Despite the performance of the 1190 on my Central Australian run last September, on reflection, I did have a few doubts. It did an awesome job and the challenges were really solid, but there’s no avoiding the fact that it’s a big bike and I’m just not that good. Competent, sure, but I started riding late in life and don’t have the natural skill that people who grew up on bikes do. The most difficult riding I faced was steep rocky trails and there were so many times when I could easily have ended up having pretty serious off’s. The sand was fine, but didn’t end up in any really, really deep stuff. I think I was pretty lucky to get away with a lot of what I did.
The 200 odd kg, plus fuel and luggage, that comprises the KTM 1190 Adventure R is a lot of bike to bash through the really gnarly stuff, despite it being so well weighted. I was also keen to get right out west sometime – into the Simpson to do some serious desert riding.
It got me thinking about a more nimble, lighter enduro type bike that could also be used as a long distance adventure tourer. All the research I did continued to lead me towards another Pumpkin, specifically the KTM 690 Enduro R. It was closer to 150 kg, had plenty of grunt, was well tried and it was Orange! It ticked all the boxes. The biggest negative was the 690’s fuel capacity – a miserable 12 litres. I was planning a big trip to the US in late 2016 and if I was to take a bike like this, it would need some modification.
So, lots more research. Without naming names, everything I saw seemed to be a little incomplete or didn’t fit exactly right. The manufacturers and tragic’s (and I say that with admiration and respect) offered long range tanks, more comfortable seating, fairings, lighting and navigation towers. All of it seemed a bit cobbled together though, none of it fit seamlessly or was really well coordinated. There were a couple of alternatives that would have certainly done the job, but they didn’t instantly grab me – I think they were a bit old school. Hey, we all know, the bikes gotta look good! The one fit-out that I did really like, was the KTM Basel – 690 Quest. Made in Switzerland, it was the bomb – looked great and did it all. However, they hadn’t managed to keep up with changes to the 690 and, from memory, the kit couldn’t be used with anything manufactured post 2012. I did want to use a current model bike as the host.
Looking, looking, looking …….. it’s amazing how, with a little patience, something always bobs up.
I stumbled across KIT690.
Having broken a 690 sub frame riding the BAM (Baikal Amur Magistral – a route following the Trans Siberian Railway) some years earlier, a Romanian RTW biker and rally racer, Jon Florea, decided to create what he considered to be the perfect long distance adventure touring bike. He spent close to 4 years developing a prototype and bringing the project to market. It would fit any model KTM 690. I was a bit hesitant initially as there wasn’t much info on the bike out there in net land – no reviews and none actually produced commercially at that time. However, it looked awesome, Jon was obviously very committed and it was exactly what I was looking for. He had just taken orders for the first batch of 10 and there was one spot left. I had to make the call pretty fast ……. bam, I’m in!
Check out KIT690 here
Adventure USA 