And I thought I was interested in a KTM 390. Maybe I should just redirect the KTM money to resurrect my BSA.
They do have cooling/head gasket issues, but not that hard to fix. I've "bullet-proofed" mine. A bunch of us race them at Willow Springs with AHRMA and haven't had any problems at that track. If they can survive Willow, they can survive anywhere
AFAIK the 390's are built in India. I've heard horror stories about them as far as basic issues when they are taken out of the crate (no lube on bearings, wheels not straight, not able to be balanced, etc). As others have said, china could be a deal breaker, but will have to wait and see how the first batch comes out. I used to deal with Taiwan a lot (very different from mainland china) and even there you had to keep a lot of QC to keep products on track. Especially in China, if you aren't there 24/7, your stuff will go down hill quickly. And I won't even get into any IP issues if you have any proprietary processes, procedures, or products.
I was a Ktm dealer for many years and sold a LOT of 390’s... The only issues we saw was when ted cob killed a transmission at Jennings. They seem pretty good to me. As far as their dirt bike line and big bike line they are rock solid from what I know. I’ve worked on them for 15 or more years and saw nothing but improvements on them. No clue on the 790 thoigh.
The ktm dirt bikes are one of the most reliable bikes out there, most go 100+ hours with no issue. My husky which is 99% the same as ktm is my favorite bike to work on and ride that I've ever owned. And the only issues I've had with it were from other companies, magura. And brembo..
Chinese can make good shit if you control them and watch them like a hawk. Seems to work for Apple. Well for a given definition of “good shit”. Their labor costs are also rapidly increasing so they’re losing a lot of competitive advantage. Plus companies have figured out the total costs involved in China manufacturing can be higher. I’m not saying the China assembled KTMs will be garbage, but I’d definitely put less stock in them than something made in Europe. Though don’t KTM and other Euros manufacture in Slovenia and Eastern Europe? Same problems they have in China I’d assume albeit smaller scale.
The A&R article on the bike makes a good point in stating that a lot of the OEMs are already sourcing many components from China. We might be surprised at just how much is coming from China. I don't see an issue, but I am surprised at the relatively high cost of the bike, given that its being outsourced to China. Thought it might be more affordable... like $9,000 or so. Oh well.
These guys are based and manufacture in Slovenia. A buddy took a tour a couple years ago while on vacation. They have a good rep for quality. https://www.pipistrel.si/ Id fly an eastern Euro built plane looooonnnnnnggggg before a Chinese built one. Several of the US light aircraft manufacturers and major suppliers have been bought out by Chinese companies in the last few years. BUt they are still run and produce stuff here, for now...
Do any of you guys know how a global economy works? There is stuff sourced from all over, assembled anywhere for companies that are owned by other companies that may be based anywhere and then move based on taxes and government concessions and labor availability. Go ahead and try to buy local. Good luck.
My 690 Duke had no reliability issues. Under 300lbs (by one half a pound but still....) and fun to ride. I am very attracted to the 790. Especially the Kramer version being developed.