KTM Australia press release:

Image: Greg Smith (iKapture).

KTM motocross racing team riders Kirk Gibbs, Jesse Dobson and Caleb Ward will take the best possible grip on their machines when they face the starter at Horsham this Sunday, thanks to a new sponsorship arrangement with hand grip manufacturer ODI.

ODI grips are the OEM grips on all new-generation KTM motocross machines for 2016, and the factory team’s deal provides its pilots with a choice from the full range of ODI compounds and patterns, and ODI throttle tubes for their factory KTM450SX-F and 250SX-F race machines.

The deal is a neat fit, since the Australian distributor for ODI grips is Lusty Industries, the team’s major sponsor and supplier of its eye-catching TLD race wear.

A motocross rider only has a small number of contact points with his machine, and at the highest level of racing, any advantage gained in one of those areas is a worthwhile one.

For those wanting to follow in the bootsteps of their favourite KTM factory team rider, Kirk is using a no waffle Troy Lee Limited Edition grip, while Caleb and Jesse both use the half waffle, soft compound variety.

Kyle Blunden, KTM Motocross Racing Team Manager– “We have a deal with ODI grips for 2016, through Lusty Industries who we already deal with very heavily for our TLD gear. For us to be able to offer our guys another way to customise their bikes that little bit better to suit them is a fantastic opportunity. ODI has a huge range of grips across both lock-on and regular models, but they also have a very nice throttle tube which we are also using. The boys have embraced their grips very well, which says something for the quality of what is a very personal item. It’s almost like a handlebar, where once a rider starts with a certain type it’s very difficult to shift them off it. The boys were able to look at all the ODI grips, have a bit of a feel and chuck them on, and see. Caleb tried pretty well all of them, before deciding on the one he would like to go with. They seem to be a great product.”

Johnny McLean, Lusty Industries– “The motocross team and the off-road team have both tried the ODI range and love them. The ODI lock-on grip is now a standard OEM supply on all SX-Fs KTMs. They’ve been around on mountain bikes for 10 years and everybody loves them on the KTM is so it’s pretty cool. The partnership with KTM has been an amazing one; the guys are amazing to work with, and the team just works so well together. For us it’s an easy decision to add more products or brands from our business to the KTM race effort.”