Pierer Mobility, the parent company of motorcycle manufacturer KTM, has filed for insolvency, which also applies to its e-bike brands Husqvarna, GasGas and Felt. Pierer has given away 11,000 e-bikes to employees in order to reduce excess stocks. KTM Fahrrad GmbH, which produces bicycles and e-bikes under the KTM brand, is not affected by the crisis.

A month ago, a wave of insolvencies swept through the bicycle industry: major players such as Fahrrad.de, Bikester and Chain Reaction were affected, but were able to continue their operations within the insolvency proceedings. However, the Signa group of companies, in which the online bike stores are integrated, is still seething. The first bankruptcy is underway in Benko's core real estate business.

First massive boom years with corona, then a slump in consumer sentiment due to the war in Ukraine and the associated high inflation: the bike industry has not yet overcome these ups and downs. The most recent example is the cult brand Orange Bikes: an insolvency administrator has been appointed and the future of the bike manufacturer, which specializes in single-pivot bikes, is open.