We are currently in West Africa headed to Cape Town on 2 identically upgraded KTM 690s from 2014. All mods so are on the website (www.nomadikandco.com) and we started a thread on HUBB Ireland to Sth Africa on KTM 690s in Sub Sharan Africa.

Bike is a total blast and so far so good. Riding hard we are burning oil but since we have turned down the engine map to soft and are riding for the long haul, not so much for instant gratification we are burning way less. We have oil in the Rally Raid Bash guard tank to top it up. And we are doing a full service today and tomorrow in Togo.

Bike is so fun!

Stoked to see what you put together.


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With nearly 20K kms on my 2016 KTM 690 - all in the Caucasus region - a few comments:

Major upgrades - B&B bash plate and large rear rack; Rade auxilary fuel tank and pegs; Seats Concept replacement of the factory plank; Andy Strapz rack; Giant Loop Great Basin for luggage; 14 tooth front sprocket; replacement of major frame bolts; Wings exhaust. And lots of little stuff like risers, tank bank, electrical wrapping etc.

Fuel consumption - usually less than 5 liters per 100km; with a tank size of a pitiful 12 liters + Rade tank of 5.5 liters + two cannisters of 1 liter each, have a comfortable range of 300 km.
Oil consumption - minimal unless pushing hard at high altitudes
Tires - Mitas

No issues with the bike to date and have no concerns to ride the bike eastward to Mongolia.

Have a 1190 Adventure R and given my age and riding skills, contend that the bikes are built for different adventures. Each bike has their place and the road ahead determines which bike I will ride. Yes, repairs and maintenance are inevitable and would be on a 4x4 as well - that is the reality of travel.

If I had to pick a single bike, it would be the 690 - lighter and built for the majority of adventure roads and trails in this part of the world.

ktm 690 enduro r is discontinued from next year anyway.

I´m absolutely happy with this bike. Currently I do a trip through Africa on the western side - in stages year by year. After having used the bike for smaller Enduro trips in Morocco, Sardegna and Greece, I equipped with some Rally Raid and Touratech stuff as well as the 14 Liters Safari tank! On the Africa Trip that we started in January 2016 in Morocco we had all kind of Terrain - rocky Terrain in the Atlas, sand in Western Sahara and Mauritania, single tracks in Mali and Ghana. But also a lot of tarmac.
No Problems until Togo (it´s 25.000 km Young!) - no oil consumption 5 Liters of fuel/100 km. Light enough to make 200 k´s per day in the bush, comfortable enough to stand 500 k´s on the road without any pain.
I will keep that bike as long as it is possible. Knowing how popular the bike is for offroad travelling since years (see especially Noahs RTW) I cannot understand why KTM is not producing it anymore - even you have to admit that the Husky is a blue-white KTM.
best regards
Tom

To me it's a testament to how much KTM's have improved from the "Bad Old Days". Amazing that this thread (started in 2012!!) is not littered with KTM break down stories like it would have been 10 years ago.

I can't believe KTM have discontinued the 690 Enduro. How can that be? doh Someone tell me why KTM have done this.

As noted in this thread a year ago ... new EURO ADV bikes are certainly not for the financially faint of heart, students, young or poor travelers.

By my math, a well set up KTM 690E travel bike is going to run up to about $20,000 USD easily if you start with a new 690, which in USA is about $12K USD (out the door). You can get a nice used one for $9K or 10K.

And if that bike blows up in Sudan ... can you walk away from $20K? Like I said, different class of ADV riders around here these days. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Many like me, actually HAVE THE MONEY for such a bike ... but are simply Cheap Skates. Won't pay for READY TO RACE bling when going 10K miles from home. Some buy a bike locally or ride an old nail they can justify leaving if it blows.

Even though most 690's seem to do well traveling these days, I'm guessing there are still a few odd ball failures from time to time. :innocent:

And even Noah's bike had LOTS of issues ... and he's an expert mechanic ...
and a smart guy!
There is a bit more maintenance with closer intervals for valve gap checks. ... and most carry several spares from various systems on these bikes. (fuel pump, valve gear spares, Injectors, Hydraulics)

I won't mention or compare my DR650 here, suffice to say super cheap to buy and maintain. Reliable as a hammer ... and it's even fun! :smartass:

....because at the end KTM has not sold enough of them!
No good sales volume = end of production.



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but was it really that good bike? I don't think so, reliability so so, ergonomics weird, when I test ridden it didn't like frame geometry at all. You will have no 790 adventure soon.

The 690 is supposidly coming back in 2019, with the same engine as the Duke and 701. Will be interesting to see how it fits in with the 790 Adventure.

I sized the 690 up for a while, but in the end decided against it. It seems like a love/hate thing overall. It does have some very well known mechanical issues. At the same time, it doesn't have much competition for a high HP, lightweight travel bike with a good aftermarket to "adventurize" it, which makes for a good platform to build off of. And those rally kits they make for it? Drool...