Dont know if this belongs here but it gives an idea of the KTM philosophy. Which is Moto passion. AR and his Motology Films Rock!! Welcome to the new world. Thanks Adam Riemann another very nice moto movie. Hope he does one for the Husqvarna product launch. 2014 KTM product launch Sardinia. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0altqtNQKA
These guys are very passionate and it shows. I spent many years holding KTM in low regard, as to how they did things. I liked the Italian way, but BMW destroyed that.... now forward into the future!
You can see they are on the correct path. Not one word about Adventure bikes with suit cases. Just Dirt bikes Hope they continue to do the same with Husky/Husaberg BMW tried to take Husky away from its roots now maybe Husaberg/KTM will take it back
I hate to amit it BUT I have been stopping at a local dealer to look at the new husaberg. Cant wait till it says husky on it Then just maybe it might just follow me home forget 2014 Bring on 2015 and the new Husky Cant wait to say THANK YOU to the new owners Because I did not see much in BMW to say thanks to Love my WR300 but it was ALL Husky BMW had nothing to do with it or did they even try to make it better New 2015 bike are only about 400 days away I am waiting and so are a lot of loyal Husky fans Please do not let us down
I've had a lot of bikes over the last 30 years, some of them Orange. Taking the 'Husky Emotion' out of the mix is the key for me. I would buy a 2-Stroke Husaberg 250 if it will handle and steer as good my '08 WR250. I'm sure some custom suspension work would be needed but that's a 'must do' with any new bike. I'm a die hard 2-stroke guy so I don't want to bash KTM, Berg, GasGas, Beta ect... These are the only bikes that I'll consider these days. In my mind, I'm totally against the 4-stoke Jap bikes who bailed and created expensive, high maintaince bikes that only profit them as a manufacture... Enough soap box from me. To each his own. I'll stick with the smoking section
Funny, but am I the only one who was put off by the video? It just made me even more certain that I´ll have to find my way somewhere in the ever shrinking world that is NOT orange.
I really don't understand your obsession with not liking more bikes in the lineup. What is the problem with offering something for everyone? It is smart as the off road is shrinking. And BTW KTM builds and sells gobs of adventure and street bikes. I believe the Indian built small displacement Dukes outsell dirtbikes by huge margins. Without these bikes we would not have the dirtbikes. You dont want "husky" to sell street bikes but they are just redon KTMs who do sell PILES of street bike and adventure bikes. I simply don't understand the issue. Also lets not forget KTM was about belly up a few short years ago before going to the India based company for money and help and a 48% share. Then became wildly profitable when the Indian company sold millions of 200 Duke type bikes. It is all interconnected and somewhat of a symbiont relationship. All you have to do is look at the companies that only produce dirtbikes to realize thats a very hard way to make a dollar. Name one company that is big and profitable like the big 5 that only makes dirtbikes? not trying to start somthing just think we all need to see the big picture.
BTW he says in the video whatever you like you will find it in the KTM range. Where is my spark arrestor equipped linkage rear end 125 off road bike (not MX) with a lighting coil and kick stand?
Motosportz: " Then became wildly profitable when the Indian company sold millions of 200 Duke type bikes." No, they have not sold millions of Mini Dukes. Perhaps, they may have sold somewhere between 8,000 to 20,000 in the last financial year, when they finally overtook BMW as Europes largest Motorcycle manufacturer - only by a few hundred bikes, by the way. They produced around 108,000 / 109,000 KTMs, last financial year - and that includes the Mini Dukes Now, there IS enormous potential for sales of the Indian made KTMs - well, Austrian ones too. As, with billions of people, you need only a tiny percentage of a percent of the people to become enthused about motorcycles, to have an enormous market to service. The Indian Middle Class, numbers in the many, many millions of people. China, for example, would now be very close to having as many USD millionaires as the entire population of the USA - it's projected to reach those numbers this year. India, may not be far behind in those statistics. Even with the recent crashing of the Rupees value. Well, actually, that should present even more reasons for KTM having more production of bikes in India. I'd not be surprised to see the Indian made KTMs, far outstrip the sales / production of Austrian made KTMs in the next few years. The Mini Dukes, from the 125 through to the 390, will bring a big increase in KTM sales, for this financial year. But Millions of KTM Mini Dukes having been sold so far? - absolutely not the case. Now, the Bajaj Pulsars - well yes, quite a few hundred thousand of those are sold, I think. KTM need to produce the Freerides (and other models) in India, either partly or wholely. They'd be able to be sold for far less than they are now, or are projected to be priced as for the 2t, and, such a bike, could usher in huge sales for them. The DT/XL/ XT/ TS/ KL's of our time. The Indian made Mini Dukes, are extremely well made, and very well performing bikes, for those inclined towards thinking the may be sub standard.
Because I like dirt bikes BMW did not seem to do much for the Dirt Bike line up. They spent time trying to find some where to put there 449 motors and making other adventure bikes. There 250f was not a big success and the 310 was not a competive open class bike for most. The 2 stroke line up has not changed much in years. BMW seemed to take the company in a new direction away from its roots at the expence of the current line up they had. If you are going to build something I was always told to do the best you can. BMW seemed to not have one bike that was the best. The bike that was above the rest. The bike people really wanted, not just us Husky fans. With that being said KTM does have a large line up. Husaberg only builds Pure Enduro So why change a good thing You want something other then a pure endure then go see the KTM line up Why does a company have to have the same line up under one big tent .Lets hope Husky works on the dirt bike line up Then when they are the best think of others bikes to expand with. Husky is a small company and does not have the man power to be all over the place Until that day perfect what you are about which up to just a few years ago was dirt bikes . If you do one thing and it is the best you do not need to change to make money kind of like In and Out Hambergers Just Burgers and there is always a line to get one Even when there competition around them have a large menue and short lines to get in But that is just my opion Heck I have a dual sport husky 510 I only ride a few time a year It is just not my cup of tea I enjoy racing more But once again who am I Time will tell how all of this turns out From what I have heard from the inside all is going to look good sooner then we think For me to even stop and go look at a new Husaberg well that is hard to believe But I believe we are about to see good things In Dirt Bikes
No, I made my point of view known - with just a tad more accuracy. The better hyperbole to use is "Squillions".
Got it. The cool thing is "husky" can now do nothing but dirtbikes as KTM can sell the street, adventure and Ds bikes under that label. We all know they come from the same place but the husky labeled bikes can be dirt only and still survive.
Not just survive But with a new crew committed to the future of just a limited production line Can devote more time and resorces into doing just one thing Instead of testing the waters with a bunch of new untested products some of which might work and some that do not Husaberg goes under the label of Pure Enduro They now own Husky so my point was Hope they keep working on a limited line so they can be the BEST and the new best is now called a Husky again I am old and can remember when Husky was the Best the bike you wanted to own or beat. If you had a new husaberg next to a simalir KTM which one gives you the impression it is a better bike So lets hope they keep tweeking the Husaberg make it stand alone in the KTM line up Put some Husky stickers on it because it is now different then KTM Then go beat its brother KTM
I think if BMW bought Husky and brought it closer to home they would have been more successful the weight of the buyout and hanging onto that factory bogged them down. The 250f didn't get great reviews but the 310 seemed to stack up well to the 350 in all the reviews I read. The point is that BMW did a lot of good for Husky too. The bikes were in the writers hands to do the comparison. Up until a few years ago I had never even seen a picture of a Husky let alone tests and full blown advertising. There are definatley more dealers and that wasn't due to Husky paying them off, the dealers saw the opportunity to make a buck. My goal has and always will be racing too. Now I know I've only done one race but life just keeps stopping me lol. I've ridden plenty of bikes over the years and weather it was dirt or street, i fit the 449 the best. I couldn't care less what motor is in that package, the layout fits me. Yes it's a shy on power but so are the 310 and 350. It's a little heavy by about 10 pounds but I'm probably 50-60 pounds heavier then the average pro. I'm an amateur and that's the bike that made me love Husqvarna and possibly brought others attention to it. All I'm really saying is they didn't totally screw up. I know BMW failed with their dirtbike and pawned it off but the engineers at husky were geniuses. BMW came out with their sport bike and the first year it blew the competition out of the water. It had the best motor. It had more technology then even the Italians bikes that were known for it. Given a little more time and money, they could have done the same in the dirt bike world. I would rather have seen the same bikes for a couple more years then the sale to KTM. At the same time I'm thankful that they sold it to another respectable company.
I agree with all that but the down side is no matter how you slice it we lost choices. You can already buy a KTM or upgraded KTM (Berg) they are simply calling the Berg a husky now and we loose the italian inspired 125, and x-lights regardless of the 449 and 650 platforms. I need to stop dwelling on this as it is a done deal but I still feel we lost something and now only have a choice of something that was already there to choose from.
totally agree. BWM put husky back in the mags and more press than i have seen in decades. They built very successful 449 and 650 platforms to round out the offerings. They just needed to redesign the 2 strokes. They should have been the first to make a super cool DFI 2 stroke and shock the industry / make a big splash. Then redesign the x-lights to be even lighter and faster and run better and be more reliable. They had the ability to do all that but I think in the end bit off more than they were willing to chew and then realized the Italian union was a thing they were not prepared for. None of us know what happened and I think the sale of husky was not exactly what they expected. Just another chapter in a sorted history. As much as BMW haters want to hate the 511 and TR650 I for one am very happy to won one of each. I have had my 511 longer than most bikes and it is not going anywhere. It still excites me to ride and amazes me with it's flexibility. The 650 hits the nail on the head for the price and mission and I have had many very fun days on it. Thats what bikes are for. I am going to miss several italian and german models in this transition.
