another look inside the wonderfull world of TM racing

[Geno]

moto.mpora.com/classics/inside-tm-factory-handbuilt-heroes

 

[J.R.]

http://moto.mpora.com/classics/inside-tm-factory-handbuilt-heroes.html

 

[J.R.]

From MOTO Magazine
http://moto.mpora.com/classics/inside-tm-factory-handbuilt-heroes.html

Inside the wonderful world of TM…
From MOTO Issue 77 – March 2012

By Ray Chuss
It’s been 35 years of hard work for TM Racing to get where it is today. The small Italian motorcycle manufacturer based near the beautiful coastal resort of Rimini has scratched away at the surface of off-road motorcycling with great success, producing hugely respected machines and competing at the very highest level against the hugely funded likes of Honda and European rival KTM.
The boutique high-fashion label to the mass produced high street wear of the big five, TM does thinks very different to any other motorcycle manufacturer, as MOTO found out when we were granted an exclusive tour of TM’s small but perfectly formed factory from TM owner Gastone Serafini.
Founded in 1976 by Claudio Flenghi and Francesco Battistelli – Mr Engine and Mr Frame – as they were known back then, TM debuted its first production bike, a 125, a year later in 1976 with Serafini, then an aspiring pro racer, helping the project as test rider. The bike was an instant success in Italy and Europe and TM has never stopped growing since. When Battiselli decided to walk away from the fledging firm in 1982, Serafini took his place as part owner, where he remains to this day, and has been a driving force in the ever growing presence and success of TM.
It hasn’t grown that big however. Today in 2012 TM produces just 2000 bike per year which doesn’t sound enough to sustain the company. Motorcycles is just one part of the TM business however, and their smallest. The brand is also the leading the kart engine manufacturer in the world and produces 8,000 kart motors annually which brings in the money that helps fund and support the motorcycle business.

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This exactly how TM likes it too. Following the KTM model and expanding production to try wrestle ever more market share is not in the TM mentality. Staying small, keeping all the manufacturing in house and producing the highest spec machinery on the market is what TM is interested in. “We really want to keep our quality and staying where we are is better for TM,” explains Gastone.
It is this commitment to quality upon which the TM reputation is built, that worldwide respect for producing machines that feature materials and components usually only found on high-end team bikes, not production bikes that anyone can buy. This independent spirit and ability of their self designed and manufactured bikes to compete with those produced by the industries biggest players is something TM is fiercely proud of.
It is not until you walk through the doors of the TM factory however that it really registers just how much of an achievement this is. This is not a huge production line where bikes are bolted together from components manufactured in all corners of the globe, it is a manufacturing shop and engineering plant all rolled into one. There is no production line but workbenches where real engineers work each day hand-building the bikes, CNC machines are everywhere running through the set programmes to machine frames, hubs, engine blocks, triple clamps and much more from big blocks of the highest billet aluminium.
Apart from a tiny few select items like the Japanese Kokusan ignitions and Nissin and Brembo brakes, every major component and piece on TMs is manufactured in-house. Two-stroke cylinders are ported and matched by hand still and even the rear shock is now designed and built in-house after TM developed their own unit for their factory team during 2011.
It is a labour and cost intensive process, but it is a sight to behold, one of the very last remaining examples of what was once the norm in motorcycle manufacturing, not the exception. When people talk about TM’s being artisan, this what they mean and it is testament to the engineering minds involved and the commitment to quality that TM has not only been able to survive in a four-stroke dominated market, but also develop four-stroke bikes that are right up there with the best there are, even at GP level where its factory team continually punches above its weight on nearly stock machines, providing the prefect advert for its bikes abilities.

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TM has proven its machinery by racing at the highest levels since day one, with considerable success too, and this is a strategy that continues to this. Last year’s performance from Tanel Leok on the factory 450 in the MX1 world championship was outstanding and in 2012 it has similarly lofty ambitions for the re-signed French ace Anthony Boissiere who returns to the brand after two years on Yamahas.
“We are hoping to follow on from last year and finish top 10 in 2012,” says Serafini. “For TM it is crucial we stay within the top 10 to show that we are strong. Anthony likes the bike and the testing we have been doing over the winter has been great. He is very motivated to succeed. We also have a brand new MX2 team with SKS Polned TM Factory Racing and the riders are Andrea Cervellini and Nick Kouwenberg. We may also have two young riders racing the European championship on the TM125 two strokes.”
Looking to the future, TM is committed to both four-stroke and two-stroke technology and has some exciting developments and projects in the pipeline, especially for the ultra loyal fans of its incredibly potent smokers.
Serafini: “We are working on both the two-stroke and four-stroke engines the same; we want to develop them together. In the future we will have a two-stroke fuel injection bike. People also are asking about electric starting on our two-stroke enduro bikes, but right now we are working on the injection system and we can only work on one project, maybe for the future it is possible though.
“We don’t think it’s possible to compete on a two-stroke against a four-stroke as the bikes are so different, and that is not our aim. The two-stroke is the future for our customers and club riders because of cost and it’s cheaper to run, that is why we will continue to build them. But for championship racing its four-strokes where the future is.” “
Looking even further down the line, there have been experiments with electric propulsion too: “We also started an electric bike project a little while back but that is now on hold.”

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The biggest off-road market in the world, America, is pretty much uncharted waters for TM, but whilst KTM is throwing frightening amounts of money at its U.S. project, TM will be staying away from the U.S. in any many capacity for the foreseeable future, happy to continue doing what it does better than anyone right now and growing its European market share steadily.
“We only have a small factory here in Italy; it would make it very difficult for us to compete,” reasons Serafini. “We do have an idea about pushing the two-strokes there, but when is not known and our main market in Europe is our priority.”
It is hard to argue with that sentiment. TM does what its does better that anyone else in off-road. It represents the best of the great Italian motorsports tradition and long may it continue – motocross would be a much poorer place without the tradition and passion of TM.

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[juicypips]

Got board reading all that anti husky stuff.
Tm look good n all but parimiter frames? Really?
Never liked them doubt i ever will.

Nice looking suspension units tho