Siegfreid ‘Sigi’ Lerner
Published: 10th April 2008
Author: Jack Burnicle
Talented racer, outstanding development engineer
One of the men who helped turn KTM into the off-road powerhouse that it is today, Siegfreid ‘Sigi’ Lerner - who died recently at the age of 59 - was that rare combination of talented motocross racer and outstanding development engineer.
An effervescent, happy little Austrian with a mop of thick, wavy fair hair and twinkling blue eyes, Sigi enjoyed a short but spectacular grand prix career. KTM had already won a 250cc world title in 1974 before Lerner dipped a toe into GPs three years later, then launched into a full-time 125 assault in 1978.
That was the year of a mighty Suzuki/Yamaha fight involving triple champion Gaston Rahier, eventual winner Akira Watanabe and Gerard Rond. But Sigi, soon nicknamed ‘Speedy’ and sporting a distinctive blue full-face road-racing helmet, kept himself in the frame against these maestros. Genuinely overjoyed at sometimes matching their pace, he mounted the rostrum with Rahier and Watanabe on a memorable day at Vesoul, in France, when it took Akira until the last lap to squeeze past the flying KTM.
It was like contesting a world championship on your own home-built special! Sigi consistently placed top five as he developed the air-cooled KTM against those Japanese factory missiles and was thrilled to finally finish fourth in the world behind the Big Three. I’ll never forget his boyish glee at this momentous achievement!
“Sigi was the main competitor I had to beat as a young man here in Austria,” says the country’s only world MX champion, enduring KTM legend Heinz Kinigadner, “because he was the long-time hero of the ’70s!”
Lerner opened his 1979 GP account back on the rostrum at the opening round in Austria behind Harry Everts and Watanabe, finished top six in Holland then disappeared from the international scene. He finally stopped racing in 1981, the year his 125 KTM motor won its first GP in the hands of Italian ‘Beppe’ Andreani at Goldbach in Germany.
“After he retired Sigi took over responsibility for sales and sports activities at the KTM factory,” recalls Kinigadner. Meantime, Kees van der Ven and Americans Mike Healey, Bob Moore and Trampas Parker notched up further grand prix successes with that brilliant little engine, Parker landing KTM their first 125 world title in 1989.
Following KTM’s subsequent bankruptcy and revival, Sigi Lerner was once more to the forefront of the factory’s incredible comeback. “After KTM was launched new for the 1990s,” explains Heinz who helped mastermind the firm’s resuscitation, “I involved Sigi very strongly in rider development and junior activities where he did a very good job!”
But at the beginning of 2007, cancer struck this cheery, energetic Austrian. “It was much too early for Sigi to go but he was in a lot of pain for the past year,” adds a sorrowful Kinigadner.
So god speed, Sigi. I’ll always remember that infectious grin and sparkling enthusiasm with a smile!