Why is there no ktm/husky pit bike?

Edited Date/Time 7/7/2021 1:39pm
Or any dumb downed four strokes like the Japanese brands offer? Maybe they’re too serious for that and only make “race bikes” ? Seems like they’re missing a huge corner of the market of kids and beginners.

A steel framed ktm 110 with upside down modern forks and optional stiff springs would be a hit i’d Think

Just curious
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mx 219
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2/21/2020 3:35am
I think kawi has that market covered, which isnt much. Honda and yamaha finish the rest. I dont think it is the market it was 10 ir 15 years ago or else maybe they would look at it more.
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nascarnate326
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2/21/2020 3:37am
They make race bikes. Period.
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zippytech
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2/21/2020 4:11am
I see more xr100's than I ever see race bikes.
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2/21/2020 4:37am
I can understand the whole “race bikes only“ brand they’re building now that the bikes are legit. but it seems silly they don’t already have a xr/klx/ttr competitor especially since they invest in off-road so much. Maybe the price point wouldn’t make sense to produce an entry level bike? I’m assuming those mellow bikes use cheap materials and ktm might be too proud
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The Shop

Zaugg
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2/21/2020 6:47am
KTM is a "Ready to Race" brand. That is what they "stand" for and is their brand ethos. Pit bikes, while racing adjacent, are not race bikes.

Pit bikes are also not a huge revenue stream and the guy who owns the company seems to do a pretty good job of investing his money and developing products that sell.

Want a KTM pit bike...buy the new E50. haha



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Hoseclamp
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2/21/2020 7:22am
I agree, pit bikes/play bikes are very common. I think they might be missing out.
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Cokeham23
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2/21/2020 8:15am
I’ve wondered this too. I think a KTM/Husky version of a 110 and 140/150 would be a hot seller. There’s a lot of KTM faithful that would probably buy them in a heartbeat for pitbikes. They would also be perfect for your wife or daughter, and new riders.
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RonJon
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2/21/2020 8:48am
I would equate KTM making a pit bike or a mellow trail bike to Ferarri making a family sedan. It's not in their wheel house. Pick something you're good at and try to be the best.
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Anonymous (not verified)
2/21/2020 8:54am Edited Date/Time 9/1/2026 6:11pm
I'd love a KTM 110.
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craigathan404
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2/21/2020 9:36am
Please dear god Kawi/Honda or whoever is listening, PLEASE put disc brakes on the pit bikes!!! Atleast just one!!
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Johnny Ringo
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2/21/2020 10:22am
I can understand the whole “race bikes only“ brand they’re building now that the bikes are legit. but it seems silly they don’t already have a...
I can understand the whole “race bikes only“ brand they’re building now that the bikes are legit. but it seems silly they don’t already have a xr/klx/ttr competitor especially since they invest in off-road so much. Maybe the price point wouldn’t make sense to produce an entry level bike? I’m assuming those mellow bikes use cheap materials and ktm might be too proud
KTM and cheap materials go hand in hand.
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Johnny Ringo
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2/21/2020 10:23am
Zaugg wrote:
KTM is a "Ready to Race" brand. That is what they "stand" for and is their brand ethos. Pit bikes, while racing adjacent, are not race...
KTM is a "Ready to Race" brand. That is what they "stand" for and is their brand ethos. Pit bikes, while racing adjacent, are not race bikes.

Pit bikes are also not a huge revenue stream and the guy who owns the company seems to do a pretty good job of investing his money and developing products that sell.

Want a KTM pit bike...buy the new E50. haha



I’d argue that some of their adventure/off road bikes aren’t “race bikes”
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xrmark
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2/21/2020 10:28am
Please dear god Kawi/Honda or whoever is listening, PLEASE put disc brakes on the pit bikes!!! Atleast just one!!
Hell no. Keep these things as simple as possible.
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Mr. Afterbar
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2/21/2020 10:49am
They make race bikes. Period.
What’s the e freeride? Doesn’t look like a race bike to me.
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Stuntman949
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2/21/2020 10:55am
You can't beat an XR, so why try
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TeamGreen
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2/21/2020 10:56am
You Silly, Silly American!
That’s not how “we” do it!
We make serious motorcycles for serious racers.
Then, we dance!

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Brent
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2/21/2020 11:48am Edited Date/Time 2/21/2020 11:49am



If KTM ever did one, it would look something like this (with a steel orange frame, of course)...
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Johnny Ringo
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2/21/2020 11:50am
Brent wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2020/02/21/405891/s1200_BBR_CRF_110.jpg[/img] If KTM ever did one, it would look something like this (with a steel orange frame, of course)...



If KTM ever did one, it would look something like this (with a steel orange frame, of course)...
And it would cost $2k more than a Honda
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2/21/2020 11:50am
RonJon wrote:
I would equate KTM making a pit bike or a mellow trail bike to Ferarri making a family sedan. It's not in their wheel house. Pick...
I would equate KTM making a pit bike or a mellow trail bike to Ferarri making a family sedan. It's not in their wheel house. Pick something you're good at and try to be the best.
I get that now but 10 to 15 years ago the “race bike” was more of a Honda Civic than a Ferrari, it’s not like they’ve been a prestigious manufacturer for that long
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2/21/2020 11:50am Edited Date/Time 2/21/2020 11:52am
Zaugg wrote:
KTM is a "Ready to Race" brand. That is what they "stand" for and is their brand ethos. Pit bikes, while racing adjacent, are not race...
KTM is a "Ready to Race" brand. That is what they "stand" for and is their brand ethos. Pit bikes, while racing adjacent, are not race bikes.

Pit bikes are also not a huge revenue stream and the guy who owns the company seems to do a pretty good job of investing his money and developing products that sell.

Want a KTM pit bike...buy the new E50. haha



It seems to me a pitbike would fall in the same category as all the Freeride models, which have are designed to be fun playbikes moreso than "Ready to Race"
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2/21/2020 11:54am
RonJon wrote:
I would equate KTM making a pit bike or a mellow trail bike to Ferarri making a family sedan. It's not in their wheel house. Pick...
I would equate KTM making a pit bike or a mellow trail bike to Ferarri making a family sedan. It's not in their wheel house. Pick something you're good at and try to be the best.
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BobPA
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2/21/2020 11:58am
Please dear god Kawi/Honda or whoever is listening, PLEASE put disc brakes on the pit bikes!!! Atleast just one!!
xrmark wrote:
Hell no. Keep these things as simple as possible.
Replace brake shoes in a drum

Replace brake pads on a disc system

Tell me which is more simple.
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Zaugg
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2/21/2020 12:32pm
Zaugg wrote:
KTM is a "Ready to Race" brand. That is what they "stand" for and is their brand ethos. Pit bikes, while racing adjacent, are not race...
KTM is a "Ready to Race" brand. That is what they "stand" for and is their brand ethos. Pit bikes, while racing adjacent, are not race bikes.

Pit bikes are also not a huge revenue stream and the guy who owns the company seems to do a pretty good job of investing his money and developing products that sell.

Want a KTM pit bike...buy the new E50. haha



It seems to me a pitbike would fall in the same category as all the Freeride models, which have are designed to be fun playbikes moreso...
It seems to me a pitbike would fall in the same category as all the Freeride models, which have are designed to be fun playbikes moreso than "Ready to Race"
While there are exceptions, they're not going to spend money on developing pit bikes because it doesn't fit into their brand message or core values. (Purity, Adventure, Extreme, Performance) This is something all KTM designers think about when developing or improving a bike.

The Freerides/ ADV bikes touch on all these core values. While Freerides are "play" bikes and ADV are not race bikes, they are also performance bikes, with an extreme side, and elicit a certain level of two-wheel purity.

Pit Bikes can be extreme and have performance sure, but to do so it would cost money and KTM isn't willing to put the development into these types of products when it would take away from their money makers.

I'm not saying they're right or wrong. I'm sure all of us could point out plenty of KTM head-scratching examples. Laughing
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Luke_Richards
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2/21/2020 12:38pm
Because they’d cost $6500, and they would take the simplicity of a air cooled trail bike out of it
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2/21/2020 12:42pm
Because they’d cost $6500, and they would take the simplicity of a air cooled trail bike out of it
Opened this thread with this response in mind.
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ktmwoods
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2/21/2020 1:16pm
Feels like it could be a reality. With a the cheaper / low budget smaller displacement street models etc they build in India, this should absolutely be possible.
peelout
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2/21/2020 1:53pm
just grab some wood screws and orange plastic for your Kawi 110 bro
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7/1/2021 1:08pm
zippytech wrote:
I see more xr100's than I ever see race bikes.
You mean you see more CRF110's out there
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7/1/2021 1:12pm
You can't beat an XR, so why try
I blow the XR's away. So not sure what your talking about. I smoke my buddy's YZ125 on my YCF 190cc Daytona Anima. It's kind of funny.
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