Motorcycle specifications KTM690 ENDURO R 2019 The appetite of the land

For enduro riding on a Katoche, you can either choose from the EXC range and go straight for hardcore. Or you can opt for a more versatile machine, as tightrope walker as you like, and call it the 690 Enduro R.

while it shares its base with the SMC-R, its pretensions are quite different. One shakes things up in the supermotard clan, the other is just waiting to rush off-road. The 21" and 18" spoked rims fitted with Mitas E07 studded tires leave no room for doubt, announcing the mischievous roads ahead. However, for intrepid outings in the dirt, you'll need more appropriate footwear. More exclusive and lighter than a 790 Adventure, but less than an EXC, the machine doesn't seem to show the slightest hesitation in going where asphalt no longer has any rights. Crackle the engine, look for trees instead of signs, and prepare to beat the rocks. If the dashboard hides in minimalism, the machine's virtues are far less timid.

one of the Enduro R's stroke of luck is to have an exceptional mono in the KTM organ bank. The LC4 has made the 690 Duke's reputation. Imagine the potential of a machine that takes to the trails with the same desire to have fun. Rated at 74 hp, it's ready and waiting to be pulled around the neck with conviction. We can take it up to 9,000 rpm, a staggering and symbolic speed. That's 7 horsepower more than the previous model. Hats off to you!
You'd think that any excursion would be worthy of a bit of mistrust. Not here, though, as KTM has grafted electronics all over it. Two riding modes for Street or Sport-style excitement (1), deactivatable traction control, a shifter for optimized upshifting and downshifting, an IMU inertial unit, as well as a disconnectable ABS sensitive to cornering inclination and equipped with an Offroad mode (2).

that's for harnessing the power and dynamism that go with it. To keep its promises, the 690 Enduro R also sets itself apart with its WP Explor suspension. A generous 250 mm of travel and the possibility of adjusting them in all directions augur first-rate part-cycle efficiency. Special mention for the adjustment knobs on the fork tubes; for the rear, it's a little more complicated. Just like straddling that grasshopper - long travel is great for tackling obstacles, fords and sleeping kangaroos, but the seat height suffers. Here, it peaks at 910 mm. This sanction goes hand in hand with the bonus of 270 mm ground clearance.
The tubular steel trellis frame is of the utmost rigor, duly painted orange (R obliges). To stop the machine, the 300 mm front disc is mauled by a Brembo 2-piston caliper, while the 240 mm rear is mated to a single-piston caliper.

some will want to spend more time with this enduro. So much the better, as this new opus increases its fuel tank capacity by 1.5 liters. The element, still located in the rear loop, now totals 13.5 liters. As for weight, it's up to 147 kgs. Definitely heavier than a pure enduro machine. But for a bike of this stature and positioning, it's enough to make you want to go where a lot of other bikes won't venture. The price is even higher than before, limiting its appeal to genuine fans of a model of this calibre. And they won't be disappointed.

M.B - Photos constucteur

1 -Street mode offers a more direct response to acceleration, but minimizes wheel spin and wheelies for safer city driving. Offroad mode, on the other hand, offers a smoother response to acceleration thanks to Offroad traction control. This allows the front wheel to be lifted without compromising performance.

2 - In Offroad mode, ABS intervenes only on the front wheel, and takes no account of the bike's inclination when cornering.