Thousands of off-road motorcycles are being recalled in the United States over a braking defect that federal regulators warn could lead to serious injury or death in a crash.

KTM North America Inc., of Amherst, Ohio — the U.S. arm of Austrian motorcycle manufacturer KTM, which also builds the GASGAS and Husqvarna brands — is recalling about 21,040 GASGAS and Husqvarna off-road motorcycles sold in the U.S., the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Thursday. An additional 4,140 units were sold in Canada, according to the commission, the federal agency responsible for protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury posed by consumer products. The affected brands sit under one corporate roof: KTM's Austrian parent acquired the Husqvarna motorcycle business from BMW in 2013 and brought Spain's GASGAS brand into the group in 2019, placing all three marques in the same off-road stable.

The recall covers certain 2021 through 2024 GASGAS and Husqvarna off-road motorcycle models.

"The rear brake caliper can crack or break, reducing the brake system's effectiveness, posing a risk of serious injury or death due to crash hazard," the commission said in its notice. The brake caliper is the component that clamps the brake pads against the rear disc to slow the wheel, so a cracked or broken caliper directly reduces rear braking performance — a particular concern in off-road riding, where the rear brake is used to manage speed and traction on loose or technical terrain.

The recalled motorcycles can be identified by their brand styling. The GASGAS off-road motorcycles are red with the white GASGAS logo on both sides of the shrouds, while the Husqvarna motorcycles are white, blue and yellow with the Husqvarna logo on both sides of the shrouds.

The motorcycles were sold at GASGAS and Husqvarna authorized dealers from September 2020 to June 2023 for between $7,300 and $13,000.

Consumers are urged to stop riding the recalled motorcycles immediately and to contact an authorized GASGAS or Husqvarna Motorcycle dealer to schedule a free repair at the dealership. Owners who are unsure whether their bike is included can check the specific model details in the commission's recall notice on its website, or confirm with a dealer.

No injuries have been reported thus far in connection with the recalled motorcycles. Federal law requires companies to report to the CPSC when they learn a product could create a substantial product hazard, and recalls announced through the commission come with remedies provided free of charge to consumers.

Source: Fox Business