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KTM Sold 332,881 Motorcycles in 2021 – Up 23% From Last Year

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The house of brands under KTM’s management had a very, very good year in 2021, with their parent company Pierer Mobility reporting a 23% increase in motorcycle sales over 2020’s dismal figures.

The preliminary report doesn’t break-out sales by each motorcycle brand (KTM, Husqvarna, & GasGas), but it does separate out the firm’s bicycle and e-bike figures, which have been used in the past to buoy the marketing team’s efforts.

As such, we can rest assured that today’s announcement and positive progress is real, and not the spin we were getting in 2020, which saw the Austrian outfit taking a first-time dip in sales results in the past decade.

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Bikes

The Third-Generation KTM 1290 Super Adventure Models Are Finally Coming to the USA

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Good news from the folks from KTM North America, as the latest iteration of the brand’s KTM 1290 Super Adventure lineup is finally coming to the USA. Booyakasha!

A year late in arriving to our shores, the KTM 1290 Super Adventure S and KTM 1290 Super Adventure R will be 2022 models for the American market, and mark the the coming of the Austrian company’s third-generation of big ADV bikes to North America.

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MotoGP

Mike Leitner Ousted from Lead Role in KTM’s MotoGP Program

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Mike Leitner, the man who was brought in to lead KTM’s MotoGP project from the very beginning, is to be moved aside by the Austrian factory.

KTM announced that the engineer and former HRC crew chief – he was crew chief to Dani Pedrosa for most of the Spaniard’s career – is to be moved into a consultancy role.

Although the KTM’s press release does not give an explict reason for the change, beyond a desire to “restructure the KTM Factory Racing hierarchy”, the move reflects a feeling that KTM’s progress toward its objective of winning a MotoGP title has stalled.

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Bikes

Officially Official: KTM 1290 Super Duke R EVO Debuts with Semi-Active Suspension

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We already broke the news about the KTM 1290 Super Duke R EVO, but for those who want to keep things official, the 2022 model year machine is now out in the wild.

The headline news here is KTM adding its second-generation of WP Suspension’s semi-active APEX suspension pieces, though the updated KTM 1290 Super Duke R EVO also comes with a quick-turn throttle, which has a 65° twist (7° less than before).

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MotoGP

How the Law of Unexpected Consequences Produced Closed Rear Wheels in Moto3

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There was some consternation in Austria in August when KTM rolled out a wheel cover for the rear wheel of the KTM RC4 on the Red Bull KTM Ajo bikes of Pedro Acosta and Jaume Masia.

Despite the strict technical rules in Moto3, the specter of aerodynamics has reared its ugly head. Naturally, this advance could not go unanswered by KTM’s only technical rival in Moto3.

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Recall

KTM 690 & Husqvarna 701 Recalled for Slave Clutch Issues

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The KTM LC4 engine is a single-cylinder work of art, but it is not without its faults. One the more well-known issues with the 690cc thumper is its slave clutch design, which is prone to failure and leaks.

For anyone who has experienced the issue (including this author), it is a less-than-fun situation when the clutch system loses pressure and fails to disengage, but KTM has finally acknowledged the issue, and has begun a worldwide recall of KTM and Husqvarna motorcycle that feature the design.

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Bikes

A KTM 1290 Super Duke R EVO Is Coming to the USA for $19,600

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Two years ago, we saw the KTM 1290 Super Duke R getting a bevy of upgrades for the 2020 model year. Then last year, the KTM 1290 Super Duke RR broke cover, with no shortage of go-fast parts for 2021.

Now, we are getting ready for next year’s machines, and our Bothan spies have been busy searching for clues for what we could see during the new bike season.

With that, we can confirm that “The Beast” will get another upgrade, coming as the 2022 KTM 1290 Super Duke R EVO.

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Bikes

The KTM 450 SMR, In Case You Like Orange Supermotos

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It is a strange relationship between KTM and Husqvarna, with the prior owning the latter. Often times, this means that we see the orange bikes in blue and white clothing, with few changes separating the two offerings.

Such is the case with their pair of supermotos, with the 2022 KTM 450 SMR being almost identical to the 2022 Husqvarna FS 450 – save for a different color palette.

What are the real brass tacks differences? The Husqvarna has a composite subframe, while the KTM’s is made from aluminum. That’s it.

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