Hi Stuart,

I think the 690 is the best bike for it (apart from the 640 Adventure perhaps). I bought one 1,5 years ago and love it. 15.000 km only so far (mostly 2-3000 km trips in Europe) and I have had no issues. I have done trips alone and two-up (my girlfriend loves the bike, too) and I have done motocross trainings and the Enduromania (amateur offroad competition) with it. It is great offroad (use the offroad engine mapping and perhaps a smaller front sprocket) and huge fun onroad as it is both light and powerful and has very good suspension. Other singles I have ridden (BMW F650, Tenere, Suzuki DR) feel sluggish and antiquated in comparison. It don't like it for fast motorway riding though: it is fast and stable enough and does not vibrate much, but it is tiring due to the lack of wind protection, so usually I do only about 100-120 km/h for a more relaxing ride.

Regarding your questions:

Reliability: Apparently much better than the old LC4s (which are better than their reputation). The German Motorrad magazine has done a 50000 km test (with the Duke, which has the same engine) and was impressed with it: Dauertest-Abschlussbilanz: KTM 690 SM - Motorrad-Dauertests - MOTORRAD online As I said, I have had no issues.

Servicing: Easy to work on (much easier than the new 660 Tenere as a friend of mine who owns one says). You need 10W50 or 10W60 oil though. The 2008-2009 models have a service interval of 5000 km, the 2010 model one of 7500 km and the 2012 model one of 10000 km. So if you are happy to carry 2 litres of oil you have a 20 k range with the newest model (and I suppose the other models will also survive a 10 k interval).

Modifications: I bought a new seat (Kahedo is comfortable and I strongly recommend it), engine and radiator guards, small screen and a luggage rack (all Touratech). Even if you use soft luggage I would recommend a rack to support the tank (there is no subframe). The one from Touratech is probably heavier that the one from KTM, but seems much stronger. What still bothers me is the extremely hot standard exhaust (don't want to shell out 500 Euros for an aftermarket one though), the lack of a centre stand and the small tank. The tank is big enough for Europe due to the good fuel efficiency (3.6 l/100 km on my last 2500 trip, 0.5 l less than the new 660 Tenere on the same trip), but for Africa? Rather than buying an expensive tank I would consider using fuel bladders or canisters. Btw, there is also a bad fuel engine mapping which may be useful in Africa. Some people recommend replacing the original tank bolts with stronger ones and protecting the radiator better. Check RTW KTM 690 Enduro - ADVrider , there is a lot of useful advice.

My general advice would be to keep it as light as possible. As with any bike of course, but this one benefits particularly from it as it is very light itself and you will want to preserve the offorad capability. Try to move as much weight forward as possible (especially the liquids and the tools), also because the fuel tank is at the rear.

Hope this helps!

hi Stuart,

Myself and a friend have 690's (mine an R his an E).
They are currently being shipped to Magadan for a ride back to the UK, I will will let you know how we get on with them.
We have done a fair amount of work on them, including updating the rear spring, subframe bolts, removed side stand switch, therm switch change, rad grill, etc.
Also I am running a safari tank, he is running rally raid ones, we both have rally raid fairings.
We are taking 2 sets of filters and oil with us for the journey, thats the only problem 5k changes are a bit small.

I'm running soft luggage he has hard (didnt want the extra weight, although they are nice and the security is good).

Cheers

Mark

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I had the same issues with my 950 ADV. The problem is that the CAT is in the silencer. CAT's don't work until they get piggin' hot!

I put a couple of Wings silencers on. You can touch them as soon as you get off the bike, even in hot conditions. They were half the price of Akra's and at least as good, if not better, quality.
No idea what they cost now. Link: Because sound matters!

John

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Nostradamus Ate My Hamster

Not to be provocative but . . .

The Husky TE630 has been discontinued.
The Husaberg FE570 is discontinued in the US and as of 2012 end the rest of the world.
The ancient Honda XRs are ancient, heavy, air-cooled, PIA kick-starters.
The Tenere is fine if you don't mind heavy, weak power with little chops for anything beyond a smooth gravel road.

So . . . choices are not many, but there's still a great one.

The 690's shortcomings are:
a) the subframe bolts (2) which is easily remedied.
b) rather tight steering lock - not a Ducati but not a woods bike
c) narrow ratio transmission
d) it seems to encourage a "wild 14-year old" attitude its so much fun to ride

Everything needs bigger tanks for more range . . . bash plates, a better saddle.

Why do people choose motorbikes and so heavily discount the fun factor ? The 690 is FUN. My 70-year old father in law is an Iron Butt and hater of enduros. He rode one and couldn't stop grinning or talking about how much fun it was for two days !

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Orange, it's the new black.

Of all the reviews and owner comments I've read this is the first time I've seen anyone mention this, yet it's the first thing that struck me when I test rode the bike. My Tenere with a five-speed gearbox has at least as wide a range as the 690 Enduro's six-speed box.

I don't understand why manufacturers do this, it's one of the real negative points about BMW's F700/800GS models. Was it so they could share the gearbox from the Duke?

If I go ahead with the 690 Enduro it looks like I'll need to swap out the 15-tooth front sprocket for a 17-tooth sprocket for riding through Europe, then put the 15- or even a 14-tooth sprocket on for dirt.

Yes, and I don't understand the turning circle problem either. Why??

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"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)

I've been traveling for 1 year on a KTM 690. 52,000 km.

I run 16 tooth front sprocket and stock rear. It is the perfect mix for dirt and highway use. It was a dream in the desert in Morocco. The 690 has so much torque you don't need to worry too much about bottom end. As for the steering, I have never had a problem with the turning circles.

All KTMs use oil, so carry some between oil changes. I assume you know not to mix mineral with synthetic oil.

The seat. The standard seat is like a plank and will get uncomfortable on long days.


The large turning radius is not an issue when riding, just when you want to turn the bike around in narrow areas. its a lot of back and forth.

There have also been some fuel pump issues on the 690. You going to carry a spare? The problem is intermittent and if it happens you will be able to get somewhere where you can replace it. You going to carry a spare?

Narrow box has so far put me off getting one too.

And yes, same question .... WHY ?

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It's because the 690 Enduro is based on the 690 SMC and hence, uses the SMC transmission, presumably for cost reasons although KTM could have at least raised 6th gear to equal the 16/45 gearing.

I use 14t on the front when trailriding, 15t for general riding and 16t for longer road rides which improves MPG drastically, all with a stock rear sprocket.

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My photos: www.possu.smugmug.com

I used a 17t for the ride back from Barnaul to London last year and it worked well.
It's a bit tight, and had to leave the cover off the sprocket but cruised at 80 to 85mph.

Tim, as a long term proponent of the Xt660Z Tenere I was wondering what your reasons were for moving to a KTM 690? More power / off road ability?

I have a '10 660 Tenere and while it does everything including road and moderate trail I'm tempted by the grin factor of the 690 enough to try forget the bad memories of a 640 adventure that gave tons of trouble...

You will always have the grin factor with the 690....

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Mark
www.bamriders.com

the 690 is 135 kilos dry. The xtz tenere is 207 kilos? My bike loaded with the full fairing weighs the same as a tenere dry.
The WP suspension is better.
As for reliability, I have 90,000 km on my 08 690 now. You are hard pressed to find a better bike out there.

I'm giving serious thought to buying a 690. I would like the Rally fairing and the larger front tanks. If anyone has these (Rallyraid), how much does it add in weight (with / without fuel)? The main reason for the potential purchase is to have a lighter bike, so if it adds serious weight I might have to look elsewhere. Has anyone had any issues carrying luggage (hard / soft)? I'm not looking to take the kitchen sink, but neither am I looking to be a survival minimalist!

Also, how do people find them on motorway stretches? I don't want to do many, but there are times when A to B is useful . . . .

Hey Peerg
I see you've ridden 2up on your 690. I'm looking for a bike that is off road capable and decent with a passenger. How far have you ridden with a passenger on the 690? What kind of seat? Was it really cramped?
I've Sean the Russell day long seat that look really nice for both rider and passenger......anyone have any experience with one