While we already knew that the new 2011 KTM 125 Duke would be making an appearance at Intermot, we now know that the Austrian company will debut two more motorcycles at the show in Germany: the 2011 KTM 1198 RC8 R Track & the 2011 KTM 990 Supermoto T. Since these photos are just leaking out ahead of the Intermot show, we have very little information (find it after the jump), but expect more updates as we get closer to the show’s date.
Marketing in the motorcycle industry is usually derivative at best, and nothing exemplifies that sentiment more than the tried and true rebel typecast that we see slung-around in advertisements on television, print, and the web. So it should perhaps not surprise us to see KTM going back to this marketing well when promoting the KTM 125 Duke.
Phat beat DJ’s, wheelies down the roadway, late night hooning on dark city streets, these are all the elements needed to make 13 year-old boys who haven’t reached puberty feel like total bad asses…and maybe KTM can sell some bikes with it along the way too. Check the video after the jump. and
According to Indian publication Bike Advice, Bajaj is looking to cultivate its relationships with KTM & Kawasaki further, hoping to create a three-way alliance that would build off the strengths of each company. Since 1986 Bajaj has had technical ties to Japanese manufacturer Kawasaki, with Bajaj paying royalties to Kawasaki for basing its creations off Kawasaki designs. Bajaj and Kawasaki also share distribution channels, with Bajaj motorcycles being sold at Kawasaki dealerships, and vice versa.
In 2007 the Indian manufacturer bought a 17% stake in KTM (Bajaj has since increased its stake in the Austrian company to 35% in 2008, with further investment plans rumored), which allowed Bajaj access to Europe and KTM access to India. Bajaj has also gained some of KTM’s knowledge on two-stroke motors, while KTM has seen the small-bike specialist help them with its soon-to-be released KTM 125 Duke project.
With all these relationships being fostered, and obvious synergies existing, Bajaj wants to take its relationship with each company to the next level (in America we call that Third Base), and change the level of collaboration so it goes three-ways. The affect would be a merger, without the merger.
After holding an online contest to name its 125cc four-stroke based learner street bike, KTM has shockingly come to the conclusion that it should stick to its Duke nomenclature. Schedule to be the 2011 KTM 125 Duke, KTM debuted the concepts at the 2009 EICMA show in Milan. KTM’s plan is to engage young riders with the “Ready to Race” mantra, making them lifetime Team Orange riders with this stepping-stone model.
With a sporty street bike and a stunter variant, KTM hopes the pair of bikes will resonate well with actual mischievous teenagers, just as its done successfully with adults who have a healthy go-fast inner-child residing inside them.
Look for the 2011 KTM 125 Duke to hit shops in Europe sometime in March, and hit shops in the United States in…well…never. Let KTM USA know how much fun a KTM 350/450 Duke would be in the comments section, and check out the photos and video of the KTM 125 Duke after the jump.
KTM is hard at work on its new 125cc streetbike (which still needs a name) geared to young riders. Debuted at the EICMA show in Milan last year, KTM hopes to bring young riders into the “Ready to Race” brand at an early age. Accordingly, KTM released two concepts last year which centered around a 125cc four-stroke motor.
With a concept for track riding and a concept for stunting, KTM hopes this new bike will strike a nerve with what young riders think is cool about motorcycling. The bikes looked pretty good to us when we saw them first-hand in Milan, and from the looks of this teaser video, the R&D behind the concepts is coming along quite nicely.
KTM is looking for some help in naming its 125 Race and 125 Stunt bikes that were debuted at the 2009 EICMA show. When we saw these bikes launched in Milan, we couldn’t help but want one…even if they’re targeted towards kids. Knowing that the Austrian company’s relatively bland naming nomenclature isn’t likely to resonate with the kids of today, KTM is looking for some insight on how to capture this younger audience, and if they pick your entry you can claim a 125 Race or Stunt bike for your very own.
We’ll be the first to admit that we don’t fully understand why KTM made the X-Box, better known as the go-kart on steroids…but we sure do want one nonetheless. Along that same vein, we’re not sure why a company like Ducati, known for its two-wheeled pieces of art and performance, would want to try its hand in the four-wheeled realm, but if this is the result, we could probably get over that sentiment.
OmniMoto has a great piece on some KTM R&D engineers who built the fabled KTM Supermono during their off-work time. The project, which wass not supported by KTM, centers around a KTM 690 Duke motor and modified Duke/RC8 chassis. With about 80hp coming from the single-cylinder motor and its cloth-on-carburetor airbox, this RC4 wannabe looks very appealing on paper with its 140kg (308lbs) weight.
The entire front section of the motorcycle is off a KTM RC8, sans one brake disc for added weight loss. The Austrian-loyal have been clamoring for some time now for a KTM Supermono, and if it looks and sounds as good as this, we’d like one in our garage as well. Check out OmniMoto’s post for a bevy of photos, and bring Google along if you don’t parlo italiano.
Source: OmniMoto
As a California native, I’ve always wanted to ride around Laguna Seca on a sportbike. However my passion for track riding didn’t manifest itself until I moved away from the Golden State to Pennsylvania, making a Seca track day all but implausible. Having just moved back into California, and the warm weather finally upon us here in the San Francisco area, track days and Seca have been on my mind. So when Michael Czysz, Lead Instructor at the Skip Barber Superbike School (and of MotoCzysz fame) shot me an email asking me if I wanted to ride for two days around the fabled circuit and take Skip Barber’s two-day superbike course, I of course took him up on the offer. With perfect 70°F weather, I made my way to the Californian coast, ready to take on The Corkscrew with the brand new 2010 KTM RC8 motorcycle and with the help of Skip Barber’s instructors.
I’ve always heard how Laguna Seca is a special track, and how technical the course is on a motorcycle (or any vehicle for that matter). Driving into Monterey from Salinas, you get about half the distance between the two cities when the track entrance jumps up on you. Most tracks you can see for miles as you approach them, but Laguna Seca is nestled behind a hillside from the roadway, and sits inside a Monterey County park. This topography not only provides a scenic venue to enjoy when you’re not going full-throttle around the race track, but also accounts for Seca’s 300′ change in elevation as you go through the 11 turns that comprise the circuit.
Driving into the park I can already feel my nerves acting up. I went through eight years of competitive sailing, two Junior Olympics, and three Nationals with this same physiological response. On a typical track day this sensation would subside after my first session, and be greatly reduced after the first full-pace lap, but upon entering into the Skip Barber office the apprehension quickly disappears.
Carbon fiber products manufacturer 666 Road Racing has announced its plans to enter into the 2010 Isle of Man TT Zero event, making them the first announced team to enter the TT Zero event with a Mavizen electric sport bike. Mavizen, as many may remember, is owned by Azhar Hussain, founder of the TTXGP, which was recently ousted by the Isle of Man, which then created the TT Zero racing class for the Isle of Man TT. This announcement is a turn of events as it was previously believed Azhar would not let a Mavizen bike compete in rival series created by the FIM and Isle of Man.
KTM has released the rest of its press materials on the Freeride dirt and street concepts, including a short promo video that has both bikes doing their thing. The photos are mostly from the Tokyo show, but also include some action shots. The dirt bike clip caught our eye as the Freeride looked very strong. We can’t wait for a chance to give it a turn and see if its just movie magic we’re seeing, or the real thing. Photos and video after the jump.