RU-MOTO rating

• Reliability
• Chassis
• Appearance
• Comfort

4

Verdict

The KTM 690 SMC exhibits qualities that are not typical of many motorcycles. He could easily become the one to whom a pilot will come, who has already tried a taste of various technologies, but still has not found what he was looking for. It is difficult to fit such a device into a certain framework, and its main purpose is the birth of pure, sometimes wild and unbridled emotions.

A daring boy, a real hooligan without any concept of decency - this should be a brief description of the KTM 690 SMC motorcycle. Along the avenue on the rear wheel - it’s easy. Jumping curbs, driving up stairs, alarming grandmothers by flying past a quiet courtyard is not a problem. People often choose such a motorcycle after being fed up with the speed of a sportbike, the comfort of a tourist, or the splendor of a chrome-plated cruiser.

Motorcycle KTM 690 SMC

Lightweight, powerful, with an aggressive appearance, capable of attracting the attention of anyone. So we decided to turn our attention and take the Austrian copy apart.

Specifications

The heart of the wild motard is represented by a powerful single-cylinder four-stroke liquid-cooled engine. The volume is 690 cm3, and this, I must say, is impressive for one cylinder.

Read other motorcycle reviews Racer RC250XZR motorcycle review

The motorcycle boasts a power of 66 hp at 7500 rpm and 68 Nm of torque at 6000 rpm. Dry sump lubrication system with dual rotor pump. As for the ignition, it is completely electronic with advance timing adjustment.

Previously, the site Ru-moto.com published a review of the KTM Duke 390 motorcycle

The gearbox is 6-speed. The drive to the wheel is carried out by a chain.

The motard has a tubular frame. Our aggressive suspension is designed to handle unevenness: at the front it is represented by an inverted telescopic fork with a stroke of 250 mm, and at the rear there is a pendulum on a monoshock absorber with the same stroke. All this, combined with high ground clearance, allows you not to think about bumps on the road or even makes it possible to pave a road where there is none.

The brakes also raise no doubts, especially given the motorcycle’s low weight of 140 kg. The front brake features a 320mm floating disc, all clamped by a four-piston monobloc caliper. At the rear there is one piston and a disc with a diameter of 240 mm. The tank is not very large, only 12 liters, but this is normal for motorcycles of this class. Consumption during moderate driving is 4 liters.

Technical data of the KTM 690 SMC motorcycle

An electric starter with an automatic decompressor helps to start the engine, otherwise it is very difficult to crank the crankshaft with such a volume.

The motorcycle is equipped with various riding modes, by the way, there are 10 of them. But in reality, the differences are so insignificant that only a dyno can notice the difference. But some of them, nevertheless, are very useful, and are perfectly adapted for driving in the city and even for running on low-octane fuel.

Engine

Read other motorcycle reviews Kawasaki z1000 motorcycle review

Transmission

Dimensions and weight

Chassis and brakes

Test drive three brothers from the KTM family: 690 Enduro, 690 CMS and 690 Duke

Reproducing objects is a trick that is possible not only for Copperfield, but also for marketers. The latter are sometimes even more skillful than the famous magician: they can not only “xerify” the source, but also endow the derivatives with special appearance features. And even character. PLATFORM.

Who would have thought: European motorcycle manufacturers are learning from the Yankees! But to what? Harley-Davidson celebrates the debut of a new model every time with pomp, although all its differences from the previous ones consist of nameplates and a couple of chrome trinkets. But the people are rejoicing! KTM has also become greedy for such exercises. In any case, this conclusion suggests itself from the content of the press releases... These thoughts wandered in my head while the heavy airbus was carrying me to the southern coast of Spain, where I was to meet a young family of medium-sized "Austrians" - the brainchild of "genetic" experiments... And it started something like this . KTM's marketers sat around the table and thought. Everyone finished their third liter of coffee. We were solving a difficult problem: how to expand the model range with minimal financial costs? Yes, not like “Harley” - adding a new letter to the index, but for real, in order to tell customers with the spontaneity of a child: “Now we have not one model, but four to choose from!” They would have sat like that until the seventh liter if the most brainy, bald guy in glasses hadn’t slammed his fist on the table and said: “It’s simple! Let's take a more or less successfully selling model, for example the KTM 690SM, and build three more on its basis. And completely different classes: from roadster to enduro.” It is not known what pleased his colleagues more - finally finding a solution or the opportunity to go home, but the company's management accepted the bald man's proposal... Now here is Spain and the test of three redheads.

ENDURO. The KTM 690 Enduro is a dual-purpose motorcycle in the truest sense of the word, that is, it is suitable for both off-road riding and traveling on public roads. Moreover, as KTM employees stated at a press conference, moving around the city on it is just as convenient as off-road. Well, well, let's see. Moreover, we had to cover part of the path to the “European Pampas” through the city and highway.

...On the “690” the pilot’s position is a little more relaxed than on the “combat” hard enduro. But it’s by no means sofa-impressive, as on typical city SUVs with the “soft” prefix, for which the curb is already an obstacle. This is the same “slight” that allows the pilot to move around the city without stress and fatigue, without leaving the saddle, without standing up on the pegs with or without a rein, as on classic hard enduros. The motorcycle is better on the track than the same “hard” ones: it is stable. And this is its most valuable advantage. Thanks to the long wheelbase, the Enduro “stands” like a glove on a straight line, the design of the chassis predetermines the neutral behavior of the bike in corners, which means it is absolutely predictable. When designing the chassis, KTM designers went their own way, as Ilyich did. It resembles the well-known, again Leninist, philosophical model of “one step forward, two steps back.” The point of the compromise is this. At a time when most of the world's leading motorcycle manufacturers advocate the use of aluminum in the manufacture of everything that is possible, and often what is not possible (these are those who have enough money: working with aluminum is an expensive pleasure), all models of the KTM 690LC4 family equipped with frames a la “birdcage” made of chrome-molybdenum alloy. But still with aluminum pendulums. We got what we wanted: we added rigidity where it was needed, and at the same time avoided the oakiness of the structure. After all, excessive rigidity of the “skeleton” negates not only the comfort of the pilot, but also endows the motorcycle with excessive “nervousness” and chronic intolerance to irregularities. You can't ride an enduro on a track! Manufacturers who rely on “lumine” are naturally aware of the dangers of excessive rigidity and, in order to achieve a compromise between obviously contradictory properties, do as much as they can. Such experiments cost a lot of money. Even bigger - the production of aluminum frames of complex configurations and with the required characteristics. And since the KTM company in terms of financial turnover is far from the players of the “big Japanese four”, its designers chose a more “budgetary” path, but by no means a losing one. The unconventional layout for enduro also makes its contribution to the motorcycle’s handling. The 690 Enduro's gas tank is located under the saddle, inside the subframe. The battery is also located there. In the usual place of the fuel container, behind the steering column, the air filter box is hidden. This gave good weight distribution along the axles and lowered the center of gravity. I kindly remembered all these nuances of the design when I was rushing along rocky off-road: here I felt the same stability as on asphalt, stability on a straight line, predictability in corners... Even a not very experienced endurist, after some time of interacting with this motorcycle, will feel a little Isn't it Everts? Tolerance to the rider’s actions is a merit of the bike’s settings: the KTM 690 Enduro generously forgives the pilot’s control errors. Not harshly - as if pacifying the driver’s agility, but easily and with pleasure: “Well, it happens...” Well, what’s there, one slipper clutch is worth it! But it also has adjustable suspension with a travel of 250 mm, a hydraulic clutch, a clearly functioning 6-speed gearbox, and the main thing that unites the three motorcycle families, which are different in purpose, is the engine. He is responsive and traction. The fuel injection system gives it what is called a balanced character. Under the “electronic” throttle, you won’t find the explosive temperament typical of carburetor vehicles, but you will find uniform thrust throughout the entire rev range. But the design was not without punctures. Everything would be fine if it were not for the universal tires - they traditionally hold up disgustingly both on the ground and on the asphalt. However, this is inevitable, and it is dictated by the fact that the bike must move on and off-road. There are much more complaints about the brakes: they also claim to be universal. However, unlike the ill-fated tires, if they work as they should on off-road, then I will not say anything similar about their effectiveness on asphalt. The two-piston front caliper (even if it’s Brembo) paired with the rear single-piston caliper is far from ideal at performing its functions in city driving. But KTM owners swore that the versatility of the motorcycle was absolute - it was equally strong both on and off the road, moreover, even the passenger footpegs were included, the mirrors, you know, were screwed on... SMC. What is the difference between motard and enduro? In the wheels, brakes? Yes, but these are secondary signs. The main difference is in the purpose. Motard is aimed at driving on asphalt - and nothing more. And don’t look at me askance - I know very well about the peculiarities of supermoto competitions, and, believe me, I’ve heard a lot about cross-country sections. But we are not talking about a racing apparatus, but about a device made in the so-called “supermoto” style. This means that it is as lanky as an enduro, but at the same time it is “shod” in small 17-inch “slippers”. And at the same time, this is still more of a street - a needle for clearing street congestion and a blow to the pride of sport bikers who are stuck in traffic jams, like blind carousers. Therefore, from the list of requirements for such a motorcycle, we have no right to exclude such an essential property for everyday use as pilot comfort. And, believe me, there is a bold tick against this word in the list of SMC advantages.

We had to test this creation of Austrian engineering in a huge parking lot with a semblance of a supermoto track marked out with ribbons. The improvised track was replete with “plug” turns, in which you can evaluate the work of the brakes at the entrance and the traction of the engine from the “bottom” at the exit. SMC excels at both! The engine and final drive settings here are the same as in the Enduro, and a test of a motard based on it once again confirmed the excellent driving characteristics of the engine. There was always enough traction reserve under the right handle: the “bottoms” helped when rolling out of 180-degree turns (and how do these motardists get through them?!), the juicy “middle” and decent “tops” helped out when exiting “fast” turns (there were a couple and such). Brakes... They worked as befits a Brembo radial 4-piston caliper with a 320 mm disc at the front and a 1-piston caliper with a 240 mm disc at the rear - that is, by the standards of the class, great! Deceleration with them is always predictable, and the sensitivity of the rear allows you to accurately “catch” the moment of locking, with the help of which motardists love to put the motorcycle into a controlled drift. A curious property lies in the suspension settings. Which of the trio of newly-minted Austrian motorcycles do you think has the longest shock absorber travel? Enduro? But they didn’t guess right! SMC! The Enduro has a suspension travel of 250 mm, while the Motard has as much as 275 and 265 mm, respectively! KTM employees explained such a non-standard priority with the desire to equalize the height of the SMC saddle with the Enduro, because if the motard were equipped with shorter-travel suspensions, and even “standing” on its 17-inch wheels, it would hardly be taller in height than a garden bench, and so it seems not even anything. A complete motorcycle! I’ll make a reservation right away that the full set of adjustments that are provided to both the front fork and the rear shock absorber negates the hypothetically negative impact of long shock absorber travel on handling. The motorcycle takes turns amazingly, and on a straight line it “stands” like a glove. The strengths of the chassis, which I noticed during the enduro test, on the SMC, being in the “correct” asphalt frame, gained even greater strength. DUKE. Strange motorcycle. Despite the fact that it is built on the basis of the KTM 690SM, which has already become somewhat widespread in our country, and being structurally similar to the two other new motorcycles of the family, it is positioned as a street motorcycle. And from an assertive, judging by its appearance, and stuffed, traditionally for KTM, with “tasty” branded components of a “street hooligan”, you always expect more than from a motard or, especially, an enduro...

That's not quite the case with Duke.
Not even that at all. Everything about him speaks of the uncontrollability of a young, albeit still inexperienced, but trained and confident fighter. The chopped edges of the orange or white cladding contrast with inserts made of black unpainted plastic. An alien-looking “muzzle” with two round headlight lenses located one above the other. A gigantic (hello to environmentalists!) suspended under the belly front muffler is framed by a plastic... The appearance instantly sets the mood for decisive action against city traffic. Unfortunately for us and fortunately for the Spaniards, we did not encounter a single real traffic jam within a radius of 150 test kilometers. But I had the opportunity to test the device in the extreme conditions of a mountain serpentine with all its delights - such as the complete absence of bump stops, a bunch of “blind” turns with elevation changes, gravel on the asphalt and trucks “growing” from behind the ledge. But about the design - it is a mixture of classics and originality. The gas tank is in the usual place, in front of the seat, and the air filter is in the depths of the rear subframe. The heavy can is hidden under the belly for a reason - to lower the center of gravity. When I saw how low it hung, I thought: how many trips over our curbs will it withstand? One? Two?.. The great thing about this bike is the way it corners. “Upside-down” WP with the same feathers as the rest of the family models, an impressive diameter (48 mm), but with a normal, “asphalt” stroke of 140 mm. The design of the pendulum, which is rigid even in appearance, resembles the boom of a tower crane. All this gives the street almost sportbike-like handling. Lightweight and admittedly beautiful Marchesini wheels minimize unsprung weight. The brakes are the same as the SMC, but, unlike it, the front one has a radial master cylinder. Its introduction into the design sharpened the reactions of the front brake and, of course, added “decisiveness” to decelerations. The rear one is the same as that of SMC and Enduro, but behaves differently: it is more “wobbly”, like on most road bikes: the weight distribution and suspension settings are different from those of a motard. ...Ugh, the serpentines are left behind. Directly ahead is a small seaside town, through the crooked streets of which we had to get to the hotel. Having entered the city, I had to maneuver between cars. How great it handles!.. Crossroads... Wow - even some kind of traffic jam! Five cars were waiting for the green light at the traffic light. By local standards, it’s already a traffic jam. I squeezed between them and got to the stop line. Here's the "green" one. .. First, second, third... Something is wrong... Bingo! I finally understood what had been gnawing at me all the way: I couldn’t understand what the motorcycle was missing. Engine! Up to 3000 rpm it twitches tensely and requires more gas, and from 5500 the whole bike and the pilot along with it are overwhelmed by a nasty small vibration. In total, a comfortable operating range is only 2500 rpm! Not much... But the red zone starts only at 8000, and maximum power (and the Duke has more power than SMC and Enduro - 65.3 hp) is achieved only at 7500 rpm... Later, when we got there, I figured it out : it’s all about the driven star of the main gear: it has two “teeth” less than the same motard. As the designers explained, they did this deliberately - in order to lower the operating speed range of the engine in each gear, and therefore the volume of exhaust already purified - nowhere else - by the catalyst. Oh, these environmentalists! So many “horses” are killed in engines! And yet, no matter how much you change the sprockets, this motorcycle will always lack an engine. Not because the engine is bad, but because everything else is much better in comparison. Both the rigid chassis and boldness in appearance set the mood for dynamic driving with sharp, intense acceleration and braking to the floor. With deceleration, the Duke is fine, but with acceleration... I remember very well that all of the trio have the same engine, and the Duke is generally more powerful. The engine was enough when racing along gullies on a tall Enduro, and then when screwing into the “plug” corners of the Motard track on a lean SMC. However, even by purely psychological criteria (however, why “even” - they are the measure) does not live up to the worn-out stereotypes about an engine for an even serial, but such a stylish street car. ...NOT THE SAME FROM THE FACE.
Three different models on one platform are like three blood brothers: similar, but each has something special, its own strengths and weaknesses. Enduro will appeal to fans of off-road travel and rally raids. Fans of hard-core basses will most likely find it a little heavy. Although, once you get used to it, you can “have fun” with it. The motorcycle is just so universal that due to the “asphalt” qualities, the more essential ones – off-road ones – are not lost. However, I see how it needs to be supplemented. Before you start driving the Enduro to its tail and mane, it’s a good idea to replace the standard plastic crankcase protection with a more impact-resistant metal one, and also replace the “native” gas tank, which is scanty in volume, with a normal one, of sufficient capacity for a relatively long autonomous journey. SMC is an excellent tool for go-kart track regulars, those who like to rush along winding serpentines, and just city dwellers who prefer to avoid traffic jams rather than rush through the aisles. Of the entire trio of new KTMs, the motard has the engine-chassis tandem that works most harmoniously. The gas tank capacity has the same problem as the Enduro. However, in the city for which the motorcycle is intended, it is easier to find a gas station than in the wilderness where you are drawn to while driving an enduro. Duke made the most controversial impression. It will most likely be noticed by those who value handling above peak power. And also lovers of aesthetic trinkets, for whom avant-garde design and branded contents are more important than how it all works. So what's the bottom line? Are three models on one platform just the result of subtle calculations by marketers, and all their differences are only in the nameplates? To some extent. Technically, all three are similar. But each carries its own idea and philosophy inherent in its classes.

The test was carried out with the assistance of . Author Dmitry VERICHEV

Video of KTM 690 supermoto in action

Fourth Brother - 2008 KTM 690 SMR

Repair

The motorcycle has no weak points as such, and everything that fails is due to the costs of aggressive operation and is quite predictable. But you shouldn’t forget that Austrian technology is not the cheapest pleasure.

Maintenance and repair of the KTM 690 SMC motorcycle

The low prevalence also does not play into the hands of the owner; delivery and search for spare parts can take a lot of time.

When servicing, it is important not to miss a moment and carry out all the necessary procedures on time, otherwise it will come back to cost you a pretty penny.

Comparison with analogues

Looking for a worthy rival to our KTM, it becomes clear: there are not many of them, and this is most likely due to the low demand for this class of equipment. But we managed to find it - this is the Honda XR 650 R SM.

Starting with a general comparison, it is clear: the design and equipment of the Honda is simpler, and this will be a plus in our case. Spare parts are much more accessible, and maintainability is higher.

But in terms of power, Honda is inferior by 7 hp; given the small masses of these motorcycles, this is a noticeable difference. An advantage on the KTM side will be the presence of an injector. The frame of the Austrian representative is stiffer - which has a good effect on handling. The Brembo brakes installed on the KTM definitely work better.

Owner reviews

shamarin

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My first season. There is nothing to compare with except IZH Planet-5 (and sunrise in childhood), KTM is better, of course. A motorcycle for tall people, with my height of 185 cm it’s just right. It will be worse for short people. In general, for my purposes: mostly in the city, along country roads to a country house - just a blast. The maximum speed I was traveling was 160 km/h - it just blew me off the saddle. Comfortable ride 120-130 km/h. Consumption is approximately 5 liters. 95-AI. In the city it is very pleasant to get through traffic jams everywhere and stairs and curbs are not a problem.shamarin

Purple truck

The 690th is without competition; there is no alternative to this motorcycle, except for the new Husqvarnы 701, which also belongs to KtEm and makes it KTM))) in fact, the 701 Husk is the same modified 690th. So, regarding the 690th, its weight, power, suspension, handling are all at the highest level, reliability is also at the highest, especially starting from models released since 1914. I have a 14 year old car with 20 thousand miles now, no problems except for the turn signals that fell off)) now I’m planning to sell it, I want to try the 701 Husky. before the age of 14, there were so-called childhood diseases of this model, namely the Rocker (often on runs after 10 thousand km, noticeable play in the rocker appeared, which could lead to very bad consequences); from the age of 14, the rocker was changed) there was also a problem with the overrunning clutch, it was dying, the engine would not start, the filler cap of the tank was not good when opening, dirt got inside and clogged the pump, it died. The tidy often broke down, and the bolt holding the tank broke. Since 14, all these problems have been eliminated. On this vehicle, the oil needs to be changed every 3-4 thousand km, if I burn it well, then I change the oil and after 2 thousand kilometers, despite the service interval of 10 thousand, changing the oil once every 10 thousand is strictly prohibited) Purple truck

part 1

Maintenance.

According to the instructions, engine oil should be 10W60-synthetic 100% and changed every 5000 km, volume 1.7 liters. I always strictly adhered to the required interval and only filled with Motorex oil (which is recommended by KTM), maybe this is a publicity stunt of the Austrians, but the oil is really good. After 50 thousand km I started using 20W60, then no one in Moscow had 10W60 Motorex, I had to splurge on 20, and then I started using it - the effect is certainly better. Oil drain bolt with a magnet (a very useful feature), the drain hole itself is located on the left side, and not at the bottom of the crankcase. This makes it much more convenient to unscrew/tighten the oil bolt, but when the oil drains, the stream moves to the side, and as it weakens, it begins to spread a little along the bottom of the engine.

Along with the oil, of course, the oil filters are also changed, of which there are two (short on the right side and long on the left). You also need to check and if you need to clean the two coarse oil filters, they are in the form of metal mesh tubes, unscrewed from the left and front of the crankcase.

The process of changing the oil is quite simple, everything is elementary and technologically advanced, you only need to tighten the bolts with the recommended force and the thread will remain intact

In general, on this motorcycle I unscrewed and tightened everything without problems. Almost all bolts have a head for two types of keys: a regular hexagon and a Torx. The nuts on the wheels and drive sprocket are aluminum.

Structurally, everything is provided for quick and easy maintenance by one mechanic. The motorcycle has sporting roots, where in conditions of a race or rally raid a mechanic must quickly fix everything. The 690 Enduro was successfully used by private riders in the Dakar Rally, who sometimes had to service the motorcycle themselves during the multi-day race.

As I wrote in the first part, the air filter is very easy to replace (every 10 thousand), and in my case, remove and clean the foam filter.

I changed the coolant every two or three years, everything is also very simple, like adding it to the expansion tank (Motorex liquid).

Cleaning and lubricating the chain is quite convenient - the lower part is easily accessible.

Checking the chain tension is very simple, but tightening the chain is not so convenient; you have to measure the distance on the left and right with a caliper several times, since the marks are very roughly applied, unscrew/tighten the adjusting bolts, check them, and everything in a circle.

The brake system is serviced as standard, everything is simple, everything is the same as on most motorcycles.

The hydraulic clutch works in the same way as the brake circuit, only mineral oil is used. The battery is located directly under the seat, the positive terminal is well closed, and the battery itself is easy to remove. After a couple of years, I noticed that it did not fit a little tightly (the seat was probably broken), I had to add rubber seals.

Periodically, you need to remove the boot on the fork legs and clean the space under it if dirt has accumulated there.

And after 5 and after 10 thousand km there wasn’t much dirt there, and then I started putting on neoprene stockings and completely forgot about this procedure. I changed the oil in the fork once, as well as the boots.

After every 10 thousand km, valve clearances are checked. The first two times I didn’t dare to get into the engine myself, it seemed very difficult to me and the gaps and adjustments were done by a service center. However, an incident forced me to master this procedure and it turned out to be not so difficult.

The main thing is to have a service manual, fortunately it was publicly available on the Internet. Everything is described there in detail, how and what, and there are pictures. Subsequently, I checked the valve clearances every 5 thousand km, as if just in case.

A fuel filter is enough for about 10 thousand km. You can understand it this way: it stops responding to gas after 6 thousand revolutions. Replacing it is perhaps the most unpleasant procedure. You need to remove all the guts from the gas tank - the fuel pump with a long plastic hose, which includes a filter, this can only be done from the very bottom, and all the available gasoline will spill out. Getting to the hatch at the bottom of the tank is a whole different story. Therefore, many 690 owners take the fuel filter outside.

Every 20 thousand it is necessary to check the knee joint of the shock absorber at the very bottom, there is a tricky bearing that constantly gets mud baths.

I changed it twice. To do this, you have to remove the shock absorber and tinker a little with the bearing itself. In general, there is nothing difficult in this work, as long as you have a vice in the garage. I didn't do anything else to the shock absorber.

If you need to change the clutch discs, then everything is elementary. It’s a very simple job, you can even do it in the field.

In general, I’m not a big fan of tinkering with a motorcycle; I prefer riding. And I was very pleased that in the 690 all scheduled maintenance was quite simple, and, as it turned out, a lot of unscheduled maintenance too. I learned a lot about maintenance from owning a KTM690E.

Engine

As expected, first there was a 1000 km run-in - I drove in “stifled” mode and no higher than 5000 rpm, without sudden movements of the gas. Then the oil was changed to fresh, and subsequently, after more than 5 thousand km, this oil did not gurgle in the engine, but was changed. The engine never burned oil. Over 5 thousand km, as a rule, 100-150 ml were lost. oil, that is, if I poured it along the top line in the window, then until the next oil change the level was slightly higher than the bottom line.

In the “stifled” mode, the motor behaves rather sluggishly, everything is somehow smooth, soft, calm, no sharpness. When switching to “standard,” you immediately feel the full power delivery throughout the entire range, as if it were a different motorcycle. At the same time, you can see the difference on the tidy, if you remember the ratio of revolutions and speed in different modes. At “standard” up to 5.5 thousand rpm it is one engine - almost like other single-cylinder motorcycles: absolutely predictable response to gas, traction is felt somewhere from 2.5 thousand rpm, at 3.5 it is very soft, as if rolls downhill in neutral, in the zone from 4 to 4.8 the most unpleasant sensations, the vibration from the engine spreads throughout the motorcycle, and around 5 and further to 5.5 - this is pleasant engine operation with minimal vibration, making it clear that the piston is still moving .

I usually kept the cruiser in this interval (5 - 5.5); you can ride for a long time on a balanced motorcycle, and not on a vibration stand. The speed in fifth gear was 100-115 km/h, which, considering the weight, wind protection and bad tires, was optimal for me. In sixth gear, the speed increased to 115-130 - it was not comfortable for me to drive for a long time, if only the visor was removed from the helmet and in calm weather, then it was still normal.

After 5.5K revolutions, something in the engine woke up and he suddenly remembered that he was a KTM, that he had to overtake everyone, he had to win the race. The so-called “pickup” occurs without a kick in the ass, but evenly and delivers a very high sensation. Around 6 thousand, a small interval of unpleasant motor vibrations appears, but you can quickly skip it and not keep it. Closer to 8 thousand rpm. the engine becomes dull and somehow begins to roar - you immediately feel sorry for it.

The gearbox always worked quite adequately. After the Honda, I thought I would spit clicking gears on the KTM, but no - everything is very worthy. The foot stroke when switching is short.

There was, however, a certain dependence on the chain tension - difficulty in catching neutral and sometimes falling into a false neutral when the chain tension weakened.

Engine braking was good, and the slipper clutch smoothed out the effects noticeably.

It is not recommended to move in first gear for a long time according to the instructions, and even in second the motorcycle did not have enough airflow and the engine temperature began to rise, but not critically. If you are really poking around in the mud or vomiting in a traffic jam, then it will quickly come to turning on the fan.

The motorcycle allows you to start from second gear, of course not as easily as from first, but quite easily.

If you release the gas in first gear, moving on a flat surface, the engine will not stall and the motorcycle will crawl at a snail's pace, but until the first small hole or hill.

Reliability/unreliability (breakdowns)

The headlight and turn signals did not fall off or shake, despite enduring life. I changed the bulbs twice, bought them at auto parts stores, they are standard. In general, all the electrical and wiring did not create any problems; nothing frayed, shorted or burned anywhere. The original Yuasa battery lasted for four years, then I installed the cheapest gel battery, like the Delta, which turned out to be even better than the Japanese one.

The signal worked poorly all the time, sometimes it beeps, sometimes it doesn’t. Changing the position does not give anything; it still gets clogged with dirt, then shakes it.

The buttons and switches on the remote control worked well all the time and showed almost no wear. At 60 thousand km I changed the handles on the steering wheel, the left one was very worn out.

The seat did not break or wear out. The plastic on this model is soft and nothing happened to it, even when dropped. There were also no problems with all the metal external elements of the structure, except for the brake foot - when dropped on the right side, it turns out and scratches the clutch cover, and breaks the second time (you can buy a tuned foot and this problem will not exist).

Nothing bad happened to the suspension either; by the way, I never punctured either the front or the rear.

I was surprised by the wheel bearings and in the steering column - they did not die in such a time. I replaced the anthers on the wheel hubs once.

The original brake pads are amazing - I replaced the rear ones at 40 thousand km, and the front ones... it’s hard to believe, but it’s a fact - at 70 thousand km it was still possible to drive, but I could no longer endure this mockery of durability and removed them. He began to look at him with words of indignation: “What are you made of? your mother,” on the stocks there was the inscription “TOSHIBA” - ... Japanese policeman!!!, I thought.

I immediately protected the radiator with an additional frame from the KTM catalog, but it seems to me that nothing would have happened to it anyway, it is located at the level of the steering wheel and in case of a fall it is inaccessible from the side, and in front there is a strong plastic grille in the drain.

Once a motorcycle fell onto a nearby car (there was a slope there and a hurricane hit) - I couldn’t find anything on the motorcycle, not even a scratch, and the door of the car was broken almost right through.

The injector on my 690 did not break, did not clog, and did not cause any trouble. Some friends had problems with it and needed a replacement. Some even carried a spare one with them.

The tidy began to glitch at 7 thousand km, some numbers began to disappear on the LCD display. The designers made a mistake - they installed the instrument panel from a road-going Duke on a hardenduro, and from shaking over bumps, the display mount became loose and the contacts began to come off. I disassembled the tidy and secured everything inside there, damping it. At 40 thousand, however, a couple of contacts still moved away and one could only guess about the time of day on the display. This problem was corrected on the next generation of 690s.

After 20 thousand km it was necessary to adjust the valve clearances. Since they did it in the service, I can’t say for sure “the extent of the disaster”; they only told me that it was “a little gone.” And the complete breakdown happened at 25 thousand - a knock was very clearly audible in the area of ​​the cylinder head, there was a drop in power. The service could not accept me in the next two weeks and I went into the valves myself, studying the service manual. An autopsy showed that the intake rocker bearing was completely destroyed and there is now a huge opening there, instead of the required gap of 0.07-0.13 mm.

It was not immediately clear how they adjusted the gaps in the service department, it was only 5000 km? After that, I decided to do everything myself if possible.

I changed the rocker, it’s not very expensive (and when the euro exchange rate was 42, it was a freebie). Rockers are surprisingly easy to change there. Rapid wear of the intake rocker roller bearing is a typical problem with that generation of KTM690. Competent people explained this problem to me this way - the design feature of the engine is that at medium speeds the timing chain hydraulic tensioner does not have enough oil pressure and the timing chain is not tensioned enough, which causes large shock loads on the intake rocker roller and the bearing quickly breaks. And this proved my passion for driving at medium speeds (I really liked keeping 3.5 - 4 on the roads and in traffic jams). I began to avoid long driving below 4.5K rpm, it’s better to switch the speed down once again, and I changed the second intake rocker only at 62 thousand km and then it only “walked” a little. KTM then strengthened the rocker bearing on the new generation 690. I replaced the second rocker with a strengthened version, and at the same time replaced the exhaust, although almost nothing happened to it after 62 thousand km.

At the same 62 thousand km it’s time to do the most significant repairs. About 60 thousand more. I noticed that there are no gaps at all. I picked up other shims and set the required clearances. Checked again at 62K km. - there were no gaps again - something bad happened. It was necessary to examine everything inside the head thoroughly. I freed the camshaft and immediately saw scoring on its journals and, accordingly, broken camshaft bearings. I don’t know why the bearings malfunctioned, there was no oil starvation and there couldn’t have been, maybe dirt got in from frequently checking the gaps, maybe it’s just time has come (these needle bearings are very simple and cheap) - I still don’t understand.

Since I drove for some time without clearances in the valves, I had concerns about the valves themselves, is everything okay with them? Thus, it is necessary to remove the cylinder head in order to change the camshaft bearings, the camshaft itself and possibly the valves. I immediately purchased spare parts so as not to waste time later and even bought valves.

Here the genius of the KTM 690 design was evident - the cylinder head was removed without removing the engine! Well, at the same time the cylinder and piston. The surface of the piston and combustion chamber looked terrible from carbon deposits.

I managed to clean the piston with some kind of toxic Liquimoli special liquid, but the combustion chamber was not very successful in returning its shine. Then my competence and capabilities ended (I couldn’t remove the valve in my garage), and I took all this stuff (head, piston, cylinder) to one dealer service, one good mechanic. You should have seen his eyes when he examined the piston and asked again mileage - “How much? 62 thousand kilometers? ... "maybe 22??? You haven’t ridden it at all!!?? I’ve seen a lot of pistons, but what would it be... hmm.”

This is very cool, although I tried to doubt that Seryoga was joking, but he began to explain to me what characteristic signs of such mileage were not on my piston, and I calmed down (although I didn’t understand half of the technical terms).

Mechanic Seryoga did everything in the best possible way: he checked everything, replaced everything, cleaned everything. It turned out that the valves were in order, but I decided to install new ones anyway (since I bought them), and the piston, rings and cylinder were like new.

All that remains is to return everything to its place, before that I checked the tolerances of the connecting rod and pin - everything is normal. I collected everything and started it up with a shudder - it purred as usual. I went to check it out on the go - the feeling of a new motorcycle, the joy knew no bounds!

At 40 thousand the fuel pump died. It bent gradually, I drove for a thousand kilometers and from time to time I caught glitches with the fuel supply. When it became clear that it was a pump, I replaced it with a similar one from the car market (much cheaper than the original one from the KTM catalog). On the 690, the pump is inserted into a plastic cup, but it is not very tight and rubs inside the cup due to vibrations and shaking. And the pump overheats because plastic chips clog the filter, as well as from driving on reserve and dirt in the tank. It can be treated by eliminating the freedom of the pump in the glass, timely refueling and cleanliness in the tank, but I always carried a spare pump with me

Another 40 thousand km I foolishly changed the clutch friction discs. It seemed to me that the clutch was slipping - I took it and replaced it, but I was very confused by the complete lack of wear on the removed discs. When the “slip” that I so understood happened again, it became clear that the problem was not the disks. “Help from the audience” from those in the know highlighted the problem - I caught a false neutral during a clumsy transition from fifth to sixth (at that time I had just installed more road tires and began to ride in sixth more often).

And an epic jamb happened at 70,000 km. I went to Karelia for a week, drove for half a day in heavy rain (wet summer of 2016). The next day, after 50 km, the bike began to twitch. My first thought is the fuel pump. Replaced it with a spare one right on the shore of Ladoga.

Nothing helped, the pump has nothing to do with it. The bike either goes or doesn't. In the rain it drives like normal, but in good weather after a while it starts to jerk. As I understand it, the engine is tripping. I change the spark plug, cut the high-voltage wire, fiddle with the coil terminals, yank the pulse sensor wires - nothing helps. I'm scratching my head, what could it be? I am gradually moving from Ladoga to Onega towards home. One day, while looking for a place to spend the night on the banks of Onega, the motorbike gets up and won’t start, and an error code flashes on the dashboard. I look at the decoding of the blinking - “malfunction in the ignition pulse circuit.” That's it - I've arrived. And there was a pine forest all around, no one at all, and it was late afternoon. The water is 1.5 km away. We need to push the motorcycle to the water so that we can at least spend the night normally and figure out how to get out of this place in the morning. I’m totally freaking out from pushing the loaded boat along the sand, it probably took about three hours and in the end there was a swampy shore in that place. In desperation, I press the starter button and the engine starts. Hooray! I can leave here to a normal place, it’s already clear to me that his joke was a success and now he took pity on me))) So, with varying success, I got to Yaroslavl, on that day the weather turned out to be warm and sunny and the ride was bad, but to Vologda I drove normally because it was raining. In Yarik I decided not to mock myself and my equipment and found a tow truck (Sasha from Yaroslavl, thank you very much for the evacuation!).

At home, in the garage, I began to look for the cause, it was clear that there was trouble and that this was some kind of electrical problem, but what exactly was the matter? I rang everything in the ignition pulse generation circuit - everything is OK. I removed the stator cover - everything is fine there too. I pulled all the wires again. And then on one of the forums I was advised to check the candle holder, it seems that when the candle is taken out, water gets in and a breakdown occurs. I used to examine the candle maker, but only briefly. Now I began to look carefully, but did not find any damage. This action led to an examination of the rubber cap that covers the high-voltage wire at the outlet of the ignition coil. And it turned out that all this time it was rubbing against the frame element and finally rubbed through - thus moisture accumulated under it and a breakdown occurred. I have no other explanation for the tripping. After sealing this cap, I reassembled everything that had been disassembled in search of the problem, and went to test it. I was afraid to leave far, I kept waiting for the malfunction to return, but nothing happened either on that day or on subsequent ones.

If we talk about the cost of spare parts for the KTM 690E, then it is not at all more expensive than the same TA650 or XR250. The opportunity to buy is the same. I bought some things from BL, ordered some things from Germany.

There is a lot of tuning for the 690; with additional additives you can shift its focus towards asphalt use or vice versa, more for off-road use.

I always lifted him up easily on the rare occasions when he decided to lie down. So it’s difficult to drop it - it’s light, for some seasons I’ve never dropped it. This made it possible to go alone “wherever your eyes look.”

I am completely satisfied with the purchase of the KTM 690Enduro, I have never regretted a single meter of the entire run.

In my opinion, this is the most versatile motorcycle and the best solo tourer. Of course, versatility requires making compromises somewhere: it’s difficult to drive 1000 km in a day, it’s difficult in a swampy forest, but this motorcycle will allow you to drive everywhere with the best result, relative to its competitors.

Why did I change it to another? - out of stupidity, - I wanted a liter (never happened)), - diabolical KTM advertising for new Adventures But seriously, I began to drive off the asphalt less and less, it became boring to drive to the same places in the Moscow region, I wanted to drive a little further, although only on asphalt. A slightly different concept of long-distance driving also emerged - comfortably 1000 km per day.