|
FIRST SHOWING IN THE USA: KTM 690 BAJA |
|
|
|
Wednesday, 30 May 2007 |
FIRST SHOWING IN THE USA: KTM 690 BAJA
| KTM
is starting in the Baja 500 with a brand new sports prototype machine.
This race is a shortened version of the legendary Baja 1000. KTM’s
factory rider Cyril Despres and Chris Blais will be riding together
with the Baja specialist David Pearson. |
| |
The very popular Desert Races, the Baja 500 and the Baja 1000 are a new
challenge for KTM and the company enters them equipped with the rich
experience and success it has gathered in the Dakar rallies. The
Austrian sport motorcycle manufacturer is competing for the first time
in the traditional Baja race on the Baja California peninsular, right
on the Mexican border.
Cyril Despres, winner of this year’s Dakar Rally and his
American team-mate Chris Blais, who has finished on the podium in
numerous Baja races will be riding for KTM together with the
experienced American Davis Pearson. All will be riding the new
experimental model from the Austrian manufacturer.
Borne out of the 690 Rally, so successful in the Dakar 2007,
the 690 Baja aims combine the advantages of a very light and easily
handled Enduro with the outreach and the stability of a rally machine.
The KTM Baja 690 is driven by the new LC4 engine. It
celebrated its release onto the market in early 2007 in the new 690
Supermoto, which came through its baptism of fire in the Dakar 2007 in
flying colours. In combination with the stable, extremely light tubular
frame of the Rally 690, this engine, currently the most powerful and
most modern series production single cylinder in the world, offers a
good basis to fight for podium places in the very special Baja Rallies.
European rider Cyril Despres, Dakar Rally winner in 2005 and
2007, is closely associated with the project and has as his team-mates
Chris Blais, third in the Dakar 2007 and the very fast American
professional David Pearson.
The "Baja 500" on Mexican soil, the "Baja Aragon" in July and
the classic "Las Vegas-Reno" are planned as introductory races to get
to know the particular demands on the chassis, the engine
characteristics and the very special flow of logistics of these races.
|
