The legally independent ZF Sachs AG will be completely merged with ZF Friedrichshafen AG. Sachs will remain as a product brand for shock absorbers and clutches.

A group of investors and engineers under the name MotoRepublic are attempting to reestablish Alfer in Spain.

Italian frame builder Verlicchi has been forced to file for bankruptcy. Verlicchi was virtually the industry standard for high-quality chassis in the off-road world of the 1970s and 1980s. Almost every European manufacturer that considered itself important and did not have its own huge welding shop had its products manufactured by the specialists in Bologna. Its customer list probably includes almost all brands, from Aprilia to Fantic to Husqvarna. Even large-scale manufacturers with their own production facilities liked to have prototypes made by Verlicchi.

Malaguti has to cease production in Bologna and close its doors.

Roger de Coster takes over as Race Team Manager of the US KTM factory team with the aim of leading the brand, which has had little success in the USA, to the top. He brings Ian Harrisson with him from Suzuki to KTM. South African Harrisson started out as a mechanic for Greg Albertyn and became world champion with him. KTM offers De Coster exactly what Honda and Suzuki had denied him: complete freedom to make decisions and a massive budget.