The story of KTM begins in 1934, when Hans Trunkenpolz opened his small repair shop in Mattighofen, Austria, known as Kraftfahrzeug Trunkenpolz Mattighofen. This workshop for repairing automobiles and bicycles was soon to become so much more. By 1953, KTM had produced its first motorcycle, the R100, officially establishing one of the most recognizable names in the history of motorcycling.
The brand truly solidified itself when businessman Ernst Kronreif came on as a partner creating Kronreif & Trunkenpolz Mattighofen, or the KTM we know today. Over the decades, KTM established its brand about speed and performance and created some legendary motorcycles that were not made just to ride, but to race! From the 1970s, KTM motorcycles were already dominating motocross and off-road motorcycles all over the world. In fact in 1974, KTM won its first world championship and ultimately won over 300 championships world-wide.
KTM came through some financial struggles during the 1980s but came back in a huge way in the early 1990s under the direction of Stefan Pierer and his company Cross Industries (now Pierer Mobility Group). The rest is history. There was a new feeling of excitement at KTM, new ideas, innovative engineering, and performance were at the forefront with KTM motorcycles. In 1994, KTM entered the Dakar Rally, starting an unprecedented winning streak, taking home the championship 18 times in a row in the desert!
KTM is currently a part of Pierer Mobility AG, alongside brands like Husqvarna and GasGas. However, its roots have always revolved around performance. Following the brand’s motto “Ready to Race,” KTM represents four defining values—Purity, Performance, Adventure, and Extreme—which are apparent in every model they release. From the ultra-lightweight Duke models, and fetish-worthy Adventure options, to the newly refreshed Super Duke R, style, performance, and raw power are evident in the finely engineered aspects of the KTM brand.
In 2025, KTM is still Europe’s leading high-performance motorcycle manufacturer—bold designs, buzzy engines, and always on the edge of the envelope.
