KTM
GT50 Test
Motorcyclist
Illustarated Febuary 1974
I must be mad. I spend a beautiful summer writing
about crosschannel ferries and motoring organisations
then, when the bitter reality of winter
hits us. I volunteer to do a road test —
on a moped. The day I picked the bike up we
had our first snowfall of the season. It was
a freezing morning when Andrea, my long-suffering
wife, transported me down to Comerfords to collect
the KTM. The little Austrian, known as the GT50
Comet (a GT moped, how about that!) is being
imported by the Surrey dealer.
Andrea was expecting some entertainment at
my expense because she thought the sight
of a big bike enthusiast pedalling a reluctant
moped was bound to have her falling about with
helpless laughter. I am glad to say she
was denied the pleasure by a tame salesman who
demonstrated the starting procedure. Not wishing
to appear a fool on any subsequent occasion
I commrtteb this drill to memory and found the
KTM to be one of the best starters I have ever
known When cold you flood the carb and a quarter
turn on the pedals sends the engine popping
away The pedals
are rather highly geared and it is nearly impossible
to turn them without using the decompressor.
As you push them round you let go of the decompressor
lever and you're in play. It's just like starting
a 500 single with a valve-lifter but there I
go showing my age again. To stop the motor there
is a cut-out button on the left side of the
handlebar.
A word of advice to buyers: With no ignition
key necessary, and such a simple starting method,
this bike can be too easily stolen unless you
use the steering lock fitted to the head-stock.
It's a good looking machine which attracts attention.
Parked in front of my house one Saturday afternoon,
I twice looked out to find people having a little
prod and poke at it. You only have to get some
high-spirited youth with nothing better to do
and suddenly your bike's gone.
The KTM is a stranger to the British Isles
although motocross followers will have heard
of the make since they manufacture a very workmanlike
scrambler. The KT is derived from names of the
directors, Kronreif and Trunken-polz, and the
M stands for the town in Austria where the bike
is made, Mattighofen. The robust twostroke engines
are imported across the border from Schwein-furt
in West Germany, home of the Sachs factory.
My first impression made me want to get on
the thing and start her up. It's a moped but
looks like a small motorcycle. This is one of
the ingredients which, I think, has helped to
bring success to many of the foreign moped makers.
Many men will not ride some odd creation on
which they feel like a berk when put-putting
down the High Street. The Japanese flooded
the market with dignified commuters and soon
nearly everyone was buying "little runabouts"
which they could ride without feeling like a
candidate for an old silent comedy The KTM is
very much in this vogue. Paintwork is lime green
set off by broad black stripes on the petrol
tank and side panels. A bright, modern colour
scheme, contributing a great deal to the overall
appearance of the machine are the forks Gaitered
telescopies, with alloy lower halves, they look
like a miniaturised version of a big bike's
springing The rear suspension units are
in exactly the same mould. Exposed chrome springs
again giving the bike an appearance far in excess
of its true role. Sporty these may be, but I
am not a believer in this style, especially
in the hands of the utility rider who tends
to abuse his transport. The chrome will take
a hammering from the wheel spray and the uncovered-central
rod will carry dirt and grit onto the seal with
the inevitable result. However, their performance
is above reproach and must take a lot of the
credit for the excellent handling.
The frame is of the spine type with no cradle
loops. It leaves the engine very accessible
for maintenance. The power unit is secured
at the rear to the downtube and by a gigantic
head steady bracket. The pillion passenger's
footrests are mounted onto the swinging arm
which may not be to everyone's liking. The mudguards
are made of stainless steel which looks terrific
but no doubt helps boost the price to £209
in the UK. At this figure I would expect items
such as mirrors and indicators to be standard
fittings. They are on most Japanese models of
this range and it's what a potential buyer notices
when evaluating models.
What's it like to ride? Well, I am between
two stools here because I am not sure whom to
blame for the machine's failings. I've said
it's attractive, starts well, stops good and
handles beautifully, but with these pedals it's
damned awkward to ride. Breezing along on the
straight is fine You feel as , if you are nding
a motorcycle but the KTM is a commuter so the
chances of you covering big distances on
interrupted straights are not high. The bike
was designed for stop-start town work where
gear changing and braking are happening all
the time. Now call me as temperamental as a
prima donna if you like but I like the pedals
and levers to be just so. If they are anything
else it annoys me I have always worked on the
principle that an economy of driver movement
promotes a smooth riding style. I like the brake
pedal in such a position that it just kisses
the sole of my boot, so to brake all I have
to do is push my foot down.
The gear pedal I like so adjusted that a flick
of the toe sends me up or down a cog. In this
way the toes are tucked in and not sticking
out like a pairjof aerofoils. If the toes are
in, the knees will be in, so what have we got
— a neat rider. Man and machine combining
to make one unit. Remember, a mimimum of movement
requires a minimum of time; and time equals
distance travelled. Even at SOmph a second wasted
groping for a brake pedal and you're 44 feet
nearer the idiot in the car which has just pulsed
out in front of you. And after you've done your
flying angel bit over his bonnet, rest assured
he will try to expunge his guilt by proclaiming
to the gathering crowd that "the motor-cyclist
was going far too fast. They ought to be banned
off the road, they're nothing but death' traps."
Don't give them the chance to plunge the knife
deeper. Here endeth the first lesson.
The KTM was given pedals to make it legally
available to sixteen-year-olds. Learners. Why
the Department of the Environment thinks
that a 50cc machine with pedals is any more
safe than a 50cc machine with footrests I shall
never know. This is typical of the negative,
unimaginative thinking which pours from the
DoE. I would dearly love to sit Mr Peyton on
a moped then on a motorcycle, even of moderate
capacity, and ask him which he found easier
to ride. But we've •got these motorcycles
with pedals for sixteeners so, I'm sorry kids,
you're just going to have to make Ihe most of
it.
The pedals of the GT50 lock into the down position
for riding. Wftri" the pedals thus, the
brake pedal was about an inch above my right
boot so I had to lift my foot up and over the
lever to apply the brake. Because of the height
I was unable to pivot my foot on the foot pedal
which caused difficulty in controlling
the pressure applied. Just to help matters the
rear brake was ultra-efficient. I managed to
lock the back wheel on more than one occasion
which pleased me no end. This excessive right
foot swinging is not conducive to steady
riding and makes a learner feel more like a
learner. In the hands of a novice there will
be a tendency to use only the front brake with
its obvious danger.
The gear pedal had similar shortcomings —
or should I say longcomings. In the normal riding
position it's too long and out of reach of the
left foot. I was not madly impressed with the
gear changing mechanism. Whilst stationary at
traffic lights it was necessary to play a tune
with the clutch to get down through the box.
On the move, false neutrals occurred with frustrating
repetition. On the good side the ratios
were well chosen. The KTM will nip away from
the lights as quickly as most cars and will
cruise merrily at 30+ with a top speed just
over 50mph. With this performance it should
satisfy most commuters' desires except those
who have to tackle obstacles like Shooter's
Hill in South London. If you have any long drags
on your route, look for bigger guns.
Electrically, it all comes from a Bosch flywheel
magneto. It makes for simplicity and ease of
maintenance but I have reservations about
this type of system because it gives you poor
lights just when you need them most. For example,
take a straight stretch of road where cars travel
a little faster than they should. Half way along
you want to turn right but there is a vehicle
coming the other way so you have to wait. There
you are, in the middle of the road, at low revs
with dim lights or, if actually stopped, no
lights at all. You are at the mercy of the drivers
coming up from behind. The drunken, the short-sighted
and the plain incompetent.
Even turning left leaves me ill at ease. As
I approached a couple of left turns I noticed
the lights going dim as I slowed down then suddenly
almost dying out completely. This is because
as I braked the stop light came on and took
the guts out of the electricity supply. The
stoplight is an ornament. It just isn't bright
enough, day or night. Again we're in danger
of that automaton, the car driver. The majority
of them drive on stoplights. He thinks if no
lights come on, the' bike in front can't possibly
be braking even though he is getting closer
by the second. The KTM's pilot will probably
be a novice who, as yet, is ignorant of the
value of defensive riding so I am afraid that
this direct lighting is zero-rated by me. In
fairness, when travelling with a handful of
revs working for you the lights are good. Up
front, a nice dipped beam with a good main beam
complete with a violet warning light, and a
good bright light at the rear. The horn sounded
a bit weak and croaky but when used always had
the desired result.
In the garage — or out on the road if
you're unlucky — I found the toolkit man
enough for most jobs except front wheel removal
Of the four open-ended spanners and two double-ended
box spanners none fitted the front wheel
spindle, so be warned. Both wheels are easily
detachable but not QD The cables (brake, clutch
and decompressor) can be quickly changed, especially
the clutch, which is a Godsend, because this
is the one which snaps most and always at the
wrong time. Bulb replacement takes a screwdriver
(supplied) and five minutes. Plug removal causes
no problems as I found out at 6.30 one morning
when the thing left me sparkless in Forest Hill.
I exchanged it for a Bosch W240P11, a special
two-stroke plug costing £1 (who said I
wasn't affluent!)
The KTM is basically a good machine, well screwed
together and nicely finished but spoilt by two
things. The pedals and the price. At £209
it's too much, although the importers told me
they have sold every one they have received.
There's no'answer to that, but there is an answer
to the pedals. Who would you blame for this
farcical situation? You can hardly blame the
makers for exploiting a loophole in the
law to maintain their sales, but you can blame
the bureaucrats for being so mindless. Motorcycling
is a beautiful -but strange world understood
fully only by motor-. cyclists. Before introducing
motoring laws the DoE takes counsel with the
RAC AA and other well-informed bodies I would
strongly recommend that before committing another
blunder like this they seek the advice
of the BMF where motorcyclists of the calibre
of Bruce Preston and Co could provide the Minister
with the guidance he so badly needs .
KTM GT50 Specification;
Engine: Single cylinder two
stroke Capacity: 47cc. Bore and stroke 38 x
42mm. Compression ratio: 9 to 1 Carburation:
18mm Bing. Claimed output 4 3 din at 7,250.
Lubrication: Petroil mixture 25 to 1
Electrical: Bosch flywheel
generator, 6v 18w. 18 18w headlight.
Transmission: Primary drive
by gear. Clutch running in oil. fnternal gear
ratios: 1st: 3.38, 2nd: 2 25, 3rd: 1.50, 4th:
1 22. Four speed gearbox with left hand side
change lever.
Brakes: Single leading shoe
front and rear
Tyres: Sempent 2.75 x 17.
Capacity: Petrol 2!/2 gallons
(1 gallon reserve).
Price: £209.
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