Words & Pics: Kyle Lawrenson & Séan Hendley
“Compendium games consist of a set number of deals each of which has different rules or objectives…” or so Wikipedia would suggest. And quite honestly, this best describes a bike that is so versatile, adaptable and usable in so many different conditions.
This very aptly describes the latest KTM 690 Enduro R offering.
We sent along our two vastly different riders to get more intimate with this maniacal machine, one a young, fit, energetic dirt and stunt riding enthusiast of average height, build and weight. The other a much older, taller, heavier rider with less interest in meeting paramedics, nurses and doctors but still had a wicked streak in him when it comes to speed.
We had the new 690 Enduro R for a couple of weeks and possibly would have still had it had KTM SA not asked for it back. During that time, it was used as a daily commuter, running errands, calling on customers around Gauteng with very regular detours through any bit of bush we could find and finally ending with a wintery Friday at a local riding venue on their RallyCross track.
2023 winter in Gauteng has been interesting to say the least, unseasonal heavy downpours, the coldest winter in at least a decade, quite windy with a lot of sunny but frigid days and then, just to really mess with us the occasional really warm day for good measure. Why do we tell you this? Well it affects the kit we ride in, where and when we ride as well as how we ride and what and why we ride. Perched atop the 929mm high seat and balancing the relatively unsubstantial 150 kg wet weight on skinny 18/21 dirt bikes wheels is not a huge amount of fun at freeway speeds with heavy cross winds, especially on the 50/50 tyres, in fact it is tiresome. However, on a nice sunny and windless day it is more fun than a barrel of monkeys on the freeway whipping between the traffic at silly and irresponsible speeds… and in the correct hands – on the back wheel.
On the other hand, any day in the dirt on this bike is a flippin good day, no matter what the weather and that’s why we decided to spend our official final day banging it hard around E.R.O.R.A.’s RallyCross track between the trees and over the whoops, jumps and donga’s. (sadly the decoration of choice does seem to be the ever-present discarded plastic packets, so please excuse some of the detritus in the pics and video background.)
Firstly, let’s have a bit of a look around what the 2023 690 R offers before we tell you how it all works together.
The bit that strikes you first is the way it look.There is no mistaking those big dirt bike lines and the very modern looking orange and grey design really grabs your attention. Follow that up with its aggressive stance, build and lines, and you know this is no ordinary dirt bike. Hit the happy button and that 692cc, 63hp, 65nM LC4 power plant explodes into life and settles down to a passive thrum… until you blip the throttle. Everybody who has ever ridden the 690’s of old will notice how much smoother this engine is. Gone are the raw vibrations from the motor. The twin balancer shafts introduced at the turn of the decade are complemented with a resonator chamber that balances out pulses in the intake tract and makes the throttle response smoother, reducing the vibrations from the engine. Smoother power delivery, without losing any of its hooligan characteristics.
Other bits we like are the ride-by-wire smoothness of the throttle, the soft to use PASC or Power Assisted Clutch, the easy access to the air filter under the seat, the slipper clutch fitted as standard to reduce the rear wheel chatter that plagues most big bore single cylinder bikes. Switchable traction control, slip control and quick shifter are all standard.In a world of all singing, all dancing and all flashing big TFT screens, it’s quite refreshing to come across a simple and understated dashboard display that gives you just the bare essentials you need to know like speed, RPM, and the necessary warning lights. There are just two rider modes, 1= street mode and 2= off road mode, that’s all. In Street mode, the throttle response is sportier but wheelies and wheel spin are kept to a minimum where the off-road mode smoothes out the throttle response but allows the front wheel to pop up at the will of the rider and allows the wheel to step out without the electronic nannies interfering with your fun. Both modes are easily selected on the two-button handlebar switch. ABS is also either on or off on a button just next door and all can be done on the fly. The MTC or traction control and cornering ABS is all monitored and adjusted by the 6D lean angle sensors within milliseconds – for the more experienced and extreme riders the traction control and ABS can be completely disengaged, in Off Road mode it only disengages the rear wheel.
The 690 Enduro R comes equipped with WP’s upside down 48mm Xplor front shocks with 250mm travel with a split system set up. The left fork looks after the compression damping while the right fork takes care of the rebound damping, both are adjustable independently from the other. The rear monoshock is also a WP unit working on pressurised gas and also with 250mm of travel with high speed and low speed compression adjustment.
Chucking the fuel tank under the rider’s butt in the subframe helps lower the centre of gravity, making the 910mm seat height a lot more manageable, especially for the more vertically challenged rider. Even though it has thoroughbred off-road pedigree, this bike is surprisingly compliant and capable on the roads and through the bends it very often makes sport bike riders go, “WTF???” as it tips in behind or in some instances even under them depending on the riders huevos grandes.
The off road focused 690 R has some decent ergo’s. The 808mm wingspan of the tapered, rubber mounted bars both reduce vibration in the palms of your hands and give you nice control of the bike. We found them a little bit on the low side and would probably change them out for a taller bend. That being said, the lower bars do give a relaxed shoulder position when sitting and riding on the tarmac. The grippy foot pegs, which are apparently designed to shrug off the worst dirt and mud are wide and comfortable and set low enough down to create a comfortable bend on the rider’s knees.The grippy orange seat is sculpted in such a way as to not only be sexy but it is also nice and flat so you have a lot more latitude of movement over and around the bike. In typical KTM fashion, it is not soft and cuddly, but rather quite firm. The advantage here is that when you do hit the long road between trails you don’t end up sinking through the foam onto the hard base plate, keeping you more comfortable for longer.
So, what do our two Goons have to say about all of that?
Séan says:
I grew up riding dirt bikes after school in the 80’ in the veld behind our houses and at the little motocross track some kids built in the 70’s that we all referred to as the “Back Track”. We didn’t understand nor see the need for proper gear back in those days and still sport some cool scars to prove it…
Thus, I have always had a particular passion for dirt biking and a good relationship with my Doctor. After National Service in the late 80’s I got into playing silly buggers on the tar with CB750/900 F’s and an array of 750/1100 GSX’s and Katanas which introduced me to even more nurses and Doctors. As I have gotten older and all my old war wounds come back to plague me, I have developed a healthy aversion to pain and doctors which conflicts terribly with my uncontrollable lust for speed and stupidity on two wheels. I am not as strong as I used to be and enjoy comfortable, less aggressive bikes, but where do I find a bike like that that will satisfy my lust and my aversions?
Having ridden the KTM 690 Enduro R around Lesotho for a couple days in late autumn 2019 it has always stayed in the back of my mind as possibly just that motorcycle. So, when I was tasked with the assignment of reviewing the 2023 model with young Kyle the dirt hooligan I was quite keen to either dispel… or reaffirm those notions of this bike being “THAT” bike. I am 2m tall and tip the scales at around 115 kg and knocking on 53 years old. Swinging my leg over the 690 it is comfortably tall with a nice narrow seat and low foot pegs with properly wide handlebars which immediately made me want to do silly things with it. It just feels right.
Back during the Lesotho trip, I only climbed aboard the 690R at Kestell just before we hit the dirt into the mountains of Lesotho and really appreciated the fact that I did. The rough terrain, sharp corners on the dirt passes, the aggressive 50/50 tyres, the superb suspension had me shooting out ahead of the rest of the riders on the bigger, proper adventure bikes. For my size, bulk and riding style this is the perfect dirt bike for me and I knew this 2023 bike was going to be even better than that in the dirt, so I wanted to spend some proper time in the saddle on the tarmac with her and learn her road manners.
The first thing that struck me was how smooth and soft the clutch and gearbox interfaced with each other and how easily the engine responds to some enthusiastic blipping. This also served as a warning as I could feel how light the bike is, particularly up front. I’m no wheelie king. Getting it out on the road, I’d done a bit of homework before just to refresh myself on the rider modes and other electronics in the package, so I knew mode 1 or Road mode was what I wanted. The throttle response is very quick and the front wheel did pick up easily when I revved it up and dumped the clutch, but the wheelie control/MTC kicked in saving my arse and making me look cooler than what I really am.
Banging down the freeway this little KTM really does surprise a lot of other road users, especially with my bulk dwarfing it. Nobody expects a little dirt bike to come voetering passed them well north of 160 km/h and bobbing and weaving through the traffic like a champion boxer in a title fight. The chassis and suspension have very little torsional give in them, so the 690 is incredibly responsive to the rider input, intended or otherwise, and is almost telepathic in its response.
I learned a long time ago to look at a vehicle’s body language on the road rather than at the driver because subconsciously even though they don’t realise it the driver has already made a decision as to their action plan for the upcoming offramp, slower traffic, road obstacle or intersection. This is relayed to the vehicle they are commandeering on the same subconscious level, so often I have some intuition of what another road user is going to do even before they do and this seemed to be the case with the KTM 690 and I.
Subconsciously I would move my body weight in anticipation of an upcoming manoeuvre, especially at high speed, and the bike would react to it immediately. Initially this was a bit unnerving until I got used to it, by which I mean I had to adjust my mind from riding old lazy donkeys to racing a thoroughbred stallion. Once I got that settled in my mind, my riding got ever more seemingly irresponsible and crazy to the onlooker but a lot more intuitive to me, giving me the confidence to push harder and faster, eventually leaving Kyle labouring through traffic on the big 1000cc v-twin and moaning away because he couldn’t film the riding sequence on the freeway.
Tilting into the bends as we came off the motorway and diving in and out of corners on the B-roads had me giggling with crazed glee in my helmet as I pushed harder and faster as I felt the traction and slip control keep the back wheel in check at my antics. I think that has made the decision for me, I cannot own a bike like this… I am way too immature and irresponsible, but sod it, I still want one.
My only real gripe with it is, that after about an hour of hanging onto the bars the aggressive sitting position, the inherent lack of any form of protection from the elements, the incessantly revvy motor, battling the occasional side draft from the many trucks that were passed and the skinny seat eventually started taking its toll on me. Stiff neck, tensed shoulders, aching lower back, uncomfortably compressed beer gut and the beginning stages of hypothermia had me longing for the creature comforts of a bigger more comfortable land cruiser of a bike.
This is a great bike for riding to the head of a trail. It negates having to load it onto your bakkie, finding a safe place to leave your bakkie while you ride, alleviates the stress of trying not to lose your bakkie keys as well as making the bakkies fuel bill an unnecessary expense, a great bonus in this day and age. Had I the means this bike would be one of a couple of bikes in my garage for sure, but it wouldn’t work for me as my only steed. But to work and back and then some mealie field racing… Yes Please! Are bike trailers attached to the back of other bikes a thing? Asking for a friend…
Kyle says:
I often get told that, as nice as the 690 is, it is a selfish bike. And do I agree? Absolutely. But it’s a lot more than just a glorified dirt bike. I can’t afford to buy a dirt bike and an Adventure bike. So what do I do?
I didn’t have the R250k to buy something bigger, so I bought the next best thing.
Yes, it wasn’t this 2023 690 but my 2017 690 did fill the gap. The gap being a fun exciting motorbike to ride to work and back and even more fun to throw around in the dirt. I wouldn’t ride to Durban on it on a regular basis, but I could… and did a Lesotho and Sani Pass tour on it. You need to plan your trip though. The 690 gives an average 190 kays to a tank (That’s when the light comes on) so every petrol station is within reach. On the longer roads, you do get blown around slightly and it is pretty hard on the body. Riding the 2023 690 I was like a kid in a candy shop. Excited and even more excited when I was told that we could keep it for well over a week..
When I first got onto the new bike, the bars felt rather low, almost like the sister SMC model, Not a problem and nothing that a higher bend cant fix. It didn’t bug me too much as I forgot all about it after the first wheelie I pulled down the road. However the one thing that did stand out is how much smoother the motor is. To me it almost feels like they have taken the RAWNESS away. She doesn’t vibrate as much as my older model and makes the ride seem relatively relaxed. So much so that I personally think this bike will get you into much more poop than its predecessor. It is smoother, feels faster and feels lighter. The bike is fitted with traction control now which I turned off. I left the bike in road mode with the ABS on for the road. In the dirt, I turned the ABS off. If you leave it on the brakes feel like they are fading on you to the point where there is nothing. It’s just the way the system works, especially on the faster more technical terrain. On gravel roads there is no issue with the abs at all.
Overall if you are not in the position to buy both a dirt bike and road/adventure bike, this is a great option.
It serves a purpose in both avenues on and off, and I smiled from the time I got onto it until I climbed off. Although the bike has been smoothed out, in the correct hands, it’s a lunatic on the road, motard insanity that will absolutely land you in the dwang should the traffic enforcers see you. A bigger lunatic in the dirt – no question. Huge power on tap with a chassis and suspension that just makes life so easy. The only problem might be that it’s so smooth that you often forget that it’s not actually a little dirt bike. The only thing we’d like is a bigger fuel tank. But also, maybe KTM has done that on purpose because on those long trips, you’ll need a little break. As a commuter, the range, in my opinion, is spot-on, the most exciting trip to the office and back that you’ll ever have.
Get down to your local KTM dealer and check one out for yourself.
SPECS
TORQUE 73.5 Nm
TRANSMISSION 6-speed
COOLING Liquid cooled
POWER IN KW 55 kW
STARTER Electric starter
CLUTCH PASC (TM) slipper clutch, hydraulically actuated
DISPLACEMENT 692.7 cm³
FUEL CONSUMPTION 4.3 l/100 km
LUBRICATION Forced oil lubrication with 2 oil pumps
TANK CAPACITY 13.5lt
ABS Bosch 9.1 MP (incl. Cornering-ABS and off road mode, disengageable)
FRONT BRAKE DISC DIAMETER 300 mm
REAR BRAKE DISC DIAMETER 240 mm
FRONT BRAKE Brembo twin-piston floating calliper, brake disc
REAR BRAKE Brembo single-piston floating calliper, brake disc
CHAIN 520 X-Ring
FRAME DESIGN Chrome-moly tubular space frame, powder-coated
FRONT SUSPENSION WP XPLOR-USD, Ø 48 mm
GROUND CLEARANCE 269 mm
REAR SUSPENSION WP XPLOR with Pro-Lever linkage
SEAT HEIGHT 929 mm
STEERING HEAD ANGLE 62.3 °
SUSPENSION TRAVEL (FRONT) 250 mm
SUSPENSION TRAVEL (REAR) 250 mm
