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Current owner Stefan Pierer will completely exit KTM’s leadership in June Bajaj Auto is now acquiring Pierer Industries’ entire stake in the parent company of KTM, Husqvarna, and Gas Gas, in a breakthrough blockbuster deal estimated to be worth €800 million (US$901.8 million). This is expected to get completed by May 2026 with due regulatory approval (pending at the moment). Bajaj is an iconic Indian company which already owns 49.9% stake in Pierer Mobility, the parent company of three well-known and popular motorcycle brands — namely KTM, Husqvarna and the fairly recent Gas Gas. Remainder 50.1% was owned by Pierer Industrie AG, but as of 22-May-2025, Pier Industrie and Bajaj have reached an incredible agreement to transfer all of these to Bajaj. Indian economy is already in the news and India has been at center stage for multiple reasons in recent times. Its economic and infrastructure growth and rollout of policies in favour of local businesses has been rapid, relentless, reassuring and successful. Investors, manufacturers, employees, entrepreneurs, customers, importing nations, — they all seem to be benefitting. Bajaj acquiring these major brands is a major achievement for Indian automotive sector, the possibilities with this is endless– and its especially ground breaking when Chinese companies are rapidly acquiring technology and engineering from loss making companies of Europe. This is more than just a corporate achievement. Its vindication of excellence in business and management. The news from Pierer Group comes just as Pierer Mobility confirmed it had received a €450 million (US$507.4 million) loan, plus an additional €150 million (US $ 169.1 million) bond from Bajaj. The total sum of €600 million (US$676.5 million) will be used to pay the 30% cash quota owed to KTM’s creditors agreed to under its restructuring plan. This is all on top of another €200 million (US$225.6 million) that Bajaj has already provided for restarting production. Finally, Stefan Pierer will step down from the executive board of Pierer Mobility in June 2025, once the restructuring process is completed. The former Chief Executive Officer had stepped down from helm of KTM in March 2025, but he continued to own Pierer Industries and was also on the board of Pierer Mobility. Once he resigns from the board and Bajaj secures Pierer Industries’ shares, Stefan Pierer and his influence will be fully separated from the KTM, Husqvarna and Gas Gas brands. Meanwhile, Verena Schneglberger-Grossmann has been appointed to Pierer Mobility’s executive board as Chief Legal Officer, in support of the current CEO, Gottfried Neumeister. So the future of KTM and its sister brands remains to be determined because it can be suspected Stefan Pierer has not yet given up and may have control via a proxy CEO. Bajaj is manufacturing the group’s sub-400cc models such as the KTM 390 Adventure and Husqvarna’s Vitpilen and Svartpilen 401, and possibly the three newly acquired brands may shift their focus on low end or entry-level, affordable segment — temporarily(??) moving away from larger, more expensive motorcycles such as the 1390 Super Duke. KTM has a joint venture CFMOTO, which produces motorcycles in the 790 to 950cc range. KTM is the European distributor for CFMOTO’s motorcycles in Europe for quite a few years. In April, KTM announced that distribution arrangement was ending June 1. So, Bajaj may try to expand its foothold in Europe by utilizing the facilities and models of the newly acquired brands. Either ways–the three brands have survived, which is better than what used to happen in the previous centuries–as seen in the case of Vincent, Excelsior-Henderson, Brough Superior—or the more famous and successful brands such as Indian, Triumph, Buell and Victory. Whether quality, demand and service stays as-is is something Bajaj should focus on, something for them to catapult into history books of motorcycling world history. –WayfarerAssociate EditorBikernet.com © PRESS RELEASE PIERER Mobility AG: Pierer and Bajaj enter into call option agreement that enables a future change of control22-May-2025 / 19:43 CET/CEST Disclosure of an inside information acc. to Article 17 MAR of the Regulation (EU) No 596/2014, transmitted by EQS News – a service of EQS GroupAd hoc notification pursuant to Article 17 Regulation (EU) No 596/2014 (MAR)Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LRWels, May 22, 2025 PIERER Mobility AG: Pierer and Bajaj enter into call option agreement that enables a future change of control Pierer Bajaj AG is the majority shareholder of PIERER Mobility AG. Pierer Industrie AG holds a 50.1% stake in Pierer Bajaj AG. The remaining 49.9% is held by Bajaj Auto International Holdings B.V. (“Bajaj BV”). Today, Pierer Industrie AG has concluded a call option agreement with Bajaj BV which enables Bajaj BV to acquire the shares of Pierer Industrie AG in Pierer Bajaj AG and thus indirect control over PIERER Mobility AG until the end of May 2026. Such a change of control requires regulatory approvals. Shares may be transferred under this call option to Bajaj BV once all regulatory approvals have been obtained. Until these approvals are received, the current control situation will remain unchanged. The post Bajaj to Acquire KTM appeared first on Bikernet.com - Online Biker Magazine.

President Trump said on Friday that he is increasing the tariff on steel imported into the United States from 25% to 50%. “Next week, tariffs on steel will be raised from 25% to 50% to further protect the U.S. steel industry from foreign influence and unfair competition,” The White House stated. President Trump Makes MAJOR Announcement Next week, tariffs on steel will be raised from 25% to 50% to further protect the U.S. steel industry from foreign influence and unfair competition. AMERICA FIRST. — The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 30, 2025 Trump made the announcement at U.S. Steel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. “We don’t want America’s future to be built with shoddy steel from Shanghai—we want it built with the strength and the pride of Pittsburgh!” he said. President Trump at U.S. Steel this evening in Pittsburgh, PA “We don’t want America’s future to be built with shoddy steel from Shanghai—we want it built with the strength and the pride of Pittsburgh!” pic.twitter.com/ep9iVNan6r — Dan Scavino (@Scavino47) May 31, 2025 From POLITICO: “At 50 percent, they can no longer get over the fence,” Trump said during a speech at a U.S. Steel facility in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, where he announced some details of a new “partnership” that will allow Japanese-owned Nippon Steel to acquire the iconic American company. Trump initially imposed a 25 percent tariff on steel during his first term in office under a national security trade provision known as Section 232 of the 1962 Trade Expansion Act. After returning in January for a second term, he canceled deals that the Biden administration made with Japan, the U.K. and the EU to ease the impact of those tariffs. He also further tightened the duties by eliminating a program that allowed importers to seek exemptions for individual steel products. His announcement on Friday came after two court rulings this week that struck down his use of another authority, the International Economic Emergency Powers Act, to impose sweeping reciprocal tariffs on countries around the world as well as duties aimed specifically at China, Canada and Mexico. A third federal court promptly issued a temporary stay of one of the rulings, keeping the tariffs in effect, for now. In the aftermath of those rulings, administration officials have said they would rely on other authorities, like Section 232, to impose duties, while expressing confidence they would win their case to preserve the IEEPA duties on appeal. “There will be no layoffs and no outsourcing whatsoever, and every U.S. steel worker will soon receive a well-deserved $5,000 bonus,” Trump said. WATCH: President Trump just announced a $5,000 bonus for all United States steel workers and the stadium ERUPTED: "There will be no layoffs and no outsourcing whatsoever, and every U.S. steel worker will soon receive a well-deserved $5,000 bonus." pic.twitter.com/XGWJGmWmbK — Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) May 30, 2025 Steel workers and local politicians reacted to the news: "I can take a breath today." "It's like early Christmas around here." "I was crying. I'm not ashamed to admit it." Western Pennsylvania steel workers and local politicians react to @POTUS' massive deal between U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel saving their factories. pic.twitter.com/OuKjfpnIBJ — Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 30, 2025 Unsurprisingly, the European Union criticized the move. Per CNBC: The European Union on Saturday criticized President Donald Trump’s move to double tariffs on steel imports, warning that it “undermines” efforts to reach a “negotiated solution” in the ongoing trade war. “We strongly regret the announced increase of U.S. tariffs on steel imports from 25% to 50%,” an EU spokesperson said in a statement to NBC News. “This decision adds further uncertainty to the global economy and increases costs for consumers and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic,” the spokesperson continued. The spokesperson added that the EU is “prepared to impose countermeasures, including in response to the latest U.S. tariff increase.” The United Steelworkers union (USW) also criticized Trump’s announcement and said it is a “direct attack on Canadian industries and workers.” “Thousands of Canadian jobs are on the line and communities that rely on steel and aluminum are being put at risk,” Marty Warren, United Steelworkers National Director for Canada, said in a statement.

Talk about a close call! One man in Texas is feeling extremely blessed after he narrowly escaped death while driving on an interstate. A video that has gone viral on X shows the moments an overpass partially collapsed while he was driving under it. Fox News filled in the details: A Texas driver caught a partial overpass collapse on video this week as he was driving underneath it. Leonel Vasquez and his brother were driving on Interstate 27 in Tulia, Texas, from his work in Amarillo when they saw a tractor-trailer hit the overpass, he told Storyful, FOX 4 reported. No other injuries were reported. The tractor-trailer was hauling a crane when it hit the overpass, Sgt. Adrian Briseno with the Texas Department of Public Safety said, according to KHOU-TV. The overpass remains closed. Watch the moment it happened here: Texas Overpass Collapse on Video interstate 27 in Tulia, Texas pic.twitter.com/Y21nS6MLeY — WanderVisions Lens (@wandervisions) May 31, 2025 Civil engineer Matt Dursh broke down the bridge’s partial destruction in a thread. Read here: The bridge was hit at the center of the span where the maximum bending moments of this type of bridge occur. The strike damaged the bottom flange of the concrete I girder, exposing prestressing strand and causing the girder to fail under the self weight of the structure. 2/ pic.twitter.com/FqQgiIxStZ — Matt Dursh (@MattDursh) May 27, 2025 Other girders were significantly damaged in the strike. While standing, this girder has significant bottom flange damage with exposed prestressing strand. The top flange of the concrete girder is delaminating from the deck, with a visible horizontal fracture along the deck. 4/ pic.twitter.com/eNVuKYAxSE — Matt Dursh (@MattDursh) May 27, 2025 Despite the significant damage to the bridge it still remains standing. This shows the resiliency and ductility of the structure. Engineers design bridges and other structures for a ductile failure where the structure deforms before collapse. Brittle failures are avoided. — Matt Dursh (@MattDursh) May 27, 2025

Former U.S. Representative George Santos of New York  is finally starting to see the writing on the wall. Santos who was expelled from Congress in 2023 over ethics concerns only to be later convicted on wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges, sent out a lengthy post on X attacking his “friends” and Republicans who have not been able to secure him a pardon from President Trump. Santos was senteced by a federal judge to serve 87 months in prison and will soon have to report to prison. George Santos goes on social media rant, attacks ‘so called friends’ in GOP before shutting down X account https://t.co/AUZMImMs5n pic.twitter.com/5nJvny58kB — New York Post (@nypost) May 31, 2025 The New York Post broke down the details: George Santos went on an unhinged and extended X rant this week, bashing everyone from frenemies, former Republican colleagues to the American justice system — and then deactivated the account. The disgraced ex-congressman — who is headed to federal prison July 25 — whined about his prison sentence and attacked his “so called friends” in the GOP for not delivering on a pardon for seven consecutive days of posts beginning May 21, The Post has learned. The dramatic tirade culminated with the deactivation of his 200,000- follower X account Wednesday. “For those asking. … Even though I initially considered the prospect of petitioning the president with a pardon application I have [ceased] that approach as I will not spend the last 61 days I have of life scrambling on how to get past a bunch of guard dogs,” Santos, 36, posted Monday. “The so called ‘friends’ I have that said they’d help legit should have just told me to go f–k myself, because that’s what has essentially happened with their actions. I’ve accepted my fate and don’t want to talk about it anymore.” His account has been deleted. Take a look: However, even though Santos has appeared to act as if he has no interest in pettitoning President Trump to pardon him, he previously made a call for President Trump to pardon him in an interview with Piers Morgan: ‘No one better than President Trump knows what a weaponized justice department looks like.’ George Santos, who is facing seven years in jail for wire fraud and identity theft, makes his plea to Trump. https://t.co/J5Hr6rMZPF@piersmorgan | @MrSantosNY | @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/8P1Yk4islA — Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) May 8, 2025 The DOJ reported tehse details on Santos’ crimes: Santos Filed Fraudulent FEC Reports, Embezzled Funds from Campaign Donors, Stole Identities, Charged Credit Cards Without Authorization, Obtained Unemployment Benefits Through Fraud, and Lied in Reports to the U.S. House of Representatives Former Congressman George Anthony Devolder Santos was sentenced today by United States District Judge Joanna Seybert at the federal courthouse in Central Islip to 87 months in prison for committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. As part of the sentence, Santos was ordered to pay restitution to his victims in the amount of $373,749.97 and $205,002.97 in forfeiture. Santos pleaded guilty in August 2024. John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI New York); and Anne T. Donnelly, Nassau County District Attorney announced the sentence. “Today, George Santos was finally held accountable for the mountain of lies, theft, and fraud he perpetrated. For the defendant, it was judgment day, and for his many victims including campaign donors, political parties, government agencies, elected bodies, his own family members, and his constituents, it is justice,” stated U.S. Attorney Durham. “To Mr. Santos and other dishonest individuals of that ilk, who lie, steal identities and commit frauds to get elected to public office, this prosecution speaks to the truth that my Office is committed to aggressively rooting out public corruption and that public officials who criminally abuse our electoral process will end up in a federal prison.” Mr. Durham expressed his appreciation to the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General and the New York State Department of Labor, for their assistance.