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Driving report KTM 950 Supermoto 2004

Fun times two

The end of monotony: KTM will soon be mixing up the supermoto scene with the new 950. MOTORRAD was able to drive the machine shortly before it was ready for series production.

In the drifter industry there is nothing better than handy, lightweight single-cylinder: They win tons of world championships and dominate the starting fields. Okay, the thesis is correct for racing, but things look different in real life. Angled, tight, curved slopes, which resemble the typical jumble of supermoto racetracks and on which you could saw the entire competition, are seldom found in the wild. And outside of their terrain, the single-cylinder pilots look into the exhaust pipes of more powerful sports machines more often than they’d like. There is simply not enough steam.
More pressure is needed without losing maneuverability. So what could be more natural than to trim a lightweight two-cylinder enduro in the direction of a supermoto? One like the lively, dynamic one KTM 950 Adventure. It’s amazing that the Austrians didn’t think of it much earlier. But in the coming spring
An end to the suffering of frustrated lateral drivers: KTM brings the 950 as an uncompromising, undiluted supermoto machine. Due to its massive size, it is hardly suitable for racing, but all the better for wild rides on winding country roads. And with that, the painful defeats in country road duels should no longer be an issue.
The basis of the great supermoto is
the Adventure, which has been in construction for two years, with the 950 carburettor engine and around 100 hp, which hangs in the unchanged tubular space frame. The wheel suspensions are new: light travel at the rear
cut and adapted to the special requirements, the entire fork was changed at the front. With the Supermoto fork, the axle sits under instead of in front
the sliding tubes, but still had a relatively long spring travel of 225 millimeters
will be realized. In addition to a little less weight, this design has a big advantage: The fork bridges are accordingly moved further forward, the steering angle is significantly larger.
It makes sense that a Supermoto machine stands on wide 17-inch wheels. At
For the 950, KTM opted for cast wheels. They are not quite like that
resilient like those usual in sport
Spoked wheels, but who’s going to chase this guy off the road? Pirelli Scorpion Sync 120 and 180 are mounted on the 3.5 and 5.5 inch wide wheels. The braking system is absolutely uncompromising: two radially bolted ones bite into the front
Pliers, operated by a radial pump, cut into 305 millimeter discs.
MOTORRAD had the opportunity to do a little lap around the Mattighofen main plant with a prototype that was largely ready for series production. The fact that the big supermoto is a huge motorcycle becomes clear during the seat test.
The seat comes from the Adventure, the 16 liter tank bunkers the volume on both sides next to the grid frame and airbox. The ergonomics are therefore very similar to those of the Enduro, the distance to the handlebars is significantly greater than with any single cylinder.
The massive impression vanishes very quickly as soon as the motorcycle starts rolling. The two-cylinder propels it forward with powerful thrust. In first gear, the front wheel can never be kept on the ground, nobody can muster that much self-control. Also slipped in the second
the horizon permanently down, even if you work against it with a lot of physical effort. And with active support, the KTM even starts to dance hot on the rear wheel at 100 km / h in the third.
The ideal terrain has finally been found, a strip of asphalt winds its way up the mountain. And immediately it is there, that unique supermoto feeling. Everything is so easy, life at the limit without stress. The fork dips when braking, the rear comes up? and then you slide casually across to the curve. Splendid. Foot out, then the 950s angled vehemently,
hit a hook and on that
Rear wheel out to the next corner. The grin never ends. Basically everything is the same as with a single cylinder, only in a different dimension in terms of performance and speed, while the ease with which such maneuvers work is comparable. The
fantastic handling is due not least to the excellent Pirellis. The sometimes quite tricky straight-line stability with supermotos is not an issue at all. Even at almost 200 km / h there is not even the slightest oscillation.
It’s actually a shame that the
Trial gallop did not allow any opponents to be found for hot duels. Nevertheless, it is certain that the knee slider faction will have to dress warmly next summer. In the end there is only one problem left: What does the KTM driver attract? At that speed you would actually need a full-face helmet. But what does it look like on a supermoto?

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