KTM is largely in a pickle of its own making. And I'm not even talking about the current insolvency proceedings that are happening in the background. No, I'm talking about how the Austrian company ended up with more than a year's worth of unsold inventory sitting on dealership lots.
See, over the last few years, KTM increased the prices across its entire lineup and, wouldn't you know it, didn't really stay competitive. Likewise, as the market moved toward low-displacement, more inexpensive motorcycles, KTM went the absolute opposite way and kept launching $20,000 bikes. Brilliant business acumen, folks.
And so, when the company began its insolvency disclosures, we found out that KTM had over 267,000 unsold but new bikes dating back to 2023. That's put KTM in the aforementioned pickle as it still has new bikes coming and dealerships are hamstrung due to mounting inventory. And though there's been some minor price slashing—not in the fire sale way they absolutely need to be doing, if you ask me—KTM, in all its business wisdom, has determined that what will bring folks back into the Orange fold is a longer warranty.
