Off-road comparison KTM

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Off-road comparison KTM
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Off-road comparison KTM

LC4 620 Supercompetition against 690 Enduro R

Boundless expanse in pale light, narrow paths through steaming forests, knee-deep swamp. Here KTM’s new Hardenduro 690 Enduro R has to show whether it can follow in the footsteps of the legendary LC4 620 Supercompetition.

Paff ?? the engine stops. It’s over, it’s over. It was clear, of all places here and now, in the middle of this baseless modder hole. The brown broth runs down into the boots from above. 620 Supercompetition and its driver are steaming from every pore, while the colleague with the 6th90 Enduro R anchored ten meters further on the mainland. Clapping loudly, the tough mud robs half-hearted attempts at kicking the last bit of energy, with every kick the chances of success decrease. The inevitable cannot be stopped, the machine sinks deeper and deeper into the morass.

Why does such a single cylinder always die off when you can’t use it at all? Why is there no start button here??

In the 90s, when KTMs still wore pink instead of orange and smart advertising strategists used the term "Hard enduro" For the off-road freaks, racing was a matter of course, and even more so, a worldview. Drivers of fully electrified Japanese enduros had to allow themselves to be dubbed wimps by hardcore enduro riders. What has now been put into perspective, since even tough World Cup crossers have not spurned the electric jump starter. Today you can lose your temper in such a mud bath when your colleague with the ultra-modern 690 material briefly presses the button to elegantly free yourself from the uncomfortable situation.

No drive: the great panorama is just waiting to be enjoyed, a little later the machine soaks up groundless bog

Two men, two corners: a few minutes later, the Supercomp was pulled out of the moor with joint forces. And at some point the 620 Ballermann bubbles again, spits and splatters, however, after the involuntary flooding of all units and the associated thermal rollercoaster. Tuning the 40s Dellorto was always a tricky thing. This LC4 also accepts full throttle without complaint, then again it only accepts throttle with hiccups. Maybe the oldie got a little cold out here in the cold, and you should go with the jets in the direction of fatter? Or water droplets dance around somewhere in the ramifications of the mixture preparation?

Fortunately, the engine picks up again. The modern enduro rider doesn’t have to deal with such problems anyway. Thanks to the latest injection technology, the 690 Enduro R runs with a level of perfection that supercompetition drivers could only dream of. Lambda control and sensors adapt the mixture preparation optimally to the respective conditions, regardless of whether the engine is fully steamed or is tackling its first work cycles after a frosty night.

You can only really appreciate this if you have already burned your fingers on the manifold outside in the rain when changing the nozzle.

LC4 620 Supercompetition vs. 690 Enduro R: Chassis

KTM LC 4 single cylinder engine with carburettors and 57 hp

Now the two enduros are standing next to each other, encrusted with mud. Two robust off-road machines that are only a few years apart. And the engine of the new one still bears the designation LC4. Nevertheless, there are eras between the current interpretation of the hardenduro idea and the original device. Which motorcycle has been built like the old LC4 for almost 20 years without any major changes? The technical progress is reflected in the overall layout, in the engine construction, but also in the finish and workmanship. Compared to the elegant, structurally well thought-out lattice frame 690s, the rustic youngtimer with the simple pipe loop frame suddenly looks quite old. In line with the current trend, the Enduro R has a very compact design, weighty assemblies such as the engine, tank, main frame and shock absorber are concentrated around the center of gravity. Where the old LC4 still appears to be pieced together, everything now looks like it has been cast from a single source.

Out in the moor, however, design and finish don’t count, it’s about facts, about function. About weight. If you pull the 690 out of a deep groove or have to straighten up after a slip, the price of today’s perfection is palpable: With a full tank, the 690 weighs 16 kilograms more at 152 kilograms. A good two of them are due to the larger tank volume in the rear frame, a few more pounds are in the massive silencer, which the current Euro 3 standard makes absolutely necessary.

KTM 690 Enduro R single cylinder engine with injection and 63 hp

A light Akrapovic damper would bring the 690 closer to about ten kilos compared to the 620, but ultimately you have to accept that for more performance, greater suitability for everyday use and better stability. In any case, it is remarkable that the 690, with its enormous peak performance of measured 65 hp, complies with all current noise and pollutant limits. The Supercomp would fail mercilessly. Even in its time it was only half legal, officially only delivered with reduced performance. Some dealers only allowed the full power to be legalized retrospectively by means of individual acceptance, despite the high-torque aluminum silencer.

When driving, the weight of the new ones surprisingly dissolves in favor, which speaks for an extraordinarily good mass distribution with a low overall center of gravity. The 690 looks more light-footed, especially when circling in the forest between closely spaced tree trunks, and the steering feels more direct and precise. However, the small steering angle due to the three-dimensionally welded-on wide steering head of the latticework in the dense bush is a handicap, as the old LC4 with the narrow backbone of the single-tube frame does it easier.

LC4 620 Supercompetition vs. 690 Enduro R: engines

The two KTM off-roaders in their element: off the beaten track

An advantage that she can rarely use. Even in the nineties, the long-legged supercompetition was not exactly famous for its maneuverability compared to the huskies and husabergs of the time, and its stubbornness is even more noticeable compared to the 690 Enduro. In the angled terrain she pushes violently over the front wheel. You have to force a supercompetition, you have to toil. Otherwise razor-sharp changes of direction are not feasible. The reason for the unruly behavior at low speed lies in the overall layout: It is the steering geometry and the unfavorable mass distribution with a high center of gravity, but also the less rigid chassis that blurs the precision.

The stiffer the better? Think, it’s not that simple. The big appearance of the twisting backbone of the supercompetition is yet to come. When it comes to collecting miles instead of rummaging through the moor. When it goes straight on for miles on muddy paths. Common ruts: where? Were there any? The 620 simply ignores everything, because the elastic backbone and the long spring travel flatten even the deepest waves. And if a deep water hole suddenly appears in front of the front wheel in the euphoria, it will be in the air like a lightning bolt. The more openly breathing carburetor motor has more pressure at the bottom than the modern injection unit, and the high center of gravity supports such spontaneous wheelie commands enormously. So mud over it, gas on and full tank.

R or SC: two different abbreviations for the same idea, namely hard enduro pure

While the 620 driver grins and draws a dead straight furrow towards the horizon, the face of the 690 driver looks tense. With the current model, full speed on groovy roads is a thing for men without nerves. On the one hand for the very banal reason that more power also means more speed. On the other hand, the stiff frame sometimes leads to massive unrest in the steering. It twitches frighteningly through the front part, so that you sometimes voluntarily take the gas out.

LC4 620 Supercompetition vs. 690 Enduro R: conclusion

Close your eyes and through: When in doubt, only one thing helps, namely gas

The prospect of catapulting yourself into the barbed wire fences in the three-digit km / h range is not very tempting ?? also in view of the lack of medical care here in no man’s land. And boring oneself into a pond, neither. Because on the 690, the front wheel cannot be lifted as quickly as one would sometimes wish. There is plenty of pressure at the top, but the homologation limits reduce the torque in the lower speed range. The significantly higher peak performance and the thrilling maneuverability can only be enjoyed offroad by the toughest guys.

150 kilometers in moor, forests and meadows lie behind the unequal duo. A paradise despite, no, probably because of the inhospitable weather conditions. The rain lashes horizontally over the landscape, which dissolves in hazy gray. Back to the starting point over a piece of asphalt. A route on which the glaring difference between the smoothly running 690 and the coarsely vibrating 620 is reminded one last time. It is phenomenal what kind of fire can be found in a modern single cylinder. The rear coarse toller has huge problems with power transmission.

At the end of the day the steam is out – for man and machine

The Supercompetition, on the other hand, is a steam hammer made of old shot and grain that shoots until the fingers are numb. With a lot of pressure from below, but without the staying power and the wide speed range of current engines. Even if the new model can do almost everything better, the predator has its own charm. Real hardenduros in the sense of the original definition are definitely both.

Technical data KTM LC4 620 SC

Water-cooled single-cylinder engine, round slide carburetor, Ø 40 mm, no exhaust gas cleaning, five-speed gearbox, displacement 609 cm³, bore x stroke 101 x 76 mm, compression ratio 10.4: 1, 27 hp at 5500 rpm, single-loop frame, spring travel f / h 295/320 mm , Weight with a full tank 136 kg, seat height 980 mm, tank capacity 9 liters, price (2001) 13990 marks (7138 euros).

Technical data KTM 690 Enduro R

Water-cooled single-cylinder engine, injection, Ø 46 mm, regulated catalytic converter, six-speed gearbox, displacement 654 cm³, bore x stroke 102 x 80.0 mm, compression ratio 11.8: 1, 63 HP at 7500 rpm, tubular space frame, spring travel f / h 275 / 275 mm, weight fully fueled 152 kg, seat height 950 mm, tank capacity 12 liters, price 8795 euros.

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