – and, apparently, all that hard work was what made the difference.
Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali praised the achievement, stating the following:
– Claudio Domenicali, CEO, Ducati |
In additionals, MotoGP is still going on; Francesco Bagnaia secured both the Sprint and the Sunday race wins at Motegi, further adding to Ducati’s trophy collection with a sixth consecutive Constructors’ Title.
Nice job, guys.
For a detailed look at the numbers behind Ducati’s work on the MotoGP grid, be sure to check out the official press release on Ducati.com:
