In a joint venture with the Dubai-based Al Shafar Group of companies, KTM Austria has opened an exclusive KTM dealership just off Shaikh Zayed Road in Dubai to service the growing market for street bikes, offroad motorcycles and ATVs in the UAE.

Under its slogan of “Ready to Race”, the new KTM facility will offer riders a huge range of vehicles that are ready to race straight out of the box, said an official spokesman.

With offroad success in the legendary Dakar rally and a host of wins in the gruelling UAE Desert Challenge, the enduro and motocross models are already well known for their racing pedigree in the biking world.

On the Tarmac, KTM’s street bikes have always been very well received across the world and are now one of the company’s key targets for expansion across the region. The new facility has also started sales of the incredible KTM 450XC and 525XC ATVs, which are setting new standards in the quad market in the US.

The UAE was the first market to receive the race ready models after America and are already proving to be key products for the company in the region. Heading up the KTM presence in the UAE is managing director of KTM Middle East Tim Trenker.

A bike racer from a number of high profile events, Trenker is well placed to understand the unique needs of riders and racers alike. He has behind him a team of highly trained and experienced sales staff and technicians, all of whom have worked within the local motorcycle industry or directly for KTM for many years.

“This is a very exciting venture for KTM in the region,” said Trenker. “With a fantastic desert playground close at hand, excellent roads across the country and sunny weather for much of the year, there hasn’t been a better time to get on a bike”

The new showroom, which is located in Al Quoz a few hundred metres from Junction 3 of Shaikh Zayed Road, features a 1,700 sq-ft sales area for around 30 bikes and quads, a 1,700 sq-ft accessories area and a fully equipped workshop area for servicing and maintaining the bikes to manufacturer standards.

The workshop is capable of working on a number of vehicles at any one time and the facility holds a large amount of spares to ensure minimum riding downtime for customers.

“Our partnership with KTM will bring a new level of service to the motorcycle industry in the region and will promote KTM as the vehicle of choice for both enthusiast riders and racers,” said chairman of Al Shafar Group Ahmed Abdulla Al Shafar.

KTM will partner with the world famous California Superbike School as part of its plans for the street bike market. The school will use the KTM Super Duke as instructor bikes for the on-track training, which is held at the Dubai Autodrome Race Circuit throughout the year.

“KTM Middle East is looking forward to a great year of racing and social riding,” added Trenker. “With so many new announcements in the pipeline and a fantastic range of bikes for people to choose from, we firmly believe KTM will be the bike of choice for riders and racers alike in 2008.”  - TradeArabia News Service