“What do CFMOTO and KTM have in common?”

Many big changes are happening in the motorcycle world. CFMOTO is a rising Chinese manufacturer known for affordable and quality bikes. KTM, a long-established motorcycle brand, is the leader in Austrian performance. There has long been a rumor that these two are in a partnership and that some KTMs are reaching the European market from China. Is there any truth to this? What really connects these two?

By now, every motorcyclist probably knows that CFMOTO also produces motorcycles. The idea of creating motorcycles by CFMOTO, mostly known in the ATV world, emerged in 2008 and was realized in 2011 with the first 650 cubic centimeter engine.

Marek Kärner, the owner of Motohobi and the Estonian importer of CFMOTO, told us that at that time, KTM had the idea of entering the Asian market. “However, if you want to sell a machine produced in Europe there, the principle of internal market protection applies, and an entrant from an external market is taxed with an additional 40% customs duty, which would make the final price of the product too expensive,” he explained the background.