Exhaust #294: What's Happening at KTM? (And Harley-Davidson)

Is KTM okay or not? A year of scary news about financials for the massive Austrian maker of KTM, Husqvarna and GasGas motorcycles continues, with rumors of a make it or break it payment looming this week. It appears KTM's business partner Bajaj might have gotten the loan needed to restart the KTM assembly lines and keep the company going. 

Jason Weigandt gives the latest on that, then chats with Frank White of long-time American dirt bike manufacturer ATK. Yes, the ATK brand is still around, now as a parts supplier, and it has partnered with Harley-Davidson on projects before. 

Frank White doesn't like what he sees over at H-D these days, with the company reporting a loss of over $200 million in the final quarter of 2024. White and others would like to see the CEO of Harley ousted, and a revamp of the type of products the company produces. 

While a recent vote will keep the current CEO in place for at least this year, these are still times of stress at two of the biggest motorcycle companies in the world.

The Racer X Exhaust podcast is presented by Yoshimura, Insta360 Cameras and OnTrack School.