Racing Test: KTM LC4 620 Rally, KTM 690 Rally Replica and KTM EXC 450
For the first time, KTM has become entrenched in the minds of an audience unfamiliar with motocross and hard enduro racing, thanks to the Dakar Rally, which is attended by millions of people around the world. From the first attempts in the 600s, which for legendary motocross world champion Heinz Kinigadner usually ended somewhere in the south of Morocco (the XNUMX cubic meter single-cylinder engine lasted so long), it has been perseverance and tenacity. an idea that made the small KTM a serious competitor and even beat the big twin.
Among other things, BMW, which used this race a decade earlier, to create a completely new group of enduro touring motorcycles (GS with boxer engine). In 2001, they lost in a live match against Italian Meoni in KTM, which brought the Austrians their first victory.
But for the single-cylinder KTM to be able to withstand the stresses on the vast plains of Mauritania, there was a lot to invest in racing and development.
A quick glance at the history of this most difficult race in the world reveals that it actually started with single-cylinder cars back in the XNUMXs, and after Yamaha and Honda, BMW was the first to win with a two-cylinder engine. Only then did the Yamaha Super Ténéré, Honda Africa Twin and Cagiva Elephant follow.
But history turned in reverse and the twin-cylinder engines simply could no longer take advantage of the high top speed of over 200 km / h over the awkwardness in the factory and technically demanding stages.
In 1996, Miran Stanovnik and Janez Raigel started as two full adventurers in this race in Granada, Spain, each individually adapted for the Dakar KTM LC4 620. Janez ended the race with an arm injury in Morocco and Miran managed to break away. through hell and led exactly the KTM, which you see in the photo, to the finish line at the Pink Lake.
On this car, he finished in the next rally with a start and finish in Dakar. This is why the purple veteran does not leave the house and has a special place in Miran's garage. And as we found out on this fast macadam and carriage ride, it's no wonder why there is such love. An old fart that is otherwise a little harder to ignite (well, in recent years we have messed up as hard enduro bikes are equipped with an electric starter!) Rides surprisingly well.
Fortunately, I did not have to refuel and carry an extra 30 kg with me. The big disadvantage of this machine is the installation of three plastic fuel tanks. They are quite high, which means that the amount of fuel while driving affects driving performance even more than usual. With a good ten liters, the KTM followed the line neatly and obediently through the corners and showed off its power with controlled rear end slides.
It only got more difficult every time I tried to turn in place or turn briefly because this is when the front wheel quickly loses traction and loves to drop it. Therefore, the motorcycle does not allow sharp rolls. Well, despite the 15-year-old design, it absorbs bumps well and shows good stability at high speeds. Even the Brembo brakes keep the bike at a standstill fairly securely.
It wasn't until I upgraded to a newer model with a 2009 model year and a 690cc engine. See, I did notice what years of development have brought. First of all, you are shocked by the appearance of the "cockpit", in which there are at least twice as many elements. The old one has a very simple box for travel books (it folds up like a roll of toilet paper), two trip computers, one of which is equipped with a light if you need to drive in the dark, otherwise there are two of them simply because one to reserve and control the other ... I have to attach the GPS to the steering wheel somewhere, and that's it.
Compared to the old KTM, the Rally Replica 690 has two trip computers, a more sophisticated trip book holder, an electronic compass, GPS, a watch (a safety device that informs the driver about the proximity of another vehicle) and, above all, many switches. , fuses and warning lamps.
I admit, at about 140 km / h at the crushed stone landfill, I tried to track all this mass of data, but it did not work, just too many things on the piles, potholes in the road, or worse, you cannot see the rocks. And then Miran explains to me how, at 170 km / h, he drives on a much more bumpy road. Once again I express my deep respect to everyone who took part in the stage of the Dakar rally and took him away safe and sound. It is not easy navigation and racing through the terrain.
Otherwise, all these years of evolution are best known for details such as a more comfortable and ergonomic space dedicated to the driver and control. Here, the newer KTM is much more manageable due to its lower center of gravity. There are four fuel tanks in the lower part designed to hold as much fuel as possible. The one thing that kept me in awe of him all along was the incredibly high seat.
At 180 inches tall, I reached the ground with both feet with just the tips of my toes. It is a very unpleasant thing when you have to help yourself with your feet. But it also has advantages: when you cross a river in Africa or South America, you don't get your butt wet, only your boots.
For convenience (less water, dust and sand trapping), the air filter is located at the highest point possible between the junction of the two halves of the front fuel tanks. The brakes and suspension are also more powerful, but you will notice the biggest difference when you look at the speedometer and see that you were driving over the same terrain at a higher speed of 20 km / h.
This latest big race car is equipped with a prescribed airflow restrictor in the engine that is familiar with its low-revving power and responsiveness. If I go through memory and compare it to "open" performance, the difference is really obvious. There are no more rough edges, but somehow it still gets a high speed, which is still around 175 km / h (this also depends on the gear on the sprockets).
Miran says he is used to such an engine and can also be fast, mainly due to better traction on the rear tire, which now rotates significantly less when idling. But for me, as a true amateur rider, a more powerful engine is closer to my heart, not because I know how to use the full 70 "horses", but because these flexible "horses" and especially the torque save me from a difficult situation. when the whole motorcycle starts or just the buttocks dance over the bumps.
So definitely a great bike, this KTM 690, but really only for fast tracks and rubble, at least for me and my knowledge. Miran also rides it on the motocross track, as I do with, say, the third bike in this test, the KTM EXC 450 enduro. at a minimum. Everything is much simpler, less demanding on pits, rocks and bumps, and in turns there is no lowering of the front wheel, super fun.
This little KTM has joined the test to guide the future of Dakar and other desert rallies. Units with an engine capacity of 450 cc Cm have become so powerful and reliable that in recent years they have supplanted large units with an engine capacity of 600 cc. See in all races. Either in the Spanish one- or two-day bachs, or even in the USA in the famous Baja 1000, where they race as many as 1.000 miles in a row (which is more than a very long stage in the Dakar).
Yamaha and Aprilia have already reached high positions with 450cc race cars in the Dakar and this is certainly one of the (otherwise lesser) reasons they will be racing these bikes in the future. The race will be more expensive because there will be more maintenance, the components in the engine will be more loaded, and whoever wants to see the finish line will have to change the engine at least once.
Miran was one of four guest riders who had already tested the new KTM Rally 450 in Tunisia, but was not allowed to photograph the prototype due to secret testing and compliance with agreements with KTM. He only told us that they also drove an old car and that the newcomer is pretty darn fast and very competitive with his Rally Replica 690. Based on experience with enduro specs and data published by KTM, we conclude that this is a conceptually similar bike as it was. still.
So, it is driven by a single-cylinder unit with a volume of 449 cubic meters. CM with four valves in the head and five-speed transmission (not six-speed as in the EXC 450 enduro model), dry weight is 150 kg (so it will still be a little lighter), seat is 980 mm, has four separate fuel tanks with a total volume of 35 liters, a tubular rod frame and rear suspension mounted in the crankcase, and a wheelbase of 1.535 mm, which is even 25 mm more than in the crankcase. Replica 690.
And the price was announced. First you have to "pay" 29.300 euros for the motorcycle, then another 10.000 euros for two spare engines, and several thousand more are going to sponsor paints, a service package and spare parts. They will only make them to order if you're tempted, but unfortunately you missed this year, the deadline for placing an order is mid-June.
Oh yes, one more thing: you must be logged in to the Dakar.
Face to face: Matevj Hribar
I don't know if I should praise KTM for making a car that is still good 15 years ago, or if I should be angry with them because they haven't come up with almost anything new in 11 years. In my home garage I have the not-so-common LC4 SXC (this is an enduro, not a supermoto!) From 2006, and it's more than clear that the Austrians have been sawing good enduro cars for over a decade. Well, because of the larger fuel tanks and weaker suspension and crosspiece, the old purple bomber is more bulky, no electric starter, worse brakes and a little less power, but still: for a 15-year-old car, everything is fine. handles surprisingly well in the field.
In the 690 rally? Ahhh. ... The car that amateur motorcyclists dream of.
It is less useful, according to local hosts, due to the high seat and extra fuel tanks, but when you valiantly climb up the rocky climb, you find the package also climbs over terrain that the Dakar Rally lacks. The highlight is the single-cylinder, otherwise closed by a limiter as instructed by the Dakar organizer, but still flexible, with a useful lower rev range and still explosive enough to go faster than the law on the highway. Of course, on rubble.
Well, if the new rules really brighten up the rally, let them (the organizers), but I still can't imagine a 450cc SXC in the garage - let alone my wallet.
KTM 690 Rally Replica
Price of an equipped motorcycle for a race: 30.000 EUR
engine: single-cylinder, 4-stroke, 654 cm? , 70 h.p. open version at 7.500 rpm, carburetor, 6-speed gearbox, chain drive.
Frame, suspension: chrome molybdenum rod frame, front USD adjustable fork, 300mm travel (WP), rear single adjustable shock, 310mm travel (WP).
brakes: front reel 300 mm, rear reel 240 mm.
Tires: front 90 / 90-21, rear 140 / 90-18, Michelin Desert.
Wheelbase: 1.510 mm.?
Seat height from ground: 980 mm.
Engine height from ground: 320mm.
Fuel tank: 36 l.
Weight: 162 kg.
KTM EXC
Test car price: 8.790 EUR
engine: single-cylinder, four-stroke, liquid-cooled, 449 cc? , 3 valves, Keihin FCR-MX 4 carburetor, no power.
Energy transfer: Transmission 6-speed, chain.
Frame: chrome-molybdenum tubular, aluminum subframe.
Suspension: front adjustable inverted telescopic fork White Power? 48, rear adjustable single shock White Power PDS.
brakes: front coil? 260mm, rear coil? 220
Tires: 90/90-21, 140/80-18.
Seat height from ground: 985 mm.
Fuel tank: 9, 5 l.
Wheelbase: 1.475 mm.
Weight: 113, 9 kg.
Petr Kavčič, photo: Aleš Pavletič
Basic data
Base model price: € 30.000 XNUMX €
Test model cost: € 8.790 XNUMX €
Technical information
engine: single-cylinder, four-stroke, liquid-cooled, 449,3 cm³, 4 valves, Keihin FCR-MX 39 carburetor, no power data.
Energy transfer: Transmission 6-speed, chain.
Frame: chrome-molybdenum tubular, aluminum subframe.
brakes: front disc Ø 260 mm, rear disc Ø 220
Suspension: front adjustable inverted telescopic fork White Power Ø 48, rear adjustable single shock absorber White Power PDS.
Fuel tank: 9,5 l.
Wheelbase: 1.475 mm.
Weight: 113,9 kg.
