Re: 2016 KTM Duke 690 : First Impressions

Impressions approved!

Someone's having way too much fun out there.

Re: 2016 KTM Duke 690 : First Impressions

Thanks for approving sirjee!

Just trying to make the best use of the stay here

Re: 2016 KTM Duke 690 : First Impressions

I heard that they have added some mechanism like balancer shaft for 2016 690 models to remove the vibrations. Do you feel the vibrations inspite of this balancer shaft ??

Re: 2016 KTM Duke 690 : First Impressions

I guess my conclusion sounds a bit harsh Yes, they have done quite a bit to reduce vibrations (you can read about specifics in their website). I havent ridden the older 690s so I dont know how bad it was. Like I said, its smooth at certain rpm ranges but you cant always be in that range.


Also in many ways, the way the bike behaves was very similar to 390 and I am looking for something different on my next bike, so I guess I wouldnt buy it even if it was smooth.

Re: 2016 KTM Duke 690 : First Impressions




Review of the older 690. I guess I'll continue to maintain a mile length from the Orange showroom.

Re: 2016 KTM Duke 690 : First Impressions

Oh c'mon. Its not like all KTM bikes are like that. Only big single cylinder bikes (390 & 690) have these vibrations, which cannot be avoided no matter what. Duke/RC200 are relatively smoother. And here, their ADV bikes are a different league altogether!

I would still love to ride a 690 in proper twisties, just that I dont want to own one for long term that's all.

Btw, the above review from RJ may not be the best reference to compare, as he is coming from S1000R & Super Duke and he himself says he may be a bit spoiled

Re: 2016 KTM Duke 690 : First Impressions


Hear the bike at idle at 3:46 - 4:00. Look at how frustrated he is that he literally slams the engine kill button. I think he looks right to the mini truck, realizes its the Duke 690, and literally wants to kill himself.

Re: 2016 KTM Duke 690 : First Impressions

690 CC for a singl cylinder is an overkill IMO.All good vendors will always go for a twin post 300+ CC.However i do agree that the D200/RC is altogether a different league.Its smooth,reined and Kick A#$.Its a very different bike altogether when compared to Higher capacity Single Cylinders

Re: 2016 KTM Duke 690 : First Impressions

That is ridiculous dude. For every negative review of any bike, someone can put up 10 glowing ones. Watching an internet video should not decide your bike decision.

I have ridden 3 generations of the Duke 690 (the first one was a 640 actually) and while it may not be refined and smooth, it's probably the most fun bike I have ever ridden. And I have ridden over 50 different bikes. The thing is light as a feather, torquey like a bull and fun like a disneyland roller coaster. Yes, its a niche bike built for a very specific purpose - having balls out fun every time you ride it. Does it vibrate? Yes. Will you notice this while pulling a 100M long 2nd gear power wheelie or braking hard and flicking the thing on its side into a corner at the last second? Unlikely.

Big singles vibrate. Its what they do. Like inline 4s wail. This is not good or bad, this is their character. Some people like one and others prefer the other. You will notice the vibes if you sit all day on the highway doing 120. For city and twisty riding, there is no better bike in the entire world.

Re: 2016 KTM Duke 690 : First Impressions


1 ????????
2 Then do it.
3: Neither should reading a long post from a guy claiming to have ridden 3 iterations of the bike.
4 Fun??? Define fun. Fun for person 1 =/= fun for person 2
5 So you mean behaving like an utter maniac and a buffoon on public roads and endangering yourself and other road users. No thanks. I guess I'll skip
6 And thats a good thing?
7 You need a 690 for city riding because................................?

Re: 2016 KTM Duke 690 : First Impressions

hehe. You're really good at making bullet points out of paragraphs. Are you a lawyer?

Look, I didn't mean to get personal but from your post it seemed that you'd dismissed the bike based on some random internet dude's personal preference. I just found that odd but maybe there's more history between you and KTM, which is causing you to be so dismissive.

I'll answer your last question as that is the only constructive one - The 690 is fantastic for city riding because (I'll do bullet point cos you seem to like them) :

1. Light weight - It is amazingly light for a 700CC motorcycle, around 150KG, which is lower than most 250/300cc bikes. You would appreciate that light weight is a most beneficial attribute of a motorcycle as you try to get through slow speed traffic.

2. Handling - The thing is flickable like you wouldn't believe. You just look and it turns. The chassis and geometry is really sharp but well balanced and the suspension enhances this further. This means that it is really easy to avoid obstacles in your path and make quick decisions in traffic that can get you out of trouble and also help you get ahead when you need to quickly

3. Brakes - Very sharp and strong brakes that allow you to make quick emergency stops and avoid urban hazards. Also cool for chucking stoppies but as you are a responsible rider, this may not appeal to you. You must agree though that having strong brakes is a plus on any bike, especially for riding through city traffic

4. Torque - You are rarely revving a bike to its limits in city riding through traffic. Wha you need is torque in the bottom and mid range of the rev range rather than big horsepower at 14K RPM. While the big single is not the most refined, it has more torque in the bottom rev range than most 600CC sportsbikes that make double its horsepower. This makes it really easy to punch through on overtakes and to position yourself in the right place in traffic, quickly. Also great for doing wheelies but I suspect that you frown upon such irresponsible behaviour

5. Riding position - They've changed this in the latest generation of dukes and actually lost, to some extent, the advantage that the previous bikes had. The first 2 gens (upto 2011 I think) the seat used to be quite high, supermoto style, that gave a commanding view of traffic. You can look over most cars and further up the road than most sportsbikes and even naked bikes. This, you will agree, is beneficial both for safety and for getting ahead in traffic as you can see further and plan your way through traffic better and identify hazards sooner.
This is what the previous generation looked like



In summary, there are many great things about the KTM690 and they shouldn't be dismissed just because someone on the internet said they vibrate too much. I think they're a fantastic bike but don't take my word for it, ride one yourself before you make a decision on it. Hope this post makes more sense than my previous one.

Re: 2016 KTM Duke 690 : First Impressions

[MENTION=58714]HarryD[/MENTION] Its good to hear from someone who has owned it and ridden it for long.
Like I said before, I would love to ride on proper twisties on this bike again, if I get a chance, I will surely do it.
I agree with all your points but I just want to point one thing that you mention it is good for city, but that depends what speeds you are talking about. For eg, in my video, you can see while I was riding at city center where speed limit is 30kmph, its not easy on 690. Also in any of the big Indian cities, you have to ride slow in first gear in heavy traffic, which created lots of problems for 390 (overheating, gasket failure etc) and I am sure it will be much worse on 690. On fast moving city traffic, the 690 will be brilliant though.

And I am just curious, where are you from?