KTM 890R- The Super Scalpel!

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

£3750 Sudbury Suffolk on Facebook Marketplace

[Bigyin]

£3750 Sudbury Suffolk on Facebook Marketplace

You made me look

Found it and thats a definite project which is what i would expect for that money

[Pgm]

Tricky, do you prefer the 890r over the MT10? I’m torn between the two.
I have the 790 duke at the moment so could swap all the bits over that’ll fit an 890 but have this itch for an MT 10.

[weeksy]

Tricky, do you prefer the 890r over the MT10? I’m torn between the two.
I have the 790 duke at the moment so could swap all the bits over that’ll fit an 890 but have this itch for an MT 10.

I don't think you can even compare them mate

One is a small short revvy twin. The other a fairly tall stomping cross plane beast.

Both are great but it's like asking if you prefer apples or bananas

[Tricky]

Tricky, do you prefer the 890r over the MT10? I’m torn between the two.
I have the 790 duke at the moment so could swap all the bits over that’ll fit an 890 but have this itch for an MT 10.

I don't think you can even compare them mate

One is a small short revvy twin. The other a fairly tall stomping cross plane beast.

Both are great but it's like asking if you prefer apples or bananas

It's a good question- engine characteristics and overall character of the bikes are broadly similar IMO- both lairy fun engines that just want to wheelie and to a very large extent define them.

Where they are greatly different is as Weeksy says, in size, and weight- massively so in feeling

The MT10 is a big old girl and feels it, whereas the 890 feels so agile and relatively speaking, light, and that's what I really love about the 890 (and 790)

My suggestion would be to definitely get a go on an MT10- I defy you to not be giggling when you ride it and smiling when you get off, and I think you will know then - whether the increased silly factor from that brilliant engine outweighs ( ) the extra size and weight for you is a question only you can answer.

But to answer your initial question, if I was only allowed to have one bike, it is a tough one, but then it would most likely be the MT (SP version), but I'm fortunate enough to be able to have more than one bike so I have an 890

P.S. If you do get an 890R, the 790 radguards don't fit as the 890 rad is very slightly wider, everything else will fit though

[Pgm]

Thanks for that Tricky, possibly the size and weight for me might be a deciding factor but will definitely try get a test ride.

[Dodgy69]

The 2 bikes mentioned were right at the top of my list, along with the new 09 which I went for. I had slight concerns but nothing major, on possible ktm niggles and the looks of the mt 10 not quite doing it for me. Plastic bodywork.

Both absolute cracking bikes i would imagine, chuck in the gsxs and that about it for me atm. Your decision might come down to use, pillion, luggage, etc.

[Supermofo]

Thanks for that Tricky, possibly the size and weight for me might be a deciding factor but will definitely try get a test ride.

Yes as Tricky says you'll def know via a test ride.

For me I've gone from a 160kg 690 Duke and really expected my next bike to be reasonably light and agile so the 790/890, MT09 were pretty much top of the list. That was until I rode the GSXS1000 which totally changed my mind In comparison it's a lot heavier but it handled great and was batshit mental.

Who knows if I change my mind on it in a year or twos time as I'm a bit wary of having fast bikes on the road, but sod it you only live once and I can always change.

[Tricky]

The poor 890 hasn't seen a lot of action recently, in fact I think it's only been out two or three times since Pembrey last year which is criminal really for such a cracking bike, but most of my on-road stuff has been two-up ( which means I use the Multistrada), and the ZX6 has taken over the 890's trackday duties this year.

That is about to change though, as tomorrow I'm off for a mini-tour with @2xtwins for 3 days blatting up to and around Wales and a bit of the north of England , without going near any motorways- we're planning to meet up with @weeksy and one or two others for beer/ curry, in the evenings and we're also planning to get to the Anglesey round of the BHMRC series on Saturday to cheer on / laugh at some of the old codgers - they run the BEARS series, and there should be a fair few interesting old bikes there, including the FJ1200 thing that @Couchy and I were playing with at Donington a week or so ago, possibly my old RC390 which is now being raced,and I think they also run the British Scooter Racing Championships at their meetings too so should be interesting.

So given that the 890 is my bike of choice for this as no pillion facility is needed, I set about turning it into a tourer, which basically means that the (ugly IMO but functional) PP screen from my old 790 has now been fitted, and the radguard that I bought getting on for 12 months ago has finally made it out of the box and installed too



My homemade rear rack for a Ventura back that I knocked up for my old 790 has been pulled out of the loft and is also now on there



With a highly functional (if somewhat redundant until I fit the tail-tidy ) splash guard made from an old plastic crate that I am pretty sure would get @Dodgy knees salivating if he saw it




I've also taken the satnav off the Multi and fitted it to the 890. I had to buy another RAM mount, as the general purpose one I previously had for the 790 has gone AWOL in the 2 house moves I've had since I last used it, but that wasn't a biggie and it thankfully arrived just in time in today's post, and it's mounted on a ball on one on the handlebar clamp bolts



Getting power to it is a piece of piss on KTMs as they very thoughtfully provide lots of easily accessible (switched and non switched) connections for accessories on their bikes- there are some in the headlight, but there are also another pair right next to the battery, and that's what I used in this instance, and just ran it behind the tank and up to the bars






And that's it- looks like the weather gods will be kind to us so attire will be covec jeans, a leather jacket and my trusty HD badass boots

All that's left to do is to throw a few spare pairs of kecks and the shorts and flipflops etc in the bag and we're all set -It will be interesting to see where the magical TomTom takes us this time, the "thrill" option on it is very good and helping you find routes that you never even knew were actual routes, albeit the plan is not too many sheep tracks, and stay away from fields and streams this time, as Kev will be on the trike and I don't fancy having to pick it up again!

Anyway, report to follow next week

[Skub]

At least there's no Mofo-topbox.

Sounds like a fun trip.

[Supermofo]

At least there's no Mofo-topbox.

Sounds like a fun trip.

I'm gonna start DM'ing you pics

[Tricky]

At least there's no Mofo-topbox.

Sounds like a fun trip.

Cheers am sure it will be and yep- the boy has no shame!

[Dodgy69]

Does the 890 suffer with splash with stock mudguard. ?

I gone back to tail tidy and regular jacket washing.

[Tricky]

Does the 890 suffer with splash with stock mudguard. ?

I gone back to tail tidy and regular jacket washing.

Nope, good as gold with the standard set up, but does similar to your MT with a tail tidy- my rack and splash guard sorted it no bother though

Anyway, all irrelevant on this until

1. I fit the tail tidy and
2. I ride it in the rain

[Taipan]

At least there's no Mofo-topbox.

Sounds like a fun trip.

The pictures are actually taken inside MoFos topbox!

[2xtwins]

Been out - twice - on this today, and what a blinding little bike it is. Did about 130 miles in total around the lanes of Berks, Bucks and Hants.

We re-discovered some beautiful little "bimbling" lanes, some within 10 miles of home, which I cannot remember having been down in the last 10/15 years....very much single track 25/30mph with as much gravel as tarmac, but none the worse for that.

It's a different kind of fun to be had with the 890R than the Niken, obviously, with their only similarity being the cubic capacity of their motors........This is the modern equivalent of the V twin Tuono, which is one of my all-time favourite bikes. The 890R, however, is quicker, lighter, more economical and has all the toys that the last 10/15 years of evolution has brought.

Would be an excellent garage companion for the Trike.................

Kev

[weeksy]

Needs to go to Pembrey

[2xtwins]

Needs to go to Pembrey

Well, as has been documented on the Pembrey thread, I didn't make it to Wales due to it being cancelled for the day I had planned on attending.....However, I will admit that the 890R wouldn't have been the weapon of choice anyways.
The trusty Trike was scheduled for that trip but we move on.

As to trackdays in general, it is certainly my intention that the KTM will be called into action before the year is out - it's just a matter of when and where...........

I know nothing has been said of the bike by @Tricky recently but you may have inferred from the above post that the KTM has changed ownership. Indeed it has, and at this moment it is sharing garage space with Trike, the 1100R and the Mille R.

Again, as has been noted elsewhere on the forum, the 1100R will be moved on - hopefully before the end of this month - and then there will be three bikes left and the intention is that these are the bikes that will see out my motorcycling adventure.

However, nothing is cast in stone....it would be great to take the KTM on a foreign trackday if Portimao 2023 takes place but I am sure it will see some track action over the next 12 months, whatever

Only thing to add is that since its acquisition I have done almost 500 miles in 3 weeks, averaging 64mpg and have taken it for its first annual service - £235 - which was £60 more than the same service on the Trike........

Watch this space.

Kev

[weeksy]

Keep us posted on what you boys book, I'm not completely against a day if we can get the weather.

[2xtwins]

Well, good intentions an' all that............didn't make it out onto a trackday but we shall definitely be making an appearance sometime in 2023.

Only activity of note was Adam of All Year Biker coming to me to apply Corrosion Block (ACF 50 + in simple terms) last month so I don't have to worry about cleaning the 890R until springtime....assuming that I want to ride over the winter, that is......

But the intent is there, both for this and the Trike, and, indeed, we had a little ride out yesterday as the weather, although chilly, was nice.

Kev