EICMA 2025 wrapped up last week with a fairly modest roll-out of ADV models and updates. Besides the bombshell from Norton, and BMW and CFMoto’s new offerings for 2026/2027, we saw the launch of the BSA Thunderbolt (likely a UK- and Europe-only model), a Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 special edition and Flying Flea EVs (but no 750 or Him-E), and Ducati’s refreshed DesertX V2.
Ducati DesertX V2
Expedition Portal Publisher Scott Brady went to Morocco last year to ride the Ducati DesertX Rally, and came away duly impressed, especially with its performance in extremely rough terrain. The Italian bike builder continues to update and improve its dirt-focused ADV mount, and the big news for 2026 is the DesertX’s all new engine. Gone is the Testastretta V-twin motor—in its place is an all-new 890 cc V2 IVT powerplant. IVT stands for Intake Variable Timing, and Ducati claims it pumps out 110 horsepower at 9,000 rpm and 68 pound-feet of torque at 7,000 rpm. Under the bike the DesertX V2 gets a redesigned swingarm with some genuinely new tech. An auxiliary linkage triangulates the swingarm to the chassis in a way that reminds me of some full-suspension mountain bikes. It will be interesting to see how these updates affect the ride and handling both on road and off.
Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 Mana Black and Flying Flea S6
The Mana Black edition of the Royal Enfield Himalayan 450 features an exclusive black paint finish with matte grey digital camo on the fuel tank and trim pieces. Upper body chassis protection, upgraded mud guards, rally seat, tubeless spoked wheels, and hand guards round out the upfit on this special model. It’s named for India’s Mana Pass, one of the highest ridable routes in the Himalaya, topping out at 18,478 ft above sea level. Beyond those minor mods, the familiar Sherpa 450 engine and suspension are unchanged on the Mana Black from other Himmy models. Conspicuously missing from RE stand at EICMA (celebrating the brand’s 125 year anniversary) were the much rumored Himalayan 750 middleweight and Him-E electric motorcycle. A big social media blitz around these two bikes has been mounting for months, so their absence in Milan was surprising.
Speaking of EVs, The Flying Flea S6 is Royal Enfield’s dual-sport entry into a motorcycle segment that is starting to heat up again after a few years in the doldrums. With significant investment in electric bike maker Stark, Royal Enfield will operate Flying Flea as a sub-brand launching with tech from Stark’s Varg. There are no final details yet on voltage, power, range, or battery capacity, but the concept bike suggests a fixed battery pack riding between the 19- and 18-inch spoked wheels, an enduro-style seat, chain final drive, and inverted fork. Parachute graphics recall the original Flying Flea, a compact bike built by Royal Enfield during the Second World War that was designed to be dropped from support aircraft on battlefields below. More urban scrambler than ADV bike, the S6 may preview some of the hardware we will see on the larger Him-E once that bike makes its debut. Flying Flea models (including the street-focused C6) should find their way to showrooms in late 2026.
BSA Thunderbolt
In the more traditional approach to adventure motorcycles, legacy British bike brand BSA (now owned by Indian manufacturing giant Mahindra) took the wraps off its new Thunderbolt at EICMA. Reborn in 2021, BSA has been rolling out plenty of models that sit at the lower end of the displacement scale, including the Thunderbolt, which features a 334 cc thumper that makes 29 horsepower at 8000 rpm and 19 pound-feet of torque at just 5800 rpm. A six-speed transmission operates via an assisted slipper clutch, and it rides on a 21-inch front wheel and 17-inch rear. The 41-millimeter inverted fork and rear mono shock (preload adjustable) offer 200 millimeters and 180 millimeters of travel, respectively. A 4-gallon fuel tank should make for decent range with the efficient 350 single, but it will certainly take you a while to get anywhere on the 400-pound bike.
BSA also highlights the two-channel ABS system and traction control with multiple ride modes, as well a TFT screen for monitoring essential information. The scrambler-forward design and asymmetric headlight give the Thunderbolt a distinctive style, but don’t expect these BSAs to be turning heads on North American roads anytime soon. The brand is Europe- and UK- exclusive for the time being.
Images: Ducati, Royal Enfield, BSA
Read more: BMW, CFMoto, and… Norton? ADV Updates from EICMA
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