About KTM Bikes
An Austrian engineer Johann TrunkenpolzIn in 1934, set up an unregistered shop named Kraftfahrzeug Trunkenpolz Mattighofen which initially dealt with car repairing and later began selling DKW motorcycles and Opel cars in 1937. Later in 1953, the company was renamed and registered as Kronreif & Trunkenpolz Mattighofen (KTM) by businessman Ernst Kronreif, the company’s major shareholder.
From 2012, KTM was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in Europe for four consecutive years. KTM has its brand values in its purity, performance, adventure, and extreme circumstances. Globally, the company is among the leading off-road motorcycle manufacturers.
The Bajaj – KTM partnership began in 2007 when Bajaj Auto International Holdings BV picked up a 14.5% stake in KTM Power Sports AG and launched the brand in India. BAIHBV gradually increased its stake to 48% in the upcoming years. In 2021, the shareholding was simplified when BAIHBV swapped 46.5% of its holding to gain a 49.9% stake in PTW Holding AG (the KTM group’s parent company).
KTM entered the Indian market in 2012 when Bajaj Auto increased its stake in KTM from 14.5 per cent to 47 per cent, and it was also the year KTM Duke 200 was introduced in the Indian market. Soon after, when the company started to show positive sales figures, KTM and Bajaj announced that they would develop two new 125cc, 200cc, and 390cc mass-focussed motorcycles.
KTM also owns Husqvarna, the Vitpilen 250, and Svartpilen 250 models, made in India at the Bajaj-KTM plant in Chakan, Pune. Bajaj plays an essential role in the growth prospects for KTM. as KTM models are mass manufactured at Bajaj’s facility in Chakan and then exported to the world. Currently, the KTM produces two travel bikes – KTM 390 Adventure & KTM 250 Adventure, four naked bikes – 390 Duke, 250 Duke, 200 Duke & 125 Duke, and three supersport bikes – RC 390, RC 200 & RC 125.
