Kiwi Rider November Vol.2 2022 | Page 15

“ I wanted to challenge myself on the 7-day Transanatolia Rally by racing it with a production machine . The KTM 690 ENDURO R was up to the challenge , and to my surprise , I won the overall bike category . In some sections , I found the KTM 690 ENDURO R was faster than some of my older Rally bikes , with it performing perfectly . The KTM 690 ENDURO R is the ideal weapon for fast-paced and flowing trails , easily capable of holding its own in the Rally world .” We ’ re still disappointed that KTM has yet to fill the price gap between its entry level 390 Adventure and the premium 690 and 890 platforms , but as the saying goes “ fool me once , shame on you , fool me twice , shame on me .” to this the fact that the 74hp LC4 is truly the last single cylinder engine ’ d machine in a class that has been decimated due to other brands failing to update their own models to meet our ABS requirements and it ’ s even more clear . With a Euro-5 compliant exhaust system on both the 690 and 701 , KTM and Husqvarna are the clear market leaders in the big-bore enduro and supermoto market . This was made even more clear by Dakar racing expert Xavier de Soultrait in his recent victory at the Transanatolia Rally .
KIWI RIDER 15