This fall, Ducati will introduce 9 new 2016 models (including the Monster 1200 R already unveiled), and enter two new “segments” where Ducati does not currently compete. Should be interesting. Here is a statement from Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali:
The year 2016 will see continued growth at Ducati. No less than nine new models, including the just-unveiled Monster 1200 R, will be joining the 2016 range. Never before has Ducati presented so many new bikes and EICMA will provide the perfect platform on which to show them to all to our enthusiastic customers.
Two of these will take us into segments in which we’re currently not present and this is going to be one of the greatest challenges of 2016: to extend the Ducati hallmarks of style and performance to motorcyclists who were – until now – beyond our reach.
Following a highly positive 2015, we look to the future with optimism and confidence. Given the results achieved during the first six months of the year, with 22% growth and 32,600 bikes delivered, we can already state that 2015 will see us attain another absolute record as we expect – for the very first time in our company’s history – to break through the symbolic barrier of 50,000 bikes sold before the end of the year.
Nevertheless, our main goal is not so much the pursuit of ever-greater volumes but, rather, to keep on surprising our customers with awe-inspiring bikes. The increase in sales is simply a consequence of just how incredibly well-received our products are – products that stem from implementing strategies that are in keeping with our identity, looking to new markets and taking on tough new challenges every day.
well for my 2 cents…… i’ve been riding for over 40 years. had most of the bike brands,i.e. honda ,suzuki, kawi ducati etc. the total cost should always include maintence costs. Ducati was prob the most costly of any bike i’ve ever owned. if you can dyi most of it not too bad. the time needed for a 15 min oil change takes over an hour just for body work removal and re-install. i have no problem with dealers making money, but duc is way to expensive over the long haul. the bike simply ain’t worth the trouble. thanks
“Ducati Presenting 9 New Models For 2016 – Entering 2 New Segments”
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Friend of mine just did a tour of Ducati factory recently and the buzz was the two new Ducati market segments will with a big tour bike and also a massive single using the same 1990cc engine with rear cylinder being replaced by a balancer to mimic the motor being a twin.
Both will have the latest electronics and other controls!
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BIG TOUR BIKE
The 1990cc tour bike will have two variants: One will complete in the Goldwing/HD/Polaris market….and also a slimmed down version will be offered to compete in BMW six cylinder sport tour market.
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BIG HYPER SINGLE
The 995cc super single will use the front cylinder of the 1990cc twin engine with no back cylinder but instead a short two piece rod that will serve as a counter balancer. Basically this motor will still “think” it is a twin.
A hyper version will have a turbo charger replacing the rear cylinder that will also serve as the balancer. Expectations are in 160hp range with weight in the 340lb area.
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Considerable cost savings are expected using some of the same motor components for two completely different market segments.
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Apologies in advance for not being able to explain this better
Hype building up… cheap marketing I guess.
I google up as much as I can and it doesn’t seem like a popular rumor.
On the other side a switch to a V4 as Aprillia did, which is also a rumor for KTM; keeps appearing.
I’ll be interesting to see what they come up.
A V4 would be awesome. Could they do it at the same price point as Aprilia? I am skeptical.
“Could they do it at the same price point as Aprilia?”
Could they? Sure! But why sell it at Aprilia’s price point when their customers would gladly pay more?
hahahahaha touche hahahahah
Buncha damn jokesters!
From a Desmo perspective, I am thinking material costs are higher which may affect their ability to be price competitive. But an even bigger concern would be the maintenance costs. With double the number of valves, smaller parts, and a more compact package the inspection and adjustment would be very intricate and laborious. Even with intervals pushed out to 15-18K on the new twin designs, the cost might be too much to swallow. Ducs already have a reputation for high PM costs and they keep trying to address that by pushing the frequencies out…….do you think they will abandon the Desmo in a four cylinder design for the street, should it materialize?
People should accept the maintenance cost as part of total cost of ownership (TCOO) of the machine, is not just the cost of buying the machine but the TCOO, including but not limited to:
-tires
-chains and sprockets
-small and big services
-insurance
Ducati is my opinion is not an option for price conscious but a premium brand for “I want the most exotic machine” people.
For the rest of us a never recalled Hyosung would do it lol.
I doubt the Desmo valvetrain contributes significantly to the production cost of the bike. I’d bet the desmo bits don’t cost that much more than quality springs.
As far as maintenance goes, most of the cost of a valve inspection is stripping the bike down and putting it back together. Once you are at a point where you can whip out the feeler gauge, it’s only a marginal time difference to check and even adjust if necessary. It would cost more for sure, but not that much more, I’d wager. And with the smaller valves of a 4-cylinder, Ducati might even be able to push the interval out further. Besides, people who are buying the premium Ducatis probably don’t sweat maintenance costs, anyway.
Agreed, but there has to be a point of no return where the typical consumer will just go with the Aprilia or BMW. I wonder what valve train service costs for a Desmosidici? I suppose if you can afford one, you can afford the service……..
I want to know how Yamaha since 2001 has been able to spec their valve adj out to 26,000 miles, even on their high revving bikes, while everyone else specs between 8000 and 12,000 miles. Better materials for valve seats? Better cam polishing, faith?
Mickey – I’ve always wondered that myself about Yamaha’s adjustment interval vs. other OEMs. I can’t imagine they are doing anything differently from a materials or mechanical standpoint. And if they were, the patent would have expired several years ago.
My opinion is that the answer lies in the difference between valve clearance inspection and valve clearance adjustment. I own two Ducs and both have had their valves inspected as prescribed but neither one has needed adjustment. Maybe the frequency is different for Ducs more because of the need for belt replacement……….might as well check the valve clearances while you are in there? And of course don’t discount that the service side of the business is a profit center.
It would seem to me that a Desmo valve clearance would experience less tendency to tighten up than a valve that is under the stress of a stout spring. I owned an early YZ250F for a few years and that was the worst engine I have had as far as valve clearance maintenance. It required shim changes every season until I swapped the Ti valves for SS, so materials definitely play a part.
A tour bike is feasible, but a liter-class single seems completely implausible to me. It wouldn’t make any more power or be any lighter than a bike sporting the 821cc v-twin. The only thing I could think of that sounds more implausible would be a liter-class single with a turbo serving double-duty as a couterbalancer somehow.
Jeremy
Starting my riding in the late 50s and now looking back the one constant has been what seemed “implausible” to all of us often… becoming realty and the norm a decade or so later. Many examples have been highlighted in articles here.
A 995cc big bore single line from hyper to adv tour is the last great motorcycle market frontier and technically possible based on a discussion I had with Shoichiro Irimajiri long ago in the mid 80s. Give him Google.
Singles over 750cc have been around for years and a “Ducati V-One – Twin to Supercharged Single” already exists…it has been done. http://thekneeslider.com/ducati-v-one-twin-to-supercharged-single-conversion/
As far as 160hp supercharged 995cc single or the 120hp standard version vs a 821cc v twin….hopefully you and all the younger guys here will live to see the results…..results that I am totally certain. Ohhhh…..to have my pick of which one to ride and give it a go one last time.
Thanks for your reply to my post….. and also for all your posts
Mike
Mike, I tried to post a reply already, but it disappeared. Sorry if this shows up twice.
I do not think it is implausible from a technical standpoint – practicality is the only thing that limits how big a single-cylinder engine can be, and you can turbocharge anything. I just think it is unlikely from a business perspective.
I do not see Ducati one-upping the Monster line with a large single, nor am I sure such a bike would yield any advantage. It isn’t going to be much lighter, particularly the turbo, than the twins, especially if it wasn’t designed as a single from the ground up and instead shares its architecture with a big touring twin. As far as the turbo goes, why use a turbo to accomplish what a second cylinder can accomplish much more cheaply and reliably?
I think the market for a high-performance single is very small. KTM could probably elaborate on that some. There would be a handful of people that really want one, a fraction of which that would actually buy one and the market dries up to a trickle.
I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Ducati produces a single, but I think rather than some over-sized, fire-breathing war hammer, it would be something more tame and accessible, perhaps new Supermono/Monster variants to take on the RC390/390 Duke. That market has exploded with options lately, so that seems like a natural segue both into that segment and into the huge Asian small-displacement scene.
But I could be completely wrong, too.
I’m with you.
One of the reasons above options could happen (even if doesn’t make that much sense) is exclusivity.
They said “enter two new “segments”” but never said cheaply, maybe limited runs just because? on the same line a ultra light scrambler (no… not the road scrambler, a dirt worthy machine) could also happen.
xLaYN.. Interesting, don’t believe I have ever hear Ducati and Cheaply used in the same sentence.
i would think a 1000cc single would have an extremely limited market and as a liter junkie I can’t imagine the application other than as a SM.
a touring bike would make sense, but being I talian would no doubt be styled rather um…uniquly
“xLaYN.. Interesting, don’t believe I have ever hear Ducati and Cheaply used in the same sentence”
nice catch… let’s re-phrase standard Ducati price.
I never thought I would see a street going KTM for $4999.00 but there seems to be a lot of manufacturers scrambling to get into that market.
“street going KTM for $4999.00”, there are several reasons, two I can count as direct reasons:
1) the bike is made in India, I would assume this makes cheaper building the bike vs Austria.
2) seems like the bike basic architecture is shared with Bajaj as many other brands do, probably sharing costs
http://www.bajajauto.com/pulsar200ns_index.asp
http://www.motorbeam.com/2012/11/bikes/bajaj-pulsar-bikes/ktm-duke-200-vs-pulsar-200-ns-shootout-review/
for the 390 engine I think they have not released Bajaj version so far.
http://www.indiancarsbikes.in/auto-news/bajaj-pulsar-sscs-400-ktm-dukerc-390-expected-differences-87359/
Yeah, but I am guessing they are still profitable at that price or they (KTM) would not be pursuing it. Do you think Ducati would follow a similar path? The Scrambler was a bit of a surprise as far as affordability. Was that a hint that maybe they are thinking along the same lines as KTM in an effort to reach their 50K unit goal?
“are still profitable at that price” probably, products are sold one of two ways, few extremely expensive and profitable (Ferrari, Bugatti) or mass produced – small margin (Suzuki AX100) and these dukes are on the second side.
“Ducati would follow a similar path”, I would say no, I would argue that Ducati is a boutique brand, but that’s just my uninformed opinion.
“I would argue that Ducati is a boutique brand, but that’s just my uninformed opinion.”
I would argue that Ducati used to be a boutique brand. They are aiming for a much broader appeal now. Have been for a while I think.
Jeremy = “I think the market for a high-performance single is very small. KTM could probably elaborate on that some. There would be a handful of people that really want one, a fraction of which that would actually buy one and the market dries up to a trickle.”
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My reply…I dont think you are wrong …..agree totally with you said as it relates to today.
I am talking about a massive step forward where everything we knew about singles for the last 100 years is obsolete. Britten leap to superiority comes to mind…but this time mass produced.
Yuppppp….the 160hp/340lb turbo version (per my first post) making believers of those of us that want to be out front esp in the tight stuff no matter what the cylinder configuration is…..you would be right there I think…..it might happen in your lifetime.
Stock non turbo models in Adv Tour, sport, sport tour and other models at 25% less weight, very fast…… and a nice product cost savings for the manufacturer also.
The super single concept is not that far fetched as it sounds exactly like the Ducati Supermono from the 90’s. Dummy connecting rod to balance it out, etc. The Supermono made 76hp and weighed 267lbs (claimed dry weight). It certainly would be interesting, especially in SUMO trim (a competitor to the Husky 701?).
I wonder how the Volkswagen-Audi scandal will effect Ducati’s development plan. Heck, I wonder how its going to effect parts availability for my bike! Ugh.
No Diesel Duc’s (We already have Ducks…) for the US market…..
And all nine will have inexcusable quality control issues.
We know two for certain
monster 1200R
cruiser (new segment)
then possibly
4 variation of a bigger engine scrambler
new street fighter (likely based on 1299 Panigale)
adventure bike (new segment – aka triumph Tiger Explorer XC )
Multistrada 800 engine
electric scooter? will be interesting but not soon.
Diavel 250
ba-boom!!
My prediction:
a) Luxury touring bike (competitive with Honda goldwing and BMW K1600)
b) a scooter
I would want a 400cc Hypermotard that weighs in around 350lbs or less, wet.
I’d also love to see a new ST.
Panigale 399 and 399R.
Diavel Bobberini.
Café Raceroni.
Enduro Classico.
DuneBuggyotto.
Tandem Bicicletta
If you don’t work in marketing now, you ought to consider it. Brilliant product names.
Alex, They need a “like” button on here for those names!
Right on. having now defined 900cc as a middleweight bike, we need to see what the sub-500cc market needs. It’s warmed up a little last year or two, thanks to KTM and yamaha, but there’s alot of room for more.
Here’s my two cents worth on the two new segments. I’m hedging my bets by listing three possibilities. Maybe I’ll be correct on one out of the three:
1) A revival of the ST line. This could be based on the current Multistrada. Since the emphasis will be paved road performance, suspension travel could be reduced to lower the seat by a couple of inches. Replace the beak with an attractive fairing, and you could have a superb sport touring motorcycle.
2) A true dirt worthy, off road capable adventure bike. This too could be based on the Multistrada, but it would need to be much more rugged. With spoke-type wheels, extensive engine and exhaust protection, more fuel capacity, upgraded suspension (I don’t think Skyhook, as good as it is, is going to stand up to high speed travel down a Baja back road) and some seriously tough aluminum side cases this machine could give the BMW R1200 GS a run for its money.
3) A Panigale based street fighter. This one could possibly seek-out-and-destroy KTM Super Dukes at will.
Please note that these guesses are based on what would pull me into a Ducati showroom. Whether these models would sell enough to justify its development costs will have to be left to the MBA types at Audi, since I’m sure they would have the final say. Who knows? Maybe Ducati will bring out some super cosmic, outside the box bike that until now we didn’t know we needed. Ciao!
A new ST and a local dealer – sign me up.
A new ST and the closest dealer >100 miles away – maybe.
Here’s my two cents worth on the two new segments. I’m hedging my bets by listing three possibilities. Maybe I’ll be correct on one out of the three:
1) A revival of the ST line. This could be based on the current Multistrada. Since the emphasis will be paved road performance, suspension travel could be reduced to lower the seat by a couple of inches. Replace the beak with an attractive fairing, and you could have a superb sport touring motorcycle.
2) A true dirt worthy, off road capable adventure bike. This too could be based on the Multistrada, but it would need to be much more rugged. With spoke-type wheels, extensive engine and exhaust protection, more fuel capacity, upgraded suspension (I don’t think Skyhook, as good as it is, is going to stand up to high speed travel down a Baja back road) and some seriously tough aluminum side cases this machine could The BMW R1200 GS a run for its money.
3) A Panigale based street fighter. This one could possibly seek-out-and-destroy KTM Super Dukes at will.
Please note that these guesses are based on what would pull me into a Ducati showroom. Whether these models would sell enough to justify its development costs will have to be left to the MBA types at Audi, since I’m sure they would have the final say. Who knows? Maybe Ducati will bring out some super cosmic, outside the box bike that until now we didn’t know we needed. Ciao!
It’s time for a new Cucciolo! Bring it.
Colors ,NOT all Harley,s leek oil ,and I doubt like hell at 50,000 miles your Honda chain has never been adjusted, I would hate to see what the chain and sprocket’s look like
What is “leek oil”? Is that something exuded by leeks?
For what it’s worth, some Harleys haven’t had the crankcase or transmission filled with oil yet, so those wouldn’t leak anything.
FWIW – Why are you talking about a “leak” when he was discussing a “leek”?
Leeks are delicious. And I’m no vegan wuss or anything. Of course, I advocate cooking them in a s–t load (clue: not “soot”) of butter
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/irony
Hoping they’ve got a new ST in their bag of tricks!
I am totally hoping Ducati finally introduces a minibike. I want a desmo minibike, with electronic suspension settings, etc. Ducati has overlooked this market for far too long.
The other guys at the campground will be so jealous.
Top shelf Pit Bikes easily separate the masses from the fanatics!
I want to be a fanatic…
It’s just the wrong time in my life.
I own a Ducati 999 and a Cagiva Alazzurra (with the Ducati 650 Pantah engines) both bikes very reliable with only the usual maintenance. The Cagiva broke a timing belt and the engine ran for a few minutes, luckly no damage done, this is a very reliabe engine. And that 999 still scary fast by today’s standards…
With KTM throwing its hat in the game, I am guessing one of those segments will be small-displacement / entry-level bikes.
Not sure what the second segment could be. Perhaps a sub-segment? Such as the middle-weight adventure bike market?
They did have the Multistrada 620. Maybe it’s scooters , electric commuters, or a dirt bike…
A dirt-worthy 821 Multistrada and a 1299 Streetfighter…..wishful thinking.
I think you’re right on the money with the smaller MS…
A bad assed scooter?
If it is entry level, then lets hope it can have more performance than the V7 with “reasonable” pricing.
My bicycle already meets that description.
Well I for one really hope they make a small displacement power cruiser with CVT, a beak, a 21 inch wire spoke front wheel that can run radials and tubes. And since its a Ducati it should have hydraulic lifters so there is no expensive valve maintenance. It should also be faster and cheaper than a Hyosung. AND! They should get Rossi to ride it on rain tires in a promotional video!
Well, I really did like that 450cc Ducati Single back in the early ’70’s we all loved to strip down and race MX and Scrambles with. Problem now, a dealer within a hundred miles.
Hopefully a proper adventure bike, the type certainly have the choice of engines, 21″ front wheel, NO beak?
I meant “they certainly have….”
An 821 Multistrada with spoke wheels (21 inch front), tubeless tires, dirt-worthy suspension, and proper fenders.
the diavel turns into a v-rod.wait and see……..
I am hoping they enter the electric bike market!
For the love of God, don’t make a Scooter, Ducati. Specially with a CVT…
an air cooled scooter that requires the engine to be removed to adjust valves every 300km, comes with aluminum helmet to avoid being melted under seat… doubles as home heating system.
and the ultra mono 1200…. so shaky that can double as paint mixer.
Looks like Ducati golden era… more and more bikes, and seems every time better.
Out of curiosity, what is the practical displacement/bore/stroke limit for a thumper?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MLkbHkxk-g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND4EA0dnAM8, assuming you modify the engine by removing a cylinder you could get a 2.5 Lt thumper.
I would say the obstinacy of the engineers behind the project and the amount of money being injected into the project.
Colors link above is insane 😛
I suppose that would depend on your definition of practical. You could make it as big as you want.
The scooter keeps appearing in the options.
Another one (this came out of my mind) could be a more cheaper version a la duke 390.
Even crazier…. let’s say someone said, why not adding a turbo to the Paningale a la H2R?
Hey, these guys are offering more choices. One of them might be just the bike we are looking for but haven’t found. I had a M900 Monster, great fun but a one hour bike for me. Way too uncomfortable. I did a 1000+ mile trip and halfway thru the first day I spent most of my time thinking of what I wanted to replace it with.
New segments, from a Ducati?
Behold…the Ducati Chieftan, err, Capo!
Better yet, the full-boat Ducati Ala Oro!
So $8,500 for a new Scrambler is too much? Um, go buy a KLR or a Chinese scooter?
I don’t own a Duc, but I get so tired of hearing all the idiotic “unreliable”, “too hard to work on them” BS.
Tell that to my son..his Monster has had it’s transmission lock up, electrical problems, recurring oil leaks, unrelenting rear brake squeal..all in under 6000 miles each time requiring being trailered to and from the nearest dealer 150 miles away. Luckily his tank hasn’t swelled yet. Oh he hasn’t even made it to the expensive valve adjustment and belt replacement part yet.
I own two. One has 20K miles and the other has 10K miles. No issues with either one other than a very minor leaky CS seal on the Hyper as delivered from the factory. As for the maintenance, a two valve Monster is about as simple as it gets for any modern motorcycle. The belts need changing every two years and it’s about a 30 minute job for a person with average skills. The valve clearances are CHECKED at 7500 miles and a small percentage of bikes need adjustment at that point. I paid $300.00 to have the valves CHECKED at 7500 miles and the maintenance indicator on the dash turned off. I did the other scheduled maintenance myself. I am sorry your son has had a bad experience but I do not believe his experience is indicative of the overall reliability of the brand. I have two dealers within an hour of home and know many people who own Ducatis. IMO, his experience is not the norm.
TF think I reported you instead of replying to you. Sorry. Wish they’d move those two further apart for us ipad users.
Anyhow I’m not naive enough to think ALL Ducatis are unreliable, just as I don’t think ALL Hondas are reliable. All Mfgs have warranties and all shops have service departments…for a reason. I can only go by personal experience. between my son and my family doctor who bought a Multistrada in 2010 and ended up having too many issues with it so sold it and bought a Hyabusa. I can only tell you from friends and family who have owned Ducatis it is not a brand of motorcycle I would buy or trust especially if driving hundreds of miles from home. If they have been reliable for you I am thrilled. No one should own bikes with issues. We buy them to ride and enjoy.
My wife and I rode our Multi around Lake Superior a couple weeks ago…..pretty far away from a Ducati Dealer at least in my part of the world. Honestly, I was a little concerned heading out and especially when leaving the country. What if we had an issue that I could not deal with? How would we get the bike home? In the end, the bike was flawless. My trust in the brand has increased exponentially during the five years I have owned Ducati(s). I would take my Hyper on the same trip if I could stand to sit on it that long!
I make my living as a quality/reliability engineer so I tend to view such comments about product reliability through that lens. Statistically, including my own experiences, I have seen no reason to believe a sample of Ducatis is less reliable than their competition with the possible exception of the big four Jap brands. Obviously there are out-liers such as your example(s) but that is true of any population.
Probably about the same as all the Euros: ie: not bad but not Japanese. About 10 k miles on my hyperstrada – wonderful machine – 1 recall issue done while I waited.
First check at the end of the season – first valves at 18k miles. Seems good to me, and we’re not talking about a detuned big twin – this thing rips.
I think all brands have horror stories. My bosses BMW 1200GS has been awful, leaving him stranded many times. But that’s not the case for most BMWs. I have a Ducati ST4s with 60K on it, I’ve never had to do anything other than routine maintenance. Is the belt/two valve shim system a bit more maintenance, yes, but it’s not that material. Doing the valves on my Concours 14 is worse.
I know of a guy who has gone thru 3 rear drives on BMWs, he’s now riding an FJR. I could not buy a BMW either
The whole point is if you only know 2 people who own a certain product, be it Ducati, BMW, Sony, Apple, Harley or Honda.. Doesn’t matter. If you only know 2 people that own that product and both are having issues with that product, chances are you are not going to trust spending your own hard earned money on that product.
I’ve had to cross multiple state lines to rescue my F-I-L’s BMW K1200LT (rear transfer case leak issue) 2X. Even my ’93 900 track bike, which had 35K mi before it became a track bike, has been more reliable.
There are bad examples of every car/bike out there. we all cross our fingers that the other guy got that car/bike. I would say that the 5 of bad Ducati’s has gone down.
“I would say that the 5 of bad Ducati’s has gone down.”
5 or % or 5%? 😉
maybe one of those segments will be reliable and the other one will be affordable
So $8,500 for a new Scrambler is too much? Um, go buy a KLR or a Chinese scooter?
I don’t own a Duc, but I get so tired of hearing all the idiotic “unreliable”, “too hard to work on them” BS.
The Hyosung GT 650 will do everything the new DUCATIs will do at an affordable price. And Hyosung 0 recalls!!!
Trouble maker!
Well, he IS “Counterfeit – 1. made in imitation with intent to deceive.”
How dare you define him by his choice of a screen name!
#sarcasm for you haters
i’m not saying they are hard to work on, just too often
You spewing misinformation in either case. It’s like the guy who still thinks all Harleys leak oil and all Hondas will tolerate any amount neglect and still last forever.
But all Harleys do leak oil and I”ve never even adjusted the chain on my Honda at 50k miles its just fine. In fact its so good I only wash it once a year and it still looks like the day it was new.
The fact you brought Harley Davidson’s known issues into this conversation, speaks volumes of what is truth (including ducatis), and that I’m right….
The basic premise is this, if you stray from the Japanese equation, you pay the price. Ask anyone this simple fact.
“The basic premise is this, if you stray from the Japanese equation, you pay the price. Ask anyone this simple fact.”
After a decade of gracing my garage with a German, an Austrian, an American, two Italians and an Italian/German hybrid, my experience certainly agrees with that statement.
I would love to get back on Japanese bikes, but they just won’t make what I want to buy. Unlike most people, I would even pay a PREMIUM for a Japanese bike over a European one all things equal.
I know, I know… I should just get a Hyosung and be done with all these under-performing, expensive, recall-laden beasts. One bike to rule them all!
Jeremy, resist, there is still hope…. remember the dry clutches… the exilarating power, do your best, come one (applies defibrillator), come on forget about bills, you know the mills and the looks worth them…. they were just temperamental… engineers did their best, and crappy engineering happens…. please run away from the big H… not Honda damn it… the one with the Twins…. not Ducati, not Harley (slaps in face, another defibrillator shock)… voice fades, you see yourself in heaven riding an GV650 Aquila Pro… bad dream ends…
finally Jeremy gets it bwahaahaahahaha
meh
“After a decade of gracing my garage with a German, an Austrian, an American, two Italians and an Italian/German hybrid, my experience certainly agrees with that statement.”
I have owned more two-wheeled vehicles than I can recount anymore. However, the least reliable bike I owned was a 1993 KTM 250. The most reliable bike I have owned is a 2009 KTM 250 that I still own. There are no absolutes.
I have found something very interesting about off road KTMS;
1. everyone i know that has switched from a japanese mx bike to a ktm has instantly become a better rider
2. also though, everyone has experienced some very wierd things occur that have never happened on japanese bikes; rear master cylinder locking up, parts of the piston coming out of the exhaust, clutch issues, parts falling off…..
So the bottom line is, the european bikes probably are better and inspire more soul bonding, but don’t last. But then again nothing does in the long run.
I’ve owned six off-road KTM’s. Nothing but minor issues with each of them……except the ’93. Another extremely reliable bike I owned was a ’79 Montesa Cappra. In the years I owned that bike, nothing broke….nothing! At the other end was a ’90 KDX 200 that I had to pull the top end about once a month and replace broken KIPS valves. I’ve learned not to generalize when it comes to brands and quality/reliability.
and everyone who buys a $2000.00 fishing rod catches bigger fish. Better to be an honest man and ride a Yamaha.
Been there, done that, bought numerous T-shirts.