P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Reports indicate that German manufacturer BMW Motorrad is looking to buy Austrian motorbike manufacturer KTM.
KTM is facing an important meeting with creditors on Tuesday to vote on its restructuring plan. If approved, the company will pay back 30% of its €2-plus billion debts by the end of May. However, failure to pass the vote could lead to KTM declaring bankruptcy. There are reports that Bavarian giants are interested in buying KTM, intending to relocate it outside of Austria. BMW aims to centralize research and development at its Motorrad site in Munich, Germany, while shifting bike production to India, where the Indian Bajaj Group already manufactures KTM motorbikes. If this plan moves forward, all 4500 KTM employees could face unemployment by 2025, potentially requiring up to €225 million from the Austrian taxpayers’ insolvency fund for compensating redundancies. This development may open the door for BMW to enter MotoGP, following their acquisition of Suzuki team data and recent success in WorldSBK racing with Toprak Razgatlioglu.
