KTM revealed its 2013 motocross model lineup featuring a new 250 four-stroke engine and updates to the 350 powerplant.
The 2013 KTM 250 SX-F gets a new powerplant said to be lighter than the previous engine thanks to a new high-strength aluminum alloy. The new engine has a 78mm bore and a 52.3 mm stroke, compared to the previous model’s 76mm bore and 54.8mm stroke. Continue Reading »
Austrian manufacturer KTM is reportedly working on a new 375cc Twin-cylinder engine for Indian partner Bajaj.
Bajaj owns a 47% stake in KTM and the two companies have worked together in the past for the KTM Duke 125 and Duke 200 as well as the Bajaj Pulsar 200NS (pictured above). According to India’s Business-Standard, KTM and Bajaj are collaborating on a new 375cc engine at Bajaj’s research and development facility in Akurdi, India, outside of Pune.
Reportedly a Twin-cylinder engine, the new powerplant will be a departure from other Indian-produced motorcycles which are powered by Singles. Not including imported models from outside manufacturers, motorcycles produced in India over the last two decades have primarily been Singles. Continue Reading »
Ryan Dungey scored his fourth win of the season but it was not enough to take second place in the points race behind champion Ryan Villopoto. That honor went to JGRMX Yamaha‘s Davi Millsaps who placed second to Dungey in the season-ending race at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas.
Dungey took the holeshot and led every lap to take the win for Red Bull KTM. The victory was his fourth in 12 rounds, giving him 257 points on the season. Dungey also missed five rounds due to injury, during which time Villopoto scored four of his nine victories for Monster Energy Kawasaki. The championship would have been much closer if Dungey had remained healthy. Instead, Villopoto ran away with the championship and clinched the title back in March at the Houston round. Continue Reading »
Harley-Davidson dealerships topped the rankings for the 2012 edition of the Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index, an industry benchmarking study examining how well dealerships treat customers, and turning shoppers into buyers.
The Pied Piper PSI rated different manufacturers’ dealerships in a number of categories to produce an overall score. The study was conducted between July 2011 and April 2012 with 1,653 anonymous “mystery shoppers” gathering information at different dealerships across the U.S.
The study gave Harley-Davidson dealers a score of 108, a four-point improvement from 2011 and five points above the industry average. According to researchers, Harley-Davidson dealers scored the highest of all brands in 16 different categories, including offering test rides, obtaining contact information and asking customers if for the sale. Continue Reading »
Ryan Dungey returned to the top of the podium for the first time since late February with a victory at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah. With the injured Ryan Villopoto already crowned the 2012 AMA Supercross Champion, the win put Dungey back in contention for second overall.
The Red Bull KTM last tasted victory Feb. 25 in Atlanta, Ga., but missed five rounds due to injury. Dungey returned to action last week in Seattle, Wash., placing sixth, but staged a late come-from-behind win in Utah for his third victory of the 2012 AMA Supercross season.
For most of the race, it looked like a sure victory for Davi Millsaps. The JGRMX Yamaha rider took the holeshot and led the opening 18 laps. Monster Energy Kawasaki‘s Jake Weimer was second for most of the race with Dungey biding his time in third. Continue Reading »
German photogs have captured images of a new prototype suspected to be the upcoming KTM Adventure 1290.
The photos, published by Italian site InfoMotori, reveal a very early prototype with a large V-Twin engine, a 21-inch wire-spoke front wheel and KTM‘s distinctive orange frame. The profile resembles KTM’s current Adventure 99o, but the fairing appears more angular and the headlight appears to be new.
The KTM Adventure 1290 was identified in a leaked KTM North America Powerpoint slide as an upcoming 2014 model. That slide also listed an Adventure R 1090 which will likely be a more off-road worthy version which would replace the 990, and a Super Duke R 1290 which will likely use the same engine as this prototype. Continue Reading »
KTM has started production of its light-weight Freeride 350 and units are already on their way to dealerships. Unfortunately, those of us in North America have to wait a while longer, with the infamous leaked Powerpoint slide from KTM’s dealer meeting listing the Freeride 350 as part of its 2013 offerings.
Still, we can’t help but be captivated by the photograph above released by KTM. A rider and his KTM Freeride 350 appear to be attempting to cross some sort of chasm by shimmying across on a cable. Riding on the Freeride is no doubt more fun than what this KTM rider is trying to do, but the image does help illustrate one of the bike’s key features: it’s light weight.
KTM claims the Freeride 350 weighs just 99.5 kg (219.4 pounds), without fuel. Based on this image, we believe it. Continue Reading »
India’s Bajaj Auto has acquired an additional 6.3% stake in KTM, raising its share of the Austrian manufacturer to 47%.
According to Economic Times, Bajaj purchased the latest 6.3% through a Netherlands-based subsidiary. Bajaj first acquired a portion KTM in 2007, purchasing a 14.5% stake.
India’s second-largest motorcycle manufacturer has since been steadily increasing its ownership stake in KTM, though in a recent interview with Economic Times, Rajiv Bajaj, managing director of Bajaj Auto and a member of KTM’s supervisory board, said Bajaj does not want to gain a majority stake. KTM Chief Executive Officer Stefan Pierer and supervisory board Chair Rudolf Knünz together hold about 51%. Continue Reading »
Ryan Villopoto has captured the 2012 AMA Supercross Championship with a dominating performance at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas.
The Monster Energy Kawasaki racer took the lead early in the race after passing holeshot-taker Davi Millsaps on the opening lap. Villopoto would lead the rest of the way for his eighth win of the season.
At 296 points and just four rounds remaining, Villopoto has an insurmountable lead in the championship standings over Red Bull KTM‘s Ryan Dungey who missed his fourth consecutive race due to injury. While his main competitors have been out with various injuries, Villopoto has been simply dominant, winning 23 of the last 46 AMA Supercross events.
KTM is off to a strong start in 2012 with a 19% increase in motorcycle sales, thanks in large part to the popularity of its 125 Duke and 200 Duke.
The Austrian manufacturer says the two small capacity streetbikes form a large portion of the 8300 units it has sold so far in 2012. Based on those numbers, KTM claims it leads all European manufacturers in sales over the first few months of the year.
