A cracked pin inside a rear brake caliper is enough to make a dirt bike fail, and now more than 20,000 off-road motorcycles are getting fixed before that happens.
Quick Take
- KTM North America is recalling about 21,040 GASGAS and Husqvarna off-road motorcycles in the United States over a rear brake caliper defect.
- Federal safety regulators say the caliper can crack or break, cutting brake power and raising the risk of a crash, serious injury, or death.
- The recall covers 2022-2024 Husqvarna FE 350 and FE 501 models and 2024 GASGAS ES 350 and ES 500 models.
- Dealers will replace the rear brake caliper for free, and KTM will notify owners by mail.
What Federal Safety Regulators Found In The Brake System
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) filed a Part 573 Safety Recall Report on July 15, 2026, spelling out the exact failure.
The rear brake caliper, made by JJuan/Braktec, has a primary pin casting that can crack or break when the bike rolls backward.
That crack can spread to the caliper bracket, and the whole caliper can then break while the rider is moving forward.
More than 20,000 off-road motorcycles recalled over dangerous brake defect that could lead to death https://t.co/EhcHznaYda
— FOX Business (@FoxBusiness) August 21, 2026
That sequence matters because it means the failure doesn’t always show up right away. A rider could back a bike out of a trailer or truck bed, quietly damage the caliper pin, then have it give out later during a hard ride.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) supported the same finding in its own August 20, 2026 recall notice, warning that the defect “reduces the brake system’s effectiveness” and creates a crash hazard.
Which Bikes Are Affected And Why The Count Matters
The recall spans multiple model years and two brands under the KTM umbrella, which suggests this isn’t a one-off manufacturing slip in a single production run.
Affected models include the 2022-2024 Husqvarna FE 350s and FE 501s, as well as the 2024 GASGAS ES 350 and ES 500 motorcycles.
It was reported that the CPSC notice puts the U.S. total at roughly 21,040 units, a sizable chunk of the off-road riding community.
RideApart’s coverage from July 16, 2026 lines up with the federal filing, describing the same backward-rolling failure mechanism and the same risk of the caliper breaking during forward motion.
KTM North America is named as the recalling firm, operating GASGAS North America and Husqvarna Mobility North America under one roof.
That corporate structure means the fix rolls out through the same dealer network regardless of which badge is on the gas tank.
How Owners Get Their Bikes Fixed For Free
The remedy itself is straightforward. Dealers will pull the defective rear brake caliper and install a replacement at no cost to the owner.
That’s standard practice under federal recall law, which requires manufacturers to notify regulators within five business days of confirming a safety defect and then fix the problem free of charge. It’s a system built to catch problems before they turn into pile-ups, not after.
Riders who own one of the listed models should watch for a recall notice in the mail and can also check their bike’s identification number through NHTSA’s online recall lookup tool.
Given the defect can worsen after backward movement, anyone who trailers or transports these bikes regularly has extra reason to get the caliper swapped sooner rather than later.
A Familiar Pattern For KTM’s Brake Recalls
This isn’t KTM’s first rear-brake rodeo. The company issued a separate recall in 2025 covering a front brake caliper defect on related off-road models, a reminder that brake-system recalls tend to arrive in waves as manufacturers and regulators work through a supplier’s parts across multiple bike lines.
Riders should note this current campaign is specifically about the rear caliper, a distinct issue from that earlier front-brake fix.
⚠️ RECALL: KTM North America Recalls Off-Road Motorcycles Due to Risk of Serious Injury or Death from Crash Hazard
Hazard: 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.
Remed…— Recall | Safety Alerts 🚨 (@RecallAlertsUS) August 24, 2026
For consumers, this recall is actually a case study of the system functioning as it’s supposed to.
A defect was identified, regulators were notified within the required window, and the manufacturer is footing the bill for repairs rather than passing costs on to riders. That’s accountability without a lawsuit forcing the issue.
Sources:
motorsportsnewswire.com, motorcycle.com, thebrakereport.com, static.nhtsa.gov, rideapart.com
