The underbelly exhaust of the KTM Duke 200 may draw snide remarks from naysayers, but KTM/Bajaj went all out to prove that the Duke 200 can survive monsoon rain and light floods. Very impressive! A single-cylinder, 4-stroke, 6-speed motorcycle, the Duke 200 is the product of a joint venture between Austrian motorcycle manufacturer KTM and Bajaj Auto of India. It is marketed as a pure KTM and is expected to be launched in Malaysia very soon.

CYRIL DESPRES, Photographer: van Oers J.

The KTM Rally Team are about to launch an attack on the first ever “Dakar Series” Central Europe Rally which sweeps almost 2700 km through Hungary and Romania starting in Budapest on April 19 and finishing at Hungary’s Lake Balaton on April 26, 2008.

Organizers had planned to stage the first Dakar Series in 2009 but the last minute cancellation of the Dakar Classic in January 2008 for security reasons prompted them to accelerate plans for the Central Europe Rally. The event goes some of the way towards reversing the disappointment of professional teams and amateurs who were denied the chance to test themselves in the Dakar.

Seven Stages and two countries
The rally is in seven stages with 1092 km of special stages and 1579 km of road sections starting in Budapest before sweeping east for a loop into northern Romania before returning to Hungary to finish at what is one of Europe’ biggest lakes. Organizers had planned to hold more of the rally distance in Romania but recent bad weather including heavy snow, forced significant changes to the course.

KTM Rally Team manager Hans Trunkenpolz underlined that the organizers had already achieved much in the extremely short preparation period. He said the KTM Factory Rally Team, including riders of the caliber of Dakar winners Marc Coma and Cyril Despres, were committed to delivering a solid performance in the new event.

INTERVIEW WITH HANS TRUNKENPOLZ, KTM RALLY TEAM MANAGER

HANS TRUNKENPOLZ, Photographer: van Oers J.

WHAT IS THE INITIAL SITUATION WITH THIS NEW EVENT?
The stages are significantly shorter than those in Africa for which our Rally Replica bike was developed, so the full tank capacity will not be needed. Our top riders will also not be called upon to test their full physical endurance on these shorter stages so the sprinters among the rally and Enduro riders will have a good chance to be on the podium.

Also, the terrain, which apparently includes lots of narrow tracks and curves means we will not be able to take advantage of the speed and the power of our rally bikes. Riders on bikes with less displacement will have the advantage here.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE KTM RALLY TEAM?
Our Rally Team will tackle these new challenges on our Rally bike. They won’t be switching over to a lighter type of offroad bike from our offroad program. We are confident that the world’s best rally riders in the KTM Rally Team will be able to fight for victory even under unusual conditions. KTM is putting Cyril Despres and Marc Coma on a prototype RALLY LIGHT bike, which with its reduced tank capacity, narrower cladding and a somewhat modified geometry should suit these new conditions.

WHAT SHOULD WE UNDERSTAND BY THE TERM “RALLY LIGHT VERSION”?
For a long time now we have been thinking of developing a module for the Rally Replica that would allow it to be converted to better suit rallies with shorter distances between refueling stops. The cancellation of the Dakar and this short term confrontation with very different conditions has brought this development forward. We’ve immediately put it into practice so we do not lose our competitive edge. According to the KTM philosophy, if this RALLY LIGHT kit that is being tested by the factory team comes out positively then any Rally Replica owner will be able to buy it. One important advantage of this new development is that a rider can vary his machine between standard and light during the rally. If the day calls for relatively easy reach then he can use the light version; if there are longer distances between refueling stops then he can use the standard version. This should ensure that KTM continues to be the dominant brand in rally sport. When this kit will be availab le depends on what modifications we have to make after the Central Europe Rally, but it should be on the market in time for the planned Dakar replacement rally in January 2009.

Hans Trunkenpolz concluded by saying the Central Europe Rally will be of a very high standard. “It’s going to be tight all the way but we will very much miss the special challenges of the long stretches in Africa,” he said.

Find daily reports and the latest pictures on ktm.com – KTM Racing – Rally

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IMAGE: Reuters/Marco Bucco

Former Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher has swapped his Ferrari for a KTM motorcycle. Seen here during a motorbike race at Misano racetrack March 30, 2008. The 39-year-old German, who has seven titles and 91 grand prix wins make him Formula One’s most successful driver. Schumacher finished fourth in his first competitive motorbike race on Sunday in the KTM minor series race at the Misano circuit in Italy.

Schumacher has also been reported as having tested a Ducati MotoGP bike since retiring from F1 late in 2006. He has made it clear that he has no intention in competing in MotoGP or SBK but competes in minor events. The short ten lap event at Misano was run on 990cc KTM Super Dukes, where Schumacher managed to qualify third and finished fourth. Not bad eh?

SOURCE, SOURCE2, SOURCE3

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Harald Bartol (Photo by Kirn F.)

KTM was among the top contenders in the 250 cc category at every pre-season test and the motorcycles were fast and reliable. Have you achieved all of your goals in preparation for the first race?
Testing is one thing, racing quite another. You can never be entirely sure about your achievements before the chequered flag comes down in the first race. But all in all, I am happy and confident. The most important mission was to make improvements in chassis stability and handling and we’ve managed to accomplish that. We’re also happy with our satellite teams in the 125 cc category. Some of our riders are surprisingly fast after just having a short time to get familiar with our bike. On the other hand, we’re still trailing the others with or own 125 cc team and rider Randy Krummenacher. We’re still working on the overall package with chassis and suspension settings, but I’m sure we can tie up all the loose ends very soon.

Hiroshi Aoyama‘s 250 FRR 2008 (Photo by Kirn F.)

Back in November, you introduced a new chassis for the KTM 250. What are its characteristics and what was the development goal?
Better handling, and more precision and feedback going into the turns. Our riders weren’t able to match their opponents in tight cornering lines on some race tracks last year and they didn’t quite have the same amount of rear wheel grip. Now the riders’ comments have been very positive. It seems we’ve resolved these issues.

You also managed to further improve engine reliability. Your bikes are running like clockwork between their regular service intervals. Was all of this achieved by changes in the logistics or were there also changes in the engine design?
The occasional failures we experienced last season turned out to be problems related to some of the materials used in some of the components. Once we changed the suppliers of these components, the problems were solved, completely and immediately. Reliability is no longer and issue.

One year ago, lap times improved considerably. This year, lap times have remained almost the same. Are modern two-stroke racing engines close to their possible performance maximum?
I don’t believe so. When you look at lap times you also have to look at track and weather conditions and they haven’t always been in our favour. And even though we still keep finding more horsepower and torque, they’re not the only things we’re looking for in our development. We’re looking for consistency, for a fast race pace rather than one fast individual lap and you can only achieve that through good rideability and by tailoring the bike to the specific needs of its rider. That’s where we continue to gain performance.

Mika Kallio won the final race last year and was consistently fast during all pre-season testing. Is he the title favourite?
For sure he’s one of the favourites. He’s not only fast; he’s also got the brains and the mind-set of a true race winner. At the moment I look at him as being mentally stronger than the others and that’s going to give him an advantage for sure. Let’s say if Kallio runs into a problem on the starting line then he’s still the type of rider to fight through it and end up battling for race victory. Others would struggle more if something unexpected got in their way. But Mika is not the only strong rider in this class. There’s also Tom Lüthi and Debon and Barberá. And of course there’s Hiroshi Aoyama. There’s going to be some fierce battles and some close and very thrilling racing.

Hiroshi Aoyama at Qatar (Photo by Kirn F.)

Hiroshi Aoyama seems to be more relaxed, more upbeat and confident than last year. Do you agree?
I can see a change in him and I hope this trend continues. The most important thing for him to do is to concentrate on riding instead of worrying about the tiniest details in the set-up of his bike. If he manages to do that, he will blossom and win again. I know that Alberto Puig had a long conversation with Hiroshi, which seems to have had a good effect. I just hope it will last.

Spaniard Julian Simón is the star of the new Repsol KTM team and it’s also a KTM comeback for him because he rode for your 125 cc team two years ago. What can you expect from him?

When things go his way he’s able to do anything and this makes him the dark horse in the championship. For example, he was clearly the fastest over the first three sections of the track in our recent tests at Jerez. And he was only slowed down in the last section by very strong winds. We can expect some strong results from him if he’s able to confirm that he’s in good shape and maintain that momentum until the actual racing starts.

Honda seems to drop back, and instead, we can see Gilera up among the fastest teams. How do you rate KTM’s competition?

I’m a technician and a different paint job doesn’t turn Gilera into a different bike. For me Gilera simply doesn’t exist. It is one and the same with Aprilia and that’s the competition we target the most. By the same token, we can never underestimate Honda. They have a proven race winner with Yuki Takahashi and I’m sure they have more in mind than just rolling along with the rest of the field.

Randy Krummenacher and the Red Bull KTM GP 125 Team (Photo by Kirn F.)

There are seven KTM riders in four different teams in the 125 cc category. How close is the working relationship with the satellite teams?

From the technical point of view, all four teams operate at the same level. They have the same material and the same factory support. The fact that Randy Krummenacher rides in Red Bull KTM colours doesn’t give him any privileges as a factory rider. At this stage the only difference between him and the other riders is that he got lost looking for the right set-up. Maybe he’s been looking too much instead of just concentrating on his riding.

In former times KTM road racing was a small enterprise. All the development was done in your own workshop and all the parts went through your hands. Has that changed now that KTM has so many riders?

Nowadays we have more people working in our racing department to make sure there’s a steady and reliable supply of parts for all of our teams. But that doesn’t mean our development work has changed. Every part of the motorcycles is designed or refined with the same care and the same attention to detail as before. Now there are just more individual parts than before, and more people working to put them together.

Now that you have data from more teams and more rider input does that help with the further development of the bike?

Not in my personal opinion. From a technical point of view, it would have been better to concentrate on two riders in the 250 cc and two riders in the 125 cc category. There’s a completely different reason for the increase of KTM riders on the starting grid. We wanted to contribute to the diversity in these categories and help maintain and improve the excitement and the spectacle. We also wanted to send a strong signal to GP promoter Dorna. Now it remains to be seen if we are going to be recognised for our efforts in this direction. The same principle goes for our Red Bull KTM Rookie’s Cup. It’s an additional responsibility. We took it on to help the sport but it doesn’t help us to win the championship.

There are seven KTM riders in the 125 cc riders this year. Who would you bet on for the new Grand Prix season?

That’s difficult to say. Da Rosa and Nieto have been quite fast in testing, and I expect a lot from them as their friendship with our bike continues to grow. We also know that Koyama has the skills and the experience to win races. Randy Krummenacher has also shown in the past what he’s able to do on a good day. It’s up to him to find his rhythm again and it’s up to us to help him find the right set-up to go out and enjoy the ride!

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One year after the world premiere of its striking lightweight X-Bow sports car, KTM will reveal the production-ready version of the car, for the first time, at the 78th Geneva Motor Show, which runs from the 6th to 16th of March, 2008.

The car being shown at Geneva features a number of modifications to the KTM X-Bow previously shown in concept form. The car will be a completely black, fully carbon-equipped X-Bow Dallara edition – one of just 100 being made – and features a long list of extras, including carbon-fibre body panels, a limited slip differential, a removable steering wheel and a racing chassis tuned by Italian sports car specialists Dallara. A plaque with a unique serial number and special graphics mark out the limited-run Dallara X-Bow cars, which are sure to become coveted collectors’ items.

The debut of the production-ready KTM X-Bow coincides with the start of full series production of the car at a new four-wheel KTM factory in Graz, Austria. This facility has been specially created to handle the production of the X-Bow and the company’s new four-wheel off-road All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs). It was reported earlier that the first 100 cars would be produced by Dallara, but further production would be handled by Magna-Steyr.

KTM will be on Stand 2050, which is in Hall 2.

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Tommy Searle starts MX season with a flourish in Mantova

Tyla Rattray and Tommy Searle Ready to Race in Mantova

KTM Red Bull MX2 factory rider Tommy Searle sent a strong signal to his opponents this weekend when he won the overall class of MX 2 at the pre-season Starcross event in Mantova Italy. The young British rider, who is among the title favourites for the MX2 world championship title in 2008 did his winter training in the USA where he has signed to race for KTM in 2009.

Thumbs up for new KTM bike
“I am very happy to win today. My speed was good and I like the new frame of the bike a lot. This was very important race for me but I know everyone is going to improve between now and when the Grand Prix season starts in March,” Tommy said. He will now return home to the UK where he will train five days a week in preparation for the opening of the season.

New boy Goncalves happy with KTM factory team
The latest recruit to the MX2 KTM Red Bull Factory Team Rui Goncalves of Portugal finished third overall and was also satisfied with the weekend’s result in Italy. “The new chassis is very good and it is a powerful bike,” he said. “Like everyone here I wanted to show what I could do but I know I have to improve and I didn’t want to push too much. It was a good result for me, the speed was good and I know I am going to improve a lot by the time the season starts.” Goncalves said he was happy with the feeling and cooperation in his new team. He now plans to go the Belgium to train on the sand together with KTM MX team boss Stefan Everts. “Now we need the sand practice,” he said. “I will also ride with others because it is also important to get the comparison between me and the other guys.”

Rattray fit again and “Ready to Race” for KTM
Tyla Rattray, fit and raring to go after major knee reconstruction surgery last November and a period of convalescence at home in South Africa said he too was happy and satisfied with his first ride on the KTM for six months. “I like the new bike very much. It is much better in the corners,” he said. This was a warm-up race for me and I didn’t expect to win but it was a good test of my fitness. I know I will be 100% for the first race of the season and in the meantime I will go to train in Belgium and will also race the international in Valence, France.”

Results
Overall MX2
1. Tommy Searle, Britain, KTM
2. Paulin
3. Rui Goncalves, Portugal, KTM
4. Simpson
5. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, KTM

Race One
1. Jonathan Barragan Spain KTM (MX1)
2. David Philippaerts, Italy, Yamaha (MX1)
3. Max Nagl, Germany, KTM (MX1)
4. Marc De Reuver, Netherland, Honda (MX1)
5. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, KTM (MX2)

Race Two
1. Philippaerts (MX1)
2. De Reuver (MX1)
3. Pourcel (MX1)
4. Coppins (MX1)
5. Ramon (MX1)
6. Nagl, KTM (MX1)
7. Leok, (MX1)
8. Searle, KTM (MX2)

Race Three
1. Barragan, KTM (MX1)
2. Leok, (MX1)
3. Philippaerts (MX1)
4. Coppins (MX1)
5. Searle KTM, (MX2)
9. Nagl, KTM (MX1)
10. Gonvalves, KTM (MX2)
Rattray, KTM, DNF

SOURCE: KTM SPORTMOTORCYCLE AG

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Not only Red Bull KTM factory rider Randy Krummenacher but also riders from KTM-supported teams were out in force at the recently concluded three day tests in Valencia. Krummenacher of Switzerland said he was satisfied with the work and the tests. “We went harder on the second day and put in some good lap times. On day three we made some good steps with the chassis and I was easily able to put in a 40.6 lap time, which was faster than in the GP in Valencia last year.”

Krummenacher of Switzerland

Pre season tasks
But Krummenacher said there was still a lot of work to do for him and on the bike. “It usually takes be a while to get going again after the winter break and to settle down and get my rhythm. Here in Valencia I was working 50% on myself and 50% with my data guy in order to find a good chassis setup.

New team for Koyama
Tomoyoshi Koyama, still on a KTM but in 2008 racing for the KTM-supported Seedorf Team wound up both day two and three with the fastest time in the final hour of testing. “We had some chattering and sliding early in the tests but we made some adjustments to the front setting and it improved a lot. I was able to go a second faster and was able to clock 1:39.7 constantly.” Koyama said he was very happy in his new team where he has two Japanese mechanics. “That makes communication much easier for me,” he said.

Marc Marquez of Repsol-KTM

Many more KTMs on the circuit
Other KTM riders on the circuit putting in test laps and getting used to their bikes were Marc Marquez (Repsol KTM), Koyama’s teammate at Seedorf Lorenzo Zanetti and Rafaele de Rosa and Pablo Nieto of Team Scott.

STANDINGS
POS. NAME POINTS
1 Talmacsi 282
2 Faubel 277
3 Koyama 193
4 Pesek 182
5 Pasini 174
6 Corsi 168
7 Gadea 160
8 Olive 131
9 Espargaro 110
10 Smith 101

INTERNAL REFERENCE: KTM RECRUITS 14-YEAR OLD GP RIDER

SOURCE: KTM SPORTMOTORCYCLE AG

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What sort of toast is included in the breakfast of champions, asked one gentle reader. Well folks, this is it, the ultimate motorhead toaster – KTM’s RACING TOASTER, a product under KTM‘s ‘Orange Equipment‘ lineup of merchandise.

Wouldn’t your wife just be SOOO happy with this? Check out the toast that comes out – it’ll have ‘KTM’ on it! Hahahaha! It’s just hilarious! The KTM Racing Toaster actually burns the KTM logo onto the toast.

Austrians have a sense of humour after all eh? THIS is what I want for Christmas. Please, oh please Santa … give me a KTM RACING TOASTER! KTM‘s Orange Equipment merchandising people have seen fit to price this hilarious item at 45 Euros, which comes to US$66.63 or RM216.20. Prices may vary in your location due to shipping, handling, duties, etc.

If you’re looking for a ‘test ride’ … there won’t be one here until KTM gives me a go but here’s a KTM Racing Toaster ‘test drive’ at MonsterBoard (A Ducati forum).

SOURCE: KTM SPORTMOTORCYCLE AG
PHOTOS BY: Mitterbauer H.

Price: About 45 Euros
Part Number: Ref:3B87000

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Red Bull KTM factory riders and Julian Simon from the Repsol KTM team reported positive results at the recently completed second season 250cc tests held over three days in Valencia, Spain.

Mika Kallio, second fastest on day three came out on top of the overall timesheet for the tests with a lap time of 1:35.2 in day one. “Everything went very well, we improved the suspension. We didn’t have to make big changes and we could confirm that the bike is working well. I was able to put in good lap times,” Kallio confirmed that the track surface was rather cold leading to some problems with grip. Mika was riding on the circuit on day one for 51 laps, on day two for 52 laps and went out in two sessions on day three for 27 laps.

Up with the top riders
Looking forward Mika said the team now needs work on improving in small detailed areas. He said he now had a much better knowledge of his KTM 250 cc bike than when he started in the class last season. “My riding has improved when you compare it to the beginning of 2007,” he said. “We are now much closer to the top guys and we are at the top level. Last year there was a bigger gap.”

Unlucky Hiro
Kallio’s teammate Hiroshi Aoyama was not so fortunate. After putting in solid work on the track on day one and two, he was then victim of a theft and had to return to his home base in Barcelona to arrange a replacement passport ahead of travel back to Japan on Friday. He said that despite the inconvenient incident the team had still managed some solid work and he regretted losing a day’s testing.

“On day one we worked on the chassis and we were able to build on the information we collected at the first tests in Jerez. This was very positive,” he said. “We planned to work on a better setup for the front and do some tyre testing but that was cut short.” Hiroshi put in 58 laps on day one with a best time of 1:36.5 and 36 laps on day two clocking 1:35.9.

Good lap times for Simon
Spaniard Julian Simon, returning to ride a KTM 250 cc for the Repsol KTM Team also put in some excellent lap times to be second behind Kallio on day one, fourth on day two and third on day three. His best lap time came on day two with 1:35.753. An adjustment to the handlebar on the final day proved to be a quick solution that made him feel very comfortable on the bike. “We tried some different chassis settings and I am very happy with the progress we made.” he said of the tests.

STANDINGS

POS. NAME POINTS

1 Lorenzo 312
2 Dovizioso 260
3 De Angelis 235
4 Bautista 181
5 Barbera 177
6 Aoyama 160
7 Kallio 157
8 Luthi 133
9 Simon 123
10 Simoncelli 97

SOURCE: KTM-SPORTMOTORCYCLES AG

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Bajaj Auto MD Rajiv Bajaj told the press that Bajaj will develop two motorcycle platforms with partner KTM. Bajaj already owns 21% of KTM and will gradually increase this share to 25% over the next few months. KTM & Bajaj will develop the two new four-stroke bikes in 125cc and 250cc variants, which will be badged “KTM” and are to be launched in the second half of 2010. The bikes will cater to both European and Far Eastern customers. Sales are expected to hit 100,000 units per annum.

Bajaj is also introducing a low-cost small car to compete with the recently launched Tata Nano, which was launched by Tata Motors yesterday. Bajaj claims that their low-cost car would offer lower maintenance costs. Nissan-Renault are partnering Bajaj in this venture.

Bajaj sells the twin-spark Pulsar DTS-Fi, which is arguably India’s first fuel-injected production 2-wheeler. Bajaj is also India’s biggest 3-wheeler (Auto Rickshaw) manufacturer.

SOURCE

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The underbelly exhaust of the KTM Duke 200 may draw snide remarks from naysayers, but KTM/Bajaj went all out to prove that the Duke 200 can survive monsoon rain and light floods. Very impressive! A single-cylinder, 4-stroke, 6-speed motorcycle, the Duke 200 is the product of a joint venture between Austrian motorcycle manufacturer KTM and Bajaj Auto of India. It is marketed as a pure KTM and is expected to be launched in Malaysia very soon.

CYRIL DESPRES, Photographer: van Oers J.

The KTM Rally Team are about to launch an attack on the first ever “Dakar Series” Central Europe Rally which sweeps almost 2700 km through Hungary and Romania starting in Budapest on April 19 and finishing at Hungary’s Lake Balaton on April 26, 2008.

Organizers had planned to stage the first Dakar Series in 2009 but the last minute cancellation of the Dakar Classic in January 2008 for security reasons prompted them to accelerate plans for the Central Europe Rally. The event goes some of the way towards reversing the disappointment of professional teams and amateurs who were denied the chance to test themselves in the Dakar.

Seven Stages and two countries
The rally is in seven stages with 1092 km of special stages and 1579 km of road sections starting in Budapest before sweeping east for a loop into northern Romania before returning to Hungary to finish at what is one of Europe’ biggest lakes. Organizers had planned to hold more of the rally distance in Romania but recent bad weather including heavy snow, forced significant changes to the course.

KTM Rally Team manager Hans Trunkenpolz underlined that the organizers had already achieved much in the extremely short preparation period. He said the KTM Factory Rally Team, including riders of the caliber of Dakar winners Marc Coma and Cyril Despres, were committed to delivering a solid performance in the new event.

INTERVIEW WITH HANS TRUNKENPOLZ, KTM RALLY TEAM MANAGER

HANS TRUNKENPOLZ, Photographer: van Oers J.

WHAT IS THE INITIAL SITUATION WITH THIS NEW EVENT?
The stages are significantly shorter than those in Africa for which our Rally Replica bike was developed, so the full tank capacity will not be needed. Our top riders will also not be called upon to test their full physical endurance on these shorter stages so the sprinters among the rally and Enduro riders will have a good chance to be on the podium.

Also, the terrain, which apparently includes lots of narrow tracks and curves means we will not be able to take advantage of the speed and the power of our rally bikes. Riders on bikes with less displacement will have the advantage here.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE KTM RALLY TEAM?
Our Rally Team will tackle these new challenges on our Rally bike. They won’t be switching over to a lighter type of offroad bike from our offroad program. We are confident that the world’s best rally riders in the KTM Rally Team will be able to fight for victory even under unusual conditions. KTM is putting Cyril Despres and Marc Coma on a prototype RALLY LIGHT bike, which with its reduced tank capacity, narrower cladding and a somewhat modified geometry should suit these new conditions.

WHAT SHOULD WE UNDERSTAND BY THE TERM “RALLY LIGHT VERSION”?
For a long time now we have been thinking of developing a module for the Rally Replica that would allow it to be converted to better suit rallies with shorter distances between refueling stops. The cancellation of the Dakar and this short term confrontation with very different conditions has brought this development forward. We’ve immediately put it into practice so we do not lose our competitive edge. According to the KTM philosophy, if this RALLY LIGHT kit that is being tested by the factory team comes out positively then any Rally Replica owner will be able to buy it. One important advantage of this new development is that a rider can vary his machine between standard and light during the rally. If the day calls for relatively easy reach then he can use the light version; if there are longer distances between refueling stops then he can use the standard version. This should ensure that KTM continues to be the dominant brand in rally sport. When this kit will be availab le depends on what modifications we have to make after the Central Europe Rally, but it should be on the market in time for the planned Dakar replacement rally in January 2009.

Hans Trunkenpolz concluded by saying the Central Europe Rally will be of a very high standard. “It’s going to be tight all the way but we will very much miss the special challenges of the long stretches in Africa,” he said.

Find daily reports and the latest pictures on ktm.com – KTM Racing – Rally

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IMAGE: Reuters/Marco Bucco

Former Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher has swapped his Ferrari for a KTM motorcycle. Seen here during a motorbike race at Misano racetrack March 30, 2008. The 39-year-old German, who has seven titles and 91 grand prix wins make him Formula One’s most successful driver. Schumacher finished fourth in his first competitive motorbike race on Sunday in the KTM minor series race at the Misano circuit in Italy.

Schumacher has also been reported as having tested a Ducati MotoGP bike since retiring from F1 late in 2006. He has made it clear that he has no intention in competing in MotoGP or SBK but competes in minor events. The short ten lap event at Misano was run on 990cc KTM Super Dukes, where Schumacher managed to qualify third and finished fourth. Not bad eh?

SOURCE, SOURCE2, SOURCE3

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Harald Bartol (Photo by Kirn F.)

KTM was among the top contenders in the 250 cc category at every pre-season test and the motorcycles were fast and reliable. Have you achieved all of your goals in preparation for the first race?
Testing is one thing, racing quite another. You can never be entirely sure about your achievements before the chequered flag comes down in the first race. But all in all, I am happy and confident. The most important mission was to make improvements in chassis stability and handling and we’ve managed to accomplish that. We’re also happy with our satellite teams in the 125 cc category. Some of our riders are surprisingly fast after just having a short time to get familiar with our bike. On the other hand, we’re still trailing the others with or own 125 cc team and rider Randy Krummenacher. We’re still working on the overall package with chassis and suspension settings, but I’m sure we can tie up all the loose ends very soon.

Hiroshi Aoyama‘s 250 FRR 2008 (Photo by Kirn F.)

Back in November, you introduced a new chassis for the KTM 250. What are its characteristics and what was the development goal?
Better handling, and more precision and feedback going into the turns. Our riders weren’t able to match their opponents in tight cornering lines on some race tracks last year and they didn’t quite have the same amount of rear wheel grip. Now the riders’ comments have been very positive. It seems we’ve resolved these issues.

You also managed to further improve engine reliability. Your bikes are running like clockwork between their regular service intervals. Was all of this achieved by changes in the logistics or were there also changes in the engine design?
The occasional failures we experienced last season turned out to be problems related to some of the materials used in some of the components. Once we changed the suppliers of these components, the problems were solved, completely and immediately. Reliability is no longer and issue.

One year ago, lap times improved considerably. This year, lap times have remained almost the same. Are modern two-stroke racing engines close to their possible performance maximum?
I don’t believe so. When you look at lap times you also have to look at track and weather conditions and they haven’t always been in our favour. And even though we still keep finding more horsepower and torque, they’re not the only things we’re looking for in our development. We’re looking for consistency, for a fast race pace rather than one fast individual lap and you can only achieve that through good rideability and by tailoring the bike to the specific needs of its rider. That’s where we continue to gain performance.

Mika Kallio won the final race last year and was consistently fast during all pre-season testing. Is he the title favourite?
For sure he’s one of the favourites. He’s not only fast; he’s also got the brains and the mind-set of a true race winner. At the moment I look at him as being mentally stronger than the others and that’s going to give him an advantage for sure. Let’s say if Kallio runs into a problem on the starting line then he’s still the type of rider to fight through it and end up battling for race victory. Others would struggle more if something unexpected got in their way. But Mika is not the only strong rider in this class. There’s also Tom Lüthi and Debon and Barberá. And of course there’s Hiroshi Aoyama. There’s going to be some fierce battles and some close and very thrilling racing.

Hiroshi Aoyama at Qatar (Photo by Kirn F.)

Hiroshi Aoyama seems to be more relaxed, more upbeat and confident than last year. Do you agree?
I can see a change in him and I hope this trend continues. The most important thing for him to do is to concentrate on riding instead of worrying about the tiniest details in the set-up of his bike. If he manages to do that, he will blossom and win again. I know that Alberto Puig had a long conversation with Hiroshi, which seems to have had a good effect. I just hope it will last.

Spaniard Julian Simón is the star of the new Repsol KTM team and it’s also a KTM comeback for him because he rode for your 125 cc team two years ago. What can you expect from him?

When things go his way he’s able to do anything and this makes him the dark horse in the championship. For example, he was clearly the fastest over the first three sections of the track in our recent tests at Jerez. And he was only slowed down in the last section by very strong winds. We can expect some strong results from him if he’s able to confirm that he’s in good shape and maintain that momentum until the actual racing starts.

Honda seems to drop back, and instead, we can see Gilera up among the fastest teams. How do you rate KTM’s competition?

I’m a technician and a different paint job doesn’t turn Gilera into a different bike. For me Gilera simply doesn’t exist. It is one and the same with Aprilia and that’s the competition we target the most. By the same token, we can never underestimate Honda. They have a proven race winner with Yuki Takahashi and I’m sure they have more in mind than just rolling along with the rest of the field.

Randy Krummenacher and the Red Bull KTM GP 125 Team (Photo by Kirn F.)

There are seven KTM riders in four different teams in the 125 cc category. How close is the working relationship with the satellite teams?

From the technical point of view, all four teams operate at the same level. They have the same material and the same factory support. The fact that Randy Krummenacher rides in Red Bull KTM colours doesn’t give him any privileges as a factory rider. At this stage the only difference between him and the other riders is that he got lost looking for the right set-up. Maybe he’s been looking too much instead of just concentrating on his riding.

In former times KTM road racing was a small enterprise. All the development was done in your own workshop and all the parts went through your hands. Has that changed now that KTM has so many riders?

Nowadays we have more people working in our racing department to make sure there’s a steady and reliable supply of parts for all of our teams. But that doesn’t mean our development work has changed. Every part of the motorcycles is designed or refined with the same care and the same attention to detail as before. Now there are just more individual parts than before, and more people working to put them together.

Now that you have data from more teams and more rider input does that help with the further development of the bike?

Not in my personal opinion. From a technical point of view, it would have been better to concentrate on two riders in the 250 cc and two riders in the 125 cc category. There’s a completely different reason for the increase of KTM riders on the starting grid. We wanted to contribute to the diversity in these categories and help maintain and improve the excitement and the spectacle. We also wanted to send a strong signal to GP promoter Dorna. Now it remains to be seen if we are going to be recognised for our efforts in this direction. The same principle goes for our Red Bull KTM Rookie’s Cup. It’s an additional responsibility. We took it on to help the sport but it doesn’t help us to win the championship.

There are seven KTM riders in the 125 cc riders this year. Who would you bet on for the new Grand Prix season?

That’s difficult to say. Da Rosa and Nieto have been quite fast in testing, and I expect a lot from them as their friendship with our bike continues to grow. We also know that Koyama has the skills and the experience to win races. Randy Krummenacher has also shown in the past what he’s able to do on a good day. It’s up to him to find his rhythm again and it’s up to us to help him find the right set-up to go out and enjoy the ride!

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One year after the world premiere of its striking lightweight X-Bow sports car, KTM will reveal the production-ready version of the car, for the first time, at the 78th Geneva Motor Show, which runs from the 6th to 16th of March, 2008.

The car being shown at Geneva features a number of modifications to the KTM X-Bow previously shown in concept form. The car will be a completely black, fully carbon-equipped X-Bow Dallara edition – one of just 100 being made – and features a long list of extras, including carbon-fibre body panels, a limited slip differential, a removable steering wheel and a racing chassis tuned by Italian sports car specialists Dallara. A plaque with a unique serial number and special graphics mark out the limited-run Dallara X-Bow cars, which are sure to become coveted collectors’ items.

The debut of the production-ready KTM X-Bow coincides with the start of full series production of the car at a new four-wheel KTM factory in Graz, Austria. This facility has been specially created to handle the production of the X-Bow and the company’s new four-wheel off-road All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs). It was reported earlier that the first 100 cars would be produced by Dallara, but further production would be handled by Magna-Steyr.

KTM will be on Stand 2050, which is in Hall 2.

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Tommy Searle starts MX season with a flourish in Mantova

Tyla Rattray and Tommy Searle Ready to Race in Mantova

KTM Red Bull MX2 factory rider Tommy Searle sent a strong signal to his opponents this weekend when he won the overall class of MX 2 at the pre-season Starcross event in Mantova Italy. The young British rider, who is among the title favourites for the MX2 world championship title in 2008 did his winter training in the USA where he has signed to race for KTM in 2009.

Thumbs up for new KTM bike
“I am very happy to win today. My speed was good and I like the new frame of the bike a lot. This was very important race for me but I know everyone is going to improve between now and when the Grand Prix season starts in March,” Tommy said. He will now return home to the UK where he will train five days a week in preparation for the opening of the season.

New boy Goncalves happy with KTM factory team
The latest recruit to the MX2 KTM Red Bull Factory Team Rui Goncalves of Portugal finished third overall and was also satisfied with the weekend’s result in Italy. “The new chassis is very good and it is a powerful bike,” he said. “Like everyone here I wanted to show what I could do but I know I have to improve and I didn’t want to push too much. It was a good result for me, the speed was good and I know I am going to improve a lot by the time the season starts.” Goncalves said he was happy with the feeling and cooperation in his new team. He now plans to go the Belgium to train on the sand together with KTM MX team boss Stefan Everts. “Now we need the sand practice,” he said. “I will also ride with others because it is also important to get the comparison between me and the other guys.”

Rattray fit again and “Ready to Race” for KTM
Tyla Rattray, fit and raring to go after major knee reconstruction surgery last November and a period of convalescence at home in South Africa said he too was happy and satisfied with his first ride on the KTM for six months. “I like the new bike very much. It is much better in the corners,” he said. This was a warm-up race for me and I didn’t expect to win but it was a good test of my fitness. I know I will be 100% for the first race of the season and in the meantime I will go to train in Belgium and will also race the international in Valence, France.”

Results
Overall MX2
1. Tommy Searle, Britain, KTM
2. Paulin
3. Rui Goncalves, Portugal, KTM
4. Simpson
5. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, KTM

Race One
1. Jonathan Barragan Spain KTM (MX1)
2. David Philippaerts, Italy, Yamaha (MX1)
3. Max Nagl, Germany, KTM (MX1)
4. Marc De Reuver, Netherland, Honda (MX1)
5. Tyla Rattray, South Africa, KTM (MX2)

Race Two
1. Philippaerts (MX1)
2. De Reuver (MX1)
3. Pourcel (MX1)
4. Coppins (MX1)
5. Ramon (MX1)
6. Nagl, KTM (MX1)
7. Leok, (MX1)
8. Searle, KTM (MX2)

Race Three
1. Barragan, KTM (MX1)
2. Leok, (MX1)
3. Philippaerts (MX1)
4. Coppins (MX1)
5. Searle KTM, (MX2)
9. Nagl, KTM (MX1)
10. Gonvalves, KTM (MX2)
Rattray, KTM, DNF

SOURCE: KTM SPORTMOTORCYCLE AG

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Not only Red Bull KTM factory rider Randy Krummenacher but also riders from KTM-supported teams were out in force at the recently concluded three day tests in Valencia. Krummenacher of Switzerland said he was satisfied with the work and the tests. “We went harder on the second day and put in some good lap times. On day three we made some good steps with the chassis and I was easily able to put in a 40.6 lap time, which was faster than in the GP in Valencia last year.”

Krummenacher of Switzerland

Pre season tasks
But Krummenacher said there was still a lot of work to do for him and on the bike. “It usually takes be a while to get going again after the winter break and to settle down and get my rhythm. Here in Valencia I was working 50% on myself and 50% with my data guy in order to find a good chassis setup.

New team for Koyama
Tomoyoshi Koyama, still on a KTM but in 2008 racing for the KTM-supported Seedorf Team wound up both day two and three with the fastest time in the final hour of testing. “We had some chattering and sliding early in the tests but we made some adjustments to the front setting and it improved a lot. I was able to go a second faster and was able to clock 1:39.7 constantly.” Koyama said he was very happy in his new team where he has two Japanese mechanics. “That makes communication much easier for me,” he said.

Marc Marquez of Repsol-KTM

Many more KTMs on the circuit
Other KTM riders on the circuit putting in test laps and getting used to their bikes were Marc Marquez (Repsol KTM), Koyama’s teammate at Seedorf Lorenzo Zanetti and Rafaele de Rosa and Pablo Nieto of Team Scott.

STANDINGS
POS. NAME POINTS
1 Talmacsi 282
2 Faubel 277
3 Koyama 193
4 Pesek 182
5 Pasini 174
6 Corsi 168
7 Gadea 160
8 Olive 131
9 Espargaro 110
10 Smith 101

INTERNAL REFERENCE: KTM RECRUITS 14-YEAR OLD GP RIDER

SOURCE: KTM SPORTMOTORCYCLE AG

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What sort of toast is included in the breakfast of champions, asked one gentle reader. Well folks, this is it, the ultimate motorhead toaster – KTM’s RACING TOASTER, a product under KTM‘s ‘Orange Equipment‘ lineup of merchandise.

Wouldn’t your wife just be SOOO happy with this? Check out the toast that comes out – it’ll have ‘KTM’ on it! Hahahaha! It’s just hilarious! The KTM Racing Toaster actually burns the KTM logo onto the toast.

Austrians have a sense of humour after all eh? THIS is what I want for Christmas. Please, oh please Santa … give me a KTM RACING TOASTER! KTM‘s Orange Equipment merchandising people have seen fit to price this hilarious item at 45 Euros, which comes to US$66.63 or RM216.20. Prices may vary in your location due to shipping, handling, duties, etc.

If you’re looking for a ‘test ride’ … there won’t be one here until KTM gives me a go but here’s a KTM Racing Toaster ‘test drive’ at MonsterBoard (A Ducati forum).

SOURCE: KTM SPORTMOTORCYCLE AG
PHOTOS BY: Mitterbauer H.

Price: About 45 Euros
Part Number: Ref:3B87000

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Red Bull KTM factory riders and Julian Simon from the Repsol KTM team reported positive results at the recently completed second season 250cc tests held over three days in Valencia, Spain.

Mika Kallio, second fastest on day three came out on top of the overall timesheet for the tests with a lap time of 1:35.2 in day one. “Everything went very well, we improved the suspension. We didn’t have to make big changes and we could confirm that the bike is working well. I was able to put in good lap times,” Kallio confirmed that the track surface was rather cold leading to some problems with grip. Mika was riding on the circuit on day one for 51 laps, on day two for 52 laps and went out in two sessions on day three for 27 laps.

Up with the top riders
Looking forward Mika said the team now needs work on improving in small detailed areas. He said he now had a much better knowledge of his KTM 250 cc bike than when he started in the class last season. “My riding has improved when you compare it to the beginning of 2007,” he said. “We are now much closer to the top guys and we are at the top level. Last year there was a bigger gap.”

Unlucky Hiro
Kallio’s teammate Hiroshi Aoyama was not so fortunate. After putting in solid work on the track on day one and two, he was then victim of a theft and had to return to his home base in Barcelona to arrange a replacement passport ahead of travel back to Japan on Friday. He said that despite the inconvenient incident the team had still managed some solid work and he regretted losing a day’s testing.

“On day one we worked on the chassis and we were able to build on the information we collected at the first tests in Jerez. This was very positive,” he said. “We planned to work on a better setup for the front and do some tyre testing but that was cut short.” Hiroshi put in 58 laps on day one with a best time of 1:36.5 and 36 laps on day two clocking 1:35.9.

Good lap times for Simon
Spaniard Julian Simon, returning to ride a KTM 250 cc for the Repsol KTM Team also put in some excellent lap times to be second behind Kallio on day one, fourth on day two and third on day three. His best lap time came on day two with 1:35.753. An adjustment to the handlebar on the final day proved to be a quick solution that made him feel very comfortable on the bike. “We tried some different chassis settings and I am very happy with the progress we made.” he said of the tests.

STANDINGS

POS. NAME POINTS

1 Lorenzo 312
2 Dovizioso 260
3 De Angelis 235
4 Bautista 181
5 Barbera 177
6 Aoyama 160
7 Kallio 157
8 Luthi 133
9 Simon 123
10 Simoncelli 97

SOURCE: KTM-SPORTMOTORCYCLES AG

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Bajaj Auto MD Rajiv Bajaj told the press that Bajaj will develop two motorcycle platforms with partner KTM. Bajaj already owns 21% of KTM and will gradually increase this share to 25% over the next few months. KTM & Bajaj will develop the two new four-stroke bikes in 125cc and 250cc variants, which will be badged “KTM” and are to be launched in the second half of 2010. The bikes will cater to both European and Far Eastern customers. Sales are expected to hit 100,000 units per annum.

Bajaj is also introducing a low-cost small car to compete with the recently launched Tata Nano, which was launched by Tata Motors yesterday. Bajaj claims that their low-cost car would offer lower maintenance costs. Nissan-Renault are partnering Bajaj in this venture.

Bajaj sells the twin-spark Pulsar DTS-Fi, which is arguably India’s first fuel-injected production 2-wheeler. Bajaj is also India’s biggest 3-wheeler (Auto Rickshaw) manufacturer.

SOURCE

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