BMW Motorrad CEO Markus Flasch named as head of ACEM
With new regulations, decarbonisation targets and changing city transport strategies on the horizon, BMW’s top man will now help steer the motorcycle industry's lobbying efforts in Brussels.
BMW Motorrad boss Markus Flasch has been elected President of ACEM, the body representing Europe's motorcycle manufacturers, taking over at a time when the industry faces increasing pressure from lawmakers, environmental targets and changing urban mobility policies.
Flasch, who currently serves as CEO of BMW Motorrad, will begin a two-year term on July 1, 2026, following his election at ACEM's General Assembly in Munich. The event was hosted by BMW Motorrad at the BMW Welt, bringing together senior figures from Europe's motorcycle industry to discuss regulatory and technical priorities for the years ahead.
His appointment comes as manufacturers continue to push for greater recognition of motorcycles and scooters within Europe's transport strategies, particularly in major cities where congestion, emissions targets and urban planning are reshaping how people move around.
One of the key aims of Flasch's presidency will be securing a place for motorcycles, mopeds, tricycles and quadricycles within Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs), which are increasingly being adopted by cities across Europe. Industry leaders argue that powered two-wheelers can play a valuable role in reducing congestion and improving transport efficiency, yet they are often overlooked when mobility policies are developed.
Alongside urban mobility, ACEM will continue to focus on decarbonisation and the transition to lower-emission transport. The challenge for manufacturers is balancing environmental targets with the need to maintain a competitive European motorcycle industry, particularly as global competition intensifies and new technologies continue to emerge.
The organisation also plans to promote motorcycling's contribution to tourism, leisure riding and motorsport, sectors that generate significant economic activity across Europe and support thousands of businesses linked to the wider motorcycle industry.
Flasch succeeds outgoing ACEM President Michele Colaninno, CEO of the Piaggio Group, who remains part of the organisation's leadership team as a Vice-President. Joining him in the ACEM Presidium are Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali and Yamaha Motor Europe Director of Land Mobility Clément Villet.
With representatives from BMW, Ducati, Piaggio and Yamaha now occupying the organisation's top positions, ACEM's leadership reflects many of the biggest names in the European motorcycle industry as it prepares for another round of regulatory and political battles in Brussels.
Speaking about his appointment, Flasch said:
“I am honoured to take on the presidency of ACEM, and grateful to my colleagues for their trust. ACEM enters this new mandate from a position of strength, building on solid foundations laid in recent years under Michele Colaninno’s presidency. Our task now is to carry that momentum forward and keep strengthening the industry’s voice in Europe. L-category vehicles are not a niche; they are a solution to the mobility challenges Europe faces today. Our industry has the technology, the ambition, and the responsibility to deliver on sustainability while keeping riding accessible, safe, and enjoyable for millions of Europeans. Competitiveness remains our watchword. We will work closely with EU institutions to ensure that the regulatory environment supports innovation and industrial investment, rather than constraining it. I look forward to working together to make the motorcycle industry stronger within Europe and beyond.”
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Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
