Wilsons Sandbox

> ephilride@... writes: > > Gino! > >>

> Well, Knot, there you go again. The Boxer twin that will win Dakar in > 2001will most likely only official BMW roundels. HPN will have to > completely > rebuild everything BMW managed screw up in the process of trying to build

> motorcycle.

----- Original Message ----- From: To: DSN_klr650@egroups.com> Sent: Monday, July 31, 2000 5:22 AM Subject: Re: [DSN_klr650] NKLR: Richard Sainct Returns to KTM-long > > ephilride@... writes: > > > > > Gino! > > >> > > Gino wrote: > > Well, Knot, there you go again. The Boxer twin that will win Dakar in > > 2001will most likely only official BMW roundels. HPN will have to > > completely > > rebuild everything BMW managed screw up in the process of trying to build > a > > motorcycle. > > I am not so sure that BMW will win. With Roma and Sainct trading places who > knows. But I do know that the premier class is the Super Production class > and the winner is always on a "Works Bike". So what if HPN builds the bike > or the Richard S. shop. The fact is that BMW is back at Dakar and it is > great for the sport. When the BMW's went tick-tick-boom in 1998 everybody > wrote them off (me included). Now that they are the favored > team......somehow they (BMW) aren't seen as fair competitors and are just > buying the win with a mega bucks effort (let no one kid you, BMW has spent > $$$$$$$ on a successful Dakar program). But, the fact is that KTM has spent > more than any factory in the history of Dakar and NEVER won the race. Sainct > vs. Roma and BMW vs. KTM. Roma proved to be the quicker rider through 13 > stages this year. BMW proved to be the better bike in the long run. The > quickest rider on the "best" bike.......is it Roma/BMW or Sainct/KTM? > > KTM builds high performance bikes that you and I can buy (and race if so > desired). BMW builds "gentlemen's motorcycles" that let you fantasize about > racing. In the market place, actual racing and "fantasizing" about racing > are both successful. So, what does this have to do with the BMW you can go > buy off the floor at your local dealer. Well, almost nothing.......except > that you can get a 2001 F650GS/PD replica with "Race Graphics" (that look > very similar to a KLR in NM). And the proud owner can explain what "PD" > means to an interested third party - Paris Dakar! This creates interest and > sells bikes! Then again, what has Kawasaki done to advance the state of the > art in the Dual Sport area? They have certainly held the price line and to > many the KLR represents the "best value" and for that matter, the "Best Dual > Sport" of all time. But some riders want more (or different) and there are > many choices including BMW. This is good. > > BMW's "Funduro" concept is moving forward, Kawasaki's KLR is not. Some are > happy with old, reliable, and cheap.....some are not. This is not a > slam.......its just that the KLR is the KLR....tried, true and very > OLD.....but still loved. Some would argue that the Dual Sport market is dead > in America. Where are the new bikes.....all in Europe, that is where. Three > cheers for BMW for bringing the F650GS and PD to the USA! Come on Kawasaki > - build us a new KLR. But who will buy one? And at what price? And who > needs a state-of-the-art Dual Sport anyway? Deep, deep, down inside we all > want something else from time to time from ride to ride. Our favorite DS > bike is always lacking in one area or the other. "I need more luggage > capacity, I want to ride 2-up, I need more ground clearance, I need more > suspension travel, I need a lower seat height....and lighter weight is always > good!" Heck, the ol' KLR aint such a dog after all......the perfect do > nothing great - do many thangs well bike. Gino, you were right all along. > Just took me awhile to come to my senses. > > Enough of this idle chatter......Let the race begin. I may be pulling for > the ultimate underdog - KTM's first year effort in the bi-cylinder class (a > V-twin?). KTM has been building and racing singles for years and they all > blew up (or crashed) at Dakar. Now they are going after BMW in the > bi-cylinder class.....just who do those spunky little bicycle makers think > they are? ;~) > > Knot - up early to re-write the "Truth" > > > > Visit the KLR650 archives at > http://www.listquest.com/lq/search.html?ln=klr650 > Support Dual Sport News... dsneditor@... > Let's keep this list SPAM free! > > Visit our site at http://www.egroups.com/group/DSN_klr650 > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > DSN_klr650-unsubscribe@egroups.com > >