Harley Reports Q2 Sales Slump, KTM Resumes Product...

As ever, the Powersports business doesn’t sleep. Right here’s the latest business to-dos floating about as of some days in the past: 

• Harley-Davidson has launched its second-quarter outcomes, displaying a gross sales droop and a withdrawal of its annual forecast predictions. 
• After the monetary hullabaloo of the previous 12 months, KTM has formally resumed manufacturing – and to set riders’ hearts comfy, they’ve additionally given us a projected timeline for his or her 2026 mannequin 12 months. 
• Honda’s readying to point out off a brand new EV bike that will likely be born in the identical class as their Urband Idea scooter.
• Indian Bikes’ “FORGED” collection launched their last bike, and it’s Indian’s new beast, the 2025 Chieftain PowerPlus!

Let’s begin on the business information facet of issues and work our approach throughout, we could? 🙂

Harley-Davidson Studies Second Quarter Gross sales Droop

Annual Forecast Placed on Maintain Attributable to Tariff Uncertainties

Harley-Davidson’s not having a straightforward time of issues…and if this new quarter outcomes are any indicator, we advocate retaining a detailed eye on the remainder of 2025 and 2026 for this model. 

Based on a press release from Harley-Davidson – published to PRNewsWire at 7 am this morning – Harley-Davidson Motorbike Firm (HDMC)’s income was down by 23% year-over-year. International motorbike shipments had been additionally down 28%, and world gross sales had been down 15% year-over-year. Worldwide supplier inventories had been additionally down 28%, with tariffs costing Harley a whopping $13 million this quarter alone. 

The entire above doesn’t look good; the truth is, maybe for this reason Jochen Zeitz – beforehand confirmed to have stepped down from Harley’s function of CEO, now listed AGAIN as Harley’s CEO – has introduced a brand new partnership, stating the next beneath: 

To interrupt down the above quote:

• The a part of Harley-Davidson that sells bikes (HDMC) shouldn’t be promoting as many bikes. 
• The a part of Harley-Davidson that sells monetary providers (HDFS), nonetheless, reveals that the corporate has nice price past the bikes. Harley-Davidson believes their belongings are price greater than the speed at which the market is at present valuing them.
• As a result of above information, KKR and PIMCO are teaming up with HDFS, and Harley-Davidson is anticipating to have about $1.25 billion in money to play with.
• Utilizing that $1.25 billion, Harley will likely be paying off $450 million of their debt, purchase again $500 million of their shares, and nonetheless have as much as $300 million to spend money on cool stuff for his or her neighborhood for the approaching seasons. 

In brief, Jochen’s good at determining the cash a part of Harley-Davidson, and it seems that he’s stepping again into his function as CEO to assist Harley-Davidson alongside. We could not have an annual forecast for the corporate but, and with leisure car demand within the U.S. declining as shoppers reply to an unsure financial system, we sit up for seeing what a probably capital-light enterprise mannequin will appear like for HDFS… and what that may imply for Harley’s motorbike facet of issues.

For an in depth have a look at Harley-Davidson’s second-quarter efficiency and the strategic HDFS transaction, take a look at Harley-Davidson and Reuter’s contributions beneath: 

KTM Resumes Manufacturing, Units Timeline for 2026 Fashions

The Austrians Return!

KTM’s been by the ringer, and so they’ve lastly made it out. Mazel tof!!

To recap the place this all started, let’s have a look at KTM’s timeline thus far: 

1. A circa-2021 reminder earlier than we begin: Based on PIERER Mobility’s press release back on the 21st of September, 2021, Bajaj had “contributed 46.5% out of its approx. 48% shares at present held in KTM AG by PTW Holding AG (the bulk shareholder of PIERER Mobility AG).” This transfer allowed Bajaj Auto to realize management of a 49.9% stake in PIERER’s majority shareholder. In brief, Bajaj was 0.2% away from a majority stake in KTM approach again in 2021, earlier than issues received overly gnarly. 
2. KTM’s “unprecedented monetary disaster” was first aired to the general public in late 2024, with platforms like Mexico Business News stating that KTM’s lack of €2.5 billion (US$2.6 billion) meant that the corporate was working arduous to stabilize its operations. Right now, KTM’s debt totalled greater than €3 billion, and declining world demand led to 100,000 unsold bikes, or round one 12 months’s price of potential gross sales for KTM. 
3. It was additionally round this time that we discovered KTM needed to let go of 750 workers, all of whom represented the primary wave of cost-cutting measures as the corporate utilized for judicial restructuring proceedings.
4. 2025’s first quarter noticed an replace in information reviews from the likes of Power Systems Research, declaring that KTM had “entered self-administration underneath Austria’s insolvency legal guidelines, granting it a 90-day safety interval from collectors.” A brief halt in manufacturing was initiated on the Mattighofen manufacturing unit, listed to final till the tip of February 2025.
5. By late February of 2025, we heard from RevZilla that 300 extra layoffs had been put in force between January and February as KTM entered into an settlement compelling the corporate to repay no less than 30% of its money owed. This meant that €548 million ($575 million USD) was resulting from be paid to KTM’s collectors by Could 23. 
6. Legalities included the truth that KTM’s collectors filed €2.2 billion ($2.3 billion USD) in claims, however KTM was solely instructed to pay again €1.7 billion ($1.8 billion USD) of that authentic quantity. The complete restructuring plan was purportedly accepted by collectors on February twenty fifth.
7. Per Powersports Business, Bajaj Auto was the mother or father firm that swooped in and got here to KTM’s rescue. We’re instructed that €600 million was made obtainable along with the 200 million euros already supplied, totalling €800 million ($905,244 USD) aimed toward revitalizing KTM. In fact, this transfer meant that Bajaj was given the chance to speculate a 50.1% stake in Pierer Bajaj AG. 
8. At present (July 30, 2025), we all know that Bajaj’s 50.1% stake in KTM is principally a finished deal, with each events merely awaiting pending regulatory approval of the bulk stake.

Now that y’all are up to date with the information, we’re right here to rejoice the truth that KTM has, as of two days in the past, formally resumed manufacturing!

Based on protection from KTM’s press release, Mattinghofen is again to a full-time, five-day work week. The festivities be part of different information: New fashions are slotted to be revealed within the coming weeks… and all this earlier than EICMA!

LC4 platform fashions to be revealed for the 2026 mannequin 12 months embody the 690 ENDURO R in addition to KTM’s 690 SMC R. As anticipated, CEO Gottfried Neumeister is worked up at this new motion:

An enormous congrats to KTM for the arduous work of all concerned to get up to now, and will our good Powerports business proceed to blossom with devoted rides for our bevy of roads – each throughout the pond and past. 

For extra detailed data on KTM’s manufacturing restart, go to KTM’s web site and skim their press launch: 

Rumor Has It: Honda Is Primed to Reveal an EV Bike Forward of EICMA

New Electrical Sports activities Mannequin to Be part of City Idea Scooter

The world’s largest motorbike producer has been revving to introduce a brand new machine – and judging by the current tease on Instagram, it’s going to be a zero-emission providing for the emissions-conscious lots. 

Based on the teaser provided by Honda Motorcycles Europe on YouTube, September 2nd is the official date that this electrical motorbike will likely be revealed. That is additionally slotted to be Huge Pink’s very first “electrical sports activities” mannequin, instantly based mostly on one of the EV Fun Concepts originally presented in the press release Honda published back during EICMA. Again then, we knew this pint-sized little bit of zip was a unadorned sports activities mannequin equal to a mid-sized gas-guzzler, and that it was posited to have a variety of round or greater than 100km, or round  62 miles. 

At the moment, the tease video reveals a prototype-style taped bike with a single LED headlight, no lever on the left deal with and a relatively huge sprint, upon which we assume that Honda may have cute tidbits like charging standing, vary predictions, and presumably perks like a navigation system. The addition of a single-sided swingarm and Pirelli Diablo Rosso III rubber offers critical indicators that this machine is headed for the sporty sector, however till the factor is debuted, we can’t give a full opinion… so we are going to maintain our peace till September 2nd. 

For a better have a look at the teaser photographs and preliminary particulars of Honda’s upcoming electrical sports activities mannequin, head over to Motorbike.com: 

Indian Releases 2025 Chieftain PowerPlus

Kyle Bertsch, Satya KrausJeremy “Twitch” Stenberg Put their Signature on “Cast” Collection’ Ultimate Bike

Indian Motorbike’s acclaimed FORGED video collection has wrapped its newest season, and the trifecta of builders for this last machine have outdone themselves. 

Based on Indian’s press release, the builders of this new 2025 Chieftain PowerPlus – Kyle Bertsch of Ceaselessly Rad, Satya Kraus of Kraus Motor Co., and Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg himself – bestowed their creation to former UFC World Champion, Cody “No Love” Garbrandt. The consequence benefitted from billet aluminium, carbon fibre and handcrafted elements, with each Satya and new proprietor Garbrandt having been quoted with the next:

In case you’re wanting a gander on the official checklist, right here’s the (exorbitant) checklist of stuff that went into the 2025 Chieftain PowerPlus construct: 

• Black Stone Tek Cast Carbon Wheels/Brocks Efficiency
• Kraus RTX8 Brake Caliper
• Kraus RT Efficiency Brake Pads
• Kraus ARP Caliper {Hardware} Equipment
• Spiegler Brake Strains
• Kraus Öhlins Inverted Entrance Finish
• DTF Carbon Entrance Fender
• Kraus Low Profile Spoke Mount {Hardware}
• Denali D14 Headlight
• Denali D4 Operating/Flip Sign Lights
• Klockwerks Chieftain Windshield
• Kraus Hart-Luck Riser Base
• Kraus Shorty Bar Mounts
• Kraus Stainless KR Low Bar – Thermal Gold
• Indian Raidal RS Mirrors by Rizoma
• Kraus Radial Grasp Cylinder, Clutch Perch, Adjustable Levers
• Hart-Luck ODI Grips
• DTF Carbon Sprint Cowl
• Customized Tank Emblems
• Kraus Seat by Saddlemen
• Kraus Coil Relo Mount
• Kraus Charcoal Canister Delete Cowl
• Kraus Max Lean Floorboards
• Kraus Adjustable Foot, Shift, and Brake Levers
• Kraus Passenger Foot Pegs Mounts
• Kraus Max Lean Mini Boards
• Kraus Customized Derby Cowl
• Modified OEM Aspect Panels
• Customized Trimmed DTF Carbon Rear Fender w/ Billet Machined Tail Lip
• Customized Kraus Billet Bag Mounts
• Fabricated Aluminum Bag Helps with Customized Bag {Hardware}
• Customized Chopped Saddlebags
• Kraus Hinge Cowl
• Ciro Saddlebag Lights
• Polished Swing Arm
• Modified Öhlins Adjustable Rear Shock
• Preload Adjuster Mount
• Kraus Rear RTX8 Brake Caliper
• Kraus Rear Radial Caliper Mount – 108mm
• Fab28 Customized Stainless Exhaust System
• Modified Entrance Sprocket Cowl
• Chain Drive Equipment
• DID 530 Chain
• Kickstand Extension Puck
• Low Mount License Plate Mount

We want Garbrandt the very best together with his new construct! 

For extra particulars on the construct, take a look at the video we connected to this text, or take a look at the press launch linked to Indian’s FORGED collection beneath: 

*Media sourced from BizTimes Milwaukee, KTM, Honda, and Indian Motorcycles*