KTM issues statement regarding “illegal” motorcycle allegations

KTM AG has released a statement rejecting media allegations that it is placing illegal motorcycles on the market.

The allegations are centred around the brand’s enduro motorcycles, and in particular the homologation, emissions compliance and after-sale conversion to competition-based machines.

As part of its statement, KTM rejects any wrongdoing, saying its motorcycles are sold “exclusively in compliance with applicable European regulations”.

According to reports, the allegations suggest that the Austrian company’s road-homologated enduro models are being derestricted for competition-style use when they land in showrooms and on the road.

But KTM says this is a complete misunderstanding, and that all its enduro models are delivered in a homologated condition, which permits them to be ridden on the road. It is only at the customer’s request that these road-legal machines are then configured into competition and off-road-specific bikes by authorised dealers.

The statement from KTM AG said:  

“KTM AG firmly rejects the allegations made in recent media reports that KTM is placing illegal motorcycles on the market. The KTM Group sells its motorcycles exclusively in compliance with applicable European regulations.

“The reporting is based on a fundamental misunderstanding: At their core, enduro models are sports machines that, in their homologated delivery condition, are also permitted to be ridden on public roads. This dual-use capability is intentional, necessary, and standard across the industry: In order for enduro machines to participate in official competitions, they must be delivered in a homologated condition in accordance with the regulations of the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM). This is neither a KTM-specific practice nor a procedure that would give KTM any undue competitive advantage over its peers. All KTM-, Husqvarna-, and GASGAS-branded enduro models leave our factory exclusively in a road-legal, homologated condition.

“At the customer's request, these machines can be configured by the authorized dealer for competition and off-road use after purchase. Buyers of our enduro machines are expressly informed that road approval expires upon conversion for competition use, and that the vehicle may no longer be used on public roads.

“The enduro models sold in Europe account for approximately 3% of KTM's global sales.

“The emissions issues raised in the reports also warrant an objective assessment: According to the German Federal Environment Agency, motorcycles account for approximately 0.3% of total CO₂ emissions in Germany. Enduro competition models represent only a small fraction of this. Their annual mileage is many times lower than that of street motorcycles, as they are used for only a few hours per year in sport and training activities.”

The statement is the latest attempt by KTM to draw a clear line between road-legal homologation and competition use, with the firm arguing that the process being questioned is standard practice across the enduro sector rather than something unique to the Austrian brand. Whether that explanation satisfies regulators and critics remains to be seen, but KTM appears keen to stress that any competition-focused modifications happen only after purchase and with the customer fully informed that the bike is no longer road legal.

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