What have been the big new stories affecting biking and motorcycling in the last month? What new bikes have been announced? What licence or market changes have been made? And what interesting bikes or people have hit the headlines?

In our continuing series of monthly news round-ups, we find out!

Royal Enfield has launched a new initiative this month aimed at making it easier for new bikers to get on the road. 

Its ‘Ready To Ride’ scheme is aimed at prospective A2 licence riders, is focused currently on one of its bikes, the Guerrilla 450, and essentially is a streamlined finance package where prospective owners can buy a Guerrilla, pay for training, and also get the kit required all in one simplified finance bundle with one affordable monthly payment.

So far, three participating dealers are offering the scheme: Drayton Croft Motorcycles in Hinckley, Kings Two Wheel Centre in Kidlington, and Cooperb in Wellingborough, Northants, to whose training partners Royal Enfield UK has supplied bikes, with more likely to follow.

The Guerilla, launched last year, is a funky, semi-retro, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder 40hp roadster, normally starting at £4995, based on the popular Himalayan adventure bike, and should be ideal for the job.

Ambitious new Chinese brand QJMotor has this month unveiled its latest new model – a screaming four-cylinder supersports dubbed the SRK 421 which also comes with a very tempting price of just £5299!

QJMotor is one of the leading and biggest Chinese brands of all but only entered the UK last autumn being imported by Moto73, which is part of the independent MotoGB group, which also imports Voge and Benelli.

The SRK 421 RR, meanwhile, boasts not only 76hp but also cutting-edge styling, including MotoGP-style aero winglets, adjustable suspension, Brembo brakes, and a 7in TFT dash and becomes the 23^rd model in QJMotor’s UK line-up.

Leading British bike brand Triumph has not only claimed its first victory in world motocross, but it’s currently leading the world championship – just three years after entering the sport.

At the MX2 world championship’s second round in Spain in early March, Triumph Factory Racing’s Camden McLellan chased home race one winner and teammate Guillem Farres in moto one, before charging to a win and overall victory in race two. The result is Triumph’s first-ever overall victory in world motocross. South Africa McLellan now leads the MX2 World Championship with Spain’s Farres close behind in third.

Both were riding factory-prepared versions of Triumph’s TF 250-X motocross machine, which is only in its third year of competition, having enjoyed podium finishes in year one, race wins in year two, and this first Grand Prix overall win.

“This is a historic day for Triumph Factory Racing and our off-road programme,” said Ian Kimber, Head of Triumph Motorcycles’ Global Racing Programmes.

“It feels like a long time coming since that first podium in Argentina in 2024, but to achieve this after only two years of competition makes it even more special.”

Early March saw BMW mark the 50th anniversary of its historic first ‘superbike’ win with a special commemorative display during Daytona Speed Week in Florida.

In 1976, BMW shocked the bike world by coming 1-2 in the very first AMA Superbike Production race held at Daytona. Three specially prepared examples of BMW’s then R90S boxer twin were entered by US importer Butler & Smith. 

That of Steve McLaughlin won, just ahead of British teammate Reg Pridmore, with the latter then going on to win the inaugural AMA Superbike championship, which soon after became the dominant category in bikesport.

To mark the anniversary, BMW reunited the three original bikes for a parade lap and display, also attended by McLaughlin and Pridmore.

And finally… some sad news: the creator and founder of historic Italian motorcycling footwear brand SiDi, has passed away at the age of 90.

Dino Signori (the brand name SiDi was an amalgam of the first two letters of his surname and forenames) established the company in 1960, growing it from a small artisan workshop into one of cycling and motorcycling’s most recognisable performance footwear brands, with his racing boots famously worn by the likes of Freddie Spencer, Toni Cairoli, Stefan Everts and many more.

In a statement, SiDi CEO Davide Rossetti described him as more than a founder, calling him “a pathfinder” whose values of daily commitment, innovation, and continuous improvement would continue to guide the company.

SiDi itself was taken over by Italian investment company Italmobiliare S.p.A in 2022.

So there you have it, I hope you enjoyed our first news monthly roundup - see you in the next one!