Austrian motorcycle giant KTM is systematically bypassing laws designed to limit pollution and noise, it can be revealed.
During a year-long investigation, undercover reporters visited 15 trade shows and KTM dealerships in seven European countries, confirming an industry whistleblower’s reports of suspected emissions cheating.
Authorised KTM dealers across the UK, France, Austria, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Belgium were filmed or recorded sharing how they routinely “derestrict” new off-road-style bikes after they have already passed emissions tests to be used on public roads — making them more powerful and more polluting.
One KTM staff member described the process as “a bit of a scam” at a motorcycle trade show in Belgium in January. They claimed KTM manufactured the bikes with features “just to meet the [pollution and noise] standards”, in the knowledge that they will be later modified or removed at dealerships, as the bikes would be effectively unusable in their “restricted” state.
“To make them compliant we had to invent [something],” said one dealer in Northern Italy. “They [KTM] have been finding a way to catalyse [fit emissions-limiting parts to] the bikes for several years now, just to get them approved.”
