The Paris to Dakar was once a race in Africa, for real men who smoked Camel cigarettes. Part of this adventure was not getting shot at by itchy trigger finger militia on the back of Toyota pickups. You could ride any bike you wanted to, size didn’t matter. But as time marched by, terrible high visiabilty jacket safety restrictions came into play; twin cylinder bikes where banned, single cylinder bikes came to be and then size restrictions came into play as well. Somewhere between the 900cc beasts of past and the 450s of today, this ‘little’ 690 engine had a window of opportunity to shine. Though short lived, this motor was certainly designed to race.
This brings me neatly to the most overwhelming part or grouped parts of the KTM 690 Enduro R; the engine. This bike has mid-range power in spades and is to the Kawasaki KLRs and Honda XRs of old what that the personal computer is compared to Hieroglyphics. In fact it is so far removed in terms of technology and power delivery regarding a single cylinder motor. The mid-range boost is as intoxicating as free porn, er, so I’m told. You can pull away (no connection with free porn) from almost anything on the dirt or on the street when the power shows its horns. Top speed is irrelevant though, it’s not built for the highway or those long days of cruisin’, it’s designed for short bursts of adrenalin straight into your man vein (pardon- Bill?), broadening your smile every time. No surprise it’s claimed to have the world’s most powerful production single and I’m certainly NOT going to argue with that claim.
This remarkable LC4 engine, displacing 653cc produces 63hp@7,500rpm and 65Nm@6,550rpm and, when you combine this engine with a rigid Chromoly trellis frame, adjustable factory spec WP suspension and a super-light weight of only 139kg, it’s no wonder the Enduro R blows the mind. It will even reach 190km/h plus – I'll have some of that!
But the superb “R” chassis, I feel, is a little wasted in street mode though; it’s built for races like the Dakar and the Baja 1000. You can try challenge KTM’s setup if you want to, but the bike is so planted and stable I feel you’re wasting your time. If things do go wrong, rider error and all that, and believe me they can with the speed of the R, the chassis will always snap back into shape – true Dakar style, very reassuring and totally worthy of the R tag. 
The ergonomics are aimed more towards off-road antics than road abuse - the Enduro R is so thin and slender that you can just throw this bike around wherever you want and you need to remind yourself it’s supposed to be a “big” 690 and not a smaller 450cc bike. The seat is super long and you could possibly fit three or four “friends” on it as it stretches from the steering stem well into the rear fender. Note, there are no pillion footpegs so this is an analogy and not a suggested mode of transport, unless you’re showing off around the garden at a “fuel” induced braai.
I’ve also seen Dakar kits for this bike, made right here in SA by Omega (get in touch with www,radmoto.co.za for more info), which transform the KTM Enduro R into a pucker Dakar race replica and, therefore, a “let’s-go-do-the-Lesotho-Mountains-or-go-anywhere-else-I-fukken-want” kind of bike, priceless in my mind.
So to conclude: This bike is not to be misunderstood; its design and race principles are visible for all to see. You will not be making any new friends with other vehicles on the road, you will become a menace to society, in a naughty and mischievous kind of way. Not that the KTM 690 Enduro R doesn’t have manners, it does, but this bike can so easily become the drunken uncle at a wedding who everyone likes but, unless you can properly tame him, stay clear, if you know what I mean.
By now you’re possibly not too sure you’d want a R108,999.00 dual-purpose, hard-core Dakar type bike, like the KTM 690 Enduro R, but badly want that incredible engine. Not to worry folks, KTM, the masters of filling in the gaps, have even more options for you. There is a pure naked street bike in the R118,999.00 690 Duke R and a R108,999.00 supermotard version in the SMR. This SMR has larger front brakes and street tyres, otherwise it’s a carbon copy of the Enduro R. So pick your poison and enjoy, you won’t be sorry whichever way you go. I think I would go for the SMR, or maybe the Duke, no the Enduro R… SMR… damn you KTM for messing with my brain, in such a memorable fashion that is, thanks.
Go to http://www.ktm.com/za/ready-to-race.html to find your nearest KTM dealer.
