If it seems like the world of motorcycling is constantly the subject of rumors, it’s probably because it is. Some of them come to nothing, but others end up coming true. Take, for example, all the rumors about Marc Márquez leaving Honda, or the fact that Ducati is quietly developing a motocross bike (and hiring Tony Cairoli) in secret.
Now we have another. When KTM first acquired a 25.1% stake in MV Agusta in 2022, many people wondered when the other step would be taken. After all, many motorcycle enthusiasts have been paying attention long enough to witness KTM’s acquisitions of Husqvarna and GasGas. Why should MV be any different?
Then came the endless back and forth in the press. Pierer Mobility and Stefan Pierer, director of KTM, together with Hubert Trunkenpolz, member of the board of directors, spoke publicly about the future of the company and their visions seemed to include the acquisition of MV Agusta. Then someone (anyone; it happened to several publications) interviewed MV Agusta’s CEO, Timur Sardarov, and he insisted that KTM would not acquire his company.
On October 24, 2023, Pierer Mobility released a statement regarding a “strategic decision by the company”. The title of the statement is: “Deepening cooperation with MV Agusta”.
As far as business-related statements go, it’s an incredibly short one. The subject line reads: “KTM AG and MV Agusta agree on an option to purchase a majority stake.” The words are printed in bold.
After the subject line, there is a paragraph summarizing the business relationship between KTM and MV Agusta to date. It talks about KTM’s acquisition of MV’s 25.1% stake, the acquisition of MV’s supply chain and purchasing and also the distribution of the Varese brand through Pierer Mobility’s huge worldwide network.
There follows the sentence that the most attentive observers were probably expecting. “The call option granted to KTM AG on the basis of the annual financial statements as of December 31, 2025 to acquire a majority stake in MV Agusta will be exercised in the spring of 2026.”
In other words, Pierer Mobility says that KTM will have a majority stake in MV Agusta in the spring of 2026. Of course, there will be more news about the deal by then.