If there’s one thing that really gives away where KTM is mentally right now, it isn’t a flashy concept bike or a MotoGP press release. It’s warranty. Specifically, a 10-year extended warranty program is being offered in India on the 390 Adventure lineup. That’s not something a company does if it’s still bracing for impact.
Naturally, this points to more than just warranty, as the last couple of years haven't exactly been calm for KTM. In 2024, cracks in the Pierer Mobility structure became harder to ignore. Rising costs, bloated complexity, and slowing demand in key markets put pressure on cash flow. By late 2024, KTM entered a court-supervised restructuring process in Austria. This wasn’t bankruptcy, but it was close enough to force serious change.
This is where KTM's longtime partner, Bajaj Auto, would turn out to be the brand's knight in shining armor. Bajaj had already been KTM’s manufacturing partner and minority shareholder for years, building millions of small-displacement KTMs over the years. In early 2025, Bajaj stepped in decisively with capital support, debt restructuring, and eventually majority control. By mid-2025, ownership was clear, management was reset, and KTM had effectively been stabilized under Bajaj’s umbrella.
That’s the factual timeline. What’s interesting is what came next.
Rather than going quiet, KTM did the opposite. New bikes kept rolling out. Racing programs stayed visible. Dealers stayed stocked. And in India, KTM introduced a limited-time offer on the 390 Adventure and 390 Adventure X that bundled accessories and an extended warranty that could stretch coverage up to 10 years. The accessories alone included touring seats, a center stand, protection parts, and luggage-friendly add-ons. Sure, the warranty itself is low cost, but offering a decade-long warranty is a bold move in KTM's context.
This is where a little healthy skepticism is fair. A market-specific warranty promo is not the same as a global promise. It’s selective, calculated, and targeted, where KTM and Bajaj have the most control over manufacturing, parts, and service. But that’s also what makes it believable. If KTM were still fragile, the last thing it would do is extend long-term liability, even in one market.
Bajaj’s role here can’t be ignored. This is one of the largest motorcycle manufacturers in the world by volume, with deep experience in scaling production, managing cost, and keeping parts flowing. That doesn’t automatically make KTM bulletproof, and it doesn’t mean the brand won’t change. But it does mean the floor under KTM is a lot sturdier than it was a year ago.
So when KTM’s marketing says things are OK, it’s not exactly smoke and mirrors. It’s optimism, yes, but optimism backed by resumed production, visible product momentum, and the kind of long-term commitments you don’t make unless you expect to be around to honor them.
After all is said and done, the orange brand isn’t pretending nothing happened. It’s acting like the hard part is over. And whether that confidence holds globally is still an open question. But if a 10-year warranty doesn’t scream survival mode, it definitely suggests KTM thinks it’s past the worst of it.
Source: BikeWale
