Thumper Madness

THUMPER MADNESS

DOES the world need another 400cc four-stroke motocrosser? TM apparently thinks so. Best known for its world championship-winning go-kart engines, the Milan, Italy-based manufacturer already exports a slew of MXand enduro-spec two-strokes, their displacements ranging from 80 to 300cc. The big news here, however, is the slick-looking Thumper, which features a perimeter-style steel frame, high-mounted air intake, underseat gas tank, three-piece extruded-aluminum swingarm, inverted Paioli fork, piggybacktype Öhlins shock, Excel rims and Brembo brakes. Suggested retail has not been set, but importer TWS USA (909/608-0082) expects the bike, which will also be available in 250 (enduro-trim only) and 530cc displacements, to cost about $7500. Isn’t market saturation wonderful?