Today, we have a wealth of topics floating about the Powersports Industry:
- Switzerland’s new FIM Motorcycle Museum is opening in a few scant weeks!
- With the final paperwork now complete, Indian Motorcycles stands as an independent company.
- Two electric motorcycle companies went to court over similar motorcycles… who will win?
- Maeving is planning on expanding to North America with around $14 million in funding secured to do so.
Let’s begin with the new motorcycle museum, shall we?
For the Ages: New FIM Racing Motorcycle Museum (RMM) to Open Its Doors in February
A Journey Through Racing History from Mies, Switzerland
Have you ever watched a motorcycle race and wondered where some of those machines retire after a handful of years? While we know that some racers and other connections tied to the grid get their hands on a machine or two, the majority of the ones that don’t make the living room or garage place of honor are destined to tell a tale behind glass.
In this case, an entire museum has been built around such machines, and it’s opening mid February.
According to the new FIM Racing Motorcycle Museum’s dedicated website, the FIM Racing Motorcycle Museum (RMM) is a new museum dedicated to the pedigree, heritage, and general legacy of motorcycles built to compete for the sake of speed. It’s no surprise, then, to hear that the museum is based directly at the site of the former FIM Headquarters in Mies, Switzerland.
As for the museum itself, here are some cool facts telling the tale of how the museum got its hands on such valuable pieces of racing history:
- Because the FIM governs the technical rules and safety standards for the sport, they have direct relationships with the major manufacturers (OEMs); as such, many of these magnificent machines were sourced directly from the factories or factory racing teams.
- On top of carrying close ties with OEMs, the FIM has deep ties with other major institutions – like the Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum – with which they can request certain pieces for display, and, by borrowing these rare items, the RMM can showcase bikes that are almost never seen side by side in the same museum collection.
- Some racers hold stakes in the FIM. This means that some bikes in the collection are title-winning machines courtesy of grid biggies like Marc Márquez and Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, while others are requested to represent the legacy of major racing history moguls like Mike Hailwood and Jonathan Rea.
- Just like other organizations that prioritize artifacts and trophies, the FIM has been playing a veritable Indiana Jones in the collection of technical memorabilia previously sequestered away in private offices and archives. The basement level of the new museum is now dedicated to these archival collections, allowing viewers access to what was once protected from the public eye.
On top of a Paddock cafe and a neat Simulator Zone, we’re told that we can expect the following legendary machines included in the collection at the RMM:
- Stefan Everts’ 2006 Yamaha YZ450F
- Leslie Graham’s 1949 AJS Porcupine
- Mike Hailwood’s 1967 Honda RC166
- Jonathan Rea’s 2016 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R
- Hubert Auriol’s 1981 Dakar-winning BMW R80 G/S
Naturally, FIM President Jorge Viegas and Fabio Muner, FIM Marketing and Digital Director, couldn’t be more pleased to present such a large chunk of racing history in one place:
– Jorge Viegas, FIM President, RMM (FIM-RMM) |
– Fabio Muner, FIM Marketing and Digital Director (FIM-RMM) |
Be sure to support this amazing initiative to showcase our rich racing history by planning a visit or checking out the full digital archive at the official RMM portal.
Industry Insider: Indian Motorcycle Marks Full Independence
A New Era for America’s First Motorcycle Company!
It’s been a while (October 13th, to be exact) since Polaris announced its intention to separate from Indian Motorcycles – and now, as of February 2nd of this year, the paperwork has concluded. Indian Motorcycle is officially a stand-alone manufacturer once again!
According to PRNewsWire, Polaris does still retain a minority stake in Indian Motorcycles, though full control of the company’s movement will remain the responsibility of Carolwood LP, the private equity firm based out of Los Angeles that bought Indian Motorcycles.
No one is more ready to take the bull by the proverbial horns in celebrating 125 years of Indian Motorcycles than Indian’s new CEO Mike Kennedy, whose strategy apparently remains to “put America first” – something that Polaris Chief Executive Officer Mike Speetzen finds valuable:
– Polaris Chief Executive Officer Mike Speetzen (PRNewsWire) |
Riders and dealers have responded across the ‘net with congratulations that investment directed will remain toward brand differentiation and tighter product focus.
For the full press release, be sure to check out the original piece on PRNewsWire.
Laws & Suits: Off-Road EV Brand Sur-Ron Awarded $10M in Case Conclusion
Federal Jury Finds Talaria Technology Liable for “Willful Infringement”
In a world where bikes are riffing off similar technologies and OEMs are toeing the line between inspiration and copycats, one particular case has highlighted how the court tends to manage the butting of patent heads – and, well, with tech getting closer to its neighbor every day, we have to pay attention to this stuff to see with whom the court sides.
In this case, the original OEM won… but not all OEMs are so lucky (see Harley-Davidson’s failure to trademark the “Potato-Potato” sound of its V-Twin engines. Fun read, that one).
Get this: Sur-Ron (the above-mentioned electric off-road bike brand) originally had two former employees from senior sales and distribution roles who later founded Talaria Technologies. We are then told that these individuals used their knowledge of Sur-Ron’s flagship machine and the brand’s internal design manuscripts to launch a very similar product…but for Talaria, not Sur-Ron.
Naturally, using the R&D of a previous employer raised a big red flag for Sur-Ron, who brought Talaria to court; here, U.S. Design Patent No. D854,456 – the very one protecting the specific, distinctive geometry of the Sur-Ron Light Bee (the company’s first flagship model) – was brought out for comparisons:
The ArgumentTalaria’s legal team tried to argue that the designs were different enough, pointing to the Talaria Sting’s gearbox and higher seat height as an example of distinction from the belt drive and lower profile of Sur-Ron’s machine. The VerdictThe jury ultimately disagreed with Talaria’s legal team, finding instead that Talaria’s products mimicked the core geometry and engineering of the original Sur-Ron product. Talaria’s design was deemed a “willful” imitation of the Light Bee’s protected design; “willful” is the key legal term here, as the court believed Talaria knew they were infringing on Sur-Ron’s boundaries and did it anyway (an aspect of a case that usually leads to higher damage awards). |
On January 16th of this year, the federal jury in Austin, Texas, awarded Sur-Ron $10 million in damages following their three-year battle against Talaria Technology (Chongqing) Co., Ltd. and Talaria Technology (Hong Kong) Co., Ltd. Sur-Ron’s response is recorded below:
“This case demonstrates that intellectual property protection has no borders. Infringement is not a low-risk shortcut, and attempts to profit from copied designs will face serious legal consequences.”
To see the court’s full ruling and the implications for the e-moto market, read the breakdown at The PACK:
Electric Everything: Maeving Secures $14 Million in Funds for North American Expansion
Package to Spike “Green Industrial Revolution”
Coventry-based Maeving is officially bringing its electric machines to North America!
Apparently, £11 million in funding was given to this electric motorcycle brand to accelerate its “Green Industrial Revolution” – a fine thing, especially when considering that Maeving has already quadrupled its revenue since 2024, outperforming even the likes of BMW and Kawasaki in the UK electric segment.
How did a small-scale electric bike brand grow to such heights of success in such a short span of time? We’re told that Maeving’s founders, Will Stirrup and Sebastian Inglis-Jones, decided to bypass the potential of a big-bore beauty in favor of harkening to a classic age of cafe racers. This focus birthed the RM1 and RM1S, two machines that jazz up any given street while boasting steel frames, analogue-style speedometers, brushed aluminum components – all while boasting a swappable battery tech capable of handling a charge plugged into a standard wall outlet.
Naturally, all of the above is a pretty tempting package for the urban commuter – especially since the Maeving is slotted to hit around or even under the $10,000 USD mark. With this new “runway” of proffered cash, Maeving is pushing hard into the U.S. and Canadian markets while continuing to source 75% of their components domestically in the UK. We wish you all the best, Maeving, and can’t wait to see you on American (and Canadian!) soil!
For more details on Maeving’s expansion across the pond, check out the recent coverage from BBC.
*Media sourced from Indian Motorcycles, Maeving, Sur-Ron (Surron), and Fim Motorcycle Museum*