Who built our bikes?

[wildman]

I was sitting at my workshop desk assembling my latest project, a 75 Jackpiner, the frame. It hit me that someone did a fine job of welding up my frame  originally. I've worked in a production shop with welders and seen some of the slop produced. We honor JP and Eric Trunkenpolz but who was the guy that welded the frames at KTM. Who assembled the engines. I'm sure it wasn't like today all automated.The boss makes the decisions but its the grunts that do the dirty work.I think it would be really cool to have the name of the guys that worked on these bikes built back then. Any records or are any of these people known? Dan Pagel

1975 250 Cross Country, 1974 175 Jackpiner, 1975 125

[TGTech]

While automation had not gotten to full stride in Austria, there were production assembly lines, however small. I'm sure that there are people at KTM today, who would remember many of the employees that did the assembly processes in those days, but I'm not sure who they would be. The top management today, is completely different from the early years, but there are still a few fellows around, who might be able to come up with some names. I'll see what I can do.

Dane

[farmer58za]

Co-incidentally, I'm also doing some '75 KTM frames. The welding is good quality but there's a fair amount of weld spatter.

I've also got a Husky frame at the same stage of work and the finish is better than the KTM.

Just my 5c worth



Regards

David
'75 KTM GS175
'75 KTM GS250
'75 KTM GS400

[Rain Man]

I know KTM built them, but you fellas are the ones that are rebuilding them. Just a touch of americans ingenuity!! And I might add, at its best !!!
   Rob W.   Buubba is to busy winning the 125 class to build KTM's.

Raymond
keep right, stay in control (sometimes)

[OUCWBOY]

The only thing is, that Bubba don't even know how to change a tire, much less build a great motorcycle. But he sure can fly around a race track!

Donny Smith

[wildman]

Despite this earlier post, I have to laugh because I was working on the frame again last night and I realized that someone missed a weld on the steering neck gussets. Only a 1/4" tack weld on one side,the other side is good. This after painting the frame and starting reassembly. I thought about it for a bit and decided it was "factory OEM", had worked OK for 30 years and will leave it alone. I did chisel off some of the weld spatter before painting it, you always get some of that. Thank you Dane, for some investigation, I know most of those guys have long since moved on, but sometimes an oldtimer might remember the old days.
Dan Pagel

1975 250 Cross Country, 1974 175 Jackpiner, 1975 125

[BrianTaylor]

Dan I posted a message back over a year ago about the frame welds I also  thought they were very sloppy (74 cmf  sorry guys ) and I ground down the splatter and sloppy welds ( not to loose the integrety of the weld ).  Brian T.

Brian Taylor

[wildman]

Just for fun, I counted pieces necessary to assemble my 1975 Jackpiner frame and counted 78 seperate parts welded to make one assy. Lots of welds and quite thin metal, all in very good alignment. Easier said than done. Dan Pagel

1975 250 Cross Country, 1974 175 Jackpiner, 1975 125

[firstturn]

Brian,
  I have either built or helped build many bikes for many different end use.  That is show, drag race, Moto X and so on.  I have to report that there are very few frames if any that I have not had to clean up for say show or even worse some of the best looking welds weren't that good after having them x-rayed.  The best looking welds were the machine welds done by a certain Japanese company that makes their own welding robots, but even those had hairline cracks when x-rayed.
  I feel that if you think they are sloppy so be it.  You said it and no reason to say your sorry.[^]  You are just stating a personal observation.  I will say I have had less trouble with Penton frames breaking than any frames in and of their time.  Just my take.

Ron Carbaugh