First Ride: 2008 KTM 690 Enduro

The world of dual-sporting is chock-full of compromises. How on earth are designers and engineers supposed to create motorcycles capable of performing well on surfaces as different as dirt and asphalt? With dual-sports making a market resurgence and KTM already leading the charge, the Austrian firm has released this brand-new LC4 family member, the 690 Enduro. I recently rode the bike in Spain at the model's press launch and came away impressed.

True off-road riding demands a lightweight bike with ample suspension travel and good balance and handling. KTM puts an emphasis on that word "sport," focusing on making the bike off-road worthy first and concentrating on on-road abilities second. This concept is even more obvious when taking a look at the company's 450/530 EXC-R models, which are essentially full-blown racebikes with the necessary lights, signals and other items to make them highway-legal in all 50 states. The 690 is the next logical step; a more powerful and dirt-capable machine than the previous 625SXC and even better as a street machine.

Key to making the 690 more asphalt-friendly is the more powerful 654cc, liquid-cooled, sohc, four-valve, fuel-injected Single. A new cylinder head is largely responsible for generating the claimed 63 horsepower. Features such as the APTC slipper clutch and a three-position-switchable mapping system allow the Enduro to not only perform well off-road but make it quite nice on it as well. This bike isn't about to replace your streetbike, but if you need to do 50 miles of blacktop to get to next dirt section, you'll be quite comfortable on the 690.

I was very impressed with how good the bike was off-road. My long-term bike this year has been a 450 EXC and although the 690 probably can't hang with that bike when the trails get tight and technical, I'm sure it can on fire roads and less-gnarly terrain. Weighing a claimed 305 pounds, it’s no lightweight, but at the same time it carries that weight fairly low (underseat fuel tank) and never felt top-heavy or bulky when riding.

The U.S./Canadian-spec. bikes come with knobby tires which differ from the rest of the worldwide markets. I was only able to spend a limited amount of time on doing photos on those bikes (one of which was set up by none other than multi-time World Enduro Champion Giovanni Sala). The advantages of these tires were improved traction in loose conditions and more bite from the front tire when braking off-road. For a rider who won't be tackling serious trails in the dirt, the dual-sport tires that I spent most of my time on were actually very good on-road and off. Although not packing as much travel as a traditional off-roader, the almost 10 inches front and rear could handle all but bigger jump landings. The new linkage-equipped shock worked very well and could possibly be a sign of things to come from a company that has stuck to its PDS linkless shock concept for ages.

Messing with the multiple engine maps further proved the bike's versatility. In the normal setting, the 690 provided smooth power delivery that was easily controllable off-road. Switching it to the most aggressive setting improved throttle response, but was too much power for most tight off-road trails. A third map is designed for poor, low-octane fuel in places such as Baja California, where getting the good stuff is never guaranteed.

The 690 Enduro is perhaps one of the very best bikes we've sampled yet in the dual-sport category. Very good off-road manners and better-than-most on-road character make it a top choice for those searching for a multi-faceted motorcycle. The bike will retail for $8898; a bit on the steep side, but what you get is a no-B.S. competition-quality motorcycle. No one will call this bike a poser!