Technology: Pankl's superior gearbox
Pankl Racing Systems is an Austrian company that produces high-quality gearboxes and other parts for Formula 1 teams. They also make some high-tech products for Husqvarna, KTM and GasGas racing motorcycles.
If you have been wondering why those KTMs always shift flawlessly, it is almost entirely thanks to the Pankl company. KTM owner Stefan Pierer is not coincidentally the owner of Pankl. The Pankl transmission is a great addition to the KTM machines. One of the reasons why KTM switched to Pankl is because the steel used is purer than the low-sulphur steel usually used in gearboxes.
The combination of the hydraulic clutch lever and the clutch itself, which is equipped with a disc spring washer, makes the dirt bike from Austria the smoothest shifting machine of all. In this way they have been putting the Japanese brands at a disadvantage for a number of years. A KTM shifts very accurately compared to the cars from the land of the rising sun. A tap with the same force on or under the lever causes the machine to change gears like in a dream.
Pankl made its mark in F1 years ago and since Stefan Pierer became owner of the company, it has also supplied its high-quality technology to KTM, Husqvarna and GasGas. In 2016, Pankl had to expand significantly to meet the volume of the KTM group. The company is located in Kapfenberg, a municipality just above the city of Graz. In addition to gearboxes, they also make pistons, crankshafts and various drive systems for car and motorcycle sports.
They also make gearbox components for the WRC, WEC and MotoGP. On the most recent KTMs, even the connecting rod is manufactured by Pankl. The company also works for aerospace and industry with high performance products. It's not that KTM gearboxes can't break down, but it shifts so much better than any other brand in the competition.
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