24 • July 2025 • Powersports Business

Honda’ s family of dirt bikes includes the CRF50F, CRF110F, and CRF125F.( Photos: American Honda)

Over the years, Honda’ s CRF-F family of trailbike models has welcomed new riders to the world of dirt-bike riding, and that tradition is set to continue with the announcement that the CRF50F, CRF110F, and CRF125F are returning for the 2026 model year.

Fun, reliable, affordable, and approachable, these machines open the door to outdoor motorized recreation. Legal in off-road parks across the nation, Honda says they’ re a great entry to a lifetime of outdoor adventure.

“ Ask any dirt-bike enthusiast how they got their start— even some of the top racers on start lines at major racing events— and there’ s a very good chance they’ ll say it was on a Honda trail bike,” says Colin Miller, American Honda’ s manager of public relations.“ We’ re extremely proud of that legacy, and with the current family of CRF-F models, it’ s sure to continue for years to come. We look forward to introducing more and more riders to the sport, and you never know— today’ s CRF-F rider could be tomorrow’ s Jett Lawrence or Mikayla Nielsen.”

CRF50F The ideal entry-level dirt bike for young riders looking to get their start in off-road adventures, Honda’ s CRF50F features a lightweight design, durable build, and low seat height. The reliable 49cc four-stroke engine provides just the right amount of power for learning and having fun, without being overwhelming, while the quality suspension components deliver easy handling and a smooth, controlled ride. MSRP is $ 1,899 and is available in July.

CRF110F The perfect next step for young riders is Honda’ s CRF110F. The 109cc four-stroke engine features a smooth, manageable power output that offers plenty of fun, while the low seat height combines with ergonomically friendly controls to inspire new riders. The rugged build and long-lasting components ensure that this popular model is ready for years of adventure, whether it’ s on family trail rides or in the backyard. MSRP is $ 2,799 and is available in October.

CRF50F CRF110F CRF125F( Big Wheel)

CRF125F Reliable, accessible, and fun, Honda’ s CRF125F is a great choice for riders just starting to appreciate the thrill of off-road adventure, and it’ s even a great play bike for some more experienced enthusiasts. Available in both standard and Big Wheel configurations, this versatile model offers dependable power and confidence-inspiring suspension, allowing riders to take on new challenges while enjoying the trails with friends and family. The CRF125F and CRF125F Big Wheel are off-road legal in all 50 states. MSRP for the CRF125F is $ 3,599 and $ 3,999 for the Big Wheel, and both will be available in October.

Suzuki Motor’ s motorcycle subsidiary in India, Suzuki Motorcycle India Private Limited( SMIPL), held a foundation stone laying ceremony on May 20 for its new motorcycle manufacturing plant in India.

The ceremony took place at the planned site of the new factory in Haryana, India. Attendees included Haryana State government officials, Kyoko Hokugo, minister of the Embassy of Japan in India, Kenichi Umeda, managing director of SMIPL, and Takashi Ise, managing officer, executive general manager of motorcycle operations of Suzuki.

Since the start of production in 2006, SMIPL has manufactured approximately 9 million motorcycles cumulatively, supplying not only the Indian domestic market but also exporting to regions including Latin America, Japan, and Europe. With the growing demand for motorcycles in India, SMIPL will build a new plant to expand production capacity in line with market growth. The initial annual production capacity of the new plant will be 750,000 units.

Honda Motors also announced on May 26 its plans to add an expansion to one of its four motorcycle manufacturing plants in India, with an annual production capacity of 650,000 units. If the Suzuki and Honda plans follow through, India is expected to have a production increase of 1.6 million motorcycle units manufactured annually.

Suzuki says the total investment for the new plant is about $ 140 million. Through the construction of this new plant, the company aims to continue providing diverse mobility options in India, a country experiencing ongoing economic growth, and contribute to the Indian government’ s“ Make in India” initiative, which encourages companies to develop, manufacture and assemble products in India.

To celebrate BMW North America’ s 50th anniversary, the company is telling its 50 most important stories from the last 50 years.

BMW has been building motorcycles for police and the military since the early 1930s, and its bikes are widely used by police departments from Europe to the Far East. In the U. S., however, BMWs have always been somewhat rare compared to the Harley-Davidsons favored by patrol officers on the East Coast or the Kawasakis preferred out West.

In 1996, when BMW released the R 1100 RT-P, it easily outperformed Kawasaki and Harley. Unfortunately, its price of $ 15,828 was more than twice the $ 7,871 price for a Kawasaki. The R 1100 RT-P’ s maintenance costs per mile were lower than those of the KZ1000 P, but BMW still had to get creative to secure a contract with the California Highway Patrol( CHP).

“ We didn’ t want the liability of a lease, so we sold the motorcycles with a buy-back clause,” says Frank Stevens, then BMW Motorrad USA’ s national sales manager.“ The perceived useful life of the motorcycles was 60,000 miles, but we knew it had a tremendous amount of life beyond 60,000 miles.

The California Highway Patrol began using BMW’ s R 1100 RT-P as its on-duty motorcycle in 1996.( Photos: BMW)

California agreed to pay much more up front because the total cost would be less if the motorcycle survived to the end of the term.”

BMW agreed to re-purchase the bikes for $ 9,928 each, reducing the net cost to $ 5,900—$ 100 lower than the price of the Kawasaki that the state would typically auction for

$ 600−1,800 after three years on the road.

A & S, a dealership based in Sacramento, had been a BMW dealer since 1988, and the business had won the contract to supply the CHP with motorcycles thanks in part to its location in Roseville, just outside the state capital.

Suzuki’ s motorcycle production plant in India will have an annual production capacity of 650,000 units.( Photo: Suzuki Motor)

“ There were only a couple of dealers that had the capability of doing that contract,” Stevens says.“ You have to have a lot of staffing, a big facility, and a lot of money to buy these things and wait for the state to pay you.”

A & S delivered the large order of R 1100 RT-Ps and“ built all of the original bikes, like 25 a month,” says Howard Pine, son of A & S founder Sheldon Pine.“ We loaded up truck after truck, and we never had a bike damaged in transit.”

Following delivery, A & S’ s role was like that of any BMW dealer in California.“ Each CHP office had its bikes serviced by local dealers, and BMW NA handled the buy-back operation,” Pine says.“ Every dealer had the option to buy those used bikes from NA for local sales, so they got spread across the state.”

Though the BMWs required less maintenance than the Kawasakis, that was mitigated by the significant mileage each bike accumulated.“ I think the record was 60,000 miles in 17 months,” Stevens says.“ A lot of the bikes would reach the 60,000−mile limit in 24 or 30 months, so they moved the limit to 80,000 miles, then 100,000 and 120,000.”