A Rare Katoom!

PapaLou
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PapaLou
Edited Date/Time 1/29/2018 2:03pm
Any of you line up against one of these in 1981? I only raced 125's for a few events before stepping up to 250's. Found this bike and will do my best to research original specs before attempting a restore. This bike really surprised me. A radiator mounted under/in the tank tunnel. Ohlins shocks that were stock and some real nice ergos. Picked up a Dirt Bike Mag which tested it and seems they liked the bike alot and mentioned it had good power. I just thought it would be an interesting topic. Enjoy!





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Bultaco
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Bultaco 12/9/2015 6:18pm
12/9/2015 6:18pm
I raced one when it was brand new. It belonged to the shop I worked for. I don't remember hardly anything about it, except I had a blast riding it. One Saturday night race at Thunderbird Raceway (Tulsa) a friend and I used the one 125 and rode the intermediate and expert class. Swapping riders between motos. We won all 6 of our motos.

Your bike looks really good for a bike that is 35 years old.
evomx244
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evomx244 12/10/2015 2:11am
12/10/2015 2:11am
I found a one in Mich about 5 years ago (pretty much complete but dissassemabled) had the rare fiberglass tank like the one dirt bike tested. I ended up parting mostly to a guy in Sweden. I bought the bike for 150 bucks I sold the tank alone for 500 bucks.
MaxPower
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MaxPower 12/10/2015 4:37am
12/10/2015 4:37am
I lined up against one but never rode one. It was on a track that had a rubber band start. The guy jumped the start and stretched the rubber band nearly to the first turn. I remember after the race the kids father yelling at him he jumped the start and still didn't get the hole shot.
You found a cool bike to restore
wpark89
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wpark89 12/10/2015 5:22am
12/10/2015 5:22am
Great find. Not only a rare bike but it looks complete and in excellent shape for 34 years old. I must say I'm extremely envious. I've searched craigslist for years in the Northwest for vintage ktms. There were always a decent amount of them scattered through the races in the 80s but you never see them for sale.

I don't know how familiar you are with old ktms..but you can look at parts manuals on the ktm495 site. You will more than likely need to use Andre Hovarth at Enduro Klassiker. Helmut Clausen in Canada is another good source. There is a french forum called ktmaddict.fr that you can translate and find a ton of info topics and pictures of 81 ktm 125's.

I also have a contact in italy who goes by Frank Zappa who has a huge stock of vintage ktm parts.

Good luck. I do a few vintage races a year on my Cagivas...look forward to seeing another Euro 125 on the line next summer!

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PapaLou
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PapaLou 12/10/2015 7:46am
12/10/2015 7:46am
wpark89 wrote:
Great find. Not only a rare bike but it looks complete and in excellent shape for 34 years old. I must say I'm extremely envious. I've...
Great find. Not only a rare bike but it looks complete and in excellent shape for 34 years old. I must say I'm extremely envious. I've searched craigslist for years in the Northwest for vintage ktms. There were always a decent amount of them scattered through the races in the 80s but you never see them for sale.

I don't know how familiar you are with old ktms..but you can look at parts manuals on the ktm495 site. You will more than likely need to use Andre Hovarth at Enduro Klassiker. Helmut Clausen in Canada is another good source. There is a french forum called ktmaddict.fr that you can translate and find a ton of info topics and pictures of 81 ktm 125's.

I also have a contact in italy who goes by Frank Zappa who has a huge stock of vintage ktm parts.

Good luck. I do a few vintage races a year on my Cagivas...look forward to seeing another Euro 125 on the line next summer!


Picked up this open classer at the same time. Andre sold me new stickers and a fender to take it back to original. Would love to find a nice set of Metzlers. And Elves bake cookies!!
MaxPower
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MaxPower 12/10/2015 7:11pm
12/10/2015 7:11pm
I rode one of those 400s a few years ago PapaLou
I was surprised to find out how much I liked it. They are really good bikes.
PapaLou
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PapaLou 12/10/2015 11:38pm
12/10/2015 11:38pm
MaxPower wrote:
I rode one of those 400s a few years ago PapaLou I was surprised to find out how much I liked it. They are really good...
I rode one of those 400s a few years ago PapaLou
I was surprised to find out how much I liked it. They are really good bikes.
I agree there Max. I cleaned the carb and aired up the tires, a couple of tickles with the kicker and first strong kick she fired up. I gave her a few minutes to warm up and hit my little track and WOW what a great feel this bike has. I'm very trained to Japanese bikes though I did race an 82 Maico but that was years ago. This bike is much lighter and thinner than it looks. Wonderful tractor power and significantly less violent than my 465. The clutch was slipping and I suspect a change of oil and new plates & springs will help but she runs real well. Definitely worth doing a nice restore and its so complete and now I have most items to do the job right. Just need to find a good set of Metzlers.
MaxPower
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MaxPower 12/11/2015 4:27pm
12/11/2015 4:27pm
I never rode a RM370, but I remember the magazines giving preference to the Japanese bikes back then. I felt totally comfortable except for the long shifter throw. I'd love to own one to race
speedman
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speedman 12/12/2015 5:04am
12/12/2015 5:04am
Had a poster of it on my dorm room wall in 1980-81. A friend had one that I got to ride in 1981 . . . he'd been doing well on a 1980 KTM 250, and bought the new 1981 125 to go with it. I was mostly borrowing my brother's 1980 Maico 250 at the time, and had just gotten a pair of those plastic Heckel boots when I got to ride that KTM 125 . . . my feet couldn't do anything right, which doesn't help when you need to shift more often and stay off the brakes . . . I went full spode, and parked it after two laps. It seemed like a nimble, quick, well suspended bike, but I could not get in sync with it at all. It was at the dealer's company picnic and they were running the track backward that day, which didn't help either.

Congrats on finding the 125 and 400--both of those ought to be sleepers when set up well, one 125 that can nip at the Full Floaters' heels, and those 400s were stout bikes & pretty nimble considering. Those '76-'82 KTMs, if you're a gearhead I think you got to love looking at them in the garage, wonderful details on them and made of good metal. I guess the Austrian United Gusset Drillers union is no longer all-powerful, but the Tubing Benders Union is still hanging in there :-)

Full disclosure: I had a 1976 Penton MC5 250 that I raced 1977-78. Got it for $750 used IIRC and it never missed a beat.
wpark89
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wpark89 1/28/2018 4:35am
1/28/2018 4:35am
Lou, any news on this 125? I was wondering if you still had it or have done any work on it? It doesn't look like you're on vital much...but if you catch this I'd love an update. Thanks
MaicoJC1
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MaicoJC1 1/28/2018 6:27am
1/28/2018 6:27am
Here's a couple of pics of my old KTM's. Probably going to be selling both of them this spring. Great bikes, but I have way too many bikes, and not enough time to ride them all.

1979 KTM 400 GS


1978 KTM 400 MC with the enduro Kit




Sidecar
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Sidecar 1/29/2018 12:06am
1/29/2018 12:06am
We broke a 125 like that about 20 years ago and parted it out, I think nearly every thing apart from the tank sold, and poss some engine parts, they might still be in my Dad’s shop... il ask him later...
Hman144 1/29/2018 1:22pm
1/29/2018 1:22pm
MaicoJC1 that's some pretty awesome iron in your collection. If you were looking to sell you should have brought those Katoom's up to the Potomac Vintage Rider's annual swap meet in York, PA this past weekend.

The AHRMA Mid-Atlantic cross-country guys would eat those up! I know if I had a spare pile of green lying about I'd be all over one of those. (For now, I'm riding an IT like the one in the background of your pic)

Better yet, keep them and come ride with us!
MaicoJC1
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MaicoJC1 1/29/2018 2:00pm
1/29/2018 2:00pm Edited Date/Time 1/29/2018 2:03pm
Hman144 wrote:
MaicoJC1 that's some pretty awesome iron in your collection. If you were looking to sell you should have brought those Katoom's up to the Potomac Vintage...
MaicoJC1 that's some pretty awesome iron in your collection. If you were looking to sell you should have brought those Katoom's up to the Potomac Vintage Rider's annual swap meet in York, PA this past weekend.

The AHRMA Mid-Atlantic cross-country guys would eat those up! I know if I had a spare pile of green lying about I'd be all over one of those. (For now, I'm riding an IT like the one in the background of your pic)

Better yet, keep them and come ride with us!
Thanks Hman.
I was a PVR member for nearly 10 years, and attended the annual York Swapmeet for 10 years as well. Raced alot from 2006 to the end of 2014, but life got really busy and a little more complicated in 2015 and now I'm down to about one race a year. Hoping to get back out for a few more races this year...we'll see.

Here's the complete list of bikes in my stable right now. All are race ready, except for for the DKW. It's resurrection is just about complete -- just waiting on a new ignition and should have it up and running in the next 3-4 weeks.

2015 Beta 300RR
1996 Kawasaki KDX200
1983 Husqvarna WR 430
1982 Husqvarna WR 430
1979 Bultaco 370 Fontera
1979 Maico 400 GS
1978 Maico 400 GS
1979 KTM 400 GS
1978 KTM 400 GS
1977 Penton 250 GS
1974 Rokon 340 RT
1973 DKW 125 Enduro
1971 Maico 400 GS
1969 Maico 360 MC

Edit: Yeah, Maicos are my favorite -- hands down.

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