KTM history: why KTM became orange

[Leo Keller]

see the story here:
https://blog.ktm.com/inthisyear1996-ktm-goes-orange/

And yes, I know that the Penton Berkshire was red and the Six Day was green :-)

Leo Keller

[Bill Campbell]

That's half the reason I came up with as close as I could Jack Penton replica. Those boys were certainly ahead of the times. Is it Orange is the new Black? Keep on track

[skiracer]

Thanks for posting Leo!  Nice story....


1976 MC 5 Original Owner
1982 Suzuki PE 175
1976 Penton 175 XC
1985 20' Hi Point trailer

[Rain Man]

And today Leo, the woods are painted orange every Sunday in the NorthEast us[8D]

Raymond
 Down East Pentons

[Gordon Brennan]

Here's a piece of orange KTM history that never took off. KTM T325 Trials Bike.

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[Mike Schulz]

Thanks Leo for the link.
 I have been curious about the Penton/ KTM colors ever since I saw a Penton for the first time in 1972. I wondered why so many different colors when the other manufacturers seemed to have standardized on one color for their racing equipment in the mid seventies? I asked John about it a few years ago and he said to ask Matt Wiseman. I asked Matt if the various colors on the first Pentons were for marketing to college age riders (red and silver - Ohio State, green and white - Michigan State, blue and white - Penn State) and he sais no, that the colors were what was available from KTM at the time. I also asked John what his favorite color was and he said orange! I believe that there were many orange Penton/KTM's in 1976 -1977 and that the frames in 1978 look more orange than red to me:) Yes, they were ahead of their time!
Mike Schulz

[Leo Keller]

@ Gordon: this T 325 was a hand made bike, but KTM built several of the Trial bikes, first as 250 cc, if I'm right. Heinrich Wieditz, the former Zündapp and Hercules constructor, changed to KTN in late 1977 and built the T325. Felix Kranstoever became German trial champion in 1978 on a KTM. As I know one of the T325 is still existing. More information (in German) you can find here:
http://www.webermichl.at/index.htm?bikes/ktm/ktm_trial.htm

@ Mike: I don't know why the Berkshire is red and the GS 100 is green, but the Penton-KTM was first, so my guess is that KTM just changed the green and red tanks for the CMF Euro models

Leo Keller