Hi Dave I have been talking to a mate who is a dealer, rider and 3 times Dakar racer - he is very clued up on all things KTM. He is currently running a 690 and is willing to give me a few hours on it in a few weeks. He reckons the vibes for a single of this size are really of little consequence and certainly do not cause any discomfort even at speeds of 90 mph and that compared to the old 640 there is no similarity whatsoever. (He raced a 640 in the Dakar as well as used one as a get to work bike so knows the bike to live with).
He states its probably the best non race preped road single he has ridden pulling strong from low down and very flexible mid and top range so I suppose its looking good. I worry about FI as i aint so keen - I like carbs but may consider moving down from the 950 if its ok when i test ride it _ I will also be waiting for the Adventure version, but would not mind something lighter and simpler than my 950. Also very much depends on the costs as no doubt it will cost a few bob then getting it racked up for boxes and the like is all extra as we know. Apparently mind you there were a lot of gearbox problems on the 690 models in this years dakar so there must be some sorting do yet!.
Hope to see you around somewhere maybe at Derby all the best Jake.
|