MotoGp satellite team jumps ship

[Yukonica]

Yamaha lost a 20 year long business arrangement with Monster Tech 3 beginning next year.
Speculation is the move was a slick negotiation by KTM (lotta euro's) who will also likely score Zarco as part of the deal.
Any bets on Zarco becoming KTM's first world champion in a couple years?

Yamaha's consolation is Rossi's commitment for the next two seasons.

[oldbike54]

 While it is kinda cool that a another Marque has decided to compete in the Premier class , will KTM spend the Imperial tonne of money it takes to build a competitive motorbike for that class ? It seems to me a bad business decision on KTM's part , racing at that level is incredibly expensive , and considering the dwindling market the return on investment will be very poor .

 Dusty

[Aaron D.]

KTM is already spending the money, and doing quite well. I don't think Zarco will stay with Tech3 unless the KTM makes some big advances this year (quite possible) because  Rossi is staying at Yamaha for another 2 years-and I have to think they want to keep Vinales.

[Darren Williams]

KTM is not only already making a huge investment in MotoGP, but they spend a bunch of money in racing already. Their core is dirt bikes and it seems there is a large KTM presence in every off road 2 wheeled event anywhere in the world. The only odd thing to me about KTM in MotoGP is they really don't sell, or even offer, many street bikes.

Zarco is an interesting study, at least for me. He has shown he has what it takes to be on the podium. He has a huge following as a Frenchman (not another Spaniard, Italian or Brit). He is not a youngster. The expectations are he will have a factory ride somewhere in the next year or two at the latest. Of course if Rossi had not announced he is staying a couple more years, he logical thing would have been for Yamaha to pick him up, now things are a bit muddled. The rumors are Suzuki has been talking with his agent quite a bit to form a Rins/Zarco team. KTM picking up Tech 3 would seem to put them in the lead, but contracts and musical chairs on their riders have been a sore subject around the paddocks. There has even been talk of him replacing Pedrosa at HRC.

The experts all have their opinions on where Zarco will end up, but the real smart guys are admitting they don't know and, by reports, neither does Zarco at this point.

[oldbike54]

 I don't really follow motogp all that closely anymore , but are you guys saying that KTM is spending what Honda , Yamaha , or even Ducati are spending ? Didn't Honda spend like 100 million bucks to develop the original RC 211 V . KTM is one of the dominant off road bike builders , but this is a different ball game , just ask Suzuki or Kawasaki .

 Dusty

[twowings]

Aprilia is dropping some coin, too..."Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday" probably means more in Europe/Asia than the U.S. as far as MotoGP is concerned...

[Aaron D.]

I don't know KTM's budget, but they are definitely serious-I mean, Mika Kallio is the test rider.

SO they will spend what they have to spend, I suppose. Otherwise it is all a waste of money.

[LowRyter]

Moto GP has Honda, Ducati, Yamaha, Suzuki, KTM, and Aprilia with full on factory efforts.   None are new this year.

Most of these factories are looking for satellite teams to race last year's (or previous generation) machines to help defer costs.  Right now Suzuki, KTM, and Aprilia have no satellite teams.  There's been speculation where Tech III is going next year (KTM and Suzuki have been speculated).  Rossi's satellite team will likely get Tech 3's allocation of Yamahas next year.  Everything else is up for grabs.  There are only 24 (?) spots on the grid. 

[Yukonica]

Moto GP has Honda, Ducati, Yamaha, Suzuki, KTM, and Aprilia with full on factory efforts.   None are new this year.

Most of these factories are looking for satellite teams to race last year's (or previous generation) machines to help defer costs.  Right now Suzuki, KTM, and Aprilia have no satellite teams.  There's been speculation where Tech III is going next year (KTM and Suzuki have been speculated).  Rossi's satellite team will likely get Tech 3's allocation of Yamahas next year.  Everything else is up for grabs.  There are only 24 (?) spots on the grid.

Rossi has said he won't run a VR46 team at MotoGP level until he isn't racing.

[Yukonica]

I don't really follow motogp all that closely anymore , but are you guys saying that KTM is spending what Honda , Yamaha , or even Ducati are spending ? Didn't Honda spend like 100 million bucks to develop the original RC 211 V . KTM is one of the dominant off road bike builders , but this is a different ball game , just ask Suzuki or Kawasaki .

 Dusty

Apparently KTM has a plan and  they are using their own technologies to get there.
Trellis frame and front suspension are steps way outside what the other teams are doing but the knowledge is in-house. KTM is also the third largest bike manufacturer in the world. They can afford to stroke their ego.
This venture may actually be about promoting 'Austrian innovation' while branding KTM in the exploding Asia market. Although Asia isn't a hotbed of dirt bike riding that KTM is known for, it is crazy for asphalt racing and efficient small bikes.
KTM knows small bikes.

 

[Darren Williams]

Rossi has said he won't run a VR46 team at MotoGP level until he isn't racing.

And Friday, after the session, he said he wanted to race two more years after this one. Rossi fans were rejoicing!

[oldbike54]

Apparently KTM has a plan and  they are using their own technologies to get there.
Trellis frame and front suspension are steps way outside what the other teams are doing but the knowledge is in-house. KTM is also the third largest bike manufacturer in the world. They can afford to stroke their ego.
This venture may actually be about promoting 'Austrian innovation' while branding KTM in the exploding Asia market. Although Asia isn't a hotbed of dirt bike riding that KTM is known for, it is crazy for asphalt racing and efficient small bikes.
KTM knows small bikes.

 According to my research Bajaj is the 3rd largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world .

 I do agree this is about promoting Austrian innovation , but compared to Honda and Yamaha ,
KTM isn't a heavy hitter . I wish them success , but this is gonna be expensive . Building a GP bike is one thing , building a competitive GP bike is something altogether different . Just ask KR SR .

 Dusty

[Darren Williams]

According to my research Bajaj is the 3rd largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world .

 I do agree this is about promoting Austrian innovation , but compared to Honda and Yamaha ,
KTM isn't a heavy hitter . I wish them success , but this is gonna be expensive . Building a GP bike is one thing , building a competitive GP bike is something altogether different . Just ask KR SR .

 Dusty

Of course in todays market, how much you have to spend is highly dependent on your marketing skills. Sponsors (cough Red Bull cough) subsidize the operation to a great extent. See Suzuki, who almost went under a few years ago and has a pretty good MotoGP team coming on.

[Yukonica]

And Friday, after the session, he said he wanted to race two more years after this one. Rossi fans were rejoicing!

:1:
He's good for the game but watching what the 'new' generation is bringing to the table; reaching #10 championship in the next two years is a long shot. Just my guess.
I really hope he wins Mugello this year.

[Yukonica]

According to my research Bajaj is the 3rd largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world .

 Dusty

  I was quoting the CEO of KTM. I'll stick with his perspective.
Assigning rank really would depend if your research was looking at production numbers (as he was) or sales volume or some other industrial marker. Regardless, I agree there is a big gap from where they are to where they plan to be and getting there is going to cost more than few coins. I anticipate they'll be winning races in the future.

[LowRyter]

According to my research Bajaj is the 3rd largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world .

 I do agree this is about promoting Austrian innovation , but compared to Honda and Yamaha ,
KTM isn't a heavy hitter . I wish them success , but this is gonna be expensive . Building a GP bike is one thing , building a competitive GP bike is something altogether different . Just ask KR SR .

 Dusty

KTM isn't new to MotoGp.  They've been testing and racing in MotoGP for 3+ years now.   And running and winning in Moto3 and the previous 2 strokes classes for decades.  This is the company that says their bikes are race ready.  They probably spend as much on Dakar and off road series as pavement racing.  They've also got a deep pocket partner with Red Bull.

Six different factory manufacturers in the top class show a lot of viability.  The only factory that's been run out is Kawasaki and they've put their marbles into WSBK.  And then look at the Moto3 class and add Mahindra and Peugeot and that's eight.  If Kaw comes back, that'll be 9.

[DorsetBlue]

KTM is not only already making a huge investment in MotoGP, but they spend a bunch of money in racing already. Their core is dirt bikes and it seems there is a large KTM presence in every off road 2 wheeled event anywhere in the world. The only odd thing to me about KTM in MotoGP is they really don't sell, or even offer, many street bikes.

Uh, yes they do.  They have been competing with BMW for the big bike (not just GS style adventure) bikes for years and are now one of the big players in the small CC road bike market with their Duke variants.  They also have an Asian manufacturing setup and are no doubt aiming for the Asian small bike market with this MotoGP publicity.

[Darren Williams]

Uh, yes they do.  They have been competing with BMW for the big bike (not just GS style adventure) bikes for years and are now one of the big players in the small CC road bike market with their Duke variants.  They also have an Asian manufacturing setup and are no doubt aiming for the Asian small bike market with this MotoGP publicity.

Looking at their US official KTM web site for street only, they offer one Sport Turning bike (1290 Super Duke GT), four naked bikes (1290, 790, 690 & 390 Dukes) and one "Supersport" (RC 390).  No liter or 600 sport bikes or middle weight sport tourer, unless you want a dirt biased adventure. The Dukes are a really nice spread of naked sporty machines, but the other genre's are a bit lacking.

Good friend of mine that owns the local KTM dealership (actually family owns it) tells me their sales are 9 to 1 dirt over road going. But that's here in central Oklahoma. Europe and Asia could be a completely different story. Are KTM's well represented on the roads of Europe?

[Yukonica]

After Dusty stated the '3rd largest is Bajaj' I did a little poking around while I was working the reference desk at the library on Sunday. Bajaj is a heavy investor in KTM and holds KTM production for the Asian market.
I saw a global map detailing % of households owning 2 wheeled motorized vehicles.
In parts of the East the number was a few digits over 80%.
Dense population and super high participation equals big opportunity. That's where KTM is looking.
Big displacement road machines are a secondary thought.
And, apparently even Pedrosa is a god over there. Wonder what they think of Jack Miller?

[Darren Williams]

It's official, Tech 3 goes to KTM in 2019.

[Darren Williams]

And on a somewhat ironic level, will Tech 3 keep their Monster energy drink main sponsor when they team up with KTM who has Red Bull energy drink as their main sponsor?

[LowRyter]

And on a somewhat ironic level, will Tech 3 keep their Monster energy drink main sponsor when they team up with KTM who has Red Bull energy drink as their main sponsor?

wow.   that doesn't make sense.

[DorsetBlue]

Looking at their US official KTM web site for street only, they offer one Sport Turning bike (1290 Super Duke GT), four naked bikes (1290, 790, 690 & 390 Dukes) and one "Supersport" (RC 390).  No liter or 600 sport bikes or middle weight sport tourer, unless you want a dirt biased adventure. The Dukes are a really nice spread of naked sporty machines, but the other genre's are a bit lacking.

Good friend of mine that owns the local KTM dealership (actually family owns it) tells me their sales are 9 to 1 dirt over road going. But that's here in central Oklahoma. Europe and Asia could be a completely different story. Are KTM's well represented on the roads of Europe?

In the UK:

Offroad = 3 x 4st MX, 7 x 2st MX, 10 x 4st Enduro, 8 x 2st Enduro + 1 4st Freeride and 1 x Elec Freeride (Freerides are road and offroad really), so that is 29 models
Onroad = 2 versions of the 1290 Adventure, 2 versions of the 1090 Adventure (BMW GS competitors), 1 x Super Duke Sports Tourer, 5 x naked road bikes (Duke variants), 2 x sports bikes (small ones admittedly, they have dropped their V-twin sportsbike), so that is 12 models.

So mainly offroad, yes but a substantial onroad model range as well.  In the UK, Moto Guzzi have a 7 bike range and BMW have a 27 bike range (including scooters). So KTM is inbetween (BMW had a far smaller range until the last few years).  There are many KTM adventures in the UK (and doing world trips) and the little dukes are becoming one of the standard beginner bikes.