KTM Classic Motorcycles
The company was founded in 1934 by engineer
Hans Trunkenpolz in Mattighofen. It started
out as a metalworking shop and was named Kraftfahrzeuge
Trunkenpolz Mattighofen. It wasn't until 1953
that KTM began production of motorcycles. With
just 20 employees, motorcycles were built at
the rate of three per day. In 1955, a businessman
Ernst Kronreif became shareholder of the company,
on acquiring a sizable portion of the company.
It was then renamed Kronreif & Trunkenpolz
Mattighofen. Trunkenpolz died unexpectedly in
1989. During these early years of motocycle
production at KTM, almost all components for
the motorcycles were built in-house by KTM.
Throughout KTM's history, they have been on
the leading edge of motorcycle technology. They
were the first manufacturer to produce an air-cooled
four-stroke motorcycle engine for an off road
motorcycle, a design which has since been replicated
by all other manufacturers (KTM even supplied
radiators to Suzuki in their early water-cooling
days). In 1986 KTM became the first motorcycle
manufacturer to include both front and rear
disc brakes on an off road motorcycle. In 1998,
they offered a linkless rear suspension, dramatically
reducing the un-sprung weight of the bike (KTM
was the first major manufacturer to do so, although
ATK, a small market, niche brand did so as early
as 1987). They were also the first to offer
hydraulic clutch mechanisms on all models of
motorcycles, and were the first to offer a competition-ready
supermoto bike.
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