Today, we have a fresh lineup of paddock drama, film tours, custom builds, and trade floor check-ins to dig through as the riding season heads into its autumn stride:
- MotoGP bikes may still be circling their respective circuits, but KTM has locked in a Grand Prix win on home soil – and we chat about why that is such a massive deal right now.
- Around 2,000 bikes will cross the auction block as Mecum Auctions gears up for its 36th annual Las Vegas sale this coming February.
- Italian creator Jack NBC has been crowned the winner of Harley-Davidson’s inaugural Creators Custom Clash at European Bike Week for his custom green Breakout dragster.
- Triumph returns as the official presenting sponsor for the grassroots 2026 VAHNA Motorcycle Film Festival, pairing theater dates with local dealer viewing parties.
- Suzuki joins forces with CAPCOM to reveal a color-saturated “Hayabusa Tuned by JURI,” dressing the company’s flagship hyperbike in an aggressive Street Fighter 6 2P livery for Capcom Cup 12.
Might as well kick off with KTM’s Grand Prix fireworks, yeah?
Track Talk: Why KTM’s Grand Prix Win is Making MotoGP Headlines
Breaking Down the Difference Between a World Title and a Sunday Victory
KTM just put out an eight-page press release with 20 photos of their recent win at the Austrian Grand Prix and, for a minute, the grandeur of the whole package had me thinking that I’d missed a world championship. As it turns out, we still have a ways to go before this year’s MotoGP grand champion is announced – but that press release and paddock celebration certainly left some people asking what the purpose of that big press release was.
Did KTM win the 2026 MotoGP World Championship, and is Ducati dethroned? Obviously not, but they certainly won something very special for the company.
As all of you know, KTM’s parent company – Pierer Mobility – spent their 2024 and 2025 financial years weathering some pretty heavy financial restructuring. Add to this the fact that Ducati has been MotoGP’s reigning champion for six consecutive years and KTM had not won a premier-class race since late 2022, and breaking that dry spell on local turf couldn’t have come at a better time.
Remember: In MotoGP, a Grand Prix is a single weekend race. While the World Championship is decided across all 22 rounds, there are Grand Prix titles to be won within these grounds, and it was KTM’s Pedro Acosta who won the Austrian Grand Prix, netting 25 points to reach fourth in the standings (234 points).
Championship leader Jorge Martin currently sits at 306, while Ducati’s Marc Marquez trails by just 12 points at 294. With seven rounds and 259 points still up for grabs, Ducati is very much in the hunt for the world crown and leads the Constructors’ race – but that doesn’t offset the fact that winning at Spielberg in front of domestic fans and primary backer Red Bull carries massive commercial weight to KTM, hence the huge press release.
Naturally, KTM’s CEO (and even Claudio Domenicali, Ducati’s CEO) had something to say about MotoGP and KTM AG’s first Grand Prix win in 1,449 days (not that anyone’s counting):
“On Saturday, Pedro Acosta crashed out of the Sprint while leading. On Sunday, he stood on the top step of the podium at the Red Bull Ring. His first MotoGP victory, and KTM AG’s first Grand Prix win in 1,449 days. At our home race. In front of our fans.
The past years tested us like never before. Insolvency, restructuring, months of uncertainty. But this team never stopped believing… when Pedro crossed the finish line, there wasn’t a dry eye in our box. …these emotions are worth so much more than the 25 points. KTM is back, and we’re just getting started.”
– Gottfried Neumeister, CEO & Chairman of the Executive Board of KTM AG (LinkedIn)
“This championship started very differently from 2025, with Marc not fully recovered from his injury in Indonesia and Pecco, after a very promising winter testing season, struggling to find confidence.
After many strange crashes, like in Jerez and France, it was clear that something was not right with Marc’s body, and he underwent another surgery to remove a screw that was sometimes hitting a nerve and causing him to lose control.
… we had some luck, with many mistakes from the riders in front of us… but this is life. What a lesson… never, ever give up! …The team needs to remain concentrated and fully focused, but so far, a very good job. Many compliments to Marc, Alex, Fermin and all of Ducati Corse! All Ducatisti around the world are very proud of you!!
– Claudio Domenicali, Bike enthusiast and CEO at Ducati (LinkedIn)
Bottom line, we can’t wait to see what MotoGP holds for the remainder of the year.
For more information on MotoGP proceedings and the most recent news, be sure to stay connected with team members on socials and keep a weather eye on the inbox for those stinkin’ long press releases as we continue through October and into the end of November.
The Chop Block: 2,000 Motorcycles Expected at Mecum’s 2027 Las Vegas Sale
Consignments are Now Active for Mecum’s 36th Annual Vintage Showcase
A view of the Las Vegas skyline. Media sourced from Mecum Auctions.For some, the winter season involves less riding and more wrenching; if you find yourself in that category, then you might want to know about the bevy of bikes that will soon be down in Las Vegas under the Mecum Auctions umbrella.
Rare pre-war iron and forgotten homologation specials are the bare minimum when it comes to Mecum Auctions specialties, and we are told that Mecum has officially opened consignments scheduled a little over four months from now.
From February 3–6, 2027, the South Point Hotel & Casino will play host to Mecum’s team and roughly 2,000 vintage and antique motorcycles. Early consignment positioning is filling up quickly as private collectors look to capture a global audience of high-dollar bidders and museum curators.
While we don’t yet have the full list of machines that will be available for bidding, past machines have included iconic machines like that rare 1968 Honda CB750 Prototype that was won for $313,500 this year, as well as last year’s belle of the ball, a 1915 Cyclone V-Twin that sold for an unbelievable record-winning $1.32 million.
Even if six-figure bids are not in your budget, we think there will be enough to look at to garner an excuse to find a flight down to Las Vegas. Even during bidding, South Point continues to function like an open-air museum where riders and other enthusiasts can view and inspect machines before they disappear into private garages and collections for good.
Bidder registration will be rolling out over the coming months, so head over to Powersports Business or Mecum Auctions to check early catalog entries.
Custom Eye Candy: Harley-Davidson Crowns Winner of Inaugural 2026 Creators Custom Clash
Italian Creator Jack NBC Takes Top Honors at European Bike Week with a Drag-Inspired Breakout
Corporate suits may find they frequently fall flat with Harley’s garage-builder crowds, but the hands-on metalwork scene will always carry the lifeblood of the H-D brand – and a couple of weeks ago, Harley-Davidson crowned a winner for their very first 2026 Creators Custom Clash.
According to Harley’s recent press release, the company’s new custom competition handed six European digital creators €15,000 budgets, stock donor bikes, dealership partners, and complete creative freedom. The challenge? To document builds as transparently as possible online. Combined public voting and a judging panel evaluated each entry on craftsmanship, design cohesion, and rideability.
European Bike Week in Faak am See, Austria, continues to be Europe’s largest free motorcycle rally, drawing over 100,000 visitors and tens of thousands of bikes every year. It was at this iconic event that Italian creator Jack NBC was given the title of 2026 Creators Custom Clash Winner. This dude partnered with Harley-Davidson Legnano in the bid to turn a stock Breakout into an aggressive, muscle-car-inspired street dragster.
Final elements of this build are gorgeous. A vivid green paint scheme and gridiron yard-line graphics joining a stark, cut-down tail, while hardware upgrades show up in in the form of gold-anodized inverted forks, high-spec Brembo calipers, wide wheels wrapped in fat Metzeler rubber and a custom brown leather solo saddle with football-style contrast stitching.
Naturally, customisation has been part of Harley-Davidson’s DNA for generations, and Bill Davidson, Special Advisor to the CEO and Global Brand Ambassador, is more than happy to chat about the results of H-D’s first Customs Clash Compeition (Harley-Davidson).
“What we’ve seen through Creators Custom Clash is a new generation of creators bringing fresh ideas and perspectives to that tradition,” says Bill. “All six builds have been outstanding, and a fantastic addition to European bike week, further showcasing how no two Harley-Davidson’s are the same.”
By the way, the runner-up builds for this competition were equally impressive. While France’s Eskyas lowered a Street Bob with Dr. Jekill & Mr. Hyde pipes, a wrencher from Spain by the name of Javier Gallardo delivered “Nómada,” a 1970s glitter-chopper Low Rider. There was even A UK tattoo artist by the name of Miles Langford that built a club-style Street Bob as a tribute to Linkin Park, with the final kit and caboodle featuring Öhlins suspension and Arlen Ness brakes.
The best part of all of this? We are told that Jack takes home the heard-earned Customs Clash trophy while keeping the completed Breakout for his own garage. Sweet, and big mazel from the wBW team on the new machine!
Explore all six builds from Harley-Davidson’s Customs Clash competition on the official Harley-Davidson Media Kit.
Moto Cinema: VAHNA Motorcycle Film Festival Returns for 2026
Triumph Backs Third-Year Tour with a 400cc “Pick Your Own” Grand Prize!
The VAHNA Motorcycle Film Festival is back – and one again, Triumph Motorcycles’s appearance as presenting sponsor for the 2026 tour means that there’s a middleweight wonder to be given away to one lucky winner.
For those of you who are less inundated to the VAHNA Motorcycle Film Festival, this event was organized by VAHNA Magazine to highlight independent moto filmmakers. 10 finalist short films are chosen from global submissions and screened, with the winning director getting a very special grand prize from Triumph: Winner’s choice of any motorcycle from Triumph’s 400cc single-cylinder family, including the Speed 400, Scrambler 400 X, Scrambler 400 XC, Thruxton 400, and Tracker 400!
For riders outside the main theater stops, Triumph is partnering with dealerships across the U.S. and Canada to host parallel showroom viewing parties throughout September and October. The headline theater circuit touches historic independent venues across the United States from September through late October 2026:
- Bisbee, AZ: Sept. 12 – Bisbee Royale
- Denver, CO: Sept. 17 – Oriental Theatre
- North Bend, WA: Sept. 26 – North Bend Theatre
- San Diego, CA: Oct. 16 – 100% Headquarters
- Atlanta, GA: Oct. 22 – Tara Theatre
- Culpeper, VA: Oct. 24 – Heritage Park
These grassroots screenings feature early film access, Q&As, and free exclusive Triumph beanies for early check-ins while supplies last. Check out tour dates and find participating dealers directly on Triumph Motorcycles.
Suzuki X Street Fighter 6: A Rad “Hayabusa Tuned by JURI” Collab
CAPCOM Cup 12 Leads to Gaming-Inspired 2P Livery
When the political environment looks like this – and the economy looks like THAT – it’s easy to assume that gaming culture is fertile ground and trending at an all-time high. Suzuki is capitalizing on that exact network by doubling down on crossover appeal, unveiling its second official collaboration machine built alongside Capcom: the “Hayabusa Tuned by JURI.”
Webike Japan tell us that this collaboration is set for public display at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan arena during CAPCOM CUP 12 and the Street Fighter League: World Championship, linking Suzuki’s flagship sportbike with Street Fighter 6’s chaotic antagonist, Juri Han.
Unlike last year’s purple-accented GSX-8R collaboration, this second project utilizes Suzuki’s mighty 1,339cc inline-four Hayabusa platform, with the residual visual treatment adopting Juri’s alternate “2P” player palette. The end result is a dynamic mix of crisp white, deep black, and sharp yellow graphics across the Peregrine Falcon’s aerodynamic fairings to reflect Han’s relentless pursuit of victory.
Beyond serving as a static showpiece, Suzuki has a tournament booth that will feature an interactive photo zone where attendees can sit in the cockpit of the custom machine. Fans stopping by can also grab limited-edition event merchandise, including an exclusive commemorative postcard tied to the “YOU’VE GOT THIS, JURI!” manga series, digital stickers, and branded ID lanyard straps while supplies last.
Check out tournament schedules and official event updates directly over at Global Suzuki.