All this sh*t about KTM

6 Europeans you said?

I count more:

KTM
Husaberg
Husqvarna
Cagiva
TM
Sherco
GasGas
Vertemati
VOR (Vertemati Off Road no more)
Aprilia
BMW (sorry, I like a good laugh)

ATK/Cannondale is not totally to leave out of the debates. SuMo (that's how they want you to call SuperMoto, for the "in" crowd) has plenty of room to grow in the USA and ATK could place a few models and sell more bikes, eventually allowing them to lower their prices even for their offroad models.

I own a 2005 ATK (which is a cannondale). I bought a Husaberg. Let me explain:

Cannondale didn't make it. Excellent concept. Great people. Bad marketing.

ATK, won't make it. Great product (but they don't understand how it works). People (the employees, ok, the owner, pompous). Zero marketing.

How the heck can you sell a product, market it as perfect, yet provide zero suport because you don't understand your product (remember, it was designed and built by someone else) and expect to stay in business?

ATK hasn't built a 'new' bike. And I hear they don't have the ability to finance R&D.

Aspen said:

Friends,

I do not see the point in, or reason why, so many of you have such animosity towards KTM and their accuisition of Husaberg. A lot worse could have happened, like being controlled by a bowling-ball maker (AMF/HarleyDavidsson). All American, sure, but disaster still...yet with a happy ending.

KTM is a rock solid brand and was probably the best thing to happen to Husaberg considering the alternatives.

Besides loosing their footage in MX competition, Husaberg is still a brand that is alive, and for every year that has passed, more and more pieces have been designed to be shared between the two brand names and thus have become both more available and less expensive. (Somtimes also a lot better.)

Sure there was a loss of identity, but a worse fate hit Husqvarna.
Husqvarna is still a big name @ google, but that´s the Swedish lawn and garden brand you see. Try to find MX-info, and what you will find is a lot of flash-programmed italian stuff on their site (Cagiva?). Sorry.

Still, I am both amazed and a little proud to conclude that in the mx/enduro world we have:

5 (soon 6) european brands
4 Japanese players
0 American (he he hmmm)

I might have missed something, but...
Humble? Come back next week...
.
.
Geetings from southern Sweden and sometimes Ventura, CA

Pete

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As far as I know there is little if any animosity towards KTM around here. I mean how could you dislike a company for copying the old Husaberg motor (pre 2001), updating it and continue to use it in 2006. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery . In fact they liked it so much they bought the company. KTM is Husaberg's biggest fan.

Nice text, Eric :lol:

I don´t want to dislike KTM and in fact I don´t think they´re bad or build bad motorcycles.
I was a KTM rider for years (1995-2001) and had a lot of fun with the bikes.

But I don´t like the behavior of many KTM owner´s (at least here in Germany) who think that KTM reinvented the wheel (sorry I don´t know if this expression is right).
Most of these people think that Husaberg is crap and not worth KTM supporting them.
What really happened we all know (eric already mentioned).

In a nutshell: I´m also proud that we have so many european brands and would in most cases prefer a european bike to a japanese!

greetings
hribman

I do not dislike KTM at all, I still have my 96 360 exc. The one thing about KTMs that I do not like is the attitude of some owners of KTM bikes. They make fun of my Berg, give me sh*t about the brand, but are too ignorant to understand the history behind the mark. One of my friends once asked why I got a" KTM wanna be" bike! After a quick history lesson, he understands, the KTM is a "Husaberg wanna be"! KTM... love the bikes, dislike SOME of the owners. :rant:

I don't have a problem with KTM either, just don't like the company's attitude towards Husaberg. They bought Husaberg, copied the engine (the first prototypes ran with Husaberg cylinder and head!!) then they said " oh wow look at us we made the best bike!!" Husaberg had a good team in the MX3 that started to make real good progress and finishing in the front field. Just to hear that the following season they had to ride KTM. All good riders in enduro or supermoto are being transfered to KTM. KTM marks Husaberg as their development and research company but untill now any new stuff will be introduced to KTM (what siginificant changes has Husaberg seen other then Jap ign. and carbs that everyone has had for years) Apperently Husaberg had a 450 ready but were "forced" to introduce it a year after KTM did theirs (and oh what a succes the 03 450 SX has been, not!! They blew up) Husaberg has had an engine with right hand kickstart but again wasn't allowed to bring it to the market.
The latest news I heard was that the rumor of Husaberg getting a new engine in 07 isn't correct. Since they can get out of the emission rules, being a small number company, they will ride the old engines for another year. But MAYBE a new chassis will come, who knows. In 07 KTM will get injection and Husaberg will only addapt the injection on the current engine. So again no real news here if it is true.
What I would like to see is Husaberg being given a fair chance by KTM and not being ignored. Even our importer is sponsoring riders on KTM in MX and enduro but you only see one guy riding enduro on a Husabergin the enitire field.
With a fair chance I also mean, getting DOHC(250-450) and a 250 to begin with, basically a good place in the offroad market and not being snowed under by KTM.
There are many who simply don't want to get a mainstream bike and this just might be the fault of KTM. As they seem to think that if you don't buy husaberg one will get a KTM.

Merry Chirstmas to all!

Hopefully Santa will be leaving a few new Berg's around under the ol tree this year, if not, maybe just some new plastic to make the old mount look new!

I am a red white and blue american through and through for 42 years, yet, all I have ridden since 1982 are european dirt bikes. Why? Because I think they are the best, especially for the kind of riding I do. They are definitely more durable than japanese bikes.

Even though my purchase of my first Husaberg was kind of an accident, I have now owned three of them, and will probably stick with them. I could list many reasons, and here are few: ease of maintenance, superior off road handling, thinner through middle, lightest weight, simplicity in design, good reliability, and that has gotten better since KTM got in the mix. My 04 is very nicely refined compared to my 01. And make no mistake, there are a fair share of KTM's that break.

Let it be known that I owned a 1986 KTM 250MXC for 15 years!! What a great bike, and it's still in use today albeit not by me. I can tell you this, that there is definitely a few KTM 520 and 525 owners that have been humbled by my Husaberg in drag races up sand washes. The word stunned probably applies here as I just motored past them at full song.

Anyone with a KTM that talks smack about Husabergs obviously doesn't know their history about how KTM was producing a very reliable fourstroke before their aquistion of Husaberg, but, in comparison, it was not very light, or very agile. But, after KTM bought a controlling interest in Husaberg, which probably kept Husaberg in business, KTM"s bikes then became the "bike to have". KTM has done a grreat job of marketing and also builds a bike for every flavor. And really, that's great when you think about it, a seat for every ***............. And the japanese factories are falling behind as we speak in their efforts to produce a suitable off road machine. The jap bikes are 20 to 30 pounds heavier, and are just now "starting" to incorporate higher quality components on their bikes. There has to be a reason that people are spending roughly another $1000 dollars on a KTM rather than a "X" honda.

But, what has been my experience, is that anyone who is riding or has ridden the KTM and then spends some time on a Husaberg will tell you, that the Husaberg is a better handling machine.

When KTM owners talk bad about the Husaberg's, try and feel sorry for them, for they know not what they do!!

Every couple of years I find it necessary to point out the following:

Once upon a time Husaberg AB Sweden was in dire financial straights.
Husaberg AB Sweden approached KTM Austria regarding their purchase.
Husaberg exists today thanks to KTM.

Dale

It's in the human nature to always make up conflicts when there should be none.

KTM Vs Husaberg
Japanese bikes Vs KTM
Honda Vs Yamaha
Road bikes Vs dirt bikes
US bikes Vs metric bikes
Whatever

I was riding a little yellow bike with 20 HP when the wind was in my back, the thing was leaking oil, had awful suspensions (granted I could have it dialed) but it would start on the button all the time. I abused this bike for over a year, I thought it was an awful piece of junk at times but I would load it up at least once a week and go ride it no matter what.

My advice is: just enjoy your ride, if someone criticizes your bike, then that means that he is a very unsafe person.

If you think you can ride better with a better bike, then it's up to you, which is why I transitioned from my DRZ 250 to my FE501e, and it's my choice. Could have been a 520 EXC or a 400 EXC. I decided to subscribe to the "help Bobzilla get a new ride" fund and I got a bike in return. Good deal.

By the way, I am color blind, so I don't care what you ride.

LeFrog, you forgot to mention Honda "twins" vs Ducati/Aprillia (we DON'T even wanna go there....)
-Rocky-

i think we all get stick for taking the risk of riding a bike that hasn't got a good reputation in many areas. it means we are on the back foot often.

mates gloat knowing that bad luck will usually visit me before it will ever visit them. it means we fight a rearguard action.

i like being the underdog. i make no statement by riding a husaberg other than the fact that i'm prepared to be different.

i consider it to be rivalry between us and enjoy the banter! at present i'm over at katoomtalk in the sussie section and they're full of it!

but it's what happens.

regards

Taffy

I just think that the orange is so FUGLY!

mates gloat knowing that bad luck will usually visit me before it will ever visit them. it means we fight a rearguard action.

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Taffy, thats exactly how I felt about my old B44 but I still loved it.

Good to speak to you the other night and give my regards to Ian C - I looked up some old race results and there we both were...Must've bashed fairings somewhere I'm sure :!: