In this category you will find articles covering technical topics related to motorcycles. This includes developments in engines, chassis design, electronic systems, aerodynamics, as well as new construction and production solutions from manufacturers.
The list below brings together reports on technical innovations, patents, concept studies and detailed analyses of specific components. Background information on regulations, emission standards and technical trends in racing may also be covered.
This section provides an overview of current technical developments and explains how new technologies and engineering concepts are influencing the motorcycle market.
The first test drives for a driverless taxi service begin in Munich in the coming weeks, and other operators are already on the road there. For motorcyclists that pushes one question to the front, and there is still no solid European answer to it: how reliably does this technology detect a single-track vehicle?
Qianjiang, the parent company of QJMotor, has protected a single-cylinder engine in the US that looks like a V-twin at first glance. The second cylinder produces no power, it houses a dummy piston intended to replace the balancer shaft.
BMW Motorrad has filed a patent for a newly designed rear swingarm intended for the coming superbike generation. What matters here is less the shape than the process used to make the part.
After the severe earthquake in Kyushu, Honda has been building complete motorcycles at its Kumamoto plant again since 24 August. The group’s most important two-wheeler factory in Japan stood still for around four weeks.
GoPro is evidently working in earnest on its own motorcycle helmet. Newly published patent documents show a blind spot warning that relies not on radar or cameras, but on microphones and machine learning.
A newly published patent application shows for the first time how the four-legged Kawasaki Corleo is meant to work in detail. The documents describe a rider outfit with built-in sensors, room for two people and several riding modes.
On the Manx R, Norton measures not just the movement of the motorcycle but the suspension elements themselves. The Atlas adopts parts of this electronics philosophy in the middleweight class.
Assumptions about engine oil persist that date back to an era of far simpler engines. Lubricant manufacturer Motul has picked up four of them and set them against the current state of the art.
Bimota and electronics partner GET have revealed how the movable winglets on the KB998 Rimini work. The technology is now fitted to the road-legal model as well, but it could disappear from racing as early as 2027.
The CFMoto V4SR-RR has taken another development step in the wind tunnel of Pininfarina near Turin. The first completely newly developed V4 superbike from China relies on movable winglets and is aiming to join the ranks of established sport machines.
An international study commissioned by Brembo reveals a wide gap in the sense of road safety. Nine out of ten road users feel safe, but fewer than half of experts agree.
A new patent shows how Benda is building its own dual-clutch automatic. Instead of hydraulics like Honda’s, small electric motors control two spatially separated clutches.
Across Europe, cases are piling up where automatic emergency braking systems trigger a full stop without any real obstacle. For motorcyclists riding behind such vehicles, this sudden braking can be life-threatening.
A new patent from QJMotor describes a superbike with movable winglets whose left and right sides can be adjusted separately. With this, the Chinese manufacturer picks up a concept that rival CFMoto has already announced for the V4 SR-RR.
Brembo has developed a new brake caliper for the 2027 MotoGP season that is around 80 grams lighter while still aiming to deliver the familiar braking feel. Some teams have already tried the part during testing in Misano, with further data expected from Brno.
A research team has produced a metal that is significantly stronger than steel yet can still deform without breaking. If the process can be scaled up, future motorcycles could become both lighter and more robust.
Honda is bringing the first production motorcycle with an electrically driven compressor to market with the V3R 900. New patent drawings suggest the forced-induction technology could later reach models such as the Gold Wing, the Fireblade and the Africa Twin.
Stark Future equips its Alpha-series Varg models with traction control via a free over-the-air update. Owners of the lower-powered Varg variants are left out, sparking debate.
A granted patent by US corporation Polaris describes a connected helmet that monitors the rider’s condition and communicates directly with the vehicle. If the system detects increasing fatigue, it can issue warnings and subsequently intervene in vehicle functions.
British start-up Veloce Motorcycles has unveiled the Aperion, a naked bike whose eight-cylinder two-stroke engine is claimed to produce 280 hp from 1,000 cc. The machine, shown at the Bike Shed Moto Show in London, is set to enter production from 2027 in a limited series of 24 units.
