Thanks everyone!

Doing more reading and research led me to now believe that the motorsport/cycling connection is really more or less a marketing ploy, with very little of any benefits. The Campagnolo and Ferrari connection seems like one of the real ones, but then again, current Ferrari with whomever is making their bikes look like absolute garbage.

This also led to me to do more reading on who makes KTMs bikes as I was going through all their promotional materials and realized the only pictures they have of "manufacturing" is of assembling, there's nothing I can find of any carbon layups, wedling or brazing of any kind. As I said earlier, the rep (from the California office) told me their "bikes are made 100% in Austria" with the added "not like Taiwan like all the other manufacturers" making it sound like that's bad (it seems like Taiwan has been build for so long, they tend to be the best for mass production). As an engineer who works with carbon fiber and structures, I asked who supplies their "ADK high-end carbon" and was just given the answer it was "premium European carbon fiber" and I just left it at that because I smelled something bad...

Well, after last week, I now know it's all BS with this article I found, but cannot link due to my low post count.

I don't know if the rep is being misled and lied to by marketing, or is just doing the lying himself to make a quick sale, but it is so incredibly disappointing to find out that I was being lied to directly by them. If you don't feel like reading the article, their carbon supplier is Toray (who I've worked with for years and years), and the bikes are made in Asia (where in Asia???)........... I guess history and heritage don't really work for KTM. This all comes at a suprise to me because the Specialized Tarmac I looked at over the weekend had this really nice and proud sticker saying it was "engineered in California" followed by "built in Taiwan" and defintely not trying to hide that fact. I even saw a super expensive Pinarello Dogma with Toray being literally clear coated decal into the frame.

Speaking of which, I'm currently looking at a Specialzed Tarmac SL4 Comp, or a Giant TCR Advanced Pro. Both are way more bike than I need at the moment, but I'm sure will grow into over the coming months. Any other suggestions and opinions are welcome.