CFMOTO acquires a 51% stake in KALEX: Moto2 today, MotoGP dream tomorrow?

CFMOTO acquires 51% of KALEX, the dominant German constructor in Moto2. Perhaps with an eye on the MotoGP category...

Alongside the renewed partnership with Aspar Team through 2031, now CFMOTO is adding an even more concrete commitment to the intermediate class, directly as a manufacturer. We can put it that way, since the Chinese brand has just acquired 51% of KALEX, the German chassis builder and dominant powerhouse of the middle class. An interesting twist, even if in practical terms it may change little. But there could be a long-term scenario...

As reported by Sky Sport, CFMOTO has completed the purchase of 51% of KALEX Engineering, a company led by Klaus Hirsekorn and Alexander Baumgärtel (who now share the remaining 49%), the bike supplier for most of the teams in Moto2 and which also celebrated another constructors’ title last year. A new project that will be led by Zhiyong Chen, vice president of CFMOTO, and Sebastian Sekira, formerly vice president and head of engine development at KTM. And there’s no shortage of speculation that this could be a first step toward entering MotoGP in the not-too-distant future...

In fact, KALEX has produced many parts in the past for the premier class, especially for HRC and KTM. Let’s add that the entry of a new manufacturer could finally fill the void left by Suzuki at the end of 2022, which has yet to be filled, despite various heavyweight names circulating over time for a possible MotoGP entry that never materialized. And CFMOTO’s agreement with Aspar Team opens up an (hypothetical) interesting prospect: Jorge Martinez’s squad has already been in MotoGP, both with “classic” prototypes and with CRT/Open, and returning with a project like this wouldn’t be bad. But these are, of course, only hypotheses, and certainly hard to imagine for the revolutionary 2027 season. After that, who knows!