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Sir_wadsalot
| | Posted on Thursday, July 11, 2013 - 11:23 am: | 
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The RC8 is currently 7th in AMA Superbike points, ahead of our EBRs.... but yeah all the reviewers say the Panigale is a better track bike, RC8 is a better street bike. We track the EBR/RC8's at sportbikez.net...I'm EBR guy and he's KTM guy... vs everyone else lol.
You get an RC8 demo by being the sales manager for All American KTM, the closest dealership to KTM US headquarters. I keep trying to get him to talk his owner into becoming an EBR dealer, but with them just coming out with a new Duke and now the 1300 Super Duke, I don't think they wanna share floor space with us. Personally, I think the 1190's and the KTm's would be completely boner inducing Syncronicity.
This is Bikertrash, he just got back from the KTM dealer show in Austria. His last bike was BMW, his current bike is a wee little Honda dirt/street tracker, and I'm trying to talk him into an 1125R lol. He's worked for HD and Victory, and I think Suzuki too...He's a crusty old vet and my internet BFF.
Uncrateing the RC8R- http://www.sportbikez.net/forum/f4/guess-my-riding-hiatus-is-broken-24831/
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Figorvonbuellingham
| | Posted on Thursday, July 11, 2013 - 05:54 pm: |
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Lucky Bastard |
Sir_wadsalot
| | Posted on Friday, July 12, 2013 - 09:30 am: |
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Sorry to thread jack you, 'vonbuellingham....
I told him about this thread, and the EBR dealer thing....he said his owner used to work with Erik at some point and he has an old Lightning with "race only" goodies that Erik gave him when he bought it. He may pop in over here....
Anyone think a petition for All American KTM to become an EBR dealer is a good idea? |
Figorvonbuellingham
| | Posted on Friday, July 12, 2013 - 10:18 am: |
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Sounds good to me. I asked the Ducati dealer if he was going to sell EBR bikes and he said "what's that?". |
Sir_wadsalot
| | Posted on Friday, July 12, 2013 - 08:37 pm: |
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Then we're on the same page...come over to the EBR forum and show your support!
http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/713 493/716706.html?1373675032 |
Zac4mac
| | Posted on Saturday, July 13, 2013 - 08:41 am: |
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Pretty sure you will never see EBRs and KTMs at the same dealer...
A little story -
One day in 2007 the head of KTM visited HD for a chat with Willie G about buying into KTM.
He walked into the conference room blathering about how great KTMs were and HD would be better off ditching those "crappy Buells" and selling KTMs.
He didn't realize Erik was at the table.
Willie looked at Erik who was steaming up, looked back at the KTM guy and said "I wouldn't buy your company if it was free... get out." or something to that effect.
I heard the story 3rd hand, and this is the interwebs...
Zack |
Johndb
| | Posted on Saturday, July 13, 2013 - 11:09 am: |
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I spoke with sources at MCC in Villa Park, IL on Thursday after seeing the town of Villa park on EBR's website as one of the Illinois EBR dealers. They confirmed that they will be an EBR dealership, and they are currently a KTM dealer (they presently sell Ducati, Triumph, MV Agusta, KTM and Husqvarna)
It looks like Erik doesn't hold a grudge, or believes that business is business. |
Figorvonbuellingham
| | Posted on Saturday, July 13, 2013 - 11:31 am: |
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Maybe he plans on running ktm out of that store. He showed them last year in ama superbikes. |
Craigg
| | Posted on Saturday, July 13, 2013 - 04:46 pm: |
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Johndb - I live not to far from MCC and I meet in their lot for bike rides with my bike group.
Who did you talk to I want to ask them and see if I get the same story.
I'm looking to get a cruiser type bike in hopefully next year. So if the rumors of an EBR Sport Tourer is true I might hold off. |
Sir_wadsalot
| | Posted on Saturday, July 13, 2013 - 11:56 pm: |
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Well we're not showing KTM crap in AMA this year, unless you count how to be behind them in the points.
And decisions made at the corporate level will have little or nothing to do with individual dealerships selling this or that brand. If that happened at all. KTM sold 100,000 bikes last year, and I don't recall them ever needing to be "bought". Trevor would know, though. I'll ask him. Like I said, up until five years ago they didn't even have a street oriented sport bike, I don't know what they would "replace those crappy Buells" with. Are you sure you're not thinking about MV Agusta? I know Ducati's head was showing some interest in being acquired by HD at one point as well. It's a great story though....industrial intrigue is always fun! I'm waiting for Erik Buell to write a book when he's far enough removed from HD to speak openly on past business decisions, that will be a page turner. Your KTM story may be in there, I would like to hear a more curse word filled retelling of the VR1000 redesign he did, and I bet there were some hellacious arguments over the Buell shutdown we haven't heard about.
I think the RC8/1190 thing is a good rivalry for the two teams to gauge one another from. "Here's where we're strong against the other twin...here's where we're strong against everybody else." It's good for the sport, and tracking the two teams in AMA Superbike was where I actually got the idea about the dealership. I remember watching Mladin crushing the other inline fours on his inline four for what like 8 years? Bored me to tears.
And yeah, I wanna see an EBR sport tourer too. |
Xtreme6669
| | Posted on Sunday, July 14, 2013 - 01:30 pm: |
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We beat the Ktm boys yesterday! Both Geoff and Aaron finished ahead of them. |
Ljm
| | Posted on Sunday, July 14, 2013 - 05:03 pm: |
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And today. That leaves the two companies four points apart in the manufacturer's standings and has the makings of a great rivalry. I will certainly be watching the next round. |
Johndb
| | Posted on Monday, July 15, 2013 - 12:15 am: |
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Craigg - I spoke to Geoff at MCC. He was surprised that they already had Villa Park on the dealer locator (the EBR site does not mention MCC specifically). I wonder if the St. Charles is Zylstra, or Racer Cafe. |
Pyrogen
| | Posted on Monday, July 15, 2013 - 03:19 pm: |
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I bought a 2011 RC8R recently to replace my 2009 1125R and riding them back to back, ergo wise I feel like they are pretty similar, though the 1125R has a much more comfortable seat and a little higher bars. The KTM is probably much closer to what Erik wanted the 1125 to be originally so it should compare to the 1190RX pretty well in my opinion, but that is pure speculation. The KTM feels like I added 30hp and refinement to my 1125R. I don't think I could ever go back to a I4, the V2s are the way to go. |
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