What Wins in Midwest Motocross? 63,000 Podiums, Broken Down by Brand and Class

This is a data story. Every number below is counted directly from our own Midwest race-results database - more than 1.2 million finishes - not estimated or scraped from anyone else. We counted each top-three (podium) finish and tagged it by the brand of bike the rider was on, across 63,473 podiums where the brand was recorded.

The headline: KTM-owned brands win most Midwest podiums

Tally every podium in the database by brand and a clear pecking order falls out. KTM alone takes more than a third of all top-three finishes, and once you add the two other brands it owns - Husqvarna and GasGas, all three under the same parent company - the group passes half of every podium handed out.

Brand	Podiums (top 3)	Share
KTM	24,164	38.1%
Yamaha	15,097	23.8%
Kawasaki	7,648	12.0%
Honda	7,267	11.4%
Husqvarna	4,549	7.2%
GasGas	3,493	5.5%
Suzuki	1,255	2.0%

KTM, Husqvarna, and GasGas are all built by the same company (Pierer Mobility, the parent of KTM). Counted together as one "KTM Group," they account for 50.8% of all podiums - a slim majority of everything that finished top three. Yamaha is the strongest single Japanese brand at 23.8%, with Kawasaki and Honda clustered around 11-12% and Suzuki, which has stepped back from motocross development in recent years, trailing at 2%.

But the story changes by class

That overall number hides the most interesting part. KTM's dominance is not even across the board - it is overwhelming in the little bikes and much closer to a fair fight on the big four-strokes. Splitting the same podiums by displacement class shows it.

Minis (85cc and under): a near monopoly

This is where the orange wave is strongest. On 85cc and smaller bikes, KTM alone takes almost half of every podium, and the KTM Group as a whole takes nearly seven in ten.

Brand	Mini podiums	Share
KTM	4,974	48.7%
Yamaha	1,437	14.1%
Husqvarna	1,221	12.0%
Kawasaki	1,193	11.7%
GasGas	918	9.0%
Honda	343	3.4%
Suzuki	117	1.1%

KTM Group brands take 69.7% of mini podiums combined. There is a real-world reason: KTM, Husqvarna, and GasGas all sell a full ladder of competitive 50cc, 65cc, and 85cc race bikes aimed squarely at the amateur development scene, while several Japanese brands offer fewer modern small-bore race options. If you watch a Midwest mini moto, the odds are good the riders up front are on orange, white, or red KTM-family machines.

450s: the closest fight in the sport

Move up to the premier 450 four-strokes and the picture flips toward parity. KTM still leads, but Yamaha, Honda, and Kawasaki are all genuinely in the mix - the spread from first to fourth is far tighter than the mini numbers.

Brand	450 podiums	Share
KTM	892	30.1%
Yamaha	744	25.1%
Honda	516	17.4%
Kawasaki	460	15.5%
GasGas	144	4.9%
Husqvarna	135	4.6%
Suzuki	71	2.4%

On the big bikes the Japanese manufacturers are right there. Yamaha's YZ450F is the strongest non-KTM-family bike in the class, and Honda and Kawasaki each take a meaningful share. The 450 class is where bike choice comes down to fit, suspension, and rider preference more than any single brand advantage.

125-250 two-strokes: Yamaha closes the gap

The two-stroke classes tell their own story. Yamaha never stopped building and refining its YZ125 and YZ250 two-strokes, and it shows - Yamaha runs KTM close here, far closer than the overall average.

Brand	2-stroke podiums	Share
KTM	2,572	33.8%
Yamaha	2,199	28.9%
Kawasaki	979	12.9%
Honda	921	12.1%
Husqvarna	488	6.4%
GasGas	312	4.1%
Suzuki	136	1.8%

The classic blue-versus-orange two-stroke rivalry is alive in the results: KTM and Yamaha together take nearly two-thirds of two-stroke podiums, and they are separated by under five points.

What it means if you are buying

The data does not say one brand is "best" - it reflects what is popular, what is raced, and what wins in this region, and popularity feeds on itself (more bikes sold means more bikes on the gate means more podiums). A few honest takeaways:

• For minis, the KTM family has the deepest competitive lineup and the strongest results - it is a safe, well-supported path for a young racer, though a good rider wins on any quality bike.
• For 450s, do not over-index on brand. The class is close enough that fit, suspension setup, and how the bike feels to you matter more than the badge.
• For two-strokes, Yamaha is a proven, well-supported choice that wins at the same level as KTM.

Whatever you ride, the bikes only matter once you find somewhere to race them. Use our Midwest track map and verified track listings to find tracks near you, check their classes and rules, and see what is running this weekend. Want the spec details behind the brands? Browse the bike encyclopedia.

About this data

These figures come from our own database of Midwest motocross and off-road race results, counting top-three (podium) finishes and grouping them by the brand of bike recorded for each result. We excluded buckets with too few results to be meaningful. Because it is derived from results we already hold and verify, it is a view of the Midwest amateur scene you will not find anywhere else - and we will refresh it as the database grows.