The KTM Freeride 350 has cleared emission certification testing in the U.S. including the state of California, getting approval from both the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board. A leaked powerpoint slide from KTM’s North American dealer meeting in 2011, listed the Freeride 350 for 2013 and they may still happen.

The lightweight entry-level off-road model has been certified by both bodies for the 2013 model year though the Freeride 350 has yet to be officially announced by KTM for the U.S. An announcement may soon come now that the Freeride 350 has completed testing.

Unveiled at the 2011 EICMA show in Milan, the KTM Freeride has been available in Europe since April 2012. One of its most notable features is the claimed weight of 222 pounds, without fuel. The fuel-injected engine is based on the powerplant of the KTM 350 EXC-F, but ditches the kickstarter and adds a new lightweight die-cast aluminum engine case. The exhaust and airbox have also been modified to provide more torque. Both the EPA and CARB list the KTM Freeride 350 as producing 22.8 hp at 7500 rpm. The electronic engine management system offers multiple mappings, allow riders to choose to optimize fuel economy or performance. Continue Reading »

Ryan Villopoto continues to be in championship form, taking his third consecutive victory and sixth of the season with a win at Lucas Oil Stadium for the Indianapolis round of the 2013 AMA Supercross Championship.

The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider had a calculated, methodical race to take the win and expand his championship lead to nine points ahead of Davi Millsaps.

Millsaps took the holeshot in a chaotic start to the main event that saw several riders go down at the opening corner. Millsaps’ lead was shortlived, as the Rockstar Suzuki rider went too far wide on a turn, allowing Yoshimura Suzuki‘s James Stewart to take the lead. Millsaps managed to stay ahead of Villopoto with Red Bull KTM‘s Ryan Dungey also in the mix. Continue Reading »

(ED: Updated with a message from Cyril Despres.)

KTM introduced its 2013 Rally Racing team while bidding farewell to five-time Dakar Rally winner Cyril Despres.

Despres won all five of his Dakar victories with KTM, winning in 2005, 2007, 2010, 2012 and 2013. He leaves the team to pursue a new challenge, with Honda rumored to be seeking his services for its newly-revived rally racing program.

Taking Despres’ place on the Red Bull KTM Factory team is American Kurt Caselli who raced in the 2013 Dakar Rally as a replacement for the injured Marc Coma. Caselli is joined by Ruben Faria, a long-time support rider of Despres’ who finished second in the 2013 Dakar Rally. Coma missed this year’s competion due to injury but has wins in 2006, 2009 and 2011 to his credit. He’ll seek his fourth Dakar with KTM in 2014. KTM will also offer full factory support to Francesco “Chaleco” Lopez who finished third at the 2013 Dakar Rally. Continue Reading »

Ryan Villopoto won his fifth main event race of the year at Daytona to take over the lead in the 2013 AMA Supercross championship standings.

The win is the third at Daytona in the Monster Energy Kawasaki racer’s career, matching the totals set by Bob Hannah, Mike Kiedrowski, Jeremy McGrath and Chad Reed. Only Ricky Carmichael, who designed the sand-based Daytona track, holds more Supercross wins at Daytona with five victories.

Villopoto took the holeshot in the main event, trailed by Red Bull KTM‘s Ken Roczen, the current 250 West points leader making a rare start in the 450 class. Not far behind Roczen were Team Honda Muscle Milk‘s Justin Barcia and Roczen’s teammate Ryan Dungey. Villopoto looked to expand his early lead but made a mistake rounding one of the track’s many hairpin turns, dropping him down to third. Continue Reading »

KTM is best known for its off-road motorcycles, but how can we forget the exotic X-Bow sports car? The Austrian manufacturer has now introduced a new version of the X-Bow at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. The KTM X-Bow GT adds a number of new features that make it a bit more street-worthy.

Featuring a new windshield, windows, doors, a removable soft-top roof and 50 liter storage area, the GT is a more practical version of the X-Bow. But let’s not kid ourselves here. It’s still got a carbon monocoque body, racing seats, racing restraints,  and a turbocharged 2.0-liter Inline-four Audi engine claiming 281 hp at 6400 rpm and 310 ft-lb. of torque at 3200 rpm just like the KTM X-Bow R. Continue Reading »

KTM is now accepting pre-registrations for the 2013 KTM Adventure Rider Rally. Now in its 10th year, KTM USA’s national festival gives adventure riders of all skill levels the chance to ride with and learn from others. The 2013 edition of the Rally will take place Sept. 13-15 in Steamboat Springs, Colo.

The KTM Adventure Rider Rally is designed for the KTM 640, 690, 950 and 990 Adventure and Enduro owners, but riders of all brands of street-legal motorcycles are welcome to take part. Participants will learn adventure riding tips from experts and meet KTM factory riders. KTM will also offer demo rides for its current streetbike lineup. Continue Reading »

Are you tired of the Harlem Shake yet? The Internet meme has been around for a couple of weeks now with what seems like everyone and their third cousin producing their own take on the theme.

For those lucky few who have no idea what the Harlem Shake is, it’s a new fad based around a track by the same name produced by Brooklyn DJ Baauer. The concept is simple. The videos usually begin with a room full of people, with one of them (usually masked) dancing to the Harlem Shake song. Everyone else goes about their business ignoring the lone dancer. After about 15 seconds however, the music changes and then everyone in the video is now dancing – perhaps “flailing” would be a better term for it – usually dressed in different costumes or holding various props.

It’s a simple concept and fun at first, but it’s already getting to the point of annoyance. There’s already the makings of a backlash against the Harlem Shake, perhaps enough to make a meme of its own. Yes, it’s silly and somewhat stupid, but there’s no denying the viral appeal. The song itself makes its debut this week on the Billboard Hot 100 holding the very top spot, just the 21st time since 1958 that a song has debuted number 1 on the weekly chart.

To mark the occasion, we’ve compiled a list of the five best motorcycle-themed Harlem Shake videos. To be honest, most of the Harlem Shake videos out there are horrible, but then again, that’s probably part of the fun. These five videos were a bit more interesting. Enjoy. Continue Reading »

The International Motorcycling Federation (FIM) has released an updated list of motorcycles homologated for the 2013 Superbike, Supersport, and Superstock racing season. Notable additions include the new BMW S1000RR HP4, the MV Agusta F3 and the Superbike-spec Ducati 1199 Panigale R.

To qualify a production-based racebike for FIM homologations, manufacturers have to meet certain production thresholds. Manufacturers must first produce 125 units ahead of a homologation inspection. After that, manufacturers have to produce a minimum of 500 units by June 30 and 1000 units by December 31 of the current year, and a minimum of 2000 units by the December 31 of the following year.

Production counts include both ABS and non-ABS versions of the same model, and at least 250 units of each version have to be produced. Production models must also be available for sale in either the U.S., Europe or Japan by the end of April of the current year to qualify. Continue Reading »

KTM is reportedly developing a new small-displacement sportbike for the Indian market, featuring similar styling to its flagship RC8 sportbike. The new model is expected to use a 250cc single-cylinder engine, leading some to label it the KTM RC25 or KTM RC250.

We’ve heard reports of KTM working on a small-displacement sportbike before, most recently in late 2012 with KTM Chief Executive Officer Stefan Pierer saying a faired version of the 390 Duke is on its way, but it now appears a 250 version is on its way as well. The now infamous leaked Powerpoint slide from a KTM North American dealer presentation also outlined a model curiously called a “Moto3 350” for 2014. IndianCarsBikes reports the KTM RC25 will be available in India for 2014 to be built in India by Bajaj Auto which owns a 47% stake in KTM.

KTM’s Moto3 production racer is officially called the RC 250 R, but the Moto3 racer (pictured below) has much different styling than the RC8, and the new model will likely look more like its angular 1,195cc older sibling than the curvier Moto3 race bike. Amit Nandi, vice-president of premium motorcycles for Bajaj Auto is very specific about the new bike’s RC8 roots. Continue Reading »

Davi Millsaps captured his second main event win of the season and expanded his AMA Supercross championship lead to 19 points with a wire-to-wire victory at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.

The Rockstar Energy Suzuki rider jumped ahead at the start for the holeshot and held that lead for the entire 20-lap race for the win. Finishing 2.386 seconds back was Team Honda Muscle Milk‘s Justin Barcia while Red Bull KTM‘s Ryan Dungey finished 10.300 seconds back for third place.

Following Millsaps through the first corner were RCH Dodge Suzuki rider Broc Tickle and TwoTwo Motorsports Honda‘s Chad Reed. Barcia joined the lead group and moved past Tickle for third spot on Lap 3. Millsaps, Reed and Barcia formed the lead pack for much of the first half of the race. Continue Reading »