Road test of KTM990 Supermoto-T 2011 Austrian-style tourism

" After a week on the handlebars, you won't want to give it back!

That's what Raph says to me as we pick up the 990 SM/T.

The tone is set!

Despite the enthusiasm and positive attitude of the KTM team, I know that this time the bike I'm going to try out is going to be the bike that gets all the superlatives in the editorials of my fellow journalists.

Less "Dakarized" than the Adventure and less exclusive than the 990SM, it could easily be described as :

AUSTRIAN TOURISM

By OLI the Belgian.

static presentation:

a quick reminder: even if I know that everything's been said at this level, the SM/T is an extrapolation of the 990 SM equipped with, among other things, an aggressive fork head and a windscreen, a suitcase holder and a top hat.a suitcase and top-case mount, suspension settings and a softer engine, less SM tires (I wouldn't go so far as to say touring tires) and a redesigned seat. Phew, quite a few improvements all the same!!!

The dashboard I'm looking at is the standard 990 one, with red (orange) zone at 9,800 rpm, clock, fuel gauge and engine temperature.

The bi's temperature is very easy to gauge, partly because of the pot pipe that runs along your left calf and gives off a not inconsiderable amount of heat, and partly because of the fan that never stops running in town!

The protection offered by the windscreen is quite effective, even at highly unreasonable speeds... where the first digit of the speedometer shows a '2'!

The result on the road is superbly balanced.

The black-and-white version, which I've been entrusted with, also gives it a classier connotation that perfectly suits the KTM approach.

More roadworthy, less extreme, the 990SM/T is here to win over a clientele frightened by the "ready to race" aspect that the Austrians proclaim loud and clear.

What's more, for the 2011 model year, KTM has gone to the trouble of equipping it with a life-saving ABS which, according to my colleagues, is perfectly calibrated. An option that raises the price by just 200 euros. As far as I'm concerned, I'm 100% for it

Without going so far as to call it an Austrian "Gold", the ride comfort is close to that of the Adventure, with a more incisive and playful behavior.

What's more, the bike we tested was used for a year by the team from a Belgian magazine well known to readers as the benchmark for crazy weeklies, "Moto et Motards". To put it plainly, it clocked up 18,000 km of whellings, stoppies and other antics that tend to make a motorcycle suffer. A good opportunity to see how the beautiful KATOCHE evolves over time.

Well? enough of blabla, I can't stand it any longer:

en Route!

at the risk of repeating myself, the rough, metallic sound emitted by the entire KTM range is a delight to the ear. I still haven't figured out how they get to the mines, but what a kick!

I let the LC8 warm up (a super-light mill) and, with the mechanic, go through the various accessories.

First note: the soft luggage (2 suitcases and 1 top case), which has the merit of existing, is not of enormous capacity and above all is absolutely not waterproof! So don't forget to pack your clothes in plastic bags. Amusing little detail: the top-case support is shaped like a horseshoe, is it to bring luck to the rider?

When I get on the beast, the saddle height seems reasonable, less extreme than I thought it would be, though still respectable (855 mm high).

After a few kilometers in a position that's perfectly possible "standing on the footrests", I notice that the combination of high handlebars and low footrests is real and allows me to ride upright or even seated. This riding position reminds me of my TDM, but where it was firmer and rather harder. In any case, when I get into the first gear, I feel like I'm in familiar territory. But that impression was quickly erased after the first few meters!

Come to think of it, I still find it hard to believe that there's only 115 hp in this mill, or maybe the horses are much more dashing in Austria than in Japan. Mazète, I'm never going to be able to put the front wheel down again as I approach this crossroads, I say to myself, has this millstone been raised on whellings or what?

I've only done a few hundred meters and I'm already crazy about this bike!

I'm here to test ride and choose a bike for next season, and I can't take it straight away. Er, is that right, I really can't take it straight away?

Reliability-wise, as I wrote above, the bike has 18,000 km on the clock, which is a lot for a test-press bike. Most manufacturer's bikes only have a few thousand km, but rarely more than 10,000.

Well, this KTM is ageing very well, the clutch has been adjusted for the whelling "cirette" and shows no signs of fatigue.

The gearbox still locks up with great precision and firmness.

The suspension components show no signs of wear.

no defects, then?

well, you know me by now, I always try to make my test reports as true, precise and complete as possible. To answer your question, well, I'm looking!

We'll point out the non-waterproof luggage, the very limited protection of the rear mudguard (in Belgium, it often rains), the heat emitted by the exhaust pipe at ankle level, the very elastic fuel consumption ... between 5 and 8.5 l and, last but not least, the great difficulty of riding calmly with such a playful bike.

ranking:

let's just say that the KTM came out ahead of the Harley for fun, even if reason should direct me towards the American. BUT, motorcycling's all about passion, isn't it? ... So...

See you soon, Oli the Belgian