My KTM 690 Adventure

**warewolf** · 16th March 2010, 21:36

Sorry but I'm skeptical of how "most" translates to "KTM 690 Enduro" specifically. It certainly don't translate to "640 Adventure" which would be a closer match than most jap stuff, 'cos there is ZERO clearance front & rear as standard. Pull the forks through the triples or fit lowering links and you're eating into your travel. There is no 3-4" (75-100mm!!) travel buffer on these bikes... there's not even a 3/4" buffer, if that's what he really meant. You can push it through the full stroke, neoprene bumper included.

He's being a little disingenuous. The neoprene bump stop is there to help avoid harsh bottoming at full compression. The first thing that gets taken out of play by changing the travel vs the undertail is the bump stop - allowing the suspension to hit harder when it does bottom, and we know it bottoms easier.

As I said before, you really need to check the clearance on your bike in order to make an informed decision. Or to avoid over-thinking it, suck it and see!

But if you are going to buy lowering links (dubious outcome) and then buy a heavier spring (further dubious outcome) why not just pay to have the shock tuned to have less travel in the first place (positive outcome)??

Sorry to sound like a stuck record but these things are over-hyped as a magic bullet bolt-on solution, such that people are quite happy to part with their cash for them without really investigating the negatives and/or alternatives. Friends don't let friends do lowering links!

**Night Falcon** · 17th March 2010, 07:35

[QUOTE=warewolf;1129686145]Sorry but I'm skeptical of how "most" translates to "KTM 690 Enduro" specifically. It certainly don't translate to "640 Adventure" which would be
But if you are going to buy lowering links (dubious outcome) and then buy a heavier spring (further dubious outcome) why not just pay to have the shock tuned to have less travel in the first place (positive outcome)??

I have to admit to being a little naive on the whole linkage vrs suspension tuning deal. Silly me just looked at the shiny linkage and well...you know...it looked soooo cool. Your sagely comments are appriciated but as the horse has bolted, so to speak , I will have to leave it to the sinence of SIAS (suck it an see) to decide the final out come....I will of course let you know how it fares....you can be assured if it aint up to my exacting standards it will be comming off!

**Bass** · 17th March 2010, 08:00

Originally Posted by Night Falcon

I will have to leave it to the sinence of SIAS (suck it an see) to decide the final out come....I will of course let you know how it fares....you can be assured if it aint up to my exacting standards it will be comming off!

Best of luck. Hope it works out for you.
Thanks for posting Mr Kouba's reply. I was really interested to see that he completely ignored the "loss of rising rate effect". I think that this may be key and that you will find that your rear suspension bottoms out much more easily than you want, exactly as Colin described.
Could be wrong though, so as I said, best of luck.

**CrazyFrog** · 17th March 2010, 13:30

Here's one modded 690 you can aspire to achieving.....

There ya go, the bar has just been raised!

**topo** · 17th March 2010, 13:53

Or this one since you already have the tank.

What "rally" style fairing were you planning on using?

**Night Falcon** · 17th March 2010, 16:51

I have ruled out both Meeca systems and Alberto's fairings as Waaaaay to expensive. I have found a company in Aussie which make similar product for about half the cost. Spoke to them yesterday infact...it will be in the post this week. I will show you pictures when it arrives.

**topo** · 17th March 2010, 16:58

Don at CPW in WA?

**Night Falcon** · 17th March 2010, 17:06

Collected the finished seat thismorning...I'm rapt with how it turned out. Heres some pictures as promosed.

**Woody2** · 17th March 2010, 17:23

Looks good, How's the comfort factor compared to stock?

**Night Falcon** · 17th March 2010, 20:31

Its a lot more comfy than the stock. I'm taking it out for a wee 2 day ride over the weekend so that will be a good test!

**Night Falcon** · 18th March 2010, 11:23

Completed manufacture of my Top Case brackets last night. I cut them out from 12mm aluminium plate and shaped them using my own not yet patented bending equipment (vice, large crescent, sledge hammer). Finally after much painstaking aligning and realigning they are ready for testing. I have ordered slightly longer countersunk bolts to fit them which should arrive today so hopefully I will have a top case fitted for the weekend adventure....I hate wearing back packs!! If they work out ok they will be off to the powder coaters next week. Pics below for your amusement.
cheers N.F.

**clint640** · 18th March 2010, 12:17

Looking good. Trying to fit things up to the different angles on a bike is always a bit of work, but with basic tools, some time & a few scraps of alloy ya can make some very cool bike bling. I'd be inclined to integrate some sort of carrier into the rack, having somewhere to bungy on a rainsuit or spare jersey can be handy when you're not using the luggage. A few bits of stainless rod set acrossways into holes along the inside edges of the rails would be one tidy way of doing that.

Cheers
Clint

**.chris** · 18th March 2010, 12:27

Originally Posted by clint640

Looking good. Trying to fit things up to the different angles on a bike is always a bit of work, but with basic tools, some time & a few scraps of alloy ya can make some very cool bike bling. I'd be inclined to integrate some sort of carrier into the rack, having somewhere to bungy on a rainsuit or spare jersey can be handy when you're not using the luggage. A few bits of stainless rod set acrossways into holes along the inside edges of the rails would be one tidy way of doing that.

Cheers
Clint

I agree, having some basic storage on the back is super handy.
I went with a B&B rear rack without the vertical bar. Was about $220 nzd landed at my door.

The bonus for me is it works great with the luggage on top, but also works great just to strap stuff for the day trip.

**Night Falcon** · 23rd March 2010, 17:53

Well after 1022.71 klms of over 2days with just under half that distance on gravel roads of varying condition I'm ready for my first appraisal of the KTM 690 enduro (partly adventurised).

I was joined on the trip by my good mate Jimbo on his trusty KTM950 ADV which I believe is the bench mark for adventure bikes in NZ conditions. The route was Hastings to Lake Waikeri (via back roads from Raupunga), then on to Opotiki and stop for the night. Then back to Hastings via the Motu, Matawai to Wairoa (via Koranga Valley) and on to Hastings.

So here’s how she went:

Comfort: Seat rating 4/5
The new seat was fantastic! Although I did fit my trusty sheep skin (which I all ways fit for long rides) nevertheless, the rework of the seat exceeded my expectations....not perfect but quite acceptable. I did have a sore hiney for the last leg of the trip from Wairoa to Hastings but put that down to lack of saddle time over the last 12months.

Power: 4.99999/5
Now my last bike was a 990 adventure so in comparison the power was down a bit on the 690. However, the LC4 engine in my view is as close to perfection as you can reasonable ask! There is torque everywhere! With no front faring (yet) anything over 110kph was a little drafty but there was nothing on the road in front of us that with a flick of the wrist wasn't left in the dust....including the 950 on some of the more tight corners!

The FMF exhaust and remap of the engine really makes this engine dance! and I only had it set on the "all purpose" map setting.

Suspension: 5/5
I decided not to fit the 1" lowering link for this trip....partly because I hadn't really put the 690 through its paces, and partly because I wanted to be able to have some comparison between the stock settings for when I chuck it on. But what can I say? The stock WP springs were "sublime". I set the front forks to 15/15(Compression & Rebound) with the rear set at 14/14 due to the extra weight of the pannier.

GPS: 4.5/5
The Garmin Zumo 550 is a great piece of Kit. Once you get used to operating it you can go down tracks you might otherwise have avoided due to fuel or time worries. The Zumo gives both distance and estimated time to arrival and has a nifty fuel function/guage that is very handy for keeping an I on your gas levels.

Safari Tank: 6/5
Nothing need be said about the Safari Tank except go buy one!!

Rear Pannier Rack: 5/5
Manufactured by Night Falcon Industries, these racks are simple, strong, and light weight. I bolted the base plate off my Sanremo top case (45L) straight on to the brackets…no worries.

I herd it said that the 690 enduro with a few modifications could be the perfect adventure bike….for my money it sure looks like it!!

Cheers
NF