- CFMoto acquires 51 percent of Kalex Engineering GmbH from Bobingen
- Alex Baumgärtel remains CEO and sole decision-maker in Moto2 operations
- Kalex boss issues clear rejection of MotoGP speculation
The news broke on the sidelines of the MotoGP season opener in Buriram, Thailand: Chinese motorcycle manufacturer CFMoto has acquired 51 percent of Kalex Engineering GmbH, the German company that has been building chassis for the Moto2 World Championship since 2010 and has dominated the class at will. The report, first broken by Italian colleagues at Sky Sport, was personally confirmed by Kalex CEO Alex Baumgärtel, among others in conversations with SPEEDWEEK.com and Motorsport-Magazin.com. Although the sale was completed back in December 2025, it only became public now at the Thailand Grand Prix.
How the Deal Came Together
The first contact between the two companies occurred in early 2025 in the paddock. Initially, it wasn’t about a share sale at all, but merely about a possible technical collaboration. Only over the course of several conversations did Baumgärtel eventually offer company shares. He describes the CFMoto executives as a motivated team that knows how to listen and where the chemistry was right from the start.
The acquisition was carried out through CFMoto’s European subsidiary Helmsmen Europe. Previously, the company shares were held equally by Alex Baumgärtel, Klaus Hirsekorn, and Günther Holzer. CFMoto took over Holzer’s shares completely, while Baumgärtel and Hirsekorn each ceded enough of their respective thirds for CFMoto to reach 51 percent in total. The remaining 49 percent is now shared between Baumgärtel and Hirsekorn. The company’s leadership will now include CFMoto Vice President Zhiyong Chen and Sebastian Sekira, who previously headed engine development at KTM.
Baumgärtel himself sees the transaction less as a classic takeover and more as a partnership. The stated goal is a know-how transfer: racing technology is to flow into CFMoto’s series production. This also includes training engineers, to whom Baumgärtel wants to convey his approach to topics such as chassis rigidity. His background as a career changer from the automotive sector has given him a unique, often unconventional perspective on chassis construction.
Kalex: From Empty Accounts to Moto2 Powerhouse
To understand the significance of this deal, it’s worth looking at the history of Kalex. Alex Baumgärtel and Klaus Hirsekorn began their careers as chassis engineers in the automotive industry. Baumgärtel brings 15 years of experience in the automotive sector at factory level. From 2004, the two began constructing their first motorcycle. In 2010, they entered the newly created Moto2 class, which had been established as the successor to the legendary 250cc two-stroke category.
Just one year later, in 2011, they achieved their first World Championship title with Stefan Bradl. What followed was an unprecedented run of success: from 2013 onwards, Kalex won every single Constructors’ Championship in Moto2. In total, 13 of the last 15 World Champions in the class rode on a Kalex chassis. Currently, 20 of the 28 Moto2 riders compete on machines from Bobingen. All of this was achieved with a remarkably lean structure: Kalex currently consists of just eight employees, including three engineers.
A key role in this success has always been the philosophy of equal treatment. While other manufacturers used to distinguish between A and B customers and spare parts could only be ordered on specific dates, Kalex committed from day one to providing identical material to all teams. Data is also only read out after the race weekend, so no team needs to fear that information will be passed on to competitors. This principle of trust is considered one of the cornerstones of Kalex’s dominance.
Beyond Moto2, the company from Bobingen also gained experience in other areas. In Moto3, Kalex served as a chassis manufacturer and celebrated Grand Prix victories with riders including Luis Salom and Jonas Folger. Even more significantly: in MotoGP, co-founder Alex Baumgärtel worked between 2022 and 2024 as a technical consultant for Honda (HRC), developing chassis and swingarms for the RC213V. Collaborations with KTM and BMW were also on the reference list.
What Changes Through the Deal — and What Doesn’t
The most important message for the Moto2 paddock: business continues as usual. Alex Baumgärtel remains managing director, the development team in Bobingen stays intact. “We’re not planning any revolution,” Baumgärtel reportedly told close associates. “CFMoto gives us financial security — that’s what matters.”
Concretely, this means: The approximately 28 teams that currently race with Kalex chassis will continue to receive their frames from Bavaria. The price structure is expected to remain stable, and technical support — a key sales argument for Kalex — will continue to come from the established team.
What is new: CFMoto gains direct access to European racing technology. The Chinese have been investing in motorsport for years — from their own MotoGP team (with Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team as a partner) to the CFMOTO Racing PrüstelGP team in Moto3. The Kalex takeover is the logical next step in this strategy.
MotoGP Speculation: What’s Behind It?
Whenever a manufacturer acquires chassis expertise, the MotoGP rumor mill starts turning. Could CFMoto build their own MotoGP prototype with Kalex know-how? Theoretically possible — practically unlikely in the medium term.
A MotoGP project would require an investment of at least 50 to 80 million euros per year. Kalex has the knowledge to build carbon monocoques, but a MotoGP bike also needs a competitive engine, sophisticated electronics, and years of development time. For comparison: KTM needed over five years to become competitive — and they already had engine expertise.
More realistic is that CFMoto could use Kalex technology for production motorcycles. Lightweight frame concepts, optimized steering geometry, advanced suspension kinematics — all of this could flow into future CFMoto street machines.
CFMoto: From Small Manufacturer to Global Player
For those unfamiliar with CFMoto: The company based in Hangzhou has been building motorcycles since 1989 and has experienced dramatic growth in recent years. With models like the 700CL-X, the 800MT, and the 450SR, CFMoto is increasingly pushing into the European mid-range market. Partnerships with KTM (engine technology) and now Kalex show the ambition to be taken seriously as a technology company, not just as a price competitor.
Annual production currently exceeds 600,000 vehicles. Revenue for 2024 is estimated at around 1.5 billion euros. The Kalex deal fits into a pattern: CFMoto is buying expertise that would take decades to build organically.
What This Means for Motorcyclists and Motorsport Fans
For Moto2 viewers, little changes in the short term. Kalex will continue to dominate — now with a Chinese parent company. For CFMoto customers, the deal could mean better motorcycles in the long run, as racing know-how flows into series production.
And for the MotoGP paddock? A new manufacturer would be welcome — but anyone expecting CFMoto on the MotoGP grid by 2027 will likely be disappointed. The Kalex deal is a strategic building block, not a shortcut to the premier class.
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