KTM's AORC champions are ready to defend their crowns in 2011.

KTM Australia is primed to kick-start its Australian Off Road Championship title defence when the 2011 series commences this weekend at Bulahdelah in New South Wales.

Heading the KTM charge will be the factory Motorex KTM Off Road Racing team, featuring defending dual Outright and E2 class champion Toby Price alongside current E1 champion Jarrod Bewley and reigning E3 champion Ben Grabham.

Price will once again remain in the E2 category during the 10-round series that will be contested over five weekends, while Bewley and Grabham will switch roles within the E1 and E3 ranks for the season ahead.

If Price can reclaim his title in 2011 it will mark his third title in a row, something that he’s excited to begin as an all-star line-up looks to challenge him for the number one plate.

“It’s going to be pretty exciting since a lot of top international guys are back in Australia – there’s going to be stiff competition,” 23-year-old Price said. “Its all systems go for us. I’m trying not to think about defending my titles, we just have to take it race by race.”

Bewley will turn his attention to the big-bore E3 class aboard the two-stroke 300 EXC, and he’s looking forward to get his title campaign underway.

“I’ve been training hard and getting used to the 300 EXC, which I think can be a contender for the Outright and E3 class wins,” Bewley, also 23, commented. “I’m definitely ready to go.”

Grabham, who won his third Australasian Safari for KTM in September last year, will look to take up where Bewley left off in the E1 class this season, and he too is hopeful of a championship season.

“I just can’t wait to get things underway since we haven’t raced in a few months,” Grabham said. “I haven’t ridden a 250cc in quite a while as I rode the 530 EXC last year, so round one will certainly be a big one for us.”

Team manager Brad Williscroft has been working hard behind the scenes in preparation for this year’s title chase and he’s confident the squad can emulate its success from last season.

“It’s all coming together really good and the boys have been training hard during the off-season,” Williscroft commented. “We’re looking forward to trying to defend our titles that we won last year.”

Other KTM-mounted competitors to keep an eye out for in 2011 include Mitch and Brendan Harper (AJ’s Motorcycles), Alex Stevenson (Bolton MPE), Karl Power (Prorider), Mitch Bowen (Prorider), Scott Keegan (Prorider) and Tom Litchfield (Prorider).

This weekend’s opening rounds of the series will feature a marathon three-hour ‘Cross Country’ race in Saturday’s opening round, before a ‘Sprint’ event makes up round two on Sunday.