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IB14: KTM Full Suspension XC, Enduro Mountain Bikes Hit the States

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2015 KTM Scarp Prestige carbon XC 29er full suspension mountain bike

Domestically, KTM is more known for their motorcycles than their bikes, but 2015 marks the year they begin equalizing that awareness. Already sold in some moto dealers to fanboys and girls, the bikes have quite a bit to offer. We covered their road and cyclocross models at Eurobike, check them out here.

For mountain bikes, the highlights are the Scarp, a racy full susser, and the Lycan/Lycan LT 650b trail and enduro bikes with travel from 125mm to 160mm.

The Scarp is available in both 29er and 27.5″ wheel sizes, with 100mm and 105mm rear wheel travel respectively. That travel’s made possible with their Pro Damping System floating rear shock. By positioning the shock mounts on the rocker arm and chainstays, they say drivetrain and braking forces are isolated from each other and from affecting the shock. Based on our experience with similar designs on other brands, it’s a darn good idea that works very well.

Other technologies include the Groove Cut head tubes, which not only keep things stiffer, but look killer, particularly in carbon…

2015 KTM Scarp Prestige carbon XC 29er full suspension mountain bike

Across the lineup, frames feature internal cable routing, pressfit bottom brackets and mostly thru axles. The top version of the Scarp 29er gets the new XTR Di2 2×11 and Rockshox RS1 fork. There’s also a version with the mechanical 1×11 Xtr group, and that one has a claimed weight of 9.9kg (21.8lb).

2015 KTM Scarp Prestige carbon XC 29er full suspension mountain bike

Unfortunately, the one shown tricked out here with orange Race Face chainring and gold cable housing isn’t a stock build. Models trickle all the way down to SLX/Deore mixes for carbon frames with two different levels of carbon depending on model. Two alloy models are also available, one with XT, the other with Deore.

2015 KTM Scarp Prestige carbon XC 29er full suspension mountain bike

2015 KTM Scarp Prestige carbon XC 29er full suspension mountain bike

Seen from another angle, the detailed shaping of the headtube area is more apparent. And more impressive.

2015-KTM-Lycan-650b-alloy-full-suspension-mountain-bike01

The Lycan comes in two models, one with 125mm travel (shown) and their 160mm enduro version, the Lycan LT (for Long Travel).

2015-KTM-Lycan-650b-alloy-full-suspension-mountain-bike01

Even the alloy frames get the Groove Cut headtubes. For 2015, the carbon models upgrade to a full carbon rear end, which drops 400g off the prior version. Top models get a carbon rocker arm, too. The standard Lycan is paired with a 130mm fork, and versions run the gamut from carbon/XTR down to alloy/Deore with 2×11, 2×10, 3×11 and 3×10 groups sprinkled throughout.

2015-lycan-lt-enduro-full-suspension-mountain-bike

The Lycan LT get two models spec’d with a 160mm Fox 36 fork, making them monstrous trail crushers straight out of the box. One’s with XT/XTR, the other with SRAM XX1. The next two move down to a Pike and then Revelation fork. Four models in all, all with full alloy frames, and all with dropper posts included.

Of course, there’s the full range of carbon and alloy hardtails, too, and even a fat bike. And they’re all made in Austria, where the brand is based. Check out the US website at KTMbikeindustries.com or view their 2015 catalog on Issuu. Their main site is KTM-bikes.at.

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Joey
Joey
10 years ago

just wanted to say: KTM Motorcycles is a different company, and has nothing to do with KTM Bicycles (anymore – since 1992).

Brigand
Brigand
10 years ago

“Domestically, KTM is more known for their motorcycles than their bikes, but 2015 marks the year they begin equalizing that awareness.”

KTM moto and KTM bicycle have separated long time ago in 1992. They don’t have anything in common except branding. KTM Bicycles is known in Europe for their commuter bikes primarily.

Joshua Murdock
10 years ago

Brigand: exactly, that’s the point. The KTM branding is recognized in the U.S. for the motorcycles and not the bicycles. The brand name may cover both companies, but consumers here are typically only aware of one. Bike Rumor’s statement is totally true.

Also, this past spring the first-ever KTM bike reps in the U.S. Came into the shop I work at with the company’s XC full suspension, hardtail, a DH bike, and a road bike. The bikes seemed to be well thought out and well designed. They’re definitely very high tech, competitively weighted and competitively priced. They do seem to lack stiffness, though. Of all the bikes we rode, the DH bike was the only one that didn’t ride like a noodle. It’s a bummer because there’s so much potential with this design and they’re super popular is Europe. Interestingly, the reps for the bikes came over from the moto side and were very new to the job. They weren’t actually cyclists, which was disappointing and off-putting. They brought the bikes in to show us and then asked us to finish building them and check them over because they had just gotten to CO, tried to build the bikes and didn’t know what to do. Interesting…

Von Kruiser
Von Kruiser
10 years ago

Brraaap

SteveO
SteveO
10 years ago

Maybe it’s just me.. But For an Enduro it looks like they slapped a 160 Fox on a XC Frame.. Angles look too straight. Don’t get me wrong, Bike looks really nice!

Equine Master
Equine Master
10 years ago

I wonder if these will be as awesome and amazing as the Porsche Design bikes.

Joey
Joey
10 years ago

The big cut-out at the HT area must affect stiffness to an extent that I can understand why it rides like a noddle. Designers need more engineering constraints there…

Scott
Scott
10 years ago

KTM money for a Faux Bar design??? Really, FSR is available.

SB
SB
10 years ago

I can’t believe Kona is being rebranded by anyone.

JulioCesar
JulioCesar
10 years ago

Great bike!!! I have a phinx 1.29, really nice bike, great handling, fast and every time I use it, I like more…

spooky68
spooky68
10 years ago

I’m austrian and i’m a ktm driver for over 15 years. Now using a lycan.great bike. Check it out.

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