does racing/certain riders sell bikes?

I think the KTM kids races at the supercrosses do alot for long term KTM sales.

I switched over to Honda in 93 simply because of mc... Then I switched to Yamaha when he started racing those....

Yes, I skipped the suzi year... Lol

Brand loyalty goes a long way, yes some riders do influence kids more than adults. Once they are on a brand, it's easier to keep them.

I ride a Suzuki dual sport but for some reason when I think of dirt bike I think of a YZ. I don't know if it's marketing or somthing subliminal but I know I want my first proper mx bike to be a YZ.

Decoster, Dungey. Bam. theres all your KTM sales

I bought my first Yamaha because I liked the colour blue... owned 4 more Yamaha's after that (07 TTR125, 09 YZ250f, 03 YZ125, 05 YZ144). I picked up a 14 RMZ250 after because I heard they cornered good, which they did. But always being a Hansen fan, his switch to Husky made me stop in at the Husky dealer, and eventually picking up an FC250 shortly after. The bike is good. Every bike has its pros and cons, but for me the number 1 biggest selling key is the way the dealership treats you. I've had nothing but top notch service with my Husky dealer, and because of everything they have done for me, I can say I won't be riding anything other then a Husky as long and they are around. People like to be treated like family, and that's exactly what they do for me.

Squidward wrote:

Decoster, Dungey. Bam. theres all your KTM sales

I think ktm sells because they are a superior bike. Weight, power, e start... which i suppose could be traced to decoster. But i think they'd sell if they had won nothing.

What wins on Sunday, sells on Monday. That used to be the saying. These days all the bikes are good, some are better than others. Buy what you like and are comfortable on. "WFO4EVER" prefers 2-Strokes because that is exactly how you ride one. They are so simple to ride. just twist the throttle as far as it will turn, then let the clutch out when the gate drops and shift.

doofy wrote:

I think ktm sells because they are a superior bike. Weight, power, e start... which i suppose could be traced to decoster. But i think they'd sell if they had won nothing.

I would definitely stick with Decoster having a lot to do with their sales. Dungey I think just jumped them a bit more because of his personality and winnings. The dude was a class act and only ever boasted about how great the KTM's were and the whole team in general, so I think everyone that looked up to the guy took that into account. But as far as total sales, Them sticking so much into the two strokes and keeping their designs up to snuff every year most certainly plays a major role. They just seem like the all around perfect race bike if you can shell out the cash. Iv'e been seeing a decent amount of issues coming out of the bikes recently, but have only heard great things about the customer service. I just don't feel like spending so much for a mainstream bike, I love the things but I can still be a great rider on an old Honda if I take the time and train. And that'll make you a much better overall rider in the end. I honestly can't tell you how much of sales come from the riders/race teams. I don't doubt its a good percentage, and I know kids are extremely brand loyal. I guess it comes down to your personal views in the end. All I know is that people should realize that all the new bikes are just about as good as one another. They all got their little differences here and there, but if your a good rider, you should do just as well on any of them when you get used to it/spend enough time on the bike. But it dose seem like KTM Huskie, and all them guys really, really put the effort in.

It seemed to be more true in the past. Guys I knew that liked Ward rode Kaw. I was an RJ/Bailey fan so I rode red. But I think the main difference is riders tend to switch brands more now.

Somehow i think that KR on Honda sells better than he ever did to Zook

It would be an interesting experiment to see how well an established manufacturer could do if they got out of professional racing and sold their bikes at a much lower price without that huge expense. I think with social media and other available forms of publicity and marketing today it could be done successfully.

Seeing pro circuit, stew, rc, rv all dominate on kawasaki is one of the reasons i like kawi like harley riders like harleys. It was never just 1 guy being the only reason im brand loyal i guess. Even at aimexpo last weekend kawasaki had the best showing and was welcoming under their tent. My brother wrecked and broke one of their z125s and they didnt even give a shit.

My 4 year old likes ET3 because he rides a "green" bike. He keeps asking when he can get a green one.

Little buddy, you won't get a green one till you get good on your blue one.

Acidreamer wrote:

Seeing pro circuit, stew, rc, rv all dominate on kawasaki is one of the reasons i like kawi like harley riders like harleys. It was never just 1 guy being the only reason im brand loyal i guess. Even at aimexpo last weekend kawasaki had the best showing and was welcoming under their tent. My brother wrecked and broke one of their z125s and they didnt even give a shit.

Um yea I’m gunna have to ask for a little more details on that last sentence..

Had KTM not been successful in professional racing yet built the same bikes, I don't think their sales would be nearly as good. Their success on the track gave them some legitimacy in my opinion.

Acidreamer wrote:

Seeing pro circuit, stew, rc, rv all dominate on kawasaki is one of the reasons i like kawi like harley riders like harleys. It was never just 1 guy being the only reason im brand loyal i guess. Even at aimexpo last weekend kawasaki had the best showing and was welcoming under their tent. My brother wrecked and broke one of their z125s and they didnt even give a shit.

F150Motocrosser wrote:

Um yea I’m gunna have to ask for a little more details on that last sentence..

They had a z125 track set up in the parking lot. Me and him were racing and he leaned over too far and snapped the footpeg in half on the pavement and lowsided and fucked the fairings, handlebar controls, swingarm etc. was pretty embarassing.

I got a Kawasaki when I was young because I liked green, still have two Kawi's today. I bought an orange bike because I feel they are the best on the market currently....not to mention the button

Acidreamer wrote:

They had a z125 track set up in the parking lot. Me and him were racing and he leaned over too far and snapped the footpeg in half on the pavement and lowsided and fucked the fairings, handlebar controls, swingarm etc. was pretty embarassing.

That's hilarious man Nothing like trashing a brand new machine then just being like..

The Japanese manufacturers are "involved" in off-road motorcycling; KTM is "committed", and their professional racing results globally reflect it.

Very few Hon/Yam/Kaw/Suz dealers prominently feature MX/off-road bikes, hiding them behind ATVs, street bikes, even generators. Walk into a KTM/Husky shop and it's an entirely different vibe.

While KTM has made significant strides in SX/MX, off-road events are a sea of orange (and now white). The Austrian's openly listen to their constituency, resulting in a wide variety of options. It's difficult to imagine Japan developing and releasing a 350 race bike; meanwhile, the 350 has become KTM's best-selling displacement.

Race results can impact sales, but it lags far behind brand loyalty. Honda and Yamaha both saw KTM's success and have released off-road versions of their MX counterparts, which is encouraging. Can they take a significant percentage of KTM's market share? Maybe, for those who are already loyal to red or blue. Race wins will help, but the orange army has a tremendous head start.

LoudLove wrote:

The Japanese manufacturers are "involved" in off-road motorcycling; KTM is "committed", and their professional racing results globally reflect it.

Very few Hon/Yam/Kaw/Suz dealers prominently feature MX/off-road bikes, hiding them behind ATVs, street bikes, even generators. Walk into a KTM/Husky shop and it's an entirely different vibe.

While KTM has made significant strides in SX/MX, off-road events are a sea of orange (and now white). The Austrian's openly listen to their constituency, resulting in a wide variety of options. It's difficult to imagine Japan developing and releasing a 350 race bike; meanwhile, the 350 has become KTM's best-selling displacement.

Race results can impact sales, but it lags far behind brand loyalty. Honda and Yamaha both saw KTM's success and have released off-road versions of their MX counterparts, which is encouraging. Can they take a significant percentage of KTM's market share? Maybe, for those who are already loyal to red or blue. Race wins will help, but the orange army has a tremendous head start.

Love this post. I have to admit the ktms both the 450 and the superduke 1290 are becoming very appealing to me. 10 years ago i saw ktm as an “off brand.” The 2016+ lineup is impressive. Its always been the jap brands leading the way until recently.

reed

Chad reed definitly sells bikes and that would be a great move by ktm for marketing. With dungey out everyone is looking to take that top spot I think we'll see a rejuvinated reed this year. As for me I have never been brand loyal I buy bikes based off there handling capabilities over motor.

If it didn't sell bikes the sport wouldn't be on TV.

F150Motocrosser wrote:

Um yea I’m gunna have to ask for a little more details on that last sentence..

Acidreamer wrote:

They had a z125 track set up in the parking lot. Me and him were racing and he leaned over too far and snapped the footpeg in half on the pavement and lowsided and fucked the fairings, handlebar controls, swingarm etc. was pretty embarassing.

F150Motocrosser wrote:

That's hilarious man Nothing like trashing a brand new machine then just being like..

Haha

Kawasaki has always been a down to earth company that helps the amateur more than any other manufacturer year after year. Plus yeah, We Build Champions

Kebrock wrote:

My 4 year old likes ET3 because he rides a "green" bike. He keeps asking when he can get a green one.

Little buddy, you won't get a green one till you get good on your blue one.

My daughter is 3 and likes to watch moto with me. She keeps saying she likes the "green bikes." I'm thinking, she's gonna be a Kawgirl? I have always been a Suzuki/Honda dude!

The bike is important, but I think most recognize that the rider could probably win on most brands. I think it's also well recognized that the pros are not racing the same bike we can buy. It certainly is a factor , But not the main one. I suspect you will see Honda selling very well based off of the tests and reviews although we don't see them consistently dominating or winning in the pros at this point

I was a Honda guy because of RJ .... I became a Kawasaki guy when I tried the 1998 CR250 hunk of junk and still own 2 kawasakis to this day because I think they are bad ass!

I will probably be a Husky FC350 owner soon, not because of the E start, but because of the way KTM/ Husky takes care of their customers when the machine fails. Yes, customer service means much more to me than who is riding the machine at the races.

I've owned every flavor except yellow. Honda was my first bike, just so happened MC rode those and I loved them because of it. When he switched to Yamahas it made me want one of those as well. Around 1998/99 is when I started really looking at bike tests in magazines and I always held Yamaha as the brand to be on in those days but the Pro Circuit Kawis were the coolest looking bikes to me and I would say I wanted a Kawi above all else. It didn't hurt that RC had come up around that time either. I guess being 13 or 14 years old makes one more susceptible to marketing. Now that I think about it I really liked Suzukis too when Pastrana came out of the amateurs LOL...Thank goodness I didn't have an income at that point or I would have gone bankrupt trying to keep up with "next big thing" riders.

My buying decisions are now based on performance (bike tests, word of mouth, innovation) and the deal I can get. With that said I ride a KTM350 SXF. Its a niche bike and KTM does a great job filling those niches that Japanese brands skip. Plus they introduce a great deal of innovation and their generation cycles through sooner so you see massive updates quicker. Someone mentioned above that KTM & Husky are committed to off-road racing...which I totally agree. If you open a KTM or Husky dealership you aren't selling bikes for a 6 year old beginner, you're selling race bikes.