Not as strange as you might think.

Something different is interesting. People tend to want to interact with interesting things.

When I see a brand new bike all loaded up with touratech crap with a rider with super expensive, never broken in riding gear, I tend not to give it much attention. Your brain is programmed to ignore what you class as mundane.

Someone on a 'different' and interesting bike would have me saying hi and asking questions.

It's happened to me loads of times when travelling. If you stick out, people tend to open up to you and lots of great occasions usually follow..

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Ok, but this is a straw man argument--apparently the only choices are to ride a post bike or a brand new big bike?

Actually plenty of people with 1200s dont ride brand new bikes or with brand new riding gear. I get plenty of questions about my 1200 GSA, yesterday another rider started asking questions at a stop light.

But honestly I don't travel, or ride, so that I can meet people who ask about my bike.

Not to direct this point in anyone's direction, but I too feel like this sometimes! I've a 2010 F800GS, and I get people coming over to chat from all walks of life. Most are just interested in travel and, I get the impression, secretly wishing they were doing something similar rather than going A to B in their metal box. Four years ago, my bike was brand new. In ten more, it will be older. Me or the bike won't have changed at all, so surely all permutations are 'acceptable'. I like meeting people; in my limited experience, the bike (any bike) is a great starting point for that conversation.

Yep I'll go along with that Ted!

Dare to be different, its about your experience and what can be given and gained culturally in conversation along the way. Seriously who gives a rat's what the over accessorised think? Just like Mama told you, wear clean undies, a smile, use your manners and show some respect and all will be good, regardless of your ride or accessories for that matter.

I bought a HP2 Enduro a while back simply because it blew me away, I'd not even seen one before early 2012 (often kept in the dark and impulsive) It was a great ride and conversation starter as are all bikes collectable and those found where least expected. Like jocklandjohn doing a 12,000 mile trip on a knobby shod XL175 (used to have one) Awesome! I very much regret selling the HP2 however there were circumstances, my mental state of imbalance mostly. So an R1150 GS followed, did everything I asked of it but in short, yawn and it got offloaded.

A KTM 950 Adventure S was the next quoit cushion. After doing 20,000 odd K's through some gruelling off road tracks I have to say, what a capable bike with awesome handling, heaps of grunt, off road capability and there's that really sweet quad cam V2 engine, which I might add induces involuntary but sometimes severe bouts of leading elbow!

The KTM 950 Super Enduro similar to the one pictured below will get a long hard looking at as the next ride, because it and I don't quite fit the norm mold ;-)
Sorry to spoil the view with the Touratech boxes Ted

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The SE is a great bike. An endure bike on steroids! As a long distance bike though, the seat was designed as a Chinese torture device and the fuel tank is of very small capacity.

Funny how bikes like the SE and HP2 get discontinued. They are both limited range, solo rider, dirt oriented monsters which really only finds a market in Aus and SA. Too small a market I guess. The ADV S would be more suitable if anything more than a short romp.

Ai here we are discussing KTMs on a BMW thread

The thread says choose between 800 - 1200. I'd imagine it's mental conditioning that one would automatically think BMW, on the other hand it may well be Sandro's not quite perfect command of English leaving BMW out of the heading ? ;-)

The seat on the 950 Adv S was light years better than any BMW seat I've ever owned! The HP2 seat was defiantly in if not the leader in the torture board category! Cant imagine the SE seat would differ that much from the Adv S? Limited range yep, tank replacement would be mandatory, quite a list of mods for long range / term touring would have to be done at some expense too but I'm up for it and the KTM 950 Super Enduro has me interested / intrigued and motivated.

2MotoKiwis are having a good run on a KTM 950 SE 2 up despite the oxygen thief they bought it from!

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ntarctic-65500

Yea, not quite perfect like a Fox.

I can't believe anyone would let something as MINOR as a seat and tank put them off a bike. FACT IS ... the 950SE is the best KTM twin ever made. It's unbelievable they quite making it! Almost as bad as letting Ewan & Charlie ride off on BMW's! Neither 950 or 990 come close to the SE. The 1190 has 150 HP ... but who needs that in a travel bike?

A $400 USD Renazco Racing seat is money well spent and transforms the SE to a plush, all day ride ... I guess there are one or two fuel tank options as well?

When you break down stats about the SE .. it just craps on any other twin ... or really just about any other bike in class ... Period. The ONLY real draw back I've seen is poor fuel economy. My buddies get around 35 MPG (US) a bit more if they go easy.

Guys spend THOUSANDS Getting their GS's up to speed: seat, suspension, bash guards & touratech everything. If doing serious off road is the plan, hard to beat an SE ... as time goes by they will become more rare.
Question: Will KTM ever make a lighter, tour capable twin again?

Me and my buddies on their SE's in Sequoia National Forest:

Two SE's, two DR650's. 10 days camping in Sequoia Nat. forest. DR's had NO TROUBLE keeping up ...on or off road.

In Sandro's defence, his English is 100% better than my Italian, he probably speaks Spanish, French and some Latin too KTM and BMW stopped producing the SE and the HP2 for reasons unknown, and yes I agree
Will they make em again ? Doubt it very much.

It does make them pricey especially the HP2 but what a ride! Soaked up more rough stuff than Boris Yeltsin's liver! On the up side when I do manage to get an SE under my butt, it may well cost a bit to sort but I'll have something usable, capable, collectable and I reckon it'll put a smile on my dial every time I get on it. If it's remotely close to the HP2 performance and handling wise I'll be wrapt!

I think Kradmelder was just making reference, seat n tank wouldn't stop anyone buying one. Replacing the seat however is money well spent and I should have done so on the HP2. This is what my butt felt like after a long day on the HP2!

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I guess the SE, like the HP2 just wasn't selling. I The market was too small. I guess if you want an endure bike you buy something smaller. If you want a touring bike you bought a 1200 GS or 990 adv which doesn't need extensive modification. The SE and HP2 were just a small niche of dedicated followers. Im sure the decision to stop them was financial.

KTM is now moving in the direction of BMW with the 1190. Even the 990 is heavy on fuel. I get about 6 l/100 km. after 220-240 km the light comes on and I need 15 l. Once the light is on, you have less than 50 km to find fuel if you ride slow. The standard adv is lighter on fuel than the R mapped version like mine. The 950 SE is worse.

Wait and see if they out with the KTM 790 adv. That maybe a more tour capable bike than the 690. But who knows yet.

Yea, small niche of riders. But here in the US (once the SE was discovered) the SE is now a bit rare and hard to find cheap. SE has potential according to my 3 SE owning buddies ... who've taken them to Baja in rough conditions and beyond. For them, they are keeper bikes.

I was amazed at the actual weight once you fit a lighter pipe and eliminate a few other heavy items and add on lighter replacements. The SE ends up being just 20 - 30 lbs. heavier than my DR650 () ... but with better handling, better suspension and 50 more HP!

You talking about a 790 single? Or Twin? I'd like a see a very light, total minimal 650 to 750cc twin (sort of in the SE vein).
Something along the lines of original Yamaha 750 Tenere' Dakar bike.

Like a Rally Twin but street and tour ready. :confused1: Possible?
Leave off all the street crap (ABS, Trac. control, Elec. Suspension) Leave off fancy dash and clocks, body work. Very basic.

Sadly, I doubt KTM would ever build such a bike. ... and your right, appeals to small niche only.