The other 51% is owned by CROSS Industries AG, affiliated to KTM’s current CEO, Stefan Pierer. A year later, it increased its stake to 25% and eventually, BAL managed to acquire 49% of the KTM brand. Initially, in November 2007, it acquired a 14.5% stake in KTM Power Sports AG. KTM bikes India innings commenced in 2007, when Bajaj Auto Limited (BAL) of India started its gradual acquisition of KTM. Owing to a global meltdown of the motorcycle industry in the 1980’s, KTM Motorfahrzeugbau AG had to file for bankruptcy in 1991. In 1984, KTM started to develop a liquid-cooled four-stroke motorcycle, commencing mass production of the first LC4 engine in 1987 – a concept that over the decades became a typical KTM success story.
Riders Heinz Kinigadner and Trampas Parker laid the foundations for the modern KTM legend, with three World Championship titles in the next decade and unassailable off-road competences of modern times. The highlights of the 1970s included the powerful 50cc models and the first Motocross World Championship title, won for KTM in 1974 by Russian rider Gennadij Moiseev in the 250cc class. Out of all KTM bikes, the company entered the US market with a 125cc motocross motorcycle in 1968, and word of the overseas race wins soon began to circulate in Europe. The company, which was then officially called KTM, immediately took up racing and tasted success in its nascent stage. In 1951, the company started designing a KTM two-wheeler of its own and two years later, the KTM R100 production series, the first motorcycle from KTM, was launched.