Not been on here for ages,but may as well add some sort of useless contribution...
Had a 2008 660 tenere,have ridden a 690 ktm..but bizarre as it may sound I've done all my travelling on an 84 model 600 tenere..the only negative about is maybe it could have longer legs on the motorways..

Sorry for my absence and really appreciate ALL the opinions. Been working with my son and trying to sell a house so life got in the way but the search is still on and the afore mentioned two bikes are still in the final.
Reasons: Ive had a few older 600/660 singles and wouldn't want to do thousands of miles on tarmac with one period!
Bought an "Unstoppable" BMW F800gs but when shit fuel "stopped it" it took two hours just to reach the spark plugs in my garage! that was the last straw. I hated that bike and it weighed a ton.
I have ridden the Tenere and found it a bit agricultural and underpowered but that was road riding on fast UK tarmac. I'm sure it would be as fast as I need on a big trip. Main reservation is weight which many have mentioned. I took the beamer all over southern Spain off road and the combination of weight and height spoiled any fun.
The Katey (2012) would be much better on dust and mud because of its heritage and yes that fifty kgs would make a big difference even when loaded up (maybe the difference between a bruised or a broken leg).
The KTM is fussy with fuel so maybe strict filtering and a bottle of fuel additive (and maybe a spare fuel pump) would not weigh much.
Ive been watching the eDog London to Sydney videos
London to Sydney motorcycle adventure - Episode 1 - Continental Drift - YouTube
They have done a good job of swinging me towards the Kate.
Have a long talk at the NEC bike show next week and see if I can get a test ride on one.
alan

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have fun with your helmet!

I had no issues with shit fuel in Uzbekistan in my 690. I didn't even change the map to "shit fuel setting". The fuel was 80 octain or below. My MSR dragon fly even had problems burning it. After the 690 burned that goat piss whit no problem, I don't doubt the fuel system anymore.

1. If you have a 690 older then 2012, put a "Profil" filter on the pump. From 2012 on, they install a better filter from the factory.

2. I removed the main fuel filter from the tank and installed one before the injector. This way I can change it easily and I can keep an eye on it.

Oh, and yesterday I clicked over 90,000 km

What strikes me about KTM is that they make changes quite frequently and regularly with their bike detail/designs, unlike many other brands which will ignore obvious design defects in their products.

Snoah, with 90K Km under your belt on the 690 you are the ideal candidate to put the factual feedback into the KTM forum in here - it tends to be backward looking to the 640 in the information content.

There is a good start point in this thread or maybe you could just start your own brand new one about the bike.
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...0km-trip-66324
It would be good to see a sticky 690 one in there to bring the KTM forum into this decade.

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Dave