[marcussantiago]

UM releases blatant KTM rip-off in China:




https://www.cartoq.com/ktm-dukes-des...a-take-a-look/

"The Xtreet 250X is likely to be sold in the Chinese market but UM won’t even imagine bringing this motorcycle to India because intellectual property laws are a lot stronger here than in China. The major parts of the KTM Duke’s design that UM Motorcycles has copied includes the trellis frame, the fuel tank shrouds, split seats and even the rear mudguard. However, the engine seems different as it’s an air cooled unit compared to the Duke’s liquid cooled motor."

[hserus]

So take this thing along at typical Duke speeds and you'll end up with a seized up engine?

I remain rather less confident about dressing up an air cooled put-put as a racing bike. Still, in typical Beijing traffic gridlocks, I doubt that will go more than 10-15 kmph.

[ashwinprakas]

Well, if originality was key then everything running on two wheels after the first contraption would be a blatant copy, wouldn't it?

Would love to see more competition in the Indian market as I believe that would help put an end to the aesthetic race and actually make worthy products available for the consumer.

[deep_bang]

Could it be that there is indeed a tieup between UM and KTM? The similarities are too much. UM being an American company should be very well aware of copyrights involved. It's a different matter that I have never even heard of UM in the North American states.

[Viju]

Originally Posted by deep_bang

Could it be that there is indeed a tieup between UM and KTM?

I don't think so. In fact, KTM has a joint venture with CF Moto in multiple markets including China. I believe a small capacity motorcycle using the Duke platform is under development for the Chinese market.

Realistically, I don't think it matters much in the Chinese market where hundreds of OEMs make clones of the same machines.

https://auto.ndtv.com/news/ktm-ag-en...-china-1769371

Austrian bike maker KTM AG has announced that it has entered into a joint venture with Chinese two-wheeler maker CFMoto in order to improve the former's presence in the market. Both KTM and CFMoto have been long term partners and the move will see both companies co-develop product for China as well as for markets globally. The joint venture is called CFMoto-KTMR2R', wherein CFMoto holds a majority stake of 51 per cent while KTM owns the remaining 49 per cent.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by Viju

Realistically, I don't think it matters much in the Chinese market where hundreds of OEMs make clones of the same machines.

The thing about China is - multiple people feel free to rip off any and every foreign product and manufacture clones.

But if you try to rip off something a Chinese company has actually paid money to license, you'll generally regret it, given just how many of the larger companies have some proxy funding or backing from the Communist Party or its members.

They don't soil their own nest, so to speak.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by marcussantiago

The Xtreet 250X is likely to be sold in the Chinese market but UM won’t even imagine bringing this motorcycle to India because intellectual property laws are a lot stronger here than in China.

Then what about this motorcycle sold in India itself?



Frankly, I feel that article is hyped.

KTM has moved on to better designs - what we get here as the Duke 250 and 390. Internationally even the 125 comes in that format now - and the old design 200 exists only for cost conscious markets like ours.

UM most likely won't bring it to India because no one would buy it, unlike their cruisers which have a niche segment to themselves for now.

[Abhi_Automobile]

What is the UM brand anyway? They claim to be American, seem to have some South American connection, but behave like a Chinese company? The wiki:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UM_Motorcycles gives very generic info...

Does anybody know more?

[marcussantiago]

Originally Posted by Abhi_Automobile

What is the UM brand anyway? They claim to be American, seem to have some South American connection, but behave like a Chinese company? The wiki:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UM_Motorcycles gives very generic info...

Does anybody know more?

Basically, they have a small office suite in a building somewhere in Florida, so they claim they're more authentically American than obesity. They license out their engines from some Chinese firm and I believe they were founded by Italian immigrants or something.

Yeah, they're... interesting, to say the least