KTM reveals plans for muscle bike

KTM’S plans to place more focus on road bikes have taken a major step forward with proposals for a 1000cc naked musclebike.

The Austrian firm’s chief executive Stefan Pierer says it will be a bike in the same style as a Ducati Monster or Cagiva Raptor and it will use the same engine as the firm’s LC-8 Adventure.

The 942cc unit is a 75° V-twin. It will be tuned to boost power from 102bhp to around 120bhp.

Pierer added: ” Our new naked bike will be similar to a Monster, but it will be more like a superbike. We don’t want to affect KTM’s brand as a maker of racing machines. ”

The firm is famous for its off-road successes.

Pierer says the new bike will be launched in September 2003 and go into production in Spring 2004.

Pierer said: ” Right now, we’re the worldwide market leader in the off-road sector. Last year we experienced a 35 per cent growth. If we want to continue that growth, the next step is clear. We have to move into the road bike market. It’s the biggest market sector. ”

The musclebike is likely to be priced close to the Raptor, which currently retails at £6699, when it reaches shops here.

KTM also plans to use the LC-8 Adventure engine and frame as the basis for a larger capacity supermoto machine, likely to be called the Duke V2.

It plans to launch the supermoto at the 2002 Munich Show and put it into production in Spring 2003.