Me too, if I was a shareholder that has taken a bath in the last year the last thing I would want is money "wasted" on an expensive MotoGP project with dubious results related to actual sales of consumer bikes.
Is KTM on the Brink of Withdrawal from MotoGP?
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Me too. What we don't know is how much MotoGP actually costs KTM, if sponsorship covers most of it then they could justify the remainder as marketing
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While I think that KTM is likely to race in 2025 there is the possibility that their MotoGP teams might not. What would happen to Acosta, Bradl, Vinales & Bastainini?
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Acosta ducati finds a bike, binder Yamaha test rider, bastianini Honda test rider, Vinales who?
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HRC takes a deep breath, wipes the tears away, and says goodbye to their riders.
Aprilia paying off Trackhouse to pull the plug early on Fernandez and put Bastianini on theirs.
Viñales finally getting his favourite role, full time. The Test King rules supreme
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Me neither. I did look to see how much Red Bull were propping the MotoGP team up and couldn't find anything definitive, but it is estimated to be around 50% of their budget for a title sponsor.
Totally agree, Honda toyed with Vinales before so they would absolutely be interested in any of the available KTM riders.
This I disagree on. For some reason, Brivio loves Fernandez. Plus he's the only rider with any experience on the Aprilia now.
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I agree that Brivio has a soft spot for the perpetual rookie. I was merely toying with the idea of Aprilia stepping up and helping an Italian lad out, in his hour of need.
Pure fantasy of course, as passports don't buy you a grid slot!
Pure fantasy of course, as passports don't buy you a grid slot!
I think the better option is for either Suzuki, BMW, or CFMoto to take over the operation and rebrand appropriately.
In these types of financial crisis companies always try to put on a brave face while things wind down, I think KTM is in a lot more trouble than we think, anything could happen in the coming months. The focus now will probably be a fire sale for the 100,000 unsold units, and working out how much the creditors are gonna get screwed while the fate of KTM is being decided.
If I was looking to buy a bike right now KTM would be at the low end of my list of choices unless I got it for a song.
In these types of financial crisis companies always try to put on a brave face while things wind down, I think KTM is in a lot more trouble than we think, anything could happen in the coming months. The focus now will probably be a fire sale for the 100,000 unsold units, and working out how much the creditors are gonna get screwed while the fate of KTM is being decided.
If I was looking to buy a bike right now KTM would be at the low end of my list of choices unless I got it for a song.
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Viñales right now
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Jack Miller has entered the chat.
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He's never one to be known for level headed decisions. I wouldn't be surprised if, as usual, he comes out of this smelling of roses.
Difficult to determine the severity of KTM's situation. It's just money. Easy problem to solve when there is an abundance. Difficult problem to solve when money is dear. Unsure where we are on the spectrum. Unsure if motorcycle manufacturing is sexy enough to bring in operations people to fix KTM's mess.
My marginally-informed guess is that CFMoto is waiting for KTM to circle the drain. Austria doesn't want that to happen, Bajaj knows Austria and the EU prefer to protect KTM's IP, and Bajaj is waiting on some sort of disguised (maybe transparent) bailout for KTM. Austria is waiting to see if a legitimate enterprise is willing to assist KTM.
I don't think KTM will disappear, but who knows how it will live on. The entire stable of brands is cannibalizing itself, and they are in the middle of acquiring MV Agusta. Crazy times.
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The issue I see for either of these companies taking over the operation is that KTM use their own suspension and use a chassis much different to what I would expect either brand to use. How useful all that data would end up being is anyone's guess. I would assume it is better than starting from scratch but how much better and the cost/reward ratio is anyone's guess/
IMO only I would think it should be important for the Austrian government to keep and Austrian brand alive and running. Here in Australia we have lost all motoring manufacturing and IMO it has been a disaster for the country. Not because of people losing work, new jobs always prop up everywhere but culturally I think we have lost something that was significant and part of our national identity.
Lots of interesting points above, one thing for sure is that we'll find out pretty soon how things could end up, KTM has 90 days to figure it all out.
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I am well. I’m retired now but took a long time to recover from that accident in 2011 (broke 27 bones and punctured both lungs etc). Realistically 10 years + to get better. I finished work as a prosecutor and have been happily living a life as a bit of a hermit (albeit a married happily hermit) since then.
Still ride bikes. Still watch every race.
