Vento (motorcycle manufacturer) Vento (motorcycle manufacturer) Vento was a motorcycle, scooter and ATV manufacturer from the United States. The name of the company is Italian for "wind". The company was founded in Mexico in 1996. Parts come from Italy, China, Japan and Taiwan, with some of its suppliers also selling to Harley-Davidson. In 1998, an assembly and quality control plant was opened in Laredo, Texas. This plant was built with the purpose of elevating the quality of their products in order to better compete. All of the components were brought to Laredo where they were assembled and quality control work was performed. Vento's
KTM founded in Lorain, Ohio. In 1980, the company was renamed "KTM Motor-Fahrzeugbau KG". One year later, KTM had about 700 employees and a turnover of 750m. Schilling (about 54.5m. euros). International business then amounted to 76 % of the company turnover. However, scooter and moped turnover sank rapidly, and production had to be halted in 1988. Erich Trunkenpolz died in 1989. Takeover of a 51 % interest in the company by the Austrian investment trust GIT Trust Holding controlled by Austrian politician Josef Taus in 1989 was followed by unsuccessful attempts to turn the indebted company around, and in 1991,