Reports suggest Italy’s Fantic Motor is in trouble
Reports from mainland Europe claim that Italy’s Fantic Motor is feeling the pinch as several outside factors negatively impact the brand.
Reports from multiple outlets in mainland Europe claim that Fantic Motor, makers of the Caballero and numerous off-road models, is in financial difficulty.
The Vento-based company is reported to be in more than €130 million in debt, following a period of considerable growth following the global Covid-19 pandemic. That growth was thanks in part to Fantic’s range of electric pedal bicycles and e-scooters, which proved popular as people began to turn away from public transport.
You may also like to read our Fantic Caballero 700 review.
Sadly for Fantic, and a myriad of motorcycle makers who diversified in this manner, the e-bike boom has subsided, with the German outlet Motorrad going as far as to claim that piles of unsold e-bikes are at the heart of the problem.
KTM’s financial woes also play a part
It goes on to state that KTM’s well-documented financial issues (which are now hopefully behind it) have also affected the manufacturer. With KTM’s issues affecting parts suppliers and manufacturers across the European continent, some suppliers have begun asking for payment up front for parts and components - particularly when dealing with smaller-scale marques. This extra pressure to keep up production, while paying up front for hardware and components (that might not find a customer for a long period of time), seems to be the crux of the issue.
The last few years have seen considerable growth for Fantic, with GPOne reporting that it managed to add more than 7,000 bikes to the Italian market, grabbing it around four per cent of the country's market share in the process. That growth has been offset by numerous off-road and on-track racing programmes, with the Italian team boasting factory entries in global series such as Moto2, MXGP, Enduro GP, and rally. The win on Sunday, sell on Monday mantra is all well and good - as long as you are clearing all of your inventory.
2025 could become a bit of a bogey year for smaller motorcycle makers, with Bolton’s CCM also falling into administration earlier this year. To try and prevent any further decline at Fantic, bosses have asked staff to work fewer hours and for lower pay, something they are reported to have accepted. Let’s hope that move is enough to take the weight off the small brand’s shoulders.
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Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
