Actually, KTM has been in the motorcycle business since the 1930's. There was an American enduro racer named John Penton that wanted a lighter off-road bike. He went to Husqvarna to try to get one built to his specifications for import. They refused. He went to KTM and they agreed. So the Penton was a KTM licensed in the US to John Penton. I suess when all that expired, it bacame KTM here, too. I think KTM also now owns Husqvarna motorcycles.

When I started racing, we were living in East Tennessee. The Japenese dirt bikes were just starting to come on. At the tracks, you'd see Maico's, Husqvarna's and even an occasional Bultaco. Then Yamaha came out with the monoshock, and the Suzuki TM's and Honday Elsinore's started coming on. So the European bikes basically faded away.

Like Outback, I bought the Maico used.