(Editor’s note: This post originally ran on December 12th, 2022, so don’t count on the pricing being accurate now, in December 2024.)
An effective way to teach kids to ride on two wheels is to start them on a Strider 12 Classic (MSRP $119.99) balance bike designed for ages 18-months to 3 years. It has 12-inch wheels, adjustable seat and handlebar height, and is available with an easy-to-install, easy to remove optional rocker base (MSRP about $30) for the youngest kids.
A Strider 12 Classic on a rocker base. Photo courtesy Strider.
When they’re ready, the bike can be removed from the rocker base and a kid can quickly learn to move it forward with their feet, and then balance and coast with their feet up.
A young new rider on a Strider Classic 12 with the rocker base removed and seat adjusted to an appropriate height. Photo courtesy Strider.
For older kids, the Strider 14x (with 14-inch wheels, MSRP $219.00) can be used as a balance bike and later be fitted with an optional pedal kit (MSRP $69.99) to make it a bicycle.
A Strider 14x with pedal kit fitted. Photo courtesy Strider.
A step up to powered riding is a twist-grip-equipped Stacyc 12e Drive electric bike (MSRP $799.00) for ages 3-5 or a 16e (MSRP $1,049) or larger 18e or 20e models for older kids, available with assorted motorcycle brand graphics.
A Stacyc 12e Drive electric balance bike with KTM logos. Photo courtesy KTM North America.
And Indian sells the eFTR mini, which has a twist-grip throttle, two speed settings, and is designed for kids eight and older weighing less than 140 pounds (MSRP $529.99), and the larger eFTR Jr., which has a twist-grip throttle, chain drive, dual disc brakes, and a maximum weight rating of 175 pounds (MSRP $849.99).
An Indian eFTR Mini in front of the larger Indian eFTR Jr. Both are twist-grip electric motorcycles. Photo courtesy Indian Motorcycle.
Once a kid has mastered a larger machine, many gas minibikes are available, or, if a kid wants to stay on an electric, KTM offers the electric SX-E 3 and SX-E 5. Husqvarna and GasGas branded versions are also available.
A 2023 KTM SX-E 3. It comes with a tip-over switch and power-killing lanyard that slips over the rider’s left wrist. Photo courtesy KTM.
The KTM SX-E 5 is based on KTM’s SX 50 motocross racebike with adjustable long-travel WP XACT suspension, 12-inch wheels, an adjustable seat height, and lockable ride modes (1-6) to limit power and speed (up to 45 mph in Mode 6) to a rider’s skillset. MSRP is $5,499.
The KTM SX-E3 (MSRP $4,999) shares the SX-E5’s chrome-moly steel tube chassis, WP suspension, and motor with lockable ride modes, but has 10-inch wheels, and a lower (and adjustable) seat height. A lower-voltage 648 Wh battery reduces the power output from 5 kW (6.7 hp) to 3.8 kW (5.1 hp) with a lower top speed, but can be swapped for the larger-capacity, higher-voltage 907 Wh battery from the SX-E 5 if the rider’s skill grows faster than their body.
A KTM SX-E 5, an electric version of KTM’s SX 50 motocross bike. Photo courtesy KTM North America.
Intro: Kawasaki Elektrode Electric Balance Bike
By Hayley Ulrich Zeidman
My son Max Zeidman, age eight, enjoys riding bicycles, but isn’t a natural daredevil; he’s more of a methodical learner, whose tenacity often results in great results after he gets over his initial apprehension. He had this same attitude when it comes to mini-motorcycles…he likes them, but wasn’t prepared to ride them himself.
Enter the 2023 Kawasaki Elektrode, Kawasaki’s entry level, very basic electric balance bike built for riders ages 3-8 and under 99 pounds. Designed for beginners as a first step to motorcycle confidence, the company brags that it has “over-engineered” the bike so that even the youngest riders have a positive experience.
A Kawasaki Elektrode electric balance bike. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
It has an aluminum frame with a built-in battery pack good for up to 2-1/2 hours of running time, and an equal recharge time. Being powered by an electric motor built into the rear wheel hub, this light but sturdy bike delivers power in a smooth, linear, predictable fashion so that beginning riders can gradually build up comfort with power and control. The motor is almost silent, which helps unsure kids feel less intimidated (as opposed to the noise of a typical engine).
The Kawasaki Elektrode features a rear hub drive motor, eliminating the need for a drive chain/belt and removing external moving parts. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Other key design points include a low center of gravity and ideal balance point for easy turning and leaning, as well as no chain and no moving external parts on the drive-train. The bike has cool, pneumatic knobby dirt tires on 16-inch cast aluminum wheels, with three speed modes (Low, 5 mph; Medium, 7.5 mph; High, 13 mph) selected by entering a unique passcode into an onboard parental lock. Suggested retail price is $1,099.
The footpegs on the Kawasaki Elektrode fold up to allow it to be used as a kid-powered balance bike. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
As an non-intimidating entry-level bike, the Kawasaki Elektrode is an absolute slam-dunk. Max and I were asked by the editor (Max’s grandfather) to represent RoadracingWorld at an intro and test-ride event held at Fox Racing’s headquarters in Irvine, California, near Kawasaki’s offices. Max wasn’t sure about riding the Elektrode on the dirt, but gained confidence in a parking lot cone course. Soon, he was ready to ride the Elektrode on a simple kid dirt track behind the Fox building. Max, who weighs 55 pounds, initially crashed in one of the corners, but was able to easily pick up the 32-pound Elektrode on his own and get going again.
Max said of the experience, “It was really fun. At first I was just getting the hang of it and I was slow, and I tipped over. I got going better, and later on, in one turn, I started crashing. But I didn’t crash because I had more focus and control on the motorcycle.” Max admittedly doesn’t have a lot of powered riding experience, but gained so much confidence on the Elektrode that he said he wanted one as a holiday gift! With easy maintenance and durability, this makes a lot of sense as a present, and is designed to be passed along to younger siblings and cousins after it’s been outgrown.
Max Zeidman, age eight, riding the new Kawasaki Elektrode electric balance bike on a dirt course at Fox Racing’s headquarters in Southern California. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
(Editor’s note: This post was originally published on November 10th, 2022, so don’t count on pricing still being the same now, in December 2024.)
A child’s first experience on two wheels is such a memorable time, not only for the child but for the parents as well. While standard bicycles are a common first step for a child learning to ride, few products exist to help bridge the gap to a small displacement motorcycle.
From the brand behind the KX™ motocross powerhouse comes the all-new Elektrode™ electric balance bike. Little rippers can now start their journey on two wheels as early as three years old. Meaning, the path to the podium now starts earlier than ever. It’s an official welcome to world-class, high-performance, iconic Kawasaki vehicles when young riders get started on the Elektrode.
Since engine noise and exhaust can often be intimidating to young children learning to ride, the Elektrode can help encourage those who might otherwise be nervous to see how much fun riding can be. Plus, with Lime Green paint, a number plate, and motocross-inspired graphics, riders will feel like their favorite Kawasaki Team Green™ race team idol.
The Elektrode is compact in size to allow for easy transportation in the back seat or trunk of a car, so riders can bring their favorite two-wheeler on camping trips, weekend getaways, or off-road excursions. Since it is designed and built in-house with young riders in mind, the Elektrode has the build quality and reliability that Kawasaki is known for and is ready to withstand years of fun. With the help of Kawasaki’s flagship electric balance bike, now the whole family can get in on the fun and help kick-start the process of getting little rippers on their first bike.
ALL-NEW 2023 KAWASAKI ELEKTRODE™ HIGHLIGHTS:
NEW Designed and built by Kawasaki
NEW Powerful 250W in-wheel brushless electric motor
NEW Three selectable speed modes (low/mid/high) with passcode parental lock
NEW Premium disc brake
NEW Adjustable seat height, handlebar position and brake level
NEW Lightweight aluminium frame with low center of gravity
NEW Durable 16″ cast aluminum wheels and pneumatic tires
NEW Long-lasting frame-integrated battery with up to 2.5 hours of running time*
NEW KX-inspired styling and motocross style handlebar with twist throttle
NEW Foldable steel footpegs with rubber grip
ELECTRIC MOTOR
The 2023 Elektrode electric balance bike is the first of its kind for Kawasaki, leading the way with an air-cooled, brushless, in-wheel electric motor producing 250 watts of acceleration at the rear wheel. Power is delivered in a smooth, linear fashion and gets the Elektrode moving in a predictable way, gradually building the rider’s comfort with power and control. Since the electric motor is virtually silent, kids will feel less intimidated by the noise normally produced by the engines and exhaust of traditional motorcycles. Strategically located within the rear wheel, the motor contributes to the Elektrode’s low center of gravity for an ideal balance point that makes for a light steering feel and easy turning and leaning. The brushless electric motor has no moving external parts, making it easy to use and giving parents some peace of mind.
BATTERY
The Kawasaki Elektrode is the perfect electric bike for long periods of fun thanks to a long-lasting in-frame lithium-ion battery. On a single charge, the Elektrode can run for 2.5 hours* (or approximately nine miles) and only takes 2.5 hours to fully recharge, allowing ample time for kids to play. Since the battery is built into the aluminum frame, it is better protected from dirt, debris and any potential impact damage that could occur during hard use, increasing durability. As a bonus, the Elektrode comes equipped with an auto-sleep feature that shuts off the power after ten minutes of inactivity, preserving the usable battery time and eliminating the worry if someone forgets to turn the unit off.
Charging the Elektrode’s battery is easy and convenient. The provided charging cable can be plugged into the front of the bike and connected to any home outlet, making the Elektrode easy to charge anywhere. When not at home, the battery can also easily be charged from a car, camper or side-by-side vehicle, meaning the fun can continue even while on the go.
* Running time varies based on battery age, charge and the number of charge cycles it has had, rider weight, speed, and riding conditions.
SPEED MODES
Parent-controlled multiple speed modes allow riders to grow and adapt as their abilities increase. Three speed modes can be selected using the LCD screen located on the handlebars, making it quick and simple to switch between modes. Each mode caps the electric bike at a specific speed: low at 5mph, mid at 7.5mph, and high at 13mph. The power can also be turned off, transforming the Elektrode into a balance bike that is suited for any child at the beginning of their two-wheeled journey. In order to change modes, the bike must be completely stopped, creating an extra layer of safety for both the rider and parent. A special parental lock that requires a unique passcode deters unauthorized changing of power levels.
CHASSIS + ERGONOMICS
The Elektrode electric balance bike was made with the same renowned build quality that Kawasaki is known for and ensures that the Elektrode can stand up to the hard use a child will put it through. A lightweight aluminum frame provides the durability parents expect while remaining light for kids to handle, and its compact 32.8-inch wheelbase adds to its easy handling nature. A highly rigid steel front fork adorns the front of the bike which grants riders a solid feel for steering, and a 160mm rear-mounted mechanical disc brake provides ample stopping power at the pull of a lever, giving riders a stable, easy-to-use brake that promotes learning about stopping and regulating their speed.
To keep the Elektrode light and sturdy, Kawasaki designed special 16” cast-aluminum wheels which, when paired with a low seat height, provides a more planted feel for smaller riders and eliminates the need to upgrade to a larger wheel size as children grow. 16×2.125 HE-type tires and tubes with Schrader valves make servicing easy for parents, and the knobby tires allow the Elektrode to be ridden on several different types of terrain.
The Elekrode is designed to accommodate riders from ages 3 to 8 and having highly adjustable components makes it the perfect electric bike for growing riders. With over 4” of adjustability in the seat, the Elektrode can comfortably fit children 37” to 55” tall. Folding steel footpegs with rubber pads provide rigidity and versatility on the Elektrode, allowing for the bike to easily be converted to a balance bike with a simple fold. Kids can learn to use the Elektrode as a self-pushing balance bike with no motor friction/resistance first, then graduate to using the footpegs and electric motor/throttle.The handlebar design promotes an upright riding position without compromising knee space, providing the extra room as kids grow, and with a common-sized handlebar and seat, parents will have the ability to change and customize their child’s bike as they see fit.
STYLING
Inspired by the KX™ motocross motorcycles that kids see at the races or on TV, the Kawasaki Elektrode is designed to look like a full-fledged off-road machine. A KX-inspired front number plate adorns the front of the Elektrode, and with the iconic Kawasaki Lime-Green coloring and racing graphics that match the popular off-road motorcycles, kids will feel just like one of their motocross idols. The smooth, clean lines contribute to the bike’s simple, sporty looks, and the dirt-inspired tires bring the Elektrode’s sleek style together.
COLORS AND MSRP
The 2023 Elektrode electric balance bike will be available in Lime Green with an MSRP of $1,099.
ABOUT KAWASAKI
Kawasaki started full-scale production of motorcycles over a half century ago. The first Kawasaki motorcycle engine was designed based on technical know-how garnered from the development and production of aircraft engines, and Kawasaki’s entry into the motorcycle industry was driven by the company’s constant effort to develop new technologies. Numerous new Kawasaki models introduced over the years have helped shape the market, and in the process have created enduring legends based on their unique engineering, power, design and riding pleasure. In the future, Kawasaki Motors, Ltd. is committed to maintaining and furthering these strengths which will surely give birth to new legends.
Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (KMC) markets and distributes Kawasaki motorcycles, ATVs, side x sides, and JET SKI® watercraft through a network of approximately 1,100 independent retailers, with close to an additional 7,700 retailers specializing in general purpose engines. KMC and its affiliates employ nearly 3,100 people in the United States, with approximately 260 of them located at KMC’s Foothill Ranch, California headquarters.
Kawasaki’s tagline, “Let the good times roll.®”, is recognized worldwide. The Kawasaki brand is synonymous with powerful, stylish and category-leading vehicles. Information about Kawasaki’s complete line of powersports products and Kawasaki affiliates can be found on the Internet at www.kawasaki.com
The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) announced the addition of famed racing tuner Jeremy Albrecht, who will join the AMA Racing Department’s ranks as the technical manager.
“We’re pleased to add the talented Jeremy Albrecht to our racing staff as our technical manager,” AMA Director of Racing Mike Pelletier said. “Jeremy’s extensive experience and successful career at the highest levels of AMA Supercross and motocross competition will undoubtedly strengthen our racing team.”
Albrecht joins the AMA’s racing staff with a wealth of experience in the world of motorcycle competition. Getting his start as an amateur racer, Albrecht used his racing background to become one of the most successful tuners in the history of AMA Supercross and pro motocross.
Starting as a mechanic for his brother, Joel, in 1991, Albrecht quickly made a name for himself as a tuner. In 1995, Albrecht paired with AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Jeff Emig, aiding the legendary racer to four titles — including the 1997 AMA Supercross championship.
After his time with Emig, Albrecht became the tuner for another AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer — James Stewart. From 2002-2007, the duo captured seven professional motocross championships — including the 2006 and 2007 AMA Supercross titles.
Following his dominant stretch with Stewart, Albrecht spent 13 years at Joe Gibbs Racing MX — spanning the team’s entire run from 2007-2020.
After Joe Gibbs Racing MX Team ceased operations in 2020, Albrecht remained with JGR in its new business development, working on the manufacturing side of the organization. During this time, Albrecht became involved with the AMA as a rider representative.
Now, Albrecht’s role with the AMA will expand as he will serve as the technical manager for the organization’s racing efforts.
“I’m excited to be back at the races full-time. Working with Mike Pelletier and the AMA crew the last few years has made me want to do more and help grow the sport,” Albrecht said. “I like the direction they are going and can’t wait to do my part.”
Keep up with the latest news and updates from the AMA racing department at AmericanMotorcyclist.com and @ama_racing on Instagram.
About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. Besides offering members money-saving discounts on products and services, the AMA also publishes American Motorcyclist, a recently revitalized and monthly full-color magazine (and digital version of same) that covers current events and motorcycle history with brilliant photography and compelling writing. American Motorcyclist is also North America’s largest-circulation magazine. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com.
We Are The Champions: MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Hayden Gillim
By Paul Carruthers/MotoAmerica.com
With three championships in the past two seasons and 33 career MotoAmerica victories across three classes, it’s fair to say that Hayden Gillim may be the most underrated racer in the paddock. And let’s not forget that he’s a three-time MotoAmerica Champion with two of those titles coming in the same season. Those are the sort of stats that usually equate to factory rides. Not so for Gillim. At least not yet.
Underrated? Well, the proof is in the pudding.
2018: Four wins, second in Supersport Championship. No factory ride.
2019: Five wins, third in Supersport Championship. No factory ride.
2022: Five wins, second in Stock 1000 Championship, lost in a tiebreaker. No factory ride.
2023: Six wins, Stock 1000 Champion. No factory ride.
Three wins, Mission King Of The Baggers Champion. No factory ride.
2024: Seven wins, Stock 1000 Champion, No factory ride.
Three wins, third in Mission King Of The Baggers Championship. No factory ride.
So, does it bother Gillim that he’s never had a shot at a factory Superbike in the MotoAmerica Championship?
“I’ve thought a lot about it, especially the last couple years,” the laid-back Hayden said. “I know if I have a proper Superbike, I know I could win races and fight with those guys at the front. But I don’t know if up until the last couple years I just never pushed for myself on that side enough to really make anything happen, or what. I know the last couple years there’s been a bunch of fast guys. Right now, we have the most stacked lineup of riders in a long time in AMA and in MotoAmerica, across all classes. So, there’s a lot of talent out there trying to get the same seats. Luckily now we have quite a few rides available. There are a lot of guys that have a lot of high caliber resumes and everything. I don’t know what the reasoning is behind my luck on that side, but that’s always been a dream of mine to get to ride a real, proper Superbike.”
The closest Gillim has come to that “real proper” Superbike ride came via a Wild Card ride in World Superbike with the Petronas MIE Racing Honda team last year during a break in the MotoAmerica schedule.
“It’s funny that now I can say I’ve raced an actual Superbike, but it wasn’t even in America,” the 29-year-old Gillim said. “It was in World Superbike. That’s one thing that I think I’m working towards it, but it’s taken a lot longer than I would have ever expected to get on a real Superbike in America and have a go at Superbike race wins or a Superbike title and everything. It seems like other people have just been in the right place at the right time to be on a Superbike, and I’ve always found myself either already having something lined up or… I don’t know. It’s been a big thing on my mind. I don’t talk about it a lot, but that’s the dream to be on a factory Superbike. Hopefully, we can make that happen.”
Hayden Gillim (1) leads Ashton Yates (27) and Benjamin Smith (78) at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
Gillim is coming off another season of success with his second straight Stock 1000 Championship after a dominant seven-win season. Gillim started the season with three straight wins, and his confidence was never higher than it was after a race-one win at Brainerd International Raceway. Brainerd is one of Gillim’s favorites, and it showed as he was doing lap times within the same second as the Superbikes. In race two, however, it all came unraveled with a crash on the opening lap. The always-honest Gillim copped to the fact that he was simply trying to do too much to show that he could go as fast as the top Superbikes on his Real Steel Motorsports Honda CBR1000RR-R SP.
“I learned from it,” Gillim said of the Brainerd crash. “Obviously, I regret it because it cost me a possible win and a bunch of points and some money and everything. But I kind of needed it to ground me a little bit. After that, I wasn’t so focused in the Stock class on running Superbike times so much. After that, I tried to relax a little bit. I didn’t have to win everything. I wanted to, but I didn’t have to. I definitely regret crashing, but I think I needed it.”
Gillim was putting too much emphasis on winning, and it resulted in some crashes – in both Stock 1000 and Mission King Of The Baggers. In fact, Gillim ended up the “crash king” of 2024 with a total of 10 crashes combined on his Honda and the RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson.
“I think I kind of needed this year to bring me back down,” Gillim said. “Whenever I came back into the series a couple years ago, my main goal was just to stay up and take what I could get on days that I wasn’t at my best or anything. I think, after winning the Bagger championship and then the Stock 1000 championship last year, I felt like this year I had to go win more. It kind of bit me in the butt a couple too many times. I definitely regret all the crashing, but I think I needed it just because it did kind of bring me back down a little bit and make me realize that there’s a lot more on the line than just going out and being super-fast.”
The Stock 1000 Championship ended up not being the total runaway that it looked to be early in the season. Orange Cat Racing’s Jayson Uribe made sure of that, with the Californian winning the two races that Gillim crashed in and pushing the Kentuckian in the majority of the other races. His efforts earned him kudos from Gillim, who was surprised by Uribe’s speed.
“He surprised me, honestly,” Gillim said. “I don’t think we had ever raced against each other before. Obviously, I’ve seen him racing and seen him at the track and all that. He surprised the heck out of me. I expected Ben Smith to be up there. I expected Ashton (Yates) to be up there. I expected Travis (Wyman) to do a little bit better than what he was able to do this year. Jayson definitely surprised me, which really everybody did. Everybody stepped it up big time this year. It was a really good season. That’s another thing I’m kind of glad for those couple crashes I had because it forced me to have to race a lot smarter than I was at the beginning of the year where I was just going full bore every lap. I was trying to just win every single session. I was trying to win every lap. I was trying to win everything. It was just about being the fastest. So, at the end of the year, I was kind of having to race a little bit smarter. It made it difficult. Made it a lot more stressful than I would have liked it to, but that’s part of it. It’s awesome whenever you have those guys that kind of pop up where you didn’t expect them to because it makes you grow. It makes them grow. Everybody learns and gets better. That’s what we need here, is just the talent level to keep rising and getting better and everybody getting faster. That’s just going to make the whole series better and make all the riders a lot better.”
Hayden Gillim at speed on the RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Road Glide at Road America. Gillim finished third in the Mission King Of The Baggers Championship. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Gillim admits his crashes on the Vance & Hines Harley were the by-product of over-riding the big V-Twin. After all, he had a big number one on the bike, and he wasn’t going to go down without a fight.
“I had some big crashes,” Gillim said. “It was tough because we had some setbacks as a team early on in the year that made it tough. Then I compounded it by over-riding the bike and crashing. It was a tough year. I was frustrated a lot of the year just because I had the number one plate, and I wanted to win. That was what, again back to the crashing thing, I kind of went away from just taking what I could get on days when I wasn’t my best. I felt like I had to win every single race, and it bit me in the butt a lot. I made a lot of mistakes and had a few too many crashes and ultimately those crashes cost me any hope of being in the title fight.
“I felt like, all year, I had the speed and everything to be there, but obviously Troy (Herfoss) and Kyle (Wyman) were just on it every single weekend. But even those two guys, they had a few crashes and that’s where last year I capitalized on those by not having any and was able to win the championship because of it. It was tough. I won three races and was only on the podium in five of them, including those three races. So, for me as a rider on my side of things, I felt like I left a lot out there with a lot of mistakes and everything.”
Late in the season, a crash at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course left Gillim with a broken hand for the final two rounds at Circuit of The Americas and New Jersey Motorsports Park.
“At the end of the season I was kind of just hanging on for dear life trying to get what I could and still ended up putting the bike on the ground a couple of times,” Gillim said. “It was a long season. I’m looking forward to seeing what next year has in store for it. I think, this year, I learned a lot. Being able to get back to not having to win every single race… I think getting back to that mentality is going to be really good for me.”
If Gillim crashed 10 times, seven or eight of them were the kind that make your body hurt to watch. Gillim is tough. There’s no doubting that, but he hurts like the rest of us. He just hides it well.
“I try not to show any hurt,” Gillim said. “I definitely don’t want to tell people I’m hurt. I feel like nowadays everybody if they stub their toe, that’s the reason why they’re a second off the pace, or something. You have a little sniffle and that’s why you’re not riding very good. I feel like everybody nowadays has an excuse. If I have a bad day, I want it to just clearly be my fault or something and not make excuses for myself on it. I am fortunate that I have big crashes and I’m able to get up and walk away, but at some point, you have enough crashes you’re going to end up getting actually hurt. This year was my year for that. It’s been a while since I’ve broken anything. Breaking my hand, I was surprised. It’s been really frustrating how slow the recovery on it has been. That one really set me back a little bit. Even now, just kind of squeezing my hand together, it’s still tight and sore and tender. It’s a little frustrating, but I’ve been able to ride and everything with it now without any pain and all that. So, we’re back to a good spot on that. I think I’ve been fortunate, but definitely got to cut back on the crashes.”
Speaking of excuses, when asked if racing in two, sometimes three races a weekend is difficult, Gillim shrugged that off, as well. He thinks there’s a lot of good that comes from it.
“I know people use that excuse too, but you’re racing two different classes,” Gillim said. “You might be stretched thin or tired. I don’t look at it that way. The last couple years doing it, racing Superbike, Stock 1000 and in Baggers, I think it’s been helpful because there’s no time to cool down and get tight or anything. I feel like I’m warmed up and ready to go every time I go out on track. I don’t have a ton of time to dwell on one thing and one class. I get done with one race or one session, and if it was a bad session or something I kind of have to put it aside and get on to the next one. And vice versa. Whenever I get done with that next session, I have to focus on trying to figure out what we need to do to make the other bike better. So, I think it helps. I think being on the bike a lot, you get more laps, you get more seat time and can learn more about the track. Even figuring out why is my Bagger working better than the 1000, or why is the 1000 working better than the Bagger. Being able to bounce stuff off and think about things. I think it helps a ton. I think it keeps me pretty sharp. It seems like the last couple years my worst weekends have been where I’ve only had one class to race. That’s because I’m used to having multiple classes going. So, I get to thinking about stuff too much or I’m tight whenever I get on the bike. That’s the hard part. This year only running two classes every weekend instead of doing the three classes… in those rounds, actually, I felt hurt me.”
Early in his career, Gillim was a madman when it came to training. His cycling rides were long and often. With a wife and two young children, Gillim has settled into family life and has learned to listen to his body and back off on the training. It’s a balancing act between not doing enough and over-doing it.
“I definitely need to do more (training) than what I have been,” Gillim said. “During race season, I do enough. Having the kids now and everything, I get sidetracked easily. That’s where my excuses come from. I’m like, ‘Well, I got to do this with Stone, or I’ve got to do some dishes.’ I make excuses as to why I’m not training as much as I feel like I should.
“It’s funny. Before Daytona for the 200, I was on it super-hard and was being really strict about my diet and cycling and running and everything. I felt like Daytona was a terrible weekend for me, even though I got on the podium in the 200 and was right there in the Bagger races. I made a lot of mistakes in the actual 200 race. I ran wide in turn one, like, three times. Ran through the chicane early on in the first stint. Then same thing in Baggers. I ran wide in turn one a few times, ran through the chicane one lap in one of the races. After the 200 and after the last Bagger race, I remember sitting there feeling super, super-weak. Like I had gone way too overboard on it. After that, I backed it off a little bit for the rest of the year. I used to do a lot. I used to cycle a ton and run a lot and do a bunch of stuff. Always doing something. I think it was good at that time for me, but with how my life is now, I don’t think I can do as much and still have the energy to be able to race a couple different classes. Back then, I was only racing one class at a time. I think now running multiple classes I can’t do as much, especially leading up to the race weekends because I end up draining myself too much now.”
Hayden Gillim and his wife, Summer. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
In many ways, Gillim is old school. He doesn’t share everything about his life on social media. He just wants to race and let the results speak for themselves.
“This year, I felt like for me solidified to myself that I know with the right equipment and everything, I can make it,” Gillim said. “I can make a strong Superbike bid. I’ve told a few people. I was born like 15, 20 years too late. I should have been racing in the late ‘90s and everything. I think I would have fit in well with that crowd. I’m not a big social media guy. I don’t put myself out there enough and I know a lot of people really want that and like that. There are a few things that I think I could do better and kind of make myself stand out a little bit more. I’ve always been a firm believer that my racing and riding should do a lot of the talking for me. Unfortunately, these days, it doesn’t pan out like that.”
Although Gillim was mum on most of his plans for the 2025 season, he will be racing in the Superbike class on the same Real Steel Motorsports Honda team. No Stock 1000. Just Superbike. And he will also be back in the saddle of the RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson and making a push to regain that Mission King Of The Baggers Championship.
“Right now, the plan is to run Superbike,” Gillim said. “I’m not planning on doing Stock 1000. After tying for the championship in ‘22, and then winning the championship the last two years, I feel like I need to focus on Superbike. It will be on a Honda. It’ll be the same group working together. It should be a successful season. We have some other announcements coming up soon for other team members, which we are excited about too.”
AMA Looks Back On Its Successful 100th Anniversary Year
Celebrates a century of AMA rights wins, historic racing accomplishments and camaraderie among riders this holiday season
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — With the holidays just around the corner and the new year to follow, the American Motorcyclist Association prepares to cap off its year-long celebration of its 100th anniversary — 1924-2024 — along with its substantial achievements of this year.
“For the past century, the American Motorcyclist Association has brought together hundreds of thousands of like-minded riders with a shared love of motorcycling,” AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman said. “As we celebrated our 100th anniversary in 2024, we reflected on our journey as one of the largest motorcycling membership organizations in the world and the impact the organization has had on the motorcycle industry and its enthusiasts. We take great pride in our mission to protect motorcycling and promote the motorcycle lifestyle, and we will continue to do so for the next 100 years!”
During its 100th anniversary in 2024, the AMA continued to champion the diverse and growing motorcycling community through its commitment to advocate for motorcyclists’ rights at the local, state and federal levels. For its efforts at the forefront of the fight to protect motorcyclists’ freedoms over the past 100 years, the organization received special recognition from its local government in Pickerington, Ohio, the state legislature of Ohio, and the United States Congress.
Throughout the year, the AMA also held a collection of centennial celebrations — bringing members and AMA staff together to observe the AMA’s wide-ranging accomplishments over the past century. The AMA recognized its 100th anniversary at its Spring and Fall Bike Nights, AMA Hall of Fame Days, and AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days — which enjoyed its most successful running to date. The AMA also contributed anniversary displays to several high-profile events, such as Daytona Bike Week, Americade, AMA Supercross races, and more.
With the impending turn of the new year, the AMA launches into its next century with the same passion and devotion for protecting motorcyclists’ interests as it has maintained since 1924.
The AMA is incredibly grateful to all the members who have helped the organization thrive over the past century, and wishes everyone a joyous holiday season, a Happy New Year, and another 100 years of the AMA!
About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. Besides offering members money-saving discounts on products and services, the AMA also publishes American Motorcyclist, a recently revitalized and monthly full-color magazine (and digital version of same) that covers current events and motorcycle history with brilliant photography and compelling writing. American Motorcyclist is also North America’s largest-circulation magazine. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com.
Liberty Media announced today that it received notice of the European Commission opening a more in-depth (Phase II) investigation into its proposed acquisition of MotoGP. The agreement to acquire MotoGP was announced in April and has since received all other necessary regulatory approvals.
As a result of the opening of a Phase II investigation, all parties have agreed to extend the review process and believe the European Commission will reach a positive conclusion.
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of MotoGP rights holder Dorna Sports:
“We expect this acquisition to gain the requisite EU approval and are excited by the potential opportunity to work with Liberty Media. In the meantime, we remain committed to our strategy to take the sport to new heights and continue our impressive rate of growth, further expanding our global fanbase of over 500 million. 2024 saw season attendance of more than 3 million fans for the first time ever, and six tracks set new all-time records for their events. Our French GP broke the all-time attendance record. Looking ahead, we don’t just want more of the same, we want even more – and we are proud that our strategy is already beginning to deliver it. We hope fans are just excited as we are about the future and the incredible new season that is just around the corner.”
William Jackson, President of the Board of MotoGP (Dorna Sports) and Founder of Bridgepoint:
“MotoGP is the most exciting sport in the world and has a great future ahead. Bridgepoint and CPPIB have been hugely supportive of the Company and sport and remain fully committed to helping Carmelo and the team continue to drive the fantastic success the sport has enjoyed during 18 years as shareholders together.”
MotoGP continues to build for the future and establish itself as a leading sports and entertainment property while the competition review remains ongoing. The most exciting sport on earth has a worldwide fanbase of over 500 million and aims to expand exponentially around the globe to a new, young and diverse audience.
Our new brand identity, in development since 2023, reflects MotoGP’s intent. MotoGP is poised to transcend sport and further increase our cultural resonance, with a reinforced management team and internal changes already paying dividends in our mission to become a household name.
MotoGP is already seeing increased audiences and record crowds and the proposed acquisition by Liberty Media will accelerate this ongoing evolution for the benefit of all stakeholders in the sport.
We Are The Champions: Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Champion Mikayla Moore
By Paul Carruthers/MotoAmerica.com
Fifteen races in the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. series were run in the 2023 and 2024 MotoAmerica seasons and Mikayla Moore won 14 of them. The only one she didn’t win was the one she didn’t start when a crash during practice on a Twins Cup bike kept her out of race one at Road America. She came back the next day, a bit battered and bruised, and won race two by 23.9 seconds.
Moore didn’t just win races, she owned them. The margin of victory in those 14 wins? A tick over 18 seconds with the 21-year-old from Upper Marlboro, Maryland’s largest margin of victory coming in race two at Ridge Motorsports Park this past season – 44.1 seconds. Or in layman’s terms, a country mile.
Mikayla Moore dominated the 2024 Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Championship, winning every race she started. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
Fortunately for the new women who will begin the 2025 Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. series, and for the ones returning for another year, Moore will be moving onward and upward to a different MotoAmerica class, leaving track records in her wake for others to try and improve on as the series moves forward.
Moore started riding motorcycles at the age of six and she’s ridden/raced every since. Photo courtesy of the Moore family
Moore leaves the Royal Enfield program as a two-time champion, something she could have only dreamed of a few years ago.
“Definitely not, because at the time, from a young age starting at six years old, it started with just fun,” Moore said when asked if she could have even imagined being a two-time champ at this point in her career. “When I was getting older, my dad put me into things like mini moto and New Jersey MiniGP, and then I transferred over into club racing with ASRA and CCS. In my head I’m like, MotoAmerica will be cool to get into, but I was thinking my introduction to MotoAmerica would be Junior Cup and not Build. Train. Race. So, when Build. Train. Race. came around and I was able to have a bit of success with that… I definitely wouldn’t have imagined it. But am I surprised that, at this time in my life, I have those two titles? No, because of the work that was put into getting them.”
Moore is grateful for the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. series as it allowed her to show her skills and earn her recognition in the MotoAmerica paddock that will help propel her to the next class, whether that be Twins Cup or something else.
“Yeah, absolutely, Build. Train. Race. has been great for me,” Moore said. “For instance, getting the opportunity to do Twins Cup twice this year with two different teams – one with Rodio Racing and the other one with OrangeCat (Racing). They saw how well I was doing at Barber, and Matt (Spicer) with Robem (Engineering) was like, ‘Hey, how would we feel about putting Mikayla on a Twins bike, just to see how she’ll do?’ Then it was almost the same scenario with OrangeCat. My dad had inquired about a Hooligan bike for me to ride, just to do track days with. It got into talking about a Twins bike with OrangeCat. They were like, ‘Well, the bikes are doing nothing.’ That turned into, ‘Hey, do you guys want to do COTA?’ So, BTR definitely offered a lot of things for me and definitely got me the recognition that I needed.”
The BTR program is a well-oiled machine at this point with the racers and their Royal Enfield Continental GT 650s camped out for the racing weekends under the same awning, working on their bikes together before the battles begin.
“Off the track, we definitely did care for each other,” Moore said with a grin. “On the track, it may have been a different story with different people. But it was all like one big team because, at the end of the day, we’re technically all on the same bikes. The only thing that was making us different was how we rode the bikes, and then also how we set them up in terms of gearing or suspension that allow one to go faster than the other one.”
Moore thrives in the family atmosphere of the MotoAmerica paddock as that’s all she’s really known in her young career. Her father, Will, is always around, and her mom, Kamesha, worked for MotoAmerica in the merchandise truck at some of the rounds. The family also got to spend a fair share of its time at the podium as their daughter made a habit of winning races.
“It’s been like that since day one for us,” Moore said. “Now that I’m in MotoAmerica, my parents come to every round. Also just having their support meant a lot for me, especially having my dad because he has a motorcycle shop. So, he would take time out of his schedule to come out and support. It made things easier for me because I’m only one person in terms of being able to figure out the Royal Enfield because it’s such a unique bike in terms of the gearing. You only can do so much to it. You only have gearing and suspension that you can do. You can’t do anything to the motor. So, he would offer his insights that also played a role in my success.”
Moore has grown up around motorcycles. Her father owns a shop and Moore not only did her schoolwork in the office above the shop, but she also got her hands dirty. And loved every minute of it.
“Our location that we have now, he’s been there since 2015,” Moore said of her father’s business. “So next year will be our 10-year anniversary year. From a young age, at our house we had a shed in our backyard. My brother always told my dad, ‘I can picture us in a big shop and working on customers’ bikes.’ That ended up happening. I was homeschooled from fourth grade all the way up until graduation. In his shop, he had built a classroom upstairs for us. So, we’d do our homeschool classes upstairs and then come down once we were done with the work and help him with the bikes. Now I can do a whole motor swap without really needing any assistance. I love both worlds – racing and working on bikes.”
You were able to race in the Twins Cup class twice this past season with a best finish of ninth. What was the hardest part, adjusting to the bike or adjusting to a higher level of competition?
“With Rodio Racing, for instance, everything between Barber and Road America, I had a short window in terms of trying to get testing on an Aprilia because I had never ridden one before. I was able to do a race at Summit Point in West Virginia, and I did pretty well. But for Road America, I was doing double duty between the Royal Enfield and the Aprilia. For me, that weekend was a big adjustment because going from something like a Royal Enfield that’s only making about 47 horsepower and then getting on the Aprilia that’s making 90 plus. That was a little bit of the adjustment there and having to make sure that if you’re on the Royal Enfield, you’ve got to be a little bit easier and smoother with your inputs and your transitions and things like that. But also, the competition was definitely different. BTR I was always up front, so for me my goal was always like, how much faster can I go each lap? Versus on the Twins bike… I’m not used to having a pit board and them saying what position I’m in and how many seconds the next person is behind me, and things of that nature. So, kind of a little bit of adjusting for both. But once I did it, I thought about it like, ‘Man, this is going to be a little interesting…’ But once I did it, everything kind of just came to me.”
You don’t learn much about racecraft when you’re winning races from start to finish with a gap of over 20 seconds, but her background in club racing has taught Moore plenty about that.
Moore got the chance to go to Europe at the end of the MotoAmerica season to compete in the Intercontinental Games in Spain. Photo by Good-Shoot Motography.
“I’m not concerned in terms of my racecraft because with BTR, I was club racing as well,” Moore said. “So, the competition is always close. In terms of racecraft, it’s interesting because I did COTA in Twins Cup and everyone was always like, ‘Watching you get through the crowd is pretty interesting to see, because you just do it so smoothly.’ I guess people always see me up front, so it’s what did you learn and what is your takeaway from a program like that? What skills are you necessarily showing? For me, I’m like, because I do club racing… that’s the other side that a lot of people don’t really see that I do. So, it’s a surprise factor when I am able to go out there and finish with people that have been in that class in Twins Cup. At Road America, I finished ninth. At COTA, I know I was in the top 15.”
So, we know what Moore did in her two years in the Royal Enfield class, but do we know what she didn’t do? She didn’t crash. Not once. Not in practice, not in a race. Zilch.
“That thing stayed on two wheels all two years,” Moore said. “Nothing against anybody, but I don’t see how anyone can crash that thing. Granted, it is a tank. It has some weight to it. Once you’re on the bike, it’s so smooth. People or anyone who does have an incident with the Royal Enfield, it comes down to your inputs, because it is a unique bike. Some bikes have slipper clutches so you can downshift a certain way and it can kind of save you, whereas when you’re on a Royal Enfield you may not get so lucky. I can say that out of anyone who has ridden a Royal Enfield, I probably pushed that thing… At the Ridge, I thought I was going to crash it, just because how quick I was going and the lap times I was able to achieve on it. But at the same time, I was like, ‘with how smooth everything is, the bike will hold up. I’ll hold up with it.’
“Also, for this year, the new ladies… I told them the biggest advice that I could give to you guys is… Because a lot of them came from the little bikes, in terms of Yamaha R3s or 400s, was like, this Royal Enfield is totally different. You have to find your own style to ride this bike and to actually go fast on it and try not to take what you do on the R3 or 400, whatever bike that you have at home, and think that you can apply the same inputs or techniques to it. It can help you sometimes, but also it can harm you depending on what kind of situation you’re in when you’re battling.”
If Moore lacked competition in Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. her post-season trip to Spain for the Intercontinental Games definitely made up for that.
“It was a lot of fun,” Moore said of the event at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto. “I really didn’t know what to expect out of it, besides racing. I knew I was going over there to race. When we got there, I think we had about three days of downtime and in terms of the media and the equipment fitting and things like that. So, to ride that track… I would come back over here just to race this track again. But the competition was totally different than how it is back there. There’s no holding back. It was Friday and we had an hour to ride the track. We’re all trying to figure out the track, all the MotoAmerica folks that hadn’t been there before. These guys and girls are just passing us and I’m like, ‘Holy cow. I need to figure this turn out and these guys are just railing through here.’ Then when it came time for the race… In the beginning just watching when we all took off, I’m like, ‘I feel like carnage is about to happen. This is like survival mode out here. We’re survival racing right now.’ I just felt like you had to be at the right place at the right time to make certain maneuvers, but then even once you made the maneuver, it was crazy. At the end I was able to go back and watch the racing, and just to see one minute one person is in fourth, and the next thing they jump all the way down to 10th. Even with the qualifying. Sure, I was dropping time and getting better each lap, but then I was still in the same position because everyone else was doing the same exact thing.”
Although Moore was in the Supersport 300 class that saw her on a Yamaha YZF-R3, it was the harder class with gaggles of riders battling for spots from first to 30th.
“Yeah, it was really interesting,” Moore said. “I did Junior Cup in 2023. So, in Junior Cup, I was new to that class with MotoAmerica. They were like, ‘In order to get a good time, you have to draft someone. You have to find something to pocket, because if you’re by yourself you’re just going to be out there turning laps.’ So, I had to have that same mentality for the R3. You can’t really go out there by yourself. Even my mile an hour, my mile an hour was probably one of the ones that was lowest, because I didn’t have anyone in front of me or I didn’t have anyone to draft.”
While it’s too early to know what she’s doing next year, we do know that Moore will be in the MotoAmerica Championship.
“Next year is still up in the air right now,” she said. “Currently what I’m doing is getting ready to start my off-season training. So, when a phone call is made or an opportunity presents itself and someone is like, ‘Hey, here’s an opportunity. What do you want to do?’ At least I want to be physically and mentally ready to take on the next venture that comes up.”
The latest Pipe Dreams Podcast by Corey Alexander & James Rispoli
Talking With Jayson Uribe, Racer, Electrician, First Responder
Notes from Corey & James:
We are thrilled to sit down with Jayson Uribe for Episode 24 of Pipe Dreams Podcast. At just 25 years old, this Napa Valley native has built a remarkable career as a versatile motorcycle racer whose talent has taken him across the globe. From racing internationally in series like the British Superbike Championship and French Superbike Stock 600 class, to competing for the 2024 Stock 1000cc title in MotoAmerica, Jayson has proven himself on some of the world’s most competitive stages.
From left, Racers Jason Uribe, Corey Alexander, and James Rispoli.
Off the track, Jayson seamlessly balances multiple roles. He works as an electrician in his family’s fourth-generation business, Rock and Sons Electric, and serves his community as a volunteer firefighter with Deer Park Fire Station #21, where he earned the title of Firefighter of the Year in 2020. Always looking for new challenges, he has also launched his own accident investigation company, demonstrating his determination to make a meaningful impact both on and off the track.
Whether you’re a motorsports enthusiast or simply inspired by stories of hard work, versatility, and dedication, Jayson’s journey is one you won’t want to miss. From the thrill of international racing to serving his hometown in California, Jayson’s unique blend of experiences will leave you motivated and inspired.
Keep up with Jayson on Instagram via @jayson36uribe
WorldSBK will feature a competitive grid of 23 riders from 10 countries in 2025.
Reigning champion Toprak Razgatlioglu, who secured his second world title in 2024 and delivered BMW’s first rider’s championship since their debut into the championship in 2011, returns with the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team to defend his crown.
Runner-up Nicolo Bulega, who made a remarkable impact in his rookie Superbike year after clinching the 2023 World Supersport Championship, continues with Aruba.It Racing – Ducati, aiming to challenge for the top spot.
Veteran rider Alvaro Bautista, the 2022 & 2023 champion, remains a formidable presence on the grid, contributing to Ducati’s 20th manufacturer’s title in 2024.
The championship also welcomes the return of Bimota to WorldSBK, with Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani spearheading their efforts on the all-new KB998. Meanwhile, six-time champion Jonathan Rea heads into his second season with Pata Yamaha, looking to reignite his title challenge.
The 2025 FIM Supersport World Championship brings together a grid of 32 riders from 15 different countries, underlining the category’s reputation as a proving ground for top-tier racing talent.
This season marks the debut of Yamaha’s new R9, which replaces the venerable and highly successful R6, with riders like Stefano Manzi, Can Oncu, and Michael Rinaldi looking to take full advantage of the new machine.
The Ducati Panigale V2 remains the weapon of choice in the class, following back-to-back Riders’ titles with Nicolo Bulega and Adrian Huertas, and a total of 11 riders on Borgo Panigale machinery in 2025. In the Ducati camp, contenders such as Philipp Oettl, Marcel Schroetter, and Valentin Debise are all keen to make their mark.
Rising talents like Loris Veneman and fresh faces such as Jaume Masia add further intrigue, alongside the arrival of trailblazer Ana Carrasco, ensuring a season packed with fierce competition and standout moments.
The 2025 FIM Supersport 300 World Championship promises another thrilling season with a dynamic blend of rising stars, established talent, and global representation.
Featuring a grid of 32 riders across 10 nationalities, the championship sees teams bringing competitive machinery from Kawasaki, Yamaha, KTM, and Kove. Two-time World Champion Jeffrey Buis will be one of the standout entries alongside returning contenders such as Mirko Gennai, Marc Garcia and Julio Garcia.
2025 will be the final season of WorldSSP300 as the entry class in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship as a new feeder category will be introduced in 2026 to smoothen the transition to WorldSSP.
The FIM and Dorna WSBK Organization have officially unveiled the 2025 Entry List. The 2025 FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship will feature a truly global grid, with 14 nationalities representing all continents.
Among the returning riders, Maria Herrera, the 2024 runner-up, continues for a second season and is determined to claim the title after a fierce battle that saw her narrowly miss out until the final race of the season. Sara Sanchez, who finished third last year, has been a consistent force and will be looking to challenge Herrera for the 2025 title.
While many riders return for their second season, including 2024 podium finishers Beatriz Neila, Roberta Ponziani, and Tayla Relph, the Championship is also proud to welcome nine new talents, some of whom showcased their skills with wildcard appearances in 2024.
The FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship (WorldWCR) is a groundbreaking single-make series exclusively for aspiring female riders, featuring the Yamaha R7. Building on the success of its inaugural season in 2024, which saw Ana Carrasco crowned, the series aims to continue advancing women’s motorsport by fostering new talent and showcasing competitive racing on a global stage.
With six rounds scheduled for 2025, the WorldWCR offers emerging talent an equal platform to showcase their skills alongside the world’s best riders. By addressing disparities and breaking down barriers, the series empowers women to reach new heights in professional racing. As a dedicated space for female riders, WorldWCR celebrates skill, passion, and diversity. It inspires the next generation of female racers while shaping a more inclusive motorsport landscape.
The 2025 WorldWCR calendar at a glance
1. Dutch Round, TT Circuit Assen – 11-13 April
2. Acerbis Italian Round, Cremona Circuit, 2-4 May
3. Prosecco DOC UK Round, Donington Park, 11-13 July
4. Hungarian Round, Balaton Park Circuit* – 25-27 July
5. French Round, Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, 5-7 September
6. Spanish Round, Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto – 17-19 October
Max Zeidman, age eight, riding the new Kawasaki Elektrode electric balance bike. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
By John Ulrich
(Editor’s note: This post originally ran on December 12th, 2022, so don’t count on the pricing being accurate now, in December 2024.)
An effective way to teach kids to ride on two wheels is to start them on a Strider 12 Classic (MSRP $119.99) balance bike designed for ages 18-months to 3 years. It has 12-inch wheels, adjustable seat and handlebar height, and is available with an easy-to-install, easy to remove optional rocker base (MSRP about $30) for the youngest kids.
A Strider 12 Classic on a rocker base. Photo courtesy Strider.
When they’re ready, the bike can be removed from the rocker base and a kid can quickly learn to move it forward with their feet, and then balance and coast with their feet up.
A young new rider on a Strider Classic 12 with the rocker base removed and seat adjusted to an appropriate height. Photo courtesy Strider.
For older kids, the Strider 14x (with 14-inch wheels, MSRP $219.00) can be used as a balance bike and later be fitted with an optional pedal kit (MSRP $69.99) to make it a bicycle.
A Strider 14x with pedal kit fitted. Photo courtesy Strider.
A step up to powered riding is a twist-grip-equipped Stacyc 12e Drive electric bike (MSRP $799.00) for ages 3-5 or a 16e (MSRP $1,049) or larger 18e or 20e models for older kids, available with assorted motorcycle brand graphics.
A Stacyc 12e Drive electric balance bike with KTM logos. Photo courtesy KTM North America.
And Indian sells the eFTR mini, which has a twist-grip throttle, two speed settings, and is designed for kids eight and older weighing less than 140 pounds (MSRP $529.99), and the larger eFTR Jr., which has a twist-grip throttle, chain drive, dual disc brakes, and a maximum weight rating of 175 pounds (MSRP $849.99).
An Indian eFTR Mini in front of the larger Indian eFTR Jr. Both are twist-grip electric motorcycles. Photo courtesy Indian Motorcycle.
Once a kid has mastered a larger machine, many gas minibikes are available, or, if a kid wants to stay on an electric, KTM offers the electric SX-E 3 and SX-E 5. Husqvarna and GasGas branded versions are also available.
A 2023 KTM SX-E 3. It comes with a tip-over switch and power-killing lanyard that slips over the rider’s left wrist. Photo courtesy KTM.
The KTM SX-E 5 is based on KTM’s SX 50 motocross racebike with adjustable long-travel WP XACT suspension, 12-inch wheels, an adjustable seat height, and lockable ride modes (1-6) to limit power and speed (up to 45 mph in Mode 6) to a rider’s skillset. MSRP is $5,499.
The KTM SX-E3 (MSRP $4,999) shares the SX-E5’s chrome-moly steel tube chassis, WP suspension, and motor with lockable ride modes, but has 10-inch wheels, and a lower (and adjustable) seat height. A lower-voltage 648 Wh battery reduces the power output from 5 kW (6.7 hp) to 3.8 kW (5.1 hp) with a lower top speed, but can be swapped for the larger-capacity, higher-voltage 907 Wh battery from the SX-E 5 if the rider’s skill grows faster than their body.
A KTM SX-E 5, an electric version of KTM’s SX 50 motocross bike. Photo courtesy KTM North America.
Intro: Kawasaki Elektrode Electric Balance Bike
By Hayley Ulrich Zeidman
My son Max Zeidman, age eight, enjoys riding bicycles, but isn’t a natural daredevil; he’s more of a methodical learner, whose tenacity often results in great results after he gets over his initial apprehension. He had this same attitude when it comes to mini-motorcycles…he likes them, but wasn’t prepared to ride them himself.
Enter the 2023 Kawasaki Elektrode, Kawasaki’s entry level, very basic electric balance bike built for riders ages 3-8 and under 99 pounds. Designed for beginners as a first step to motorcycle confidence, the company brags that it has “over-engineered” the bike so that even the youngest riders have a positive experience.
A Kawasaki Elektrode electric balance bike. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
It has an aluminum frame with a built-in battery pack good for up to 2-1/2 hours of running time, and an equal recharge time. Being powered by an electric motor built into the rear wheel hub, this light but sturdy bike delivers power in a smooth, linear, predictable fashion so that beginning riders can gradually build up comfort with power and control. The motor is almost silent, which helps unsure kids feel less intimidated (as opposed to the noise of a typical engine).
The Kawasaki Elektrode features a rear hub drive motor, eliminating the need for a drive chain/belt and removing external moving parts. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Other key design points include a low center of gravity and ideal balance point for easy turning and leaning, as well as no chain and no moving external parts on the drive-train. The bike has cool, pneumatic knobby dirt tires on 16-inch cast aluminum wheels, with three speed modes (Low, 5 mph; Medium, 7.5 mph; High, 13 mph) selected by entering a unique passcode into an onboard parental lock. Suggested retail price is $1,099.
The footpegs on the Kawasaki Elektrode fold up to allow it to be used as a kid-powered balance bike. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
As an non-intimidating entry-level bike, the Kawasaki Elektrode is an absolute slam-dunk. Max and I were asked by the editor (Max’s grandfather) to represent RoadracingWorld at an intro and test-ride event held at Fox Racing’s headquarters in Irvine, California, near Kawasaki’s offices. Max wasn’t sure about riding the Elektrode on the dirt, but gained confidence in a parking lot cone course. Soon, he was ready to ride the Elektrode on a simple kid dirt track behind the Fox building. Max, who weighs 55 pounds, initially crashed in one of the corners, but was able to easily pick up the 32-pound Elektrode on his own and get going again.
Max said of the experience, “It was really fun. At first I was just getting the hang of it and I was slow, and I tipped over. I got going better, and later on, in one turn, I started crashing. But I didn’t crash because I had more focus and control on the motorcycle.” Max admittedly doesn’t have a lot of powered riding experience, but gained so much confidence on the Elektrode that he said he wanted one as a holiday gift! With easy maintenance and durability, this makes a lot of sense as a present, and is designed to be passed along to younger siblings and cousins after it’s been outgrown.
Max Zeidman, age eight, riding the new Kawasaki Elektrode electric balance bike on a dirt course at Fox Racing’s headquarters in Southern California. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
The new Kawasaki "Elektrode" electric balance bike designed and built by Kawasaki. Photo courtesy Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A.
2023 KAWASAKI ELEKTRODE™ ELECTRIC BALANCE BIKE
THE GOOD TIMES ARE ELECTRIC
(Editor’s note: This post was originally published on November 10th, 2022, so don’t count on pricing still being the same now, in December 2024.)
A child’s first experience on two wheels is such a memorable time, not only for the child but for the parents as well. While standard bicycles are a common first step for a child learning to ride, few products exist to help bridge the gap to a small displacement motorcycle.
From the brand behind the KX™ motocross powerhouse comes the all-new Elektrode™ electric balance bike. Little rippers can now start their journey on two wheels as early as three years old. Meaning, the path to the podium now starts earlier than ever. It’s an official welcome to world-class, high-performance, iconic Kawasaki vehicles when young riders get started on the Elektrode.
Since engine noise and exhaust can often be intimidating to young children learning to ride, the Elektrode can help encourage those who might otherwise be nervous to see how much fun riding can be. Plus, with Lime Green paint, a number plate, and motocross-inspired graphics, riders will feel like their favorite Kawasaki Team Green™ race team idol.
The Elektrode is compact in size to allow for easy transportation in the back seat or trunk of a car, so riders can bring their favorite two-wheeler on camping trips, weekend getaways, or off-road excursions. Since it is designed and built in-house with young riders in mind, the Elektrode has the build quality and reliability that Kawasaki is known for and is ready to withstand years of fun. With the help of Kawasaki’s flagship electric balance bike, now the whole family can get in on the fun and help kick-start the process of getting little rippers on their first bike.
ALL-NEW 2023 KAWASAKI ELEKTRODE™ HIGHLIGHTS:
NEW Designed and built by Kawasaki
NEW Powerful 250W in-wheel brushless electric motor
NEW Three selectable speed modes (low/mid/high) with passcode parental lock
NEW Premium disc brake
NEW Adjustable seat height, handlebar position and brake level
NEW Lightweight aluminium frame with low center of gravity
NEW Durable 16″ cast aluminum wheels and pneumatic tires
NEW Long-lasting frame-integrated battery with up to 2.5 hours of running time*
NEW KX-inspired styling and motocross style handlebar with twist throttle
NEW Foldable steel footpegs with rubber grip
ELECTRIC MOTOR
The 2023 Elektrode electric balance bike is the first of its kind for Kawasaki, leading the way with an air-cooled, brushless, in-wheel electric motor producing 250 watts of acceleration at the rear wheel. Power is delivered in a smooth, linear fashion and gets the Elektrode moving in a predictable way, gradually building the rider’s comfort with power and control. Since the electric motor is virtually silent, kids will feel less intimidated by the noise normally produced by the engines and exhaust of traditional motorcycles. Strategically located within the rear wheel, the motor contributes to the Elektrode’s low center of gravity for an ideal balance point that makes for a light steering feel and easy turning and leaning. The brushless electric motor has no moving external parts, making it easy to use and giving parents some peace of mind.
BATTERY
The Kawasaki Elektrode is the perfect electric bike for long periods of fun thanks to a long-lasting in-frame lithium-ion battery. On a single charge, the Elektrode can run for 2.5 hours* (or approximately nine miles) and only takes 2.5 hours to fully recharge, allowing ample time for kids to play. Since the battery is built into the aluminum frame, it is better protected from dirt, debris and any potential impact damage that could occur during hard use, increasing durability. As a bonus, the Elektrode comes equipped with an auto-sleep feature that shuts off the power after ten minutes of inactivity, preserving the usable battery time and eliminating the worry if someone forgets to turn the unit off.
Charging the Elektrode’s battery is easy and convenient. The provided charging cable can be plugged into the front of the bike and connected to any home outlet, making the Elektrode easy to charge anywhere. When not at home, the battery can also easily be charged from a car, camper or side-by-side vehicle, meaning the fun can continue even while on the go.
* Running time varies based on battery age, charge and the number of charge cycles it has had, rider weight, speed, and riding conditions.
SPEED MODES
Parent-controlled multiple speed modes allow riders to grow and adapt as their abilities increase. Three speed modes can be selected using the LCD screen located on the handlebars, making it quick and simple to switch between modes. Each mode caps the electric bike at a specific speed: low at 5mph, mid at 7.5mph, and high at 13mph. The power can also be turned off, transforming the Elektrode into a balance bike that is suited for any child at the beginning of their two-wheeled journey. In order to change modes, the bike must be completely stopped, creating an extra layer of safety for both the rider and parent. A special parental lock that requires a unique passcode deters unauthorized changing of power levels.
CHASSIS + ERGONOMICS
The Elektrode electric balance bike was made with the same renowned build quality that Kawasaki is known for and ensures that the Elektrode can stand up to the hard use a child will put it through. A lightweight aluminum frame provides the durability parents expect while remaining light for kids to handle, and its compact 32.8-inch wheelbase adds to its easy handling nature. A highly rigid steel front fork adorns the front of the bike which grants riders a solid feel for steering, and a 160mm rear-mounted mechanical disc brake provides ample stopping power at the pull of a lever, giving riders a stable, easy-to-use brake that promotes learning about stopping and regulating their speed.
To keep the Elektrode light and sturdy, Kawasaki designed special 16” cast-aluminum wheels which, when paired with a low seat height, provides a more planted feel for smaller riders and eliminates the need to upgrade to a larger wheel size as children grow. 16×2.125 HE-type tires and tubes with Schrader valves make servicing easy for parents, and the knobby tires allow the Elektrode to be ridden on several different types of terrain.
The Elekrode is designed to accommodate riders from ages 3 to 8 and having highly adjustable components makes it the perfect electric bike for growing riders. With over 4” of adjustability in the seat, the Elektrode can comfortably fit children 37” to 55” tall. Folding steel footpegs with rubber pads provide rigidity and versatility on the Elektrode, allowing for the bike to easily be converted to a balance bike with a simple fold. Kids can learn to use the Elektrode as a self-pushing balance bike with no motor friction/resistance first, then graduate to using the footpegs and electric motor/throttle.The handlebar design promotes an upright riding position without compromising knee space, providing the extra room as kids grow, and with a common-sized handlebar and seat, parents will have the ability to change and customize their child’s bike as they see fit.
STYLING
Inspired by the KX™ motocross motorcycles that kids see at the races or on TV, the Kawasaki Elektrode is designed to look like a full-fledged off-road machine. A KX-inspired front number plate adorns the front of the Elektrode, and with the iconic Kawasaki Lime-Green coloring and racing graphics that match the popular off-road motorcycles, kids will feel just like one of their motocross idols. The smooth, clean lines contribute to the bike’s simple, sporty looks, and the dirt-inspired tires bring the Elektrode’s sleek style together.
COLORS AND MSRP
The 2023 Elektrode electric balance bike will be available in Lime Green with an MSRP of $1,099.
ABOUT KAWASAKI
Kawasaki started full-scale production of motorcycles over a half century ago. The first Kawasaki motorcycle engine was designed based on technical know-how garnered from the development and production of aircraft engines, and Kawasaki’s entry into the motorcycle industry was driven by the company’s constant effort to develop new technologies. Numerous new Kawasaki models introduced over the years have helped shape the market, and in the process have created enduring legends based on their unique engineering, power, design and riding pleasure. In the future, Kawasaki Motors, Ltd. is committed to maintaining and furthering these strengths which will surely give birth to new legends.
Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. (KMC) markets and distributes Kawasaki motorcycles, ATVs, side x sides, and JET SKI® watercraft through a network of approximately 1,100 independent retailers, with close to an additional 7,700 retailers specializing in general purpose engines. KMC and its affiliates employ nearly 3,100 people in the United States, with approximately 260 of them located at KMC’s Foothill Ranch, California headquarters.
Kawasaki’s tagline, “Let the good times roll.®”, is recognized worldwide. The Kawasaki brand is synonymous with powerful, stylish and category-leading vehicles. Information about Kawasaki’s complete line of powersports products and Kawasaki affiliates can be found on the Internet at www.kawasaki.com
The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) announced the addition of famed racing tuner Jeremy Albrecht, who will join the AMA Racing Department’s ranks as the technical manager.
“We’re pleased to add the talented Jeremy Albrecht to our racing staff as our technical manager,” AMA Director of Racing Mike Pelletier said. “Jeremy’s extensive experience and successful career at the highest levels of AMA Supercross and motocross competition will undoubtedly strengthen our racing team.”
Albrecht joins the AMA’s racing staff with a wealth of experience in the world of motorcycle competition. Getting his start as an amateur racer, Albrecht used his racing background to become one of the most successful tuners in the history of AMA Supercross and pro motocross.
Starting as a mechanic for his brother, Joel, in 1991, Albrecht quickly made a name for himself as a tuner. In 1995, Albrecht paired with AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Jeff Emig, aiding the legendary racer to four titles — including the 1997 AMA Supercross championship.
After his time with Emig, Albrecht became the tuner for another AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer — James Stewart. From 2002-2007, the duo captured seven professional motocross championships — including the 2006 and 2007 AMA Supercross titles.
Following his dominant stretch with Stewart, Albrecht spent 13 years at Joe Gibbs Racing MX — spanning the team’s entire run from 2007-2020.
After Joe Gibbs Racing MX Team ceased operations in 2020, Albrecht remained with JGR in its new business development, working on the manufacturing side of the organization. During this time, Albrecht became involved with the AMA as a rider representative.
Now, Albrecht’s role with the AMA will expand as he will serve as the technical manager for the organization’s racing efforts.
“I’m excited to be back at the races full-time. Working with Mike Pelletier and the AMA crew the last few years has made me want to do more and help grow the sport,” Albrecht said. “I like the direction they are going and can’t wait to do my part.”
Keep up with the latest news and updates from the AMA racing department at AmericanMotorcyclist.com and @ama_racing on Instagram.
About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. Besides offering members money-saving discounts on products and services, the AMA also publishes American Motorcyclist, a recently revitalized and monthly full-color magazine (and digital version of same) that covers current events and motorcycle history with brilliant photography and compelling writing. American Motorcyclist is also North America’s largest-circulation magazine. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com.
Hayden Gillim and his son, Stone, celebrate dad earning a second straight MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Championship. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
We Are The Champions: MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Hayden Gillim
By Paul Carruthers/MotoAmerica.com
With three championships in the past two seasons and 33 career MotoAmerica victories across three classes, it’s fair to say that Hayden Gillim may be the most underrated racer in the paddock. And let’s not forget that he’s a three-time MotoAmerica Champion with two of those titles coming in the same season. Those are the sort of stats that usually equate to factory rides. Not so for Gillim. At least not yet.
Underrated? Well, the proof is in the pudding.
2018: Four wins, second in Supersport Championship. No factory ride.
2019: Five wins, third in Supersport Championship. No factory ride.
2022: Five wins, second in Stock 1000 Championship, lost in a tiebreaker. No factory ride.
2023: Six wins, Stock 1000 Champion. No factory ride.
Three wins, Mission King Of The Baggers Champion. No factory ride.
2024: Seven wins, Stock 1000 Champion, No factory ride.
Three wins, third in Mission King Of The Baggers Championship. No factory ride.
So, does it bother Gillim that he’s never had a shot at a factory Superbike in the MotoAmerica Championship?
“I’ve thought a lot about it, especially the last couple years,” the laid-back Hayden said. “I know if I have a proper Superbike, I know I could win races and fight with those guys at the front. But I don’t know if up until the last couple years I just never pushed for myself on that side enough to really make anything happen, or what. I know the last couple years there’s been a bunch of fast guys. Right now, we have the most stacked lineup of riders in a long time in AMA and in MotoAmerica, across all classes. So, there’s a lot of talent out there trying to get the same seats. Luckily now we have quite a few rides available. There are a lot of guys that have a lot of high caliber resumes and everything. I don’t know what the reasoning is behind my luck on that side, but that’s always been a dream of mine to get to ride a real, proper Superbike.”
The closest Gillim has come to that “real proper” Superbike ride came via a Wild Card ride in World Superbike with the Petronas MIE Racing Honda team last year during a break in the MotoAmerica schedule.
“It’s funny that now I can say I’ve raced an actual Superbike, but it wasn’t even in America,” the 29-year-old Gillim said. “It was in World Superbike. That’s one thing that I think I’m working towards it, but it’s taken a lot longer than I would have ever expected to get on a real Superbike in America and have a go at Superbike race wins or a Superbike title and everything. It seems like other people have just been in the right place at the right time to be on a Superbike, and I’ve always found myself either already having something lined up or… I don’t know. It’s been a big thing on my mind. I don’t talk about it a lot, but that’s the dream to be on a factory Superbike. Hopefully, we can make that happen.”
Hayden Gillim (1) leads Ashton Yates (27) and Benjamin Smith (78) at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
Gillim is coming off another season of success with his second straight Stock 1000 Championship after a dominant seven-win season. Gillim started the season with three straight wins, and his confidence was never higher than it was after a race-one win at Brainerd International Raceway. Brainerd is one of Gillim’s favorites, and it showed as he was doing lap times within the same second as the Superbikes. In race two, however, it all came unraveled with a crash on the opening lap. The always-honest Gillim copped to the fact that he was simply trying to do too much to show that he could go as fast as the top Superbikes on his Real Steel Motorsports Honda CBR1000RR-R SP.
“I learned from it,” Gillim said of the Brainerd crash. “Obviously, I regret it because it cost me a possible win and a bunch of points and some money and everything. But I kind of needed it to ground me a little bit. After that, I wasn’t so focused in the Stock class on running Superbike times so much. After that, I tried to relax a little bit. I didn’t have to win everything. I wanted to, but I didn’t have to. I definitely regret crashing, but I think I needed it.”
Gillim was putting too much emphasis on winning, and it resulted in some crashes – in both Stock 1000 and Mission King Of The Baggers. In fact, Gillim ended up the “crash king” of 2024 with a total of 10 crashes combined on his Honda and the RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson.
“I think I kind of needed this year to bring me back down,” Gillim said. “Whenever I came back into the series a couple years ago, my main goal was just to stay up and take what I could get on days that I wasn’t at my best or anything. I think, after winning the Bagger championship and then the Stock 1000 championship last year, I felt like this year I had to go win more. It kind of bit me in the butt a couple too many times. I definitely regret all the crashing, but I think I needed it just because it did kind of bring me back down a little bit and make me realize that there’s a lot more on the line than just going out and being super-fast.”
The Stock 1000 Championship ended up not being the total runaway that it looked to be early in the season. Orange Cat Racing’s Jayson Uribe made sure of that, with the Californian winning the two races that Gillim crashed in and pushing the Kentuckian in the majority of the other races. His efforts earned him kudos from Gillim, who was surprised by Uribe’s speed.
“He surprised me, honestly,” Gillim said. “I don’t think we had ever raced against each other before. Obviously, I’ve seen him racing and seen him at the track and all that. He surprised the heck out of me. I expected Ben Smith to be up there. I expected Ashton (Yates) to be up there. I expected Travis (Wyman) to do a little bit better than what he was able to do this year. Jayson definitely surprised me, which really everybody did. Everybody stepped it up big time this year. It was a really good season. That’s another thing I’m kind of glad for those couple crashes I had because it forced me to have to race a lot smarter than I was at the beginning of the year where I was just going full bore every lap. I was trying to just win every single session. I was trying to win every lap. I was trying to win everything. It was just about being the fastest. So, at the end of the year, I was kind of having to race a little bit smarter. It made it difficult. Made it a lot more stressful than I would have liked it to, but that’s part of it. It’s awesome whenever you have those guys that kind of pop up where you didn’t expect them to because it makes you grow. It makes them grow. Everybody learns and gets better. That’s what we need here, is just the talent level to keep rising and getting better and everybody getting faster. That’s just going to make the whole series better and make all the riders a lot better.”
Hayden Gillim at speed on the RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Road Glide at Road America. Gillim finished third in the Mission King Of The Baggers Championship. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Gillim admits his crashes on the Vance & Hines Harley were the by-product of over-riding the big V-Twin. After all, he had a big number one on the bike, and he wasn’t going to go down without a fight.
“I had some big crashes,” Gillim said. “It was tough because we had some setbacks as a team early on in the year that made it tough. Then I compounded it by over-riding the bike and crashing. It was a tough year. I was frustrated a lot of the year just because I had the number one plate, and I wanted to win. That was what, again back to the crashing thing, I kind of went away from just taking what I could get on days when I wasn’t my best. I felt like I had to win every single race, and it bit me in the butt a lot. I made a lot of mistakes and had a few too many crashes and ultimately those crashes cost me any hope of being in the title fight.
“I felt like, all year, I had the speed and everything to be there, but obviously Troy (Herfoss) and Kyle (Wyman) were just on it every single weekend. But even those two guys, they had a few crashes and that’s where last year I capitalized on those by not having any and was able to win the championship because of it. It was tough. I won three races and was only on the podium in five of them, including those three races. So, for me as a rider on my side of things, I felt like I left a lot out there with a lot of mistakes and everything.”
Late in the season, a crash at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course left Gillim with a broken hand for the final two rounds at Circuit of The Americas and New Jersey Motorsports Park.
“At the end of the season I was kind of just hanging on for dear life trying to get what I could and still ended up putting the bike on the ground a couple of times,” Gillim said. “It was a long season. I’m looking forward to seeing what next year has in store for it. I think, this year, I learned a lot. Being able to get back to not having to win every single race… I think getting back to that mentality is going to be really good for me.”
If Gillim crashed 10 times, seven or eight of them were the kind that make your body hurt to watch. Gillim is tough. There’s no doubting that, but he hurts like the rest of us. He just hides it well.
“I try not to show any hurt,” Gillim said. “I definitely don’t want to tell people I’m hurt. I feel like nowadays everybody if they stub their toe, that’s the reason why they’re a second off the pace, or something. You have a little sniffle and that’s why you’re not riding very good. I feel like everybody nowadays has an excuse. If I have a bad day, I want it to just clearly be my fault or something and not make excuses for myself on it. I am fortunate that I have big crashes and I’m able to get up and walk away, but at some point, you have enough crashes you’re going to end up getting actually hurt. This year was my year for that. It’s been a while since I’ve broken anything. Breaking my hand, I was surprised. It’s been really frustrating how slow the recovery on it has been. That one really set me back a little bit. Even now, just kind of squeezing my hand together, it’s still tight and sore and tender. It’s a little frustrating, but I’ve been able to ride and everything with it now without any pain and all that. So, we’re back to a good spot on that. I think I’ve been fortunate, but definitely got to cut back on the crashes.”
Speaking of excuses, when asked if racing in two, sometimes three races a weekend is difficult, Gillim shrugged that off, as well. He thinks there’s a lot of good that comes from it.
“I know people use that excuse too, but you’re racing two different classes,” Gillim said. “You might be stretched thin or tired. I don’t look at it that way. The last couple years doing it, racing Superbike, Stock 1000 and in Baggers, I think it’s been helpful because there’s no time to cool down and get tight or anything. I feel like I’m warmed up and ready to go every time I go out on track. I don’t have a ton of time to dwell on one thing and one class. I get done with one race or one session, and if it was a bad session or something I kind of have to put it aside and get on to the next one. And vice versa. Whenever I get done with that next session, I have to focus on trying to figure out what we need to do to make the other bike better. So, I think it helps. I think being on the bike a lot, you get more laps, you get more seat time and can learn more about the track. Even figuring out why is my Bagger working better than the 1000, or why is the 1000 working better than the Bagger. Being able to bounce stuff off and think about things. I think it helps a ton. I think it keeps me pretty sharp. It seems like the last couple years my worst weekends have been where I’ve only had one class to race. That’s because I’m used to having multiple classes going. So, I get to thinking about stuff too much or I’m tight whenever I get on the bike. That’s the hard part. This year only running two classes every weekend instead of doing the three classes… in those rounds, actually, I felt hurt me.”
Early in his career, Gillim was a madman when it came to training. His cycling rides were long and often. With a wife and two young children, Gillim has settled into family life and has learned to listen to his body and back off on the training. It’s a balancing act between not doing enough and over-doing it.
“I definitely need to do more (training) than what I have been,” Gillim said. “During race season, I do enough. Having the kids now and everything, I get sidetracked easily. That’s where my excuses come from. I’m like, ‘Well, I got to do this with Stone, or I’ve got to do some dishes.’ I make excuses as to why I’m not training as much as I feel like I should.
“It’s funny. Before Daytona for the 200, I was on it super-hard and was being really strict about my diet and cycling and running and everything. I felt like Daytona was a terrible weekend for me, even though I got on the podium in the 200 and was right there in the Bagger races. I made a lot of mistakes in the actual 200 race. I ran wide in turn one, like, three times. Ran through the chicane early on in the first stint. Then same thing in Baggers. I ran wide in turn one a few times, ran through the chicane one lap in one of the races. After the 200 and after the last Bagger race, I remember sitting there feeling super, super-weak. Like I had gone way too overboard on it. After that, I backed it off a little bit for the rest of the year. I used to do a lot. I used to cycle a ton and run a lot and do a bunch of stuff. Always doing something. I think it was good at that time for me, but with how my life is now, I don’t think I can do as much and still have the energy to be able to race a couple different classes. Back then, I was only racing one class at a time. I think now running multiple classes I can’t do as much, especially leading up to the race weekends because I end up draining myself too much now.”
Hayden Gillim and his wife, Summer. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
In many ways, Gillim is old school. He doesn’t share everything about his life on social media. He just wants to race and let the results speak for themselves.
“This year, I felt like for me solidified to myself that I know with the right equipment and everything, I can make it,” Gillim said. “I can make a strong Superbike bid. I’ve told a few people. I was born like 15, 20 years too late. I should have been racing in the late ‘90s and everything. I think I would have fit in well with that crowd. I’m not a big social media guy. I don’t put myself out there enough and I know a lot of people really want that and like that. There are a few things that I think I could do better and kind of make myself stand out a little bit more. I’ve always been a firm believer that my racing and riding should do a lot of the talking for me. Unfortunately, these days, it doesn’t pan out like that.”
Although Gillim was mum on most of his plans for the 2025 season, he will be racing in the Superbike class on the same Real Steel Motorsports Honda team. No Stock 1000. Just Superbike. And he will also be back in the saddle of the RevZilla/Motul/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson and making a push to regain that Mission King Of The Baggers Championship.
“Right now, the plan is to run Superbike,” Gillim said. “I’m not planning on doing Stock 1000. After tying for the championship in ‘22, and then winning the championship the last two years, I feel like I need to focus on Superbike. It will be on a Honda. It’ll be the same group working together. It should be a successful season. We have some other announcements coming up soon for other team members, which we are excited about too.”
AMA’s 100th Anniversary Celebrated at State and Local Levels: Ohio’s recognition of the AMA’s 100th anniversary — presented To AMA President Rob Dingman by Ohio Sen. Tim Schaffer (R-20) on the Ohio Senate floor during a legislative session — is a major milestone for the organization, which has laid its roots in the Buckeye State as it carries out its mission to effectively serve and protect the rights of motorcyclists throughout the country.
Photo Courtesy of Sen. Tim Schaffer's Office
AMA Looks Back On Its Successful 100th Anniversary Year
Celebrates a century of AMA rights wins, historic racing accomplishments and camaraderie among riders this holiday season
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — With the holidays just around the corner and the new year to follow, the American Motorcyclist Association prepares to cap off its year-long celebration of its 100th anniversary — 1924-2024 — along with its substantial achievements of this year.
“For the past century, the American Motorcyclist Association has brought together hundreds of thousands of like-minded riders with a shared love of motorcycling,” AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman said. “As we celebrated our 100th anniversary in 2024, we reflected on our journey as one of the largest motorcycling membership organizations in the world and the impact the organization has had on the motorcycle industry and its enthusiasts. We take great pride in our mission to protect motorcycling and promote the motorcycle lifestyle, and we will continue to do so for the next 100 years!”
During its 100th anniversary in 2024, the AMA continued to champion the diverse and growing motorcycling community through its commitment to advocate for motorcyclists’ rights at the local, state and federal levels. For its efforts at the forefront of the fight to protect motorcyclists’ freedoms over the past 100 years, the organization received special recognition from its local government in Pickerington, Ohio, the state legislature of Ohio, and the United States Congress.
Throughout the year, the AMA also held a collection of centennial celebrations — bringing members and AMA staff together to observe the AMA’s wide-ranging accomplishments over the past century. The AMA recognized its 100th anniversary at its Spring and Fall Bike Nights, AMA Hall of Fame Days, and AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days — which enjoyed its most successful running to date. The AMA also contributed anniversary displays to several high-profile events, such as Daytona Bike Week, Americade, AMA Supercross races, and more.
With the impending turn of the new year, the AMA launches into its next century with the same passion and devotion for protecting motorcyclists’ interests as it has maintained since 1924.
The AMA is incredibly grateful to all the members who have helped the organization thrive over the past century, and wishes everyone a joyous holiday season, a Happy New Year, and another 100 years of the AMA!
About the American Motorcyclist Association
Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders’ interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. Besides offering members money-saving discounts on products and services, the AMA also publishes American Motorcyclist, a recently revitalized and monthly full-color magazine (and digital version of same) that covers current events and motorcycle history with brilliant photography and compelling writing. American Motorcyclist is also North America’s largest-circulation magazine. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling. For more information, visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com.
Pedro Acosta (31) testing the KTM RC16 in Barcelona. Photo by Michael Gougis.
Liberty Media announced today that it received notice of the European Commission opening a more in-depth (Phase II) investigation into its proposed acquisition of MotoGP. The agreement to acquire MotoGP was announced in April and has since received all other necessary regulatory approvals.
As a result of the opening of a Phase II investigation, all parties have agreed to extend the review process and believe the European Commission will reach a positive conclusion.
Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of MotoGP rights holder Dorna Sports:
“We expect this acquisition to gain the requisite EU approval and are excited by the potential opportunity to work with Liberty Media. In the meantime, we remain committed to our strategy to take the sport to new heights and continue our impressive rate of growth, further expanding our global fanbase of over 500 million. 2024 saw season attendance of more than 3 million fans for the first time ever, and six tracks set new all-time records for their events. Our French GP broke the all-time attendance record. Looking ahead, we don’t just want more of the same, we want even more – and we are proud that our strategy is already beginning to deliver it. We hope fans are just excited as we are about the future and the incredible new season that is just around the corner.”
William Jackson, President of the Board of MotoGP (Dorna Sports) and Founder of Bridgepoint:
“MotoGP is the most exciting sport in the world and has a great future ahead. Bridgepoint and CPPIB have been hugely supportive of the Company and sport and remain fully committed to helping Carmelo and the team continue to drive the fantastic success the sport has enjoyed during 18 years as shareholders together.”
MotoGP continues to build for the future and establish itself as a leading sports and entertainment property while the competition review remains ongoing. The most exciting sport on earth has a worldwide fanbase of over 500 million and aims to expand exponentially around the globe to a new, young and diverse audience.
Our new brand identity, in development since 2023, reflects MotoGP’s intent. MotoGP is poised to transcend sport and further increase our cultural resonance, with a reinforced management team and internal changes already paying dividends in our mission to become a household name.
MotoGP is already seeing increased audiences and record crowds and the proposed acquisition by Liberty Media will accelerate this ongoing evolution for the benefit of all stakeholders in the sport.
2023-2024 MotoAmerica Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Champion Mikayla Moore. Brian J. Nelson photo.
We Are The Champions: Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Champion Mikayla Moore
By Paul Carruthers/MotoAmerica.com
Fifteen races in the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. series were run in the 2023 and 2024 MotoAmerica seasons and Mikayla Moore won 14 of them. The only one she didn’t win was the one she didn’t start when a crash during practice on a Twins Cup bike kept her out of race one at Road America. She came back the next day, a bit battered and bruised, and won race two by 23.9 seconds.
Moore didn’t just win races, she owned them. The margin of victory in those 14 wins? A tick over 18 seconds with the 21-year-old from Upper Marlboro, Maryland’s largest margin of victory coming in race two at Ridge Motorsports Park this past season – 44.1 seconds. Or in layman’s terms, a country mile.
Mikayla Moore dominated the 2024 Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Championship, winning every race she started. Photo by Brian J. Nelson
Fortunately for the new women who will begin the 2025 Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. series, and for the ones returning for another year, Moore will be moving onward and upward to a different MotoAmerica class, leaving track records in her wake for others to try and improve on as the series moves forward.
Moore started riding motorcycles at the age of six and she’s ridden/raced every since. Photo courtesy of the Moore family
Moore leaves the Royal Enfield program as a two-time champion, something she could have only dreamed of a few years ago.
“Definitely not, because at the time, from a young age starting at six years old, it started with just fun,” Moore said when asked if she could have even imagined being a two-time champ at this point in her career. “When I was getting older, my dad put me into things like mini moto and New Jersey MiniGP, and then I transferred over into club racing with ASRA and CCS. In my head I’m like, MotoAmerica will be cool to get into, but I was thinking my introduction to MotoAmerica would be Junior Cup and not Build. Train. Race. So, when Build. Train. Race. came around and I was able to have a bit of success with that… I definitely wouldn’t have imagined it. But am I surprised that, at this time in my life, I have those two titles? No, because of the work that was put into getting them.”
Moore is grateful for the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. series as it allowed her to show her skills and earn her recognition in the MotoAmerica paddock that will help propel her to the next class, whether that be Twins Cup or something else.
“Yeah, absolutely, Build. Train. Race. has been great for me,” Moore said. “For instance, getting the opportunity to do Twins Cup twice this year with two different teams – one with Rodio Racing and the other one with OrangeCat (Racing). They saw how well I was doing at Barber, and Matt (Spicer) with Robem (Engineering) was like, ‘Hey, how would we feel about putting Mikayla on a Twins bike, just to see how she’ll do?’ Then it was almost the same scenario with OrangeCat. My dad had inquired about a Hooligan bike for me to ride, just to do track days with. It got into talking about a Twins bike with OrangeCat. They were like, ‘Well, the bikes are doing nothing.’ That turned into, ‘Hey, do you guys want to do COTA?’ So, BTR definitely offered a lot of things for me and definitely got me the recognition that I needed.”
The BTR program is a well-oiled machine at this point with the racers and their Royal Enfield Continental GT 650s camped out for the racing weekends under the same awning, working on their bikes together before the battles begin.
“Off the track, we definitely did care for each other,” Moore said with a grin. “On the track, it may have been a different story with different people. But it was all like one big team because, at the end of the day, we’re technically all on the same bikes. The only thing that was making us different was how we rode the bikes, and then also how we set them up in terms of gearing or suspension that allow one to go faster than the other one.”
Moore thrives in the family atmosphere of the MotoAmerica paddock as that’s all she’s really known in her young career. Her father, Will, is always around, and her mom, Kamesha, worked for MotoAmerica in the merchandise truck at some of the rounds. The family also got to spend a fair share of its time at the podium as their daughter made a habit of winning races.
“It’s been like that since day one for us,” Moore said. “Now that I’m in MotoAmerica, my parents come to every round. Also just having their support meant a lot for me, especially having my dad because he has a motorcycle shop. So, he would take time out of his schedule to come out and support. It made things easier for me because I’m only one person in terms of being able to figure out the Royal Enfield because it’s such a unique bike in terms of the gearing. You only can do so much to it. You only have gearing and suspension that you can do. You can’t do anything to the motor. So, he would offer his insights that also played a role in my success.”
Moore has grown up around motorcycles. Her father owns a shop and Moore not only did her schoolwork in the office above the shop, but she also got her hands dirty. And loved every minute of it.
“Our location that we have now, he’s been there since 2015,” Moore said of her father’s business. “So next year will be our 10-year anniversary year. From a young age, at our house we had a shed in our backyard. My brother always told my dad, ‘I can picture us in a big shop and working on customers’ bikes.’ That ended up happening. I was homeschooled from fourth grade all the way up until graduation. In his shop, he had built a classroom upstairs for us. So, we’d do our homeschool classes upstairs and then come down once we were done with the work and help him with the bikes. Now I can do a whole motor swap without really needing any assistance. I love both worlds – racing and working on bikes.”
You were able to race in the Twins Cup class twice this past season with a best finish of ninth. What was the hardest part, adjusting to the bike or adjusting to a higher level of competition?
“With Rodio Racing, for instance, everything between Barber and Road America, I had a short window in terms of trying to get testing on an Aprilia because I had never ridden one before. I was able to do a race at Summit Point in West Virginia, and I did pretty well. But for Road America, I was doing double duty between the Royal Enfield and the Aprilia. For me, that weekend was a big adjustment because going from something like a Royal Enfield that’s only making about 47 horsepower and then getting on the Aprilia that’s making 90 plus. That was a little bit of the adjustment there and having to make sure that if you’re on the Royal Enfield, you’ve got to be a little bit easier and smoother with your inputs and your transitions and things like that. But also, the competition was definitely different. BTR I was always up front, so for me my goal was always like, how much faster can I go each lap? Versus on the Twins bike… I’m not used to having a pit board and them saying what position I’m in and how many seconds the next person is behind me, and things of that nature. So, kind of a little bit of adjusting for both. But once I did it, I thought about it like, ‘Man, this is going to be a little interesting…’ But once I did it, everything kind of just came to me.”
You don’t learn much about racecraft when you’re winning races from start to finish with a gap of over 20 seconds, but her background in club racing has taught Moore plenty about that.
Moore got the chance to go to Europe at the end of the MotoAmerica season to compete in the Intercontinental Games in Spain. Photo by Good-Shoot Motography.
“I’m not concerned in terms of my racecraft because with BTR, I was club racing as well,” Moore said. “So, the competition is always close. In terms of racecraft, it’s interesting because I did COTA in Twins Cup and everyone was always like, ‘Watching you get through the crowd is pretty interesting to see, because you just do it so smoothly.’ I guess people always see me up front, so it’s what did you learn and what is your takeaway from a program like that? What skills are you necessarily showing? For me, I’m like, because I do club racing… that’s the other side that a lot of people don’t really see that I do. So, it’s a surprise factor when I am able to go out there and finish with people that have been in that class in Twins Cup. At Road America, I finished ninth. At COTA, I know I was in the top 15.”
So, we know what Moore did in her two years in the Royal Enfield class, but do we know what she didn’t do? She didn’t crash. Not once. Not in practice, not in a race. Zilch.
“That thing stayed on two wheels all two years,” Moore said. “Nothing against anybody, but I don’t see how anyone can crash that thing. Granted, it is a tank. It has some weight to it. Once you’re on the bike, it’s so smooth. People or anyone who does have an incident with the Royal Enfield, it comes down to your inputs, because it is a unique bike. Some bikes have slipper clutches so you can downshift a certain way and it can kind of save you, whereas when you’re on a Royal Enfield you may not get so lucky. I can say that out of anyone who has ridden a Royal Enfield, I probably pushed that thing… At the Ridge, I thought I was going to crash it, just because how quick I was going and the lap times I was able to achieve on it. But at the same time, I was like, ‘with how smooth everything is, the bike will hold up. I’ll hold up with it.’
“Also, for this year, the new ladies… I told them the biggest advice that I could give to you guys is… Because a lot of them came from the little bikes, in terms of Yamaha R3s or 400s, was like, this Royal Enfield is totally different. You have to find your own style to ride this bike and to actually go fast on it and try not to take what you do on the R3 or 400, whatever bike that you have at home, and think that you can apply the same inputs or techniques to it. It can help you sometimes, but also it can harm you depending on what kind of situation you’re in when you’re battling.”
If Moore lacked competition in Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. her post-season trip to Spain for the Intercontinental Games definitely made up for that.
“It was a lot of fun,” Moore said of the event at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto. “I really didn’t know what to expect out of it, besides racing. I knew I was going over there to race. When we got there, I think we had about three days of downtime and in terms of the media and the equipment fitting and things like that. So, to ride that track… I would come back over here just to race this track again. But the competition was totally different than how it is back there. There’s no holding back. It was Friday and we had an hour to ride the track. We’re all trying to figure out the track, all the MotoAmerica folks that hadn’t been there before. These guys and girls are just passing us and I’m like, ‘Holy cow. I need to figure this turn out and these guys are just railing through here.’ Then when it came time for the race… In the beginning just watching when we all took off, I’m like, ‘I feel like carnage is about to happen. This is like survival mode out here. We’re survival racing right now.’ I just felt like you had to be at the right place at the right time to make certain maneuvers, but then even once you made the maneuver, it was crazy. At the end I was able to go back and watch the racing, and just to see one minute one person is in fourth, and the next thing they jump all the way down to 10th. Even with the qualifying. Sure, I was dropping time and getting better each lap, but then I was still in the same position because everyone else was doing the same exact thing.”
Although Moore was in the Supersport 300 class that saw her on a Yamaha YZF-R3, it was the harder class with gaggles of riders battling for spots from first to 30th.
“Yeah, it was really interesting,” Moore said. “I did Junior Cup in 2023. So, in Junior Cup, I was new to that class with MotoAmerica. They were like, ‘In order to get a good time, you have to draft someone. You have to find something to pocket, because if you’re by yourself you’re just going to be out there turning laps.’ So, I had to have that same mentality for the R3. You can’t really go out there by yourself. Even my mile an hour, my mile an hour was probably one of the ones that was lowest, because I didn’t have anyone in front of me or I didn’t have anyone to draft.”
While it’s too early to know what she’s doing next year, we do know that Moore will be in the MotoAmerica Championship.
“Next year is still up in the air right now,” she said. “Currently what I’m doing is getting ready to start my off-season training. So, when a phone call is made or an opportunity presents itself and someone is like, ‘Hey, here’s an opportunity. What do you want to do?’ At least I want to be physically and mentally ready to take on the next venture that comes up.”
The latest Pipe Dreams Podcast by Corey Alexander & James Rispoli
Talking With Jayson Uribe, Racer, Electrician, First Responder
Notes from Corey & James:
We are thrilled to sit down with Jayson Uribe for Episode 24 of Pipe Dreams Podcast. At just 25 years old, this Napa Valley native has built a remarkable career as a versatile motorcycle racer whose talent has taken him across the globe. From racing internationally in series like the British Superbike Championship and French Superbike Stock 600 class, to competing for the 2024 Stock 1000cc title in MotoAmerica, Jayson has proven himself on some of the world’s most competitive stages.
From left, Racers Jason Uribe, Corey Alexander, and James Rispoli.
Off the track, Jayson seamlessly balances multiple roles. He works as an electrician in his family’s fourth-generation business, Rock and Sons Electric, and serves his community as a volunteer firefighter with Deer Park Fire Station #21, where he earned the title of Firefighter of the Year in 2020. Always looking for new challenges, he has also launched his own accident investigation company, demonstrating his determination to make a meaningful impact both on and off the track.
Whether you’re a motorsports enthusiast or simply inspired by stories of hard work, versatility, and dedication, Jayson’s journey is one you won’t want to miss. From the thrill of international racing to serving his hometown in California, Jayson’s unique blend of experiences will leave you motivated and inspired.
Keep up with Jayson on Instagram via @jayson36uribe
2024 Superbike World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (54) passes Championship runnerup Bicolo Bulega (11) at Jerez. Photo by Michael Gougis.
WorldSBK will feature a competitive grid of 23 riders from 10 countries in 2025.
Reigning champion Toprak Razgatlioglu, who secured his second world title in 2024 and delivered BMW’s first rider’s championship since their debut into the championship in 2011, returns with the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team to defend his crown.
Runner-up Nicolo Bulega, who made a remarkable impact in his rookie Superbike year after clinching the 2023 World Supersport Championship, continues with Aruba.It Racing – Ducati, aiming to challenge for the top spot.
Veteran rider Alvaro Bautista, the 2022 & 2023 champion, remains a formidable presence on the grid, contributing to Ducati’s 20th manufacturer’s title in 2024.
The championship also welcomes the return of Bimota to WorldSBK, with Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani spearheading their efforts on the all-new KB998. Meanwhile, six-time champion Jonathan Rea heads into his second season with Pata Yamaha, looking to reignite his title challenge.
The 2025 FIM Supersport World Championship brings together a grid of 32 riders from 15 different countries, underlining the category’s reputation as a proving ground for top-tier racing talent.
This season marks the debut of Yamaha’s new R9, which replaces the venerable and highly successful R6, with riders like Stefano Manzi, Can Oncu, and Michael Rinaldi looking to take full advantage of the new machine.
The Ducati Panigale V2 remains the weapon of choice in the class, following back-to-back Riders’ titles with Nicolo Bulega and Adrian Huertas, and a total of 11 riders on Borgo Panigale machinery in 2025. In the Ducati camp, contenders such as Philipp Oettl, Marcel Schroetter, and Valentin Debise are all keen to make their mark.
Rising talents like Loris Veneman and fresh faces such as Jaume Masia add further intrigue, alongside the arrival of trailblazer Ana Carrasco, ensuring a season packed with fierce competition and standout moments.
The 2025 FIM Supersport 300 World Championship promises another thrilling season with a dynamic blend of rising stars, established talent, and global representation.
Featuring a grid of 32 riders across 10 nationalities, the championship sees teams bringing competitive machinery from Kawasaki, Yamaha, KTM, and Kove. Two-time World Champion Jeffrey Buis will be one of the standout entries alongside returning contenders such as Mirko Gennai, Marc Garcia and Julio Garcia.
2025 will be the final season of WorldSSP300 as the entry class in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship as a new feeder category will be introduced in 2026 to smoothen the transition to WorldSSP.
2024 World Women's Circuit Racing Champion Ana Carrasco (22) at Jerez. Photo by Michael Gougis.
The FIM and Dorna WSBK Organization have officially unveiled the 2025 Entry List. The 2025 FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship will feature a truly global grid, with 14 nationalities representing all continents.
Among the returning riders, Maria Herrera, the 2024 runner-up, continues for a second season and is determined to claim the title after a fierce battle that saw her narrowly miss out until the final race of the season. Sara Sanchez, who finished third last year, has been a consistent force and will be looking to challenge Herrera for the 2025 title.
While many riders return for their second season, including 2024 podium finishers Beatriz Neila, Roberta Ponziani, and Tayla Relph, the Championship is also proud to welcome nine new talents, some of whom showcased their skills with wildcard appearances in 2024.
The FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship (WorldWCR) is a groundbreaking single-make series exclusively for aspiring female riders, featuring the Yamaha R7. Building on the success of its inaugural season in 2024, which saw Ana Carrasco crowned, the series aims to continue advancing women’s motorsport by fostering new talent and showcasing competitive racing on a global stage.
With six rounds scheduled for 2025, the WorldWCR offers emerging talent an equal platform to showcase their skills alongside the world’s best riders. By addressing disparities and breaking down barriers, the series empowers women to reach new heights in professional racing. As a dedicated space for female riders, WorldWCR celebrates skill, passion, and diversity. It inspires the next generation of female racers while shaping a more inclusive motorsport landscape.
The 2025 WorldWCR calendar at a glance
1. Dutch Round, TT Circuit Assen – 11-13 April
2. Acerbis Italian Round, Cremona Circuit, 2-4 May
3. Prosecco DOC UK Round, Donington Park, 11-13 July
4. Hungarian Round, Balaton Park Circuit* – 25-27 July
5. French Round, Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, 5-7 September
6. Spanish Round, Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto – 17-19 October
A “press release” is promotional text issued by a rider, team, company or organization to inform
the public about an event, product, or service from the issuer’s own point of view, and if deemed
to have news value, may be placed on roadracingworld.com as a service to our readers.
A press release is not an article written by Roadracingworld.com staffers. When a post is labeled with the words “press release”, it means that Roadracingworld.com is not responsible for its content and that Roadracingworld.com makes no guarantee that it is accurate. Not all press releases are posted and Roadracingworld.com may reject press releases if the content is too heavy on commercial promotion with little or no news value or if the press release contains obvious errors.
Accessibility
Accessibility modes
Epilepsy Safe Mode
Dampens color and removes blinks
This mode enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode
Improves website's visuals
This mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode
Helps to focus on specific content
This mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode
Reduces distractions and improve focus
This mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode
Allows using the site with your screen-reader
This mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Online Dictionary
Readable Experience
Content Scaling
Default
Text Magnifier
Readable Font
Dyslexia Friendly
Highlight Titles
Highlight Links
Font Sizing
Default
Line Height
Default
Letter Spacing
Default
Left Aligned
Center Aligned
Right Aligned
Visually Pleasing Experience
Dark Contrast
Light Contrast
Monochrome
High Contrast
High Saturation
Low Saturation
Adjust Text Colors
Adjust Title Colors
Adjust Background Colors
Easy Orientation
Mute Sounds
Hide Images
Hide Emoji
Reading Guide
Stop Animations
Reading Mask
Highlight Hover
Highlight Focus
Big Dark Cursor
Big Light Cursor
Cognitive Reading
Virtual Keyboard
Navigation Keys
Voice Navigation
Accessibility Statement
www.roadracingworld.com
June 9, 2025
Compliance status
We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience,
regardless of circumstance and ability.
To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level.
These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible
to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.
This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific
disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.
Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML,
adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.
If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email
Screen-reader and keyboard navigation
Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with
screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive
a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements,
alongside console screenshots of code examples:
Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website.
In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels;
descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups),
and others. Additionally, the background process scans all the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag
for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology.
To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on
as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
