INCOMING.......Out with the old and in with the new

hunterp27
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Mc Kinney, TX US
hunterp27
Edited Date/Time 2/2/2021 11:45am
After many many years of owning, riding and loving Japanese bikes I have left the fold. Giving the European company a shot and so far I am impressed. Here it sits bone ass stock in my garage after taking delivery yesterday. This thing is as red as red can be. Oh and that electric start makes all the difference in the world. My creaky old ass at age 54 doesn't need or want to be steady kicking on on my bike when its 100 degrees here in Texas. C'mon Suzuki, I prolly woulda stuck with ya if ya had an electric start.
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gt80rider
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4/19/2008
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Boulder, CO US
gt80rider 1/31/2021 10:13am
1/31/2021 10:13am
I bought my first two ktms in 2020.... both were adv, not hard-core moto... both are sub par to the Japanese brands... never again for me.....
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Derpin' DJ
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Newcastle AU
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2797th
Derpin' DJ 1/31/2021 11:04am
1/31/2021 11:04am
gt80rider wrote:
I bought my first two ktms in 2020.... both were adv, not hard-core moto... both are sub par to the Japanese brands... never again for me.....
What bikes?
cwel11
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Orangeville, PA US
cwel11 1/31/2021 1:46pm
1/31/2021 1:46pm Edited Date/Time 2/2/2021 11:44am
gt80rider wrote:
I bought my first two ktms in 2020.... both were adv, not hard-core moto... both are sub par to the Japanese brands... never again for me.....
You are the minority. I swore I’d never ride a European bike. Been on orange and now white for 5 years. Unbelievable really with the bikes they’ve been able to build and how fast they’ve got there.
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hunterp27
Profile picture for user hunterp27
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28
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3/27/2017
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Mc Kinney, TX US
hunterp27 2/1/2021 5:13am
2/1/2021 5:13am
gt80rider wrote:
I bought my first two ktms in 2020.... both were adv, not hard-core moto... both are sub par to the Japanese brands... never again for me.....
OK you have me wondering, What is your issue with the Austrian bikes? When you say "sub par", what are you referring to? I am not looking for justification for what I have done as I couldn't be happier thus far, I am just curious what is causing you to be so definitive and absolute in your statement. Of course you are entitled to your opinion but when you put your opinion out there, people wanna know what is driving it???
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profeshenal125 2/1/2021 6:07pm
2/1/2021 6:07pm
The new bikes look great. I got a new GasGas 125 to use 20 yrs ago, that bike not so great. I gave it back after 3 weeks. And stuck with my RM125.
Bultaco
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1/20/2014
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Planet, VT US
Bultaco 2/1/2021 6:40pm
2/1/2021 6:40pm
That looks fast just sitting there. Congrats!
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wrc777
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Greenwood, IN US
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783rd
wrc777 2/1/2021 6:41pm
2/1/2021 6:41pm
I miss the little things about the ktm like a shifter that actually fits my foot.
kennyc
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118
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5/9/2012
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Liberty Hill, TX US
kennyc 2/1/2021 6:49pm
2/1/2021 6:49pm
hunterp27 wrote:
OK you have me wondering, What is your issue with the Austrian bikes? When you say "sub par", what are you referring to? I am not...
OK you have me wondering, What is your issue with the Austrian bikes? When you say "sub par", what are you referring to? I am not looking for justification for what I have done as I couldn't be happier thus far, I am just curious what is causing you to be so definitive and absolute in your statement. Of course you are entitled to your opinion but when you put your opinion out there, people wanna know what is driving it???
For me.. I had 2 450sx-fe 17.5 and 18.5. Neither were good for me personally and it was really just the ergonomics. Weight, power, suspension were all fine. I"m 6'2" and 210 so I like a slightly bigger bike anyway, and one item in particular is/was the straight seat. I like a little more dip in my seat than the KTMs offer. Also, the peg to top of seat height was a little off for me. I found myself going to squeeze with my knees and being slightly above the top of the seat. The narrower shrouds & the slightly smaller cockpit make me prefer a different bike.
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vetmxr
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1/10/2009
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NE US
vetmxr 2/1/2021 6:51pm
2/1/2021 6:51pm
My KTM 450 FE is the best race bike I've ever owned and I've owned them all since the 80's.......Got rid of a sweet 2008 crf 450 and bought this one and It is so much better than that honda it's unbelievable.....Fits me like a glove.
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Racer_336
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12/8/2020
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Trinity, NC US
Racer_336 2/1/2021 8:09pm
2/1/2021 8:09pm
crusher773 wrote:
You won't ever go back
I did! Tried two different model year KTM’s. A 2018 and a 2019. In 2020 I switched back to Honda’s. I’m happy again. It’s all personal preference. For me, Honda is home.
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Racer_336
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Trinity, NC US
Racer_336 2/1/2021 8:13pm
2/1/2021 8:13pm
vetmxr wrote:
My KTM 450 FE is the best race bike I've ever owned and I've owned them all since the 80's.......Got rid of a sweet 2008 crf...
My KTM 450 FE is the best race bike I've ever owned and I've owned them all since the 80's.......Got rid of a sweet 2008 crf 450 and bought this one and It is so much better than that honda it's unbelievable.....Fits me like a glove.
Trying to compare a Modern day 450 to a 2008 450 is not comparable. Your 2008 was pre EFI. I would hope a bike 10-12 years newer was better than your 2008. 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️
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bvm111
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7/1/2008
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Las Vegas, NV US
bvm111 2/1/2021 8:23pm
2/1/2021 8:23pm
my 20.5 Fe is the best bike i’ve ever owned... it takes about 7-10 hours to break in so don’t freak out about suspension just follow the manual recommendations until it’s good and broken in and then make a decision on settings/ revalve. Is the platform different than a yamahondakawi.... of course it is, but it’s a great bike. Excited for your ride report and what you think about it.... good luck!
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