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Driving report KTM LC 4 620e Adventure
Adventurous construction
It shouldn’t just be a disguised enduro, not even a rally replica. According to KTM press information, the Adventure is the “first thoroughbred off-road sports tourer” for small adventures and desert tours.
“We definitely don’t want to be compared with Japanese enduro bikes.” This is how KTM boss Erich Trunkenpolz commented on the presentation of the Incas at the end of 1988, with which the Austrians wanted to open up new markets beyond the narrow sport enduro segment. A large tank, luggage rack, solid fittings and minimal wind protection should convince street-oriented customers of the potential of the LC 4 off-road athlete. An attempt that went completely wrong. As early as 1990, the Incas disappeared from the offer without singing.
Today much more offensive tones can be heard from Austria. At the presentation of the new adventure, which is aiming in a similar direction, the opponents are named immediately, for example the Africa Twin. The new KTM should be almost as good as the Honda Twin on the autobahn, at least as good on the country road and considerably better off the asphalt. A bold comparison, but the new self-confidence in Mattighofen is no accident. Because the starting position for the Adventure is considerably better than for the Incas, as the technicians have meanwhile banished the rough character of the KTM engines to where it belongs, namely to the Super Competition. The enduro engines have become more cultivated and tame thanks to a balancer shaft and a lot of detailed work. Another prerequisite for the broader success is the meanwhile good reliability and stability, burst engines are the exception today.
In addition, the LC 4 had to sacrifice its elitist demeanor for everyday use: In the past, the Kickstarter separated the wheat from the chaff, only the selected could bring an LC 4 to life with a kick. Today everyone can get them working thanks to e-starters. The Adventure remains selective anyway: The mighty tank, the enormous seat height and the high center of gravity represent a real hurdle for short contemporaries. The fact that it is even higher than the already long-legged Enduro version has to do with the stiff suspension elements . The suspension – the 50-millimeter Extreme fork at the front, a cross shock absorber from WP at the rear – and its set-up come from the SX cross version, because the Adventure wants to be a real athlete who doesn’t bend its knees under load.
Otherwise, the designers looked around in their own spare parts store and discovered a few fine ingredients. The basis is the engine of the current E-Start-Enduro, the DE headlights come from the Duke. The visually dominating 28-liter tank was originally intended for desert rallies, a petrol pump delivers the fuel to carburetor level. In any case, the Adventure is very close to the desert racer in terms of character and appearance. The cladding with the narrow-cut Plexiglas is also formally reminiscent of the wind protection of the rally version. Roadbook holder and GPS are missing in the cockpit, but can be retrofitted. The cable connections for this are already available, as well as for a remote control for the IMO 100 multifunctional speedometer from Touratech with a wide range of special functions such as a programmable trip master. The readability of the digital LCD display is also good in sunlight.
The prototypes exhibited at last year’s IFMA were still equipped with specially designed plastic cases that were integrated into the design. These have been removed from the series without replacement; for a surcharge (200 marks for the case, 600 marks for the carrier), there are robust aluminum cases from Touratech that do not resent heavy use on tough desert tours. The rear frame is reinforced with additional tubes so that more than underpants and a toothbrush can go with you. The exhaust went from the upper room deep into the cellar. So the overall width could be kept narrow with suitcases so as not to get stuck in the big city bustle or in the thicket. The exhaust of the rally factory machines has been relocated in a similar way so that large additional tanks can be accommodated in the rear frame. With the Adventure, however, instead of a single one, there are two dainty, round silencers that are supplied by the elbows on the right under the footrests. The construction, by the way from front to back made of stainless steel, looks a bit adventurous at first, because the left damper is flanged against the exhaust gas flow. According to KTM technicians, the entire vibration system is tuned so that both dampers come into action equally. The second damper is definitely not a mock-up, no differences in exhaust pressure are noticeable when the vehicle is stationary. With the elaborate two-in-one-in-two system, which will also have brackets made of cast aluminum in the series, even more power and a better torque curve should be achieved compared to the enduro damper.
Despite the theoretical advantages in terms of power, the low-lying exhaust system will be a point of discussion among hard enduro riders and rally fans. There are slightly ugly dents and scratches in the terrain, including in the painted tank. One of the prototypes was clearly drawn after a colleague made a slight slip at walking pace. Another disadvantage is that the ground clearance in grooves or in deep sand is reduced. It gets tight in the area of the footrests, the proximity to the brake lever sometimes misleads the foot. Especially since the brake pedal is typically KTM small and sits far inside. In any case, it is not optimally arranged, but you may get used to it over time. It could get uncomfortable, however, if the manifolds load dirt or stones like a shovel, which could possibly block the rear brake lever. And the deep exhaust cannot be exchanged for the enduro system without further ado, as there are a few tubes in the way of the Adventure’s rear frame.
Trial-like locomotion is possible, but not the adventure’s favorite pastime because it is too cumbersome. It’s fun when you can let it go. On sand paths or gravel passages, it can be moved almost like any other LC 4, there is little noticeable of the large tank and heavy weight, unless the fuel drum is full. As long as the ground is dry and hard, the Metzeler Enduro 3 can play along, but grip is limited in sand or on slippery terrain. The suspension offers high reserves. Even if the driver overlooks a hole or a bump, the tightly damped suspension absorbs such emergency situations. Smaller waves come through in spite of the good response behavior because of the pressure damping that is already effective in the initial area. The Adventure is not and does not want to be as comfortable as a DR 650.
German customers will probably cover most of the kilometers with the thick ship on the road. Here the Adventure can play out some advantages over the Enduro version. First of all, the driver does not necessarily have to study the petrol station network before starting an exit. With a moderate driving style, you can even drive up to 500 kilometers in a row – as long as you can endure that long on the hard and narrow bench. The cladding with noticeable wind protection offers relief at speeds of more than 100 km / h. However, the head of tall drivers is exactly in the turbulence area, which turned out to be extremely annoying with a prototype. Rattling and clattering indicate that the strong eddies are due to vibrations in the GRP cladding. In a second test adventure, both the fairing was quieter and the flow was calmer. In the series, injection molded parts are used for the windbreak, so the topic should be off the table.
The clean, appealing chassis was convincing in road use without any compromises. Unlike the soft enduro bikes of the competition, the fork does not dip as far when braking and is very torsion-resistant. The 300-millimeter disc is installed in the front, which, according to the factory, safely brings the 166-kilogram load to a standstill with little hand strength. The fact that the pads squeaked loudly and audibly every time the brakes were applied after a few violent braking maneuvers is a blemish that has also occurred with other KTMs. The straight-line stability is absolutely without any complaints, there is no sign of a pendulum phenomenon at top speed. It may be that the cladding has a stabilizing effect.
S.o much is clear, the Adventure is more than an LC 4 enduro with a large tank. It offers significantly more, and accordingly costs more. The off-road sports tourer is to be delivered in limited numbers from the end of May for 15,000 marks.
1994
With the Duke, KTM is treading the road to success. The sporty Rauhbein LC 4 is made socially acceptable by means of a balance shaft, damped clutch and reinforced connecting rod. The automatic decompression device makes the start-up procedure much easier. The factory’s 612 series engine with cast pistons is already being used for the first serious Paris-Dakar deployment. At the same time, the transmission is reinforced in the fourth and fifth gear range, and the microfilter moves in front of the engine to the lower end of the chest tube.
1991-1991
The LC 4 established itself in sport straight away, teething problems such as unwilling start behavior were largely eliminated as part of the model update. The LC 4 has also been available as a 350 since 1990, and a performance set with a 612 cubic centimeter displacement is also available, but the company is not doing well. KTM miscalculated in the area of radiator and bicycle production and went bankrupt in December 1991. The importers from Germany, Holland and Italy are taking over the motorcycle division together with a Swiss investment group. Production in Mattighofen starts again two weeks later.
1997
Since the LC 4 has been available with a starter, the factory can hardly save itself from orders. The LSE in particular with its 19-inch front wheel and moderate seat height is becoming a best seller. But Hard Enduro customers, too, are suddenly ordering KTM software with an e-starter. With rallies and the macho marketing concept of the hard enduro, the Austrians are also right on trend. It could go on like this for the next ten years.
1987
Sepp Hattinger, two-stroke specialist in the KTM trial, came back from winter vacation in 1985 with a drawing of a four-stroke sports engine. KTM boss Erich Trunkenpoltz says yes to the start of the LC 4 project. The single-cylinder with a displacement of 553 cubic centimeters weighs just 30 kilograms, the gearbox and crankcase are separated from each other by a partition, as in the two-stroke engine, and the cooling water is circulated by an electric pump. When used in enduro sports, the prototypes are developed to readiness for series production. In 1987 the production of the LC 4 begins.
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