The KTM sports car is known as the X-Bow but it’s called the Crossbow. In addition to their racing motorcycles, they also manufactured and designed, mopeds along with their scooters and bicycles. The road was rocky and the company branched into several different product lines to make a go of it. The engineers knew that their future was in the racing models but this wouldn’t always pay the bills in the beginning. The history of this company is rich and diverse. It was a far cry from the racing-centric display that you see available now. In 1973, Trunkenpolz began selling DKW bikes and in 1974 he was selling Opel cars along with them.
#Ktm bike made in series#
There has been a series of detours and disruptions in flow along the way. The KTM motorcycle manufacturer does not have a history that is cut and dried nor straightforward. Today it has emerged ass one of the strongest manufacturers in the industry. It’s perfectly understandable though because KTM hasn’t always been a prolific operation and it has had its share of ups and downs through the decades. Although amazing racing bikes are produced in all of these countries, few guessed that it was actually Austria. Some believed it was out of Japan, some from the United States and others guessed that it was a German company. Those who don’t know the history of KTM has made a lot of guesses as to its origins. They had achieved a major milestone in their progress towards becoming a serious player in the global motorcycle manufacturing industry. The company employed a total of 400 workers and they offered 42 different models of production bikes and scooters which were being sold to the public.
#Ktm bike made in full#
They had not yet realized their full potential, but by 1971, the company was showing remarkable growth and progress. It had taken years of dedication and putting their time in the trenches as a small company that struggled to stay ahead. The Mirabell was their first scooter and the sales were helpful in expanding other aspects of the company. People needed to have an economical way to get around and this was a fuel-efficient form of travel that was popular in Europe. They also designed a production scooter for personal transportation. It didn’t take its focus off of the racers or the continual development of faster and better bikes, but it added a new line that would appeal to a different audience. The line following the first racers opened a new marketĪfter the motorcycle company had established itself in the racing industry, it started looking at other markets as well. KTM would move forward with a focus on the production of racing bikes with their technology geared towards this end. Two years later Egon Dornauer used a KTM to earn a gold medal and its legacy of competition racing was established. In 1954, the KTM took the Austrian 125 national championship. When you look back through the history of KTM racing, it’s impressive that the very first bike that was released by the company had taken a championship title within just one year of its release. The motorcycles won their first title within a year of release The first production series motorcycle that he built was the R100, and it did not yet bear the name KTM but it was still the first in the now famous lineage of championship bikes to come. The first motorcycle that Trunkenpolz designed was completed in 1953.
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His beginnings were humble and it was during this time that he realized he had a talent in automotive design, motorcycles in particular. Trunkenpolz worked on motorcycles as well as doing locksmithing and metal work in his shop. The creator of the KTM motorcycle company started off as a mechanic That would not come for many years in the future, but it was the foundation for what would gradually evolve into the mega motorcycle manufacturer that it has become today.
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Hans’ business was a locksmith and metal working shop and it was located in Mattighofen, Austria.
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This is all a part of the unique history of KTM bikes. Johann Trunkenpolz was an engineer who started and new business, but it didn’t even resemble a motorcycle manufacturing plant at that time. The KTM motorcycle company was actually started in 1934. KTM deserves a closer look and we’ve discovered 20 interesting facts about them that we thought you’d like to know. Their sponsored teams are major contenders in some of the biggest competitions throughout the United States and Europe. The KTM Motorcycle company is best known for their off-road racing bikes and they’ve established a reputation for building fast and agile bikes that are used to win titles.