Walker signs with Factory Beta

Tuna
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1/1/2021 6:22am Edited Date/Time 1/19/2021 2:10pm
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Jmicmoto13
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1/1/2021 6:29am
That's awesome. I'm a fan of Johnny and Beta. Hopefully this will be a strong combo. Thanks for posting.
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Tuna
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1/1/2021 6:45am
Jmicmoto13 wrote:
That's awesome. I'm a fan of Johnny and Beta. Hopefully this will be a strong combo. Thanks for posting.
I think he will do better in super enduro. I don’t think he will be close to a contender in the Extreme series, his star is on the decline. Too many young guys coming up and Jarvis is in the best shape he’s ever been. Manni is gonna be tough to beat. Hoping Billy can keep it together but he’s a bit of a wild child and always close to tossing it away.
Curious to see how the Beta holds up, a lot of racers doubted the durability for extreme enduro.
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j100
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1/1/2021 7:14am
i like seeing this too.
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Johnny Depp
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1/1/2021 7:26am Edited Date/Time 1/1/2021 7:28am
This deal made sense as soon as Walker left KTM. It's cool to see Beta have the resources to venture into new things. I don't think they sell 1/4 what KTM Industries sell, and they don't have anywhere near the experience in this field. I think the bike will do fine, they have already had some top 10's out of Teasdale, Coleman and Tarres. If Johnny can stay healthy this should make for some good brand competition.

Walker will run his own team so Beta won't have to get their hands too dirty, just their checkbook. The FIM partnership in the former WESS series could develop into something special, too bad they lost last year to Covid.

https://enduro21.com/en/videos/latest/jonny-walker-to-race-beta-in-hard…

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The Shop

Tuna
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1/1/2021 7:28am
This deal made sense as soon as Walker left KTM. It's cool to see Beta have the resources to venture into new things. I don't think...
This deal made sense as soon as Walker left KTM. It's cool to see Beta have the resources to venture into new things. I don't think they sell 1/4 what KTM Industries sell, and they don't have anywhere near the experience in this field. I think the bike will do fine, they have already had some top 10's out of Teasdale, Coleman and Tarres. If Johnny can stay healthy this should make for some good brand competition.

Walker will run his own team so Beta won't have to get their hands too dirty, just their checkbook. The FIM partnership in the former WESS series could develop into something special, too bad they lost last year to Covid.

https://enduro21.com/en/videos/latest/jonny-walker-to-race-beta-in-hard…

Will be nice to see him freshly motivated.
He needs it.
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rohleder644
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1/1/2021 7:51am
Optimistic for both parties for sure. Good group of dudes on both sides.

I never really heard, was there anything to him and KTM parting ways? Just declining results in an already packed house?
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ccullins
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1/1/2021 7:58am Edited Date/Time 1/1/2021 5:19pm
Jmicmoto13 wrote:
That's awesome. I'm a fan of Johnny and Beta. Hopefully this will be a strong combo. Thanks for posting.
Tuna wrote:
I think he will do better in super enduro. I don’t think he will be close to a contender in the Extreme series, his star is...
I think he will do better in super enduro. I don’t think he will be close to a contender in the Extreme series, his star is on the decline. Too many young guys coming up and Jarvis is in the best shape he’s ever been. Manni is gonna be tough to beat. Hoping Billy can keep it together but he’s a bit of a wild child and always close to tossing it away.
Curious to see how the Beta holds up, a lot of racers doubted the durability for extreme enduro.
As much as I like Johnny and Beta I would love to see him beat the Austrian bikes in SuperEnduro. Unfortunately I don’t see it happening.
Those KTM/Husky Factory 350’s have specially built motors just for SuperEnduro/Endurocross that are nothing like stock. The riders have different motor options that they test to suit their needs. That’s why in that series basically only the only four strokes are pretty much the factory Austrian bikes. If you can’t have one of those your better off on a 2t on those tracks. Guys like Pol started the series last year on a 4t and quickly switched to a 2t.

Personally I’d like to see Webb win on his Sherco, then Walker on Beta, but in reality I don’t see any of them beating Bolt.
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Tuna
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1/1/2021 8:55am
Optimistic for both parties for sure. Good group of dudes on both sides. I never really heard, was there anything to him and KTM parting ways...
Optimistic for both parties for sure. Good group of dudes on both sides.

I never really heard, was there anything to him and KTM parting ways? Just declining results in an already packed house?
They were paying him a lot of money, he was not pushing the brand and his results were not great. He was making a substantially larger salary than a lot of other KTM group riders who were consistently winning or hitting the podium. Lots of talk that he was just not putting the effort in and was not motivated.
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rohleder644
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1/1/2021 9:23am
Fair enough. Can’t blame a company looking for premium return on premium investment. Either way, I’m a big fan of his. And lord knows KTM ain’t gonna be hurting for results. Letti’s a fuckin monster and he seems to really enjoy what he does. Which I think is key to a prolonged career.

I’m really not all that big a fan of the endurocross stuff, but I’m glad to see there seems to be quite a few rides out there for the extreme guys.
numbers
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1/1/2021 9:59am
This deal made sense as soon as Walker left KTM. It's cool to see Beta have the resources to venture into new things. I don't think...
This deal made sense as soon as Walker left KTM. It's cool to see Beta have the resources to venture into new things. I don't think they sell 1/4 what KTM Industries sell, and they don't have anywhere near the experience in this field. I think the bike will do fine, they have already had some top 10's out of Teasdale, Coleman and Tarres. If Johnny can stay healthy this should make for some good brand competition.

Walker will run his own team so Beta won't have to get their hands too dirty, just their checkbook. The FIM partnership in the former WESS series could develop into something special, too bad they lost last year to Covid.

https://enduro21.com/en/videos/latest/jonny-walker-to-race-beta-in-hard…

TKO in August gonna be amazing.
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Natester551v
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1/1/2021 10:50am
Tuna wrote:
They were paying him a lot of money, he was not pushing the brand and his results were not great. He was making a substantially larger...
They were paying him a lot of money, he was not pushing the brand and his results were not great. He was making a substantially larger salary than a lot of other KTM group riders who were consistently winning or hitting the podium. Lots of talk that he was just not putting the effort in and was not motivated.
Hasn't he had a number of injuries the past few years? I have no idea what level of effort he was putting in, but being hurt has got to put a big dent in things.

Hope he shreds on the Beta!
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Tuna
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1/1/2021 10:55am
Tuna wrote:
They were paying him a lot of money, he was not pushing the brand and his results were not great. He was making a substantially larger...
They were paying him a lot of money, he was not pushing the brand and his results were not great. He was making a substantially larger salary than a lot of other KTM group riders who were consistently winning or hitting the podium. Lots of talk that he was just not putting the effort in and was not motivated.
Hasn't he had a number of injuries the past few years? I have no idea what level of effort he was putting in, but being hurt...
Hasn't he had a number of injuries the past few years? I have no idea what level of effort he was putting in, but being hurt has got to put a big dent in things.

Hope he shreds on the Beta!
Yeah, bad luck with injuries for sure.
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flatout111
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1/1/2021 11:08am
Excited to see Jonny on a new bike. And also to see someone on a Beta that can win hard enduro races. Great move! Great to see Jonny form his own team, keep all his sponsors and for Factory Beta to offer support!
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1/1/2021 11:10am
Jmicmoto13 wrote:
That's awesome. I'm a fan of Johnny and Beta. Hopefully this will be a strong combo. Thanks for posting.
Tuna wrote:
I think he will do better in super enduro. I don’t think he will be close to a contender in the Extreme series, his star is...
I think he will do better in super enduro. I don’t think he will be close to a contender in the Extreme series, his star is on the decline. Too many young guys coming up and Jarvis is in the best shape he’s ever been. Manni is gonna be tough to beat. Hoping Billy can keep it together but he’s a bit of a wild child and always close to tossing it away.
Curious to see how the Beta holds up, a lot of racers doubted the durability for extreme enduro.
ccullins wrote:
As much as I like Johnny and Beta I would love to see him beat the Austrian bikes in SuperEnduro. Unfortunately I don’t see it happening...
As much as I like Johnny and Beta I would love to see him beat the Austrian bikes in SuperEnduro. Unfortunately I don’t see it happening.
Those KTM/Husky Factory 350’s have specially built motors just for SuperEnduro/Endurocross that are nothing like stock. The riders have different motor options that they test to suit their needs. That’s why in that series basically only the only four strokes are pretty much the factory Austrian bikes. If you can’t have one of those your better off on a 2t on those tracks. Guys like Pol started the series last year on a 4t and quickly switched to a 2t.

Personally I’d like to see Webb win on his Sherco, then Walker on Beta, but in reality I don’t see any of them beating Bolt.
Very interesting input. The fact that the 350 is the bike of choice has been something that has evolved over the last several seasons, and I was curious as to why.

Congratulations on your EnduroCross season!!
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raa360
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1/1/2021 11:41am
Optimistic for both parties for sure. Good group of dudes on both sides. I never really heard, was there anything to him and KTM parting ways...
Optimistic for both parties for sure. Good group of dudes on both sides.

I never really heard, was there anything to him and KTM parting ways? Just declining results in an already packed house?
Tuna wrote:
They were paying him a lot of money, he was not pushing the brand and his results were not great. He was making a substantially larger...
They were paying him a lot of money, he was not pushing the brand and his results were not great. He was making a substantially larger salary than a lot of other KTM group riders who were consistently winning or hitting the podium. Lots of talk that he was just not putting the effort in and was not motivated.
It's about money, not motivation. MotoGP is an expensive animal and the money has to come from somewhere.
Tuna
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1/1/2021 12:24pm
Optimistic for both parties for sure. Good group of dudes on both sides. I never really heard, was there anything to him and KTM parting ways...
Optimistic for both parties for sure. Good group of dudes on both sides.

I never really heard, was there anything to him and KTM parting ways? Just declining results in an already packed house?
Tuna wrote:
They were paying him a lot of money, he was not pushing the brand and his results were not great. He was making a substantially larger...
They were paying him a lot of money, he was not pushing the brand and his results were not great. He was making a substantially larger salary than a lot of other KTM group riders who were consistently winning or hitting the podium. Lots of talk that he was just not putting the effort in and was not motivated.
raa360 wrote:
It's about money, not motivation. MotoGP is an expensive animal and the money has to come from somewhere.
What are you talking about🤷‍♂️
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raa360
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1/1/2021 1:00pm
Tuna wrote:
They were paying him a lot of money, he was not pushing the brand and his results were not great. He was making a substantially larger...
They were paying him a lot of money, he was not pushing the brand and his results were not great. He was making a substantially larger salary than a lot of other KTM group riders who were consistently winning or hitting the podium. Lots of talk that he was just not putting the effort in and was not motivated.
raa360 wrote:
It's about money, not motivation. MotoGP is an expensive animal and the money has to come from somewhere.
Tuna wrote:
What are you talking about🤷‍♂️
Less budget means less Riders. Ktm enduro Budget won't be the same as in previous years. They have a MotoGP program to pay for, Dakar title to regain and a new brand to promote. oh and probably a reduced income due to bike sales not being where they would want them to be.
apologies for not being clear with my comment.
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Tuna
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1/1/2021 1:17pm
raa360 wrote:
It's about money, not motivation. MotoGP is an expensive animal and the money has to come from somewhere.
Tuna wrote:
What are you talking about🤷‍♂️
raa360 wrote:
Less budget means less Riders. Ktm enduro Budget won't be the same as in previous years. They have a MotoGP program to pay for, Dakar title...
Less budget means less Riders. Ktm enduro Budget won't be the same as in previous years. They have a MotoGP program to pay for, Dakar title to regain and a new brand to promote. oh and probably a reduced income due to bike sales not being where they would want them to be.
apologies for not being clear with my comment.
If Jonny was making podiums he’d still be on the team. KTM is having a killer sales year.
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Tuna
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1/1/2021 1:18pm
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raa360
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1/1/2021 2:33pm
You can't make a podium when you're injured. There was one big international race last year and he was on the sidelines due to the injury he picked up at the British Extreme round.
If KTM have not been financially effected by the worldwide pandemic I would be very surprised.

They pulled out of the French beach racing series because the budget wasn't available like previous years. (That was run by the enduro team). Three into two only works if someone is out of contract.

I hope JW puts it to them this year, he's a great guy with lots of talent.
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LungButter
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1/1/2021 3:23pm
I’m with Tuna, if he had been getting results like the old Johnny he’d still have a ride with KTM/Husky/Gas Gas.

Maybe a fresh team and perspective is what he needs and it’ll be cool to see Beta in the extreme mix. Kinda surprised it’s taken this long for them to support a top tier guy.
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ccullins
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1/2/2021 8:42am
Tuna wrote:
I think he will do better in super enduro. I don’t think he will be close to a contender in the Extreme series, his star is...
I think he will do better in super enduro. I don’t think he will be close to a contender in the Extreme series, his star is on the decline. Too many young guys coming up and Jarvis is in the best shape he’s ever been. Manni is gonna be tough to beat. Hoping Billy can keep it together but he’s a bit of a wild child and always close to tossing it away.
Curious to see how the Beta holds up, a lot of racers doubted the durability for extreme enduro.
ccullins wrote:
As much as I like Johnny and Beta I would love to see him beat the Austrian bikes in SuperEnduro. Unfortunately I don’t see it happening...
As much as I like Johnny and Beta I would love to see him beat the Austrian bikes in SuperEnduro. Unfortunately I don’t see it happening.
Those KTM/Husky Factory 350’s have specially built motors just for SuperEnduro/Endurocross that are nothing like stock. The riders have different motor options that they test to suit their needs. That’s why in that series basically only the only four strokes are pretty much the factory Austrian bikes. If you can’t have one of those your better off on a 2t on those tracks. Guys like Pol started the series last year on a 4t and quickly switched to a 2t.

Personally I’d like to see Webb win on his Sherco, then Walker on Beta, but in reality I don’t see any of them beating Bolt.
Very interesting input. The fact that the 350 is the bike of choice has been something that has evolved over the last several seasons, and I...
Very interesting input. The fact that the 350 is the bike of choice has been something that has evolved over the last several seasons, and I was curious as to why.

Congratulations on your EnduroCross season!!
Thanks!
Also I’ll add my comments where more towards European SuperEnduro than US Endurocross. Here in the states our EX series tracks have got way more moto the last few years and having a 4t is a much bigger advantage, so having a “stock” four stroke motor is still an advantage over a 2t. This last year more so than ever. Knowing what brands everyone is riding now I don’t except to see any 2t’s in the Pro main events for the first time ever in 2021. I know my son will be on a 300cc four stroke TM.
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skeef
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1/2/2021 8:52am
They call it beta for a reason. Under powered
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1/2/2021 9:13am
ccullins wrote:
As much as I like Johnny and Beta I would love to see him beat the Austrian bikes in SuperEnduro. Unfortunately I don’t see it happening...
As much as I like Johnny and Beta I would love to see him beat the Austrian bikes in SuperEnduro. Unfortunately I don’t see it happening.
Those KTM/Husky Factory 350’s have specially built motors just for SuperEnduro/Endurocross that are nothing like stock. The riders have different motor options that they test to suit their needs. That’s why in that series basically only the only four strokes are pretty much the factory Austrian bikes. If you can’t have one of those your better off on a 2t on those tracks. Guys like Pol started the series last year on a 4t and quickly switched to a 2t.

Personally I’d like to see Webb win on his Sherco, then Walker on Beta, but in reality I don’t see any of them beating Bolt.
specially built you say, i remeber reading an article about Billy Bolts 2020 endurocross 350, and the engine was an mx engine with enduro crank and flywheel. doesn't sound impossible to replicate for any other team with some money and knowledge
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1/2/2021 9:48am
flatout111 wrote:
Excited to see Jonny on a new bike. And also to see someone on a Beta that can win hard enduro races. Great move! Great to...
Excited to see Jonny on a new bike. And also to see someone on a Beta that can win hard enduro races. Great move! Great to see Jonny form his own team, keep all his sponsors and for Factory Beta to offer support!
But does running your own team ever really work out? It must come with a lot of financial and organizational pressures that wouldn't be there with a factory team ride. Just hope it works for him.
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ccullins
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1/2/2021 11:12am
ccullins wrote:
As much as I like Johnny and Beta I would love to see him beat the Austrian bikes in SuperEnduro. Unfortunately I don’t see it happening...
As much as I like Johnny and Beta I would love to see him beat the Austrian bikes in SuperEnduro. Unfortunately I don’t see it happening.
Those KTM/Husky Factory 350’s have specially built motors just for SuperEnduro/Endurocross that are nothing like stock. The riders have different motor options that they test to suit their needs. That’s why in that series basically only the only four strokes are pretty much the factory Austrian bikes. If you can’t have one of those your better off on a 2t on those tracks. Guys like Pol started the series last year on a 4t and quickly switched to a 2t.

Personally I’d like to see Webb win on his Sherco, then Walker on Beta, but in reality I don’t see any of them beating Bolt.
specially built you say, i remeber reading an article about Billy Bolts 2020 endurocross 350, and the engine was an mx engine with enduro crank and...
specially built you say, i remeber reading an article about Billy Bolts 2020 endurocross 350, and the engine was an mx engine with enduro crank and flywheel. doesn't sound impossible to replicate for any other team with some money and knowledge
So being in and around race teams I can tell you that those articles on the race bikes are only what the team wants the public to know. That’s especially the case with motors.
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rohleder644
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1/2/2021 11:41am
ccullins wrote:
So being in and around race teams I can tell you that those articles on the race bikes are only what the team wants the public...
So being in and around race teams I can tell you that those articles on the race bikes are only what the team wants the public to know. That’s especially the case with motors.
I’ve always assumed this. I’m always interested in the off-road bikes as they’ve historically been incredibly bland. Even at the highest level. The last 20 years has definitely seen a change in that. It’s cool seeing some of the tricks the top off-road guys are using in the different disciplines.
Derpin' DJ
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1/2/2021 11:56am
skeef wrote:
They call it beta for a reason. Under powered
Seem to have plenty of power for Steve Holcombe and Brad Freeman
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