[ebonho]

Originally Posted by nasirkaka

Not Entirely i feel. Take the above Nitinbhaskar's case for eg. I doubt he would have bought the 310gs for 4.5L which is what it was costing in Bangalore earlier. He considered so many bikes including the 390A and eventually settled for the 310gs. There will be more like him. Every sale counts, and a lost customer is not just lost at sales but also the business he gives during service for a longer time. The reduced price along with some added features would definitely lure some to change boats.
But yes, on a larger scale, say pan India, The numbers may not show much. KTM has a much more larger reach interns of sales and service outlet compared to BMWs 10 outlets and will have sale volumes to speak of.

KTM is selling 3000 plus units a quarter (taking all 390s ... just as BMW will lump the naked and the Adv 310s together).

BMW has managed a total of 1000 bookings ... mainly of guys who mostly have been waiting on the side-lines and have triggered their decision post the price slash.

India wide.

That's not the same as continuing month on month and quarter to quarter sales.

Yes there will be some who will hop.

Equally there might be others who find the price reduction underwhelming for what's on offer and now that the cat is out of the bag will hop the other way.

Let's see. In my opinion, this is like the Thar. An initial rush of the ones who were waiting, piling up. To be then followed by the median norm sales wise for the brand category.

Cheers, Doc

[Red Liner]

Honestly i am very pleased with the 310GS corrected pricing. This will keep KTM on their toes.

It will also hopefully get Kawasaki to correct their ridiculous pricing on the versys 300x and maybe Honda will drop the CB500x at a more approachable sub 5 lakh sticker price.

All in all, excellent much needed competition in a very hot segment. Only we the buyers will benefit in the long run.

[camitesh]

Originally Posted by nasirkaka

Not Entirely i feel. Take the above Nitinbhaskar's case for eg. I doubt he would have bought the 310gs for 4.5L which is what it was costing in Bangalore earlier. He considered so many bikes including the 390A and eventually settled for the 310gs. There will be more like him. Every sale counts, and a lost customer is not just lost at sales but also the business he gives during service for a longer time

Well said, working long enough for various corporations has taught me this same mantra i.e. every customer matters in long run in most industries. Unless the product is an absolute low volume high value for targeted rich audience only

Originally Posted by ebonho

Wishful thinking in my opinion ...

Excellent analysis Doc. Though based on my limited reading, I think Adventure 390 is one of the lesser selling models for KTM in India (compared to their other equally brilliant offerings) and I'm not surprised if that's true since Adventure 390 is their costliest product in the mass market line up, it arguably doesn't look as sharp as say a Duke 390 or RC390 and lastly the seat height isn't exactly encouraging. Hence I believe most of the numbers which you quoted will be from other KTMs (except Adventure 390)

Again this is just my opinion, also based on a fact / coincidence that I'm yet to see a single 390 Adventure on Mumbai roads although I'm commuting quite frequently nowadays and it's KTM fest everywhere on my highway commutes. I'd like to be corrected though

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Honestly i am very pleased with the 310GS corrected pricing. This will keep KTM on their toes.

It will also hopefully get Kawasaki to correct their ridiculous pricing on the versys 300x and maybe Honda will drop the CB500x at a more approachable sub 5 lakh sticker price.

Exactly my thought, KTM will most likely be on their toes due to what 310GS has now become in its latest iteration. Granted the BMW sales collectively will be nowhere even close to KTMs kitty but still I believe they'll make some amends to continue their dominance on Indian roads, especially in this newly popular adventure motorbiking space.

Kawasaki maybe but I don't expect Honda to price CB500x that aggressively. They'll be happy with H'ness sales and potential success for next year or so.

Enough from my end on KTM vs BMW. Just happy BMWs are such a great option now for the ones looking for a purchase in this segment and I'm keen to get a test ride myself pretty soon.

Congratulations again to those who booked the 310GS and look forward to the detailed reviews

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by camitesh

Hence I believe most of the numbers which you quoted will be from other KTMs (except Adventure 390)

The article I posted specifically mentions a 250% increase in sales of ALL 390s (Duke, RC, Adv) POST the introduction of the Adv.

Unless for some reason people started buying more Dukes and RCs (bikes that had already been around for close to 5 years) just coincidentally at the same time that the Adv was launched, logically one would surmise that a large proportion of that spike in sales came from the newest offering, the Adv.

Or am I missing something?

Cheers, Doc

[camitesh]

Originally Posted by ebonho

The article I posted specifically mentions a 250% increase in sales of ALL 390s (Duke, RC, Adv) POST the introduction of the Adv.

Unless for some reason people started buying more Dukes and RCs (bikes that had already been around for close to 5 years) just coincidentally at the same time that the Adv was launched, logically one would surmise that a large proportion of that spike in sales came from the newest offering, the Adv.

Or am I missing something?

Cheers, Doc

Duke and RC390 were updated too around the same time when Adventure 390 was launched. They came with bi-directional quickshifter and new graphics aside from being BS6 compliant. Not saying these were pathbreaker features on 5 year old bikes but I've known people sitting on the fence for BS6 bikes and not willing to buy BS4 versions last year (resale value and environment friendly as well I suppose)

As for the article you shared, it comes with a similar disclaimer themselves about attributing increased sales not just to Adventure 390 "It must also be taken into consideration that KTM launched the BS6 versions of its existing 390s in January which means that this resultant increase in sales/dispatches will also include them."

Further, for a moment assume all 2738 units of KTM in January - March 2020 were KTM 390 Adventure. Isn't that bad in comparison to BMWs who claim to have 1000 units being booked in just one week?

As someone earlier mentioned, BMWs 1000 units may be result of an initial euphoria. Same may be applicable to KTM 390 Adventure as well for that considerable sales splurge after launch only for sales to standardize at lower levels eventually.

Lastly, please also have a look at this

"Sumeet Narang, President (Probiking), Bajaj Auto Ltd., said "KTM 390 Adventure is a pivotal addition to our expanding portfolio. The model has seen a phenomenal response since its launch and holds promise of offering a truly capable and versatile adventure tourer to the biking enthusiasts. While KTM 390 Adventure has seen a very high purchase intent, one of the opportunities we see in accelerating ownership is to make the model more accessible to the enthusiasts."

The keywords above for me are "a very high purchase intent" and not high sales. Why else will KTM come up with wonderful low EMI offers (INR 6,999) on a barely 6 month old bike supposedly rocking the numbers for them and not have similar low EMI offer for other 390s? (I'm not sure on this though). Just a food for thought.

Again, most of the above is just based on my opinion and assumptions. But I would still like to believe that KTM wouldn't want to get too complacent no matter how they feel about their superb portfolio and / or sales numbers. The competition is fierce (good for us) and knowing KTM's journey in last few years, I am surely wishful for better things to come from KTM.

Cheers

[neil.jericho]

Wow, a count of 1,000 bookings without test rides even starting is truly something commendable! BMW deciding to play the value game is bringing them success at last. Once the test rides start, I am sure the numbers will go up though the question of whether they will be able to sustain these sales in the long run, is a tough one.

To me, even if BMW can increase their sales for 3 - 4 quarters with these prices, the ability of the service network to deal with these increased volumes would be cause for concern. I hope they are taking steps towards building their service teams and infrastructure. Or else, within 6 months, we will have unhappy owners waiting for weeks to get a service appointment and facing parts shortages etc.

Originally Posted by surjaonwheelz

Note: I'm not a prospect, was just checking it out. I'll try to check out the GS310 when available.
Pro tip: You get special attention in full riding gears

surjaonwheelz

The bike does look so much more attractive in theses new BS6 paint schemes as compared to the old one which was boring. It will certainly attract some of the younger crowd with their cheque books in this avataar.

P.S - the bike's paint scheme and your riding gear are well matched. Just saying in case you change your mind to becoming a prospect!

Originally Posted by ebonho

The article I posted specifically mentions a 250% increase in sales of ALL 390s (Duke, RC, Adv) POST the introduction of the Adv.

Unless for some reason people started buying more Dukes and RCs (bikes that had already been around for close to 5 years) just coincidentally at the same time that the Adv was launched, logically one would surmise that a large proportion of that spike in sales came from the newest offering, the Adv.

Or am I missing something?

Cheers, Doc

Doc, I believe the Adv 390's pricing and the subsequent sales numbers of the combined 390 platform, all point towards a case of successful price anchoring. With the perceived to be steep price of the Adv 390, many potential buyers found a lot of value in the far cheaper BS6 Duke 390. We have seen this feedback echoed on the forum.

camitesh's point on Bajaj highlighting very high purchase intent and not actual sales of the Adv 390 is something that reinforces this as well. Here in Kerala, which is a KTM state for all intents and purposes, it is very hard to spot an Adv 390 on our roads.

At least from what I can piece together over the last couple of years, Bajaj was never fully on board the Adv 390 bandwagon. They knew that they had a small market to target in India. So they have priced it at a premium knowing fully well that those who wanted to buy it, would do so and be very happy with it. Good margins for Bajaj. And those who found it to be expensive, would gravitate to the more established Duke 390. Good volumes for Bajaj. So win - win for Bajaj either way.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

Here in Kerala, which is a KTM state for all intents and purposes, it is very hard to spot an Adv 390 on our roads.

Here in Poona, with the world's largest number of two wheelers, I have not seen a single baby GS on the roads.

Not one.

Cheers, Doc

[surjaonwheelz]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

The bike does look so much more attractive in theses new BS6 paint schemes as compared to the old one which was boring. It will certainly attract some of the younger crowd with their cheque books in this avataar.

P.S - the bike's paint scheme and your riding gear are well matched. Just saying in case you change your mind to becoming a prospect!

Yes, the red alloys are there to attract a particular shade of orange lovers

My (riding) gear matches my Ravishing Red INT650 very well

Cheers,
/surjaonwheelz

[drt_rdr]

Originally Posted by neil.jericho

The bike does look so much more attractive in theses new BS6 paint schemes as compared to the old one which was boring.

I personally think the new schemes are either very gaudy and un-BMW-like or very muted. The rallye colours on the 310GS and the red wheels one on the 310R would be right at home in a Hero Moto Corp showroom.

I liked the more stylish older colour schemes, especially the red and grey one.

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by drt_rdr

I personally think the new schemes are either very gaudy and un-BMW-like or very muted. The rallye colours on the 310GS and the red wheels one on the 310R would be right at home in a Hero Moto Corp showroom.

I liked the more stylish older colour schemes, especially the red and grey one.

Well, if gaudy is what is needed to bring buyers into the showrooms, then I guess gaudy it is for the win! At least we cant blame BMW for not trying something different.

To be honest, at first, I too liked the older paint schemes, especially on the R, which I believe was in line with that of the S1000R and others, but on the roads, it had so little presence that the staid schemes really worked against it.

[abhi_tjet]

I took the test drive of G310 GS as well almost 2 weeks before. Honestly, I went there for G310 R. However, after looking the bikes in flesh, can't resist my temptation to drive the GS instead of R despite my modest height of 167 cm. Rally color scheme is a master stroke. Red in G310 R was too much though.

Test drive offered was quite short since there was a bit of rush for the newly launched twins. I was not able to get the complete feel of bike. I will check out the bike later again.

Some observations-
This was my first single cylinder bike ride/test ride in recent times. Hence, due to recent experiences with twins/inline 3, the drive experience was nothing to ride home about.
I will take an extended test drive and check further.

Saddle height of 835mm was apparently too much for me. I was surprised since I was pretty comfortable on Street triple RS (seat height 825 mm) and the BS4 310 GS with same seat height, most probably due to a bit of sagged suspension.

Also, one weird observation - I wasn't able to remove side stand from 310 GS while sitting on bike.

The two top bikes on my list right now is - BMW 310 twins(if GS is too much for me, will go with R) and Street triple R. I know it doesnt makes any sense. Both are completely different at all levels. However, choosing BMW will help me save some cash for Thar.

[nitinkbhaskar]

Need a favor from fellow BHP'ians with mechanical background on my search for GS' crash guards.

I have found 2 good options from our homegrown fabricators. However, I am not able to make out anything from the specs those individuals shared. Essentially, I need to know which one is more sturdy and would hold its fort if things go sideways. The options are:

1. Venom : Specs shared by their team - 1" Diameter 2mm wall thickness, Powder Coated
2. HDT Customs - 16 gauge pipe with 7/8 size pipe which is 22 mm OD

I am inclined towards HDT customs as I find the guy to be very passionate and thorough with his work. His youtube video on fitting his crash guards on a GS below :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZKY21_qUds&t=174s

[nasirkaka]

I am inclined towards HDT customs as I find the guy to be very passionate and thorough with his work. His Youtube video on fitting his crash guards on a GS below :

Wow, so many new players are in market now with these accessories. We had only imported options from the likes hepco, sw motech and one Indian version from Adv Tribe. I got the ADV tribe guard and they were of decent quality except i had some rusting issue. So thought to remove them from the bike couple of week back and get them re-coated. Had a very tough time removing them myself and thats where relaization happened that how complex these guards are. Took 4 hours to just get them off the bike. What i also realised that under the beak, there is a metal element which is connected to the bike frame. This is did not see in the HDT customs video. They just had the both sides going under the beak and connecting with themselves and not to the bike frame. A negative point for me. Not sure how it is on the venom design as the detailing is not clear.
Also, most guards for 310gs are designed in such a way that it comprises of two parts: the engine guard and the tang guard. The engine guard can be used in isolation as well and it good enough for all the protection the bike actually required. The tank guard requires the engine guard to be mounted on and it more for show. Anyhow, the plastic tank shrouds are very economical incase then needs to be replaced. Looks is another factor which helps decide. Sharing some related pics, had a few tosses last week, without any damages to the bike.

[nitinkbhaskar]

Originally Posted by nasirkaka

What i also realised that under the beak, there is a metal element which is connected to the bike frame. This is did not see in the HDT customs video. They just had the both sides going under the beak and connecting with themselves and not to the bike frame. A negative point for me.

That's a great observation. Here is another link for bandidospitstop crash guards. What you have noticed is captured at 1:20 mark. Can you please confirm ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKQ75oZ8xgU

Originally Posted by nasirkaka

Anyhow, the plastic tank shrouds are very economical incase then needs to be replaced.

Do you have an estimate of their cost ?

Originally Posted by nasirkaka

Looks is another factor which helps decide. Sharing some related pics, had a few tosses last week, without any damages to the bike.

Wow, those red guards really pop out. Giving some competition to the RallyE edition. eh ?
Anyways, it looks great.

On a side note, where I can source decent tankpads in bangalore ? I don't see anything worth investing in online.

[nasirkaka]

That's a great observation. Here is another link for bandidospitstop crash guards. What you have noticed is captured at 1:20 mark. Can you please confirm ?

Yes, thats the one where guard gets connected to the bike chassis. Much clear in this video.

Do you have an estimate of their cost ?

Not exactly, but someone had shared in whatsapp group some time back. different panels were ranging from 300rs to around 750rs. Another point to note is panels and parts such as 'beak' are coloured at dealer to match the bike. So the part may be really cheap, the dealer being BMW charges heavily for painting.

Wow, those red guards really pop out. Giving some competition to the RallyE edition. eh ?
Anyways, it looks great.

Red i choose on impulse. Now i call my bike BS5 cos of the red guards. The coating is not done properly, so in some months, i will remove it again and get it re-coated.

On a side note, where I can source decent tankpads in bangalore ? I don't see anything worth investing in online.

Not much options out there. You may find some branded products at bikenbiker. Many bought some oferings from likes of Aliexpress.