KTM 690 Enduro R 2012 Reviews

Great multi-purpose trail bike, or solo adventure ride.

I am not sure if this really is the best ADV bike, but it is an awesome bike in terms of raw power. Without gear, it rests at about 310 pounds. Not too bad for an almost 700cc motor. I bought the 690 because I wanted something smaller than my R1200GSA. I still wanted a bike I could ride on the freeway to get to where I plan to ride. I quickly learned that this is just not a freeway bike. With stock gearing, it can cruise somewhat comfortably at about 65mph, however once you get up to 80 mph it is like holding onto a paint mixer. I did take it to Mexico last year where I spent three days on it consecutively, and was quite comfortable. This was due largely to the fact we were almost always off road and I was not going freeway speed. Additionally, I was routinely standing and sitting depending on the terrain. This will definitely be my Mexico bike for my short trips to Baja. When I am going up to Canada and spending upwards of a week on the road, the R1200GSA will be my choice.

Early on I had some issues with the FI mapping, but have since worked that out. I love the power of this bike, being able to pull the front wheel up in third gear is pretty impressive. If you are heavy on the throttle you can eat rear tires pretty fast. I have been using the MotoZ Desert Enduro tires and found they last fairly well. All in all for what I use the bike for, I really enjoy it.