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Answer to the last quiz – Walter Cukavac at the 1980 ISDE in France – Jack Chant got in first, then Harlow. – Walter DNF’d the event when the Yamaha Canada IT 175 jammed in 1st gear – Walter said likely caused because he was wearing Plastic boots, which allowed no “feel” for the shifter. – We also tried those plastic boots back in the day, but soon junked them.
Walter was a top Expert in Cross Country racing back in the day and we signed him up for Yamaha Canada ( After asking permission from his Mum & Dad) – These days Walter is involved with the Edmonton Vintage MX Club, and has a collection of MX and Enduro bikes but also has a few Trials bikes – including a Bultaco Sherpa T- the Fantic we sold him and a new Beta Evo 200.
Quiz today. – Most will recognize Mick Andrews and his wife Jill looking at the very special Cantilever TY Prototype at a show in the UK, a bike that Mick won the Scottish on first time out. – But the quiz question is – “Who was the first rider to test this new design” – ?????
Did you know that the new trials bike had a “pumper” style carb from a snowmobile – an early injection design.
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Below are the results of the last VMC Trial, thanks to Roger Boothroyd for these. – a very good entry. – nice to see more kids out.
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We don’t post a lot of enduro or Market stuff here on our blog as usual, but as some of our readers have these bikes – we thought the following might be of interest. – As everybody knows – KTM bought Gas Gas and have been dumping the trials bikes for the past year – rumor has it that the well known Spanish brand may go the way of the “Do Do’ bird. ( I guess time will tell)
KTM’s struggles continue under Bajaj ownership
Feb 05, 2026
On January 13, KTM parent company Pierer Mobility AG was officially renamed Bajaj Mobility AG. The banner swap occurred less than two months after the Indian manufacturer acquired sole control of Pierer Bajaj AG and a 74.9% stake in Pierer Mobility AG.
The recent changes go beyond just a new name, however.
Prune away
In mid-January, KTM announced a restructure that resulted in “a reduction of around 500 employees.” The layoffs were primarily limited to “salaried positions and middle management,” and now bring the Austrian OEM’s headcount to 3,794 employees. KTM CEO Gottfried Neumeister characterized the move as “a difficult but necessary decision.” It’s just one of Bajaj’s recent cost-cutting initiatives.
On the heels of the layoffs, KTM AG subsidiary WP Suspension announced that it’s entering the braking business. The in-house-developed system is designed for sub-500 cc models and includes a radially mounted four-piston front caliper, radial master cylinder, and braided hoses. WP will reportedly produce 300,000 braking systems and 1.5 million hoses annually. At that rate, the brand might need to supply systems to external marques because KTM sales haven’t kept up with that pace in recent years.
Stubborn sales slump
It’s no secret that KTM has struggled with sales in recent years. Those falling figures (among other things) led to the company’s self-administration filing in late 2024. Unfortunately, things only got worse in 2025. Bajaj Mobility AG recently published its preliminary sales figures for 2025. The results weren’t encouraging.
In 2024, KTM sold 122,581 bikes. That number plummeted to 87,923 in 2025, a 28.3% decrease in sales. Neither Husqvarna nor GASGAS fared much better, recording year-over-year sales slumps of 27.2% and 19.5%, respectively. Altogether, KTM, Husqvarna, and GASGAS shipped 173,460 units in 2024. The three manufacturers only moved 126,001 bikes in 2025. That’s a 27.4% nosedive.
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Finally Birthday Greetings today to Janice Clark of Mountain Motorcycle in Coquitlam – – Have a great day Janice
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