TravelGravel
Pack Dog
A few weeks ago my GS needed to spend some quality time at Adventurer’s house for repairs. At the same time Blazes was inconsiderate enough to plan a ride at that very time. :-\ Being a regular on Blazes’ rides I was not planning to let everyone have fun without me, so I called and asked if I could ride along on the TT-R230. Needless to say I got the nod and off I went. And man… did I went….
I have been riding for a while now and while I am no expert I am able to help myself and Malgat and Gunda spend a lot less time sweeping for me (much to Gunda’s dismay I believe >
). On this day though I was expecting to work my butt off to keep up to the boys and gals on their larger bikes, especially since we could expect to do some bits of tar and with the TTR having an amazing top speed of 91 km’s an hour it was going to be hard work keeping up.
Surprisingly I had one of the best day’s riding I have had in a long while. As I had learnt to ride on the 650 I never had any experience with a lighter /smaller bike. I had had the Yammie for a while but used it more to practice my technique (or severe lack thereof :imaposer at the local park and hadn’t ridden such long distances with her before.
Blazes’ run took us through his backyard and featured a few up hills, some loose stuff, ruts and the like. I had ridden large parts of the route before in some form or other with the 650 and was able to compare the riding experience. The differences were huge. While I am sure there are very many technical reasons for these differences for me it came down to the suspension, weight of the bike and that very sweet 21” front wheel.
I soon found that as much as I battled to keep up on tar (thank you Mallies for pointing this out non-stop throughout the ride ) the moment we hit the gravel I was in my element. As the bike is lighter it is easier to move my weight around on it effectively. The 21” front wheel just glides over some of the rougher terrain leaving the suspension to soak up the rest. The engine also has enough grunt in the lower gears to make a meal of the up hills we faced. The only down side is that due to light weight she bucks at the smallest bump in the road, which is a little disconcerting. With the GS weighing in at 180 kg’s is takes a LOT to get her to buck at anything.
This opened an entire can of worms. Firstly, I had promised myself a new bike as soon as I had been riding for two years. That time had come and gone, but I was never sure what I would buy as I had only ever ridden my 650 and wasn’t sure where to go from there. Secondly, I have always enjoyed riding off-road and have always been interested in riding more technical routes, but my riding technique reached a plateau and I just couldn’t see an improvement no matter how much I rode and no matter how much training I attended.
After my 215 km ride on the Yammie, I knew what I wanted… That 21”front wheel, that suspension and a bike (lighter than the GS) with a power to weight ratio similar to the Yammie’s. The ability to go faster than 91 km’s an hour would also be good ;D. Sorted! How difficult can that be……
Uhmmm… well actually… I had just managed to rule out most of the dual sport bikes known to me. Strike 1! Another small detail to take into account is that I am tall…. for a midget. I am about 1,64m, but I am used to being able to put my feet down when I need to stop and when looking at more off-road oriented bikes the need for good ground clearance guarantees that I am never putting my feet down again …ever.
As always the advantage of spending time around the Wilddogs meant that I had access to a great variety of opinions about a wide variety of bikes. I could ask for no better. Every once in a while the KTM 690 Enduro was mentioned. This of course brought a twinkle to JustBiking’s eye as another KTM in the garage would be no strain on him, but it had to be my choice.
I went to KTM to look at the 690, which is also classified as a dual sport bike, and sitting on it I could not reach the floor… This was going to be a problem. As for the rest it checked all the boxes, at 140 kg’s and with a low center of gravity it would be lighter and easier to maneuver than the GS. And its WP suspension and 21” front wheel fitted my wish list. Now what??? So I did what every Wilddog knows is allowed, I reached out to a fellow dog. Hel_Bent has had her 690 for a while and I called her to get the low-down. Needless to say she was (and still is) incredibly enthusiastic about her bike, and invited me to her place for a pow-wow. I think she just wanted to have me drool all over her bike :drif:. By now I had also found out that the bike’s suspension can be lowered and as I sat on Helen’s bike I decided that I could make this work. It wasn’t 100% comfy, but what the hel. (Pardon the pun).
This of course all had to happen – as it does in all reasonable cases - two weeks before JustBiking and I were to leave on a weeklong trip through SA. So we did the only thing imaginable… we bought a bike with which I was to travel in excess of 3000 km’s while having no certainty that I would be able to ride the bike well enough to even start the trip. There was also not much time to familiarize myself with the bike as it spent those two weeks going from KTM to Groenie’s (who supplied the impromptu adventure bike look by custom making some mean looking pannier racks for her – thanks G!) to having the seat customized (for height and comfort) and then back to KTM for its 1000 km service. And so it was that I set off that Sunday morning on the laden 690 hoping that I had enough skill to get through the next week.
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/OrjBMfqjoBwTmfWOErJOlQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.ggpht.com/_4Cb511wocj0/SqLHOyKZCRI/AAAAAAAAG_U/XVQb1Dk55IA/s800/Picture%20221.jpg" /></a>
Picking the KTM up at Pro-Action. Check the precarious perch.
I need not have worried. The bike made me look like a pro. :thumleft: For what seems like an eternity I had all the theory drummed into me and the moment I hit a gravel road on the 690 it just came together. On the first two days we had to cover 1400km’s and did not spend too much time off-road. However we decided to take a break and cover a piece of the route off-road. Just outside Viljoenskroon we ran into some sand. I had been riding slightly faster than normal enjoying the way that the bike was dealing with some very nice gravel roads when the sand monster jumped up to great me. By the time I became aware of the change in color and texture of the road I was already in it and the bike immediately started fish tailing. Luckily I had some experience in the sand and knew to move my weight back and open up… the effect was immediate. All my previous sand riding had happened on my GS and although I was able to help myself with this technique it had managed to get me through the rough patches but it still did not leave me feeling comfortable on the sand. On the 690 it was quite another matter, because the bike is lighter it is easier to get it planing on the sand. The necessary amount of throttle gets the front wheel to lift and everything beneath you feels smooth. I was hooked! The KTM and that sand patch had done more for my confidence than anything else had for a while. At that point I lost my concerns about the impulsive decision to the use the 690 for the trip.
The rest of the trip only reinforced this sentiment. I spent that entire week having a ball. Suddenly I wanted – very badly – to ride onto and off of every pavement I could find. I wanted to ride in the powerband so that I could release the hooligan that lived there. I would ride a piece of the route, assess the state of the gravel and know for sure from previous experience that I would soon feel the bike responding to the corrugations, sand, marbles, you name it. But not once did the bike disappoint it just glided over all of this. Not even when I was riding on some loose stuff and did an emergency brake because there was game at the side of the road. The back slid out a little but by the time I realized it and let go of the brake the bike had come to a full stop. What a pleasure!! I figure it is similar to riding with a steering damper, the bike stays incredibly stable and smooth over the terrain. To quote John ST, riding a KTM (and in his case with a steering damper) is a little like cheating.
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/e250f4nMocFlYM5D9Otxcw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.ggpht.com/_4Cb511wocj0/SsBVToFG8rI/AAAAAAAAHDA/AQVR_QgIMJQ/s800/img-20090920-152626-000007.jpg" /></a>
Me on the 690 in front of the Krugers Drift dam wall.
At some point in the trip I must have suffered a great shock as I lost the plot entirely and got hooked on the idea of riding Katberg Pass.atch: I have no clue what got into me, but as I was getting along with the bike so well off we went and did just that. Needless to say it was character building. I was out of my league, but had enough training in me (Thanks Adventurer) to manage to do the right things, right. And with such a capable bike it was a phenomenal experience and boosted my confidence levels in a big way.
Back home, and now dealing with reality of a garage full of bikes, I must say that I have learnt that they each have their own character, especially when dealing with the 650 and 690.
The 650 is a dream on tar, and when that riding includes 800 kms of tar a day you are sitting pretty (literally) as the seat is a dream and the riding position is very comfortable. Add to that the fact that the bike has a good screen for touring and you can ask for very little else as you happily speed along. On the tar roads where moving around your weight is less of an issue the weight of the bike is not even worth mentioning as you never need to take it into account -unless you need to stop in a great hurry… but that’s what you have ABS for. :thumleft:
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/EghP_9kuq7tPgGWnksVU3w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.ggpht.com/_4Cb511wocj0/SeTO3GiCghI/AAAAAAAAEvI/xa0V95MAsqQ/s800/img-20090410-143632-000006.jpg" /></a>
On the 650 riding just outside Devon on our Easter trip.
If ever I was invited to ride Route 66 the 650 would be my bike of choice. And the fun part is that I can hop off and do the occasional gravel road… no mess, no fuss… (just fit a set of Heidenhau’s and you have a winner). I also like the placement and angle of the instrument panel, as it is easy to read and access even with handle bar raisers on. And then those heated grips…. Probably one of the biggest sales points of the bike and I will fall for them willingly. The 650 also has another advantage, it has been around so long that your every farkle / bling need has been catered for, they are readily available and in many cases there are more affordable options.
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8-Gxc-_Lv_hoD_whDR9bVQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.ggpht.com/_4Cb511wocj0/SGT_X6mT5MI/AAAAAAAABU4/BRxg-fydnRY/s800/img-20080610-152812.jpg" /></a>
Fish River Canyon on our way to Sossusvlei . This was near the beginning of our two week trip.
The 690 on the other hand is an off-road monster, it breezes through most of what you can throw at it and with such efficiency that in all gears you can comfortably manage riding at just over 4000 rpm, which leaves you with ample revs should you need to lay on a little power. At 140kg’s the bike is heavy enough to ensure it bounce’s less than the Yammie but is still light enough to make moving your weight in corners a breeze. The 21” front wheel makes nonsense of rocks and stones and larger obstacles, and I suppose not much needs to be said about the awesome WP suspension on this bike.
Another – unexpected – joy on this bike is the hydraulic clutch. I have always battled with the clutch on the 650 as I have very small hands and even with all the settings maxed out and after having bent the clutch lever it never was quite 100% comfortable. Given that the clutch also gets re-adjusted with each service it was my little burden on the 650. On the 690 the clutch is a dream and I actually never realized it but on the off occasion (when all the planets align and the moon is in Aries) I get to ride the 990 and I had the same experience. I then realized that the secret lay in the hydraulic clutch.
And then… the one feature on this bike that the KTM engineers built just for little ol’ me (I am certain of this fact)… The engine mapping. The bike features four mappings all geared to manage the responsiveness of the throttle and to enable you to adjust to the needs of the environment.
I was also amazed that loading the bike for a longer trip did not negatively affect the riding experience. I just assumed that as the bike is smaller (and not quite meant to be a tourer) the extra weight would be noticeable. I must admit that riding off-road with a loaded bike is much of a muchness to me and unlike others I am happy as long as I packed my own bags and made sure the weight distribution is fairly even. On the 650 the extra weight was noticeable, where with the 690 I only noticed that I had luggage when shifting my weight and bumping into my luggage roll. This was true for all kinds of riding including riding slow over more technical terrain.
On the downside here (and this is only a problem when you are trying to change a bike into something it was never meant to be) the original KTM seat is crap for touring. It is an instrument of torture built by KTM to ensure that the rider remains out of the seat as much as possible (potentially to compete with BMW riders >). However this is resolved by having the seat slightly re-profiled and replacing the foam in the seat with something more suitable. Or as in my case when having to accommodate your behind and your short legs -having the air filter’s nozzle cut slightly shorter and having an entire new low seat built.
While on the subject of touring… the so-called higher screen from KTM… well … it isn’t that high and while riding at high speeds on tar it doesn’t offer much protection from the wind. However, while riding slightly slower off-road you don’t even notice this.
Finally, the instrumentation panel is situated rather low on the 690 in a typical dirt bike position. Add a pair of handle bar risers and a light layer of dust and it becomes virtually unreadable as you have to look in behind the handlebars to find it. Apparently being taller negates this issue… obviously I cannot comment on that.
All in all looking at the bikes I have available to ride, I must admit the words “very very lucky” come to mind. I have the pick of each of the litters.
I have been riding for a while now and while I am no expert I am able to help myself and Malgat and Gunda spend a lot less time sweeping for me (much to Gunda’s dismay I believe >
). On this day though I was expecting to work my butt off to keep up to the boys and gals on their larger bikes, especially since we could expect to do some bits of tar and with the TTR having an amazing top speed of 91 km’s an hour it was going to be hard work keeping up. Surprisingly I had one of the best day’s riding I have had in a long while. As I had learnt to ride on the 650 I never had any experience with a lighter /smaller bike. I had had the Yammie for a while but used it more to practice my technique (or severe lack thereof :imaposer
at the local park and hadn’t ridden such long distances with her before. Blazes’ run took us through his backyard and featured a few up hills, some loose stuff, ruts and the like. I had ridden large parts of the route before in some form or other with the 650 and was able to compare the riding experience. The differences were huge. While I am sure there are very many technical reasons for these differences for me it came down to the suspension, weight of the bike and that very sweet 21” front wheel.
I soon found that as much as I battled to keep up on tar (thank you Mallies for pointing this out non-stop throughout the ride
) the moment we hit the gravel I was in my element. As the bike is lighter it is easier to move my weight around on it effectively. The 21” front wheel just glides over some of the rougher terrain leaving the suspension to soak up the rest. The engine also has enough grunt in the lower gears to make a meal of the up hills we faced. The only down side is that due to light weight she bucks at the smallest bump in the road, which is a little disconcerting. With the GS weighing in at 180 kg’s is takes a LOT to get her to buck at anything. This opened an entire can of worms. Firstly, I had promised myself a new bike as soon as I had been riding for two years. That time had come and gone, but I was never sure what I would buy as I had only ever ridden my 650 and wasn’t sure where to go from there. Secondly, I have always enjoyed riding off-road and have always been interested in riding more technical routes, but my riding technique reached a plateau and I just couldn’t see an improvement no matter how much I rode and no matter how much training I attended.
After my 215 km ride on the Yammie, I knew what I wanted… That 21”front wheel, that suspension and a bike (lighter than the GS) with a power to weight ratio similar to the Yammie’s. The ability to go faster than 91 km’s an hour would also be good ;D. Sorted! How difficult can that be……
Uhmmm… well actually… I had just managed to rule out most of the dual sport bikes known to me. Strike 1! Another small detail to take into account is that I am tall…. for a midget. I am about 1,64m, but I am used to being able to put my feet down when I need to stop and when looking at more off-road oriented bikes the need for good ground clearance guarantees that I am never putting my feet down again …ever.
As always the advantage of spending time around the Wilddogs meant that I had access to a great variety of opinions about a wide variety of bikes. I could ask for no better. Every once in a while the KTM 690 Enduro was mentioned. This of course brought a twinkle to JustBiking’s eye as another KTM in the garage would be no strain on him, but it had to be my choice.
I went to KTM to look at the 690, which is also classified as a dual sport bike, and sitting on it I could not reach the floor… This was going to be a problem. As for the rest it checked all the boxes, at 140 kg’s and with a low center of gravity it would be lighter and easier to maneuver than the GS. And its WP suspension and 21” front wheel fitted my wish list. Now what??? So I did what every Wilddog knows is allowed, I reached out to a fellow dog. Hel_Bent has had her 690 for a while and I called her to get the low-down. Needless to say she was (and still is) incredibly enthusiastic about her bike, and invited me to her place for a pow-wow. I think she just wanted to have me drool all over her bike :drif:. By now I had also found out that the bike’s suspension can be lowered and as I sat on Helen’s bike I decided that I could make this work. It wasn’t 100% comfy, but what the hel. (Pardon the pun).
This of course all had to happen – as it does in all reasonable cases - two weeks before JustBiking and I were to leave on a weeklong trip through SA. So we did the only thing imaginable… we bought a bike with which I was to travel in excess of 3000 km’s while having no certainty that I would be able to ride the bike well enough to even start the trip. There was also not much time to familiarize myself with the bike as it spent those two weeks going from KTM to Groenie’s (who supplied the impromptu adventure bike look by custom making some mean looking pannier racks for her – thanks G!) to having the seat customized (for height and comfort) and then back to KTM for its 1000 km service. And so it was that I set off that Sunday morning on the laden 690 hoping that I had enough skill to get through the next week.
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/OrjBMfqjoBwTmfWOErJOlQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.ggpht.com/_4Cb511wocj0/SqLHOyKZCRI/AAAAAAAAG_U/XVQb1Dk55IA/s800/Picture%20221.jpg" /></a>
Picking the KTM up at Pro-Action. Check the precarious perch.
I need not have worried. The bike made me look like a pro. :thumleft: For what seems like an eternity I had all the theory drummed into me and the moment I hit a gravel road on the 690 it just came together. On the first two days we had to cover 1400km’s and did not spend too much time off-road. However we decided to take a break and cover a piece of the route off-road. Just outside Viljoenskroon we ran into some sand. I had been riding slightly faster than normal enjoying the way that the bike was dealing with some very nice gravel roads when the sand monster jumped up to great me. By the time I became aware of the change in color and texture of the road I was already in it and the bike immediately started fish tailing. Luckily I had some experience in the sand and knew to move my weight back and open up… the effect was immediate. All my previous sand riding had happened on my GS and although I was able to help myself with this technique it had managed to get me through the rough patches but it still did not leave me feeling comfortable on the sand. On the 690 it was quite another matter, because the bike is lighter it is easier to get it planing on the sand. The necessary amount of throttle gets the front wheel to lift and everything beneath you feels smooth. I was hooked! The KTM and that sand patch had done more for my confidence than anything else had for a while. At that point I lost my concerns about the impulsive decision to the use the 690 for the trip.
The rest of the trip only reinforced this sentiment. I spent that entire week having a ball. Suddenly I wanted – very badly – to ride onto and off of every pavement I could find. I wanted to ride in the powerband so that I could release the hooligan that lived there. I would ride a piece of the route, assess the state of the gravel and know for sure from previous experience that I would soon feel the bike responding to the corrugations, sand, marbles, you name it. But not once did the bike disappoint it just glided over all of this. Not even when I was riding on some loose stuff and did an emergency brake because there was game at the side of the road. The back slid out a little but by the time I realized it and let go of the brake the bike had come to a full stop. What a pleasure!! I figure it is similar to riding with a steering damper, the bike stays incredibly stable and smooth over the terrain. To quote John ST, riding a KTM (and in his case with a steering damper) is a little like cheating.
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/e250f4nMocFlYM5D9Otxcw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.ggpht.com/_4Cb511wocj0/SsBVToFG8rI/AAAAAAAAHDA/AQVR_QgIMJQ/s800/img-20090920-152626-000007.jpg" /></a>
Me on the 690 in front of the Krugers Drift dam wall.
At some point in the trip I must have suffered a great shock as I lost the plot entirely and got hooked on the idea of riding Katberg Pass.
atch: I have no clue what got into me, but as I was getting along with the bike so well off we went and did just that. Needless to say it was character building. I was out of my league, but had enough training in me (Thanks Adventurer) to manage to do the right things, right. And with such a capable bike it was a phenomenal experience and boosted my confidence levels in a big way. Back home, and now dealing with reality of a garage full of bikes, I must say that I have learnt that they each have their own character, especially when dealing with the 650 and 690.
The 650 is a dream on tar, and when that riding includes 800 kms of tar a day you are sitting pretty (literally) as the seat is a dream and the riding position is very comfortable. Add to that the fact that the bike has a good screen for touring and you can ask for very little else as you happily speed along. On the tar roads where moving around your weight is less of an issue the weight of the bike is not even worth mentioning as you never need to take it into account -unless you need to stop in a great hurry… but that’s what you have ABS for. :thumleft:
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/EghP_9kuq7tPgGWnksVU3w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.ggpht.com/_4Cb511wocj0/SeTO3GiCghI/AAAAAAAAEvI/xa0V95MAsqQ/s800/img-20090410-143632-000006.jpg" /></a>
On the 650 riding just outside Devon on our Easter trip.
If ever I was invited to ride Route 66 the 650 would be my bike of choice. And the fun part is that I can hop off and do the occasional gravel road… no mess, no fuss… (just fit a set of Heidenhau’s and you have a winner). I also like the placement and angle of the instrument panel, as it is easy to read and access even with handle bar raisers on. And then those heated grips…. Probably one of the biggest sales points of the bike and I will fall for them willingly. The 650 also has another advantage, it has been around so long that your every farkle / bling need has been catered for, they are readily available and in many cases there are more affordable options.
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8-Gxc-_Lv_hoD_whDR9bVQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.ggpht.com/_4Cb511wocj0/SGT_X6mT5MI/AAAAAAAABU4/BRxg-fydnRY/s800/img-20080610-152812.jpg" /></a>
Fish River Canyon on our way to Sossusvlei . This was near the beginning of our two week trip.
The 690 on the other hand is an off-road monster, it breezes through most of what you can throw at it and with such efficiency that in all gears you can comfortably manage riding at just over 4000 rpm, which leaves you with ample revs should you need to lay on a little power. At 140kg’s the bike is heavy enough to ensure it bounce’s less than the Yammie but is still light enough to make moving your weight in corners a breeze. The 21” front wheel makes nonsense of rocks and stones and larger obstacles, and I suppose not much needs to be said about the awesome WP suspension on this bike.
Another – unexpected – joy on this bike is the hydraulic clutch. I have always battled with the clutch on the 650 as I have very small hands and even with all the settings maxed out and after having bent the clutch lever it never was quite 100% comfortable. Given that the clutch also gets re-adjusted with each service it was my little burden on the 650. On the 690 the clutch is a dream and I actually never realized it but on the off occasion (when all the planets align and the moon is in Aries) I get to ride the 990 and I had the same experience. I then realized that the secret lay in the hydraulic clutch.
And then… the one feature on this bike that the KTM engineers built just for little ol’ me (I am certain of this fact)… The engine mapping. The bike features four mappings all geared to manage the responsiveness of the throttle and to enable you to adjust to the needs of the environment.
- The lowest mapping is normally used when riding in areas where fuel quality is poor.
- The next highest mapping is for very technical riding and reduces the power output as well as having a very “relaxed” throttle response.
- For most of the time I rode on the standard mapping (which is full power and responsive throttle) and as I said there was more than enough oomph to get me into and out of the most awesome (read exciting / scary) spots. I also stuck to the standard mapping for tar road riding and here I can attest that the bike does not take a lot of effort to keep at 140km’s an hour and when you need to overtake there is still enough left to cater for that too. And this I sustained for the first two days of the trip so the bike definitely has a set of legs on her.
- As for the final / aggressive mapping… I have not got around to that as yet. I live in the firm belief though that one would do nothing but wheelie with this mapping.
I was also amazed that loading the bike for a longer trip did not negatively affect the riding experience. I just assumed that as the bike is smaller (and not quite meant to be a tourer) the extra weight would be noticeable. I must admit that riding off-road with a loaded bike is much of a muchness to me and unlike others I am happy as long as I packed my own bags and made sure the weight distribution is fairly even. On the 650 the extra weight was noticeable, where with the 690 I only noticed that I had luggage when shifting my weight and bumping into my luggage roll. This was true for all kinds of riding including riding slow over more technical terrain.
On the downside here (and this is only a problem when you are trying to change a bike into something it was never meant to be) the original KTM seat is crap for touring. It is an instrument of torture built by KTM to ensure that the rider remains out of the seat as much as possible (potentially to compete with BMW riders >
). However this is resolved by having the seat slightly re-profiled and replacing the foam in the seat with something more suitable. Or as in my case when having to accommodate your behind and your short legs -having the air filter’s nozzle cut slightly shorter and having an entire new low seat built. While on the subject of touring… the so-called higher screen from KTM… well … it isn’t that high and while riding at high speeds on tar it doesn’t offer much protection from the wind. However, while riding slightly slower off-road you don’t even notice this.
Finally, the instrumentation panel is situated rather low on the 690 in a typical dirt bike position. Add a pair of handle bar risers and a light layer of dust and it becomes virtually unreadable as you have to look in behind the handlebars to find it. Apparently being taller negates this issue… obviously I cannot comment on that.
All in all looking at the bikes I have available to ride, I must admit the words “very very lucky” come to mind. I have the pick of each of the litters.
