BMW G650X-Moto in KTM SM 690

You know what a pleasure it is when you pull off a crowded road onto the racing asphalt and start squeezing the right lever ... Full throttle, the body tilts forward, followed by hard braking, two quick hits on the transmission and discreet disengagement of the clutch. The front fork crouches, and when the rear wheel starts to slip, the bike goes deep into the corner. And then gas again, braking again, hot tires creak again. ...

You smile in your mind every time you manage to come up with a beautiful combination of curves. But when your head starts to go wrong, you park the engine and treat your body to a cold drink. This year we did it with two rookies who weren't originally designed for racing torture. But listen, someone who is looking for ultimate capacity on the road and rides between cars on the front and rear wheels is throwing bad lights at motorcyclists and risking an accident and injury to a third party. But we don't want that.

Briefly present the test pair: we both first saw them at last year's autumn motor show in Cologne, and this spring for the first time rolled around the track. BMW Moto is one of the three Gs; this points to a new direction for Bavarian two-wheelers who also want to cater to the younger generation of motorcyclists. Its appearance is similar to some of the old supermotors, but it is immediately clear that the Germans had a hand in the middle of the design. At least you will notice it if you look at it from the front. No, they don’t know without asymmetry ...

But it's beautiful: a low front fender, sporty 17-inch tires, an inverted fork, a thin and tall torso, and a sporty rear to complement the sporty muffler. Unlike KTM, BMW has alloy wheels, as we see on some Aprilia. The unit is single-cylinder, known from the F series, and for the new three it is lightened and strengthened by three "horsepower". The test engine was additionally equipped with an Akrapovic exhaust and therefore responded better to the lower revs, which we missed in the production G.

Opposite BMW, we placed the long-awaited successor to the LC4, the new KTM 690 Supermoto, which at the presentation caused a sensation among fans of this Austrian brand. Nice, ugly? We didn't like the Duk in the beginning either, but it's still the prettiest supermoto to date… And new isn't just about looks, the KTM has been completely overhauled. It has a tubular frame, a new single-cylinder engine, an interesting rear fork and a Dakar exhaust system.

The SM 690 is also designed for passengers and has a much lower and more comfortable seat than its German competitor. If you want to seduce a friend with a BMW, you can install the passenger pedals like in Brother Country. Well, enough of loading up the specs, you're probably more interested in how fighters perform on the runway!

When we ride them, we find that the BMW is too high. While it is not noticeable while driving, it will be difficult for drivers with less than a centimeter to maneuver in place. At the same time, the seat has a hard padding, as if it were a special racing car!

On the track, the Bavarian seat is more comfortable when it comes to turning before cornering, but that doesn't mean the engine is even faster! The Austrians really made an effort and made a real rocket for the road. The 690-ica is an extremely handling bike that, with its excellent suspension and brakes, has nothing to complain about racing. The strawberry on the cake is a sliding clutch that is great for slippery corner entries. The BMW fights back by annoyingly rocking the rear wheel, though you can also drive it really fast just a little less aggressively.

Real bombers, BMW is already dangerously close to the larger, more modern single-cylinder LC4 with sports exhaust. The X-moto is better to drive from idle and onwards, while the Austrian is still a little nervous in this area and "tears" at around 5.000 rpm. Then the steering wheel should be well gripped. It also climbs onto the rear wheel without using the clutch in second gear, and the speedometer reads over 180 km / h.

At top speed, the BMW also surprises, reaching nearly the same speed with only a five-speed gearbox. Admit it, you are not used to such speeds in "civilian" single-cylinder engines. Thus, compared to older machines such as the LC4 640, cruising speed has also increased. You can drive from 130 to 140 km / h without pain if you are not worried about air resistance. And what about fuel consumption? Orange "burned" 6 liters per hundred kilometers with mixed driving, and red - four deciliters less. Maybe one more little thing: we noticed that both exhaust pipes on the KTM are very exposed, but we didn’t test drop resistance.

Choosing the best one this time was not difficult, and we unanimously agreed that it deserves the 690 SM. BMW was unlucky enough to unveil a "new" motorcycle just as the masters of their craft unleashed a truly new supermoto beast on the road. We can only hope that the new unit will be as reliable and durable as the old LC4. With a friendlier engine and ABS, the X-moto can be aimed at less race-oriented drivers, as long as they are not worried about the high price and uncomfortable seat.

2. BMW G650X Moto

Test car price: 8.563 EUR

engine: 4-stroke, 1-cylinder, liquid-cooled, 652 cc, electronic fuel injection

Maximum power: 39 kW (53 km) at 7.000 rpm

Maximum torque: 60 Nm at 5.250 rpm

Energy transfer: 5-speed gearbox, chain

Suspension: front telescopic fork diameter 45 mm / 270 mm travel, rear single shock 245 mm travel

Tires: front 120 / 70-17, rear 160 / 60-17

brakes: four-piston front caliper, 320 mm disc, single-piston rear caliper, 240 mm disc

Wheelbase: 1.500 mm

Seat height from ground: 920 mm

Fuel tank: 9, 5 l

Weight without fuel: 147 kg

Sales: Avto Aktiv, Ljubljanska cesta 24, 1236 Trzin, tel .: 01 / 5605-766, www.bmw-motorji.si.

We praise and reproach

+ high-spirited driving performance

+ unit surfaced

- hard seat

– price

1. KTM 690 Supermoto

Test car price: 8.250 EUR

engine: 4-stroke, 1-cylinder, liquid-cooled, 653 cm7, electronic fuel injection

Maximum power: 47 kW (65 km) at 7.500 rpm, 65 Nm at 6.550 rpm

Maximum torque: 65 Nm at 6.500 rpm

Energy transfer: 6-speed gearbox, chain

Suspension: front telescopic fork diameter 48 mm / 210 mm travel, rear single shock 210 mm

Tires: front 120 / 70-17, rear 160 / 60-17

brakes: front radially mounted Magura four-piston cam, 320mm disc, Brembo single-piston rear cam, 240mm disc

Wheelbase: 1.460 mm

Seat height from ground: 875 mm

Fuel tank: 13, 5/2, 5 l

Weight without fuel: 152 kg

Sales: www.hmc-habat.si, www.motorjet.si, www.axle.si

We praise and reproach

+ powerful unit

+ quality components

+ driving performance

+ rich toolbar

– Some nervousness at low revs

- small numbers on the dashboard

Matevž Hribar, photo: Marko Vovk, Grega Gulin

If you have a question about the tested motorcycles, you can ask it on the forum.

• Basic data

  Test model cost: € 8.250 XNUMX €

• Technical information

  engine: 4-stroke, 1-cylinder, liquid-cooled, 653,7 cc, electronic fuel injection

  Torque: 65 Nm at 6.500 rpm

  Energy transfer: 6-speed gearbox, chain

  brakes: front radially mounted Magura four-piston cam, 320mm disc, Brembo single-piston rear cam, 240mm disc

  Suspension: 45mm / 270mm front inverted telescopic fork, rear single shock 245mm travel / 48mm front inverted telescopic fork diameter / 210mm travel, rear single shock 210mm travel

  Fuel tank: 13,5 / l 2,5

  Wheelbase: 1.460 mm

  Weight: 152 kg

We praise and reproach

surfaced unit

playful driving performance

rich toolbar

driving performance

quality components

powerful unit

small numbers on the dashboard

some nervousness at low revs

price

hard seat