Why KTM motorcycles are ruining off-road motorcycle riding

[EmpireofDerp]

These days, especially on public land  trail conditions and possible damage has to be taken into consideration...

Run trials tire, don't spin it.

[EmpireofDerp]

That's poison.

[Piney Woods]

What is the best oil for my new Unilever?

[RichieGoatGruff]

46 minutes ago, JefeRotacion said:

9 hours ago, RichBaker said:

These days, especially on public land  trail conditions and possible damage has to be taken into consideration...

Run trials tire, don't spin it.

Ruts don't require spinning tires...

[RichieGoatGruff]

44 minutes ago, JefeRotacion said:

11 hours ago, Knightly said:

That's poison.

I think I'm going to start calling you XR650_Jefe....

?

[Singletrack_rider]

2 hours ago, NewEngland400 said:

Nothing says ice cream more than Unilever.

I would be more concerned if it was a company like Union Carbide or Dow chemicals.

[8675309]

On ‎8‎/‎24‎/‎2013 at 9:52 PM, KRAYNIAL said:

This current fad of people going all ga-ga over KTM motorcyles is hilarious. SIX "PLUS" YEAR FAD?

 

Over priced, under engineered "FUEL INJECTED/ANTI VIBRATION TWO STROKES" 'fashion' statement motorcycles are duping people left and right into this fake engineering game.

 

Iv'e seen this same thing before with cars: Mercedes, Audi, Porsche, Maserati, Ferrari, Fiat, Lamborghit, etc, etc.

 

Create a really stunning 'hook' of a machine, that everyone wants to own, then sell enough to figure out how to keep them from blowing up, and falling apart, hopefully by the next model year or two. 2008 450EXCR 510 HOURS, 2009 250XC 356 HOURS, 2015 200XC-W 250 HOURS, 2016 450XC-W 200 HOURS. NO MAJOR ISSUES AND EVERY BIT AS RELIABLE AS MY JAP BIKES.

 

 

Oh, don't get me wrong....Mercedes does make some really great cars. But MOST of the cars they make are not so hot.  They are poorly designed, over priced, and un-reliable.  Same with the other euro manufactuers. Fiat make several really great cars, like the 500. But all the rest are just garbage commerce.

 

This is EXACTLY what KTM is doing. 

 

Throw 15 different models on the market, all based on old technology, but with shiny billet parts, or ultra-impressive specs, and see what happens.

 

KTM is providing their customers with sub-standard quality and engineering on dozens of levels, selling it as 'high-tech' and then ignoring all the issues with oil starvation, throttle bodies, frames, triple clamps, shock mounts, CDI's, bars, brakes, rims, hubs, all failing, braking wearing out extremely fast, or in the case of motor internals, make them to such terrible tolerances that you cannot change broken parts with new parts, unless you buy the matching case it was machined to.

 

I have never seen or experienced such CRAP sold as a premium brand in my life, accept Audi in the 90's and Maico in the 80's. 

 

I've owned (2) 2012 KTM's that both failed on several levels, that the KTM factory, KTM usa and my dealer could not resolve. 

I even had KTM USA tell me 'that's just the way it is with new bikes sometimes. We don't have an answer to your problem, sorry". 

 

My dealer was so frustrated that they now refuse to work on any KTM that has been modifed in the suspension, electronics, or motor, period, even out of warranty.

They also will not replace any internal motor parts below the piston without replacing the entire motor, no exceptions.

 

Yeah I know: ..... " My KTM is great, I've never had a problem with it" .  Well good for you. You are in the 50% that actually get a 'good' one.

 

Did you know that until recently  (2010) KTM would and did make as many as 6 different gasket sets for one model of motor, depending on what portion of the year it was made? They actually look up gasket kits by serial number, because the factory produced a motor with so many flaws and failures that they had to upgrade the motor in the production line 6 times in one year....rather than just get it right and then push it on the general public. 

 

I talked to an KTM partially sponsered Enduro team at a D36 race in 2012 about KTM reliability, and this is what they told me:

 

" Oh, we get 50-75 hours out of the factory motor, no problem. They run great, most of the time. Not quite as long as the Yamaha we used to run, but they are Ok. The real problem comes when we try to rebuild them. We cannot get a rebuilt motor to last 1/2 as long as a new one, because there are so many parts in the KTM motors that are stressed at 100% from day one, that the whole motor, not just the top end, wears out very fast". We try not to rebuild the motors, we just sell off the whole bike and start over with a new one."

 

Hopefully, honest, non-Germanic companies like Beta and Sherco will take some of KTM's market share away.

 

Long die KTM.

 

 

 

 

 

[Chris Russell]

On 8/23/2019 at 12:50 AM, JefeRotacion said:

On 8/22/2019 at 2:21 PM, Knightly said:

That's poison.

damned phenylketonurics....

[BillDirt1]

I use fentanyl.

[bweighmaster]

Are we done bashing junk bikes yet ???

[Knightly]

Yes. This is the last post.

[kcomst]

You guys are all missing the point. KTM picked orange, which is the coolest color, it has nothing to do with quality or lack of it:

"Color experts agree that orange radiates warmth and energy, and it's also the color of our sacral chakra, which stimulates our sexuality and emotions. The color orange stimulates activity and our ability to socialize.” ... “Orange, it seems, may be the best color choice for the competitive player."

"The Odyssey Online › 100 Reasons Why Orange Is The Best Color - Odyssey" 

"Orange is vibrant. It’s hot, healthy, fruity and engaging – but it can be abrasive and crass. It’s a polarizing color. People either love it or detest it." 

"Orange symbolizes energy, vitality, cheer, excitement, adventure, warmth, and good health. However, pure orange can be brass; however, it may suggest a lack of serious intellectual values and bad taste." 

"Orange is currently a trendy, hip color. It was a “groovy color” back in the 70s and then it faded away. In 1991, an article in Forbes magazine about how orange affects consumer choices concluded that orange meant cheap. (Note: “Cheap” in this case meant a good buy for the money.)"

 

[hawaiidirtrider]

KTM was white too and blue I think and green.. or was it green when it was penton? Anyway.. same thing. Yamaha was yellow and black. Gasgas was every color at one time.. depending on the size. .. except green. KTM looked nice in the 80’s when it was white with red frame..Husky was a flock of colors too. Green automatic, Red, Black, white, maroon, purple for I think a 75’ 360 .. pick a color. I used to really like orange for ktm. Now it’s boring like Halloween ?. If Id go ktm I think Id go Husky for the milk truck look. Or just buy white plastics and buy whatever other color graphics colors than orange. 

Edited September 15, 2019 by hawaiidirtrider

[bweighmaster]

1 hour ago, kcomst said:

You guys are all missing the point. KTM picked orange, which is the coolest color, it has nothing to do with quality or lack of it:

"Color experts agree that orange radiates warmth and energy, and it's also the color of our sacral chakra, which stimulates our sexuality and emotions. The color orange stimulates activity and our ability to socialize.” ... “Orange, it seems, may be the best color choice for the competitive player."

"The Odyssey Online › 100 Reasons Why Orange Is The Best Color - Odyssey" 

"Orange is vibrant. It’s hot, healthy, fruity and engaging – but it can be abrasive and crass. It’s a polarizing color. People either love it or detest it." 

"Orange symbolizes energy, vitality, cheer, excitement, adventure, warmth, and good health. However, pure orange can be brass; however, it may suggest a lack of serious intellectual values and bad taste." 

"Orange is currently a trendy, hip color. It was a “groovy color” back in the 70s and then it faded away. In 1991, an article in Forbes magazine about how orange affects consumer choices concluded that orange meant cheap. (Note: “Cheap” in this case meant a good buy for the money.)"

 

On them drugs again ........

[Toby_S]

2017 EXC 350

Six Speeds

Fuel Injection

240 pounds

Street legal

Please suggest options from other manufacturers that are not clones.

[SlowDinoDog]

can't help you CA boys with street legal bikes...you guys have to go to the polls yourself...???

 

[shrubitup]

37 minutes ago, Toby_S said:

2017 EXC 350

Six Speeds

Fuel Injection

240 pounds

Street legal

Please suggest options from other manufacturers that are not clones.

1985 Honda xl350r

[Toby_S]

51 minutes ago, shrubitup said:

1985 Honda xl350r

40 pounds heavier, No fuel injection, suspension is not even close. I only go a buck fifty, so weight matters to me.

You might call hydraulic clutch, water cooling, and fuel injection unnecessary frills, but they really make things nice.

As far as cost goes, don't forget to compensate for inflation. My first bike, a 1969 Yamaha 175, cost $560. Adjusted for inflation, that turns out to be $3,800 in today's dollars. I am comfortable saying my KTM a better  bike than the Yamaha by about 3X.

Edited September 15, 2019 by Toby_S

[shrubitup]

12 minutes ago, Toby_S said:

40 pounds heavier, No fuel injection, suspension is not even close. I only go a buck fifty, so weight matters to me.

You might call hydraulic clutch, water cooling, and fuel injection unnecessary frills, but they really make things nice.

As far as cost goes, don't forget to compensate for inflation. My first bike, a 1969 Yamaha 175, cost $560. Adjusted for inflation, that turns out to be $3,800. I am comfortable saying my KTM is almost 3X the bike as the Yamaha.

Not a KatieM clone tho. 

The beta 350 and 390 RRS also not clone like. One year warranty. 

[El Diablo Rojo]

Not a KatieM clone tho. 
The beta 350 and 390 RRS also not clone like. One year warranty. 

390 is street legal here.