Charles how are you holding up through this stage of the season???

[_X_]

man you have alot on your plate! i hope you can go into detail as to why mx sports frown upon the team. i would like to think that the coombs clan would be for this effort.

[Stusmoke]

WHat they hell did the PO do to that truck?  Worse than buying a second hand 250F

[VintageBlueSmoke]

Charles,

Very interesting about the tires. Well, it is all very interesting but that little tidbit it something. What made you choose Dunlop? Weight? Cost? Support? Rider preference? I would think you could run something else and maybe get paid for it.

[eprovenzano]

Charles nothing like picking your brain (well whats's left after getting into MX racing  ).  Its just inquiring minds want to know..     Keep up the good work, get some rest and give em hell...

[Charles Owens]

We chose Dunlops due to the cost and rider preference. Only deal we could get mid-season and all the riders use them anyway

[mxracer239]

Has ktm said anything to you guys at the track or offered any help?

[Charles Owens]

Yes, I have been talking with our local KTM rep as well as Jon-Erik (KTM USA President).
Our rep got us the new motors at cost, they want our proposal for next year asap. Hopefully they can step up and help us out next year.
The 14's will be homologated soon

[eprovenzano]

Charles, I'm not trying to be an ass...  but how the hell do you have time to put 2014 proposals together, when your up to your eye balls in the 2013 details???   

I know, I know they need your proposed requirements for 2014 so they can get the data incorporated into their budget requests for 2014. I'm a corporate accountant so I know 1st hand the accumulation, build up and budget proposals...  But damn Charles, there goes what little sleep you were getting, oh and the little naps you were taking while traveling, you can forget those too.  Time to fire up the laptop and complete the required spreadsheets...  but seriously If there is anything we (TSM members) can help you with please let us know.

[Stusmoke]

On the phone to the KTM USA president eh? Sounds pretty sweet. Perhaps theres some factory backing in your future! Oh how I wish...

I wonder what KTM would think of a proposal like that... On the one hand, they get to stand behind their two strokes. On the other, their two strokes don't win which could make them look bad, although anyone expecting them to win against teams like PC/ME/Kawasaki are dreaming, no offense Charles. On the third hand, yes this is a metaphorical alien body, it might give equal displacement some more ammunition. On the other hand to the metaphorical hand, they might not want that. Atleast, not yet.

[scotty dog]

You're all doin a top job Charles. All sounds pretty mind boggling and a lot of effort. Best of luck for whats left of the season and I'm lookin forward to 2014, bring it on!!!

[JohnN]

Hey Charles,

Thanks for answering my questions. Unfortunately I don't get to visit the site as often as I'd like to.

No one really knows how much of an effort it takes to race at this level, unless they've been there. You are doing an amazing job!

The factory efforts have a contingent of people each performing only certain details, in your case, you get to wear all the hats. It's a very tough job.

I for one deeply appreciate all you have done. Thank you!

[brazilian2stroker]

[Stusmoke]

Roczen is one of those guys I would really like to see on a 250 in the lites. Him and Barcia. I'm a little sad about him having to move up to MX1 next year 

[citabjockey]

[Shawn36]

A KTM 250 sale is most likely a KTM 450F loss. So, does KTM corporate want that? Not clear to me which bike sale nets them more money. That said one would think the KTM service folks net more from the 450F bike being out in the wild then a 250.  KTM has to play this card carefully. How can they present support such that a KTM250 sale takes a sale away from another manufacturer? Seems like that would be the real incentive.

So a rider that wants to by a Japanese brand but sees how well a KTM250SX is doing outdoors might be tempted if they realized how much less they would be spending over a couple of seasons to race one at the local level instead of a 250F/450F. 

Or am I just over thinking this? KTM may just want to support any professional organization that puts out a strong organized effort on their hardware?

There is not even the slightest doubt that KTM makes more money from 4-strokes than 2 just by sheer volume.  Just like Yamaha they manufacture just a handful of 2-strokes.  MXA put out numbers for 2013 that KTM produced a total of 54,000 off-road motorcycles.  Of that 12,000 were 2-strokes, and a large portion of those were mini bikes.  I don't think KTM really views 2-strokes as a threat to their income from 450s whether it be from initial purchase or long term parts use.  They know what the market will bear and do what they need to keep demand high.  Yamaha makes and imports just a few thousand YZ 250 units per year so they can keep the price high.