DFW Bike show today.... KTM blew it

The international motorcycle show is in Dallas/Ft worth this weekend. I have been dying to get there and check it out as I saw on the floor map KTM had a huge booth. I figure cool they will have all of the 08 line up there, I will get to see the new 690 line, a Super Duke R in the flesh, and really wanted to play with the 950 supermoto as I have this sudden need to have one.


I walk in the door and look across the convention center floor… ahh yes there is the KTM booth, from a distance I can see all of the Orange glory, a big plasma screen in the booth playing all of the cool street bike videos from their respective sites. I want to rush over and check it out but decide to walk through the show and hit KTM last.


I start in the Honda booth, NEW CBR1000RR…. WOW, can’t tell you I love the look but it is better in person than the pics I have seen. Still a bit pug nosed. Bike is super light and the RC8/motoGP style exhaust looks really good. Honda nailed that part for sure. Sitting on the bike for 2 minutes I could tell the seating position could never work for me. Can’t wait to test ride one though.


Next up Suzuki
Brand new Busa as well as the B-king on the floor. Sat on both just for sport. I don’t have any love for the Suzy-ques so my opinion is certainly biased…. Both are BIG BIG heavy pigs and really ugly IMHO. BUT kudos to Suzuki for having their new bikes there.

Now we get to the Ducati booth…..

The booth itself is very cool, big red walls around with Ducati race bikes on display set in the walls. Inside they have the usual suspects. 2 hypermotards sitting on the floor. What a pretty little bike, I do have to admit that I love the way it looks. Also sitting in the corner is a black 1098R, bike has a red frame and is just breathtaking. While I am there they unveil the midsize super sport, can’t remember the name but it was a baby 1098, first time I had seen that, again all the current and some new on the floor…


Kawi and Yamaha also had all of their new bikes including the new ZX10 (liked it!) and Yamaha had the “fiatâ€

I suspect its because it clashes with the more important European Milan Show.

For a relatively small manufacturer like KTM I would of thought they would struggle financially & logistically to field 2 big shows

Yep, clashes with the Milan show.....

Were there lots of dirt bikes on show. I would have thought that would be the biggest market in the US.

You have all the cheap kit and bikes in the US. We get to see it all in person first!!!!

I am unwilling to give them a pass for the Milan show. All the other brands had their stuff there and I bet in Milan as well. KTM did not even have a full line up of their 07 street bikes? No Adventure or 950 super moto as an example..

As for the dirtbikes... I did not really audit as I am not in the market but the booth was sparse, big booth with very few bikes. I think my little local dealer has more total bikes on the floor.


KTM needed to make a splash with their street bikes in this market and they are missing the boat. Too bad really...