About ktm
KTM Sportmotorcycle AG is an Austrian motorcycle, bicycle and moped manufacturer. KTM is most commonly known for its off road motorcycles though in recent years it has expanded into street motorcycle production.
The company was founded in 1934 by engineer Hans Trunkenpolz in Mattighofen. It started out as a metal working shop and was named Kraftfahrzeuge Trunkenpolz Mattighofen. In 1937, it started repairing and selling DKW motorcycles, and Opel the following year.
In 1954 KTM began producing motorcycles, almost all of the components being produced in house, with the notable exception of engines, made most often by company Rotax.
In 1955, a businessman Ernst Kronreif became shareholder of the company, on acquiring a sizable portion of the company. It was then renamed Kronreif & Trunkenpolz Mattighofen.
KTM's first moped, called Mecky was launched in 1957, followed by Ponny I in 1960 and Ponny II in 1962, and the decade saw the beginning of the bicycle production.
Kronreif died in 1960 and Trunkenpolz two years later, of a heart attack. Company name was changed back to Kraftrader Trunkenpolz Mattighofen with his son Erich taking managing the company. In 1978, US subsidiary KTM North America Inc. was founded in Lorain, Ohio. In 1980, it was renamed KTM Motor-Fahrzeugbau KG.
Since 1990, KTM motorcycles and automobiles (X-Bow) have been designed by KiskaDesign, a Salzburg-based design firm. It is responsible for the overall branding for KTM; including the design of the vehicles, shops, exhibits and printed material.
KTM first participated in motorsports events in 1953 in the 5th Gaisberg competition in which it won the first three places. One year later, KTM won the Austrian 125 national championship. Two years later, in 1956, KTM participated in the International Six Days race for the first time and Egon Dornauer won the gold. 1966 year marks the winning of the Austrian national championship by Manfred Klerr using the new 250cc Motorcross bike. In 1973, the Austrian team records the first World Championship points and the first Grand Prix wins.
Moto blog
Mon, 14 Jan 2013
Indian website Powerdrift has uncovered photographs of what it claims to be a Bajaj Pulsar 375, a faired sportbike based on the KTM 390 Duke. A Bajaj-branded version of the 390 Duke should be no surprise. The Indian company, after all, owns a 47% stake in Austrian-based KTM, and it released its own version of the 200 Duke in the 2012 Bajaj Pulsar 200NS.
Fri, 11 Jan 2013
KTM reported a new record in sales in 2012, selling 107,142 motorcycles. That represents a 31.9% increase over the 81,200 motorcycles sold in 2011. The Indian market helped KTM set its new record with consumers in that country picking up more than 8,000 units of the 200 Duke.
Wed, 12 Dec 2012
By most accounts, Ryan Dungey and KTM had an excellent year in 2012. Reunited with his long-time mentor and Red Bull KTM Team Manager Roger de Coster, Dungey deliver KTM its first ever AMA Supercross main eventwin, he also won KTM its first AMA Motocross title. The only real disappointment was Dungey breaking his collarbone during the Supercross season, forcing him out of several rounds.
Tue, 11 Dec 2012
KTM is releasing an updated limited edition version of its 450 SX-F, developed from Ryan Dungey‘s 2012 AMA Motocross championship-winning race bike and KTM‘s R&D departments in both the U.S. and Austria. The 2013 KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition receives a number of updates from the limited edition model released last year, developed during Dungey’s Supercross and Motocross campaign.
Thu, 06 Dec 2012
The American Motorcyclist Association has named KTM North America President Jon-Erik Burleson its 2012 AMA Motorcyclist of the Year. Burleson was recognized for his contributions to the motorcycling community over the last year. In 2012, KTM saw success in the U.S.
Mon, 03 Dec 2012
KTM has carved out a niche recently in the small-displacement streetbike market with its Duke lineup of naked motorcycles. First came the 125 Duke, then the 200 Duke, and more recently unveiled at EICMA, the 390 Duke, which we hope will be the first in the family to make it to the U.S. All three little Dukes have similar chassis and streetfighter styling, with the engine displacement being the main difference between them.
Thu, 22 Nov 2012
The 2013 Dakar Rally will again be held in South America with event organizers announcing a new route for the 34th running of the off-road race. Now in its fifth year in Latin America, the 2013 edition of the Rally will feature a new route running from north to south, starting Jan. 5 in Lima, Peru, and ending Jan.
Mon, 19 Nov 2012
The AMA Hall of Fame added seven new members to its ranks at a Nov. 16 ceremony at the Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa during the AMA Legends Weekend. The 2012 class included the late KTM America president Rod Bush; race tuner Nobby Clark; off-road racer Ty Davis; 1975 AMA Supercross Champion Jimmy Ellis; female motocrosser Sue Fish; motorcycle restorer Brian Slark and the late “Airborne Al” Wilcox, the iconic race starter.
Wed, 14 Nov 2012
The biggest news from KTM at the 2012 EICMA Show was the unveiling of the new 390 Duke and a prototype of the upcoming 1290 Super Duke R. In between these small and large naked bikes, KTM announced a new R-spec version of its middleweight 690 Duke. The 690 Duke was introduced in 2007 and received a substantial update last year with a 690cc engine claiming 67 hp, leading KTM to call it the world’s most powerful Single in a production model.
Tue, 13 Nov 2012
KTM made a big entrance on the small-displacement streetbike segment in 2011 with its 125 Duke and in 2012, the 200 Duke. Both models were popular sellers in Europe while the 200 had a successful launch in India, home of one of KTM‘s largest owners, Bajaj. North American consumers were left out however, as neither of the smaller Dukes were imported to these shores.