KTM 690 motor mileage

[Dotbond]

This may have been asked before, but what sort of mileage are people getting from the KTM 690 motors before they need any major work done on them? ( Has anyone has got to that point yet? )

Cheers
Trev

[Pantah]

Originally Posted by Dotbond

This may have been asked before, but what sort of mileage are people getting from the KTM 690 motors before they need any major work done on them? ( Has anyone has got to that point yet? )

Cheers
Trev

I don't know since mine hasn't even made its first valve check. But the way I ride them I would expect no major issues at all. My 2004 KTM 950 went 60k miles with nothing more than routine maintenance, one clutch slave and two water pumps I replaced preemptively at 20k and 40k miles. I understand my buyer replaced the fan switch and a fuel pump in short order.

The 690 is a very powerful motorcycle. I won't be pushing its limits much. I expect it to outlast me.

On the other hand, if you thrash it...

The 690 isn't a race motor, though. Should be reliable.

Bottom line, there is nothing really like it on the market.

[Albie]

Just finished doing a top end on mine at 27K miles. Of course I don't ride mine like a little girl.

[touser]

Mine's got 25,000k's and going fine, valves chccked and in spec, doesn't use oil, no stalling issues. And I don't ride like a fucking girl either.

[Dotbond]

Good to hear what people are getting from the motors. The reason I ask is that I have my eye on a 2011 model with 28,000km on it, mostly road riding, supposedly. I want a 690 to go through Africa with in a couple of years time so i am picking the bike will have around 40,000km on the clock before even I ship it to Africa for a 25,000km ride. So the mileage will be getting up around the 65,000km mark at the end of it all.
So the big question is will the motor last that long? Should do I suppose since the old LC4 were good for around 50,000km.

[Albie]

Mostly road ridden is kinda meaningless. Mine has been mostly road ridden. Of course it spent most of that time hammering off the rev limiter. My valve train and piston were shot. So bad that I'm amazed the bike would even run much less run as well as it did. Never used a drop of oil even. Speaks a lot about KTM's engine quality IMO.

Now I will grant that most people aren't gonna ride their bikes nearly as hard as I have. So that being said, I would think that without knowing how the PO rode it, you really won't have a clue if the bike can make 65K K's without some work on the motor. I would at least before you ship off to SA, pull the head off and check the valve seats, and check the rings. Would only cost you about $40 in gaskets if they're still within spec and would go a long way in giving you confidence.