KTM boss ‘totally surprised’ as Q1 sales exceed expectations

It's been a great start to the year for KTM as it posts impressive sales gains in the first quarter of 2019

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CHIEF Executive Stephan Pierer says he has been 'totally surprised' by the 10% first-quarter increase in unit sales of KTM motorcycles across Europe.

The first three months of 2019 saw the Austrian firm shift 261,000 motorcycles, a marked increase that Pierer has labelled this nothing short of ‘sensational’.

KTM Duke 790 UK first ride

The good fortune comes despite external factors affecting European businesses, including Brexit and political tensions across the EU, which have created instability for the motoring industry and beyond. 

With a buoyant trade lifting spirits at management level, Pierer reveals KTM is now looking firmly into the future and in particular the electric motorbike (E-bike) market, saying: “E-bikes have become a huge market… as a large manufacturer, you have to be there”.

Does this mean an zero-emission electric KTM SuperDuke could be on the horizon?

Either way, KTM is looking to keep the good times rolling, stating new ambitious sales targets of 400,000 motorcycles globally by 2022.