That’s when a group of bikers from Friuli Venezia Giulia, a region of northeast Italy, banded together to create the first annual Biker Fest International. They envisioned a show that could rival German Bike Week, Daytona, and Sturgis. Gaining that level of notoriety would take some time, though. 

Beset by rainy weather, the inaugural installment drew a total of 850 visitors and 400 motorcycles. The only way was up, and BFI did just that. In 1990, attendance rose to 4,000. By the turn of the century, total participants totaled 32,000 and parked bikes reached 17,000. The festival only carried that momentum into the new millennium.

BFI’s continued growth called for several venue changes throughout the 2000s. In 2004, the show was held at San Daniele del Friuli before shifting to Sutrio the following year. After the commune of Osoppo played host in 2011, the rally found its true home, Lignano Sabbiadoro, in 2012. The resort town soon earned BFI the title of the “Italian Daytona.” 

Even after Biker Fest International rebranded to Italian Bike Week in 2022, the event still returns to Lignano Sabbiadoro every year. It’s no different in 2025, but the show’s activities are more diverse than ever. Scenes from the fourth-annual IBW prove as much.

Another year has come and another Italian Bike Week has gone.

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BMW wants the viewer to know that it remembers the C1, the firm’s first crack at an enclosed scooter. Introduced in 2000, the model was poorly received by critics and consumers alike, with weak sales prompting its demise after just two years. For decades now, the C1 has become the butt of many moto-related jokes. 

By acknowledging the C1, BMW tries to get ahead of all the naysayers. It isn’t a repelling tactic, altogether. After all, self-deprecation can be quite disarming. It’s the way the teaser presents the product after that fleeting moment of self-awareness that proves that even if you’re in on the joke, you can still be the butt of the joke.

BMW’s recent reliance on generative A.I. is well documented. (I’ve openly griped about it at times and bit my tongue at others.) The Vision CE campaign only takes that trend to unsettling new heights. Everything from the footage to the music to the voiceover looks, sounds, and feels A.I.-generated. However, it’s how the video ends that truly leaves me scratching my head.

After the narrator triumphantly identifies the concept as the Vision CE, they deliver the predictable, “Coming Soon.” Following a long beat, they add, “Or Later.” Only after another extended pause, do they conclude with a cryptic, “Maybe.” It’s a cheeky sign-off, but it also brings BMW’s intentions for the model into question. 

In 2021, Honda unveiled its long-term pathway to electrification. It followed up that announcement in 2022, providing a silhouetted look at three of its “FUN” EV models. By 2023, the company accelerated its original plan, now aiming to introduce 30 new electric motorcycle models by 2030. The “FUN” concepts remained shrouded all the while. That is, until EICMA 2024, when the EV Fun prototype finally broke cover. 

Along with that debut, Big Red promised to roll out the production-version of the e-roadster sometime in 2025. That’s why I paid close attention when Honda released a teaser for its “first electric motorcycle” in late July, especially with the date of September 2, 2025, dominating the screen by the video’s end. I marked my calendar, and everything. Sadly, it was all for naught, as the video Honda launched on Tuesday proved underwhelming. 

Instead of rolling out the homologated model, the brand showcased the final stages of prototype testing. Sure, the bike wore street-going mirrors, lighting, and a license hanger for the first time, but there’s no real developments to report. No new specs, no pricing, and no release date. Womp womp. Honda effectively released a teaser for a teaser. Talk about dragging your feet.

Of course, with EICMA 2025 just two months away, I wouldn’t be surprised if both Honda and BMW save their big reveals for the annual trade show. Until then, that leaves us pondering the ultimate question: When the EVs arrive, will either make a real difference in the struggling electric two-wheeler market?

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President Trump expanded the breadth of his existing aluminum and steel tariffs to include additional “derivative” products. The list contained 407 new product categories, including motorcycles. 

Under the directive, foreign-produced steel and aluminum contained within each motorbike imported into the United States is now subject to a 50% tax. The previously imposed country-based “reciprocal tariffs” still apply to the bike’s non-steel/aluminum components, but it’s unclear whether the metals incur dual duties or not. That’s not the only detail driving confusion around the tariffs.

The updated product list, posted to the Federal Register on Tuesday, doesn’t mention motorcycles by name. Instead, it includes several Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) codes for motorcycles, all of which start with 8711. Not all codes and categories are included, however. While motorcycles between 250 cc and 500 cc (8711.30), those exceeding 800 cc (8711.50), and electric-driven models (8711.60) make the list, bikes under 50 cc (8711.10), between 50 cc and 250 cc (8711.20), and between 500 cc and 800 cc (8711.40) are missing. Entries within those segments are just as likely to contain steel and aluminum, so there’s no obvious explanation for the omission of those codes.

Another facet of the tariffs that concern freight shipper and manufacturers is its expedited implementation. Announced by the Customs and Border Protection agency on Friday evening (7:26 p.m. EDT, to be exact), the new trade policy went into effect on Monday, meaning all goods currently in transit now fall under the broadened guidelines.

Past is prologue

In 2018, the first Trump administration established a 25% tariff on steel imports and a 10% tariff on aluminum imports. Those tariffs later expanded to include specific derivative products in 2020. Those rates were maintained during Joe Biden’s presidency, but U.S. allies like Canada, Mexico, Japan, and South Korea received exemptions. 

In March of this year, Trump not only cancelled those exemptions but also raised aluminum duties to 25%. By June, the tariff rates surged to 50%. Friday’s announcement is just the latest escalation, which seeks to eliminate what the administration calls “duty evasion schemes.”

“Today’s action expands the reach of the steel and aluminum tariffs and shuts down avenues for circumvention,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security Jeffrey Kessler, “supporting the continued revitalization of the American steel and aluminum industries.”

The goal of Trump’s policies is to boost U.S. companies and support opportunities for workers, but an International Trade Commission study conducted in 2023 found that the 2018 metals duties only marginally improved steel and aluminum production in the States; all while increasing the costs of automobiles, machines, and tools in the process.

Barriers to entry

The tariff expansion arrives as shipments to the United States continue to slow. Japan, for instance, reduced its exports to the country by 11.4% in June and 10.1% in July (the government data doesn’t specify whether Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, or Yamaha are included). The addition of derivative product duties don’t bode well for trade, either, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), which opposed the tariffs on derivative products. The MIC expressed concern that some companies in the motorcycle industry would take a financial hit and that some products could no longer be available in the U.S. market.

“Despite our opposition to these new tariffs and our request to be excluded from them, the Department of Commerce decided to move forward with tariffs that broaden the range of products now covered under Section 232,” said MIC Senior Vice President of Government Relations Scott Schloegel. “As a nearly $51 billion industry, we will continue to engage with the administration and policymakers to push for balanced trade rules that don’t cripple our industry.”

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Harley-Davidson names new CEO

After more than five years of being led by a CEO who made his name by turning around an athletic shoe company, Harley-Davidson will now be led by an executive whose background is golf-based entertainment centers and pizza.

Harley-Davidson announced today that Artie Starrs will replace Jochen Zeitz as CEO. Starrs comes to Harley-Davidson from his post as CEO of Topgolf International. Topgolf is a chain of sports entertainment franchises that combine aspects of the traditional golf practice range with food, drink, and games. The Harley-Davidson press release notes that Topgolf expanded into five additional countries and grew its revenues more than 50%, to $1.8 billion, in the four and a half years Starrs led the company. What it didn’t mention is that Topgolf’s financial results have weakened recently. Prior to 2021, Starrs was global CEO at Pizza Hut. He began his career as an investment banker.

Zeitz, who made his name by turning around the sportswear company Puma, had announced earlier this year that he would be retiring as CEO and chairman of the board at Harley-Davidson. Zeitz sharply altered the direction of the company but has become increasingly unpopular with many Harley-Davidson dealers and customers.

The transition will take place on October 1 and Starrs will also have a seat on the board of directors. Zeitz will be retained as a “senior advisor” through February of 2026 to help with the transition.

“Artie understands the special place Harley-Davidson occupies in culture and in the lives of our riders,” said Troy Alstead, who will take over as chairman of the board when Zeitz leaves. “I’m confident that Artie can further enhance this connection with current riders while bringing new people into the H-D community.”

What the press release does not state is how much Starrs actually knows about those Harley-Davidson customers, or the new riders his company needs to bring into the fold. Or whether Starrs has ever even ridden a Harley-Davidson or any other motorcycle.

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Higher risk, new tactics

For a quick recap, in 2024 a crew cased my bike, garage, and security system to breach five locks and abscond with my customized KTM 690 Tx3 project bike. Yes, it sucked and I was devastated. There were two main conclusions on how to get over the incident. One was that I needed to get a new motorcycle.

The second was that before I bought a new bike, I should determine how to protect it better. That started with a hard look at what I’d missed with my previous security setup. In retrospect, I had been unaware of the increased risk of motorcycle theft due to three factors: an uptick in bike heists, more brazenness by perpetrators, and shifts in tactics by the rip-off artists.

Regarding the stats, motorcycle theft in America has seen a year-over-year uptick, per National Insurance Crime Bureau stats. And the thieves are getting bolder, snatching bikes in broad daylight from driveways, dealers, charity raffles, and auctions.

A growing trend among bicycle and motorcycle thieves in the United States and Europe is the use of portable angle grinders. While they bring more noise than bolt-cutters, angle grinders can cut through most security chains, U-locks, and loop anchors in less than a minute.

That’s what happened in my case, where instead of my bike I found chain links in my garage sliced like Swiss cheese. Another weakness in my security setup was lack of a theft detection and tracking system. I’d figured that a secure garage, multiple locks, and a front wheel alarm would serve as enough of a deterrent. Well, I was wrong.

New strategy

Fortunately, security companies are bringing novel tech to market to give us a chance against shameless thieves. For my new ride, I’ve paired a basket of these tools to a tactical plan of sorts:

• Deter
• Delay
• Detect
• Track

To expand on that, you include kit in your security setup that discourages thieves from attempting to rip off your bike, that allows for mobile detection if they do make the attempt, that buys you time to respond and call the authorities, and in the event the thieves succeed offers options to track down your stolen ride.

Deter and delay

On deterrence, an affordable first step you can take is to get a quality disc lock with an integrated alarm. A number of motorcycle thefts are walkway jobs. The perpetrator can pop it in neutral, push your bike away, and look like someone who just ran out of gas.

Adding a topnotch disc lock that’s engineered to withstand a hammer or grinder could make Joe Robber walk on. ABUS’s 8077 Granit Detecto disc lock has a high-decibel alarm and has scored well in reviews for sturdiness.

Another relatively new deterrence tool is SkunkLock, which earns its name by drawing on a defense inspired by nature. Founded by two San Francisco techies who got tired of having their bicycles stolen, Skunklock offers a U-bolt lock with a hollow shackle filled with highly pressurized nausea- and vomit-inducing chemicals. Any cut into the lock releases them.

I won’t give away all the details of my new security setup, but I have incorporated Skunklock into it. I use their chemical U-bolt as both a wheel lock slid through the spokes and disk and to secure my bike to fixed structures when out and about.

Grind-resistant locks are another security upgrade I encourage anyone who hasn’t to pursue. Responding to increased use of portable angle-grinders, motorcycle security companies have developed these locks to incorporate advanced materials and design characteristics that make them difficult to slice through.

A great home garage option is HipLok’s integrated grind-resistant lock, arm, and anchor that bolts into the pavement. Grind-resistant U-locks are available from companies such as Kryptonite and ABUS (shown in testing in the top photo), Oxford sells a grind-resistant anchor, and LiteLok offers a flexible and lightweight 125-centimeter (49-inch) Core Moto cable lock that boasts anti-grind technology.

It’s worth noting that none of these security tools are completely “grind-proof,” but most of these locks, when independently tested, demonstrate an ability to resist a grinder attack longer than conventional options, destroying disks and requiring several to breach.

Detect and track

Adding a motion-detection security system to your bike is a great way to top off your anti-theft setup and create time to react. Both Scorpio and GeoRide offer a security kit that combines motion detection, an alarm, and a GPS tracker all in one. With these units you can monitor your motorcycle’s location at all times from a mobile app and you get an alert if if someone nudges your bike.

So let’s round this off with how you could integrate these tools into a tactical plan for motorcycle security. A sturdy disc lock and grind-resistant locking system could deter a thief from trying to take your bike altogether.

If they do attempt the steal and deploy a portable angle grinder, grind-resistant locks could delay the thief significantly. With a motion-detection and GPS unit, you would get an alert from the vibration and have time to respond yourself or alert local law enforcement and potentially thwart the theft. In the unfortunate case that thieves succeed in taking your ride, an embedded GPS unit can assist with tracking down the bike before it ends up in a chop shop or shipping crate to country XYZ.

There you go. That’s my best advice for now. I would also add a suggestion to stay up to speed on changes and trends. As I learned the hard way, there is a cat and mouse interplay between security tech, law enforcement, and adaptation by thieves. It’s probably good practice to work in occasional research on new tech and tactics. Some good sources are the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and Bennetts Insurance UK, and some OEMs (Harley-Davidson) offer advice and tech tips.

It sucks we have to go to these lengths just to keep our rides. Perhaps in five to 10 years we’ll have affordable AI-driven autonomous security robots assigned to guard our bikes. In the interim, do your best with what’s available now to protect your motorcycle and keep riding!

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