In recent years KTM has made strides to oust Harley-Davidson from the “trinket to bike ratio” throne. Seriously. If you want a KTM branded wallet, toilet bag, garden gnome, rubber duck, or toaster, you can go to KTM’s website and pimp your entire world orange… Unless you want kids’ pajamas.
It seems that Austria and the US have different takes on flammability standards for children’s sleepwear. While the US is for such regulations, Austria must not be, as KTM’s entire line of kids jammies have been recalled due to a lack of asbestos… or whatever makes kids not spontaneously combust in their onesies. Sad, as we’ve always considered KTM to be the gold standard in children’s sleepwear.
You might not know this, but babies are constantly on the verge of nocturnal spontaneous combustion. The only thing preventing an outbreak of snoring infant fireballs is flame retardant sleepwear. Both KTM and now Thor seem to have been asleep at the switch, as they’ve had to recall their branded pajamas because they don’t meet federal flammability standards for children’s sleepwear, posing a risk of burn injuries to children, in an event that will henceforth be known as #pajamagate
It’s not surprising, really. Motorcycles and everything associated with them are obviously dangerous. Combined with both KTM and Thor’s participation in extreme sports, this was bound to happen. Honestly, what’s more EXTREME than a baby engulfed in flames, Ghost Rider-style?
Speaking of spontaneous combustion…
In recent years, Can-Am has also taken aim at the Bar and Shield brand’s hold on 3-wheeled conveyance with its Spyder. Just like KTM and their PJs, Can-Am has run into some flammability issues with their 2013 Spyder RT. By riding one of these machines you risk not only being laughed at but also an engine fire. According to the recall, riding at low speeds when it is hot out increases the risk of skin burn from a hot engine compartment—guaranteed fire if you are wearing your kid’s KTM pajamas.
Too bad these things are too fat to split lanes, since that’s supposedly what lane splitting is good for—keeping hot-blooded machines from overheating.
This story originally appeared in our April 2015 issue, which you can read in all its high-res glory here.