KTM 690 SMC R

Built:2012-242012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024

There is hardly a motorcycle that offers less everyday benefits than the KTM SMC R 690. class! Does it also have drawbacks? The test finds out.

Anything that bothers comes off

My goodness, this thing looks nasty. Reduced to the go-not-more, once motorcycle without everything. In the cool frame, the tank hangs in the back, is almost a supporting element. There is also a steering rod and a bench with a padding thin like carpaccio. And a cockpit. Hah, Cockpit? What's that? Something will show it, but it's all unimportant stuff. For this, for example, gear display and even the rev counter are omitted, one does not want to distract the driver unnecessarily.

Everything, but also everything on the KTM SMC R 690 screams that she is looking for a wild rider. With her power of 75 hp and the narrow weight of 159 kilos, she is considered a super athlete among the SuperMotos among her fans. Right? Wrong. Short trip to the SuperMoto: Originally the movement originated in France, and it wasn't about racing, but about the ideal city bike. Enduros were handy, but neither from the big wheels nor from the tunnel tires to the city. So they were placed on smaller rims with road tyres. That came with the racing later, here serves a mixed course of mostly 70 to 80% asphalt, the off-road share is 20 to 30%.

Handy like no other

First surprise: Despite a seat height of 890 millimeters (lowering to 840 possible), even short-legged ones get on the floor with their feet thanks to the very narrow bench. The bench itself is uncomfortably uncomfortable in the long run (this eternally stressed duration doesn't even have to be particularly long) because it's very hard. No one would really claim that the KTM SMC R 690 could even be a touring motorcycle.

It doesn't matter that the rev counter is missing in the cockpit, as you can't read anything anyway. The LED in the cockpit looks cheap, but they work, and that must be enough as a warning system. It's hard to believe: the SMC has traction control. And what a one: This traction control allows wheelies (!) and only ensures that the biker does not make a salto backwards - supercool. On the model side of KTM, a friendly person greets with thumbs up and the front wheel at eye level.

As usual by KTM, the most powerful single-cylinder world with 75 hp is installed. It is native to the Duke 690 and is also used in the 690 Enduro R. This engine makes it clear what kind of being it has. As a single cylinder, it is more half a V2 than a half twin. He rattles off happily, but he doesn't have it that way with running culture or other manners. Despite the large displacement, it also wants to be rotated. It doesn't like low speeds at all, so the pass is correspondingly mau.

Once he has wandered through the speed valley, things start to be fun. Despite the far-forward seating position, the KTM quickly becomes slightly on the front wheel - and yes, it goes up in earnest. In addition, it is superagile to drive, that's what it was made for. Rarely do you have so much fun on a motorcycle, especially since the brakes do a top job despite only single disc at the front.