Test KTM Duke 690 2012: Terribly Mono Culture
July 7, 2012 | Filed under: KTM | Posted by: Rao Ashraf
The KTM Duke 690 evolves significantly in 2012. KTM redefined its concept of supermotard mono lorry driver to make it more accessible to the daily newspaper, easier to control and more accessible with the purchase. KTM Duke 690 2012 does not remain about it less one looked motor bike, fun, effective and very powerful! Let us see that immediately…
KTM has surprised its world at the end of 2011 by revealing a new version of its KTM Duke 690 2012 turning the back with the concept of super motored road extreme. Halfway between the supermotard and the sporting roadster, there were all the sorrows to arrange Duke in a precise category.
The more so as the KTM scrambled charts, with an offer of supermoto and pure hard incarnated by the LC4 SMC. Incidentally, the last KTM Duke 690 profited from equipment of top quality, which impacted the price hard: to more than 9,000 € the end, they were addressed only to one public of expert.
For 2012, it is finished. The news KTM Duke 690 2012 reveals a figure more consensual – almost alleviating plate headlight, more classical exhaust – and seems to take two steps behind side equipment – bottom-of-the-range fork reversed, Master-cylinder of brake before axial – with the first glance.
Duke is presented from now on more in the form of a small sporting roadster that like a road super hot’. In pace as in ergonomics the saddle culminates to 835 mm, but the general smoothness makes it possible to pose the two points on each side since one measure 1.70 Mr. the position is all that there is of naturalness, and one is astonished already in statics by the form by the saddle which appears roomy for the pilot as for the passenger.
The footrests of the occupants are also placed rather low: what to slacken their legs. Devil, they put comfort inside! Contact, engine LC4 – for Liquid Cooled 4 valves: cooled by water with 4 valves – inherited directly the last generation of Duke R, implies his at the very least rocky voice….
It is obvious, this engine is rather noisy: it seems to make hear its distribution, whereas in same time, the pulsations with the exhaust is brought closer and jerked, fruit of an adjustment of dual ignition according to certain technicians. It is far, the poem façon Yamaha XT 600: here, that vibrates, that grumbles, and in a word, the sonority of series to the idle is not very pleasant.
Lightness it is nevertheless well
As of the catch in hand, one notes the lightness of the machine immediately. With 164 kg all full facts – measured by our care – KTM Duke 690 dances between the bumpers like a ballerina. Its rather short turning radius also makes it possible to thread in a hole of mouse.
The orders are soft, with the image of the clutch which profits from system anti-dribbles, and one will not block the aft wheel on the white tapes under the effect of the engine brake. The handbrake lever also is easy to proportion first of all and the presence of ABS reassures for badly committed braking.
The suspensions, as always provided by WP prove rather flexible, especially the new reversed fork. But if it is inserted quickly, it absorbs the paving stones rather well. A little more flexibility, on the other hand, would not make evil with the engine, which does not like too much the threads of gas under 3000 tr/min.
The adoption of an electronic ordering of accelerator changed anything with the character one nothing ON/OFF the mono LC4, which very quickly makes understand that he likes the riding crop.
And the selection also appreciates only fairly the half-measure. So that speeds are locked well, sharp left foot should be been. Hold a maximum scooter, out of the question to finish behind, gas! And KTM Duke 690 2012 leaps without dead time, revealing a nonlinear acceleration then.
It is obvious: this news Duke will be ready to go to a date downtown, but its semi-sparkling engine gives desire for taking the broad one.
70 nags, the mono one!
Fixed to 130 km/h meter for almost 5000 tr/min in 6th, I let ravel the motorway ribbon. The electronic accelerator sticks well to the exercise, which is not always the case of the wrinkle by wire, sometimes inconstant on the thread of gas. Protection is acceptable taking into account the philosophy of Duke, the comfort of saddle appears firm all the same, but Duke 690 was not designed to swallow great stages of self yuck.
Well, it does not miss a breath! The “ educationists” crossing Germany will have all the leisure to post pretty 193 km/h (for 187 realities) with the meter of KTM Duke 690 2012. Admittedly, at this speed, the needle flirts with the red zone and the vibrations shake the motor bike, which gives the feeling to spit its horses like a large smoker his car touches with the alarm clock, but the performance is there.
More generally, the engine shows an effective filling, an answer ultra-fast to the handle of right-hand side like often at KTM and an amount of vibrations considerable. Admittedly, the KTM Duke 690 Duke does not vibrate like Hochberg d’ Enduro, but one cannot occult his quivering at stabilized rhythm. In fact, for the voyages, one is fixed finally at peaceful intervals, 110/120 km/h of average.
A saddle which limits the movements
As soon as you attack the small roads, the banana is registered immediately under your helmet. There, the vibrations are relegated to the second plan, because one more pays attention to the health of the engine. It accelerates quickly between 3000 tr/min and 4500 tr/min, the renewal of energy is then palpable, punctuated of a light hollow before setting out again of more beautiful towards the red zone, with a beautiful promptness for these single piston 102 mms in diameter.
The 70 announced horses gallop without reserve but, more than the pure power, it is the report weight power which one measures then. With 70 horses for 164 kg, the KTM leaves with force the turns, and gives sometimes the feeling to be extracted from the turns like a higher cubic capacity.
And the intuitive side and player of the mark are found. The KTM Duke 690 2012 is very easy to register in curve, and allows to easily modifying a badly appreciated trajectory. With if little mass to be trailed, the opposite would have been astonishing, but overall cohesion is there in spite of rather flexible suspensions which less well contain the mass transfers violent one than the former generation.
The proportioning of the brake, from now on basic, is also surgical, but there is largely what to have fun and they are not Continental Conti SM which will limit the heats: grip and put on the angle progressive is with go.
One then likes oneself to roll very quickly on the small roads, by circumventing the traps thanks to lightness. And then, the KTM Duke 690 asks all the same less for concentration than Super Duke 990, who with his V2, reached higher speeds between two curves. There, it is more humanly manageable. Finally, there is not that this so particular saddle which leave perplexed.
Drawn as a saddle of horse, it seems to be conceived to control on line. Its side pads block the movements of the basin and one has difficulty moving. We were three of the same opinion not to understand this choice.
Assessment: Democratic Duke
After several days accompanied by the news Duke 690, one fully measures the completed work and the choices of reason applied by KTM. Aesthetically near to a gross 125 Duke, news 690 is shown more accessible to the great number. Height of decent saddle, relaxed ergonomics, short turning radius and weight contained make good urban.
Its one-cylinder, among most powerful to the production, is put up with the city as well as possible, in spite of an undeniable sporting character.
And therefore the KTM Duke 690 2012 really appears on road. Especially the small ones and which turns much, its favorite playing field. More general-purpose within the framework of an annual use grace also to the presence of an ABS disconnect able, it will not be very adapted to the departures in weekend in duet because of its one-cylinder engine which was not designed for the sessions of motorway with extension, but it can more play the urban ones for stroll to two that the former generations.
Sold 7,490 €, it is posed finally in obvious alternative of the small sporting roadsters of the market. And even if it is less good equipped than the former generation’s side part-cycle especially, it always shows fun and effective in dynamic control, it is well what counts for a KTM after all.
Posted by Rao Ashraf on July 7, 2012. Filed under KTM. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
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