990 Supermoto (2007 - present) review
With the old engine the KTM was a fairly bonkers machine, now it’s even sillier. It’s almost impossible not to wheeile the 990SM when you pull away in first gear, just open the throttle and the front comes up. Second requires almost as little effort and by the time you are in third you are giggling inside your lid like a child. It’s so silly and so much fun that it could honestly spell the downfall of motorcycling. It’s so completely and gloriously insane that it deserves to be banned, which is why I love it.
With the old engine the KTM was a fairly bonkers machine, now it’s even sillier. It’s almost impossible not to wheeile the 990SM when you pull away in first gear, just open the throttle and the front comes up. Second requires almost as little effort and by the time you are in third you are giggling inside your lid like a child. It’s so silly and so much fun that it could honestly spell the downfall of motorcycling. It’s so completely and gloriously insane that it deserves to be banned, which is why I love it. But the beauty of the KTM is that although it has such a crazy motor, the chassis is perfectly suited to getting the most from it.
Despite being quite a big bike the 990SM doesn’t feel large when you are riding it. Shorties might struggle a bit at a standstill because the KTM is fairly tall, but on the go the weight distribution is spot on, making the 990SM feel like a big naked bike, just one with a very upright riding position. This may sound a bit like an obvious statement but supermotos with their long travel suspension and 17-inch wheels sometimes feel really front-end biased, which can be off putting and takes getting used to. The KTM instantly feels natural, which is why it’s such an easy bike to hop on and go mental. The Ducati, on the other hand, requires a bit more time.
Read more: http://www.visordown.com/road-tests/road-test-ducati-hypermotard-v-ktm-990sm/4407.html#ixzz0xd4JLxhY
With the old engine the KTM was a fairly bonkers machine, now it’s even sillier. It’s almost impossible not to wheeile the 990SM when you pull away in first gear, just open the throttle and the front comes up. Second requires almost as little effort and by the time you are in third you are giggling inside your lid like a child. It’s so silly and so much fun that it could honestly spell the downfall of motorcycling. It’s so completely and gloriously insane that it deserves to be banned, which is why I love it. But the beauty of the KTM is that although it has such a crazy motor, the chassis is perfectly suited to getting the most from it.
Despite being quite a big bike the 990SM doesn’t feel large when you are riding it. Shorties might struggle a bit at a standstill because the KTM is fairly tall, but on the go the weight distribution is spot on, making the 990SM feel like a big naked bike, just one with a very upright riding position. This may sound a bit like an obvious statement but supermotos with their long travel suspension and 17-inch wheels sometimes feel really front-end biased, which can be off putting and takes getting used to. The KTM instantly feels natural, which is why it’s such an easy bike to hop on and go mental. The Ducati, on the other hand, requires a bit more time.
Read more: http://www.visordown.com/road-tests/road-test-ducati-hypermotard-v-ktm-990sm/4407.html#ixzz0xd4JLxhY
