Should have mentioned this on the post above. I’m also enjoying the good conversation!

If the mass produced BMW 1 Series (see your Wikipedia link) and Starbucks coffee can be deemed “masstige”, I think the RC390 also fits. Bajaj-built is the “mass” part of “masstige”, and most would say it carries more prestige than showing up on just another Ninja 250 or 300.

Also given that KTM filed for bankruptcy in 1991 and the limited appeal/market penetration of its street products (RC8, Duke 990, 950 Supermoto, SMT 990, etc) from the subsequent period, I would consider KTM to be “boutique”, at least as far as its street line is concerned. Especially if Ducati was also considered “boutique” prior to its rise in popularity with the Monster line.

It also seems that the success does stretch up as well as down. KTM claims to be the “fastest growing motorcycle brand in the world” and reports the 1190 Adventure as its most popular model.

http://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-news/statistics/motorcycle-sales-statistics.htm

I, for one, can’t wait to try the Super Duke GT. It’s on my very short list for consideration as a performance tourer.

I just don’t think “Stay small, my friends” is the only conclusion that can be drawn from looking at “masstige” and how it has been used with other brands. 2 European brands have done it well (as others have said, supported by dealer networks & improved quality of product and service) and the 2 you have illustrated, have not.

You provide a good explanation of the position of KTM, Michael.

I wonder if the failure of the large street models is that they are (in the minds of many if not most) just plain ugly, or maybe not traditional enough in appearance.

I have owned 4 KTM’s, 2 dirt bikes, a 950 Adventure and currently a white 990 SMT. They’ve all been as reliable as I expected (more-so actually) with exceptional dealer support so I probably would be considered brand-loyal.

Having said that the only street oriented model I have even mild interest in is the 1190 Adventure. I find the others ugly, with too many sharp angles and gaudy finishes. So maybe too much visual complexity.

The appearance of my 990 is more subdued. The plain white finish adds to that and I’ve had many compliments on its appearance. On top of that, I’m over-the-moon happy with its comfort and performance.

Thanks for writing, Peter. I’m enjoying the good conversation.

KTM is definitely good at the upmarket mass production game, but I think it would be a stretch to call it a masstige situation. They (KTM) always mass produced bikes in the tens of thousands on large assembly lines using common parts. Where they upmarket compared to Japanese hardware? Of course. But not boutique.

Boutique off road would be brands like TM or Gresini, wherein a champagne popping production year is 2000 units across all models, and the largest consistent batch of anything is a few hundred.

Is a Bajaj-built RC390 really masstige? At $7,000 vs $30,000 for the top of the line KTM, the price/perceived quality spread is pretty much identical to Honda or Yamaha (both of whom sell bikes over $30k), and KTM makes well over 100,000 bikes a year, most of them sub-$10k ‘crossers. I’m not sure how much prestige that provides. If anything, the market failure of the RC1200 and SuperDuke may demonstrate that the KTM brand actually can’t stretch up, rather than downmarket.

Just my opinion.

M

I wonder where that recent “Lotus” motorcycle, Confederate, Magpul Ronin, Pierobon, and NCR (Just off the top of my head) would fit in with all this.

Then I think of all the sports/racing car companies (Mostly British?) that started and sort of thrived small, then overreached (Sometimes in both directions), and collapsed: Too many to list.

I assumed KTM was a boutique brand focusing on high end dirt bikes, that then went mainstream by partnering with Bajaj to mass produce “masstige” smaller street bikes (isn’t the RC390 vs Ninja 300 a perfect “masstige” situation). As they became more successful, they expanded and improved their high end street offerings.

Just saying that the “masstige” business strategy has worked successfully in the motorcycle industry to allow smaller companies to become more mainstream, if done properly and with a customer support network. PSA for MV & EBR, sure, but not necessarily for the “masstige” business strategy.

Corrected, thanks. As you know, we are down an editor lately, so CMG appreciates help in this regard.