548m euro KTM Creditor Plan Accepted: This is When Production Will Ramp up Again

The news will mean KTM production will begin to ramp up in March 2025

Simon Hancocks

Updated: 25 Feb 2025

 

KTM engine factory building

A significant page has been turned for KTM, as the plan to restructure the business has been accepted by the creditors.

The most significant piece of news from the court in Austria is that production of KTM bikes can once again begin, with a ‘ramp-up’ planned to begin next month. It also brings the news that KTM’s numerous creditors will see 30 per cent of their claims paid by the Austrian company, with the total bill said to be 548 million euros. These funds will have to be with the restructuring administrator by May 23, 2025, with the restructuring ending in June 2025 once the proceedings become legally binding.

 

KTM logo

To help kick start production, KTM is stated to be receiving a sum of 50 million euros from what the press release calls an “extended circle of shareholders”. The companies within that “extended circle” are not named, although CFMoto, Bajaj, FountainVest, and more recently BMW, have all been mentioned as lining up to invest.

The press release from PMG can be read below:

"At today's restructuring plan meeting, the creditors accepted the restructuring plan submitted by KTM AG. This plan provides for creditors to receive a cash quota of 30% of their claims in the form of a one-off payment (cash quota). In order to fulfil the quota of 30%, KTM AG must deposit an amount of EUR 548 million with the restructuring administrator by May 23, 2025 at the latest. The court will then confirm the restructuring plan at the beginning of June 2025 and the restructuring proceedings of KTM AG will end once it becomes legally binding.  

"To enable production to be ramped up again gradually from mid-March 2025, KTM AG will be provided with financial resources totaling EUR 50 million from the extended circle of shareholders. With the approval of the reorganisation plan, this amount will now be transferred to KTM AG to cover the costs of the phased resumption of production in March 2025. The planned full capacity utilisation of the four production lines in single-shift operation is to be achieved within three months.The ramping up of production will understandably be a steady process, with the press release from Pierer Mobility Group stating that “full capacity utilisation of the four production lines in single-shift operation” should be achieved in three months from the proceedings becoming legally binding."

Sexton Owns Up to Costly Race 3 Crash:

“I Knew I Had the Overall, But I Don't Really Care, I Wanted to Win the Race"

Look, every round of Monster Energy AMA Supercross so far this year has been thrilling. There have been exciting stories to follow in both classes each Saturday and we have seen only one repeat winner entering Saturday’s seventh round in Arlington, Texas.

It was set up to be a big round in both the 250SX and 450SX Classes. A tight 250SX West Championship with four different winners in the first four rounds, the second Triple Crown race in a row for this division, and a tight championship battle with multiple riders still very much in it. The 450SX class had only one repeat winner so far entering the night (Chase Sexton) and we had a double red plate (Sexton and Cooper Webb tied) in what could very well be a pivotal seventh round in the 17-round championship fight. Add in unique livery on both the riders and their bikes for the celebration honoring those who serve and have served our country in the military and there was a hell of a lot to look forward to. Well, the Arlington Supercross round sure delivered.

Two different race winners (Ken Roczen and Cooper Webb) won the first two races of the three-round Triple Crown format, and we were set up for a barn burner to finish off the night. One final gate drop to determine the overall winner and see who would leave with the points lead. Would it be Sexton or Webb?

Chase Sexton (five points), Justin Cooper (five points), Ken Roczen (six points), Cooper Webb (seven points), and Justin Hill (eight points) were all in position to win the overall before the third and final race. So much happened on the night and in this race, it was hard to keep track of it all!

Once again, Chase Sexton got to the lead but ran into trouble. First, Sexton stalled his KTM while leading, which handed the race lead over to Webb. Then the second mistake—the bigger of the two—came when the #4 was forcing the issue with Webb late in the race. The problem with Sexton going after Webb on the final lap was the fact that he did it in the first place. He stalled up and coughed up the race lead and damnit, he wanted it back too badly. For the second time in the last three rounds, an almost sure win for Sexton does not happen.

Webb was leading Sexton as they got the white flag. As they ran, Webb’s 6-1-1 (eight points) finishes would come second overall behind Sexton’s 3-2-2 (seven points). Still, Sexton forced the issue on the final lap. Sexton was charging forward, literally up to the rear wheel of Webb…and then right into it. Webb pulled his typically early turn in the 180-degree right-hand turn, a move we have seen him craft and perfect over and over throughout the last five years. But Sexton tucked his front end and slammed into the side of Webb and was sent to the ground.

To make matters worse, Sexton’s body landed directly in front of Mitchell Harrison and the lapped rider ran over Sexton’s legs. Then, after he gets up loses two positions to Anderson and Roczen, Justin Barcia blocks him in the final turn, dropping him to fifth at the checkered flag. The forced move by Sexton was a costly mistake. Instead of backing it down, taking second in the individual race, but winning the overall and remaining in the points lead, Sexton gives Webb the overall win AND sole possession of the championship lead. Watch the incident below.

In the post-race press conference, Scott Yargeau (@MotoNowBlog on X) asked the elephant in the room question: so, why did Sexton force it?

“I mean, I race to win,” Sexton said. “I don't know like, I mean, yes, I knew I had the overall, but I don't 't really care, I wanted to win the race.”

On the opposite end, Webb said in the post-race press conference he knew a win in the final race would likely not end with the overall win. But he went out, executed, and the cards landed in his favor.

“I didn’t feel like I was the best guy tonight, but I put myself in good positions, I guess, and made the most of it,” Webb said.

The raw speed (Sexton) vs consistency (Webb) argument continues to take place amongst race fans.

Webb: "It was like 'Holy cow!' It swung a totally different way than I was anticipating"

Cooper Webb has done it again. Saturday's Arlington Supercross saw Webb and Chase Sexton both with red plates on their race bikes in a pivotal round of Monster Energy AMA Supercross. And on a night where the win was in hand for another rider, the North Carolina native somehow managed to pull out a win of his own.

Webb's 6-1-2 finishes had him setup for second overall in the three-race Triple Crown format, with Sexton 3-2-1 finishes. Then, Sexton made a mistake, stalling his bike. Still, the #4 was in the driver's seat for the overall win. Even with the overall win still in hand while in second place, Sexton went for it on the final lap...and went down. The #2 machine, like he has done in the past, positioned himself perfectly and took advantage when the opportunity opened. 

Webb was able to take the race win AND the overall win AND the points lead. It is also the seventh win for Webb in the last nine 450SX races at AT&T Stadium! After the race, Webb spoke with media in the post-race press conference.

Cooper Webb: Obviously, yesterday was a bummer. I had that little crash, get off and a little sore wrist, but, you know, it's dirt bikes. You get back on it and you go from there. But yeah, overall it was a great day. There was a lot of noise this weekend with the red plate and the talks of how well I've done here. You're quickly reminded of all the hype you get when you put yourself in these positions, but that's what you thrive to do. Overall, as a weekend, it was great. I had some of my nieces and nephews here. Overall, yeah, we rode good all day. I base my weekends now on my overall riding and I felt like all day I rode really well. So I was happy with everything.

You've won two premier-class championships before, and I'm sure when you debrief from the season as a whole in both of those years, you can pinpoint a night where things maybe went your way, and that really helps towards the championship. Do you think that tonight could potentially be a night like you for that, or do you think maybe one of these last three weekends could kind of be one of those nights?
Cooper Webb: I mean you have highs and you start to think of the good side. Obviously I've been in a similar position before and you think of those years and you see the trend, but it's motorsports, right? I think yesterday in press day was like a quick reminder, you can get put back to reality really quick. So, I think staying in the moment is important, obviously, and tonight was huge for just overall, leaving with the red plate. After the first main event, I dug myself a big hole, so I didn't see that happening. But last weekend, I think was a good just getting the first one, get the confidence, have a good week, come in here, like, the ball's definitely rolling. I'm definitely in a in a great spot mentally, physically, everything, and definitely ready to charge for this championship.

What are your current thoughts on the championship point standings, and how does that affect your strategies for the upcoming races?
I'm pretty stoked on mine! [Laughs] I'm not gonna lie, but yeah, I love being in the championship hunt, right? That's what we thrive to do, so yeah, I'm gonna try to keep doing the same thing.

Can we dig into that sixth-place finish in race one just a little bit more? What were you going through at that time and did the winning race two change that momentum? Did you, did you think you were gonna get it up until the very end of race three?
The first one was honestly just a bad start. I rode great, just went way too wide in the first turn and got pushed and came out, I think to 11th or 12th and you just can't do that in a Triple Crown, especially the first one when everyone's really going for it and the track's fresh and there's not much time. So, I knew to get on the box tonight, I needed to have low scores in the last two. So that was my game plan was to ultimately try to win the last two and see where it put me. I mean, I even knew going into the last one, even if I won the race, I was likely to not win, so that's when all this craziness happened. It was like “Holy cow!” It swung a totally different way than I was anticipating.

Hospitalized Smith outlines extent of Arlington injuries

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Section: Competition Post: Kane Taylor

No timetable for 250SX class contender's return.

Triumph Racing rider Jordon Smith has outlined the extent of the injuries he sustained in a heavy fall during round seven of Monster Energy Supercross in Arlington, including broken ribs and internal complications.

Battling out front during the first of three Triple Crown races, Smith was coming under pressure from a charging Haiden Deegan (Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing) in the closing stages of the encounter.

A wild ride through the whoops saw Smith come unstuck, ploughing his upper torso into the face of a whoop, and drawing a premature end to his night in 250SX West class competition. He remains hospitalized, but is expecting to be discharged as soon as tomorrow.

“What a bummer,” Smith recalled.“Can be doing everything right and still things happen in this sport that you just don’t know why. I’m beat up, but I’ll be back. I have four broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a small laceration in my spleen. They’re monitoring me for a little longer and should be headed home in the morning.”

It’s a tough blow to both Smith and the Triumph Racing outfit, with the former sitting just two points from the western division points lead entering the Texas round this past weekend.

As for the team, Smith now joins both Jalek Swoll and Stilez Roberston on the sidelines as they recover from injury, while Austin Forkner continues to fly the sole flag for the British manufacturer in the 250SX East class.

Arlington Highlights

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Roczen on His History with Webb

Smets on Herlings - Interview at MXlarge.com

Obviously, the big news this week was the fact Jeffrey Herlings will more than likely miss a handful of races at the start of the 2025 season and that blows nearly any chance of him winning a sixth World title this year.

Even sadder news was the fact, if he cannot find a contact for next year and this year being his final year on his KTM contact, he might even end his career come Darwin, Australia in September.

For what “The Bullet” has given the sport over the last 15 years, I don’t think anyone really wants to see him retire without getting a shot at that sixth World title and just for highlight value, we all want Herlings on the gate in 2026. He isn't done yet, as he showed us in 2024.

Now, while most of us are devastated with this news, I decided to give Joel Smets a call, the team manager of the Red Bull KTM team effort and of course a five time World champion himself, to ask his opinion on the Herlings news and also if there is any possibility of Herlings racing the AMA Nationals, if he misses too many rounds of the MXGP title chase.

It is a long interview, that we will run early next week, but for now, here are a couple the questions to Smets, about Herlings and his future.

MXLarge: Tell me, obviously, tough times for KTM and Jeffrey’s news makes these times even tougher. For most of the motocross fans, its tough to hear his chances of winning a sixth World title in 2025 seem to be nearly gone, but what is your opinion of the injury and time frame for a comeback?

Smets: Well, what can I say Geoff, for everybody it is sad, but what can I say, you cannot change it. We evaluate week after week and with this injury, it isn’t like a broken bone. With a broken bone, you can put a date on it, and then we start riding, but with an ACL, it isn’t like that. We recently had the same with Marco Rossi also and if you hear Jett’s situation, they also don’t put a timeframe on his return. They say the minimum the doctor talks about it four months, but is it going to be four months, or is it going to be five months? In case of an ACL, you can always take a risk, after four months, the pain is fine, you will be able to ride, but the strength of the ACL, which is built in, is not the same for everyone and you cannot see on MRI’s, how strong it is. It has a strength, but you don’t know the risk of it snapping again. Of course, even with a healthy ACL, it can snap, but that is difficult to judge. Some people ride after three months, but some ride after five months with less success. It is up to the athlete, not just physically, but also mentally, when is he willing to do it.

MXLarge: I know the current situation with KTM, both in Europe and America is different and the current situation for KTM in Austria isn’t great, but has there been any talk of Jeffrey moving to race the AMA Nationals, if his chances of winning in Europe are gone?

Smets: We have always had these stories and that always comes up, but at the moment, and with the financial situation, not yet, but I do not say it won’t come up, because, for sure, at some stage if might come up, but at the moment, no. As you know, we have Chase and Aaron and normally with both we can score podiums and we won the championship with Chase last year, so there isn’t a high need to put another rider there, so for now, it isn’t on the table, yet.

Webb Is Doing What Webb Does!

Cooper Webb is often unfairly forgotten when it comes to a straight shootout of potential championship winners at the start of every season and, once again, he is proving those doubters wrong – and enjoying it too.

Webb was reportedly coming in a bit banged up into the season but, as usual, he was consistent and even got a third at San Diego despite feeling ill. Even then the signs were there before the injuries. Webb points-wise was right there, then he got faster and the injuries hit Lawrence and Tomac – then Webb got inspired.

He knows it’s his time to strike and not only is he consistent and smart but he has impressive raw speed, even in qualifying, he’s throwing down laps, whipping the bike in the air and putting a marker down. Mind games, speed games, winning games. Cooper Webb is where he wants to be just like he was from “lap three,” in Detroit when he admitted he was very confident in knowing what to do next which is a move we have all seen before, follow Roczen, watch Roczen then pass Roczen late for the win, and the momentum.

Webb said of the win, underlining his confidence, “felt super comfortable, kind of knew where I was going to make the pass, and I was able to execute.”

Webb waits for his moment, then attacks, and he admits he knows the opportunity is there and so is the chip on his shoulder to prove the doubters wrong once again. “Just the opportunity, again, ” said Webb. “Obviously we’ve had some injuries as we know, which is a bummer, but you know I’m just I’m in the in the championship fight, right? I’m tied for the red plate. It’s just not talked about much, you know, so I think a lot of people didn’t expect this. A lot of people expected the other guys to kind of maybe do their thing. So, yeah, it’s just good to, to quietly remind everybody, always.”

Cooper Webb isn’t the underdog anymore. He is many peoples favourite for the title after Detroit.

Deegan suggests introduction of 250 class age limit

'You don't want to take jabs at people for how long they've been in the class.'

250SX West title prospect Haiden Deegan has suggested the introduction of an age limit for the quarter-liter category in future, his opinion being that it would promote rides for the younger generation in the class.

Deegan, 19, made it clear that he wasn’t taking aim at anyone in particular when questioned on the topic post-race in Glendale – that main event won by 250 veteran Jordon Smith.

“You don’t want to take jabs at people for how long they’ve been in the class, but I don’t know…” the two-time 250SMX and defending 250MX champion explained. “I honestly think the class should have an age limit on it just so the younger generation has opportunity to get rides.”

Deegan reiterated that while he is in favor of the regional championships in Monster Energy Supercross to introduce age limits – which could bring the US series more in line with the MX2 World Championship’s maximum age of 23 years – he maintains respect for the aging group of riders setting high standards in the premier class.

“That’s no jab for anybody, that’s just my thought,” he added. “But besides that, the 450 class, I mean if you’re fit and healthy at an old age, you still could pull it off.”

The western division of 250SX – which will resume this Saturday in Arlington – is currently led by teenage revelation Julien Beaumer (Red Bull KTM) ahead of Smith, with Deegan currently third. The trio are separated by just three points following the opening four rounds and a two-week break in the series.

250SX East has Deegan’s Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing teammate and Tampa winner Max Anstie atop the point-standings at 31 years of age following the opening two rounds of the division.