HP2 Enduro against 950 Super Enduro R

HP2 Enduro against 950 Great Enduro R

In full

That has never happened before. Four hundredweight, over 100 hp and prices like a decent small car ?? With the HP2 Enduro and the 950 Super Enduro R, BMW and KTM go to great lengths when it comes to Enduro. Experiences beyond known boundaries in the mining industry.

Have you ever killed a dragon? No? Then you should think twice about it. Because what’s in front of you is going to ask for the whole guy. Weighing almost 200 kilograms, over 100 hp, with a seat height of almost one meter ?? The BMW HP2 Enduro and the KTM 950 Super Enduro R. Created to overcome the previously applicable limits in the enduro segment not only financially ?? the BMW beats with a good 16,000 euros, the KTM with just under 12,000 euros? to move. Machines that respond to the question "What i want?" give the answer yourself: everything.

Country roads, gravel roads and hard terrain should help to find out what is going on. And what not. The pressure on the button. The BMW immediately rocks its two pistons back and forth, gently shaking itself. With the KTM, you still need a short pull on the handlebar-mounted choke lever to start babbling. A reminiscence of the two 43 series constant pressure carburetors that make the 950 two-cylinder ?? in contrast to the injection-equipped 990 unit of the Adventure ?? feed.

Departure. Moderate humming replaces the aggressively loud shooting that is familiar from single cylinders. A fact that ensures that some dirt roads are suddenly transformed into socially acceptable enduro terrain. The fundamentally different alignment of the off-road colossuses is also noticeable. BMW places its trainer in an emphatically relaxed position, bridging the considerable distance to the steering head with the high, strongly cranked handlebars. The reason: the overall length of the boxer engine means that the front is an impressive twelve centimeters further away from the driver than the KTM. The narrow knee and the comfortably padded bench are flattering. KTM positions its staff aggressively. Slightly bent forward, but still comfortably accommodated, the pilot feels like an asset, always eager to intervene in the action with the smooth-running fittings.

We ?? they are motocross legend and MOTORRAD employee Dietmar Lacher and the author ?? do not do a lot of pen reading and turn onto the first dirt road. Finely split, the gray ribbon stretches across the gently undulating landscape and invites you to give the big bikes a run out. Speaking of tunnels. The Metzeler MCE Karoo, which is fitted as standard on both off-roaders, shouldn’t be expected too much. Big blocks and shallow tread depth ?? the price for the durability on these mammoth enduros ?? limit the grip of the tires on dry terrain. When wet, the pairing quickly hoists the white flag.

HP2 Enduro against 950 Super Enduro R

In full

Off to the field

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That dusts nicely.

Gas on. The BMW sprints smoothly, demonstrating the traditional strengths of the 1170 cc boxer straight away. Full traction and wonderful controllability make every corner exit on grit an experience. The throttle turns into a protractor with which the degree of drift can be adjusted. Whereby the unit definitely has fire. 3.8 seconds from zero to 100 speak for themselves. In addition, the briefly translated six-speed transmission with defined quick gear changes is just as impressive as the inspiring straight-line stability.

The BMW driver should be happy about this for as long as possible. It gets uncomfortable before bends. Braking 198 kilograms plus crew ready to drive requires readjustment of all off-road braking clothes. But that alone is not enough in the case of BMW. The following also applies here: listen away. With a loud clacking noise, the cardan drive groans unmistakably under the deceleration work and fights against downshifting attempts. Slightly dragging the clutch when braking eases the whole thing, but doesn’t completely eliminate the hitting in the rear.

And when the time comes to turn, the next surprise awaits. The huge wheelbase of 1610 millimeters and the ultra-flat steering head angle of 60.5 degrees add up to the disastrous alliance. Like an overloaded tractor, the Bavarian pushes the front wheel to the outside of the curve. Leg out doesn’t work because of the cylinder. That leaves the rally style. Brake in time and ?? standing in the rests ?? trace the curve with an acceleration drift. Good for those who can.

The KTM demands in another respect. The lively engine, which subjectively ranks miles ahead of the sluggish BMW aggregate, has every difficulty on gravel to convert its measured 102 horses into propulsion. Although the 942 cc V2 has a modified mapping ?? compared to the version in the 950 supermoto. apart from the unchanged peak performance ?? has been tamed by around four hp across the entire speed range, the herd is constantly scratching its hooves. Traction can only be found with an extremely soulful hand on the throttle. The fact that the transmission slips as smooth as butter and the brakes can be adjusted fantastically on critical surfaces takes a back seat in the stress of these moments. Especially since the next bend also demands attention. Because the weight and the steeply rising tank take their toll. Without the possibility of putting additional weight on the front wheel, the KTM front also tends to understeer. At least driving corrections can be done with conventional means, i.e. support leg out and accelerate. Nevertheless, the driving experience is also more like a rally machine than a sports enduro.

The limits of the chassis

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More like rally machines than sport enduros.

How was it? I want it all. Even tough terrain? Okay, a gravel pit beckons. Smoothly rolled slopes alternate with truck tracks and washed-out transverse channels. It’s going to be tricky. We rumble across the natural washboard. And whoever tuned the KTM suspension, deserves the title of hero of work. The setup of the 48 fork from WP Suspension and the directly hinged shock absorber from the same company are a precision landing. First-class response behavior, a damping curve that was already successful in the standard setting and on top of that a huge setting range ?? Hat.

And whoever is responsible for the suspension of the BMW, please contact the said gentleman in Mattighofen for further training. Both the 45 mm Marzocchi fork and the air suspension strut from Continental are set up too softly. Apart from the smallest waves, every unevenness drives the spring elements, which are adjusted with much too weak pressure damping, far into the progressive range and causes hard hits. Changes to the damping setting are of little use. Even completely closed pressure damping on the upside-down fork improves the situation only minimally.

The situation in the rear is even more critical. The shock absorber lacks any progression and already collapses when you accelerate. A higher than the standard air pressure of five bar only reduces the negative spring travel without creating significantly more suspension reserves. That we understand each other correctly: the KTM is not a crosser either. Jumps quickly push the suspension of both four hundredweight cars to their limits? the BMW earlier, the KTM later. In the narrow run, fun is finally over, as the pounds are tremendously dragging on the balance. At a moderate speed, the longitudinal crankshaft of the BMW makes it noticeably easier to hold the car in the vertical position than with its Alpine competitor. Especially in ruts it can be balanced much more precisely and relaxed than with the KTM. But woe if the colossi falter. In this weight class, the only thing that helps is temporary separation so as not to be buried among the masses.

The slow ride on the KTM is also spoiled by the very direct, almost aggressive throttle response at low speeds, which pushes the front to the outside of the bend in tight bends. Only in the more open terrain do they both return to their strengths. In other words: the smooth running of the engines and the seemingly inexhaustible thrust of the two-cylinder engines off the road, which? even against the background of some drawbacks ??? to a complete work with a special charisma. Although you have to admit: You can’t have everything after all? not even for a lot of money.

Road and bottom line

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On the chassis side, the KTM can score.

Although the two large enduros were designed for off-road use, the concepts of the powerful two-cylinder bikes naturally also appeal to road use. MOTORRAD therefore swapped the standard Metzeler Karoo tires, which are unsatisfactory in terms of durability and grip on asphalt, for Metzeler Enduro 3 in sizes 140 / 80-17 and 90 / 90-21 (BMW) and 140 / 80-18 and 90 / 90-21 (KTM). The first finding: In terms of handiness and steering precision, the narrow-soled two-cylinder immediately impress? although they naturally have to give up when it comes to the transmission of braking forces and the adhesion in an inclined position compared to road machines with much wider tires in this performance class. What else was noticeable: the BMW swallows almost six liters and the KTM almost seven liters when driving fast on country roads. Makes around 200 kilometers of range. The vibrations of the HP2 unit are clearly pronounced, while the super enduro engine runs silky. The KTM’s front-wheel brake, which is easier to adjust off-road, loses out on asphalt compared to the BMW stopper, which has a more clearly defined pressure point. In terms of suspension, the impression from the terrain changes only marginally. The KTM remains comfortable and well balanced, the buttery-soft tuned BMW dips annoyingly when braking, and when accelerating quickly in an inclined position, the hindquarters stamps on a bumpy surface.

Conclusion

Are you pioneers or loners? The HP2 and the Super Enduro are bold concepts. It remains to be seen whether there is still a gap for the modern versions of the original GS in the age of high-volume sport enduros and highly attractive two-cylinder supermoto. And if so, the KTM currently fills it better.

Technical data: KTM 950 Super Enduro R

engine
Water-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke 75-degree V-engine, crankshaft transverse,
two chain-driven ones at the top
Camshafts, four valves, bucket tappets, dry sump lubrication, constant pressure carburetor, Ø 43 mm, uncontrolled catalytic converter, 450 W alternator, 12 V / 12 Ah battery, hydraulically operated multi-disc oil bath-
clutch, six-speed gearbox, X-ring chain.
Bore x stroke 100.0 x 60.0 mm
Displacement 942 cm3
Compression ratio 11.5: 1

rated capacity
72.0 kW (98 PS) at 8500 rpm

Max. Torque 90 Nm at 7000 rpm

Pollutant values ​​(homologation) in g / km
Euro 2 CO 3.380 / HC 0.220 / NOx 0.190

landing gear
Steel tubular frame, load-bearing motor, upside-down fork, Ø 48 mm, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, two-arm swing arm made of aluminum, central spring strut, directly hinged, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, front disc brake,
Ø 300 mm, double-piston floating caliper, rear disc brake, Ø 240 mm, double-piston floating caliper.
Spoked wheels with aluminum rims
1.85 x 21; 2.50 x 18
Tires 90 / 90-21; 140 / 80-18
Metzeler MCE Karoo tires tested

mass and weight
Wheelbase 1577 mm, steering head angle 64.4 degrees, caster 112 mm, suspension travel f / h 250/255 mm, seat height * 950 mm, weight with a full tank * 200 kg, payload * 200 kg, tank capacity 14.5 liters.

Two year guarantee

Service intervals every 7500 km

Orange, black colors

Price 11,495 euros

Additional costs 200 euros

Technical data: BMW HP2 Enduro

engine
Air / oil-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke boxer engine, crankshaft lying lengthways, one high-lying, chain-driven camshaft, four valves per cylinder, bucket tappets, bumpers, rocker arms, wet sump lubrication, injection, Ø 47 mm, ge-
Regulated catalytic converter, alternator 600 W, battery 12 V / 11 Ah, hydraulically operated single-plate dry clutch, six-speed gearbox, cardan.
Bore x stroke 101.0 x 73.0 mm
Cubic capacity 1170 cm3
Compression ratio 11: 1

rated capacity
77.0 kW (105 PS) at 7000 rpm

Max. Torque 115 Nm at 5500 rpm

Pollutant values ​​(homologation) in g / km
Euro 3 CO 0.571 / HC 0.168 / NOx 0.016

landing gear
Steel tubular frame, load-bearing motor, upside-down fork, Ø 45 mm, adjustable rebound and compression damping, two-joint single-sided swing arm made of aluminum, strut, front disc brake,
Ø 305 mm, double-piston floating caliper, rear disc brake, Ø 265 mm, double-piston floating caliper.
Spoked wheels with aluminum rims
1.85 x 21; 2.50 x 17
Tires 90 / 90-21; 140 / 80-17
Metzeler MCE Karoo tires tested

mass and weight
Wheelbase 1610 mm, steering head angle 60.5 degrees, caster 127 mm, spring travel f / h 270/250 mm, seat height * 945 mm, weight with a full tank * 198 kg, load * 182 kg, tank capacity / reserve 13.0 / 2.0 liters.

Warranty two years

Service intervals every 10000 km

Colors blue / silver

Price 16,000 euros

Additional costs 262 euros

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