2014 KTM 690 - Talk me into it or out of it?

[smiles1]

Very tempted after a test ride. Fits well and goes ok. Not blistering at the top end but nice for B roads.

What are the draw backs, there must be a few who have owned one given they have eben around for a while?

[YouWhat]

Have you looked at the 790, only £500 more for a much better road bike?

[airsafari87]

YouWhat said:

Have you looked at the 790, only £500 more for a much better road bike?

OP has been looking at a 2014 model, not new.

No experience of them personally, but I very very nearly bought one myself a couple of years ago.

I have ridden my mates 690 SMC though, which I believe is the same engine as the Duke?? That was a riot to ride and sounded pretty damn good too.
Being the type of lad he is he will have researched the hell out of the bike before buying it and if there were any major inherent problems with them he wouldn't have gone near it.
HTH.

[Biker 1]

Watch out for oil consumption. I'm guessing you're talking about the Duke 690 here (???). I had a 2012 one from new: it had a minor oil seal replaced under warranty, but apart from that was totally reliable.
Very light, extremely agile. Aftermarket exhaust is either end-can, or full system that requires a remap. Fasteners were all coated in in anti corrosion treatment (I forget the trade name), but I found they would rust easily in winter.
Apart from that, big single cylinder lump made weird rattling noises from the engine, which sounded terminal, but my dealer said was totally normal. I'd like another one, but with the same power as the 790......

Oh, & they are particularly good bait for our travelling friends - do NOT skimp on security.

[BuzzBravado]

Pre 2017 ones had difficult gearboxes from what i've seen and heard, Constantly going into false neutral seemed widespread. 2017 onwards they revised quite a lot.