Ktm crossbow rr price full#

Ktm crossbow rr price full#

Its liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, throttle-by-wire LC4 single has been steadily improved over the years, displacing a full 690cc and delivering power and torque that put the competition to shame, and its 6-speed transmission shifts easily thanks to an APTC hydraulic slipper clutch and Magura master cylinder and lever. Part of what makes the 690 so capable is, instead of being old-tech or dumbed-down, it features plenty of KTM’s championship-winning know-how. Feeling pumped, later on I even popped a few wheelies and sailed over some jumps, taking me back to the carefree days of launching my BMX bike off homemade ramps as a kid. Chasing our ride leader, I kept my speed up and floated over the sand with ease, fear giving way to exhilaration. But on that particular day, I was in the zone. “Gas on, brain off” is the usual advice, but the out-of-control feeling I get riding through sand makes me want to roll off and tense up. Perhaps most telling was my most recent dual-sport ride on the 690, which included a long stretch of riding through a deep, meandering sand wash.

And its state-of-the-art chassis and components help keep me out of trouble and avoid pucker moments. By virtue of its light weight, it’s easier to toss around and control, giving me the confidence to back it into tight corners, power slide around bends and take trickier lines. Riding the 690 Enduro R for 200 miles on the street makes my hands numb and my butt sore, but the trade-off is worth it given how the KTM performs as soon as its knobbies leave the pavement: it’s like riding the orange-and-black offspring of a gazelle and a mountain goat.Ĭompared to a larger adventure bike, off-road the 690 is more fun and exciting yet also more relaxing. The off-road riding I do most often-daylong, 300-plus-mile dual-sport rides with a 2-to-1 ratio of pavement to dirt-usually involves challenging terrain: deep sand, single track, tricky hill climbs and descents. But given my street-biased skill set, whenever I’m on an adventure bike and the off-roading gets technical, prudence leads me to slow way down and take it easy. What’s more important to you, lightness, agility and off-road-worthiness, or comfort, power and sophistication?įor street riding, light-duty off-roading or multi-day touring, a full-on adventure bike makes the most sense. Slotted between the street-legal, 240-pound 500 EXC-F enduro and 1090 Adventure R in KTM’s lineup, the 690 is heavier and more roadworthy than the 500 but is nearly 200 pounds lighter and $3,900 cheaper than the more plush, powerful and technology-laden 1090. But on the dual-sport continuum, it definitely leans more toward the off-road end of the spectrum. Don’t get me wrong, with a feisty, 67-claimed-horsepower thumper and weighing just 340 pounds, the 690 is a fast, flickable bike on any twisty road, the tighter the better. With more buzz than a hive of angry bees and a tall, narrow seat carved from granite, KTM’s 690 Enduro R leaves a lot to be desired as a street bike.