There's new reporting that KTM, the Austrian motorcycling giant that was recently saved from complete bankruptcy, has been cheating with its emissions in the same vein as how Volkswagen was prior to the Dieselgate scandal.
According to France's Le Monde, and in association with the outlets of El Pais, Germany's Der Spiegel, L'Espresso, Centre for Climate Reporting, and a number of other organizations, the investigation and subsequent reporting all began after one salesperson let it slip that KTM's off-the-shelf bikes would pass emissions testing, but that they had instructions to immediately remove the restrictors after passing or the motorcycles wouldn't work.
"All our motorcycles come restricted as standard," relayed the salesperson according to Le Monde, adding, "but we have to remove the restriction for the engine to work. KTM delivers them with a different exhaust system: We immediately change the entire configuration. The restricted mode is just to pass European tests and anti-pollution standards."
The subsequent investigation, as told by Le Monde, involved a multi-month reporting operation, sometimes involving undercover reporters, visiting dozens of dealerships across six different countries, including France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, and the U.K., and found that it was common practice for dealerships to remove the emissions restrictors on enduro motorcycles that had been homologated for road use.
