new chav bike

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Tim85

Original Poster:

1,742 posts

134 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
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So I picked up my new to me bike yesterday in the glorious sunshine. I've always fancied a supermoto type bike and needed to free up a bit of cash. my reasoning behind it was to try and slow me down a bit on the road and also I couldn't justify the money that was in the r1 when I have a 1500 quid track bike that I ride twice as hard. The r1 just seemed too nice and too valuable to keep for a couple of rides a month. It also was devaluing very quickly. Luckily I managed to have the new bike experience without having to pay for it which was very lucky. ive always wanted that out of the box feeling and to enjoy it and I never wanted to see it as an asset but I couldn't help keep an eye on the value And I wouldn't put my money into a new bike in the future.
As an example I was offered 10k when it had zero miles, 8k when it had 1200 miles and I eventually got 7k with 3500miles. (I could of got more private but I wanted the deal quick as it was like taking a plaster off, Iloved the bike but wanted it gone out of sigh. So I could just crack on with finding another.) So watching the value drop so steeply within the first few k miles in future I'll always buy a couple year old bikes I reckon.

Any way r1 gone. Lump of money given to the wife to pay the last of the wedding off (with the promise I can upgrade my track bike once the weddings done) I went and bought this 2012 ktm smc-r with 8000 miles on it.

My initial impressions after 100 miles, I absolutely love it. It's way quicker than I thought it would be up to about 80. Then it's pointless. I thought I'd see what it had in it and at maxed out 120 it had some crazy front end weaving with the wind hitting the hand guards.
It picks the wheel up in the first three gears without hesitation. It's handling is strange. Very vague compared to a sportsbike. I could carry the same corner speeds as usual but I couldn't really feel what the front end is doing and on fast sweepers it feels like your gliding rather than planted to the road. I'm guessing that's due to the 10ft of suspension travel and the style of bike I guess. Its something I'll learn to trust and be able to gauge I hope.

On a b road I think it would upset a lot of more exotic bikes as the riding position is so good I can see over most hedges and other vehicles and the low Down torque is impressive plus the fact that bumps don't exist anymore. On anything more open and proper a roads it obviously would be left for dead. And motorways are a definite no go.

Will it make me ride slower on the road...erm I don't think so. It definitely feels like I'm less likely to die in an off as the speeds are generally less but it does feel ten times more likely that I'm going to loose my licence. It's pointless going over 80 but it encourages you to ride everywhere at 70/80 which isn't necessarily a good thing.

Low down throttle inputs are lumpy round town, fuel economy and the 12ltr tank are ste, the sound is ear splittingly loud with it being a single it's not a particularly nice noise just a ripping sound. And I'm pretty sure sat anything more than 100 miles I'll develop piles but other than that I've not stopped smiling all day. Oh and you fill up at the back so you have to get off to fill up so you can't get it fully full and if you over flow slightly there's a nice channel in the plastics that funnel the fuel straight onto the the hot exhaust which is nice.

I Also no longer get nodded at by other bikers as they think I'm some sort of hooded yoof on a 125.

Ginger bike for a ginger man.








Guy Martin stickers to go as soon as I can be bothered.

Tim85

Original Poster:

1,742 posts

134 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
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I did actually stop smiling when I dropped my Arai, smashing a side pod and the back vents to bits. 350 quid down the drain.

Jazoli

9,086 posts

249 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
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Nice bike Tim, not my cup of tea but good fun, don't feel too bad about your helmet, I dropped my spanking new arai the day I bought it, I don't buy expensive helmets anymore for this very reason, I crashed and damaged my new HJC the first time I wore it too!

cat with a hat

1,484 posts

117 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
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After the first paragraph, I'm surprised you got one of these!

Awesome fun in the countryside on a dry summers day in, but otherwise even more impractical than your R1 tongue out

P.S The one with an akrapovic can I rode sounded like a sewing machine redface

Tim85

Original Poster:

1,742 posts

134 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
quotequote all
Cheers Dave. It's not everyone's cup of tea and they do have a certain stigma attached to them. But then so do r1s and gsxrs which I've owned. I think I just like chavvy bikes strangely.

I'm hoping this has done it he majority of its depreciation but as long as it keeps running...ktm kiss of death, until it's worth 4k with a couple of grand on top I could always pick up another decent sport. Bike for 6k if I choose to go back down that route later on.
Strangely I've had a k6 1000 a big bang r1 both I loved and can't fault and with over 170 up or whatever they were fast but the two bikes that have given me the biggest smiles on the road are an old tatty 600 hornet and this so far. Both with just enough horsepower to turn my oven on.

I'm going to swap my old gsxr track bike to a newer r6 track bike at some point next year so I can get my speed kicks from that a handfull of times a year this is just to get me out and about locally really. What sealed the deal for me was on the morning I traded it I thought I'll give the r1 a bit of a thrashing (to my ability) on the way. Not once did I use full throttle and I followed two separate police cars so I just got it in my mind that I don't need itand it's wasted on me. In an ideal world I'd obviously have one of every type of bike but time for a bit of a change.

Annoyingly Speed bumps have now become speed jumps though. it really does bring out the worst in you.

I also love spoked wheels.

moanthebairns

17,918 posts

197 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
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Can't believe you sold your R1 you ungrateful wee st.

Put the foot down and have 3.

Glad your happy though. Certainly is different I'll give you that. Quite cool. You do need to get a kevlar hoodie now

Did you have the R1 up on Gumtree. Sure I saw it browsing. Or one in same colour scheme.

3DP

9,912 posts

233 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
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Congrats and shame about the R1. The depreciation flattens from there really, but no doubt there's an initial hit.

KTM looks great - if you can't learn to be a wheelie legend riding one of those, you will never wheelie biggrin

Tim85

Original Poster:

1,742 posts

134 months

Wednesday 1st July 2015
quotequote all
Nah didnt advertise it anywhere just took it to a local garage.

3dp, I never been able to wheelie for the life in me but already yesterday I was spent half the afternoon on the back wheel. It's weird it has so much travel I couldn't tell it was whellying but my mates said it was a a good foot or two up. Just coming out of a 2nd gear corner it just lifts with no effort. By the end of the night they were getting to the point where they were getting scary and I couldnt see the road anymore. It's definitely a strange feeling and probably going to get me in trouble. Just got to keep it up on the pennines.

moanthebairns

17,918 posts

197 months

Thursday 2nd July 2015
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Tim85 said:
Nah didnt advertise it anywhere just took it to a local garage.

3dp, I never been able to wheelie for the life in me but already yesterday I was spent half the afternoon on the back wheel. It's weird it has so much travel I couldn't tell it was whellying but my mates said it was a a good foot or two up. Just coming out of a 2nd gear corner it just lifts with no effort. By the end of the night they were getting to the point where they were getting scary and I couldnt see the road anymore. It's definitely a strange feeling and probably going to get me in trouble. Just got to keep it up on the pennines.
laugh

Tim85

Original Poster:

1,742 posts

134 months

Thursday 2nd July 2015
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2ft high wheelies = wheelie God ha. I'll be showing bn and 3dp up in no time ha...

In all seriousness it's pretty scary when the road dissapears from sight if your not used to the feeling.

Will have a poll for how long till you see a thread 'I lost my licence for being a tool'

3DP

9,912 posts

233 months

Thursday 2nd July 2015
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Tim85 said:
2ft high wheelies = wheelie God ha. I'll be showing bn and 3dp up in no time ha...

In all seriousness it's pretty scary when the road dissapears from sight if your not used to the feeling.

Will have a poll for how long till you see a thread 'I lost my licence for being a tool'
Pop it into 3rd with a small dip of throttle and a clutchless change, as soon as you can and start working on length now you have a bit of height. If it's dropping down in 3rd then you need more height in 2nd before the change. The higher the gear, the more stable the wheelie as long as you have enough height that the engine can maintain the wheelie in that higher gear.

Keep the rear brake covered, but to make it a bit more instinctive, try bringing down a few wheelies with some rear brake. They'll be quite hard landings, but the beauty of an SM/off road bike is that they are built to take this kind of abuse vs. a road bike.

I don't think I've ever used the rear brake to save a flip on a road bike, but many times on an enduro bike, it's bailed me out biggrin

They are addictive, but do watch for plod.

Dog Star

16,079 posts

167 months

Thursday 2nd July 2015
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Tim85 said:
S
Lump of money given to the wife ...with the promise I can upgrade my track bike once the weddings done
roflroflroflroflroflroflrofl
You total mug! It'll never ever happen - not til the endless merry-go-round of kitchens, furniture, bathrooms blah blah. i.e. Never!

But supermotos, yes. I found I rode like an utter tt on my CRF450R, it was so loud. Wheelies and stoppies obligatory everywhere.



3DP

9,912 posts

233 months

Thursday 2nd July 2015
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Dog Star said:
But supermotos, yes. I found I rode like an utter tt on my CRF450R, it was so loud. Wheelies and stoppies obligatory everywhere.
Mine made me ride like a complete cocktard everywhere too biggrin




Fats25

6,260 posts

228 months

Thursday 2nd July 2015
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3DP said:
I don't think I've ever used the rear brake to save a flip on a road bike, but many times on an enduro bike, it's bailed me out biggrin
Not everytime though? Must be a few years since you posted your vid? wink

3DP

9,912 posts

233 months

Thursday 2nd July 2015
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Fats25 said:
3DP said:
I don't think I've ever used the rear brake to save a flip on a road bike, but many times on an enduro bike, it's bailed me out biggrin
Not everytime though? Must be a few years since you posted your vid? wink
Haha - no I re-posted the looping vid recently.

Tim85

Original Poster:

1,742 posts

134 months

Thursday 2nd July 2015
quotequote all
Does anyone know if the ktm 690 enduro wheels fit straight on for a bit of green laning? I don't know if there'd be any brake issues swapping. But I think the rest of the bike is fairly similar.

Great pics 3dp can't beat a bit of hump action.

Tim85

Original Poster:

1,742 posts

134 months

Thursday 2nd July 2015
quotequote all
Can't beat a bit of tubeless spoked wheels and brembos.
Now if any one has 10000 spokey dokeys and a playing card to stick in the spokes I can re live my youth properly.

3DP

9,912 posts

233 months

Thursday 2nd July 2015
quotequote all
Tim85 said:
Does anyone know if the ktm 690 enduro wheels fit straight on for a bit of green laning? I don't know if there'd be any brake issues swapping. But I think the rest of the bike is fairly similar.

Great pics 3dp can't beat a bit of hump action.
I can't speak specifically on the KTM690, but generally, to convert back and forth from SM to Enduro, you need a different brake caliper mount/adaptor, change the side stand (off road wheels need much longer stand), different sprockets and longer chain. The SM suspension will also be pretty harsh.

Dannaz

313 posts

145 months

Thursday 2nd July 2015
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Congrats on the new bike, be good to see how you get on, as I am toying with the idea of getting the KTM 690 Enduro R, as I no longer use the current bike daily and right fancy one of these as just a toy for when weather is ok.

Renn Sport

2,761 posts

208 months

Thursday 2nd July 2015
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These are addictive and actually really improve your riding skills.

The vague feeling on turn in is simply the fact you dont have enough weight on the front of the bike. Many supermoto riders slide forward in the seat, stick the front leg out to help weight up the front.

I still have mine but I have sorned it after almost getting caught wheeling off the the lights. Plod told me off but luckily I had put the front down before he noticed me burst from the scooter and bike gaggle.

Thinking about re-instating it.