SM

[DRKWNG]

That was all...


But then THIS got into the mix...

[Speed 3 Pilot]

so you're the proud owner of one?...

[DRKWNG]

Not just yet.  Maybe soon though.

This is the worst part of the bike:

[MadDuck]

Don't look at it.

[DRKWNG]

Just seems strange for a bike to not have a tach though...

[Speed 3 Pilot]

so did you ride the Katoom?...

[DRKWNG]

Yes I did, and the Daytona is up for sale to make room. 

Rick, I know that you heard lots of FI issues on the Super Dukes when you were considering one of those; talk to me about the FI vs. carb set up on the SM...

[MadDuck]

The FI issues were/are exactly the same as the Ducati big twin issues. That lurchy, surgy bit at low speeds with the occasional stall. With aftermarket pipes and ECU tweaks it gets better but possibly still not as good a result as the Ducati aftermarket setups.  Power Commander and factory tweeks are only so-so. The dealer here has almost nil experience with setting up the street bikes. Dirt bikes are another story over here and they have far more experience with the off road stuff. The KTM answer seems to be more of "just ride it faster" than any true happiness. The carbed versions are similar to the carbed Monsters. Constant velocity Mikunis if I'm not mistaken. Could be Keihins, but still constant velocity. I never had a problem with mine until I went for the totally open airbox. The CV's couldn't handle that at all so it was either live with a restricted airbox or run the Keihin FCRs. The rest is history.

[DRKWNG]

But from what you had heard, the carb'd KTMs did not have the same fueling issues right?  Because they were not E3 compliant?  I need to root around and see what sort of emissions control they have on the exhaust...

[MadDuck]

Couldn't say at all one way or the other. Since by 2007 almost every big time big displacement street bike was injected the KTM was a hold out. Guess you're going to have to scour the KTM boards for this one. Either that or just get a Hypermotard, large or small. At least the paint won't fade out in the first year. 

[DRKWNG]

I thought about the Hyper, but did not really fancy the one that I took for a spin.  The KTM felt a little more like what I was looking for, and comes with provisions to mount all kind of bags and other things from KTM's hard parts catalog. 

[DRKWNG]

Ok, the KTM dealer on Maui called me up today.  Apparently Cycle City here called them up (they are each other's sister stores) to ask some questions for me about the 950 SM.  Well, through the conversation, the guys on Maui told me they would let me have the 990SD they have there for $10.5K out the door and shipped over here.  So...  The SM has been brought down to $9400 OTD, but I realized that it had been dropped while on the sales floor.  Nothing big mind you, but there are a few scuff marks on the bodywork.  So...  Iffin it was you, what direction would you go?

[Speed 3 Pilot]

Ok, the KTM dealer on Maui called me up today.  Apparently Cycle City here called them up (they are each other's sister stores) to ask some questions for me about the 950 SM.  Well, through the conversation, the guys on Maui told me they would let me have the 990SD they have there for $10.5K out the door and shipped over here.  So...  The SM has been brought down to $9400 OTD, but I realized that it had been dropped while on the sales floor.  Nothing big mind you, but there are a few scuff marks on the bodywork.  So...  Iffin it was you, what direction would you go?

I'm partial to the SD myself...MSRP on the SD in '08 was like $14.3K...ask them if the factory is still offering the $1.5K incentive package (included was a gel seat, some carbon fibre, different windscreen, etc.)...

[Speed 3 Pilot]

anything to report on the SM/SD dilemma?...

[DRKWNG]

Nope, not yet.  Still  while trying to decide which direction I would be better off with. I like the idea that the SM would be much more flexible as a bike, but I like the fact that the 990 motor rips the way it does.  Trying to talk the Maui shop into cutting me a stupid deal on the Akro set up...