KTM presents its first 32" MTB with full suspension

The 32-inch MTBs continue to appear in competition and KTM has just unveiled its most evolved proposal to date. The Austrian brand and the KTM Spada powered by Brenta Brakes team have presented on social media a new carbon dual suspension bike with 32" wheels that will debut at the Swiss Epic.

A KTM Scarp adapted to 32" wheels

This is not the first time we have seen KTM working with this diameter. Almost a year ago, the brand presented a 32" hardtail MTB together with Mavic, a first project with which it began to test the possibilities of these wheels in competition.

Now KTM has evolved that idea with a completely different bike that is much closer to its current competition models.

RECOMENDADO

KTM and Mavic present their 32" XCO in Lenzerheide

The 32” make their debut in the World Cup, climb onto the podium, and Thomus announces a limited pre-sale

The electronics of the Flight Attendant now works with 32” wheels and won at the Cape Epic

Goodbye to the "old school": the new generation leads in the XCO World Cup with 3 races remaining

Gobik puts on sale Kate Courtney's spectacular U.S. champion jersey

Free aerodynamics for your bike: small changes that make you faster

The main novelty compared to KTM's previous project lies in the frame. The new bike uses carbon and a dual suspension system, and at first glance, it seems to have inherited a good part of the development from the KTM Scarp EVO III, the current reference model of the brand for XCO.

KTM has not yet published information that would allow us to know aspects such as suspension travel, geometry, weight, or the modifications made to integrate the 32" wheels. However, the first images show a much more elaborate bike than that rigid one presented a year ago.

The increase in wheel diameter precisely requires adapting a good part of the design of a conventional MTB. The available space in the frame, the length of the chainstays, the height of the front end, or the position of the rider are some of the factors that come into play when moving from the current 29" to 32".

There is also still a very limited offer of specific components, so some names are starting to repeat among the different prototypes we are seeing.

At the front, KTM has turned to the Intend Samurai XC 32, an inverted fork designed specifically for these wheels and which has recently become commercially available.

The wheels this time are from Spada, an Italian brand linked to the team that will debut the bike, and they are fitted with Schwalbe tires. This is another change compared to KTM's first project, where the Austrian brand worked with Mavic to develop the necessary wheels.

The 32" continue to gain presence in competition

This new KTM arrives at a time when 32" wheels have already begun to appear with some regularity in top-level races. It remains a minority technology and still in development, but some projects have already achieved notable results.

The Stoll P32 is one of the best examples. The Swiss bike has already managed to win at the Cape Epic, a particularly interesting event for this type of wheel due to its long stages and the importance of maintaining speed and efficiency over uneven terrain.

We have also seen the 32" in XCO. The Thömus Lightrider R32 made it to the World Cup and managed to reach the podium in Lenzerheide, demonstrating that the larger diameter can also work on circuits where acceleration, direction changes, and technical sections carry much more weight.

KTM now joins this group with a dual suspension bike that will have its first major test in a stage race.

The Swiss Epic will be the debut of the new 32" KTM

The KTM Spada powered by Brenta Brakes will compete with this new bike in the Swiss Epic, a five-stage, 340 kilometers, and about 11,000 meters of positive elevation event.

The format of this race will serve to continue evaluating the advantages attributed to larger diameter wheels. Their greater ability to overcome obstacles and maintain speed over uneven terrain should play in their favor during long days, although it will also be necessary to check how the increase in size and inertia affects climbs and the more technical areas.

For now, KTM has not announced whether this project will continue beyond competition or if there is an intention to turn it into a production model. What this new bike does show is the evolution the brand has undergone in just one year. From that first rigid developed with Mavic to a carbon dual suspension clearly inspired by its Scarp platform.