KTM Dominates Dakar Rally Motorcycle Section.
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KTM's apparent dominance at the Dakar should be seen in perspective to huge KTM factory support and the perceived market-value / cost-benefit analysis conducted by their major competitor manufacturers. KTM, in spite of its recent business consolidation(?) efforts, still remains non-responsive to the American market outside the realm of off-road machinery. The 990 Duke intro fiasco illustrates that point. We still continue to C only teasing graphic website videos in lieu of product a year + after Euro-availability on this break-out model, without even so much as a simple web-crawl courteously addressing the concerns of the potential USA customer base. The same, presumably, will now be inflicted on us with the 950 Adventure EFI model intro. As regards continuing parts, warranty irresponsiveness and major market shrinking dealer network, use your own judgement on whether KTM is the direction for you. As Spook warned, "sometimes having is not quite so gratifying as wanting".
The Ural is gone now - they dropped out in stage 4. The Harley side-hack and Ural are the guys I was rooting for. I heard that Scott Whitney (the hack driver) is from Palos Verdes Estates, 3 or 4 miles from MO. Their web site, http://www.hogwildracing.com/ doesn't mention any status yet. I just wish I was young and in shape to try stuff like this.
harley still in it?
According to the Paris/Dakar website, the V-Rod sidecar rig appears to still be in the race. With the 4th stage completed, the Harley sits in 202 place overall, 41 minutes off the lead in their class.
http://www.dakar.com/2006/DAK/LIVE/us/200/classement/CGM.html
According to the Paris/Dakar website, the V-Rod sidecar rig appears to still be in the race. With the 4th stage completed, the Harley sits in 202 place overall, 41 minutes off the lead in their class.
http://www.dakar.com/2006/DAK/LIVE/us/200/classement/CGM.html
Responsive to Americans?? This is the same dip***** company that welched on their deal with Kenney Roberts to supply his team with F! engines.
If, as they say, bad Karma comes around, KTM is in for a bad time in the US. Personally, I think they deserve it. You won't find me putting money down on any orange bike, unless it's a Laverda.
If, as they say, bad Karma comes around, KTM is in for a bad time in the US. Personally, I think they deserve it. You won't find me putting money down on any orange bike, unless it's a Laverda.
202 place was at the end of stage 2. They do not appear on stage 3 or 4 data, which is very sad as I was looking forward for them stroking on in to the finish. The site did say they were having chain problems. I wonder why they used 520 chain instead of 530, which would have been stronger. 520 seems a bit light for a 800 lb bike with a lot of stress on it bouncing over the rocks and holes.
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Pardon my ignorance and a bit off subject question. Was not BMW supposed to enter their beloved HP2? Or was the new KTM too much completion?
Correction: They were in 202 place at end of stage 1, and made it to 193rd place at end of stage 2. the site "http://raid.racing-live.com/dakar/en/" is a little easier to find results than the previous one. The other site has a mysterious selection of which stage to look at (or to even know which stage it is they are displaying). I noticed that the hack is not listed as having withdrawn (the brave/foolish Ural is listed there)
Good that you asked the question rather than wallow in ignorance. The Dakar organizers have eliminated the big twins from the competition, feeling they were too dangerous. All the KTM's are based on the 640 single. So you won't see the HP2 in the Dakar race unless the organizers revert.
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