Adventure bikes are obviously much more powerful than the usual rally motorcycles, but they can have disparities within their own ranks too. For that reason, the Hellas Rally Raid has split the M5 category for all multi-cylinder bikes into M5 and M6: M5 for those with an engine displacement between 650cc and 900cc, and M6 for those from 1000cc to 1300cc.

Race organizer Meletis Stamatis explained such a change means “machines like the Africa Twin, KTM 1290, and other heavyweights will now compete on equal ground—separate from the likes of the Ténéré 700, Tuareg, and 890s. A dedicated trophy awaits those who take on the challenge in this new, fairer class.”

Most of the M5 riders at this year’s race would have remained in the category under the new rule, including overall winner Jacopo Cerutti and his Aprilia Tuareg 660. The top three finishers in the class were also on Aprilias that still qualify for M5 classification, as would fourth-placed Matteo Bottino and his Kove 800X.

Maurizio Gerini, who placed fifth in M5, would have won M6 if it existed in 2025 since he raced a Ducati DesertX that has a 937cc engine. Stan Radzikowski (13th in M5 on his DesertX), Filippos Datsikas (15th, KTM 950 Super Enduro R), and retirements Francesco Di Troia (Honda CRF1100L Africa Twin), Carlos García (DesertX), and Tomasz Drozdzal (KTM 950) also would’ve been part of the new division.

Categories for the single-cylinder motorcycles remain the same. M1 is for those with a displacement between 125–390cc, M2 is for 400–475cc and where most FIM rally bikes today fall, M3 is for 480–600cc, and M4 is for 650–750cc. Each class was respectively won by Tomaž Podvratnik on his GasGas EC 350F, Julien Jagu with a Triumph TF 450-RC, Sebastiano Antonello’s Beta RR 480, and the KTM 690 Enduro R of Loic David.

Other changes for 2026 include revising the bivouac assignments to make it more accessible for teams and a new parc fermé area for bikes at the end of the marathon stages.

Held in Greece, the 2026 Hellas Rally Raid will run from May 25 to 31.

Featured image credit: Actiongraphers