Ducati Monster Forum

I have been offered a nice (used) KTM 690 Duke III for a reasonable price and being one of those who like how this bike looks I am now considering it.
My quest for getting a Monster 695 has gone for to long and isn't very likely to have a happy end and I really want (any) bike.

I was wondering if anyone has a first hand experience with this bike or other KTMs. Or has some links or forums where I can find out a bit about them.
My knowledge of them is very limited, where I have researched Ducati for year and a half before deciding on one.

Cheers.

send a pm to Boog

he has a Duke and a Super Duke

Check out supermotojunkie.com. there a few guys that have the 690 Dukes. They seem to love 'em.
I really like my 625 SMC with the previous generation LC4 motor. Simple to work on, good parts spec, durable, and very easy to throw around. Acceleration is sort of brutal, as it feels like my arms are being ripped out at WOT.

From what I've read the 690 motors are a lot smoother, vibrate less, and have a more refined feel to them. The older LC4 motors are notoriously vibe-y, even for a single.

Good luck man.

I just bought a 08 690 and I haven't even grabbed it from the dealership yet so I have extremely limited personal experience with it. It is very light, but it is still buzzy even with the counterweight. I'll be able to give more feedback in a month or so.

That being said there are a number of sources to learn about the bike, thumpertalk.com, svrider.com, ktmtalk.com are all places where they have had great information on the bike. Also, there was a 696 vs. 690 shoot out in Cycle World in August I believe. That was also very informative.

At the end of the day, I wanted something fun. It was not a practical decision but one based on emotion. I didn't want to dump $3-4K into my 620 to get the bike to handle like I wanted it to. Additionally, the 620 would still only be worth $4K after all the upgrades.

Good luck, let me know if you end up pulling the trigger on one.

P.S. If you show up to WCDIMBY you can take it for a spin (assuming I have all the break in miles completed).

http://www.ktmtalk.com/ (http://www.ktmtalk.com/)

Haven't ridden one myself but I was very tempted to buy one.

- FYI: My 695 is for sale in the classifieds "monsters for sale" board.

I have the 690 SM,all i can say is the bike is so much much fun to ride! it's very light and nimble on twisties.In city ride ?the best!!! high off the ground and very light to maneuver,the one thing i don't really like much is when you are on the freeway and the speed goes above 150km/hr the wind will be the problem,since you are high.Unlike the monster which i also ride,it is not a problem at that speed or higher.The SM is only diff from the duke in looks and the pipes,but same engine and height.

If i have to get rid of either the monster or the SM?I would say bye bye to the KTM...Monsters got soul baby!!!

I can't comment on the smaller super moto's from KTM, but I ride a big one.

Brought home a used (500 miles!) 07 KTM 950SMR.

It . .

Is. .

Awesome!!

Killer power, handling and brakes.  I know another guy that has the same bike and he's coming up on 20,000 miles with no issues.  I think he rides something like 15,000 a year.

Mine looks like this:

(http://s2.bikewalls.com/pictures/KTM_SMR_950-aa_2007_04_1920x1200.jpg)

And if i took it to the track, it might look like this. .

(http://www.mcjournalen.no/KTM08/ktm_950smr_dy2_08.jpg)

More cool pics here http://www.mcjournalen.no/ktm/ktm_950smr_ny08.htm (http://www.mcjournalen.no/ktm/ktm_950smr_ny08.htm)

the wife is torn between a monster and a supermoto... I'm hoping she goes with the supermoto so i can get one

I cant say much about the 690, but I had a 450 SMR that I raced locally. Excellent bike, not any more or less reliable than my Duc. Just like Ducati, KTM has a few things they do "different" than the rest of the big four. Finding parts can be tricky at times because there is usually not as many dealers in a given area and that one or two usually doesn't have what you need. If I was looking for a small displacement bike, I would probably go for the 690 SM or Duke over a 695 monster, but for a larger bike, I still love the Monster.

THis bike is everything I wanted my monster to be (had an M900ie with pipes, flywheel, low clipons, sargent seat etc)

The SMR does better in stock form than my modded monster did.  There are only 2 things my M had on the SM, fuel injection and that great monster look :)

Is she tall? Supermotos tend to have tall seats. My 625 SMC has a 36" high seat. But with my weight, it sags to where I can get one foot almost flat.  :D

no she's only 5'6... she's looking at the Honda CRF230M.... its ALOT smaller than most SMs... I'm considering the KTM for me :)


Or maybe a Husky... not sure...

 ;)

Mmmm... Husky...  [thumbsup]

Perhaps the WR250R? It has lowering links and the like available-it's a really nice bike.

Maybe WR250X? if we're still talking supermoto.

I picked up my Duke this weekend in Tuscon and drove back to Cali with it. Due to poor weather, I only put about 40 miles on it. That being said here are my initial impressions:

Pros:
Wicked fun
Very flickable
Good power
Great brakes
Excellent suspension
High quality parts all the way around


Cons:
It's not a Ducati - it does not have the organic beauty that the Monster has (pre-redesign). For that reason I miss the timeless ascetics of the monster. It also does not have the soul of a Ducati.
Too quiet with stock pipe
Has a little buzzieness to it
Hard seat

Verdict so far:
It's a great bike, I wish Ducati made something similar. I'm going to have lots of fun with this.