Released by KTM North America on July 8, 2026 a safety recall report For some 2022 to 2024 Husqvarna FE 501S and FE 350S motorcycles, as well as 2024 GasGas ES 500 and ES 350 motorcycles. Reason: Rear brake calipers used on these particular bikes may be prone to design defects, including “The Jay Juan/BrakeTech rear brake caliper primary pin casting may crack/break when rolled backward, causing the caliper bracket to crack/break and possibly cause the caliper to break in forward motion.”
About 6,257 individual motorcycles may be affected, which KTM NA estimates is about 1 percent of the population. Additionally, while some of the problems resulting from the safety recall have warning signs that may occur before any potentially dangerous situation, this safety recall report notes that this is a situation that could occur completely without warning.
According to KTM’s chronology of the issue, the company noted the first instance of this problem occurring with KTM Austria customer service in March 2024. Both KTM Austria and JJuan initiated a review of the issue at that time to conduct a root cause analysis and determine the best course of action.
This issue affects the following motorcycles and production date ranges:
- 2022-2024 Husqvarna FE 501 S produced between January 13, 2022 and October 11, 2023
- 2022-2024 Husqvarna FE 350 S produced between January 13, 2022 and October 11, 2023
- 2024 GasGas ES 500 produced between June 27, 2023 and October 23, 2023
- 2024 GasGas ES 350 produced between June 27, 2023 and October 23, 2023
From 2025 model year motorcycles onward, an improved brake caliper design was used on those motorcycles, which is why they are not included in this recall. However, on April 16, 2026, Transport Canada (which is Canada’s equivalent of the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) reportedly contacted KTM North America regarding issues with BrakeTech rear caliper failures on certain machines sold in that market. As a result, additional investigations took place at KTM Austria level.
So far, as of July 8, 2026, one accident related to this issue has been reported in Germany.
KTM North America is notifying its dealer network about this recall on July 15, 2026, through its internal DealerNet network. The Company also plans to notify all registered owners of affected vehicles via postal mail on or about September 2, 2026. VINs of affected motorcycles must be searched in the NHTSA database by July 15, 2026.
The replacement part has an enlarged pin area with its size significantly increased, from 6.5 millimeters to 10.5 millimeters. It is being used on KTM’s production line from the 2025 model year.
The recall states that all dealers will be required to repair the motorcycles in their stock before delivering them to customers. If any KTM/Husqvarna/GasGas owners have already paid for the service in question, they may be eligible for reimbursement, provided they have evidence to support their claims.
Owners will be instructed to contact their local authorized KTM dealer who will schedule a recall service appointment where the rear brake caliper will be completely replaced with a non-defective unit, also free of charge. Owners can contact the KTM and Husqvarna North America customer service hotline at 1-888-985-6090. Additionally, owners can contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-888-275-9171) or visit www.nhtsa.gov.
