Posts
3658
Joined
3/2/2009
Location
NO
Edited Date/Time
1/27/2012 2:53pm
It took them forever to win over the American consumers.
They have given costumers excellent bikes with innovative paRts for years, yet people still hated them. No-link suspension ( innovative, lightweight And has still not been proven to perform as bad as keyboard mechanics claim to see (they never tried it, but they could see it on alessi's bike and a friend of a friend heard Taliban used WP shocks in their RPGs. Adding a link complicates disasembly hence no Kayaba or Showas used in Jihad.
They came stick with oversized bars, killer engines, Vforce reeds, hydraulic clutches and FMF pipes. Still people bought Japanese bikes And spent $1000 hopping them up to KTM standard. KTM won bike tests, but they were "full of biased Yamaha-action propaganda" (huh?)
Less than ONE year ago they were still doubted. "Reed to KTM" were as sarcastic as "Stewart to Husky" is today.
You mean they could have hired DeCoster years ago and been taken seriously instantly?
People think CP to KTM all of a sudden seems plausible, Yet one year ago it would have been a joke. My question is: what has happened the last 12 months to make the American consumers believe in KTM?
They have given costumers excellent bikes with innovative paRts for years, yet people still hated them. No-link suspension ( innovative, lightweight And has still not been proven to perform as bad as keyboard mechanics claim to see (they never tried it, but they could see it on alessi's bike and a friend of a friend heard Taliban used WP shocks in their RPGs. Adding a link complicates disasembly hence no Kayaba or Showas used in Jihad.
They came stick with oversized bars, killer engines, Vforce reeds, hydraulic clutches and FMF pipes. Still people bought Japanese bikes And spent $1000 hopping them up to KTM standard. KTM won bike tests, but they were "full of biased Yamaha-action propaganda" (huh?)
Less than ONE year ago they were still doubted. "Reed to KTM" were as sarcastic as "Stewart to Husky" is today.
You mean they could have hired DeCoster years ago and been taken seriously instantly?
People think CP to KTM all of a sudden seems plausible, Yet one year ago it would have been a joke. My question is: what has happened the last 12 months to make the American consumers believe in KTM?
Maybe it has to do with the fact KTM have won everything in sight in the GP's in both classes this year. Maybe it has something to do with hiring Stephan Everts and Roger Decoster, maybe people are finally just removing the Japanese wool from their eyes.
For quite a while now it hasn't been about the bikes, it's been about reputation. Over the last 40 years or so the Japanese factories have built their reputations by winning in the US. So even if they build a bad bike riders will still be lining up to ride for them and the spectators will still believe they can win.
KTM don't have that reputation behind them yet, but it only takes a few good guys, like DeCoster and any one of the rumoured riders linked to them, to become a serious force. Then it's only a matter of time until a championship comes and the reputation will be set for a while to come.
Maybe the continued developement of bikes as opposed to the Japanese BNGs may have a little to do with it. But I dont see that as the primary reason
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I realise some people don't read or even like MXA but a lot of people do. To me they're almost always right. No I'm not on MXA's nuts, it's just the truth. I mean I can't think of another MX magazine that devotes more man hours and more money into testing than MXA. Winning their shootout means a little more than winning anyone elses.
KTM are "cool" now.......but imagine how "very cool" they will be when Reed wins the 2011 SX championship onboard one!!!
alot of people didnt like them because they weren't winning over here and the easy excuse to lay down was the linkage. but, ever since the talk of the linkage coming back, everyone has been opening up towards ktm and now realize they are actually a top bike and you can compete on them.
They are commited to 4 strokes (of varrying cc's), 2 strokes and Elec"trick".
The bikes look and feel trick.
They also started doing well in the GPs and better in the Nats, which helped.
I can give you a direct answer at least for the past. They were over priced. They broke frames, hubs, transmission, parts prices were high and hard to find. When a bike breaks because of a factory defect, the Japanese shops would often fix them, KTM you were on your own. Terrible suspension, you had to spend at least 1K to get them working so they were ridable. I think pumpkin orange is plain ugly. KTM=Halloween. Bad reputation, Kant Take Motocross was a common term. Their bikes were kobby and showed no eye for design. I don't think KTMs are cool, I still wouldn't buy one and Roger going to KTM doesn't make me want to buy one. They are better now as far as reliability but I still see issues with them at my local track, so much so I would never consider one.
So there is your straight answer. Also, I don't hate KTM, if they produce a good competitive product and a reasonable price with good availability, I would consider it but they still don't touch the Japanese. I would buy any Japanese bike built in 2010 over a KTM and when I look at local tracks and see how many people don't have KTMs it confirms that they are not popular for a reason.
Pit Row
For myself. its build quality and KTM has surpassed the others, you just can't deny how trick and reliable they are.
I had one of these, so the pumpkin color has never been a problem with me.
Are you really asking 'when did KTM become mainstream?'
Hopefully, the answer to that will be 'never'
Are you a chick?
I sold it as used and bought a jap bike like a should have to start with.
Post a reply to: When did KTM become "cool"?