We’ve got a killer list for mid-September:
- Ducati has had its first event showing off the V21L, and Honda’s “EV Fun” prototype has been rebranded in anticipation of the next step in the company’s development phase.
- Our good pope has signed off on a BMW Transcontinental that will be auctioned off to feed children in Madagascar.
- Based on recent trademark papers, LiveWire has decided the EV industry needs a new heavyweight electric motorcycle.
- An Indiana Jones sidecar from “The Last Crusade” (1989) has just been auctioned off; can you guess how much it was auctioned off for?
Let’s start with the two most interesting updates in the electric motorcycle prototype space: Ducati and Honda.
Electric Motorcycles: Honda and Ducati Reveal New Stages of EV Offerings
What We’re Looking At and Why We’re Looking Forward To Them
Everybody knows that the electric motorcycle industry took off like a lubricated bullet a few years back; with the EV hype came promises of eco-friendly commutes, clean transportation, and a fresh take on the original ICE aesthetic.
While the trend has died down somewhat since then, electric motorcycles have found their niche in our community, albeit mainly in the urban commuter category. In fact, EV technology has now progressed to the point that bigger brands are pushing out their own offerings, including two companies that plan to posit their prototypes for completely opposite ends of our community.
We like comparing what’s out there on a semi-regular basis, so let’s get into it.
Honda’s “EV Fun” Prototype, Rebranded to “Be The Wind”
Big Red has always been infatuated with the electric motorcycle category, and now, they’ve revealed their next step with a model they’re using to target (wait for it) urban commuters and new riders. The zero-emission, camo-wrapped roadster is being marketed as “Be the Wind” (Previously “EV Fun”), and relies on a fixed battery pack that uses CCS2 fast-charging, the same standard we currently celebrate for our indurtsy’s electric cars.
Beyond the charging system, riders can look forward to a built-in battery, a single-arm swingarm, and a belt drive, all of which is purported to be powered by a mid-range engine that was listed in earlier statements to be capable of a city range of “over 100 km.”
Previously, this “Be The Wind” concept was first presented at EICMA 2024; since then, a pre-production bike has been seen doing test laps in Japan and on European roads by Honda’s Japan-based development team. Honda is positioning this model as a viable alternative to a mid-sized gas motorcycle – a tall order – but we won’t know any further information until we receive more information from the company on the 16th of September (via The Pack).
Ducati’s V21L
Naturally, Ducati’s takeover of MotoE comes with some seriously big boots to fill; Energica’s golden era punted out a series of magnificent offerings, all taking performance inspiration from their knowledge as MotoE supplier, and now, Ducati’s finally revealed their own MotoE-inspired electric motorcycle.
We’ve known about the V21L for a while, but Ducati’s recent event proudly posited a “first live demonstration of a Ducati motorcycle powered by solid-state lithium-metal batteries” with this very model at this year’s IAA Mobility 2025 in Munich (via The Pack). The target for this bike remains Ducati’s preferred crowd – high-performance enthusiasts – and considering this is being marketed as the first motorcycle to use a new solid-state lithium-metal battery, she ain’t gonna be cheap. When the V21L DOES hit pleb pavement, however, we can expect that this tech will help to transfer Ducati’s electric, racing-derived innovations to their future production bikes.
In the meantime, riders can look forward to a 150-horsepower engine capable of revving up to a maximum of 18,000 rpm, with torque rated around 103 pound-feet (via Paddock GP). Top speed is here, too, with the prototype being recorded around 275 km/h (171 mph) on a grid.
The whole package – complete with the aluminum monocoque front frame – is purported to weigh 496 pounds, with 242 pounds of that being the battery pack; still, the thing is set to charge to 80% max capacity in 45 minutes, and will carry race-derived Öhlins NPX forks, a TTX36 shock absorber, and Brembo brakes with oversized, finned steel discs.
For a detailed look at both Honda and Ducati’s budding electric offerings, head over to Ducati and Honda’s coverage of each model:
Holy Motorcycles: Pope Leo XIV Blesses BMW R 18 Transcontinental
Move to Raise Funds for Children in Madagascar
In a very dedicated display of faith and charity, a BMW Transcontinental has received the blessing and signature of Pope Leo XIV – and it ain’t so that y’all can go undercover on the boys in blue.
According to a report from Motorcycle.com, a customized BMW R 18 Transcontinental has been chosen to be auctioned off by the Roman Catholic church to help children in Madagascar.The idea for this unique project was apparently due to a collaboration between BMW Motorrad Deutschland, German dealer Witzel, and JESUS-BIKER founder Thomas Draxler. The model itself has been dressed in a pontiff-ish mother-of-pearl white and adorned with the Vatican’s coat of arms, along with other special modifications and the pope’s own signature (that’s got to be worth something, right?).
On September 3, 2025, after a general audience at the Vatican, we’re told that Markus Flasch, the CEO of BMW Motorrad, and Michael Sommer, head of BMW Motorrad Germany, personally presented the R 18 to the Pope for his blessing and signature.
Here’s Flasch’s thoughts on the whole thing:
– Markus Flasch, the CEO of BMW Motorrad |
The R 18 is slotted to be auctioned by Missio Austria via Sotheby’s in October, with all proceeds dedicated, as stated above, to children’s aid projects in Madagascar. Before the auction, it will be on display at BMW Welt in Munich from September 15 to October 7, 2025.
For a detailed look at the custom-built R 18 Transcontinental and the residual mission for Madagascar, check out the report on Motorcycle.com:
Fast Filings: LiveWire Trademark Papers Show New Heavyweight EV On The Way
Meet the “S4 Honcho”
LiveWire, the electric arm of Harley-Davidson, is apparently hinting at a new heavyweight EV. While the company has been focusing on its S2 middleweight lineup, along with S3 lightweight models and maxi-scooters, a new trademark filing suggests they’re ready to tackle the big leagues, though we’re not so sure the motorcycle will be well-received at this point in the EV market.
In the meantime, here’s what we know about the bike: On September 5th, LiveWire filed a trademark application for the name “S4 Honcho.” This is the first time we’ve seen a concrete sign of a heavyweight S4 model from the company and, according to Motorcycle.com, LiveWire’s original product plan reserved S4 models for “with expected improvements in range and charging capabilities” – a fair admission and arguably a necessary one, considering this bike is already in the heavyweight category.
The name “Honcho,” which is Japanese for “group leader,” fits with the idea of a flagship model, though the timing is interesting, given that LiveWire had previously been focused on cost-cutting and scaling down new platform development. While we’re not expecting the Honcho to launch until 2027 at the earliest, we might get a glimpse of a concept at EICMA this November, giving us a better idea of what to expect from LiveWire’s first heavyweight electric motorcycle.
In the meantime, and for anybody willing to look further, the company’s recent SEC filing for a $50 million stock sale may indicate that the company is close to securing new investment, paving the way for these new S3 and S4 projects. Time will tell, keep an eye on the newsstands, and we’ll keep you posted.
For a full dive into LiveWire’s trademark filings and what they could mean for the future of their EV lineup, be sure to head over to Motorcycle.com:
The Auction ChopBlock: Somebody Bought the Motorbike from “Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade” (1989)
Guess How Much The Bike and Sidecar Duo Brought In!
If you’ve ever wanted to feel like a hat-obsessed, snake-hating archaeologist/professor with a penchant for dramatics and lost artifacts, there’s a chance that a recently auctioned bike might have been your ticket to feeling at least half of those vibes. For those of you with a decent upbringing, the Indiana Jones franchise was likely a favourite; in our home, it was a well-worn set of VHS tapes picked every other week for a marathon of dusty adventures, sardonic quips, exotic landscapes, and, when the case warranted, thrilling motorcycle chases.
In “Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade” (1989), there is an iconic chase scene involving a Soviet-built Ural/KMZ K-650; this is a rugged motorcycle and sidecar outfit that’s perfect for the WWI-era chase scene with Indiana Jones (played by Harrison Ford) and his father, Professor Henry Walton Jones, Sr. (Sean Connery). According to Visordown, this very same motorcycle has just gone under the hammer, though it isn’t instantly recognizable as a Ural, given the work that was done by Lucasfilm’s production team to dress up the thing to resemble a wartime BMW.
But back to the auction; we’re told that bids on this bike were originally estimated to fetch anywhere between $40,000 and $80,000; imagine the surprise of the crowds, then, when the bike brought in a staggering $138,600!
On to the valuable question: Will she run? Apparently not, despite the thing having undergone some light tinkering for road use; that being said, the model DID come with its original California title from the ’90s and crucial Lucasfilm paperwork to confirm absolute authenticity.
Congrats, Ural – this is now one of the most expensive Urals ever sold, and a truly wonderful bit of cinematic history to have in the garage!
For a full dive into the auction details and to see how the bike was photo-matched to the film, check out the full report on Visordown: