[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by nasirkaka

Making an 'adventure motorcycle' may seem like just another 'variation' for a two wheeler manufacturer but its not that simple. Infact its something which can do more damage to the company/image. Adventure motorcycles are subjected to much harsher environment / terrain and have to be built really really tough to withstand all the off-road 'abuse'. Now this is something very challenging, especially in India, which is known as a hub for low cost manufacturing expertise. Low cost and Good quality usually dont go hand in hand. Any sensible manufacturer would tread the adventure territory with great caution, if at all. Could be the reason for Bajaj to be a bit cautious. Look at what happened to Himalayan. People still remember and refer to the video where cs santosh was testing and foot pegs broke. Or few infamous images where frame had given way. Himalayan did more damage to REs image initially which they are still trying to get over. Look at some of the previous comments here which could be a result of the initial mental image that bike created in our head. A light weight adventure bike at an affordable cost is much bigger challenge as most users would start throwing it on all sort of surfaces, jumping boulders, falling and what not, without any care as it would be cheap to repair. Imagine the complains that would follow.

KTM has the experience, pedigree, engineering ability and untapped market to successfully manufacture and sell a smaller, affordable offroader. Their current adventure portfolio includes the
- 450 Rally
- 790 Adventure / R / R Rally
- 1290 Super Adventure R / S

The 250 and 390 platforms have been around for several years now. Yes, there is a level of re-engineering required but they have the in-house expertise with their long running products in the higher displacements. I feel one of the reasons that Bajaj would have stonewalled the project would have been the perceived lack of volumes. The 390 and 250s dont sell all that well and having more expensive versions of the same platforms may not have appealed to Bajaj.

Another issue could very well be that the KTM showrooms are already crowded with the current products - Duke / RC 125, 200, 390 and Duke 250. That's 7 different bikes in what are not very large showrooms. Make that 8 for the dealerships in the bigger cities that are selling the Duke 790. If you add another two for the adventure series and that's a lot of bikes considering the size of the average KTM showroom. The one in Cochin that I have been to doesnt have one of each product on display due to the paucity of space. I wonder how they will manage once the Adv 390 and 250 come in.

I agree with you on the mistakes that Royal Enfield made with the Himalayan. They rushed through development, didnt have a BS4 ready variant, had chassis issues etc which ultimately have impacted their sales. But they were novices in the off-roading space and this was their first attempt. KTM are the pros in comparison and would have had a much easier job in the product development of an A2 level off roader as compared to RE.

[nasirkaka]

KTM has the experience, pedigree, engineering ability and untapped market to successfully manufacture and sell a smaller, affordable offroader. Their current adventure portfolio includes the
- 450 Rally
- 790 Adventure / R / R Rally
- 1290 Super Adventure R / S
The 250 and 390 platforms have been around for several years now. Yes, there is a level of re-engineering required but they have the in-house expertise with their long running products in the higher displacements. I feel one of the reasons that Bajaj would have stonewalled the project would have been the perceived lack of volumes. The 390 and 250s dont sell all that well and having more expensive versions of the same platforms may not have appealed to Bajaj.

All these are Austria made to a cost and quality. KTM is manufacturing the entry level bikes in India mainly for cost benefits. That is precisely why BMW is making their entry level 310s here with TVS. So is Triumph trying with Bajaj. Harley for the first time is set up shop in Asia in India for similar reasons. These Entry level bikes are made in India, but sold all over the world. An adventure bike is subjected to much harsh usage against road based variants and chances of failures are much higher. 310GS is really built well and still rides in forums abroad crib about quality issue citing its Indian lineage. KTM has a prestigious pedigree in offloading and bajaj owns 49 percent of KTM. A product failure could be risky. Many factors at stake. But i doubt if their reluctance is based on number or lack of it, as the whole world is been talking about entry level adv bikes and they are here to stay for sure. We get to see many himalayans on the road these days, so its catching up. For bajaj, the market is not restricted only to India but exports too.

Bajaj may not have inhouse expertise as they have never really made a proper adv tourer. The expertise would have to be transferred from KTM including quality standards. Dukes have had their share of quality issues initially and 390 thread here captures them well. Be is alloys cracking on the first batch 390, or the stator coil for which design was changed multiple times. on my 390, i had front fork seal bursts 4 times. A lot of others had them too. Imagine the stress a fork for adventure bike has to go through.
But this is just one line of thought. As you mentioned, there could be various other reasons like factory space, assembly line, showroom space, etc which we can only speculate. Whatever if the case, good part is that the bike is finally here for real.

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Another issue could very well be that the KTM showrooms are already crowded with the current products - Duke / RC 125, 200, 390 and Duke 250. That's 7 different bikes in what are not very large showrooms. Make that 8 for the dealerships in the bigger cities that are selling the Duke 790. If you add another two for the adventure series and that's a lot of bikes considering the size of the average KTM showroom. The one in Cochin that I have been to doesnt have one of each product on display due to the paucity of space. I wonder how they will manage once the Adv 390 and 250 come in.

.

You forgot Husqvarna. Two models. Launching this Dec. Will be sold via KTM dealerships. And the 790 adventure is also incoming.

Its not a dealership space issue. At All. Its more to do with indian product planning, factory line, training, supplier management and overall wondering if there is a market for all the trouble.

Now i think Bajaj has put the foot on the accelerator as far as KTM is concerned. BS6 delayed all the launches from last year to now. Both the 390 adventure and the huskies were due last year but were pulled off.

Good times. The 490 twin is next. Expect sub 200kg 60 bhp parallel twins. 2022 if we are lucky.

[petrolhead_neel]

Interesting, that's the word for this motorcycle. With prices out in a day or two, I know I'm late to the party to talk about this motorcycle!

The first post on this thread dates back to 2016. What caught my eye is how much more off-road/dual sport oriented the first suspected test mule for this bike was. Upswept exhaust, spoked wheels...almost what an R version of this motorcycle would look like.

But it's a KTM, after all. That gives me a lot of hope. We also have to keep in mind that this motorcycle is being produced for the whole world. I don't think KTM would be foolish enough to ruin their reputation by putting the Adventure tag on what seems to be a more touring friendly Duke 390 (G310 GS, I know). While numbers only speak half of the story, the suspension travel is what worries me. The Himalayan has much more, and even the XPulse does (not to forget that they both run proper dual sport 21 inch wheels at the front, spoked nonetheless). I was kind of expecting the Power Parts spoked wheels to be a size larger, at least for the front. Just that would have made it more off-road friendly. But that would also mean a very different handler of a motorcycle, at which point, an R version with a couple of more tweaks would be more reasonable.

BUT it's a KTM! Things like a Dakar bike-derived subframe and adjustable suspension is still getting me worked up. I have watched the DriveMag Riders video a couple of times now. Just the fact that the KTM official plans to ride this to the next Adventure Rally should say something about what this is capable of, in the right hands that is. Let's all just wait and watch. Personally, I'm waiting for Adam Riemann and Chris Birch to release their videos (that's the bonus and bragging you get with a KTM Adventure bike anyways).

It's good to see the market slowly opening up to more affordable dual-sport oriented motorcycles, if not the true blue enduros yet. I have always felt that the ADV and dual sports make the most sense in our country, from a practical and thrill-seeking perspective. We are slowly gravitating more towards that. On a recent discussion with Ouseph Chacko from The School of Dirt, he said something which was hilarious yet spot on at the same time: "One day, these bikers will understand that this (ADV/dual sport) bike has suspension, and I can actually ride this to places!"

Regards,
Neel

[Jaggu]

So day 1 430-5 PM is when the KTM launch is going to be at IBW.



IBW Schedule Day 1.pdf

IBW Schedule Day 2.pdf

[ihrishi]

Spoke to KTM, Wakdewadi Showroom Pune. The bike will be available for test rides as well as delivery starting Jan 2020. They are not accepting bookings yet.

[rakesh_r]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

So day 1 430-5 PM is when the KTM launch is going to be at IBW.

Attachment 1942541

Attachment 1942542

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Hope there will be a live feed of the event.

[Jaggu]

And the wait is coming to an end, fingers crossed for the pricing

[creative420]

Originally Posted by rakesh_r

Hope there will be a live feed of the event.

Is there any live feed? I can't find one anywhere.

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by creative420

Is there any live feed? I can't find one anywhere.

Couldn't find one, but some pics from friends who are out there.

[creative420]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Couldn't find one, but some pics from friends who are out there.

Thanks for these. I really was hoping for a live launch video. Folks at OD were supposed to do the Live Update, but every update from them is taking 5 mins on an average. Will tune in to YouTube later.

[ihrishi]

I will take one white one pls.

[creative420]

Originally Posted by ihrishi

I will take one white one pls.

The one in white is a stunner, no? When I went for my unofficial booking, the executive double checked with me about my choice of going with Orange. I told him I'm sure. KTM = ORANGE is what I thought. But then I asked him to show me the one in white just for the sake of it. He did, and I instantly changed my booking to white. So glad I did.

[Jaggu]

Anyhow prices are not announced and most likely will come out only by Jan 2020 according to some reports. Damn it! Wait continues... I don't know what kind of market pulse they are looking for!

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Anyhow prices are not announced and most likely will come out only by Jan 2020 according to some reports. Damn it! Wait continues... I don't know what kind of market pulse they are looking for!

Have they gone mad? What the hell are they waiting for? Price announcement in jan and then deliveries when? In freaking April?



Hold on. I think prices may be announced after the media rides. Ok, i get it now.