The Motorcycle: Design, Art, Desire PREVIEW - 2015 KTM 450 Rally
A race bike with a personal connection to a modern Australian motorcycling hero is one of the special machines going on show at ‘The Motorcycle: Design, Art, Desire’ exhibition at Brisbane’s GOMA (Gallery of Modern Art).

Although some competition motorcycles feature in this exhibition, it’s about design, not Australian racing history, so don’t expect to see the likes of Gardner, Stoner or Doohan GP bikes. Or bikes from Bayliss, Corser, Crump or Doyle, for that matter. Covering Aussie road racing and speedway alone would be a 100+ bike exhibition in itself! This KTM 450 Rally is an exception, though.

The machine on which Toby Price won the gruelling Dakar Rally in 2016, this enduro racer is running a 450cc single, but that engine sits in a frame that’s actually based on KTM’s larger 690 model. The reason for this was to make engine access and removal easier and quicker during the rally.
Being built for competition, every element of the bike’s design has a purpose, which the curators believe makes it interesting from a design perspective – a ‘form follows function’ exercise, so to speak.

This bike was gifted to Price by KTM after his breakthrough Dakar win and he’s said to still ride and train using this machine when he’s back in Australia.
The Motorcycle: Design, Art, Desire opens on 28 November, 2020 and runs to 26 April, 2021. To purchase tickets, go to: qagoma.qtix.com.au
For more information, exhibition updates and details on GOMA’s COVID-SAFE plan, go to: qagoma.qld.gov.au
Source: Toby Price Collection
Photo: Future7Media and KTM Group