And there's more...!
By TMX Archives on 6th Aug 08
JUST when you thought that KTM had ALL the off-road angles covered, with class-leading two-strokes and four-strokes in Motocross, Enduro and Supermoto, up they pop with yet another niche market, discovered and instantly filled with the exact model! The latest piece of orange (and black) weaponry to be researched, built, tested and unveiled by the Mattoghofen giant is the KTM 690 Enduro R.
This new model is, as you guessed, based on the standard 690 Enduro which itself is a pretty trick piece of kit with its well tried and tested advanced LC4 single-
cylinder four-stroke motor laced into a Ducati-style steel trellis frame. The bullet-proof, fully homologated engine pumps out a mighty 62 bhp – so we don't expect to hear too many complaints about a lack of power – except possibly by David Knight! The rest of us will find it more than enough to be going on with.
The standard 690 Enduro comes with trail style tyres and is billed by KTM as being the bike that you can ride to Morocco on the motorway and then take to the unsurfaced roads into the desert.
The Enduro R is pretty much the same take on the four-stroke single cylinder sports bike theme but with added off-road, starting with proper Pirelli (road legal) enduro tyres. So the big KTM retains its go anywhere, ride-to-work heritage but with the advantage that you can go seriously off-roading. Extra suspension travel helps big-time as does a new instrument panel and front mudguard.
KTM use the meaty LC4 engine in a number of models which are competition-based but aimed at road riders. This model is a reversal of the trend.
The KTM Enduro R is scheduled for production in October and it will hit the UK dealers in November. Form an orderly queue please outside your friendly local KTM shop now as this jack-of-all-trades model is sure to be mighty popular.