2025 might be the Year Of The Deal

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Lightcycle

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Been reading a lot of material about the decline of motorcycle sales post-COVID, resulting in huge discounts and incentives from manufacturers and dealers. Economic downturn, loan rejections, over-production, repos:


And not just KTM either. Although, this is a KTM-specific article:

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When KTM’s insolvency proceedings revealed the Austrian motorcycle giant was sitting on a year’s worth of unsold inventory, the obvious question was: why not offload them at steep discounts to chip away at that €440 million liquidity gap? Well, it seems the answer is finally here—KTM might be gearing up for a clearance sale, offering a potential silver lining for fans of Austrian engineering amidst the chaos.

The Alpine Creditors Association (AKV) has issued a press statement following the first creditor's meeting concerning KTM AG's ongoing insolvency proceedings. Among the measures proposed to address KTM’s financial woes is a sweeping clearance sale through its retail network. While dates and specifics are still under wraps, other recommended measures appear to be in progress.

Rumors are swirling that KTM’s halo bikes, like the razor-sharp 450 SMR and the beastly Super Duke 1390 R Evo, could be included in the discounts. For those who’ve long admired KTM’s high-performance machines but balked at their premium price tags, this might be the chance to snag one without annihilating the savings account.

But before you rush to place an order, it’s worth pausing to consider the risks. KTM’s current state is anything but stable. Reports of halted production, withdrawal from racing, unpaid employees, and even murmurs of relocating manufacturing facilities cast a shadow over the company’s future. This raises serious questions about after-sale support, warranty fulfillment, and even the long-term viability of owning one of these bikes.

And then there’s KTM’s reliability track record—hardly glowing. Recurring issues, particularly with camshafts, have plagued their bikes for years. Factor in the uncertainty surrounding post-sale service, and any savings from a discounted KTM could quickly evaporate if major repairs are needed. Not to mention the potential resale value nosedive that could accompany the brand’s financial instability.

Still, for the bold and the lucky, this fire sale could represent the deal of a lifetime. If KTM manages to pull through, and the bikes prove reliable, those discounted machines might turn into collector’s items—or at the very least, fantastic value for money. For now, though, it’s a gamble. A gamble with the odds heavily stacked against certainty.

So, is this KTM’s way of making lemonade out of its insolvency lemons, or a desperate move in a losing game? That’s for you—and the creditors—to decide.
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Here are some other non-KTM models that are collecting spiderwebs on the showroom floor, destined for big discounts, apologies for the AI narration:


Kawasaki Vulcan S
Indian FTR
Triumph Rocket 3
Suzuki Katana
Indian Challenger
Honda Gold Wing
Harley-Davidson Road Glide
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Average days-on-lot for the above hovering between 180-290 days. I know some motorcycles at my local dealerships have been there for over a year!

Declines in new bike prices should also trickle down to the massively overinflated used market, and I'm seeing some 1-2 year old KTM/Husqvarna recently lower their prices on FB in response to KTM's fire sale.

Anything catching your eye these days? If the right deal came by, what would you pull the trigger on and for what price? New or old.

There's a few of us with KTM 890s and we all agreed that if a new 890 Adventure R dips to $9000, we'd all chip in to buy a donor bike. Full wheel sets alone are $4K and we're always damaging rims on the trails.

Bike would obviously be kept in my garage... of course... :ROFLMAO:
 
Lightcycle said:
Average days-on-lot for the above hovering between 180-290 days. I know some motorcycles at my local dealerships have been there for over a year!
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I deliver for Kawasaki and see a lot of bikes going to a lot of dealers still, so stuff is still selling in some areas.

I also see some still sitting in their boxes in their storage spots many months later however, so it goes both ways.

I delivered a VN1700 (Kawasaki Vulcan Voyager) to a dealer last summer and just noticed a week ago that it had finally moved from where they'd been storing it and went for assembly - someone bought it for spring delivery.

They also had a poor lonely Vulcan 900 that had been sitting on their showroom floor for over 2 years. It finally sold last summer.

But, all that said, I deliver a LOT of bikes that do seem to be moving, but the fast movers now seem to be the ADV segments. Cruisers and touring seem dead. Who knows what it'll take to revive those two segments - the GenX'ers reaching retirement age I suspect, as the boomers are aging out of riding now and not buying much in that segment anymore.
 
PrivatePilot said:
But, all that said, I deliver a LOT of bikes that do seem to be moving, but the fast movers now seem to be the ADV segments. Cruisers and touring seem dead. Who knows what it'll take to revive those two segments - the GenX'ers reaching retirement age I suspect, as the boomers are aging out of riding now and not buying much in that segment anymore.
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Yeah, the style of bikes seem to go in waves.

70s choppers
late-80s-90s sportbikes
early 2000s sport-tourers
last decade or so have been ADVs
next wave will be electrics?
 
PrivatePilot said:
I deliver for Kawasaki and see a lot of bikes going to a lot of dealers still, so stuff is still selling in some areas.

I also see some still sitting in their boxes in their storage spots many months later however, so it goes both ways.

I delivered a VN1700 (Kawasaki Vulcan Voyager) to a dealer last summer and just noticed a week ago that it had finally moved from where they'd been storing it and went for assembly - someone bought it for spring delivery.

They also had a poor lonely Vulcan 900 that had been sitting on their showroom floor for over 2 years. It finally sold last summer.

But, all that said, I deliver a LOT of bikes that do seem to be moving, but the fast movers now seem to be the ADV segments. Cruisers and touring seem dead. Who knows what it'll take to revive those two segments - the GenX'ers reaching retirement age I suspect, as the boomers are aging out of riding now and not buying much in that segment anymore.
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As a gen x adv is the new touring like they're more comfortable do the job better so I don't see why I would ever want a cruiser or a tourer.

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Scuba Steve said:
As a gen x adv is the new touring like they're more comfortable do the job better so I don't see why I would ever want a cruiser or a tourer.

Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk
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A lot of people say that. Those same people have often never spent any meaningful time behind the bars of a big touring bike though.

An adv bike simply can’t manage the air (and rain, and cold, or heat) like a touring bike, for one example, simply because of its size and how you can adjust things to manage airflow around you, and the bike.

Comfort? Subjective. My current bike is hands down the most comfortable bike I’ve ever ridden. Chair seating position with lots of different leg angle options so you can stretch and move around to stay comfortable, a nice deep seat with back support, and an amazing suspension that eats the road. Low centre of gravity so it’s not the bear many think it might be. Any well designed touring bike shares all those attributes.

ADV has its advantages, there’s been times I wish I had one for some sections of some rides, but then I ride a 1000km day with 3 seasons in that one day, and some rain mixed in for good measure, and I’m reminded how well a touring bike is designed around that sort of thing.

Chopper and cruiser? More about form than function. I think their time will come again, cruiser at least. Not everyone wants the high seating position and look and feel of adv, nor needs what it offers just to ride to Tim Hortons for coffee and home again.
 
PrivatePilot said:
Comfort? Subjective. My current bike is hands down the most comfortable bike I’ve ever ridden. Chair seating position with lots of different leg angle options so you can stretch and move around to stay comfortable, a nice deep seat with back support
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You're right, it's so very subjective.

I can't sit for long periods of time with my legs forward with all of my weight on my butt.

Comfortable for me means shoulders, hips and heels all in a vertical line, with good distribution of weight on both the seat and footpegs. Also allows you to shift weight around for sportier riding.

So that's ADV or standard for me.
 
Lightcycle said:
You're right, it's so very subjective.

I can't sit for long periods of time with my legs forward with all of my weight on my butt.

Comfortable for me means shoulders, hips and heels all in a vertical line, with good distribution of weight on both the seat and footpegs. Also allows you to shift weight around for sportier riding.

So that's ADV or standard for me.
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I’d bet if bikes with upright seating positions had scales on the footpegs to measure the average amount of weight placed on them for the duration of any long ride it would be a lot less than most people think they’re transmitting to them, sporty moments or repositioning aside.

If you were riding with significant weight on the pegs at all times your legs would be sore. Ask anyone who rides horses English how sore their legs are quite often after spending a few hours posting the trot (the rising up and down thing you see English riders do, it’s active, not passive) on a hack/trail ride. I used to spend a day sore as hell sometimes after a long ride back in my horse days lol.
 
PrivatePilot said:
I’d bet if bikes with upright seating positions had scales on the footpegs to measure the average amount of weight placed on them for the duration of any long ride it would be a lot less than most people think they’re transmitting to them, sporty moments or repositioning aside.

If you were riding with significant weight on the pegs at all times your legs would be sore. Ask anyone who rides horses English how sore their legs are quite often after spending a few hours posting the trot (the rising up and down thing you see English riders do, it’s active, not passive) on a hack/trail ride. I used to spend a day sore as hell sometimes after a long ride back in my horse days lol.
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It wouldn't be 50/50 weight distribution, no. But having your knees bent at more than a 90 degree angle puts some natural tension/spring on the leg muscles, so even if there isn't active pressure on the pegs (as if you were standing on them), the semi-contracted muscles are passively supporting your weight through the foot pegs.

So I'd argue there is more weight than you think there is.
 
Lightcycle said:
It wouldn't be 50/50 weight distribution, no. But having your knees bent at more than a 90 degree angle puts some natural tension/spring on the leg muscles, so even if there isn't active pressure on the pegs (as if you were standing on them), the semi-contracted muscles are passively supporting your weight through the foot pegs.

So I'd argue there is more weight than you think there is.
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If standing straight looking down can't see your toes - cruiser is the only bike that will fit comfortably (not my words, heard it from HD sales guy :))
 
My thoughts, tourer vs adv.
My Goldwing 1800 wasn't actually that good at eating up the miles. Forward footpegs meant all your weight is on your spine. Bars are too far back to allow standing on the pegs.
My 1200 Tenere was actually a better tourer due to better ergos.I added Yamaha wind deflectors and the optional tall windshield. That made it as good as the Goldwing, but not as good as a BMW RT.
 
Would love to pick up a 2nd bike if they really do drop down in price. The problem is then I'd have to pay double for insurance. There should be some way to reduce insurance if owning multiple bikes since I can't ride two bikes at once.
 
danp said:
Would love to pick up a 2nd bike if they really do drop down in price. The problem is then I'd have to pay double for insurance. There should be some way to reduce insurance if owning multiple bikes since I can't ride two bikes at once.
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i agree it is ridiculous. If insurance was cheaper I would own more bikes.
 
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I haven't had a feet-forward cruiser since my first bike a Kawi Vulcan 900 but I too prefer my feet more under my knees or back more even ... there are plenty of cruisers that allow a mid-peg/floorboard option so you can't rule them all out because not all are feet-forward.
 
danp said:
Would love to pick up a 2nd bike if they really do drop down in price. The problem is then I'd have to pay double for insurance. There should be some way to reduce insurance if owning multiple bikes since I can't ride two bikes at once.
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I remember meeting someone at Hockley who said he'd just swap the plate between his bikes ... works fine if a cop reading your plate doesn't know his bikes (best to have them the same colour) but if you need insurance it'll be a real bummer as the insurance co has VIN's.
 
timtune said:
ADV bikes are like big pick ups to me - most people don't use them for the original purpose.
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What's the original purpose?
To me it's having an adventure how, when, where or why is up to the rider.
 
Jampy00 said:
What's the original purpose?
To me it's having an adventure how, when, where or why is up to the rider.
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I figure versatility, and that's what I take advantage of. Long rides, short rides, droning on the highway, roaming back roads or exploring trails and unopened roads or farm roads.
 
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