1991 KTM Ultracross MX

I bought this 1991 KTM from a guy who kept it in a “Schaufenster” (shop window) for years and years. Basically pristine. Museum piece. The kind of bike that never saw dirt because it was too pretty to actually ride.

I rode it, then gave it the full r/xbiking treatment. Questionable decisions included.

The frame is legitimately special. Built in Austria from Mannesmann 25 CrMo4 steel, 48cm, with that yellow-on-black spatter paintjob from the 90s. A Kuwahara born in the Alps.

Making it Work

Step one: cold-set the rear triangle to 135mm. The original dropout spacing was too narrow for a modern hub, so I bent the frame. CrMo is forgiving enough that it accepted its fate and held without complaint.

With 135mm sorted, I built around a 1x11 setup. A narrow-wide 32T chainring from Aliexpress (because rent is due and I’m not spending $80 on a Wolf Tooth ring) paired with an Ingrid RD1 derailleur (yes, some bling was necessary).

Cassette is SRAM NX Eagle PG-1230, shifted by a SRAM Apex 1 trigger, all strung together with an XX1 chain that hasn’t complained yet.

The Stridsland Anchor Bar was non-negotiable. Budget only stretched to the bar itself (a full Stridsland beachcomber or boom boat will have to wait until a mid-life crises is imminent), but it transforms the whole front end. Paired with a Sunday Bikes Freeze topload stem and DMR Brendog grips, the cockpit sits exactly where xbiking demands: wide, flat, committed.

Braking is Shimano BR-M454 calipers with Suntour XC Pro levers and a Dia Compe 1707 cable hanger. The levers are parts-bin survivors from a different era. I couldn’t throw them out. They still feel perfect. Actually, the whole Suntour XC Pro groupset does. It’s just so pretty.

The Wheels

The Wolber AT20 rims laced to Shimano Exage FH-HG50 hubs are original to the bike and staying that way. Problem: they couldn’t accept a modern 11-speed cassette. Solution: a Shimano FH-RM35 rear hub donated its freehub body and axle in an organ transplant that required patience and a beer but cost basically nothing.

Schwalbe Billy Bonkers 26×2.1 tyres finish it off, rolling fast and gripping when needed without looking like you’re trying too hard.

At the Skatepark

Bill of Materials