KTM's stake in MXA Magazine

12/11/2015 6:43am Edited Date/Time 12/11/2015 6:44am
Don't think the other MFG's care as much about MX bikes as KTM does. For the other colours it's a small slice of their pie, for KTM it's a huge slice. Since they want a bigger slice of the MX market they keep on developing and market their products. The rest just doesn't care. Same with the streetbike (superbike) market. Yamaha and kawa are the only japs coming with updated stuff. New fireblade and GSX-R in 2017 since...ages. Even so, they still sold quite well. They had a name in the supersporty market, just like their MX bikes have a name in the MX market. 'Old design' or not.
newmann
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12/11/2015 7:19am
I just find it comical to see the 4 stroke fantards fighting amongst themselves. No 2 strokin' involved...Laughing Laughing Laughing
newmann
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12/11/2015 7:19am
Oh, and

GO KTM!!! World Domination.
BobbyM
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12/11/2015 9:51am
TeamGreen wrote:
KTM has -6- Motocross models (Not including the 4, soon to be 5, youth models). You can call it -8- if you want to treat the...
KTM has -6- Motocross models (Not including the 4, soon to be 5, youth models). You can call it -8- if you want to treat the Factory Editions as a different bike...I know how some of you with 15.5 FE's are feelin'...

KTM redesigns and develops new models virtually TWICE as fast as Japan...considerably faster if you want to talk Taliban...uh, I mean Two Strokes.

Did I mention those "Mid-Year" Factory Editions? Those are kinda nice, too. So that's DOUBLE the "Bike Test" opportunities for KTM ...since no-one-else has seen fit to compete with them on this front.

And...KTM gives MXA plenty of test bikes and seems to let them keep more than a few of them for long "term use"; therfore, the staff at MX really "get's to know" the Orange bikes.

So...you know who's fault it is that you see soooo much Orange at MXA?

It's EVERY-OTHER BRAND'S fault.

Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki: 2 models each (LAME).

Yamaha: 4 models (Nice! You do notice that Yamaha get's LOTS of love...I think SSS is used in damn near every KTM test to remind KTM that they're still "not there, yet"...

Husky: 5 models

KTM: -8- Models (The FE's get their own tests, don't they?)
Yup Manny...but let's not forget that without the Japanese scooters, as poorly made as some people think they are...if it wasn't for them the bar that KTM tried to surpass would never have resulted in their dominance today. KTM's bread and butter is off road if I'm not mistaken so it isn't really fair to dis the far east scooters my friend. I must say that as much as I used to bash em they really look superior compared to the competition.

The Shop

12/11/2015 10:02am Edited Date/Time 12/11/2015 10:02am
Im curious when ktm starts developing generators and small engines for equipment
TeamGreen
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12/11/2015 10:10am Edited Date/Time 12/11/2015 10:11am
TeamGreen wrote:
KTM has -6- Motocross models (Not including the 4, soon to be 5, youth models). You can call it -8- if you want to treat the...
KTM has -6- Motocross models (Not including the 4, soon to be 5, youth models). You can call it -8- if you want to treat the Factory Editions as a different bike...I know how some of you with 15.5 FE's are feelin'...

KTM redesigns and develops new models virtually TWICE as fast as Japan...considerably faster if you want to talk Taliban...uh, I mean Two Strokes.

Did I mention those "Mid-Year" Factory Editions? Those are kinda nice, too. So that's DOUBLE the "Bike Test" opportunities for KTM ...since no-one-else has seen fit to compete with them on this front.

And...KTM gives MXA plenty of test bikes and seems to let them keep more than a few of them for long "term use"; therfore, the staff at MX really "get's to know" the Orange bikes.

So...you know who's fault it is that you see soooo much Orange at MXA?

It's EVERY-OTHER BRAND'S fault.

Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki: 2 models each (LAME).

Yamaha: 4 models (Nice! You do notice that Yamaha get's LOTS of love...I think SSS is used in damn near every KTM test to remind KTM that they're still "not there, yet"...

Husky: 5 models

KTM: -8- Models (The FE's get their own tests, don't they?)
BobbyM wrote:
Yup Manny...but let's not forget that without the Japanese scooters, as poorly made as some people think they are...if it wasn't for them the bar that...
Yup Manny...but let's not forget that without the Japanese scooters, as poorly made as some people think they are...if it wasn't for them the bar that KTM tried to surpass would never have resulted in their dominance today. KTM's bread and butter is off road if I'm not mistaken so it isn't really fair to dis the far east scooters my friend. I must say that as much as I used to bash em they really look superior compared to the competition.
I'm just giving credit where credit is due...

Our Japanese friends are just now starting to see the light, again. That's all.

Another thing...there was once a German brand...red with a yellow stripe, I think...that kinda put their foot up everyone-else's ass for a few years...ESPECIALLY in how they "turned"...remember? I think a Metzler front tire was part of the equation, too...?
12/11/2015 10:11am
jarvinator wrote:
I just love the MXA test on this years SUZ450 in the shootout. I'm curious if the SUZ loyalists think its a fair assessment? That said...
I just love the MXA test on this years SUZ450 in the shootout. I'm curious if the SUZ loyalists think its a fair assessment?
That said, can't wait to see their new 450 next year.
I didn't see what they said about it yet, maybe let me in on what they said?? But every Suzuki loyalist I know(which isn't many) seems to disagree with anything any of the magazines say about it. My dad is now a Suzuki guy after being a yami and Kawi guy for many years. He had a 13 rmz450 and now has a 15 RMZ450 that he's had about a year. I haven't ridden the 15 but I didn't like the 13 at all. Felt to rigid, it wasn't very stable at higher speeds but it did turn great. Anytime I bring up that it's twitchy at higher speeds, that it's too rigid or if he reads that a magazine test said those things he gets pretty mad about it. Most of the other Suzuki guys do as well. I'll take my 14 yz450 over the Suzuki any day.
12/11/2015 11:30am Edited Date/Time 12/11/2015 11:44am
I'm a fan and a subscriber but one has to admit that the Jan issue has ads from KTM and Husky but no ads from any other mfg so it's easy to draw the conclusion that they are favouring their advertisers.

Question is, why do the others not advertise? Is it because they don't get any love? Yamaha still does (2-stroke win and the 250F). I do remember Suzuki pulling ads because MXA kept bashing Windham or something (sure there was more to it than that) so you know they are fickle when they don't get their way. Nobody wants to spend $100k on ads and then have Jody bash your bikes. I loved the comment about Suzuki's dated styling, "It would be the equivalent of every 2016 Ford looking like a 2008 Taurus." Now that's funny.

When it was Yamaha Action, the mag was full of about 10 pages of McGrath/Button Men In Blue ads so it was easy for everyone to draw that parallel too. What came first, the chicken or the egg? The huge ad campaign or the shootout win?
12/11/2015 12:34pm Edited Date/Time 12/11/2015 12:35pm
mattyhamz2 wrote:
I didn't see what they said about it yet, maybe let me in on what they said?? But every Suzuki loyalist I know(which isn't many) seems...
I didn't see what they said about it yet, maybe let me in on what they said?? But every Suzuki loyalist I know(which isn't many) seems to disagree with anything any of the magazines say about it. My dad is now a Suzuki guy after being a yami and Kawi guy for many years. He had a 13 rmz450 and now has a 15 RMZ450 that he's had about a year. I haven't ridden the 15 but I didn't like the 13 at all. Felt to rigid, it wasn't very stable at higher speeds but it did turn great. Anytime I bring up that it's twitchy at higher speeds, that it's too rigid or if he reads that a magazine test said those things he gets pretty mad about it. Most of the other Suzuki guys do as well. I'll take my 14 yz450 over the Suzuki any day.
The best bike I ever owned and I won more races on was my 1982 RM250Z I rode it for 4 seasons from 82-85 because it was so good and it was finally the 86 CR 250 that made me get a new bike. It was a great motorcycle but the quality was awful, I replaced transmission gears on a regular basis and just stupid stuff but it was fast and it had great suspension. Suzuki makes some of the best handling bikes ever but my Honda's and Yamaha's were just build better and held up better, I wish Suzuki would figure that part out. Sad
12/11/2015 12:48pm
mattyhamz2 wrote:
I didn't see what they said about it yet, maybe let me in on what they said?? But every Suzuki loyalist I know(which isn't many) seems...
I didn't see what they said about it yet, maybe let me in on what they said?? But every Suzuki loyalist I know(which isn't many) seems to disagree with anything any of the magazines say about it. My dad is now a Suzuki guy after being a yami and Kawi guy for many years. He had a 13 rmz450 and now has a 15 RMZ450 that he's had about a year. I haven't ridden the 15 but I didn't like the 13 at all. Felt to rigid, it wasn't very stable at higher speeds but it did turn great. Anytime I bring up that it's twitchy at higher speeds, that it's too rigid or if he reads that a magazine test said those things he gets pretty mad about it. Most of the other Suzuki guys do as well. I'll take my 14 yz450 over the Suzuki any day.
lostboy819 wrote:
The best bike I ever owned and I won more races on was my 1982 RM250Z I rode it for 4 seasons from 82-85 because it...
The best bike I ever owned and I won more races on was my 1982 RM250Z I rode it for 4 seasons from 82-85 because it was so good and it was finally the 86 CR 250 that made me get a new bike. It was a great motorcycle but the quality was awful, I replaced transmission gears on a regular basis and just stupid stuff but it was fast and it had great suspension. Suzuki makes some of the best handling bikes ever but my Honda's and Yamaha's were just build better and held up better, I wish Suzuki would figure that part out. Sad
When I worked in a local shop I always noticed that after a certain mark the suzukis just seemed to fall apart. All the bolts would start to strip, the threads in the cases always seemed really soft and stripped as well. the build quality just didn't seem to be there compared to our kawis and yamahas. But then again I hear people say they have all these hours on their suzukis and have no issues so idk. I base it off of my personal experience with them.
Bruce372
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12/11/2015 12:53pm
ive got the 2015 RMZ450, and its a great bike, and it wasnt the heaviest bike in the class of 2015.

Now the 2016 ktm and KXF are so much lighter, the suzuki will have to loose a lot of weight in 2017. Plus, the suzuki will need to gain quite a bit of power too.

i had a chance to ride the new KTM, but i didnt want to ruin myself, LOL.

If the ktm forks really are as bad as they say, yet their new AER fork is as good as people say and 3lbs lighter, the 2017 sounds like its gonna be a sweet ride! light, powerful, good brakes, hydro clutch, e-start.

my 2015 rmz i put on the hydro clutch, oversized rotor and it starts way better than my 2009 RMZ, but i still dont think it starts as easy as other 450s ive been on like the kawi and honda.

I am on my 5th RMZ/RM but they will really need to do somehting big in 2017 to make me buy another....
nc_mx_kid
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12/11/2015 1:01pm
I can't blame MXA for talking alot about the orange brand as KTM is a growing brand that people are interested in unlike Japan company Suzuki which is a bankrupt company with declining products & sales.....
NV825
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12/11/2015 1:10pm Edited Date/Time 12/11/2015 1:10pm
I'm a fan and a subscriber but one has to admit that the Jan issue has ads from KTM and Husky but no ads from any...
I'm a fan and a subscriber but one has to admit that the Jan issue has ads from KTM and Husky but no ads from any other mfg so it's easy to draw the conclusion that they are favouring their advertisers.

Question is, why do the others not advertise? Is it because they don't get any love? Yamaha still does (2-stroke win and the 250F). I do remember Suzuki pulling ads because MXA kept bashing Windham or something (sure there was more to it than that) so you know they are fickle when they don't get their way. Nobody wants to spend $100k on ads and then have Jody bash your bikes. I loved the comment about Suzuki's dated styling, "It would be the equivalent of every 2016 Ford looking like a 2008 Taurus." Now that's funny.

When it was Yamaha Action, the mag was full of about 10 pages of McGrath/Button Men In Blue ads so it was easy for everyone to draw that parallel too. What came first, the chicken or the egg? The huge ad campaign or the shootout win?
My guess would be timing for the other MFG's not advertising. Supercross/Motocross isn't really going on beyond the over seas races, so they figure they don't have as many eye balls on the sport's print news as they will in January - September. Just a guess though, it could always come down to $$$ and it seems KTM has quite a bit which is very good for them.
avidchimp
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12/11/2015 1:27pm
nc_mx_kid wrote:
I can't blame MXA for talking alot about the orange brand as KTM is a growing brand that people are interested in unlike Japan company Suzuki...
I can't blame MXA for talking alot about the orange brand as KTM is a growing brand that people are interested in unlike Japan company Suzuki which is a bankrupt company with declining products & sales.....
SUSZUKI IS BAYNKRUPPT?
40Plus_922mx
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12/11/2015 1:45pm
MXA has been accused of being biased as long as I can remember. That goes back to 1980. They are not politicians. They report real results from guys who all they do is race. They know what the heck they are talking about. Who cares if people make fun of their simple fixes (up a tooth, drop the needle etc. etc.). In truth all the bikes are great machines. These guys just try and focus on the perfect machine as the standard and suggest which bike is closest and tell the others how to get there.

Most of today's friction you hear today about MXA is due to the generation gap that now exists between Jody and the general bike buying public. Most 18-25 years olds today are all a bunch of crybabies. Jody just tells it like it is & ruffles feathers. That don't jive these days. Hence the gap and constant criticism against MXA.

MXA is also subject to criticism from product manufacturers that get bad reviews both bikes and aftermarket products. But again, they tell it like it is.

As far as KTM goes they have broken all the rules by maintaining a full 2 stroke line when all the others bailed. They also kept the R&D at the highest level continuing to improve the pumpkins that were known as pink elephants pre 2005, 6, 7? and recently releasing two same year 450 models for the last few years. One at one level which was good and one at a higher level that was awesome. They have stood up and stolen the market from the Japs. So much so that now Yami is offering a full line of 2 strokes this year to try and snag a little bit of the smoker market from KTM. So for this they deserve the exposure. Not for their efforts but for the real high quality results.
TeamGreen
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12/11/2015 1:50pm
So, Suzuki is Bankrupt...again?

Uh, no.

The Division that was in soooo much trouble and draggin' EVERYTHING-ELSE down with it (in the USA) was the Auto-side of the company; and, it's GONE.
kawboy388
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12/11/2015 1:55pm
nc_mx_kid wrote:
I can't blame MXA for talking alot about the orange brand as KTM is a growing brand that people are interested in unlike Japan company Suzuki...
I can't blame MXA for talking alot about the orange brand as KTM is a growing brand that people are interested in unlike Japan company Suzuki which is a bankrupt company with declining products & sales.....
avidchimp wrote:
SUSZUKI IS BAYNKRUPPT?
EYE CUND BELEEVE WIN I HEAR THAT
Motofinne
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12/11/2015 1:56pm
Suzuki is not bankrupt, but when we take a look at their PR/marketing department one could think that they would be bankrupt.

They release an "all new" 250 but it looks the same!!! It's hilarious! Redesigning the plastics is not anything that will swallow a big chunk of R&D money.

If someone who isn't into MX bikes looks at a 2015 RMZ and 2016 RMZ will he go nuts about the 2016 that has over 80 changes? I don't think so.
12/11/2015 1:56pm Edited Date/Time 12/11/2015 1:58pm
MXA has been accused of being biased as long as I can remember. That goes back to 1980. They are not politicians. They report real results...
MXA has been accused of being biased as long as I can remember. That goes back to 1980. They are not politicians. They report real results from guys who all they do is race. They know what the heck they are talking about. Who cares if people make fun of their simple fixes (up a tooth, drop the needle etc. etc.). In truth all the bikes are great machines. These guys just try and focus on the perfect machine as the standard and suggest which bike is closest and tell the others how to get there.

Most of today's friction you hear today about MXA is due to the generation gap that now exists between Jody and the general bike buying public. Most 18-25 years olds today are all a bunch of crybabies. Jody just tells it like it is & ruffles feathers. That don't jive these days. Hence the gap and constant criticism against MXA.

MXA is also subject to criticism from product manufacturers that get bad reviews both bikes and aftermarket products. But again, they tell it like it is.

As far as KTM goes they have broken all the rules by maintaining a full 2 stroke line when all the others bailed. They also kept the R&D at the highest level continuing to improve the pumpkins that were known as pink elephants pre 2005, 6, 7? and recently releasing two same year 450 models for the last few years. One at one level which was good and one at a higher level that was awesome. They have stood up and stolen the market from the Japs. So much so that now Yami is offering a full line of 2 strokes this year to try and snag a little bit of the smoker market from KTM. So for this they deserve the exposure. Not for their efforts but for the real high quality results.
Yeah no doubt.

Every other magazine never really points any issues out or if they do, they really smooth them over.

MXA like it or not, comes to a conclusion based upon their experience and says it straight out. Ruffled feathers be damned.

I love my 14 Yamaha 450, they said it was quirky and an acquired taste but also said the suspension and engine are excellent.

Guess what. It's an acquired taste that took time to get used to. The suspension is like big hot buttered boobs and the engine is amazing. Wow they are such bastards over at MXA for telling it like it is.

I also got a kick out of their Suzuki review this month. Changing a red stripe to a white stripe is not a performance mod. Hahahahaha.
40Plus_922mx
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12/11/2015 1:56pm
TeamGreen wrote:
So, Suzuki is Bankrupt...again? Uh, no. The Division that was in soooo much trouble and draggin' EVERYTHING-ELSE down with it (in the USA) was the Auto-side...
So, Suzuki is Bankrupt...again?

Uh, no.

The Division that was in soooo much trouble and draggin' EVERYTHING-ELSE down with it (in the USA) was the Auto-side of the company; and, it's GONE.

In MXA they reported that Zook was allowed to buy their stock from VW back at nearly a 2 billion dollar gain. So they got they goin for them?
Huckster
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12/11/2015 3:21pm
Anyone care to share the 450 shootout results?
12/11/2015 3:40pm
Huckster wrote:
Anyone care to share the 450 shootout results?
Orange
White
Green
Blue
Red
Yella
12/11/2015 3:42pm
Huckster wrote:
Anyone care to share the 450 shootout results?
Pretty much the same ranking as the weight. Just swap Yam & Honda in the weight rankings.

KTM
Husky
Kaw
Yam
Hon
Suz
12/11/2015 3:47pm
Clearly MXA is wrong because I like Yamaha and they didn't win

Hahahaha hahahahaha

Grinning Silly
Crush
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12/11/2015 3:49pm
I know this could be crazy–but could it be that they genuinely have the best bikes with the best parts, best brakes, electric start, lightest weight, most power, easiest servicing etc... I know. I'm a ktm guy, but really, it's not hard. They've made massive efforts to make their bikes feel like the competitors whilst retaining their great technical and performance attributes.

Whilst it drives me fucking nuts that they don't just measure up the SSS suspension and copy it it, most people would redo their suspension anyways... and there is no denying out of the box, they're the closest thing to a trick race ready bike you can buy.

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