I'm not so sure it's doomed to failure I think it'll fill a small niche in the marketplace somewhere........!
I know this is a GS site and the GS is the 'benchmark' Adventure Tourer but there's room for plenty more bikes of that type. ADVrider is full of different makes, models and sizes of Adventure Touring bikes.
I am interested in how many mpg I get, the fuel is the next highest cost after buying a bike for me(other than the Touratech bill) some folk buy three and a half litre Mercedes and BMW diesels for £45k and then brag that they can get 40mpg so is the price of the Track really an issue?
I ride an HP2 Enduro with a range of 120miles and a seat like a plank the bike does about 50mpg when ridden carefully so the extra range of the Track could be useful.
My other bike is a Buell Ulysses with a 1203cc Harley engine and belt drive it has a range of about 180miles and again gives about 50mpg. It's got a good luggage capacity and is very good two up but not really much good 'offroad'. it also vibrates like a cement mixer gone hard so the Smart diesel can't be much worse can it?
Mrs P rides a BMW F650GS with a Rotax 650cc single cylinder engine. It does about 60mpg and has a range of well over 200miles when she's riding it. Its got good luggage capacity and is reliable enough aswell!
aw that's a GS isn't it.....!
I could have bought a 1200GSA but every other bike I see these days is a BMW GS which isn't a bad thing but i'd like a bike that's a wee bit different from the 'Mondeo' of bikes.
I'm not saying i'd rush out and buy a Track but the huge fuel range and cheap running costs after you've bought the thing appeals to me. I would imagine the service interval on the 'Smart' engine would be huge and the engine should be good for thousands and thousands of miles without problems.
The front and rear end of the bike are already used and should be reliable enough but I don't know anything about CVT's except the ones on the big agricultural machinery we use and they are plenty tough enough for the job.
It'd be a bugger getting a service though as you'd have to get the fork oil changed at the local KTM dealer. The engine oil changed at the Merc dealer and the diff oil changed at the BM dealer.........
It'll be interesting to see what does happen to this bike as it developes and after all the American military are already using the KLR diesel.........!
FP.