Is KTM on the Brink of Withdrawal from MotoGP?

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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.
I didn't know Australia made cars that were worth buying overseas (for us in the Northern Hemisphere)
 
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.

Many developed economies are in a similar situation with rising imports for durable goods manufactured by "domestic" brands. For the last 30-40 years, the easiest way to build a golden parachute was to sell manufacturing facilities to foreign countries, and then cement their perpetual import status by securing foreign investment from the host country. Nothing wrong with imports per se, but this genre of commercial artifice is exhausting its consumers.

Anyway, BMW might be the best fit to take over KTM, assuming BMW are willing and Bajaj and Austria are onboard. BMW would get a MotoGP apparatus. BMW makes cruisers; KTM does not. BMW makes Superbikes; KTM does not. KTM makes dirt bikes; BMW does not. KTM makes Supersport bikes; BMW does not. The obvious clash would be in the adventure segment, but maybe BMW goes even more upmarket.

Probably won't happen. BMW doesn't like to integrate similar operations. They buy nameplates that make niche products. KTM is probably too expensive to play in the dirt.
 
How about this angle:

CFMoto has been very adept at copying many Kawasaki models, in some cases pretty much identical, perhaps CFMoto and Kawasaki could team up and take over the KTM MotoGP effort if it comes up on the chopping block.

Kawasaki has been stating they would like to get back in to MotoGP at some point and this would be a great opportunity if the moon and the stars align.
 
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.

Holy F**k! Unbelievably awesome to see your name back up here. I lost track of your snail mail address, so I never got a chance to write you again. Welcome back Mate!!!
 
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Nowadays you need to sell 1/2 million cars a model to be profitable, which is difficult in a country with a small population.

Not doubting you, but where did you read that? All reports I've read said he got an RS-GP24.

Also, from Davide Brivio today:

"“In 2024, we had already a big expectation. But he had the change of the bike during the season, and then he was not really confident on that [2024] one."

Aprilia: “We expect a lot from Raul” | "We needed to be tough sometimes"
Interesting article, I didn't know that Raul scored less points on the updated bike than the previous bike, thanks for posting. Perhaps it shows the improvements throughout the grid were greater than the improvements that Raul got.

The engines are set at the beginning of the year, so unless they got a special exemption then they must be running 23 engines for the full year. Trackhouse requested Aprilia to provide them 24 bikes but Aprilia was only able to obtain enough parts for 3 riders by the engine freeze date
 

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