Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1495339
one who had worked at KTM for many years, was well-respected, and knew the ins and outs of how things really worked. Head of export sales, Franz Soellham - mer was personable, intelligent and most importantly, he trusted our views of the U.S. market. We could confide in him, and he supported us unequivocally as we began to make changes that ultimately would dramatically impact the U.S. market. In 1989, KTM sold four two- stroke models: 125cc, 250cc, 350cc and 500cc. None of them sold in large volumes, even though the smallest of the four had just won the U.S.'s first 125cc motocross world title with Trampas Parker at the helm. The 500cc model also was com - petitive, but with a left-side kick starter, it was dated. KTM had just launched its first lightweight racing four-stroke model, the 600cc LC4, but because of hard- starting issues, sales of that model were slow. Moving forward, the brightest spot in the line was the all-new primary-kickstart 250cc model that Broc Glover was developing in the 1989 FIM World 250cc Mo - tocross Championship. Having an American superstar connect- ed to the brand was huge, but the biggest challenge KTM faced at the end of the '80s was the same one faced by every European manufacturer at the time: Japa - nese domination of the market. Japanese product develop- ment was not only well ahead of KTM but all European makes. They had almost two decades and millions of dollars of invest - ment in racing and marketing, giving them a clear advantage in the global marketplace. Glover's connection to KTM provided much-needed credibility. With this backdrop and know- ing it was too late to impact the 1989 model line, we turned our attention to 1990. We realized that coming out with an all-new engine/chassis platform was out of the question—simply no time or budget for development. We also knew we needed to be cre- ative, and that part of the strategy was finding ways of not directly competing with the Japanese. This led to some interesting planning, unique models like the largest-production two-stroke ever offered, the 1990 540cc D/ XC Desert/Cross Country, and later, 380cc and 440cc models, any of which would be an inter - esting story on its own. As these decisions were being made, Mike Rosso kept remind- ing us of the potential of the 300cc model. He believed the concept would work brilliantly with the all-new 1990 250cc engine. He determined that the powerplant, with its 67.5mm bore and 69mm stroke, could handle a slightly larger 73mm bore and a longer 72mm stroke without completely redesigning the cases and with only minor modifications to the cylinder, resulting in a 297cc package. This was crucial because using the same platform kept develop- ment costs to a minimum. With some elbow grease and tinkering, a prototype was built. From the first ride, it was clear there was something special about this displacement combination—just enough extra punch without sacrificing the lightweight feel and response of a 250. One ride and I was sold. We believed it CNIIARCHIVES P114 One of the first KTM 300s.