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Best Lightweight/Entry-Level Motorcycle Of 2016

3K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  Jamco 
#1 ·


From EiC Duke’s initial ride of the littlest Duke in Thailand, we knew this small KTM was going to be special and it is. From the pointed profile of its front Pirelli to the tail-end bark from its 40-horsepower 373cc Single, this one does nothing to let down the family name, and on top of that, it’s one dollar less than 5,000. And that’s including ABS.

At 326 pounds all gassed up, it’s one of the lightest sportbikes we’ve ever flogged and as such it’s ridiculously quick in the twisties. It’s plenty powerful enough to break the Ton. And on top of that, its engine counterbalancer and standard ergos make it a bike you could ride every day to wherever you need to go (provided you don’t mind arriving pre-caffeinated due to its slightly jarring ride and hyperactive persona). Dashing down yon freeway at 80 mph-plus is no problem at all, and it’s even fun when ridden on a racetrack. There are a few minor cost-cutting miscues like the cheap hand levers and hand grips, but then you remember the price tag and go for a ride and all is forgiven.
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#3 ·
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#4 ·
I wonder how many CBRs were sold and how many KTMs...


People are voting with their checkbooks. :)
 
#7 ·
Could you elaborate on that? Is this just hearsay or do you have some real facts?


Lots of people hear "assembled in India" or "assembled in Thailand" and think that the bikes can't be good.


But where is almost everything you own made? Do your electric appliances work? Most do very well and they are assembled in China, Taiwan, Korea or who knows where.


Fact is that I have bought and ridden bikes in Thailand and the quality was quite high.


I never saw a difference from when I rode and worked on bikes in the US, which were made in Japan.


Maybe it's that as soon as some engines have a minor fault, people blame it on the country it was assembled in, even though the ones made in Japan weren't perfect, either.


As long as quality control is up to snuff, it doesn't matter where the bikes have been assembled.


Of course these days companies have to cut some corners to save money and install some cheaper parts, but you can't blame it on the country in which the bike was assembled.


KTM have always been very reliable, some MC dealers even told me that they held up better than BMW.


I believe that all manufacturers are working very hard on quality control because if the bikes assembled outside of Japan would actually be more prone to breakdowns, they'd lose market share and may have to shut down a plant which cost them millions to set up.
 
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#9 ·
I personally have not owned or even riden any KTM. Any thing I say about them is from what I've read on Fourms & from different You-tube videos. One guy bought a brand new 1200cc ADV KTM & already got rid of it by the time he 1000km. Something was seriously wrong with it.He had also had a large BMW ADV bike before that. Now bought a Aprilia AdV bike. Hope he finds one that works for him. Other reviews talk about the smaller KTM bikes made in India not being built as good as the bigger bikes made in Austria.
I am not a expert about any bike , but I do like my 500f very much .
I do not mean to offend anyone about any bike made anywhere , just won't be buying one from China anytime soon.lol
Maybe any bike is better than NO BIKE
 
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