I find this KTM <-> CFMoto "discussion" interesting.

It seems like there is an "everything Chinese is bad" and "everything foreign is good" attitude. Don't taint the superior purity with something Chinese!

Yes, the Chinese have made some poor quality bikes. But so too have the Yanks (AMF Harleys), the Brits (Nortons, Triumphs, etc pre mid-70s), the Japanese (anything pre 1970s), the Italians (it is Italian - enough said), and even the Germans (BMW continues to rank at the bottom of "customer satisfaction" surveys, just don't tell the Germans), and so on. Quite frankly, KTM also does not have a stellar reputation for reliability or ease-of-maintenance, even now.

Today, there are several examples of Chinese bikes of decent quality. I've personally come across many. During my tenure in China, I am making the effort to experience Chinese bikes (I'm in China, FFS). To date, I've owned 17 different Made-in-China bikes, and borrowed/ridden several others - some are great, some are middle-of-the-road, and some are down-right disasters.

Re KTM entering the Chinese market, I am completely supportive of it finding a way to offer lower-priced alternatives to the domestic marketplace. The average income in China is still a small fraction of that found in developed countries. And, of course, the wisest route for any foreign company coming into China (and offer reasonably priced products) is to partner with an existing Chinese company, preferably a like-minded manufacturer.

I think that many critics of name-brand companies partnering with Chinese companies have a deep-rooted fear that the "racial purity" of their brand will suffer. This applies to all sectors, not just motorcycles. Essentially, it is all about maintaining the "brand purity".

I sometimes wonder how many of my elder relatives are turning over in their graves because my SO is Chinese. Hmmmm ... works for me!