When did KTMs become so popular/good?

crossrut
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crossrut 3/21/2017 9:47pm
3/21/2017 9:47pm
a MT Morris win I believe
kwebster447
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kwebster447 3/21/2017 9:56pm
3/21/2017 9:56pm


This was an early start as well.
gsxr6
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gsxr6 3/21/2017 10:15pm
3/21/2017 10:15pm
RMOT.org wrote:
Roger's first touch of a KTM. " I zink ve can work wit dis, ve turn it orange and give it 2 more strokes"[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2017/03/21/183154/s1200_6341886052_47edc5bfe1_o.jpg[/img]
Roger's first touch of a KTM. " I zink ve can work wit dis, ve turn it orange and give it 2 more strokes"

We owned one of those KTM 300. 92 model. Only bike I've ever rode that understeered and had headshake at the same time. Watch my dad do a 50 yard tank slapper on it one time. Also the seat made it burn when u peed. I was thirteen and still knew it was a pile lol
Plugga
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Plugga 3/21/2017 10:34pm
3/21/2017 10:34pm
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?
Racer111 wrote:
Popular, yes!

Good, not so much. Still not on par with the quality of Honda or Yamaha.
Someone please inset the WAT lady or the chewing Lama GIF. Geezz

The Shop

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JMX82
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JMX82 3/21/2017 10:36pm
3/21/2017 10:36pm
I think it began back in 1998 when they introduced new 125 which had most powerful 125 engine at the time. Juha Salminen won Enduro world championship and Grant Langston Motocross world championship on that that bike. After that motocross tracks and enduro trails in europe where filled with 125 KTM's. KTM kept developing their two strokes when Japanese where already abandoning them and that made them really popular. After that they where able to transfer that success to their four stroke line up and the rest is history

JLO42
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JLO42 3/21/2017 10:47pm
3/21/2017 10:47pm
I'd like to play devils advocate here for a second, if a metric brand offered e start, an exhaust, billet anodized hubs, DID, rims, kashima coated/dlc coated suspension anodized triple clamps and graphics would you pay more for it?
jeffro503
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jeffro503 3/21/2017 11:03pm
3/21/2017 11:03pm
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?
Racer111 wrote:
Popular, yes!

Good, not so much. Still not on par with the quality of Honda or Yamaha.
You would be considered one of the ill informed.

Carry on.
Sunhouse
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Sunhouse 3/22/2017 12:27am
3/22/2017 12:27am Edited Date/Time 3/22/2017 12:29am
The domination started here, and they slowly built upon it and expanded the focus to the bigger classes and eventually to the big bikes in the US too.
scottydogmx 3/22/2017 12:30am
3/22/2017 12:30am
I bought the 250f in 05, just to be a different colour on the line!
Never looked back !
JMX82
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JMX82 3/22/2017 12:52am
3/22/2017 12:52am Edited Date/Time 3/22/2017 12:52am
scottydogmx wrote:
I bought the 250f in 05, just to be a different colour on the line!
Never looked back !
I bought used 2002 125 SXS in the same year and have been on orange bikes ever since. 2002 125 SXS is still the fastest 125 I have ever ridden
HenryA
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HenryA 3/22/2017 1:38am
3/22/2017 1:38am
Oooh, I remember the silver and orange KTM's. Made the bikes from "the big 4" look like shit!
scottydogmx 3/22/2017 1:48am
3/22/2017 1:48am
scottydogmx wrote:
I bought the 250f in 05, just to be a different colour on the line!
Never looked back !
JMX82 wrote:
I bought used 2002 125 SXS in the same year and have been on orange bikes ever since. 2002 125 SXS is still the fastest 125...
I bought used 2002 125 SXS in the same year and have been on orange bikes ever since. 2002 125 SXS is still the fastest 125 I have ever ridden
Yeah, i remember watching Jamie Dobb ( 125 world champ) and Stephen sword battle at fox hill on a pair of them 125s
Stephen won ,which was even better!
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Jefro98 3/22/2017 2:28am
3/22/2017 2:28am
kiwifan wrote:
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...
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...
It started when KTM got Pit Beier into their managment team.
Pit got Stefan Everts on board, then Cairoli, DeCoster - Dungey, Picked up Herlings from Suzuki, Same for Roczen....
Acidreamer
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Acidreamer 3/22/2017 2:38am
3/22/2017 2:38am
I dont think theyre good for how much they cost. Cant say ive ridden one but their base price makes me want to stick to kawasakis because you still have to spend money on a setup regardless. Once its set up its all rider.
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cappelmans 3/22/2017 3:22am
3/22/2017 3:22am
In the late nineties there were a lot of KTM's already in enduro in Europe. Around 2000 when the new SX models came out they started dominating the 125 class. How cool does this bike still look:

JMX82
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JMX82 3/22/2017 3:36am
3/22/2017 3:36am
I think the main reason for the 125 KTM success was actually off center mounted PDS shock which allowed straight intake tract to big 39mm Keihin carb. That is the reason why KTM 125 engine was much more powerful than other 125 at the time. They actually lost some power after they returned to linkage design

This is my 125 SXS back in 2005:

mnoble0902
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mnoble0902 3/22/2017 4:20am
3/22/2017 4:20am
Wow. This has been a great forum. So it seems like KTM was already big in Europe before they became popular here in the U.S. Advanced technology, skilled riders, and good team management in the U.S. has made them popular here.
JMX82
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JMX82 3/22/2017 4:25am
3/22/2017 4:25am
KTM was big in Europe decade earlier before they really started pushing their products in the US market

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mnoble0902
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mnoble0902 3/22/2017 4:27am
3/22/2017 4:27am
Radman66 wrote:
After the public forgot that their bike damn near killed the king of SX
I did not know McGrath was with KTM for a while. Nor did I know about his injury while on a KTM.
Underground 3/22/2017 4:28am
3/22/2017 4:28am
they deffinitely turned the the corner in 98 when they turned orange, and they have got steadily better from there as experienced people were picked up. Power came easy, handling took a while to get sorted but.
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ATKpilot99 3/22/2017 4:36am
3/22/2017 4:36am
Radman66 wrote:
After the public forgot that their bike damn near killed the king of SX
mnoble0902 wrote:
I did not know McGrath was with KTM for a while. Nor did I know about his injury while on a KTM.
I don't remember him getting injured . He did a few off season Euro SX events , hated the bike and retired .
aees
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aees 3/22/2017 4:39am
3/22/2017 4:39am
It started with the 2012 EXC lite with the new lighter engine, and then 2013 SXF 450/350. Of course this was due to Roger Decoster and Ryan Dungey demanding a new 450. That 2013 350/450 SXF was a game changer and that is when sales started to take off.

Otherwise KTM would by now not even have had a 450.

Just look at the gates from 2011/12, and compare to 2013, 14. Huge change.
reded
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reded 3/22/2017 4:49am
3/22/2017 4:49am
Radman66 wrote:
After the public forgot that their bike damn near killed the king of SX
mnoble0902 wrote:
I did not know McGrath was with KTM for a while. Nor did I know about his injury while on a KTM.
ATKpilot99 wrote:
I don't remember him getting injured . He did a few off season Euro SX events , hated the bike and retired .
Dislocated hip after a stuck throttle at the SX practice track.
roninho
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roninho 3/22/2017 5:02am
3/22/2017 5:02am
Sunhouse wrote:
The domination started here, and they slowly built upon it and expanded the focus to the bigger classes and eventually to the big bikes in the...
The domination started here, and they slowly built upon it and expanded the focus to the bigger classes and eventually to the big bikes in the US too.
It's not just that they were succesfull in the GP's starting at the end of the 90s.

KTM dominated the 250c class in the mid 70s, and did it again in the mid 80's with 2 titles, had a strong 125 effort in the end of the 80's (Parker winning the title, and Healey and Moore close to winning titles), had top 3 finishers in the major 500cc class a the time (vd ven in 87 and Nicoll), were runner up in all 3 classes (125-250-500) in 1991 and were dominant in the 500cc class in the mid to end of the 90s.

In all that time KTM was way smaller compared to the japanese manufacturers in market share over here.

The succes in the 2000s to me is a combination of success in GP's, acting as a specialized niche player, strong marketing and being one of the few to continue with 2 strokes (both senior as well as youth classes which helps distributors a lot to get higher volume and build brand & distributor loyalty when the riders are still kids).
JMX82
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JMX82 3/22/2017 5:13am
3/22/2017 5:13am Edited Date/Time 3/22/2017 5:15am
mnoble0902 wrote:
I did not know McGrath was with KTM for a while. Nor did I know about his injury while on a KTM.
ATKpilot99 wrote:
I don't remember him getting injured . He did a few off season Euro SX events , hated the bike and retired .
reded wrote:
Dislocated hip after a stuck throttle at the SX practice track.
The 250 SX had the most powerful engine in it's class at the time but power delivery was brutal and suspension didn't work well on supercross tracks.

Mcgraths bike though was thing of beauty

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Moto520 3/22/2017 5:13am
3/22/2017 5:13am
For the masses in the states......2015.5 450sxf. The bike is too good not to at least give it a serious look.
ATKpilot99
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ATKpilot99 3/22/2017 5:19am
3/22/2017 5:19am
reded wrote:
Dislocated hip after a stuck throttle at the SX practice track.
Oh yeah . Well stuck throttles are not exclusive to KTM to be fair.
selous scout
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selous scout 3/22/2017 5:22am
3/22/2017 5:22am
John Finkleday Andy Stacy in the early 80s ridding those bad arse 495s on the National outdoors! Will never forget the sound of those monsters at Mt Morris pure magic!
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JW381 3/22/2017 5:37am
3/22/2017 5:37am
mnoble0902 wrote:
I did not know McGrath was with KTM for a while. Nor did I know about his injury while on a KTM.
ATKpilot99 wrote:
I don't remember him getting injured . He did a few off season Euro SX events , hated the bike and retired .
reded wrote:
Dislocated hip after a stuck throttle at the SX practice track.
Yup, it's in his book, that's where I learned about it.
defeatist45
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defeatist45 3/22/2017 5:44am
3/22/2017 5:44am
gsxr6 wrote:
When they put the linkage back on was a huge moment
This. When they put on the linkage, everything else followed.

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