KTM

KTM is an Austrian motorcycle, bicycle and motorsports brand which traces its foundation in 1934 as Kronreif & Trunkenpolz
Mattighofen. Today, Pierer Mobility AG operates as the manufacturer of KTM branded motorcycles; whereas KTM Fahrrad AG
operates as the manufacturer of KTM branded bicycles.

KTM is known for its off-road motorcycles (enduro, motocross and supermoto). Since the late 1990s, it has expanded into street
motorcycle production and developing sports cars – namely the X-Bow. In 2015, KTM sold almost as many street as off-road
bikes.[4]

History

Hans Trunkenpolz and Ernst Kronreif

Early years KTM AG
In 1934, an Austrian engineer Johann (Hans) Trunkenpolz
(1909–1962)[5] set up a fitter's and car repair shop[6] in
Mattighofen. In 1937, he started selling DKW motorcycles,
and Opel cars the following year. His shop was known as
Kraftfahrzeug Trunkenpolz Mattighofen, but the name was
unregistered. During the Second World War, his wife took
care of the business which was thriving mainly on account of
diesel engine repairs.[7]

After the war, demand for repair works fell sharply and
Trunkenpolz started thinking about producing his own KTM headquarters in
motorcycles. The prototype of his first motorcycle, the R100,
was built in 1951.[8] The components of the motorcycle were Mattighofen
produced in house, except for the Rotax engines which were
made by Fichtel & Sachs. Serial production of the R100
started in 1953. With just 20 employees, motorcycles were
Company Aktiengesellschaft
built at a rate of three per day.[9]
type

Industry Motor
vehicles
KTM 1953–1991
Founded 1934
In 1953, businessman Ernst Kronreif became a major
shareholder of the company, which was renamed and registered
as Kronreif & Trunkenpolz Mattighofen. In 1954, the R125 Founder Hans
Tourist was introduced,[10] followed by the Grand Tourist [11] Trunkenpolz
and the scooter Mirabell[12] in 1955.

The company secured its first racing title in the 1954 Headquarters Mattighofen,
Austrian 125cc national championship.[13] In 1956, KTM made
Upper
its appearance at the International Six Days Trials, where
Egon Dornauer won a gold medal on a KTM machine.[14]
Austria,
In 1957, KTM built its first sports motorcycle, the Trophy
Austria
125cc.[15] KTM's first moped, named Mecky, was launched in
1957, followed by Ponny I in 1960 and Ponny II in 1962 and Area served Worldwide
Comet in 1963.[16] The 1960s also saw the beginning of
bicycle production in Mattighofen.
Key people Stefan
Ernst Kronreif died in 1960.[17] Two years later in 1962,[18]
Hans Trunkenpolz also died of a heart attack. His son Erich
Pierer,
Trunkenpolz took charge of the company's management. Friedrich
As the company continued to expand, the workforce totalled Roithner,
400 in 1971, and forty years after it was founded, KTM was
offering 42 different models. Additionally, KTM was able to Rajiv Bajaj
produce motorcycles for the racing industry. During the
1970s and 80s, KTM also started to develop and produce Products Motorcycles,
engines and radiators. Radiators sold to European car
manufacturers constituted a sizable part of the company's sports cars
business in the 1980s.[19]
Owners Pierer
In 1978,[20] US subsidiary KTM North America Inc. was
founded in Lorain, Ohio. Mobility AG
In 1980, the company was renamed KTM Motor-Fahrzeugbau , Bajaj
KG.[19] One year later, KTM had about 700 employees and a
turnover of 750m. Schilling (about 54.5m. euros).
Auto[1]
International business then amounted to 76% of the
49.9%
company's turnover.[19]

However, scooter and moped turnover sank rapidly, and Number of 2,931
production had to be halted in 1988.[19] Erich Trunkenpolz
died in 1989. Takeover of a 51% interest in the company by
employees (2017)[2]
the Austrian investment trust GIT Trust Holding controlled by
Austrian politician Josef Taus in 1989 was followed by Website ktmgroup.com
unsuccessful attempts to turn the indebted company
(https://ktm
around,[21] and in 1991, management of KTM was transferred
to a consortium of creditor banks.
group.com/e
n/home/)

KTM after 1991

In 1991, the company was split into four new entities: KTM Sportmotorcycle GmbH (motorcycles division), KTM Fahrrad GmbH
(bicycles division), KTM Kühler GmbH (radiators division) and KTM Werkzeugbau GmbH (tooling division).

Now owned by KTM Motorradholding GmbH, which was formed by Cross Holding (a Cross Industries daughter), and other investors,
KTM Sportmotorcycle GmbH started operation in 1992 and later took over the sibling tooling division KTM Werkzeugbau. In the
following years, while steadily increasing production and turnover, investing in new production and R&D facilities,[4][22][23]
introducing new models and successfully sponsoring and taking part in various sports racing events, the company underwent a
series of restructurings and stakeholder changes guided by KTM's managing director and Cross Industries owner Stefan Pierer.
In 1994, KTM started production of the Duke series of road motorcycles, in 1996, KTM motocross machines were first decked out
in KTM's signature orange color,[24] and 1997 saw the introduction of liquid-cooled two-cylinder Supermoto and Adventure
motorcycles. In 2007, the company debuted the KTM X-Bow sports car.[25]

In 1995, KTM Motorradholding GmbH acquired Swedish motorcycle maker Husaberg AB and took control of the Dutch company
White Power Suspension.

In 2007, Indian motorcycle manufacturer Bajaj Auto bought a 14.5% stake in KTM Power Sports AG. By 2013, Bajaj Auto held a
47.97% interest in the company.

In 2013, KTM acquired the formerly Swedish motorcycle maker Husqvarna Motorcycles from its prior owner BMW Motorrad AG.[4]
The same year, KTM re-integrated the brand Husaberg into Husqvarna Motorcycles from which it had spun off in the 1990s when
Husqvarna was sold to the Italian company Cagiva.

As the final result of the restructuring process, KTM Motorradholding GmbH had become KTM AG in 2012. In 2015, KTM
generated a turnover of over 1 billion Euro and employed 2515 people by the end of that year.[4] Of the four separate companies
left after the 1992 split, three were now again part of the KTM Group: KTM Sportmotorcycle GmbH, KTM Werkzeugbau GmbH
and KTM Kühler GmbH (today WP Radiators). KTM Fahrrad GmbH (KTM Bike Industries) remains an independent company and
is owned by Chinese investors. KTM-Group today contains the brands KTM, Husqvarna Motorcycles and GasGas Motorcycles.
In 2021 Bajaj Auto sold 46.5% of KTM's shares to Pierer
Mobility AG in exchange for 49% shares in the latter
company[26] and thus became an indirect stakeholder in KTM. KTM Fahrrad GmbH

Operations
At present, KTM brand is operated by two corporate houses-
Company GmbH
Pierer Mobility AG type
[Motorcycles & affiliated Industry Bicycles
businesses via KTM AG]
Founded 1934
KTM Fahrrad GmbH
Founder Hans
[Bicycles & related Trunkenpolz
businesses] Headquarters Mattighofen,
Upper
KTM Motorcycles Austria,
In September 2021, KTM AG went though a corporate
Austria
restructuring through a complex share swap deal between
Pierer Group and Bajaj Auto Limited.[27] As of November Key people Carol
2023, the apex holding company for KTM in motorcycles and
affiliated business is Pierer Industrie AG, which owns 50.1%
Urkauf-
stake in Pierer Bajaj AG, wherein Bajaj Auto Limited holds Chen,
the remaining 49.9% stake. Pierer Bajaj AG holds 78.16%
Johanna
stake in Pierer Mobility AG, which in turn holds 100% stake
in KTM AG.[28]
Urkauf,
Stefan
Affiliated Businesses Limbrunner,
Under the Pierer Mobility umbrella, the following companies Number of 800
(2022)[3]
use the KTM brand-
employees
KTM AG
Website ktm-bikes.at
[Manufacturing (https://ww
Motorcycles] w.ktm-bikes.
at)
KTM Forschungs &
Entwicklungs GmbH [Research & Development]
KTM Informatics GmbH [Information Technology]
KTM Racing GmbH [Motorsports]
Pierer Mobility also has stakes in the following motorcycle companies, making them a sister concern of KTM AG-

Husqvarna Motorcycles GmbH [100%]

GASGAS Motorcycles GmbH [100%]
MV Agusta Motor S.p.A. [50.1%]
Furthermore, KTM Sportmotorcycle GmbH and Husqvarna Motorcycles GmbH operate 24 and 8 distribution subsidiaries worldwide,
respectively, most of them in European and Asian countries and in the US.

Joint ventures
KTM started exporting their GS model to the US in 1968 through an American importer, John Penton under the Penton brand.
This joint venture lasted until KTM established KTM America Inc. in Ohio in 1978.[29]

In 2005, KTM-Sportmotocycle began a partnership with ATV manufacturer Polaris Industries with the goal of shared research, and
more importantly shared distribution networks. This partnership was a two-year trial arrangement, at the end of which both
parties had the option of merging the two companies into one. In 2006, KTM announced that the partnership with Polaris had
been downgraded, and would instead only supply their 450cc and 510cc RFS engines to Polaris.[30]

In January 2008, Bajaj announced that it would jointly develop two new 125cc and 200cc bikes for Europe and the Far East. The
bikes would be badged KTM.[31] In January 2012, Bajaj launched the Duke 200 model in India.[32]

In November 2022 KTM acquired a 25,1 % stake in the Italian motorcycle manufacturer MV Agusta.[33]

KTM Bikes
KTM as a brand is also used by KTM Fahrrad GmbH, which, as the exclusive licensee, manufactures bicycles and bicycle
accessories. This company originated by the spin-off of KTM in 1991 and shares the same history and heritage as that of KTM
Motorcycles.
Motorsports

Mika Kallio's 125 cc road race motorcycle

Samuli Aro's WEC E2 class bike

Tony Cairoli's 350 SX bike

KTM entered motorsports competing in motocross racing. KTM won its first championship in 1974 when Gennady Moiseyev
claimed the 250cc Motocross World Championship.[34] By the end of 2016, KTM had won more than 260 world championship
titles, making the company one of the most successful brands in motorsports.[4] KTM has claimed 96 MXGP, MX1 and MX2 world
titles since 1974 and 114 E1, E2, E3 and Super Enduro world titles since 1990. With Ryan Dungey's 2015, 2016 and 2017
victories in the supercross world championship, KTM gained a successful presence in supercross racing as well. In 1994, a KTM
factory team debuted at the Dakar Rally. In 1998, KTM riders won second to twelfth place. With consecutive wins from 2001 to
2019, the manufacturer has dominated the rally for 18 years now. KTM teams successfully compete in other rally raid events like
modified 75 degree V-twin four-stroke LC8 motor. Like the 1290 Super Adventure, the 1290 Superduke GT features three
electronically controlled riding modes.[51]

Naked bikes – With the Duke and Superduke models, KTM currently offers naked bikes with 125, 200, 250, 390, 690, 790,
890 and 1290 cc displacement. The 125 (not available in the US), 200, 250, 390 and 690 and 690 R Duke models have a single-
cylinder four-stroke LC4 motor. The 790, 890 Duke use a new twin-parallel engine. The 1290 R Superduke model is equipped
with a 75 degree V-twin four-stroke motor (LC8).[52]

200, 250 and 390 Duke models are currently produced by Bajaj Auto in Pune, India.The 250 is only available in Asia, with only
the Duke 390 and Duke 200 being exported to European countries and North America. The Duke 200 2020 model is now
available in the United States and has a new redesigned 200 cc displacement engine.

Supersport – KTM sport bikes currently offered in the supersport category include the RC 125 (not available in the US) and the
RC 390. Both are street-legal versions of bikes that compete in street races. With the RC16, KTM has presented a 1000 cc
sport bike that will race in the MotoGP class of the 2017 Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix.[53] Whether there will be a
street-legal production version of the RC16 at a later point in time is yet unclear.

In Asia, KTM also markets RC 200 and RC 250 street bikes. KTM is also planning to introduced a new 150cc bike in its RC
lineup in the Asian countries. This would be the KTC RC 150, that will powered by a 149cc, single-cylinder engine and 6-speed
gearbox. This will be launched at a more affordable price, so everyone can opt for it.[54]

Superbike – Currently, KTM has retired from superbike production and competitions.[38] From 2008 to 2015, the company
produced the 1190 RC8 superbike, a light, powerful homologated (street-legal) bike for superbike competitions with an LC8
motor and without any of the electronic driving aids that the otherwise comparable Superduke and Super Adventure models offer.