Six Days 2007 - KTM sets new records in rider participation and service
The Six Days Enduro classic, this year held in La Serena Chile, proved to be another exceptional occasion for KTM factory riders. It also set new records for participation and service on and for KTM machines. Italy took the coveted world trophy with a major contribution from KTM factory rider Alessandro Belometti, with his team-mate Fabien Planet helping France to second place. Sweden was third after Finland slipped off the podium after the untimely disqualification of last year's overall winner, KTM's Juha Salminen.KTM riders were prominent in the top rankings of all E1, E2 and E3 categories. Jari Mattila of Finland and Britain's Tom Sagar were first and fourth in E1; Belometti was second behind the overall winner Johnny Aubert in the E2 category, while American Kurt Caselli and Marko Tarkkala dominated the big E3 bike class throughout the event and finished in first and second place respectively. KTM Factory Team 2 just missed taking the Manufacturer's trophy, having to concede to Yamaha UFO Corse A on the final day.
It was also an exceptional event for many other KTM riders, who made up an astonishing 53 percent of all those who started in the six days of rigorous riding over everything from desert coastal dunes of the Chilean coast into the more mountainous regions inland. Of those 90% were onboard new 2008 EXC models from the Austrian factory, the world leader in the production of sports motorcycles. Despite the gruelling nature of the event, which is a true test of endurance for both man and machine, riders of the new models experienced no technical problems and customer feedback indicated the bike is KTM's best Enduro ever.
Such an event also calls for a high level of customer service, this year provided by the KTM-Acerbis partnership, which was ready, willing and very able to answer the calls from over 70 KTM riders who registered for the support service. The high number of registrations was a clear indication of the quality of the race service offered by the team of seven, well supported by KTM Chile. The fact that KTM service was valued by the teams from Venezuela, Ecuador, Argentina, Colombia, Belgium, Greece and more is a solid indication of the high esteem in which it is held.KTM offers very special thanks to Acerbis for their partnership in the event. As a strong and respected brand in offroad racing, Acerbis lent additional strength to the service KTM was able to offer to the riders.
Now, while the 2007 event may be over, preparations have already begun for the 2008 Six Days, to be hosted by Greece. KTM looks forward not only to a continued excellent performance by its own factory teams, but also to support the ever increasing number of KTM riders who are ready to text themselves in this unique motor sports event.
