For my 50th (18 months away yet) i was planning on getting a KTM 1290 Superduke R. But since buying the KTM 790 and (maybe temporarily, maybe forever) giving up track riding, i don't really feel the need for a new motorbike.
I've moved onto thoughts of getting a special MTB, something that has the WOW about it. But whether that's viable or indeed whether it's pointless, i don't really know.
Current bike is a 17' Whyte T130 and i absolutely love the thing. But it's only (i say only ! i know ! ) a £2000 bike new, so nothing is 'exceptional' in any sense of the word. It's all decent enough spec and riding it i never feel out of it's depth, i'm out of mine before it is out of it's.
I guess the question is, are better bikes really better... I rode a 185mm Bionicon in Morzine several years ago which instantly made me quicker than my riding mates, who at the time were arguably quicker than me, they were on 130/140's at the time, so the 'better' suspension really suited me and gave me a massive advantage.
But my riding isn't Morzine, it's Swinley, Afan etc. Sometimes it's BPW, but only the Blue/easy Red. I'm not a massive 'SEND IT' kind of rider, but i enjoy cracking on at a decent pace.
So i guess my question is... are boutique bikes really 'better' and would i even notice/care.
