Record-Breaking Motorcycle Endurance: 60 Teams at Le Mans, 46 for the 2026 Season

In a month that will leave MotoGP fans high and dry with no events on the calendar, the weekend of April 18–19 at Le Mans’ Circuit Bugatti will see the start of the 2026 motorcycle Endurance World Championship with the 49th edition of the 24 Heures Motos. The FIM EWC will debut with a new promoter (EMP replacing Warner Bros Discovery Sports Events), but above all with a starting grid as stacked as it’s been in a long time.

A grid, as they say, of “sold out” proportions: 60 teams on the line, the maximum number allowed by current regulations. Applications even exceeded that figure, so much so that 2 teams will serve as “reserves,” while other entries were sent back to the sender. The entry list is bolstered by the new Production category, which has grown from 3 bikes on the 2025 grid to 11 now, a sign it’s working: contained costs (first and foremost no mandatory single Staubli refueling system, but literally swapping the 16-liter tank at each stop), and bike preparation allowing only essential modifications. In short, it’s ideal for getting into motorcycle endurance racing.

More than the 60 teams starting the Le Mans motorcycle 24-hour, what stands out is the 46 squads entered as permanent championship participants who, by regulation (under penalty of an initial €1,500 fine and disqualification for a potential second absence), must at least attend the three European rounds (Le Mans, Spa-Francorchamps, and the Bol d’Or, with Suzuka 8 Hours being optional). This is an increase compared to the 38 entrants in the 2019/2020 season, 35 in 2021, 33 in 2022, 38 in 2023, 35 in 2024, and 41 last season.

Altogether there are 7 manufacturers (Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, BMW, Aprilia, and Metiss) represented, 5 tire companies (Dunlop, Bridgestone, Pirelli, Michelin, and Kingtyre), with teams hailing from 10 different nations. Specifically, host nation France, Japan, Belgium, Poland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Slovakia, Monaco (with the returning Grillini team), and Italy, represented as always by Honda No Limits #44 and Revo-M2 Aprilia #49.