2008 KTM 690 Enduro - Mossy Rides

Words/pics by: Chris Moss/KTM

Even though I’ve been gaining more experience riding of-road recently, I still feel shaky at the thought of biking on the dirt. A morning on KTM’s 690 Enduro in Spain helped to reduce those worries and put a big fat smile on my face. Brother of the Duke and SMC 690 LC4s, the Enduro is the most focused of the three.

KTM

claims the bike will suit the enduro rider or racer, and also be good as a town runabout or short-distance commuter. I did get to ride the bike on the road between stages on the rough, but I’d say it likes getting dirty best.

Now you must realise I’m making my comments from the point of view of a novice dirt rider and nothing more credible than that. Yet, within the first few yards of being on a rocky track I felt quite comfortable on the KTM. Following a group of more experienced riders wasn’t the worry it could have been and both they and the 690 were giving me plenty of encouragement to carry on.

I’m always amazed at what off-road bikes can do and that was certainly the case with the KTM. Plenty of times during those first few miles off-road I said ‘that can’t be done’. But following the lead of the others I pushed the Enduro through the challenge and wondered why I’d been so negative about the idea in the first place.

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Once more accustomed to its capabilities and clued up on just what was possible I became more ambitious. Rock climbs, gullies and shale deposits all came and went, and though I couldn’t always admit to being ‘in charge’ I always got the impression the KTM was more than capable at mastering whatever its wheels came up against.

Like it is with the other LC4s, light weight is a real ally. It’s so kilo-light it feels more like an extension of your limbs than something you’re actually riding. Its mountain goat-like ability to climb and descend has to be seen and felt to be believed. That capability is primarily down to the fantastic chassis with its brilliantly controlled WP suspension and grippy Metzeler Sahara tyres. The tyres were all the more remarkable as they were road legal so couldn’t quite offer the same adhesion as the pukka off-road tyres we were able to try at a couple of points along the trail.

The 654cc (its actual capacity) engine is also suited to life off-road. With manageable manners thanks to a broad spread of power the motor has the necessary mix of grunt and linearity to get drive and not create too much wheel-spin. I started the mini-adventure on the softest power setting but found after an hour or so that it was too soft. I need a little less traction to help me steer the bike, and within minutes of stopping to adjust the setting of the three-stage switch I’d got what I wanted. It was so handy to effectively re-tune the motor so quickly and conveniently. It would have been even more straightforward if the adjuster was mounted on the bars, GSX-R1000-style, but a KTM spokesman said it didn’t expect riders to want to move from their preferred setting once they’d chosen it. That was definitely the case for me as the most aggressive option proved to be too much and was only really suitable for experts.

A photo stop gave me the chance to study the full capabilities of the KTM, though not in my hands. Seven-time world enduro champ Giovanni Sala made the 690 do some absolutely incredible things. Clearly Sala did not attend physics classes at school because most of what he was doing defied any of the laws I’d learned. His jumps, powerslides and speed over some really difficult terrain was a joy to watch and proved just how able the KTM really is.

I had a bit of a blat around in the sand myself for a while and have to say the bike helped me to do stuff I didn’t think was possible. It’s so good at lending a helping hand, and as long as you show commitment then the 690 will happily assist you. I never thought I ever get the hang of riding off road, but with enough time and with tuition I’d reckon I could at least learn some basics. The KTM’s light, friendly and forgiving enough for me to think that confidently. The electric start was particularly welcome too, making it a lot easier to get going again after a fall. Something I amazingly didn’t have too many of. Though I did curse the very tall seat height from time to time as it made getting on board tricky thanks to my short legs.