KTM News 2023/24

The supply chains during the pandemic - they have been and remain a constant topic for customers, retailers, and manufacturers, and received new impetus two years after the outbreak of Corona due to the Ukraine war, energy prices, and the climate crisis.
Even in the tranquil Mattighofen in Upper Austria, where KTM Fahrrad GmbH has its headquarters and production facilities, these challenges did not pass without leaving a mark - on the contrary: Deep into the summer of 2022, customer feedback on many new releases from the previous year was scarce, simply because not a single representative had been delivered yet.
The supply of e-bikes to customers was somewhat better and earlier, which is why the product managers promptly received praise for the Power Top Tube Loader. "The fact that the heavy battery can simply be removed from the top, instead of having to handle it somewhere at the bottom in the bottom bracket area, is very well received by customers and dealers," reported marketing man Matthias Grick during the in-house exhibition of the domestic big player last August.

Meanwhile, the delivery backlogs from 2022 have been processed and everyone is looking towards the new, meaning current, season.
Still: How does a manufacturer deal with the fact that the global jerking and halting of supply chains lead to unforeseen delivery delays, sometimes absurd waiting times, and occasionally harsh reactions from disappointed consumers or annoyed retailers? How can a little pressure be taken out of the system?

KTM has opted for open communication with dealers, customers, and partners: Everything that was shown during the in-house exhibition in August 2022 in a brand new, but not yet operational hall of the recently built logistics center, will only be produced from March 2023 (and into early 2024) and will not be delivered before the summer of this year.
Moreover, the Upper Austrians slowed down the production cycles, declaring the upcoming models as MY23/24 and keeping things low-key in terms of fundamental changes and updates for the sake of supply security.
Apart from the already introduced Revelator Alto road bikes and the Bosch Performance Line CX Race Motor presented in the fall, which will power a special edition of the Macina Prowler in the e-MTB sector, the upcoming dual season is thus marked by model maintenance (keyword design, Smart System) and continuity rather than groundbreaking innovations.

Secondly: The E-Bikes will almost universally become "smart" in 2023, meaning they are switching to Bosch's new system technology. Only the two Mini-Mes, i.e., the two E-Bikes for children with 24- and 26"-wheels and - since 2022 - integrated 400 or 500 Wh batteries will still use the Gen.3 architecture.
Hardly any sporty mountain bike among the pedelecs rolls off the assembly line with less than a 750-Wh battery. Also nice: The models equipped with Sram XX are centrally powered by the Bosch battery, which significantly simplifies the often annoying battery monitoring.
The control unit from Bosch, seamlessly integrable into the top tube by the manufacturers (the so-called "System Controller"), will only be incorporated into KTM's E-Bike range in the next product cycle - it would have been too exciting, see story beginning, in times like these, whether a new frame would have timely completed all testing procedures and approvals.

Macina Prowler Exonic Specs

In the case of conventional bicycles, the changes, apart from the paint jobs, are even more subtle. For example, the carbon hardtail Myroon is equipped with a dimpled and therefore particularly noise-damping chain stay protector. With the aluminum hardtails, which are still real bestsellers for KTM, there isn't much technical change; however, this segment is diligently maintained by the Upper Austrians. For instance, adolescents and women with typically smaller body sizes can continue to choose from several 27.5" bikes (Ultra Gloriette, Chicago, Penny Lane ...) unlike some competitors.

What stood out during a walk through the long rows and many models with a look at the associated price tags: Bikes with electronic shifting components are available for really good money thanks to the new entry-level groups at KTM.
Thus, the manufacturer packages around the 100-mm fully Scarp Elite AXS with Sram GX Eagle shifting, Shimano Deore brakes, and Fox suspension system (32 Float Rhythm fork plus Float DPS Perf. Elite shock) for €4,899, an attractive package indeed.
And the new road bike Alto, recently discussed in a detailed review on Bikeboard, costs with Shimano Di2 105 a wallet-friendly €3,999, while the Sram Rival AXS version is only slightly more at €4,499. To remember: It is exactly the same (Exonic-) frame, from the first carbon fiber to the last layer of resin, that professionals like Sebastian Schönberger or Pierre Rolland ride...

Scarp Elite AXS Specs