Moto News Weekly Wrap
October 13, 2026
What’s New:
- Controversial Sea to Sky Hard Enduro
- Four Aussies confirmed for 2027 Speedway GP
- AFTN stars in Griffith
- Team Australia make tough start at ISDE
- Herlings to race in Japan
- WSX over just as it began…
- Kids fun/trail bikes leading the Aussie sales charts
- 2026 Racing Calendars
HEWC
Lettenbichler fights back for Sea to Sky hat-trick
Manuel Lettenbichler charged from the third row to claim his third consecutive Sea to Sky victory at the penultimate round of the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship in Türkiye.
Mitch Brightmore dominated the opening Beach Race before Teodor Kabakchiev topped the Forest Race, while Lettenbichler’s fifth on the beach was followed by brake trouble and a Forest Race penalty that left him 15th. The KTM rider recovered on Saturday to complete the demanding 64-kilometre Mountain Race in just over three hours and 40 minutes.
Kabakchiev’s subsequent disqualification promoted Mario Román to second and James Moore to third. The provisional championship standings put Lettenbichler 32 points ahead of Mitch Brightmore, with a maximum of 33 available at the Hixpania finale in Spain on October 23-25.
Kabakchiev disputes barbed-wire disqualification
Teodor Kabakchiev has challenged his Sea to Sky disqualification after spectators helped remove barbed wire tangled in his rear wheel during the Mountain Race.
The Sherco rider says he called for a marshal at the Alcatraz section, but none was available, before spectators intervened without being asked. He maintains that no repairs or adjustments were made to his motorcycle and that the assistance was solely to remove the dangerous wire.
Kabakchiev says he accepted an initial 10-minute penalty, but another rider appealed that decision and the sanction became disqualification. He alleges that no new evidence was presented and disputes the interpretation of the assistance rules.
“I never asked the spectators for help, and nothing was shown to say I did,” Kabakchiev stated.
The Bulgarian also questioned track safety. His statement does not identify the other rider or announce a further appeal against his exclusion.
Jarvis reaches Sea to Sky finish on electric power
Graham Jarvis achieved a milestone for his Jarv-E project by becoming the first rider to finish Sea to Sky on an electric motorcycle.
The six-time event winner placed sixth in the Forest Race before completing the Mountain Race in approximately four hours and 46 minutes. Kabakchiev’s exclusion moved Jarvis to 11th in the amended classification, adding an electric milestone to a weekend dominated by Lettenbichler’s comeback and the post-race penalty dispute.
Full 2026 Sea to Sky report, rider reactions, results and provisional championship standings
Flat Track
Ryan beats Dunker and Drane at Griffith
Billy Ryan won three of six Pro 450 starts to take his home Griffith AFTN round ahead of Cam Dunker and returning American Flat Track Singles champion Tom Drane.
A final-corner crash hurt Dunker, whose round-winning streak ended, but second overall still extended his championship lead over Max Whale to 118.5 points. Ryan climbed to third in the standings.
Grace Hudson crowned AFTN Pro Women champion
Grace Hudson secured the 2026 AFTN Pro Women title in her debut season, finishing second overall behind Lori Gow at Griffith.
Gow won the opening four races before Hudson took the finale. Matilda Heaton-New completed the round podium, while Ruby James finished championship runner-up.
Fyffe, Quinn, Ford and Lytras claim Griffith wins
Jed Fyffe won four of five Junior Lites races to beat Tahj Edwards by six points, while Cooper Quinn took Junior 85 honours.
Harley Ford’s 65 Trackers victory moved him three points ahead of Hudson Raffin in the championship. John Lytras also swept all three Pro Twins races.
Full Griffith AFTN report, results and championship standings
Speedway
Four Aussies confirmed for 2027 Speedway GP as Lindgren takes final wildcard
Four Australians will contest the 2027 FIM Speedway Grand Prix after Swedish veteran Fredrik Lindgren received the final permanent wildcard, completing next season’s 15-rider field.
Brady Kurtz and Max Fricke qualified automatically by finishing in the top seven of the 2026 Speedway GP, while Rohan Tungate earned his place through the FIM SGP Challenge. Jack Holder completes the Australian quartet after receiving one of four SGP Commission wildcards alongside Lindgren, Dan Bewley and Maciej Janowski.
Lindgren, 41, returns after a difficult 2026 campaign in which a foot injury suffered at Leszno forced him to miss six Grand Prix rounds. The former world number two still returned for the season’s closing stages and has set himself the ambitious target of becoming the oldest first-time Speedway GP world champion.
That title chase will conclude on Australian soil, with the 2027 Speedway GP season set to climax with a double-header at Gillman Speedway in Adelaide on October 29-30. They will be the first Speedway GP events staged outside Europe since 2017.
The 2027 field will also feature newly crowned world champion Robert Lambert, six-time champion Bartosz Zmarzlik, Michael Jepsen Jensen, Patryk Dudek, Leon Madsen, Kacper Woryna, Andzejs Lebedevs and Kim Nilsson.
ISDE
McMahon retirement deals Australia’s World Trophy hopes a major blow
Australia’s World Trophy challenge at the 100th edition of the FIM 6DAYS Enduro of Nations suffered an immediate blow when Korey McMahon was timed out on the opening special test in Grândola, Portugal, a faulty fuel pump leaving the rider trying to push his bike over the finish line.
Korey McMahon (KTM)
“Frustrating to say that it’s all over for me and the team,” said McMahon. “I went out there with all good intentions this week. I was really looking forward to the tests, and they all looked like they’d suit me a bit more than the last couple of years.
“It’s obviously very frustrating but no one is to blame. Stuff happens in motorsport. We’ll try to get it going now and run around supporting the boys this week and make sure they can get the best result possible. I’ll give them all my support, as they did for me today.”
That leaves Australia down to Josh Strang (Beta), Kyron Bacon (Kawasaki) and Gus Riordan (Honda) in the World Trophy for the balance of the ISDE, with the trio all kickstarting the event in strong form, and the team sitting 17th after the opening day.
Defending champions Italy made the strongest start, completing Day One with a provisional lead of one minute and 23 seconds over France. Sweden placed third, followed by Great Britain and the United States, with the Americans less than a second ahead of Spain.
The opening day demanded more than 270 kilometres of riding and six special tests, with dry, dusty conditions making life particularly difficult for competitors starting further down the order.
Six club teams from Australia also began their ISDE campaigns in Portugal, with Dandenong Motorcycle Club’s No. 2 team of Scott Noble, Marley Camp and Billy McCulloch (all KTM) an impressive 15th overall.
Across the individual standings, Bacon is leading the way for Australia in 25th overall and seventh in the E1 class – two spots ahead of Riordan.
Former ISDE champion Strang is 10th in E3 after day one, with all three determined to keep pushing.
Kyron Bacon
“The World Trophy’s team’s out of the mix for top honours but there’s still three of us left doing it for Team Australia,” said Bacon. “We’re just proud to represent the green and gold.
“From a personal standpoint, my day wasn’t so good on the first lap. I struggled a bit with the tests but the second lap was a lot better.”
Australian women second as McDonald makes strong start
Australia finished second on Day One of the Women’s World Trophy competition, trailing defending champions the United States by three minutes and two seconds while holding more than four minutes over Great Britain.
The Americans, chasing a fourth consecutive title, also took the top two spots in the individual Women’s classification, with Brandy Richards and Korie Steede.
Australia’s Danielle McDonald placed third individually on her Yamaha, finishing 38 seconds behind Steede, with Madi Simpson making her ISDE debut, while Jess Gardiner rounds out the team.
France and host nation Portugal completed the top five in the team standings.
Australian juniors fifth in tightly packed 6DAYS contest
Australia opened its Junior World Trophy campaign in fifth place, 48 seconds behind Spain, with only 30 seconds covering the Australians, Chile and Sweden in fifth through seventh, and Kogan Lock (GASGAS) and Max Midwinter (Husqvarna) are also making their ISDE debuts.
Will Dennett (Triumph) was the fastest Junior World Trophy rider for Australia on day one, using his battle-hardened European experience from the 2026 EnduroGP world title.
Italy led France by almost a minute, while the United States held third with a 40-second advantage over Spain.
However, concerns grew for the leading Italians after Kevin Cristino injured his shoulder in a crash on the penultimate test. He completed the day, helping Italy retain the lead alongside Alberto Elgari and Manuel Verzeroli, but his condition adds uncertainty ahead of Day Two.
Verona leads García after opening day in Portugal
Andrea Verona topped the first three special tests to establish the individual lead at 6DAYS Portugal, ending Day One almost 30 seconds ahead of Josep García.
García responded by winning tests four and five, while Morgan Lesiardo took third outright on Triumph, edging Zach Pichon by two seconds.
Verona also led Enduro2, García topped Enduro1, and Julien Roussaly won the opening day in Enduro3 ahead of Brad Freeman and Albin Norrbin.
Day Two repeats the opening-day course and tests as the six-day contest continues toward its October 17 conclusion.
Herlings adds Japan motocross finale to remarkable 2026 season
Jeffrey Herlings will extend his 2026 campaign with a trip to Japan, where the Honda HRC PETRONAS rider will contest the final round of the Japan Motocross Championship at Sugo on October 31-November 1.
The appearance will mark Herlings’ first race in Japan and comes at the end of a standout season in which he claimed 13 Grand Prix victories and 22 moto wins, including sweeps of the final eight GPs.
That momentum carried into the Motocross of Nations, where Herlings went 1-1 in his races, won his class and helped the Netherlands secure third overall.
Herlings said the Sugo visit will also give him the opportunity to meet and thank Honda personnel in Japan who contributed to the development of the CRF450RW throughout the season.
Honda HRC PETRONAS team manager Marcus Pereira de Freitas said the event will combine serious racing with an opportunity to celebrate the team’s successful season alongside Honda staff and supporters in Japan.
WSX
Gold Coast round axed as World Supercross abandons 2026 season
The Gold Coast will miss out on World Supercross this year after SX Global called time on the 2026 championship with only one round completed. The Australian GP was scheduled for November 21 at Cbus Super Stadium, with Christchurch due to host the New Zealand finale on December 5.
The October 7 announcement followed the earlier cancellation of Birmingham, as the promoter continued negotiations with prospective investors. Those discussions remain central to the championship’s future, with no timetable for a 2027 return provided in the statement.
Calgary’s weather-disrupted August opener consequently stands as the season’s only event. Cooper Webb won SX1 and Max Anstie swept SX2, leaving both atop their respective standings. However, the announcement did not clarify whether championship titles would be awarded.
Ticket refunds were another unanswered question in the October 7 statement, leaving affected supporters awaiting details. The cancellation also cuts short the WSX campaigns of Australian Luke Clout and New Zealand’s Brodie Connolly.
Full story: World Supercross Championship ends after just one round
Kids’ bikes and trail models help lift Australian motorcycle sales
Kids’ motorcycles, fun bikes and accessible trail machinery appear to be making a significant contribution to the recovery in Australian motorcycle sales during 2026.
FCAI-audited off-road sales climbed 17.1 per cent to 30,845 units across the first nine months. The category added 4505 sales compared with last year, exceeding the entire net increase across the combined motorcycle and off-highway vehicle market, which grew 6.7 per cent to 68,304 units.
The junior and recreational riding angle is supported by the first-half figures, when the FCAI reported kids’ motorcycle sales up 32 per cent and trail sales up 131 per cent.
The available evidence points towards affordable recreational machinery playing an important role, although its exact contribution remains unclear. The figures also cover only FCAI-reporting brands, leaving several significant manufacturers outside the audit.
2026 Racing Schedule
2026 World Supercross Championship Calendar
8 August – Calgary, Canada – McMahon Stadium10 October – Birmingham, Great Britain – Alexander Stadium- 24 October – Buenos Aires, Argentina – Autódromo Oscar & Juan Gálvez
- TBA – South Africa – Venue TBA
- 21 November – Gold Coast, Australia – Cbus Super Stadium
- 5 December – Christchurch, New Zealand – One New Zealand Stadium
2026 Grand National Cross Country Series Calendar
Big Buck GNCC – Feb 15Wild Board GNCC – Mar 1Talladega GNCC – Mar 7Camp Coker Bullet GNCC – Mar 28The Dukes GNCC – Apr 18The Old Gray GNCC – May 3Powerline Park GNCC – May 16Watkins Glen International GNCC – Jun 7Snowshoe GNCC – Jun 27The John Penton GNCC – Sep 19Mason-Dixon GNCC – Oct 3- Ironman GNCC – Oct 24
- Buckwheat 100 GNCC- Nov 8
2026 Hard Enduro World Championship Calendar
April 17-19 – Alestrem – Ales, FranceMay 1-3 – Extreme Lagares – Porto, PortugalJune 18-20 – Silver Kings – Idaho/Silver Mountain Resort, United StatesAugust 20-22 – Forza Orza – Orsa, SwedenSeptember 4-6 – Abestone Hard Enduro – Arezzo, ItalySeptember 23-26 – Roof of Africa – Maseru, LesothoOctober 8-10 – Sea to Sky – Kemer, Turkey- October 23-25 – Hixpania – Aguilar de Campoo, Spain
2026 FIM Bajas World Cup Calendar
29-31 January – Saudi Baja, SAU12-14 February – Jordan Baja, JOR19-20 June – Baja TT Extremadura, ESP24-26 July – Baja Aragon, ESP- 28-31 Oct. – Baja Qatar, QAT
- 5-8 Nov. – Dubai International Baja, UAE
- 13-15 Nov. – Escuderia de Castelo Branco, POR (rescheduled)
2026 FIM Trial World Championship Calendar
(Provisional)
Rnd 1 – 15-17 May – Japan, MotegiRnd 2 – 12-14 June – Andorra, Sant Julià de LòriaRnd 3 – 19-21 June – Italy, CamerinoRnd 4 – 24-26 July – Great Britain, Trac Mon Circuit – AngleseyRnd 5 – 29-30 August* – France, CahorsRnd 6 – 4-6 September – Netherlands, ZelhemRnd 7 – 18-20 September – Spain, Pobladura de las ReguerasTdN – 26-27 September – Spain, Arteixo- TVT – TBA, TBA
2026 FIM Flat Track World Championship Calendar
Round 1 – May 9 – Roden, The NetherlandsRound 2 – May 30 – Terenzano, ItalyRound 3 – June 27 – Teterow, GermanyRound 4 – July 4 – Donji Kraljevec, CroatiaRound 5 – August 22 – Scheessel, GermanyRound 6 – August 29 – King’s Lynn, Great BritainRound 7 – September 12 – Vasad, HungaryRound 8 – October 3 – Pardubice, Czech Republic- Rounds 9 & 10 – Oct. 24-25 – CAMOD TBA, Argentina
2026-2027 FIM Sand Races World Championship calendar
26-27 September – Morocco, Morocco Sand Race- 23-25 October – Italy, Bibione Sand Storm
- 07-08 November – France, Ronde des Sables – Loon Plage
- 27-29 November – Portugal, Monte Gordo Sand Race
- TBC 2027 – France, Enduropale du Touquet Pas-de-Calais
2027 Racing Schedule
2027 World Rally-Raid Championship Calendar
- Round 1 – Jan 1-15 – Dakar Rally, Saudi Arabia
- Round 2 – Mar 21-26 – Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, UAE
- Round 3 – Jun 14-19 – South African Safari Rally, SA
- Round 4 – Sep 21-26 – Rally-Raid Portugal, POR
- Round 5 – Oct 24-29 – Rallye Du Maroc, Morocco
2027 MXGP calendar (Provisional)
- February 28 – MXGP of Andalucia, Almonte
- March 14 – MXGP of Argentina, Bariloche
- March 28 – MXGP of Italy, Montevarchi
- April 4 – MXGP of Sardegna, Riola Sardo
- April 18 – MXGP of Spain, TBA
- April 25 – MXGP of Trentino, Pietramurata
- May 2 – MXGP of China, Shanghai
- May 23 – MXGP of Portugal, TBA
- May 30 – MXGP of France, Saint Jean d’Angély
- June 13 – MXGP of Latvia, Kegums
- June 20 – MXGP of Germany, Teutschenthal
- June 27 – MXGP of Great Britain, Foxhills
- July 25 – MXGP of Czech Republic, Loket
- August 1 – MXGP of Flanders, Lommel
- August 15 – MXGP of Sweden, Uddevalla
- August 22 – MXGP of the Netherlands, Arnhem
- September 5 – MXGP of Türkiye, Afyonkarahisar
- September 12 – Grand Prix to be announced, TBA
- September 19 – MXGP of Australia, Darwin
- October 3 – MXGP of Switzerland, TBC
- October 10 – FIM Motocross of Nations, Assen
2027 TrialGP Calendar (Provisional)
- Round 1 – 16-18 Apr – Spain, Benahavís
- Round 2 – 23-25 Apr – Portugal, Viana do Castelo
- Round 3 – 21-23 May – USA, Sequatchie, Tennessee
- Round 4 – 4-6 Jun – Japan, Motegi
- Round 5 – 18-20 Jun – Andorra, Sant Julià de Lòria
- Round 6 – 25-27 Jun – Italy, Fiumalbo, Modena
- Round 7 – 27-29 Aug – Great Britain, Geddington
- Round 8 – 17-19 Sep – France, La Bresse
