European regulators are taking a closer look at KTM after a media investigation alleged that the company’s street‑legal enduro models were being sold in derestricted form while still receiving registration for public‑road use. The reports, coordinated by several major outlets across seven countries, documented multiple KTM dealers offering EXC‑type models with emissions equipment removed, full‑power maps installed, and assurances that the bikes could still be plated despite no longer matching their Euro 5 homologated configuration. The findings prompted Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) to open an inquiry into whether the practice represents a systemic compliance issue within KTM’s distribution network or a pattern of dealer‑level modifications that slipped through national registration systems.

The allegations involve at least 16 KTM enduro models — including GASGAS and Husqvarna variants — machines built for off‑road competition but certified for road use in their restricted, homologated form. According to the investigation, several dealers were willing to deliver the bikes already configured for off‑road use, a setup that can significantly increase emissions and noise output. Some of the derestricted machines reportedly exceeded legal emissions limits by a wide margin, raising questions about how they were being registered without triggering compliance checks. Because the behavior was documented across multiple countries and at numerous dealerships, regulators are treating the issue as potentially broader than isolated misconduct.

KTM has now issued an official response, firmly rejecting the suggestion that it is placing illegal motorcycles on the market. The company states that all KTM, Husqvarna, and GASGAS enduro models leave the factory in a fully road‑legal, Euro‑compliant configuration and that this dual‑use approach — homologated for public roads but fundamentally designed as sports machines — is standard across the industry. KTM says that any conversion for competition or off‑road use occurs only after purchase and only at the customer’s request, and that buyers are explicitly informed that road approval expires once a bike is configured for racing. The company also emphasizes that these models must meet FIM competition requirements, which necessitate a configuration different from the homologated street version, and that this dual‑homologation structure is not unique to KTM.

In its statement, KTM also pushes back against comparisons to large‑scale emissions scandals, noting that motorcycles account for a small share of total CO₂ emissions in Germany and that enduro competition models represent only a fraction of that, with relatively low annual mileage. The company maintains that it complies fully with European regulations and that the allegations misrepresent how enduro models are sold, delivered, and used in practice.

Under EU Regulation 2018/858, manufacturers found to have intentionally circumvented emissions rules can face penalties of up to €5 million. Some countries also allow criminal proceedings in cases where manufacturers are found to have knowingly enabled emissions cheating, though no regulator has suggested such action at this stage. 

For now, the KBA has not announced any findings, and KTM has not indicated whether it plans to adjust dealer oversight or documentation procedures in response to the investigation. The situation remains fluid, with regulators working to determine whether the issue stems from gaps in national registration systems, inconsistent dealer practices, or a misunderstanding of how dual‑use enduro models are homologated and configured. What is clear is that KTM is taking a firm stance in defending its compliance record, even as European authorities continue to examine how these bikes move from factory to showroom to public roads.