HISTORY

The story of KTM dirt bikes began when Hans Trunkenpolz, one of two KTM company founders, opened a repair shop in Mattighofen, Austria, in 1934. The repair business grew in size, becoming one of the larger car and motorcycle repairers in Austria.

The business then became the official supplier of DKW motorcycles and in 1951 developed its first motorcycle, dubbed the R100.

In 1953 the KTM company was founded by Hans Trunkenpolz and Ernst Kronreif. The official company name was 'Kronreif, Trunkenpolz, Mattighofen' (KTM). The first production series of KTM motorcycles commenced.

KTM has a rich pedigree in enduro and off road racing, the KTM's first raced in the International Six Day Enduro in 1956. They've also dominated the Paris-Dakar Rally for many years, arguably the toughest off road race in the world.

In 1968 KTM dirt bikes were exported to the U.S. for the first time by Jack Penton, the Penton Six days was manufactured by KTM and exported by Penton under his own name.

I owned and raced KTM's from '95 to '99 and found them to be a quality bike, they were finished better than the Japanese bikes at the time and you couldn't fault the qualityof components like White Power, Ohlins and Marzocchi suspension.