The registry
KTM Registry: Models, Builds & Photos
KTM traces to 1934, when Hans Trunkenpolz opened a metalworking and vehicle repair shop in Mattighofen, Austria. The first production motorcycle, the 98cc R100, followed in 1953. The company went bankrupt in 1991, was split into four firms, and the motorcycle business restarted in January 1992 as KTM Sportmotorcycle under Stefan Pierer. The reborn company built its name on off-road singles and the LC4 big single, then won 18 straight Dakar Rallies from 2001 through 2019 (no rally ran in 2008). Debt caught up with it again in late 2024, and after a court-supervised restructuring KTM came out the other side in 2025 under the control of India's Bajaj Auto. From the LC4 era, the machines that matter most to owners are the 640 Adventure and 640 Super Moto of the late 1990s and 2000s.
Pick your model
Mattighofen origins and the 1991 collapse
Hans Trunkenpolz started the business in 1934 as a repair and metalworking shop in Mattighofen, Upper Austria, and began selling DKW motorcycles in 1937. His first motorcycle, the 98cc two-stroke R100, was prototyped in 1951 and entered series production in 1953, with about 20 employees building three bikes a day around bought-in Rotax engines. Businessman Ernst Kronreif took a major stake in 1953 and the firm was registered as Kronreif & Trunkenpolz Mattighofen, which is where the KTM letters come from. Through the 1970s and 1980s KTM built two-stroke motocross and enduro bikes, plus bicycles, mopeds, and radiators. The company went insolvent in 1991, and in 1992 it was broken into four separate firms covering motorcycles, bicycles, radiators, and tooling. The motorcycle division restarted in January 1992 with about 160 employees as KTM Sportmotorcycle under Stefan Pierer, and that company is the direct ancestor of today's KTM.
The LC4 single
The LC4, a liquid-cooled four-stroke single that entered series production in 1987 as a 553cc unit in the 600 GS enduro, carried KTM's street-legal and rally efforts for two decades. In its 640 form it displaces 625cc with a single overhead cam and four valves, fed by a Mikuni BST40 carburetor with an electric choke. It is a tall, hard-hitting single with a reputation for vibration, and owners learn its habits quickly: carb jetting, the auto-decompressor on the starting system, and keeping up with valve checks and oil changes on the dry-sump system with its dual oil screens.
LC4 640 Adventure (1998-2007)
The 640 Adventure replaced the 609cc 620 Adventure of 1997 and ran until 2007, when the 690 platform took over from the old LC4. It paired the 625cc single with long-travel WP suspension, a large-capacity fuel tank arrangement, and rally-derived bodywork. It was the closest thing to a production Dakar bike a customer could buy at the time, and the factory 660 Rallye machines that won Dakar in the early 2000s were its direct relatives. Fabrizio Meoni won the 2001 and 2002 Dakar for KTM, opening a run of 18 straight wins that lasted through 2019. The 2008 rally was cancelled outright over security threats in Mauritania, and the streak finally ended in 2020 when Ricky Brabec won for Honda.
LC4 640 Super Moto and the bigger Adventures
The 640 Super Moto (also badged 640 SM and 640 Duke in related trims) put the same 625cc LC4 into a supermoto chassis with 17-inch wheels and street rubber, sold through the mid 2000s. In 2003 KTM launched the 950 Adventure, powered by the new 942cc LC8, a 75-degree V-twin still fed by a pair of Mikuni BST40 carbs. The fuel-injected 999cc 990 Adventure followed in 2006. Those twins took over the big-travel role, but the 640s remain the simpler, lighter machines to own and repair.
Insolvency and the Bajaj era
The relaunched KTM grew into Europe's largest motorcycle maker, and its parent picked up Husqvarna Motorcycles from BMW in 2013 and a majority of GasGas in 2019, so parts and platforms cross those three brands. The debt behind that growth came due. In November 2024 KTM AG filed for court-supervised restructuring in Austria and production in Mattighofen stopped for months. Creditors approved a plan paying 30 percent of claims, about 548 million euros, by May 23, 2025. Bajaj Auto of India, a KTM partner since 2007, funded the rescue with roughly 800 million euros and completed its takeover on November 18, 2025. The parent company Pierer Mobility was renamed Bajaj Mobility, Stefan Pierer stepped away during the crisis, and the bikes are still built in Mattighofen.
Asked all the time
What years was the KTM 640 Adventure made?
KTM built the LC4 640 Adventure from 1998 through 2007. It replaced the 609cc 620 Adventure of 1997 and was itself replaced by the 690-based machines when KTM retired the old LC4 engine from that role for 2008.
Is KTM still in business?
Yes, but it has failed twice. The original Kronreif und Trunkenpolz Mattighofen went bankrupt in 1991 and was split up, with the motorcycle business relaunched in 1992 under Stefan Pierer. In November 2024 KTM AG entered court-supervised restructuring under heavy debt, creditors were paid a 30 percent quota in May 2025, and Bajaj Auto of India took full control in November 2025. Production continues in Mattighofen, Austria.
Who owns KTM now?
Bajaj Auto of India. Bajaj had been a KTM shareholder and manufacturing partner since 2007, injected roughly 800 million euros during the 2024-2025 insolvency, and completed its takeover on November 18, 2025. The former parent Pierer Mobility was renamed Bajaj Mobility, and the group also owns Husqvarna Motorcycles and GasGas.
What is the KTM LC4 engine?
The LC4 is KTM's liquid-cooled four-stroke single, in series production since 1987, when it debuted as a 553cc enduro engine. The 640 version used in the Adventure and Super Moto displaces 625cc with a single overhead cam and four valves. It is known for strong power and noticeable vibration, and it responds well to regular valve checks and careful carb jetting.
What is the difference between the KTM 640 Adventure and the 950 Adventure?
The KTM 640 Adventure uses the 625cc LC4 single and is lighter and mechanically simpler. The 950 Adventure, launched in 2003, uses the 942cc LC8 75-degree V-twin, carbureted until the fuel-injected 990 replaced it in 2006. The 640 is the easier bike to maintain and pick up off the ground; the 950 carries two people and luggage at highway speed with far less strain.
Are parts still available for older KTM LC4 models?
Mostly yes. KTM built the LC4 in large numbers across many models, so engine internals, gaskets, and wear parts are still obtainable through KTM dealers and aftermarket suppliers. Model-specific bodywork and the large Adventure fuel tanks are the harder items, and owners often source those used.
The wall
The most-documented KTM vehicles in the registry, every photo by the owner.
