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NEWS
Bike company of the year
KTM, Honda and Triumph are the picks of the bunch in 2012, because there's a lot to like about the way they are going about business in a tough climateMark Fattore – Bikesales Network editor
KTM. The Austrian manufacturer is in the zone at the moment, and every road or off-road bike I sampled from them in 2012 was a winner, with the Freeride 350 leading the way – but only marginally in front of that little ball of muscle they call the Duke 690. There’s still some work to be done to develop the cachet of its road bike range, but the release of the little Duke 200 single-cylinder bike may just be a circuit breaker in that regard.
Rod Chapman – Bikesales Network contributor
For me it’s Honda. Here’s a company that’s meeting the challenge of operating in a flailing world economy head on. I applaud it for its recent releases such as the CBR250R, NC700SA, and CRF250L – bikes that offer plenty of fun for a relatively modest outlay, and will cost bugger-all to maintain and run on an on-going basis. In the not-so-distant past Honda produced some top models that simply failed to gain traction because of the asking price (bikes like the CB1000R streetfighter, for example). These days, however, Big Red’s ramping up operations outside of Japan and it seems to be making an increasing number of models at very attractive prices. I think the market will respond accordingly.
Martin Child -- Bikesales Network contributor
Is it just me or is there a shed-load of Triumphs on the road now? From the new adventure range to the Speed and Street Triples, the UK company with a decidedly small range has managed to gain a decent following Downunder.
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Written byBikesales Staff
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Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
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