I learned my lesson here. Thats why I stick with the Japanese bikes. I got burned on parts availability and part prices. Its more money to ride the European bikes as far as parts go. The dealer network of KTM is still slim. It has gotten better but it still leaves a lot to be desired. The only thing that a Honda or Yamaha bike lacks is the availability of a model with a 6th gear.
Edit....it would be nice to have something to compete with the KTM 300. Rumor from a Suzuki rep is that Suzuki has taken notice of what KTM is doing that is different. I hope that translates into the big four offering what we really want.
Yep..however, while true, when you compare bikes side by side, most of the parts are the exact same.