Lads I'm finally in the market for a KTM. When I started saving it was for the purpose of buying a 950 adventure as I saw this as a good step up from the Africa Twin. I wanted light with a good fuel range and good off road for when I wanted to test myself. Trouble is since I started looking other models have caught my eye and I'm looking for advice on my purchase now so I don't regret it. I know very little about these models really. I went to look at an MY07 KTM 990 with 20,000 km the other day. Looks spotless and I could have it by Febuary with a bit more saving as it's more then a 950 obviously but I was on a rally with a lad that had a 990 adventure R and I see this as the one to have but it would mean more saving until around May/June and then I'd have to wait for one to become available here. Is the R model worth the wait in your opinion? Now the next two model that showed themselves where linked to Noah's 690 enduro and the lad that now owns it. First is his old bike that he's selling. It's a weight reduced 640 adventure with excel rims and high front mud guard. Nice but a bit dated looking. If it was a better bike I would concider it though. The last in the mix is the 690 enduro with Rally Raid fairings and tanks. This would mine a lot more saving though. If it was you what would you go for?
As an owner of a 990R and a 690R it would be a very tough decision choosing which one to part with if I could only have one. Hopefully that day will never come. They are both so different from one another, but as you spend time on each one you realize the subtle similarities. You'd see what I mean if you rode them both for a bit more time than a short test ride. The suspension on each of them is pretty hard to beat for a stock bike. And when you pin the throttle the fun factor shoots to 10+ on each of them. My only advice is test ride both. Then think about the real purpose for the bike,,,, more trail duty or more of a 50/50 ratio dirt to asphalt. I personally find the 690 a much more enjoyable bike off pavement and the 990 a great 50/50 machine. WJR
Eric, I have been riding for 42 years. I have lost track of how many motorcycles I have owned. My 950 is the BEST Machine I have ever owned. It will run circles around most machines on pavement. Handles even technical singletrack offroad. Is All Day Comfortable. And if I could only have one bike this would be it.I have a Hayabusa (And I am picking up a SuperMoto (YZ400) and an Italjet Dragster this month as well) but I know the Katoom will continue to be my favorite.I never get tired of messing with it. And KTM stands for "Keep throwin Money" not for repairs. For Mods. I absolutely Love this machine.
Qwik, thanks for the comment. Suppose I could buy a 950 and mod it. 950 still i the mix so. It would be easier to work on myself also I suppose.
So...based on my personal experience, I will share my thoughts: A few years ago, I found a 2005 640 Adventure that the previous owner used as intended and maintained it very, very well. It had the back-dated 2003 front end with better forks (plus spring and valve upgrades) and the larger, single disc (better feel for off road use). It had the usual mods and improvements that you can read about in no fewer than 100 threads on the LC4. I absolutely loved this bike. It was nice and tall (I'm 6'3" and long legged), very versatile and absolutely amazing in just about every riding scenario apart from very long, high speed highway runs. In the city, I felt like I was riding on top of a race horse in traffic. In the dirt, the torque felt endless and the bike's weight was very, very manageable, even with a full tank of gas (lots of fuel, weight up high, etc.). It was an absolute tractor off-road; reliable, steady power, great handling from gravel right through to mud and soft sand...I ended up selling it because the 5 speed was limiting on highway runs and the vibrations were something I had to tolerate and honestly, they got on my nerves after a while - there were times it literally moved itself 4 feet across the road when I was warming it up. I took a bit of a break from the ADV bikes and focused on my road bike. Less than a year later, I got the bug for another ADV bike and searched for a number of different bikes including trying to find something cool like a Rally replica (Africa Twin - why not? V-Twin, great chassis, touring capability, lots of room for me and gear, race heritage, etc, etc.). Of course, I didn't find any local to me and I didn't want a Transalp instead of an Africa Twin so I went back to looking at KTMs. I convinced myself that all I really needed was a thumper but this time with more power, less weight and counter-balancing. The KTM 690 Enduro seemed like the best choice given these requirements. I searched and finally found one - a 2008 690 Enduro with some good mods and "improvements". What this bike gave me was my 640 Adventure but with: less weight, much more power, a 6th gear and modern fuel injection. What I realized was: little to no wind protection, poor fuel range (it's a small tank), adequate suspension but nearly as competent as my 640 ADV's suspension and no centre stand. I installed racks and other things including an auxiliary fuel tank and what I found was: great highway power and mileage despite being a high revver, very good off-road, great power and performance in the city (like being on a race horse with steroids and caffeine). The bike was simply unreliable - fuel pump issues, fuel injection issues, idling issues, stalling issues, etc, etc - I just couldn't trust that I could go out for a long ride and make it home without towing it. There were two times when I actually considered setting it on fire on the side of the road and taking a taxi home. By the way, for two-up riding, it simply sucked. The chassis was never really intended t support two people and gear for any length of time / distance. Despite all of that, it was a very fun bike to ride and very, very capable off-road. Don't kid yourself, this 690 is no adventure bike; it's an enduro bike with adventure capability with the right parts and patience (and money). I sold it after sorting out all the fuel injection and electrical issues. The new owner is very happy because it is now very reliable and he doesn't expect to use it as an adventure bike. So...now I bought my friend's 2004 KTM 950 ADV. Why? It's cheaper than buying a new 990 Adv and many would say more reliable than any of the fuel injected 990s (though I believe that by 2009, KTM sorted out the 990 fueling issues). It is much heavier than the 690 but doesn't feel much heavier than the 640 ADV did off-road. It is simply incredible for touring. I know that some people complain about the wind protection and most of those guys end up buying BMW GSs which are fantastic for highway touring but I have to say: the 950 Adventure is an absolutely amazing machine, especially for carrying lots of gear, two people, etc, etc. It keeps with sport bikes in the twisties and does very well for itself off road - mind you, I haven't done too much "single-track" stuff with it and it's a bit of a pig in tight sandy and muddy stuff but nothing that muscle and throttle don't fix. I literally fly down gravel and dirt back-roads, open grass fields and wide two-track areas. I do believe it is the world's best Adventure bike. Any issues that you would find are by now very well documented and sorted out, parts are readily available and it will run on anything; I'm convinced that it will burn piss if I ever ran out and was stuck out in the middle of nowhere. The stick gearing is very good, the suspension in any form (regular, S or R versions) all works very well. Heated grips, a better seat for comfort and some panniers are all it needs but if you want to tinker and mod, the sky's the limit. Sorry for the long post and feel free to PM me for any other input, etc. Good luck with your search.
I'd reccomend the 950 over an 07 990. My 08 990 had more snatch then my first wife. Yes I had G2 throttle cams etc.......One of the worst fueling bikes I've ever owned. If you get a 990 get a 10 or newer as they've cleaned up the fueling since. I recently picked up another 05,5. I've owned a 640 Adventure as well, neat bike but not the best on tarmac.
Did you say Italijet Dragster???? I use to mob a 150 Dragster around about 10 years ago. One , if not the baddest assed scooters ever made!!! ping me if you grow tired of it.
The 640 has a single disc conversion for off roading and the owner did mension vibration so I'll knock that on the head. Dropped into KTM today and looked at a 690 R. Beautiful but it would take to much money and effort to get it to the specs that I would be happy with. Had a look at the 2012 demo model 990 Adv and love the feel and look of the 950/990 put if I was to go 990 it would have to be an R model but I'm now going to buy new and the second mark here is not great for getting them at realistic prices. There one R for sale at the minute that's 3 year old and now and he's looking for 2000 more then a MY12 990 se. Nuts. So I'll look around for a 950 and see what's out there. Get the best I can and then mod it. I usually Repsol my bikes so a Repsol Decal set will be fitted as soon as. Thanks for all the comments and advice,
Don't bother with a 950 of any model. They are poorly tuned and crude running, plus people ask too much money for them. I rode mine for 60k miles. I encourage you to shop for a 2010 or later 990A. Much nicer motorcycle. I like my 690R but not really sure what you want. The LC8 is a well suspended heavyweight and a nice touring bike. The new LC4 is a sweet running lightweight and better in rougher terrain as a result.
LOL :) I like my 950ADV but given the means and opportunity, I'd probably buy a 2012+ 990R. I have ridden a 2009 990 and a 2012 990 - huge difference in fueling and smoothness - huge!
I bought my05 950 a few weeks ago and so far I am very happy! I once saw a 690 on the track and I was very impressed seeing a plated dirtbike clear the table top. The problem for me was that I wanted a plated bike that could comfortably cruise an hour or more at 75 mph plus. I once had a plated Xr400 and it could never do that. I think the big adventure bike fits my needs perfectly. I still have my kx250 for the hardcore track, and I can use my 950 for everything else. Just this afternoon I rode it two-up on a 60 mile round trip averaging about 80 mph on the mostly freeway route with a lot of wind. It was no sweat. Plus with the price I paid for the 2005 model, it wouldn't kill me to get a scratch on the damn thing?
Well lads I did a complete u turn on the 640 adv and shock hand on one today. It's modified for rallying and weight reduced a hell of a lot. It's a 2007 bike but Registered in 2008. Pick it up soon.