Steve’s rebuild started back in March of 2005 when a customer called him at his business, Sunrise Offroad, to ask if he could rebuild his KTM 400.

Further investigation revealed that what the customer actually had was a 1982 390GS with a partially torn down motor. It appears he tore it down ten years earlier with plans of porting the cylinder etc, but never completed the project.

Steve asked there and then if he would sell but he wasn’t interested.  So instead Steve took the bike away to work up an estimate for a rebuild.  As anyone who has restored a KTM these days knows, the cost to rebuild the bike was a lot more than the customer was expecting.  So Steve struck a deal with the customer and kept the bike.

After a lengthy process of parts ordering and many emails to Reinhard (better known as DR 2 Stroke) Steve rebuilt the bike as the original 390 but in MC form with DC plastics.  Steve ran it like that for a short time but his intention was always to have a 495, so again Reinhard came to the rescue and supplied the cylinder, carb, air box, etc.  Steve sourced the rest of the necessary parts from other friends he had made through his business complete with OEM plastics where available, again from the DR.

The bike will always be an ongoing project for Steve: “when ever I find any parts I just buy it regardless if for no other reason but to just look at it" – an altogether familiar sentiment shared by anyone with a passion for restoring the big Katooms.

Another familiar sentiment is what Steve’s wife thinks of this fixation… “yes my wife, bless her, thinks I’m insane… perhaps I am but I don’t care, I love the bike”. 

So do we Steve, great work.