We have an update from the Team Orange corner of the industry, among other updates in the industry:
- KTM’s officially sorted things out with their major creditor in favor of bike production resuming for March of this year.
- On one end of the proverbial lab, BMW is working on an exhaust system that will contribute to the bike’s aerodynamic efficiency.
- …and on the other side, we see CFMoto standing by a patent for a motorcycle seatbelt.
- AIMExpo has completed another year of successful attendance, with over two dozen OEMs to show for 2025.
We’ve been waiting with bated breath to see whether or not KTM’s talks with their creditor would resolve favorably, so let’s start there and work our way down.
The Legalities: KTM Production to Resume by Q2 of 2025
Creditors Approve Restructuring Plan, Paving the Way for Mid-March Resurrection
It’s official: KTM’s creditors have given the company the green light to resume production of their bikes by the second quarter of 2025!
If you recall, last week’s news covered the fact that Whitebox Advisors LLC (which held KTM’s Schuldschein promissory notes) was pushing for negotiations on an alternative proposal. KTM’s ailing financial health meant that a resolution had to be struck before KTM bikes could continue rolling out to customers.
According to MCNews, KTM’s restructuring plan will allow the company to resume production of bikes in mid-March, provided KTM’s supporters are able to draw up the necessary funds – a mind-boggling $150 million – to do so.
A reminder that KTM’s resolution with their major creditor does not mean that the brand’s future is out of danger. Team Orange will continue to twiddle thumbs until their big restructuring plan meeting that is to be held on February 25 before the Regional Court of Ried im Innkreis.
To highlight the gravity of the situation, Restructuring manager Peter Vogl has conveyed the following to the masses:
– Peter Vogl, Restructuring Manager (MCNews) |
Should all parties be successful in finding favorable answers at this meeting, the House of Mattighofen will be looking forward to a gradual ramp-up to full capacity by Q2 of this year.
You can read more about the particulars connected to KTM’s financial situation leading up to this recent resolution here on ADVPulse:
Per the Patent: A Look at BMW’s Aerodynamic Pipe System
BMW’s Novel Approach to Creating Downforce
Our favorite Bavarians have been working on a series of patents surrounding the intricacies of downforce – specifically, how to get more of the stuff without increasing the weight factor on their two-wheeled machines. Per a recent article courtesy of the team at CycleWorld, we have BMW’s newest creation: A motorcycle exhaust that utilizes the pipe’s gases to generate downforce.
According to the article, this novel tech allows the bike’s exhaust gases to channel through what appear to be manually triggered ducts and vents integrated into the motorcycle’s bodywork. By controlling the opening and closing of these outlets, the rider could, in theory, enhance stability and handling at high speeds by forming areas of low pressure beneath the machine, effectively sucking the thing towards the road and creating previously untapped cornering abilities.
Curious how much this could affect your riding? BMW has a ton of experience on the competitive grid, both on four wheels and two, with Purvis reminding us of the following particulars:
| “While the amount of thrust available from an engine’s exhaust might seem minimal in the context of a racebike’s power and performance, experience from the world of four-wheeled racing – where BMW has had plenty of involvement over the years – shows there are big benefits to be reaped from cleverly designed exhausts. This was most notably illustrated in F1 racing around 2010 and 2011, when teams employed blown diffusers using exhaust gas pressure to improve the airflow through the downforce-generating diffuser at the back of the car.
It was a trick that quickly spiraled into more complexity as engineers came up with methods to increase exhaust flow even when the driver was off the throttle, cutting spark and fuel but keeping the throttles wide open to use the engine as a glorified air pump.” – Ben Purvis, “BMW’s Exhaust-Assisted Aero.” February 18, 2025 (CycleWorld) |
BMW’s experience in the automotive racing industry is but one of a few examples of using ducts as a means of increasing downforce. MotoGP machines are already using bellypans as an aerodynamic-efficient system to increase downforce; hence, the channeling of the bike’s fumes seems a reasonable addition to the aero-intelligent moto space.
Talk continues to circle on whether or not BMW is readying for an entry into Motogp; if they do happen to take that big step, we can only imagine the aero-efficient ideas tested on the future track and what results they would garner.
You can read more about BMW’s innovative exhaust here on CycleWorld:
Fast Filings: CFMoto Submits a Seatbelt-Equipped Motorcycle
Chinese Manufacturer Explores Unconventional Safety Measures
CFMoto’s been making waves as a surprisingly adept Chinese motorcycle manufacturer that’s broken into the western hemisphere with great success. The novelty of a Chinese bike brand doing well across the pond is not lost on us, though this new bit of tech might have a bit of explaining to do.
According to continued findings from the incomparable Ben Purvis at CycleWorld, CFMoto decided to look into seatbelts for two-wheeled offerings. The residual patent shows the item in question installed onto a motorcycle, with the seatbelt showing off a race-style, four-point design.
This particular seatbelt is designed to restrain the rider in the event of a crash, potentially reducing the risk of ejection and injury – similar to that installed on the majority of our four-wheeled offerings. Naturally, many riders are skeptical that this item could protect the rider from ejection and injury as successfully as a car driver, given the volatility of a rider in the saddle on any given day.
For those of you still curious about this tech, CFMoto has placed an example of their seatbelt technology on what appears to be their upcoming 750cc bike (the 750SS or 750SR-R, depending on which country you’re reading this in). Purvis isn’t quite convinced that this strap is a true-blue seatbelt, though the anchor that holds the strap to the bike seems explanatory enough.
Here are some additional musings from Purvis:
| “[this seatbelt post] isn’t bolted to the bike. Instead, it’s clipped into a slot behind the rider. A pair of sprung, hemispherical plungers set into the post help keep it in position by locating into divots in the faces of its socket on the bike.
The shape of that socket is key to the system’s operation—it’s designed as a transverse slot with a V-shaped internal profile that pushes the clip-in post toward the middle as it’s inserted. In a head-on impact, the seatbelt pulls the post straight forward so it’s braced against the front face of the slot and stops the rider from being thrown into whatever the bike has hit. But when there’s a sideways force, for instance, in a low-side or high-side crash, the post easily tips to one side thanks to the V-shaped socket, disengaging the locating plungers and allowing the whole thing to be released from the bike. That means the rider comes off, as normal, even though the seatbelt remains strapped around his or her waist. It’s essentially similar in that respect to the airbag design fitted to Honda’s Gold Wing, which operates in head-on crashes and is shaped to try to keep the rider in the right position in those situations but isn’t intended to restrict their movement or stop them from departing from the bike in other types of crash. The CFMoto design does it without any electronics, though.” – Ben Purvis, “CFMoto’s Seatbelt-Equipped 750s Sportbike.” February 6, 2025 (CycleWorld) |
For more information on CFMoto’s seatbelt invention, check out Cycleworld’s contributions here:
Industry Insider: AIMExpo Packs Record Attendance into 30,000sq Feet
Over Two Dozen OEMs Join More than 2,000 Dealer Reps and over 400 Exhibitors
AIMExpo is officially over, and riders across the country have archived a slew of memories that continue to build and expand every year!
According to Motorcycle & Powersports News, the American International Motorcycle Expo (AIMExpo) drew record attendance to its 2025 event, held this year in Las Vegas. Attendance was hefty, even record-breaking in some sectors: All told, over 400 exhibitors, two dozen OEMs, and more than 2,000 dealer representatives were shoved into 30,000 square feet of delectable exhibition space, making this year the biggest year for OEM attendance (that we’ve been able to find, at any rate).
Feedback was also incredibly positive, as evidenced by a member of the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC):
– Cinnamon Kernes, Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC), VP of Market Expansion (Motorcycle & Powersports News) |
Feedback from Motorcycle & Powersports News tells us that this year also attracted international exhibitors, notably some novel names from Italy, Pakistan, and Taiwan.
Perhaps the biggest and best part of AIMExpo has to be the dealer education sector, where the Disruptive Thinking stage, the Dealer Excellence stage, and the Tech Talks area continued to challenge the next generation of moto-minded individuals with topics connected to navigating the evolving political landscape as a motorcycle dealer, analyzing market demand trends and new tariffs coming to light (cough, cough).
Want to hear a bit about the latter? Here are some important words from the VP of the MIC Governmental Relations Office:
[Here, Schlegel makes a note of the 25% tariffs the Trump administration had threatened on Mexico and Canada that were on hold until March.]
– Scott Schloegel, senior vice president of the MIC Government Relations Office, speaking at AIMExpo at a series labelled “The New Political Landscape and Outdoor Recreation Growth.” (Motorcycle & Powersports News) |
AIMExpo’s strong turnout continues to rebound off of the challenges of recent years connecting lockdowns to other industry shifts, both financially and economically related. To see so many dedicated attendees warms the heart and continues to push AIMExpo higher, further supporting the event to host a diverse range of motorcycles, parts, accessories, and apparel, catering to all types of riders and interests. In short, we’re happy to see AIMExpo doing so well and look forward to the next year’s iteration in California!
Have you been to AIMExpo? What did you think?
For more information on this year’s iteration of AIMExpo, check out AIMExpo’s website here: