2008 KTM690 Enduro

[Rocking Couple]

Is this your new bike Uwe, street legal right?
Tell us about it, what you like, what you're not too thrilled about. Vibration still a bit buzzy?
Can you burn 87 ok?
# of clicks on it now?
MPG, range?
Been able to test a top end yet or, nevermind the last 10 kph, but how long does it take to get to within it's last 10 or 15 of top end?
Did insurance try to class it as high risk, not because of it being a muscle bike, but rather because of it's perceived 'off road' talents?

That seems to be their new angle used to screw us. Beware any bike like this or KLR650 etc some companies (shop around) have decided to throw a screwing to owners of these bikes, cuz of "claims paid out due to off road crashes." Actually, they used the word 'accidents'. 'Crashes' was my word. The word accident, is far too loosely used when incidents happen on our roads.

[Rocking Couple]

I thought these weren't half bad questions Uwe?
If I hadn't heard you say you've been enjoying the blazes out of your new bike a couple of weeks ago, I'd think that you hadn't spent enough time on it to report anything yet?
And what size rubber did it come with?

[Uwe W.]

RC, they were great questions, it's just that I've been extremely pressed for time the past couple of weeks and didn't have a chance to answer them.

The 690 is street legal, which is what makes it such a great bike. I literally ride to a trail head and keep on going. It does get a lot of long looks from the rozzers because it looks very much like a dirt bike. I also get strange looks from people in SUVs; it's so tall that when I'm sitting beside them at lights we're looking at each other eye to eye.

So far I don't have a single complaint, other than I've lost one bolt and have partially melted my left turn signal. There's absolutely no issue with vibration; it runs as smooth as my wife's 650GS on-road, and off-road I'm too busy to notice.

I haven't put in a lower grade fuel yet, but it shouldn't be a problem. The adjustable fuel mapping has a position for low (as in garbage) grade fuel.

I'm only at a few hundred km, but it's mostly off-road. Costa, who also bought one, has over 500 km on his already. He might add to this thread, but I'm pretty sure he's as pleased as I am.

Fuel range is a tougher question to answer. The motor still hasn't broken in, and off-road isn't the best environment for getting great fuel economy. Costa would be better informed on range since he's done more street riding with it than I have.

Top end? I've had it up to 130 km/h, but on full knobbies it started to get a little squirrelly, plus I've been running lower air pressure for off-road. Once again, Costa will know better. He installed a set of dual-sport tires and has said that I'll be amazed with the top end.

The bike ships to Canada with Pirelli MT21 Rallycross tires. There's a 21" 90/90 up front, and an 18" 130/90 in the back. I'm going to buy a set of 17" wheels as well so I can switch up for pure street riding.

As with many other KTMs, the bike is extremely adjustable (the RC8 has to be the most adjustable bike available on the market). I'm just starting to play with settings and the positioning of controls; it's very early days yet, but so far I can honestly say that this bike was well worth the wait.

No word on insurance yet as I'm still waiting for the envelope to show up. I've been keeping my fingers crossed, but next to a 'busa, how bad could it be?

I'll post a few pictures later if you're interested.

[Rocking Couple]

Definitely do some pics, when you get some free time Uwe. No rush.
Hopefully Costa will see this and comment too. I am even more intriqued with these bikes since reading your 1st hand experiences.

How did a signal get melted, on it's side somewhere beneath a hot fr pipe?

I like the idea of it's height, must be comfy for worn out knees.

When you swap rims for full on street use, have you checked into the possibility of having to also use a type of shock dampener on the chain? I recall my nephew telling me a few years ago something about this when he was considering streeting his 450. I'm not sure if it was an idler assembly that incorporated shock dampening reduction or what. It did add to the already expensive swap, since 2 of everything is required. He ended up selling the bike back to KTM due to a factory engine problem or something, so he never completed his plans to street it. Apparently the rim swaps go fairly quickly.

[Uwe W.]

How did a signal get melted, on it's side somewhere beneath a hot fr pipe?

The European models have the rear turn signals mounted beside the licence plate holder, but for some reason NA versions have them up high with the left rear signal directly behind the exhaust opening. While they're less likely to break there in a crash, they do get kicked a lot when getting on and off the bike, and then there's the heat. I think KTM will end up supplying us all with low profile signals, but until then I've just put a little aluminum duct tape on the back of mine and it seems to have stopped the melting process.

http://www.vorg.com/bc/images/KTM690E - Melting Signal.jpg

In the process of tinkering with the bike, I've added two pieces of farkle:

The iPod Farkle
http://www.vorg.com/bc/images/KTM690E - iPod Bling.jpg

The Hula Farkle
http://www.vorg.com/bc/images/KTM690E - Hula Bling.jpg

Both have made me a faster rider, but the poor girl isn't holding up very well to off-road use. She's already lost part of her uekelele, a hand and both feet. It'll be a miracle if she lasts the summer.

[Rocking Couple]

Hmmm, something that didn't occur to me before but I got to thinking about it tonight, and ironically one of your pics helped me ponder this even further.
Going from 19" to 17" front will lower the bike an inch up front. Which will quicken steering. Plus the smaller dia wheel will quicken additionally. Great as long as it doesn't fall into twitchy when front end becomes light and wanting to slap. And according to your pic, it doesn't look like there is much left to raise the triple clamp. Of course even doing that if you could will alter trail, or is it rake? And extend WB a bit too. So what have the guys said about handling who have done this conversion?

Could be the change isn't significant enough tho, to warrant any other changes.

What would be ideal is if the from OEM there was room and provision for adding spacers inside the fr forks. Well....not particularly ideal i guess cuz that becomes a PITA swap at that point when you're ready to go off road again.

I have raised tubes in a KLR to lower bike enough to climb on (about 2") and it quicken the steering beautifully. Not twitchy, even at a buck seventy.
It did make the (already too powerful OEM) rear disc grab and lock easier than before tho on heavy braking as weight transfer was exaggerated. Even cornering clearance was still quite respectable altho did touch a right side peg lightly just once.

[Costa Mouzouris]

Hopefully Costa will see this and comment too. I am even more intriqued with these bikes since reading your 1st hand experiences.

I've ridden mine only on the street so far and it works better as a street bike than I first thought. I've softened up the suspension damping considerably from standard and the bike is quite comfortable, though I still don't care for the seat.

Metzeler Saharas are on the bike now, and the bike handles great on the road. I'm going to stick to street-oriented dual-sport tires, unless a serious off-road ride is planned, in which case I'll re-install the original MT-21s.

I find the engine in my bike mechanically noisy, more so than I recall the press bikes I rode at the introduction, but I'll wait to hear another bike before assessing if this is a problem. It runs great.

I've also put some aluminum tape on the left turn signal, and it's holding up so far, though the lens is getting stained by exhaust. I will TIG-weld a stainless muffler tip to the end of the muffler to redirect exhaust away from the turn signal. I think that for KTM, the easiest fix for this is to redesign the rear fender with relocated turn signals.

Fuel consumption so far (bike isn't yet fully broken in) is better than 6 L/100 km.

Costa.

[Rocking Couple]

Thanks for the info Costa and Uwe. Post new findings as ya get a chance.

Seems a bit thirsty, but I suspected that of a big bore single that is tuned for performance. Even big bore singles that aren't, can be thirsty. The more they are flogged, the worse the mileage gets.

Off topic...sorta..

some interesting trivia I recall from a few years ago

2 bikes
- 02 EX250 Ninja - 47 mpg
- 04 ST1300 - 51 mpg

both on same run - 118 - 35 - 60 - 3 - 141 - 118

ran 120 to 140 on 118 and 35

[John]

My old SRX was great on fuel. It's economy was wonderful - I would consistently get over 60 mpg no matter how hard I beat on it. It had a Dynojet kit, plus a K & N and the obligatory Supertrapp, that brought down it's fuel efficiency from over 70 mpg when ridden gently. Oh yeah, and one tooth down on the front... She could charge up to the ton with no trouble whatsoever & then very slowly creep to about 175 Km/Hr or so. Normal gearing would allow it go to a bit over 180 but what's the friggin' point? The buzz that it made (yes, it was counterbalanced but...) at or near the ton would numb all contact points in short order anyways... I [B]do[B] miss that machine.

The FJR when ridden like an old lady (AND the shield down) is capable of tremendous fuel economy. I calculated that it gave around 65 mpg once when traveling along behind my wife in her Corolla. The speeds were 90 - 110 through Nova Scotia & New Brunswick when I brought it home after buying it. Wail on it and it does no worse than 40 - 45.

But I will have a single cylinder machine again some time. Less is MORE!

John.

[Uwe W.]

From the "good things come to those that wait" department:

Just came across these photos of what is supposed to be the 690 Enduro R. It's rumoured to have more suspension travel, and therefore a taller seat. It also looks like it has a different headlight, one similar to what is found on the 530 EXC.

http://www.hellstrom.be/KTM690R.jpg

http://www.hellstrom.be/KTM690R2.jpg

[outlawtigger]

I've ridden mine only on the street so far and it works better as a street bike than I first thought. I've softened up the suspension damping considerably from standard and the bike is quite comfortable, though I still don't care for the seat.

Metzeler Saharas are on the bike now, and the bike handles great on the road. I'm going to stick to street-oriented dual-sport tires, unless a serious off-road ride is planned, in which case I'll re-install the original MT-21s.

I find the engine in my bike mechanically noisy, more so than I recall the press bikes I rode at the introduction, but I'll wait to hear another bike before assessing if this is a problem. It runs great.

I've also put some aluminum tape on the left turn signal, and it's holding up so far, though the lens is getting stained by exhaust. I will TIG-weld a stainless muffler tip to the end of the muffler to redirect exhaust away from the turn signal. I think that for KTM, the easiest fix for this is to redesign the rear fender with relocated turn signals.

Fuel consumption so far (bike isn't yet fully broken in) is better than 6 L/100 km.

Costa.

don't worry about the topend noise, mine(690smr, but same motor basically) got louder as the bike got broken in, and when it had its first service | asked them to check the valve clearances and cam chain, but they were all fine.
Fuel quality seems to make a difference in the noise, using sunoco gold seems to lessen it somewhat.

[Rocking Couple]

I'm surprised those motors have so much mechanical noise. Aren't they built alongside the LC8 motors, which have quite an automated manf process?

If it is normal, then that takes away a little desirement for me. Anything that competes with exhaust note is never wanted, in my books. And mentally wears on my perception of expected engine longevity, to boot.
But there's no denying that thing has the goods to be a very fun and rewarding ride.

[John]

Wondering out loud...

Would the addition of a small amount of top-end lubrication (such as is provided by Marvel's Mystery Oil, Lucas Fuel Treatment, Seafoam or even a trace amount of synthetic two-stroke oil) to the fuel assist in quieting down the engine noise? One would think that such would not be required with a new engine that is only just broken-in but for the cheap cost of it, it might be worthwhile trying. I have used my FJR enough now to know that the addition of a little bit of any of the a/n lubricants to offset dry fuel will quiet the engine a bit. Not a lot, but a bit. The engine's not loud to begin with but I can easily hear a difference (injectors, valves?). It should reduce frictional losses to a small degree I guess if the engine smoothes out a little bit & isn't as noisy.

For what it's anecdotally worth...

John.