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Comparative test of supermotos

Halli-Galli

Where irrational reigns, where pleasure is the driving force, where driving pleasure is rooted: Super Moto – fun on small wheels. KTM and MuZ target street fighters of all classes with LC 4 640 Supermoto and Baghira Streetmoto.

Great Motorbike: spartan, reduced. AT cylinder, long suspension travel, thick grip tires. The French gave birth to the trend in the eighties, the Chambon brothers made it famous, the KTM Duke made it popular. And now the wave is rolling – not least thanks to the MOTORRAD initiative – so high that almost everyone is fascinated by it. That is why KTM is sending the LC 4 640 Supermoto ahead of the new Duke, and that is why the MuZ Saxons are pushing the Baghira Streetmoto into the shop window.
Both are knitted in a similar way: wide 17-inch wire rims instead of the narrow Enduro counterparts, plus thick socks – sticky Pirelli MT 60 Corsa in 120/70 at the front and 160/60 at the back – that’s it. In terms of equipment, they are limited to the bare essentials: tightly knitted cockpits, tiny headlights, but electric starters.
The KTM is a bit like an insect at the start. High, gnarled legs on which the slim body sits enthroned, bursting with strength. 159 kilograms light, sinewy, befitting. The MuZ wears its plump plastic body colorful and less martial. Weighing 177 kilos, muscular, a little more comfortable. An impression that is ergonomically confirmed. Where the LC4 integrates its low, narrow twelve-liter tank into the long bench seat and invites you to do gymnastics, the 12.5-liter fuel tank of the Baghira restricts movement to the front. It also spreads the legs a little further apart. The wide handlebars – the city biker reaches for the saw for the minivan-infested city traffic – are equally well at hand, the KTM enhances its own with practical handle shells. With the Alpenkrad, the footrests mounted further to the front also take all gymnastics into account.
Gymnastics? Of course, these parts want to be ridden actively. Press is the magic word, use the huge ground clearance, slide into the curve, body and buttocks far forward, sitting almost sideways on the almost lying motorcycle, feel the grip of the tires, catch slides not with your knee, but with your foot , accelerate – »Brrraaaab« – again and again, again and again, that’s it.
The offroad-born chassis of the two fun bikes have everything you need: appropriately stable single-loop frames, lush aluminum swing arms, long-stroke spring elements with plenty of reserves and sufficiently large brakes. On the autobahn, which should actually only be chosen as a feeder, they move more or less calmly, the MuZ a little more calmly on their way. Both share a gently appealing hindquarters, which doesn’t really give rise to complaint anywhere, and equally stubborn forks that pass small bumps on to the handlebars almost unfiltered. The response behavior, which is miserable in both cases, recommends revision by the chassis specialist, who can use this opportunity to re-tighten the repeatedly leaking oil seals on the MuZ fork. Regardless, when pushed hard, the forks offer reserves that can hardly be explored on the road. In addition, the torsion-resistant parts help both test subjects to achieve pleasant steering precision. The MuZ is more handy, the somewhat stoic KTM needs a firmer hand. In any case, both are greedy for curves, and also extremely fast, as long as the radii are not too large. There is little difference when it comes to the brakes either: satisfactory deceleration at the front, at the rear there is always enough for a slide.
It goes without saying that driving pleasure also goes hand in hand with the smoke and character of the engine. When it comes to smoke, KTM has no friends. Even the first barking – with a little choke – makes an impression. The short-stroke stew hangs almost digitally on the gas, snapping its power dry and robust through the cat-equipped exhaust. The character of the single also comes across fully tamed by the balancer shaft and the constant pressure carburettor. There is no choking when the gas bursts, one turn, and the Rotax cheers up powerfully even from low speeds. This heart beats with a tremendous beat – and vibrates vigorously, but not as badly as it used to be.
The cultivated five-valve engine in the MuZ frame – known from the Yamaha XTZ 660 – makes things easier. Where the KTM sends rough shaking in feet and hands, the good Japanese single just tingles. But he slurps through the airbox with a sound, not bad either. The longer-stroke Nippon 660 converts its displacement advantage up to around 4000 rpm into more power, above which the Rotax engine rotates more powerfully and more easily at 1500 revolutions. Like the engines, so are the performance: too heavy and too sluggish the MuZ, which – except in the marginally higher top speed – does not extend the wheel in any situation. As spontaneously as the KTM hangs on the accelerator, it also accelerates sharply. Nevertheless, the MuZ never lags far behind, on the country road the KTM rider has to shake violently to drive away. In doing so, he also uses the weight advantage of alpine fun.
D.he well-chosen gear steps of the Rotax gearbox snap precisely and crisply, those of the Sachsen toy less sharp. By the way, the KTM protects vital components such as the radiator and water pump much better in the event of an emergency. And that can happen, because regardless of whether it is MuZ or KTM: both seduce you to walk to the limit in any form – to a broad, good-natured degree.

Conclusion KTM LC4 640 Supermoto

That’s how it should be for tough boys and girls. The KTM remains true to its hard enduro concept and dispensations with the overly cultivated run of its extended-stroke Rotax stew in a species-appropriate manner. But throttle response and power output are unparalleled in the ABE-compliant series single-cylinder world. This single seduces you to gasp and turns its rider into an outlaw the moment you mount it. If the fat fork also responded better, it would be bliss.

Conclusion MuZ Baghira Streetmoto

Also not bad for tough guys and girls and those who want to become one without having to forego everyday qualities. The Sachsenpfeil is also a lot of fun, but remains on this side of the concerns of daily use. In a direct comparison, his Yamaha single seems a bit sluggish, but in itself it is enough for extremely cheeky locomotion. Above all, the MuZ is significantly cheaper than the KTM – you can cope with the sluggish engine.

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