Gold Seal 2026: Thumpstar’s BRC 500 wins Off-road Petrol
A CR500-based two-stroke from a brand known for minibikes wins the Gold Seal Award 2026 in Off-road Petrol.
By ROOST New Zealand desk · 24 September 2026
Open-class two-strokes have never really gone out of fashion in New Zealand. Plenty of Kiwi sheds still hold a CR500 or KX500 that gets wheeled out for beach races and vintage days. That makes this year’s Gold Seal Off-road Petrol award interesting. It has gone to a brand-new 500cc two-stroke from Thumpstar.
The Thumpstar 500 Two-Stroke (BRC 500) is the Gold Seal Award 2026 winner in the Off-road Petrol category. Gold Seal names only one gold winner per category each year. There are no minor placings.
A big leap for a small-bike maker
Thumpstar has built its name on pit bikes and small-capacity dirt bikes. It surprised a lot of people at AIMExpo in Las Vegas in February 2025 by rolling out a full-size big-bore. The bike was shown as a one-off prototype. Even so, the hardware suggests the company is serious.
At its heart is a BRC Racing 500cc single derived from Honda’s CR500. BRC has addressed the old engine’s worst habits. A counterbalancer smooths out the vibration, and the bike has a six-speed gearbox, a carburettor and electric start alongside the kickstarter.
The rolling chassis is just as purposeful. It has a CNC-machined swingarm, Excel rims and Öhlins suspension at both ends of the show bike.
Thumpstar says the 500 is Australian-designed: the company’s design work on the bike, including the plastics, bodywork and styling, was done in Australia.
Progress, not perfection
The decision put weight on progress: the BRC 500 is a major improvement over Thumpstar’s earlier models and the biggest step forward by any manufacturer in the category. Moving from minibikes to a 500cc two-stroke is a big leap, and the judges noted it was the largest they saw this year.
They were also careful to note that the BRC 500 is still a prototype. Thumpstar has said it wants to put a 500cc two-stroke dirt bike back into production for the first time in more than two decades. A target price of under US$10,000 was reported at launch. There is no New Zealand pricing or timing yet.
Will it come here?
That depends on production. If the BRC 500 makes it to showrooms, its electric start, counterbalanced engine and modest price could tempt beach racers, enduro veterans and anyone who has missed big two-stroke torque. Until then, it is a prototype, but the Gold Seal judges thought it deserved recognition.
At a glance
- BRC Racing 500cc two-stroke single, CR500-based
- Counterbalancer, six speeds, electric and kick start
- Carburettor fuelling
- CNC swingarm, Excel rims, Öhlins suspension
- Prototype unveiled at AIMExpo, February 2025
Full specifications, the judges' notes and video are on the Thumpstar BRC 500 winner page at Gold Seal Awards. The complete list of Gold Seal winners is also published on IMR Awards.
Photo credit: Thumpstar.
Sources
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