Incominnnnnnnng. Sometimes you have to go with your heart... not your head.

[Dodgy69]

I'm expecting an unbiased report off Kev.

[weeksy]

I dunno if Kev even wants to ride it, but he is of course more than welcome to when he's here... After i've ridden it first of course

Being a little picky with it, i was slightly irked that the pressures are a mile out.
Should be 29/29

Were actually 37 rear and 19 front...

Overall condition is a good 8/10 with potential to be a 9 by next week. It needs some cleaning in the parts that are not accessible with a big sponge... but in honesty it's pretty sweet. Sitting on it, it's ridiculous how close the front end feels to you, it makes the XSR feel HUGE...

Already has a radiator guard fitted, which is nice, but is the R&G one which isn't the most pretty... but it'll do for now anyway.

Tail tidy is on the way. Need to order up some paddock bobbins as i was hoping i could make the XSR ones fit but sadly i can't.... so they'll be sold and i'll get some new ones ordered.

[Count Steer]

Big question. Has it got fuel?

(Enjoy )

[weeksy]

Big question. Has it got fuel?

(Enjoy )

It has some, but i went out yesterday and bought some anyway just in case i had problems today getting some, so will be getting filled up before heading out and then abused.

[ogri]

Nice colour

[2xtwins]

"blah blah.... your driver will be with you between 7-8am tomorrow to do your bike exchange"

Early !

Dry day tomorrow. Full photoshoot and ride report by 15:00 is expected!

@2xtwins is coming over for an early lunch ride. We won't be doing a million miles but we'll have cake/scones

Out and about early this morning, as usual, and roads round here are a bit damp but no major. Weather forecast looks good so will head out in an hour or so to find fuel and bimble across on the Niken .

Kev

[Supermofo]

Should be 29/29

Over the years I've played with mine loads. At the moment I'm on 32/36. 29/29 really causes the tread to step really badly on the rear within a much shorter time in my experience which from what I've read/been told is usually caused by under inflation. Probably not relevent to you as you change tyres every 1k miles but the OE pressures on sports touring tyres knackers them a fair bit quicker IME. I also prefer the turn in at the higher pressure too. Not that I think this'll be relevant to you.

Enjoy your first ride, looks dry and the temps are ok

[Deadpool2]

2021-10-08_07-25-09 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

As nice as it looks I am not sure I will be following you again, I think twice is more than enough! Enjoy it

[weeksy]

Hahahahaha. I hear you, these bikes are not for everyone that's for sure. They're very much a bike you either love or don't.

[Deadpool2]

Actually I like the way they look but have never ridden one. The thumpers I have ridden is the Yamaha 660 tenere and back in the day the BMW F 600gs (I think).

I may head down to Abingdon over the next few weeks as the weather is ok and have a shot on one. I cant afford to change unless I am getting cash back and I still like the XSR. I do agree with you, its more than quick enough for me and still wonder if the xsr7 would have been better (although a smaller bike, so maybe that would not have worked so well!)

[weeksy]

2021-10-08_11-53-15 by Steve Weeks - Flickr2BBcode LITE


Out for coffee and carrot cake.

Jeeez it's very very different to the XSR.

[KungFooBob]

different = slow.

[Taipan]

Hahahahaha. I hear you, these bikes are not for everyone that's for sure. They're very much a bike you either love or don't.

Pretty hard to hate though, the valve bending Darling of a bitch...

[MrLongbeard]

2021-10-08_11-53-15 by Steve Weeks - Flickr2BBcode LITE


Out for coffee and carrot cake.

Jeeez it's very very different to the XSR.

Someone got the bumming hat on film

[weeksy]

So here we are then... i'm sure you can work out where this thread will now lead us....

Test ride.... Well, as above it's VERY very different to the XSR, just every single thing about it. The riding position has the front wheel under your knees almost, it's just so short on the front end... weird... But of course it rides exactly how i remember.
Performance, well yes, it's slower than the XSR, but with the weight, the turning and handling it's SO much more 'me'. The roads that i was slightly cautious down i'm happier on. Admittedly we were cruising rather than flying, but i wanted to give it a bit of time before starting to push on in any way. But i'm deffo in a happy place.

The gear lever is set too high, but that's how it comes from KTM so i'll get it down a bit lower, only 1 spline needed. But i didn't get any missed gears, however it's deffo too high when changing down through the gears.

Brakes are set soft, but that's how i like them, however i may fit a set of Brembo pads in there... We'll see when i take it apart and see what's in there and what they're like.

So onto the 'what happens now?' well you all know what happens now, it's no shock, so if you don't want this type of post then close the thread and walk away... it's going to be exactly what it's going to be.

Giving the bike it's first once over, there's crap EVERYWHERE down the chain/sprocket area, the exhaust, the shock mounts etc it's horrible, so i got busy with a rag and GT-85 and started cleaning it up... But then it was time to head out so i called it a day...

After getting back the Postie turned up with a box, which was my tail tidy.

As you can see, it was soon sorted, it's a 20-30 mins job only, but add another 5-10 mins with the cleaning... it's not 'dirty' but only dirt in a normal road context to most people... but that's not me



2021-10-08_01-57-02 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

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Jobs for this evening is to get both the front and rear wheels out and start with some proper cleaning. I've got time at the weekend mostly for cleaning as i'm out doing MTB stuff on Sat arvo and Sunday all day, so a bit of cleaning tonight will be quite refreshing.

[2xtwins]

I'm expecting an unbiased report off Kev.

Sorry, Paul, no report from me - I have no real wish to try it, really. Loved the 790 and 890 but I cannot see the attraction here.

What I will say is that, on first look, it's a well looked after bike and, although it's obviously not Weeksy clean, it won't take the Scouse Lad long to get it up to an acceptable level, New rear tyre, good front tyre, clean, tidy - if you like 690's you wouldn't be disappointed. I like the fact it's not orange too

Next to the Niken, it looks tiny..... but what it lacks in size / road presence it makes up for with noise. It seems fecking loud - not as loud as a Mille with a race can but louder, I reckon, that my Tuono which has an Arrow can.

Still we had a nice little ride around Berkshire back lanes, some wetter and muckier than others, and the "visor rain / mizzle" didn't bother us at all

Oh and we had some lovely carrot cake and coffee

Overall a great way to spend a couple of hours

Kev

[weeksy]

The cleaning fun begins.... it's all just simple road grime mostly so not too tough.

Some of the bolts, spacers and bits need replacing as you can see, they've all been ordered now along with a new sprocket cover for the front sprocket as well as a rear sprocket and bolts.

The exhaust i thought may have been a cheapo make is actually an Akrapovic which is nice.

Gear lever lowered too

2021-10-08_03-56-00 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

2021-10-08_03-56-09 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

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2021-10-08_03-57-44 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

[Skub]

I trust the bolts being replaced will be titanium? It's what the really posh folk use.

[weeksy]

lol nah, i like everything like that 'stock' as KTM use particularly funny shaped bolts with both normal spanner tyre and Torx within it... so fitting different stuff would just look weird.

It's likely to get some titanium yes, things like the front and rear spindle nuts will be done, just not quite yet.

Lets worry about getting it nice first, then we'll worry about getting it brilliantly nice

[KungFooBob]

I've just realised. You've broken the no.1 rule of vehicle purchasing.

Never, ever, buy anything with wheels from Bradford (yes Keighley is still Bradford).