These days, it don’t take much to open the news and grimace, which is why shiny stuff in the Powersports industry is becoming an increasingly attractive read; today, the weekly offerings include the following:
- Harley-Davidson has given 73,000 square feet of their headquarters building over to a distillery.
- Honda is getting ready to give us their CRF300F!
- Both The National Powersports Dealer Association (NPDA) and Powersports Rep Association (PRA) are partnering up to increase ease of access and communications between dealer, rep and vendors.
- Kove has given us a very nice 450RR to loook at; do you think they will release the inline-four to American shores?
- Ducati has gone full Italian Renaissance with a fresh new livery scheme for Team Lenovo and their bikes.
Let’s start with Harley’s new roommate, shall we?
Harley-Davidson HQ Makes Room for Distillery
Central Standard Craft Distillery to Take Up 73,000 Square Feet of HD Floor
Harley’s not had the easiest time of things, and while we weren’t even going to mention the way that their CEO, Jochen Seitz, stepped down after his contracted years were up.
Financially, it is safe to say that Harley-Davidson is no longer making an easy surplus from its total winnings, as evidenced by the following gatherings about the ‘net:
- Global motorcycle shipments were down 17% in 2024 compared to 2023, while HDMC revenue was down 15%. (via RideApart).
- Global retail sales of new motorcycles were down 7% for the full year 2024, with Q4 alone seeing a 15% decline globally and a 13% decline in North America (Via Harley-Davidson).
- Q1 2025 consolidated revenue fell 23% year-over-year, and global retail sales dropped 21%, with North America declining 24% (Via Alnvest, May 1, 2025).
Whether the above is the catalyst for Harley’s new move to find a cool roomie for their headquarters is left to be seen, but we’re assuming it’s got something to do with it.
According to RideApart, Central Standard Craft Distillery has purchased a substantial 73,000 square-foot section of Harley-Davidson’s historic main campus just outside of Milwaukee, with intentions to open their doors next Q3. The building was previously purchased along with land for a $20 million park – and, back in 2024, Jochen Zeitz told everyone that Harley-Davidson was “happy to have its campus as a community anchor,” imparting the following at the location’s ribbon-cutting ceremony:
– Jochen Zeitz, previous CEO, Harley-Davidson (Urban Milwaukee) |
As for Central Standard Craft Distillery, they’re naturally quite pleased to have the space to themselves, having been quoted to have mentioned that the space will allow the distillery to grow 20 times their current size – not a small feat, nor a bad one, as evidenced by the Co-Founder’s comments below:
– Pat McQuillan, Co-Founder and President, Central Standard Craft Distillery (RideApart) |
We’re super happy for both parties and will be keeping an eye on how Harley’s “next phase of investment at Juneau Avenue” plays out in the coming years.
For a full deep dive into Harley-Davidson’s HQ movement, be sure to check out the following article on Urban Milwaukee:
Fast Filings: Honda Preps to Release CRF300F to America
Air-Cooled Model Slotted for 2026
Our beloved Big Red is officially readying to give us a new air-cooled machine!
Christened the 2026 CRF300F, this new trail bike recently showed up in filings from the California Air Resources Board (CARB), proving that an arrival to US markets is confirmed and now simply a matter of waiting until the unit is debuted.
Based on these filings – sourced by the incomparable Dennis Chung at Motorcycle.com – we know the following:
- Honda’s upcoming CRF300F is fuelled by a 293cc fuel-injected, air-cooled single-cylinder engine.
- Power is expected to be around 24 horsepower @ 7,500 rpm and 20 lb-ft. of torque @ 5,750 rpm.
- The CRF300F will be paired to a six-speed gearbox with obligatories including a linked rear shock, a telescopic fork, and a single petal-style front brake disc.
- Suggestions within the paperwork guess at the appearance of an oil cooler and a new aluminum swingarm.
- Bodywork will remain classic to Honda’s CRF line.
As for it’s placement within the industry, Honda’s incubating CRF300F will likely slide in right around where Honda currently shows off their lovely – but as yet not updated – CRF250F.
Guessing the CRF300F’s debut is a bit tricky; Chung presumes that the machine will likely debut sometime this summer, while we wonder what Honda has coming for their attendance at EICMA. Thus far, we’ve seen the return of the CBR600RR to Big Red’s European lineup after a six-year hiatus (2023), and the arrival of a world-first high-performance V3 engine coupled with new EV models (2024).
Only time will tell!
For a full dive into the details of the incoming 2026 Honda CRF300F, be sure to head over to Motorcycle.com:
Industry Insider: PRA and NPDA Partner Up for the Ultimate Dealer-Vendor Connection
“A Rising Tide Floats All Boats”
This article’s about to feature more acronyms than leather vests at Sturgis, so I’ll leave the following below:
PRA = The Powersports Rep Association
NPDA = National Powersports Dealer Association
For those of you unfamiliar with either of these organizations, think of the the Powersports Rep Association (PRA) like a helpful group specifically for the people who sell motorcycles, ATVs, side-by-sides, and all the gear to the dealerships. These guys are the ones that help our reps be awesome at their jobs and build trust across the whole powersports world.
Then we have the NPDA. These gentlefolk are present to support, educate, and speak for powersports dealerships, helping them grow and making the whole industry more efficient financially beneficial for both the dealer and the rider looking to get a new machine into the garage.
You can see why these two collaborating together is such a power move, yes?
Excellent, and big congrats to both the PRA and the NPDA!
According to CycleNews, the partnership will allow talks between the PRA and NPDA; in sharing information about their processes and training methods, the customer’s experience will be that much better at a dealership because the quality of the service center’s… well, service… will be at an all-time high.
Brilliant.
Naturally, both sides of the deal are more than excited to see what this partnership brings about:
– Bob Kee, Chairman, the National Powersports Dealer Association (NPDA) (CycleNews) |
– Industry Vet, Tim Calhoun, the he Powersports Rep Association (PRA) (CycleNews) |
The wBW team is so incredibly excited for this partnership; more than ever before, manufacturers are in need of solid processes and services to help connect to the customer, especially considering the volatility of our current markets and the changes happening within our good Powersports industry. We will always support moves toward a unified and profitable future for riders countrywide.
For more details on this strategic new collaboration, be sure to read the full report on CycleNews:
Kove Refreshes 450RR for New Model Year
Panigale-Esque Looker Could Be Headed for American Markets
Want a Ducati Panigale, but you’re really just tied to the aesthetics? Kove might be able to help with that… that is, if they release their new inline-four beastie to US markets.
According to a recent report from CycleWorld, Kove’s 450RR has appeared in type approval documents that prove Kove has a larger-capacity engine in mind for their entry-level supersport. We’re told that the cubic capacity will likely be somewhere between 600cc and 800cc, based on the 450RR’s design, and that the official result of all this hullaballoo will be debuted next year, sometime in 2026.
Anytime a bike brand from the Far Eastern Hemisphere makes a supersport bike and uprates the thing to a larger capacity, there is huge potential for the machine to enter markets with bigger bikes. In this case, our fingers are crossed for the Americas, as it would be fantastic to have the competitor to Kawasaki’s ZX-4RR on the same track.
On to the bike’s personality. Perks of owning one of these bad boys include Bologna-style winglets, hooded headlights, and a fully adjustable suspension set complete with radial-mount four-piston calipers. The whole thing is set to buzz about around 70 hp @ 13,000 rpm with 28.8 lb.-ft. of yank available @ 9000 rpm.
We can’t wait for this bike to be debuted so that we can see if there’s potential to bring a 450RR to American soil.
For a detailed look at the Kove 450RR update and what it could mean for Western markets, be sure to check out the full article on CycleWorld:
Knights and Steeds: Ducati Decks Out MotoGP Lenovo Team in Italian Renaissance Leathers
New Livery Inspires “Knights and Steeds” for Mugello
There’s one thing I haven’t really seen in the Powersports industry – like, ever – and that’s a collection that marries the concepts of motorcycles being similar to horses. In fairness, while both sport reasonably slim silhouettes on pavement and both show off horsepower (snort), the industries are nowhere near each other in similarity.
Perhaps this is why Ducati took such a heavy lean toward the “Italian Renaissance” when they premiered their brand-new livery set for their Ducati Lenovo MotoGP team.
According to coverage from Ducati’s press release, our favorite Bologna-based bike brand has presented a truly tasty set of leathers for the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello. This ultra-special livery celebrates the very essence of chivalry in a bygone era, with both Francesco Bagnaia (#63) and Marc Márquez (#93) transformed into what the press release calls “modern-day knights.”
Ducati’s move behind this collection is twofold:
- Ducati has a tendency of expressing themselves at their country’s grid effort at Mugello, with 2024’s “Azzurro” homage coming to mind.
- Merging technology and beauty is Ducati’s very reason for existing, and they feel the Renaissance is the perfect era to embody both those qualities in their ethos.
But back to the collection.
We’re told that this livery set was the responsibility – and pleasure – of renowned designer Aldo Drudi and historian Marcello Simonetta, who in turn pulled from two iconic Renaissance figures – Leonardo da Vinci, the genius, and Niccolò Machiavelli, the macabre “thinker” – by reinterpreting Leonardo’s famous “Ancient Captain” drawing by showing off a lion and a fox. This harkens the teaching’s of Machiavelli’s most prolific work, “The Prince”: to win, one needs both the strength of the lion and the cunning of the fox!
How very poetic, how utterly Ducati.
To see more details and the stunning imagery of this unique Renaissance-inspired livery, be sure to check out Ducati’s official press release:
