On another 2 wheel topic

[Wannabe]

Spoke to a friend of mine last night. He has owned about 40 Adventure bikes over the last 20 odd years (all of them, name it and he had it). He recently sold all the one's he had standing in his garage (including a GS1150 and a 1200 Tenere) and kept his 660 Tenere. Reason he said was that the 660 does everything he wants from it to an acceptable level. The other bikes had some or other shortcoming (for example, the 1200 Tenere did not have enough ground clearance, even on its highest suspension setting). He is leaving on Friday on a trip to Swaziland, Moz, Malawi, Zim and back on the 660. Best thing he says is that he gets 25km/l easily at a comfortable cruising speed. So yeah, have a good hard look at the 660 Tenere. PM TinyK, he also has one, can give you first hand feedback.

 

edit = grammar and typo

Edited April 4, 2012 by Wannabe

[Tiny K]

Thanks Wannabe.

 

Just came back from my first REAL off-road ride this weekend in the Cederberg - by real I mean 4x4 only trails with LOTS of sand and loose stones. Even had the crash bar crack (not even from a fall), lost the orange head light cover (somewhere along the R354), bent my off-road foot peg and eff'd up my foot in the process of bending the peg.

 

We had 4 guys - 3 types of bikes. Honda Transalp, 2x BMW 650Gs Dakar and my 660 Tenere.

 

The 19" front wheel on the transalp made it very unstable in the sand - to the degree that one of the bikes 'trenches' in the sand made me come off.

 

The guys on the Dakar's drooled over my bike. The one guy had printed the specs of our bikes and they loved the Tenere - they sat comparing notes for about 10 minutes.

 

Back to bike choice - I took the Tenere merely because of my long legs - the BMW 800GS and the Tiger 800XC both have low foot peg to seat height stats. The seat height is measured from the ground and so with the variable ground clearances, that dimension remains constant - short legs and you could go with any bike. The Tenere has longer shock travel and is cheaper than the BMW and Triumph. It also has a bigger tank - 23lt. The other guys topped up at a farm whilst I still had more than adequate petrol left in the tank.

 

I got mine for R73650, 2009 model, 13000Km on the clock, with loads of extras (I would reckon around R10k min.) New 660 Tenere was R84 950 when I was looking for one in August last year. The 800Gs and 800XC were both over R100k new. I worked out that a kitted out Tenere would cost less than a Std Spec BMW or Triumph. I also like the swing arm of the Tenere more than the others - it has design to it rather than the standard 'plain jane' ones.

 

I test rode all 3 bikes - the Triumph was the nicer to ride just because of the smoother power delivery (triple vs single) but the BMW and Yamaha gave adequate power for what I needed - even two up.

 

For off-road, the 1200's are great, but are too heavy for deep sand. They have power which is great, but the weight makes it difficult to move around 'freely'. That is the downside of getting a bigger cc bike - weight.

 

21" front wheel is a must, not a need, for off-road riding. That sand and loose stone takes your front wheel too easily with a smaller front wheel and makes you create said trenches for the riders behind you.

 

You can ride with any tyres as long as they have an a/t rating i.e. not road only tyres. One BMW had knobblies and he rode the easiest through the terrain but it chowed the tyres on the tar sections. I have a Conti Twinduro knobbly front (original but soon to be replaced) and a Pirelli Scorpion Trail a/t tyre on the back and it handled well.

 

Kit, get decent boots, riding jacket, gloves and pants. Helmet would help too but you don't need top of the range stuff. You just need quality gear that will protect you from bushes, thorns, rocks and, in the case of a fall, your whole body, almost.

 

Upgrade the bike with as much protective kit as you can - crash bars, bash plate, hand guards, light protector (and make sure it stays there). Off road pegs are nice but not a must - it just gives better support. These upgrades gave me peace of mind knowing that whatever I throw at the bike, it'll be OK.

 

You can check my pics here. Was an awesome experience. Hoping to do it again soon (with the wife this time but on less tricky surfaces).

 

Edit: being the mapping guy I am, I mounted my Edge 800 to the bars - lemmie know if you want the maps and I'll email or PM you the links.

Edited April 4, 2012 by Tiny K

[Tiny K]

My 2c... KTM is by far the most comfortable and adventurous bike. I have a 640 and always come back with a big smile. Also look at what finished top in the Dakar for the last few years. Try take the 990 for a spin before you buy and make sure you know what engine mapping it is set on as it has a bunch of settings, from pansy to rip your arms off... Again, my 2c, but for you guys its free.

 

If you have the money, it's a great buy. Expensive to service (in warranty period) though as all the parts are imported

[sadamhussein]

afaik the KTM 640 adventure is no longer in production.

 

the tenere 660 is probably the best all-rounder at the moment, but is not ideal if you have any plans to take a passenger with. it certainly is the best looking of all the DS bikes on the market at the moment, and the large tank makes the most sense!

(ive done trips on a KTM950 adv and found that even with 22l capacity you can never carry enough fuel on an african trip)

Edited April 4, 2012 by sadamhussein

[Tiny K]

afaik the KTM 640 adventure is no longer in production.

 

the tenere 660 is probably the best all-rounder at the moment, but is not ideal if you have any plans to take a passenger with. it certainly is the best looking of all the DS bikes on the market at the moment, and the large tank makes the most sense!

(ive done trips on a KTM950 adv and found that even with 22l capacity you can never carry enough fuel on an african trip)

 

What makes you say that? Not ideal for extended trips but a weekend away is perfect (once I put on some soft luggage on the sides). The bike is a bit more sluggish 2-up but still goes lekker. I use the 660 for commuting as well (with the wife on the back).

 

Took a XT600 into the cederberg a couple years ago - performed well enough for us (also 4x4 trails) - think it's called Eselbank (the 4x4 trail that is).

[TNT1]

afaik the KTM 640 adventure is no longer in production.

 

 

Replaced by the 690?

[_C50_]

Replaced by the 690?

 

AFAIK KTM doesn't make a 690 "Adventure".

 

You do get them with the Rally Raid body kit though.

[TNT1]

AFAIK KTM doesn't make a 690 "Adventure".

 

 

Yeah, you have to get the "Enduro" 690 and hack it a bit to spec...

[small h]

What makes you say that? Not ideal for extended trips but a weekend away is perfect (once I put on some soft luggage on the sides). The bike is a bit more sluggish 2-up but still goes lekker. I use the 660 for commuting as well (with the wife on the back).

 

Took a XT600 into the cederberg a couple years ago - performed well enough for us (also 4x4 trails) - think it's called Eselbank (the 4x4 trail that is).

 

it was Eselbank yes - between Algeria and Wupperthal. Wife on the back of the Tenere is happy - need to go with on an offroad trip still though. We tested the 800GS in the elimination rounds when deciding which bike to get - the pillion can't stand up on the 800GS! The tank sits under the pillion seat and protrudes uncomfortably far on the sides, making it super difficult to stand up.

 

Edit: typo

Edited April 4, 2012 by small h

[sadamhussein]

AFAIK KTM doesn't make a 690 "Adventure".

 

You do get them with the Rally Raid body kit though.

 

KTM cape town sells a 690 enduro with a 990 body-kit and large fuel tanks, they call it the oryx and it sells for about 110k. google it.

 

What makes you say that?

i had both a ktm 950 and a ktm 640, and while both were fine for two-up touting, the 640 single cylinder was sorely lacking on the open road, especially when it came to overtaking. it's personal preference, but i wont ever go smaller than an 800 for two-up touring.

[headhunter2000]

the tiger xc 800 and bmw F800GS is very similar. I like the fact the F800's fuel tank is below the seat which make the bike less top heavy when standing up. Its a very tight decision to make. I prefer the BMW due to fact the you can get backup anywhere in the country should something happen.

[sadamhussein]

the tiger xc 800 and bmw F800GS is very similar. I like the fact the F800's fuel tank is below the seat which make the bike less top heavy when standing up. Its a very tight decision to make. I prefer the BMW due to fact the you can get backup anywhere in the country should something happen.

 

i was inclined towards the BMW too, but after some research i have found that:

• every owner has a problem with the suspension.
  
• the BMW has a 15 litre tank, while the triumph has a 18 litre tank.
  
• they say the triple of the triumph is smoother than the twin of the beemer.
  
• the triumph sells for 5k less than the BMW.
  
• in my personal opinion the seat on the BMW is too hard for long trips.
  

 

but no doubt, they are both great bikes!

[RexFuzzle]

My uncle has the 690 with a 990 type kit on it and that is a monster of a bike. Not as heavy as the bigger 800 or 900 but you can still hit 160 easy not that it is advised on a sand road. The stock 690 has a limiter on in second and 3rd gear for environmental reasons and so the 640 actually pulls away from it on acceleration but it runs out of gas a bit at the top end. That being said, 130-140 on a sand road is plenty for me. My counsin has the 640 adventure with the big tank which gives him around 25l of gas which gets you far. Very useful in deepest darkest africa.

 

Another observation on the 'other' bikes. We did the Alfie Cox Dual Sport festival thing a few years back and there were many problems with things braking and maybe I'm a bit biased but I saw lots of BMW and Yamahas stopped. For my sins though my clutch cable broke, but that'll teach me for trying to fix something that needs to be replaced.

 

I must also say that I am actually a big honda fan and still ride my dad's 1982 XL500 from time to time, but after riding the ktm for a while now I am almost converted and I have ridden the dakar and a few others, i'm not comparing to a 30yr old bike.

[forkie]

i was inclined towards the BMW too, but after some research i have found that:

• every owner has a problem with the suspension.
  
• the BMW has a 15 litre tank, while the triumph has a 18 litre tank.
  
• they say the triple of the triumph is smoother than the twin of the beemer.
  
• the triumph sells for 5k less than the BMW.
  
• in my personal opinion the seat on the BMW is too hard for long trips.
  

 

but no doubt, they are both great bikes!

 

Never mind that. The sound of the triple ...