Kuala Lumur, Malaysia hosted the party that launched the 2026 season – and Malaysia did it in style. The teams took to the streets with parade laps with a twist. Not just purring along all sensible-like, no, the teams were able to add a little flair on the way. The fans, all 20,000 of them, loved it as the riders played with the fact the roads were wet, cruising standing up, skiing alongside their machines and generally enjoying the buildup to the season. Festivities included a red carpet party and, of course, testing on the track. It was a mixed bag for some teams, technical issues limiting power output for some but that is what testing is for, so predominantly a positive couple of days letting the mighty machines off the leash for the first time this season. The sound, if you’ ve never experienced it, is other-worldly. Not for the feint-hearted, the sheer noise of the bikes gives spectators a hint of just how intense they might be to ride, just maybe. Onwards to the next test session at Buriram, Thailand in early March before the racing gets underway in the final season of the 1000cc machines. 2027 sees the 850cc rule come into play, so expect plenty of off-camera work by the teams as they adapt to new engines, new tyres, a new era.