It is certainly no secret that KTM (for purposes of this article KTM refers to KTM AG and two of its subsidiaries) has had major debt problems, and has been operating under an insolvency process supervised by an Austrian court since last November. Now, creditor approval of a restructuring plan proposed by KTM makes the future look much brighter.
The approval of the restructuring plan by creditors occurred yesterday February 25. Under that plan creditors will receive 30% of the funds owed them by KTM. KTM must deposit that sum by May 23 of this year. KTM indicates that it has diligently raised the funds necessary to make this deposit.
This has been a painful time for KTM, of course. Recently, it sold its controlling interest in MV Agusta, and suffered through the PR fall-out associated with a brand frequently discussed on social media.
KTM indicates it will begin re-building production at its plants next month, with full production expected within three months thereafter. Finally, we can expect to see some of the exciting all-new 2025 models work their way into dealer showrooms.
In this process, KTM has named a new CEO, Gottfried Neumeister. Neumeister, and KTM as a whole, wants to treat this as a rebirth, of sorts, with an increased focus on KTM’s customers and dealers, who can provide direct feedback to the company and its executives through the “ORANGE BLOOD” online portal.
Here is the KTM press release announcing the ORANGE BLOOD campaign:
KTM’S ‘ORANGE BLOOD’ CAMPAIGN: TOUCHING THE FUTURE WITH A COMMUNITY-FIRST APPROACH
KTM will shine on. The future will still be full of ADVENTURE, PURITY, EXTREME, PERFORMANCE, and technology that stirs emotions, but, with fresh perspective. Yesterday, February 25, 2025, orange lights beamed into the winter sky in Mattighofen symbolizing a brighter future. The company is also transforming the way we engage with customers, race fans, dealers, suppliers, and all past and present riders and those to come.
KTM marked its regeneration with illumination, but the beams were the first gesture of a strong and diverse ‘ORANGE BLOOD’ campaign that will embrace and integrate the KTM community more deeply than ever before. KTM is changing and the company is committed to greater transparency and a deep connection with the motorcycling industry and the consumer base. One of the principal initiatives will be the launch of the ‘ORANGE BLOOD’ platform.
‘ORANGE BLOOD’ is the new official online portal where KTM will be listening and interacting. It’s where riders worldwide can connect, share their passion, and even help shape the campaign itself. Riders are invited to show their ‘Orange Blood’, submit their stories, and the best will become the global faces of the campaign.
The platform is a one-stop community hub, featuring rider-organized events and the chance to join the KTM Orange Board. This board, led by ambassadors, riders, and dealers, works hand-in-hand with KTM’s Executive Leadership to ensure that the brand is shaped by the very people who live and breathe it. KTM will also enable the community to organize global ride-outs through the ORANGE BLOOD platform, bringing riders together on the road. As time goes on, the platform will continue to evolve with new features, that will make it the ultimate space for ‘orange bleeders’ worldwide.
The ‘ORANGE BLOOD’ campaign will involve other awareness-building acts like signage, slogans, videos and visual content on network channels, social media and media partners. Further activities to celebrate the implementation of KTM’s brand values will also take place. KTM continues to embody the ‘READY TO RACE’ mantra, proving that it is more than just a slogan. This year, the team has successfully conquered the Dakar Rally, showcasing their hard work and dedication. The victories in the 2025 AMA Supercross series are a testament to our commitment and perseverance. As KTM looks forward to more thrilling MXGP and Enduro events, and continues its journey in MotoGP, the focus remains on delivering excellence. This year marks a significant comeback for KTM, reinforcing the brand’s determination.
“We are still here, the engines are running, the LEDs are still on, and we are filling the tanks and charging the batteries as fast as we can. Mistakes have been made, and lessons have been learned. Now we want to prove that the KTM brand lives up to what people value about it. With ORANGE BLOOD, we want to be even closer to our customers – their expectations and feedback are incredibly valuable for our development. Orange Bleeders are KTM enthusiasts who support us with their expertise and love for our motorcycles in good times and bad,” said Gottfried Neumeister, CEO of KTM AG.
For more updates and news about the impending launch of ‘ORANGE BLOOD’ click HERE or simply visit KTM.com.
I can now pay 30% of the purchase of a new KTM, and keep the new KTM? Hey, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander. An insolvency process for borrowers is a wonderful thing.
Privatize the gains, socialize the losses.
Ain’t capitalism grand? /s
If Ryan Fortnine is right, and I tend to think he is, KTM is gone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrRzNd-basQ
I have two Huskies in my stable and love them to death but the Orange Whitewash campaign should be taken with a healthy grain of salt.
KTM, HUSQVARNA and GASGAS will all be fine as will their dealers. This is the time to buy a 2025 motorcycle from anyone of these brands. Think about it this way, they just had 70% of their debt erased, They have a one year inventory of motorcycles in their warehouses.(This is cash in the bank) and they already have the funds to pay the 30% due to their creditors. Personally this WIN, WIN any way you look at it now.
I have smelled something nasty about KTM for years. Candid owners would share frustrations about quality and reliability. Then the camshaft issues surfaced, and for a couple years the company denied, fudged, and obfuscated until they were practically dragged into admitting the problem. Now they are reorganizing and transforming, promising “greater transparency” and a “fresh perspective”.
Yeah, I’d have a fresher perspective too if I could fleece my creditors to the tune of 70% of what I owed them. As a potential motorcycle buyer, I would be crazy to have more than 30% faith that they will build a quality product and stand behind it.
‘denied, fudged, and obfuscated until they were practically dragged into admitting the problem.’ Exactly as BMW motorcycles, cultural neighbors ?
Ah – but superiority of design !
Nope, an illusion from a PR attitude over time.
I would love to own a 890SMT. It’s a perfect motorcycle for me, except that it is made by a company with questionable reliability and a track record of not standing behind their warranty. I don’t think the post bankruptcy activities will improve this position.
For that reason I’m considering a Suzuki GSX-8R (which will require mods to get right such as Exhaust/Intake/ECU Flash) or a Triumph Tiger Sport 800 – which is correct from the factory. Someone is getting my money this year.
Even if KTM provides deep discounts, the existing inventory of ~240,000 bikes will be tough to move. And BTW, those bikes are not EURO5 and can’t be sold in Europe. They will have to dump them elsewhere.
You want a Tracer 9, is what you want.
Their 2 strokes are fuel injected ? So what is wrong with that ?
Assuming computer controlled with sensor inputs – Great ! All the functional problems of any 2 stroke can be mitigated if not eliminated. I’m talking ultralight aircraft, motorcycles, outboard motors, they all have lean out issues at the wrong time when operated like a 4 stroke, and not necessarily operator error.
Would I buy any KTM ? Not until they stop the silly QA fails, and dump the automobile sharp edge and creases appearance.
A two stroke dirt bike is a very simple and effective tool. Fuel injecting them removes the simple part while actually making them less effective. The first transfer port injected models ran worse than a poorly carbureted bike. The newer throttle body injected ones still run worse than a well carbureted bike, and make less power. Maybe some day they will reach performance parity. But the injection system still adds weight, complexity and most of all failure points. Any time you replace a gravity fed carburetor that requires no electrical power with a fuel pump and a host of wires and sensors on a bike that will end up cartwheeling through the woods, you’re begging for trouble. And trouble will find you.
Yes KISS is my favorite words of advice, and to some degree I agree. HOWEVER, I have towed a few 2 strokes bikes out of the desert, with my CL-450 modified, and the operators did nothing wrong, even back when 20 to 1 mix was the standard. Aircraft with 2 strokes are not immune to seizing either, even with oil injection. In either case a long walk is a crappy day. I do not believe a correct fuel injection system makes for worse performance other than the weight gain. Multiple port, reed valves and newer stuff are all better and still simple, but FI has got to gain the advantage of an environmental conditioned response unlike any wishful running. Back off slowly.
PS – All FI bikes should have the non gravity motivated fuel tank below the seat. Gravity makes high wing aircraft more reliable too.
Two strokes have come a very long way. They will generally lunch a crankshaft after a zillion hours before it seizes a cylinder, baring jetting issues. My newest two stroke is 2017 and the oldest is a 2004. No such issues. It’s why two strokes don’t die. Because bikes from the ninties are still cheap and easy to keep going.
From what I can see, 2T’s haven’t meaningfully changed since the early 90’s. “Two-strokes don’t die” is a misnomer. Anything that prevents an engine from starting reliably constitutes “dead”, whether it can be revived/repaired or not. You conceded several ways that they “die”, contradicting your own statement. Lacking a circulating oil system is always going to be a huge disadvantage.
You’re a funny guy Dave. The reason places like Ebay are flooded with space chassis parts is because the four stroke bikes grenade in such a fashion as to make repair unviable. So people disassemble them and sell the parts. Two strokes seldom do that. The rings wear until the bike loses enough low end power that the owner will toss in a new set. I always replace the piston, wrist pin, and bearing while I’m at it. It’s easy and fairly inexpensive. I’ve never lunched a crankshaft. But they aren’t that expensive either. Just a fair bit more work.
Then of course you seem to have forgotten just why I bought the 2017 bike. That was when KTM made a new engine that included balance shafts. So fossils like me could ride around with a nice smooth engine. They upgraded the electric start at the time to make it less of an and on kind of thing that the earlier bikes had. Then of course there is the two versions of fuel injection that followed since that time. Two strokes aren’t going away Dave. Fear them.
Just so you know, I anticipated your post. You like to say exactly what a dealer that doesn’t sell much, if any, dirt bikes would say. That means of course that two strokes are poison that children should be kept away from. Thanks for being 100 percent predictable.
If I could have any 2 stroker, it would be a 65 Yamaha 305 for the sound 1 mile away on full throttle, or a Greeves trials with the cast Al down tube and earls front end. Those were the days my friend !
I’ve had three trials bikes. A GasGas 280 and 300 TXT in The States and another 300 in The Netherlands. I often consider buying another one. But like anything dirt bike related in the northeast. I can’t really trust them to have a decent supply of events at reasonable venues.
Orange blood?
Seems kind of silly to me too. If it turns out to be anything like the KTM forum here in The States it’ll devolve into a militant bastion of right wing thought moderated by true believers. A real toilet.
Look around, this is todays world, not just a KTM forum.
Seems like over the millennia humanity has evolved in the right direction. Not linear though with 2 steps forward, one step back. Hopefully we are at the end of the current one step back phase (which we are so obviously in). One world to share and the quicker we realize this as a species the better. As Carl Sagan put it so eloquently, for humanity to survive it must first outgrow faith (which he defined as belief in something without evidence).
The only thing I look forward to, is Itchy Boots every few days.
All else is lost with plenty of evidence so.
I like Itchy, and most of the rest of the Dutch people. But I hate travel. So I only check in on her once in a while.
I feel that I should do my part and buy a new KTM. But they just don’t make anything that I want to buy anymore. All their two strokes are now fuel injected and their street bikes are all ride by wire.
The X-bow? We’ll, I’m not a car guy and they are not street legal in The States, like they are in Europe. Cars are harder to make street legal than motorcycles. You can make even a two stroke dirt bike street legal fairly easily. An X-Bow would be a real chore. They should sell it as a kit car.
Bout time . Now if they have over produced for the potential customer base, sell off some of that for less $ and establish a more available dealer network. Would not hurt to build a quality assurance department with direct access to engineering for improvements as needed.
Biggest problem may be out of their hands, all motorcycle dealers showrooms are full because of high prices 4 fancy crap and fewer peeps willing to experience an adventure outside.
Years ago I was amazed at how few motorcyclists were out in the desert on a beautiful weekend compared to the 1970s.