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KTM 690 SMC R Review

KTM 690 SMC R - front

KTM 690 SMC R Review: Sophisticated Single-Cylinder Silliness

A perhaps overlooked model in KTM’s range, the SMC R is a whole heap of fun
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Gimlet said:
Just a reminder of the KTM glory days when they made real bikes.
Like the man says, no traction control, no ABS, a proper analogue motorcycle with a proper V-twin, not some high tech V2 pretending to be a V4.

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So they couldn't compete when the electronics kicked in? I'm with you on all this intrusive electronics crap but basically it really fell apart for ktm when that became the normal and they couldn't produce the quality to match the price/promise 😢?
 
The skitz said:
So they couldn't compete when the electronics kicked in? I'm with you on all this intrusive electronics crap but basically it really fell apart for ktm when that became the normal and they couldn't produce the quality to match the price/promise 😢?
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But they were the first to develop lean-sensitive ABS, or at least bring it to production bikes, with the 1190 Adv in 2013. The (very modest by today's levels) electronics on that bike work perfectly. Why they could not build on that success I don't know.
I think, rather than continuing to be innovators, they went down the rabbit hole of producing gizmos for the sake of it to compete in meaningless tech geekiness with other manufacturers and justify every rising OTR prices.

KTM used to listen, very discreetly, to riders. If there was some niggle or annoyance on a new model, everyone moaned about it on internet land, picked over the bones of it and worked out what the problem was and how it should be fixed. KTM maintained a distant silence and then the following year they came out with a gen 2 on which all those concerns had been mysteriously addressed.

At some point they stopped their ears to what their customers were saying (and traditionally KTM had an extremely loyal, if not fanatical fan base) and started doing their own thing. I suspect this happened at boardroom level and it's no coincidence that that same boardroom has driven the company to the brink of financial ruin.

As Mr Farage correctly pointed out this morning, the fish rots from the head down.
 
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Standard procedure on my 1190. You can reset the time period to next service if you went over the year on the last one to get it back on track, and the mileage if you went over that as well.
Don't know if it's the same with later KTMs but on mine the miles remaining to next service is given in km on the service countdown even though it doesn't say so and the main odo is in miles. So you have to calculate the miles you want it to show and convert that to km to get true reading.
 
2K is their normal discount just before the new reg bikes come out. I got 3 grand off my Super Duke when I bought it March 2016.
Wait till dealers can't shift the new bikes. Any last year bikes still kicking around they'll be near giving them away.
 
And right back into devaluing the whole range and subsequent part ex deals.
Looks like they really learned from the financial chats over the last couple of months. Knobbers.
 
I think they would have been better offering smaller discounts but offering free servicing for x number of years, ensuring the bikes are looked after properly so fewer warranty claims.

Ferrari do it with 7 year warranties and free servicing (well, not free as it's included in the price but you know what I mean).
 
Dox said:
I think they would have been better offering smaller discounts but offering free servicing for x number of years, ensuring the bikes are looked after properly so fewer warranty claims.

Ferrari do it with 7 year warranties and free servicing (well, not free as it's included in the price but you know what I mean).
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Only issue is being tied to the dealer as they are a bit of a lottery 🤔
 
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990Glen said:
And right back into devaluing the whole range and subsequent part ex deals.
Looks like they really learned from the financial chats over the last couple of months. Knobbers.
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They did the same with the 2017 superduke gt
 
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