When did KTMs become so popular/good?

mnoble0902
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mnoble0902
When did KTMs become so popular/good? Getting back into the sport after many many years, I've found that KTMs are dominating the leader board in all classes in motocross, supercross, and MXGP. When I was doing motocross back in the mid-90s, KTM was around, but it certainly wasn't what it is now. I had a KTM 65 when they first came out. I guess my question is, when did KTM become so popular and such a dominating bike on the track?
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kiwifan
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kiwifan 3/21/2017 4:53pm
3/21/2017 4:53pm
My guess around Roger D took over management of the KTM race team that things started to really take off...they introduced the FE's and the rest is history...
gsxr6
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gsxr6 3/21/2017 5:06pm
3/21/2017 5:06pm
When they put the linkage back on was a huge moment

The Shop

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JW381
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JW381 3/21/2017 5:15pm
3/21/2017 5:15pm
They always had a bit of a following, huge in offroad, then around 2011/2012 their bikes started to get better, now they are arguably some of the best. They also have a huge product line compared to the Jap bikes. Even though their product line is contracting (which I think is a good business move), they're still making a lot of cool, innovative motorcycles. Their success is even more impressive when you consider their price point.
haydos25
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haydos25 3/21/2017 5:16pm
3/21/2017 5:16pm
They started winning when they bought the best rider. They started selling when they started winning.

Ofcourse it helped when they're bikes caught up to the pack aswell. Probably a couple of years after they started investing big time money in development.

If you do things right you get the right result.
tempura
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tempura 3/21/2017 5:16pm
3/21/2017 5:16pm Edited Date/Time 3/21/2017 5:19pm
They've slowly been building momentum for several years.
They are at the point now where the Japanese bikes are several years behind.
KTM have made some great decisions in the past few years.
Plus they continue to develop the 2 stroke, and are about to release a new 2stroke injection motor.
TXDirt
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TXDirt 3/21/2017 5:17pm
3/21/2017 5:17pm
That's easy. When they started winning SX/MX races regularly. They were always popular in off-road demographic but were not popular in the SX/MX racing scene a whole lot. Winning changed everything.
Crush
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Crush 3/21/2017 5:17pm
3/21/2017 5:17pm
Popular?

In the mid 2000s in Europe they were killing everybody, PDS, crazy body work and all...

Good? Offroad at that time they were supremely capable. 2012/13 was the big MX change though they had won nationals and GP titles before, 2015 for SX.
JW381
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JW381 3/21/2017 5:19pm
3/21/2017 5:19pm
There's also this Evil


ATKpilot99
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ATKpilot99 3/21/2017 5:21pm
3/21/2017 5:21pm
gsxr6 wrote:
When they put the linkage back on was a huge moment


They've been good for a long damn time. We've just been too stubborn on this side of the pond to realize it.
mnoble0902
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mnoble0902 3/21/2017 5:49pm
3/21/2017 5:49pm
JW381 wrote:
There's also this :evil: [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2017/03/21/183110/s1200_2017ktm250sxtwo_stroke_talkandride_577637aecb78c.jpg[/img]
There's also this Evil


It is one of the best looking bikes out there, in my opinion. Even right out of the crate.
Yep
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Yep 3/21/2017 6:14pm
3/21/2017 6:14pm
gsxr6 wrote:
When they put the linkage back on was a huge moment
ATKpilot99 wrote:
[img]https://blog.mxbars.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/1977moiseev1024.jpg[/img] They've been good for a long damn time. We've just been too stubborn on this side of the pond to realize it.


They've been good for a long damn time. We've just been too stubborn on this side of the pond to realize it.
Bingo,
Uncle Tony
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Uncle Tony 3/21/2017 6:19pm
3/21/2017 6:19pm
When decoster took over and jodys man crush got the best of him
Yep
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Yep 3/21/2017 6:25pm
3/21/2017 6:25pm Edited Date/Time 3/21/2017 6:26pm
Decoster is a has been tool riding on the KTM R&D in Europe blood and sweat. Considering the limitations imposed by the AMA rules book, nothing to see here, move along folks
Racer111
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Racer111 3/21/2017 6:36pm
3/21/2017 6:36pm
mnoble0902 wrote:
When did KTMs become so popular/good? Getting back into the sport after many many years, I've found that KTMs are dominating the leader board in all...
When did KTMs become so popular/good? Getting back into the sport after many many years, I've found that KTMs are dominating the leader board in all classes in motocross, supercross, and MXGP. When I was doing motocross back in the mid-90s, KTM was around, but it certainly wasn't what it is now. I had a KTM 65 when they first came out. I guess my question is, when did KTM become so popular and such a dominating bike on the track?
Popular, yes!

Good, not so much. Still not on par with the quality of Honda or Yamaha.

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Madc32
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Madc32 3/21/2017 6:38pm
3/21/2017 6:38pm
Yep wrote:
Decoster is a has been tool riding on the KTM R&D in Europe blood and sweat. Considering the limitations imposed by the AMA rules book, nothing...
Decoster is a has been tool riding on the KTM R&D in Europe blood and sweat. Considering the limitations imposed by the AMA rules book, nothing to see here, move along folks
The Man is a tool. I think not.
When KTM bought Husaberg and started producing the RFS 4 strokes is when I think they really became popular. Unless, you are just talking Moto then it would have to be when Dungey went to KTM.
kzizok
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kzizok 3/21/2017 6:39pm
3/21/2017 6:39pm Edited Date/Time 3/21/2017 6:44pm
I have a little different perspective. I was out of the sport about a decade or so. I came back (early 2000's) to ride and for my two boys. KTM's had the best 50's (Cobra too, but still valid) and then their 65's have really been the best for quite some time now. 85's not so much, big bikes not so much. But those have caught up. So, I would have never thought KTM would be a player of any type or size in MX (U.S). But I came back, kids were my priority and KTM was at the top. Big bikes continued to improve. And here we are.

And, for MX, in America, the big bikes have not been good for a long time. Rather a short time.
byke
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byke 3/21/2017 7:03pm
3/21/2017 7:03pm
Subjective question, but in my opinion they were good bikes from 2011+ with the mx models and 2012+ with the offroad models. That's when they kind of started getting closer to the times. The RFS motor was good, but the RFS period chassis were no good imo, but there's a huge following with the RFS bikes, so they're obviously not complete junk. If you were the type that liked to geek out on wrenching and really appreciated that extra little bit of quality you find in Honda's manufacturing, going from something like a 2005 CRF450 to a 2005 KTM 450 would be pretty painful, almost like going back two full decades where you're working on the bike wondering, "wtf were they thinking with this garbage...". Just my 2c.
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Giygas 3/21/2017 7:16pm
3/21/2017 7:16pm
Racer111 wrote:
Popular, yes!

Good, not so much. Still not on par with the quality of Honda or Yamaha.
gpnewhouse 3/21/2017 7:21pm
3/21/2017 7:21pm
For me the 04-10 bikes were great, the 11-15 bikes were okay but not for me and the 16+ bikes are awesome. I used to love KTM's as a kid, had an 03 125, an 04 200 and an 08 200 which were all great, got a 13 250f and hated it. Rode a 17 sxf 350 and a 16 Husqvarna 450 (not a KTM but not far off) and those bikes are just spot on, smooth power, plenty of it and great brakes and suspension. KTM have really made me a fan again.
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JRT812 3/21/2017 7:25pm
3/21/2017 7:25pm
They were cool well before riding KTM was cool. I used to drool over one of the green or blue Penton editions. 02 KTM 200sx is one I wish I still had.
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Yep 3/21/2017 7:33pm
3/21/2017 7:33pm
1974 for the 250 GP class, 1987 for the 500 GP class, 1989 for the 125 GP class
Radman66
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Radman66 3/21/2017 7:59pm
3/21/2017 7:59pm
After the public forgot that their bike damn near killed the king of SX
gnarwhip
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gnarwhip 3/21/2017 8:29pm
3/21/2017 8:29pm
Radman66 wrote:
After the public forgot that their bike damn near killed the king of SX
Seriously. I'm still pissed about that. Bud Light left with him too.
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disbanded 3/21/2017 9:05pm
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I had a 98 KTM 250, and I didn't know how bad it was until I got a 2001 YZ 250.
RMOT.org
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RMOT.org 3/21/2017 9:27pm
3/21/2017 9:27pm
Roger's first touch of a KTM. " I zink ve can work wit dis, ve turn it orange and give it 2 more strokes"

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