They all love to ride, love to race, and are good at it. What kind of group is this?
It's been a while since I attended a KTM test ride in Europe, and there are a few things that struck me as refreshing. One is that KTM is developing more and more into an international company.
Ten years ago, I would have heard German, the native language of Austria, in the conversations between the staff, but this time I heard only English, and it was beautiful international English without any slang.
When I asked about this at the dinner, I was told that it was a natural process because everyone came from all over the world, so it is not that the official language in the company is English. It seems that English is not the official language of the company. The technical department communicates in German, but I think that may be due to the fact that technology is accumulated in German terminology.
I've always felt that there are a lot of people who like to ride, and it seems like that color is becoming even stronger.
After all, the project leader, Mr. Sean Anderson, is an Isle of Man TT racer. He seemed to have taken the initiative in leading us on the public road test ride, and as I watched from behind, I wondered, "Who is this guy?
In addition, during the circuit test ride, one of the staff members who was handling the test ride said to me, "If there is anyone who is new to this course, I will pull them along". So I went along behind him, and from the very beginning, I was fast. As soon as I got used to it, I started to drive ahead, but as soon as I hesitated at a blind corner, I was quickly overtaken from the outside. I should mention that this was not a test rider, but a staff member.
KTM is a manufacturer where such people from all over the world gather. I thought that the character of the products would be naturally directed by such human resources and corporate color.
"Ready to Race" could be a measure of how far a rider is willing to go.
"Ready to Race", means that your motorcycle is ready to race. It means that the production motorcycle has the potential to compete in races.
So, what exactly is the potential to compete in races? For most people, it is the ability to stop, turn, and ride with precision, and the stability to keep the motorcycle from breaking down when under attack. If it is an on-road sport motorcycle, it must have enough bank angle.
But even before that, I think the most important thing is how far the motorcycle responds to the rider's control. If this is the case, then the sport will become more interesting, with those who are good at it going much faster and those who are not going as fast.
This time, I was reminded of this fact by riding RC390. Specifically in cornering, I put my waist in the primary turn and 1.The fifth turn gives the machine a momentum, and the second turn puts it to sleep. By synchronizing the rhythm and the movement of the body, the machine becomes more and more lively.
People who love to ride and race are eager to get better, and they take great pleasure in achieving this. I thought that KTM's character would be based on the pursuit of "Ready to Race".
