KTM Road Bikes?

Ghost of Jabroni
Edited Date/Time 3/15/2018 11:21am
I know a lot of the members here are avid cyclists so it's as good as any place to get a opinion...

Whats the consensus on KTM's road bike program?

They look like good products from a distance. Very limited distribution still in the USA so I havent seen one in person.

But I've been told by my local shop they are "junk".

https://www.bikerumor.com/2017/08/02/2018-ktm-revelator-lisse-aero-road…

Looks pretty nice to me. And a heck of a decent price...

https://mtbandroad.com/ktm-revelator-lisse-master-2018-road-bike-sale


My alternative choice is a TM branded road bike from an Italian company that does incredible stuff, but I'll be into the bike for over $10k when Im done. https://www.mxbars.net/2013/11/07/caam-corse-le-bici-ufficiali-tm-racin…
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Racer111
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Racer111 3/14/2018 12:12pm
3/14/2018 12:12pm
I’ll stick with my Trek bikes.



ti473
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ti473 3/14/2018 12:28pm
3/14/2018 12:28pm Edited Date/Time 3/14/2018 12:29pm
why do you need to buy a motorcycle name branded bicycle? is it that you want your fellow cyclists to know that you ride moto too? I don't know, I'm not saying they're good or bad, just that there are so many other choices.
Ghost of Jabroni 3/14/2018 12:45pm
3/14/2018 12:45pm Edited Date/Time 3/14/2018 12:47pm
ti473 wrote:
why do you need to buy a motorcycle name branded bicycle? is it that you want your fellow cyclists to know that you ride moto too...
why do you need to buy a motorcycle name branded bicycle? is it that you want your fellow cyclists to know that you ride moto too? I don't know, I'm not saying they're good or bad, just that there are so many other choices.
Because there are tons of good choices, I have the option of having fun with my purchase.

The TM's are not made by TM. They are made by J-EMM (formerly CAAM Corse). They use some pretty cool carbon technology. And I am a carbon whore.

If I have the option of getting a J-EMM or TM, I'll go with the TM branded version. I just think it's cool and rare.

How cool is this bike? https://www.pinkbike.com/news/now-that-was-a-bike-alpinestars-ti-mega-2…

Im interested in the KTM because it seems like a great value, if the quality is there. I assume it is. But my local dealer has nothing but negative shit to say about them. I did a little reading and apparently when they first entered the bike market, they were not made in-house but were rebranded. That rep has stuck with them.

Now it seems they are made in Austria and done so in-house. I think. I dont know. Just looking for a more educated opinion.

The Shop

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Motocross Kid 3/14/2018 1:03pm
3/14/2018 1:03pm
KTM Fahrrad GmbH, which makes the bicycles, has nothing to do with KTM AG, which makes the motorcycles.

In conclusion, this thread is NOT moto-related and should therefore be banished.
9grains
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9grains 3/14/2018 1:04pm
3/14/2018 1:04pm
Ghost of Jabroni wrote:
I know a lot of the members here are avid cyclists so it's as good as any place to get a opinion... Whats the consensus on...
I know a lot of the members here are avid cyclists so it's as good as any place to get a opinion...

Whats the consensus on KTM's road bike program?

They look like good products from a distance. Very limited distribution still in the USA so I havent seen one in person.

But I've been told by my local shop they are "junk".

https://www.bikerumor.com/2017/08/02/2018-ktm-revelator-lisse-aero-road…

Looks pretty nice to me. And a heck of a decent price...

https://mtbandroad.com/ktm-revelator-lisse-master-2018-road-bike-sale


My alternative choice is a TM branded road bike from an Italian company that does incredible stuff, but I'll be into the bike for over $10k when Im done. https://www.mxbars.net/2013/11/07/caam-corse-le-bici-ufficiali-tm-racin…
Certainly some interesting things going on with that KTM, and the price point is intriguing. But I would caution that with bikes, the old adage of "you get what you pay for" is always applicable. While I can't speak to that KTM bike specifically, and I understand $3K+ for a bike doesn't seem cheap to many, they look to be competing with bikes of much higher value, and have included new technologies. These two things would steer me away, personally. There are far too many tried and true options at that price point (and those options have grown substantially over the last few years), and if your budget really is $10K, you're undoubtedly going to be completely disappointed with anything that isn't at or near that level, because there's little comparison. You're just not going to get a $10K bike for under $4K.

I can't say that your shop guy is correct or incorrect, but I can say that a lot of shop guys tend to have major biases. A lot of bikes are made by other brands, and this isn't always a bad thing because some of the bigger guys out there have the capital to invest in adequate quality testing in house, and help to keep price points a bit lower for those frames.

As with any bike purchase, I tell people to check the warranty and ride the bike. Find a demo somewhere nearby. If there isn't one, reach out to the company, but don't spend big bucks on a bike you haven't ridden.
Racer111
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Racer111 3/14/2018 1:16pm
3/14/2018 1:16pm
Motocross Kid wrote:
KTM Fahrrad GmbH, which makes the bicycles, has nothing to do with KTM AG, which makes the motorcycles. In conclusion, this thread is NOT moto-related and...
KTM Fahrrad GmbH, which makes the bicycles, has nothing to do with KTM AG, which makes the motorcycles.

In conclusion, this thread is NOT moto-related and should therefore be banished.
All the top Pro MX/SX racers use cycling for training. That makes it Moto.

You’ve been a member here less than 3 months and you are making decisions already like you have been here a decade??
JRT812
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JRT812 3/14/2018 1:30pm
3/14/2018 1:30pm
Surprisingly, a non bike store carries them in my small town. They look nice, but may be overpriced from my understanding. Apparently a similar product to a comparable Fuji or something along that line.
ML512
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ML512 3/14/2018 1:34pm
3/14/2018 1:34pm
Motocross Kid wrote:
KTM Fahrrad GmbH, which makes the bicycles, has nothing to do with KTM AG, which makes the motorcycles. In conclusion, this thread is NOT moto-related and...
KTM Fahrrad GmbH, which makes the bicycles, has nothing to do with KTM AG, which makes the motorcycles.

In conclusion, this thread is NOT moto-related and should therefore be banished.
It shall stand.
Donovan759
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Donovan759 3/14/2018 1:37pm
3/14/2018 1:37pm
Motocross Kid wrote:
KTM Fahrrad GmbH, which makes the bicycles, has nothing to do with KTM AG, which makes the motorcycles. In conclusion, this thread is NOT moto-related and...
KTM Fahrrad GmbH, which makes the bicycles, has nothing to do with KTM AG, which makes the motorcycles.

In conclusion, this thread is NOT moto-related and should therefore be banished.
If you want to get technical about KTM's history, there's plenty to argue that it is moto-related. Wink
Beeby
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Beeby 3/14/2018 1:39pm
3/14/2018 1:39pm
If the pros that spend all day on road bikes training choose to stick to the traditional bike brands, I'd follow suit if I were you. Brands like Trek, Giant and Specialized have year and millions of miles of race pedigree behind their development. I'm not aware of anyone that rides a KTM bike.
doghouse
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doghouse 3/14/2018 1:41pm
3/14/2018 1:41pm
ti473 wrote:
why do you need to buy a motorcycle name branded bicycle? is it that you want your fellow cyclists to know that you ride moto too...
why do you need to buy a motorcycle name branded bicycle? is it that you want your fellow cyclists to know that you ride moto too? I don't know, I'm not saying they're good or bad, just that there are so many other choices.
Ghost of Jabroni wrote:
Because there are tons of good choices, I have the option of having fun with my purchase. The TM's are not made by TM. They are...
Because there are tons of good choices, I have the option of having fun with my purchase.

The TM's are not made by TM. They are made by J-EMM (formerly CAAM Corse). They use some pretty cool carbon technology. And I am a carbon whore.

If I have the option of getting a J-EMM or TM, I'll go with the TM branded version. I just think it's cool and rare.

How cool is this bike? https://www.pinkbike.com/news/now-that-was-a-bike-alpinestars-ti-mega-2…

Im interested in the KTM because it seems like a great value, if the quality is there. I assume it is. But my local dealer has nothing but negative shit to say about them. I did a little reading and apparently when they first entered the bike market, they were not made in-house but were rebranded. That rep has stuck with them.

Now it seems they are made in Austria and done so in-house. I think. I dont know. Just looking for a more educated opinion.
I'm not a fan of them personally. I have ridden Ridleys for years.
ti473
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ti473 3/14/2018 1:51pm
3/14/2018 1:51pm Edited Date/Time 3/14/2018 1:56pm
ti473 wrote:
why do you need to buy a motorcycle name branded bicycle? is it that you want your fellow cyclists to know that you ride moto too...
why do you need to buy a motorcycle name branded bicycle? is it that you want your fellow cyclists to know that you ride moto too? I don't know, I'm not saying they're good or bad, just that there are so many other choices.
Ghost of Jabroni wrote:
Because there are tons of good choices, I have the option of having fun with my purchase. The TM's are not made by TM. They are...
Because there are tons of good choices, I have the option of having fun with my purchase.

The TM's are not made by TM. They are made by J-EMM (formerly CAAM Corse). They use some pretty cool carbon technology. And I am a carbon whore.

If I have the option of getting a J-EMM or TM, I'll go with the TM branded version. I just think it's cool and rare.

How cool is this bike? https://www.pinkbike.com/news/now-that-was-a-bike-alpinestars-ti-mega-2…

Im interested in the KTM because it seems like a great value, if the quality is there. I assume it is. But my local dealer has nothing but negative shit to say about them. I did a little reading and apparently when they first entered the bike market, they were not made in-house but were rebranded. That rep has stuck with them.

Now it seems they are made in Austria and done so in-house. I think. I dont know. Just looking for a more educated opinion.
what exactly do you mean by made in house? like assembled in house?
Nearly all carbon frames are made in China/Taiwan. Low end, high end, open molds, doesn't matter. The same factories usually manufacture frames for many different brands. The difference is in the QC process, the warranty, the distribution network, the marketing and of course the R&D that goes into the proprietary molds. But as far as the actual manufacturing it's mostly done there, because of how labor intensive carbon production is, and we all know where the labor can be had for cheap. That's of course the frame, because this is bicycles we're talking about here, and a bike is basically a frame, as the components are mostly all outsourced.
There are a few companies that produce in house, Allied is one that I can think of in the US, and I am sure that Europe has a few too. J-EMM seem to do so. Italians don't seem to be afraid to work with labor intensive processes, exotic materials, etc, but their prices aren't usually cheap.

http://bike-advisor.com/bicycle-guides/where-has-my-bicycle-been-made.h…
Brownstone322 3/14/2018 1:55pm
3/14/2018 1:55pm
Last time I looked at KTM road bikes on the web, my impression was that they look pretty good, but they were heavy. (But KTM doesn't put its name on "junk.")
GrapeApe
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GrapeApe 3/14/2018 1:56pm
3/14/2018 1:56pm
To me road bikes lack any personality, so I go with the big brands. Best bang for the buck. With mountain bikes I venture out to the boutique brands.

That being said, I wouldn't buy anything from that "mtbandroad" website. Prices appear to be too good to be true, which usually means they are. Another give away is they claim to stock pretty much every bike from every manufacturer. Wreaks of a scam.


Ghost of Jabroni 3/14/2018 2:04pm
3/14/2018 2:04pm
Beeby wrote:
If the pros that spend all day on road bikes training choose to stick to the traditional bike brands, I'd follow suit if I were you...
If the pros that spend all day on road bikes training choose to stick to the traditional bike brands, I'd follow suit if I were you. Brands like Trek, Giant and Specialized have year and millions of miles of race pedigree behind their development. I'm not aware of anyone that rides a KTM bike.
I read somewhere that the French National cycling team uses (sponsored) KTM bicycles.
Ghost of Jabroni 3/14/2018 2:13pm
3/14/2018 2:13pm
GrapeApe wrote:
To me road bikes lack any personality, so I go with the big brands. Best bang for the buck. With mountain bikes I venture out to...
To me road bikes lack any personality, so I go with the big brands. Best bang for the buck. With mountain bikes I venture out to the boutique brands.

That being said, I wouldn't buy anything from that "mtbandroad" website. Prices appear to be too good to be true, which usually means they are. Another give away is they claim to stock pretty much every bike from every manufacturer. Wreaks of a scam.


Good eye. I will avoid that vendor. Thx.
51xc
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51xc 3/14/2018 2:34pm
3/14/2018 2:34pm
they look pretty much 'copy and paste' to me. no real innovations from their side.

Pit Row

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Kulpa
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Kulpa 3/14/2018 2:43pm
3/14/2018 2:43pm
I have been riding my 2015 KTM Relevator Elite DI2 for 3 years now, have no complaints.



All the moving parts that make the big diffrence are from other brands like almost every othe bicycle brand and I think the frame is solid. Also I think it costs a fair bit less than lets say a Giant or Bianchi with exact same components.

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KennyT 3/14/2018 2:43pm
3/14/2018 2:43pm
Who asked why you would buy a KTM bicycle, so people will know you moto? How ignorant can you be! Of course that’s why anyone of us would buy one. I cut tile with my Husqvarna tile saw, of course it’s not the best but I love looking at the Husky name while I’m working
ti473
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ti473 3/14/2018 2:45pm
3/14/2018 2:45pm
KennyT wrote:
Who asked why you would buy a KTM bicycle, so people will know you moto? How ignorant can you be! Of course that’s why anyone of...
Who asked why you would buy a KTM bicycle, so people will know you moto? How ignorant can you be! Of course that’s why anyone of us would buy one. I cut tile with my Husqvarna tile saw, of course it’s not the best but I love looking at the Husky name while I’m working
cool story brah
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mikec265 3/14/2018 2:50pm
3/14/2018 2:50pm
Are these the same as the kids Strider bikes?
The KTM sticker more than doubles the price on the same bike! Much cheaper to just buy the stickers separate.
Squirrelings 3/14/2018 2:56pm
3/14/2018 2:56pm
Ghost of Jabroni wrote:
Because there are tons of good choices, I have the option of having fun with my purchase. The TM's are not made by TM. They are...
Because there are tons of good choices, I have the option of having fun with my purchase.

The TM's are not made by TM. They are made by J-EMM (formerly CAAM Corse). They use some pretty cool carbon technology. And I am a carbon whore.

If I have the option of getting a J-EMM or TM, I'll go with the TM branded version. I just think it's cool and rare.

How cool is this bike? https://www.pinkbike.com/news/now-that-was-a-bike-alpinestars-ti-mega-2…

Im interested in the KTM because it seems like a great value, if the quality is there. I assume it is. But my local dealer has nothing but negative shit to say about them. I did a little reading and apparently when they first entered the bike market, they were not made in-house but were rebranded. That rep has stuck with them.

Now it seems they are made in Austria and done so in-house. I think. I dont know. Just looking for a more educated opinion.
I didn't read this whole thread, but the KTM bicylcles are not made by the same company as the dirt bikes. Not sure why you'd expect quality from a KTM, but they are not one in the same anyhow.
Squirrelings 3/14/2018 2:57pm
3/14/2018 2:57pm
mikec265 wrote:
Are these the same as the kids Strider bikes? The KTM sticker more than doubles the price on the same bike! Much cheaper to just buy...
Are these the same as the kids Strider bikes?
The KTM sticker more than doubles the price on the same bike! Much cheaper to just buy the stickers separate.
That's odd. If anything, I'd expect those stickers to bring down the price.
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Zaugg 3/14/2018 3:53pm
3/14/2018 3:53pm
If you're looking for a solid bike, well equiped, with a price that won' hurt your wallet, I might suggest the following:

https://www.canyon.com/en-us/

https://alliedcycleworks.com/ (Actual Made in the USA carbon bike frames and bikes and fully custom as well)

Both give you lots of bang for the buck.



Ghost of Jabroni 3/14/2018 3:54pm
3/14/2018 3:54pm
ti473 wrote:
why do you need to buy a motorcycle name branded bicycle? is it that you want your fellow cyclists to know that you ride moto too...
why do you need to buy a motorcycle name branded bicycle? is it that you want your fellow cyclists to know that you ride moto too? I don't know, I'm not saying they're good or bad, just that there are so many other choices.
Ghost of Jabroni wrote:
Because there are tons of good choices, I have the option of having fun with my purchase. The TM's are not made by TM. They are...
Because there are tons of good choices, I have the option of having fun with my purchase.

The TM's are not made by TM. They are made by J-EMM (formerly CAAM Corse). They use some pretty cool carbon technology. And I am a carbon whore.

If I have the option of getting a J-EMM or TM, I'll go with the TM branded version. I just think it's cool and rare.

How cool is this bike? https://www.pinkbike.com/news/now-that-was-a-bike-alpinestars-ti-mega-2…

Im interested in the KTM because it seems like a great value, if the quality is there. I assume it is. But my local dealer has nothing but negative shit to say about them. I did a little reading and apparently when they first entered the bike market, they were not made in-house but were rebranded. That rep has stuck with them.

Now it seems they are made in Austria and done so in-house. I think. I dont know. Just looking for a more educated opinion.
ti473 wrote:
what exactly do you mean by made in house? like assembled in house? Nearly all carbon frames are made in China/Taiwan. Low end, high end, open...
what exactly do you mean by made in house? like assembled in house?
Nearly all carbon frames are made in China/Taiwan. Low end, high end, open molds, doesn't matter. The same factories usually manufacture frames for many different brands. The difference is in the QC process, the warranty, the distribution network, the marketing and of course the R&D that goes into the proprietary molds. But as far as the actual manufacturing it's mostly done there, because of how labor intensive carbon production is, and we all know where the labor can be had for cheap. That's of course the frame, because this is bicycles we're talking about here, and a bike is basically a frame, as the components are mostly all outsourced.
There are a few companies that produce in house, Allied is one that I can think of in the US, and I am sure that Europe has a few too. J-EMM seem to do so. Italians don't seem to be afraid to work with labor intensive processes, exotic materials, etc, but their prices aren't usually cheap.

http://bike-advisor.com/bicycle-guides/where-has-my-bicycle-been-made.h…
I realize most carbon labor these days is outsourced.

By in-house I meant the design/R&D done by KTM. As opposed to just going to one of the manufacturers in Asia and asking them to slap a sticker on a generic carbon frame like a lot of companies do. I'd also expect "in-house" to mean the bike was assembled in Austria.

In some of their literature they do claim their own carbon making process.
wreckitrandy
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wreckitrandy 3/14/2018 3:55pm
3/14/2018 3:55pm
Motocross Kid wrote:
KTM Fahrrad GmbH, which makes the bicycles, has nothing to do with KTM AG, which makes the motorcycles. In conclusion, this thread is NOT moto-related and...
KTM Fahrrad GmbH, which makes the bicycles, has nothing to do with KTM AG, which makes the motorcycles.

In conclusion, this thread is NOT moto-related and should therefore be banished.
ML512 wrote:
It shall stand.
Is that an 'overruled' your honor, sir?!
Ghost of Jabroni 3/14/2018 3:56pm
3/14/2018 3:56pm
Kulpa wrote:
I have been riding my 2015 KTM Relevator Elite DI2 for 3 years now, have no complaints. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2018/03/14/249342/s1200_15_revelator_elite_d12.jpg[/img] All the moving parts that make the big...
I have been riding my 2015 KTM Relevator Elite DI2 for 3 years now, have no complaints.



All the moving parts that make the big diffrence are from other brands like almost every othe bicycle brand and I think the frame is solid. Also I think it costs a fair bit less than lets say a Giant or Bianchi with exact same components.

Thankyou for your input. This is what I was looking for.
Ghost of Jabroni 3/14/2018 4:00pm
3/14/2018 4:00pm Edited Date/Time 3/14/2018 4:00pm
9grains wrote:
Certainly some interesting things going on with that KTM, and the price point is intriguing. But I would caution that with bikes, the old adage of...
Certainly some interesting things going on with that KTM, and the price point is intriguing. But I would caution that with bikes, the old adage of "you get what you pay for" is always applicable. While I can't speak to that KTM bike specifically, and I understand $3K+ for a bike doesn't seem cheap to many, they look to be competing with bikes of much higher value, and have included new technologies. These two things would steer me away, personally. There are far too many tried and true options at that price point (and those options have grown substantially over the last few years), and if your budget really is $10K, you're undoubtedly going to be completely disappointed with anything that isn't at or near that level, because there's little comparison. You're just not going to get a $10K bike for under $4K.

I can't say that your shop guy is correct or incorrect, but I can say that a lot of shop guys tend to have major biases. A lot of bikes are made by other brands, and this isn't always a bad thing because some of the bigger guys out there have the capital to invest in adequate quality testing in house, and help to keep price points a bit lower for those frames.

As with any bike purchase, I tell people to check the warranty and ride the bike. Find a demo somewhere nearby. If there isn't one, reach out to the company, but don't spend big bucks on a bike you haven't ridden.
Im not expecting a $10k bike for $4k.

That $10k J-EMM Im interested in would be built with Dura-Ace throughout. It's exotic. And I'd really have to get back into road biking again to justify the purchase.

So Im eyeing the KTM as a stop-gap. And a nice one at that, being that it comes with some pretty nice components. If I only ride a few times a month, then the KTM will be a great bike to serve that purpose.

If I start getting nuts about cycling again, I wont mind then getting the J-EMM and having the KTM as a loaner or backup bike.
Dtat720
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Dtat720 3/14/2018 4:12pm
3/14/2018 4:12pm
If you can speak with a rep and ask about the frame construction process, that will tell you all you need to know about wether it is worth buying or not.

90% of carbon road frames are manufactured in China by a company owned by Trek. There are plenty of frames not made there, but those are the high end frames and boutique frames.

If these are being made inhouse, you want to ask what the layup is at the bottom bracket, head tube and seat stay/top tube junctions. Your high end bikes with good response use a combination at these points overlaying carbon with cross pattern kevlar strips. Your low end bikes and mid level bikes with a flext feel are using only carbon at these joints and you never get quite comfortable with the feel.

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