Factory KTM Red Bull 2017
Photos: Scott Hoffman
There was a time back in the late ’80s and early ’90s that KTM was practically considered a second-rate citizen in the world of Amercian motocross. KTM had a deep history in motorcycles but the sector had been dominated by the Japanese brands at the time. Yes, they already had some footing in the off-road world, but in motocross, it was mostly the big-four Japanese manufacturers. Before the early 70s, European brands owned a large sector of the market in the USA but it all seemed to change in the 70s. Around the late 80s if you said KTM would be winning championships in the USA as well as building motorcycles as good if not better than the best production bikes from the big four, some would have said you were high or pigs just took flight.
In the ’90s, KTM started to make a showing with riders like Mike Fisher, Cliff Palmer, and privateer Keith Johnson. KTM riders were making supercross main events, which was considered a major feat at the time. But on a second platform, KTM was part of the four-stroke revolution with Lance Smail before there was even a revolution. Winning several titles and finally making a supercross main event on a Tom Moen-built 540 thumper in 1997 (the first four-stroke to make a 250cc SX main event), Smail helped put KTM into the limelight in a new, untapped sector of the sport that would later explode.
Fast track to 2017 and KTM is a major entity in motocross, supercross, off-road, street, and adventure bikes worldwide. The big four are now the big five with several players on the sideline, similar to the role KTM played for years, or should we say decades.
For 2017 in the USA, KTM has a very potent team and holds the number-one plate in the most coveted sector of the sport, Monster Energy Supercross. Ryan Dungey has helped further put the brand on the map with several titles, and for 2017 the team could be as strong as Factory Honda back in the mid to late ’80s. Dungey captains the team along with Marvin Musquin who is starting to become a major player on a 450. Veteran rider Trey Canard joins the team for 2017.
The 450 squad doesn’t stop there. In addition to the Red Bull Factory Team, KTM also has the Rocky Mountain ATV/MC, WPS team that could be challenging positions with the full factory team. With Davi Millsaps, you just never know when he unleashes his raw talent and he is coming off winning the Canadian MX title. Then there’s Blake Baggett who has been dealing with injuries over the past few seasons but after watching him ride at the team intro, Baggett looked as strong as ever and a rival to Dungey and Musquin for sure. The team also has Benny Bloss, who proved himself on a 450 during the outdoor season. Bloss, who will ride a 250 in supercross looked a little big for the bike (he’s 6’5″) but was still adapting to the change.
From there, the KTM TLD Red Bull 250 team is also a force to be reckoned with. This year they brought on Alex Martin and Jordan Smith to the squad with returning riders Shane McElrath and Mitch Oldenburg. But there is more, KTM also has the Orange Brigade, a group of talented riders in the Amateur ranks that are being groomed to work their way up the ladder to one of the factory or full factory KTM squads in the years to come or, in some cases, by the end of 2017.
So if you were to look back to the ’80s and make a prediction that KTM would be such a big player in American motorcycling, some would have said that would have been a bold bet. Thirty years later KTM is a major player and has been eating at the big persons’ table for several years now and we doubt they will ever lose their seat.
