Oh, is that another KTM ? Really ? Are you sure ? Is this the one and only keeper ?

[weeksy]

I've now got to spend 4 hours tomorrow after work fitting the orange yokes again.

Why the fuck don't we have a faceplant emoji!!!!

[Bomble]

Obviously waiting for the 890

[weeksy]

Obviously waiting for the 890

Who's to say what will happen in the future, but I'm not convinced it will be an 890 though.

For now, the 690 stays, the good news is, I gave a Leo Vince exhaust shipping tomorrow for it lol. No point getting them to refund me on the 790 exhaust, so may as well get a 690 one

[Bomble]

[quote=Bomble post_id=5624 time=<a href="tel:1588626264">1588626264</a> user_id=179]
Obviously waiting for the 890

Who's to say what will happen in the future, but I'm not convinced it will be an 890 though.

For now, the 690 stays, the good news is, I gave a Leo Vince exhaust shipping tomorrow for it lol. No point getting them to refund me on the 790 exhaust, so may as well get a 690 one
[/quote]

I was only joking I’ve never ridden a 690 Duke but it must be a good bike for you to keep coming back to it.

[Tricky]

Ah.
I would say words fail me but they don't in this case

But I'm happy as it's saved me a trip to the post office , and is the right decision for you too I think ( well, today, at 09:32 anyway )

[weeksy]

2020-05-05_09-48-49 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

[Taipan]

if that warning light comes on 2 more times, we'll be back to the 790 again!

[weeksy]

if that warning light comes on 2 more times, we'll be back to the 790 again!

I don't have the strength to go through this again, i'll just throw it in the lake and go home

[Supermofo]

You monumental pillock

My 690 is defo staying. On top of Mrs shakey job there is talk of pay cuts at our place.

I will however soon have an MOT for it so soon as lockdown eases I can finally have a (slow/sedate) ride.

[Dodgy69]

it's a better fit..

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/124168621345

[weeksy]

it's a better fit..

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/124168621345

1. They'd give me about £4000 in P/X meaning i'd have to put in a massive chunk.
2. I've owned fast bikes, i've had many many big bikes, i'm not a big bike kind of guy, i'm a little bike guy, i want/need/desire different things from most people, i don't 'get' the obsession with fast powerful beasts of bike, i like the feeling of pushing a slow bike hard, than pushing a fast bike not at all. This is why things like the 690, 790, XT660X have been my favourite bikes, despite the fact people don't understand it.

[Gimlet]

I understand it but I like big bikes too.
In this over crowded country you can rarely push a bike of any size for any sustained period. You barely get a chance to get in the zone before you run up against something and have to stop. At least with a big bike you can revel in the meat of the engine. That's why I like big twins. You've got instant violence and don't need to spin them up.
If I was a track rider where you can get in the zone and stay there, then depending on the track, I'd have something smaller, as long as it wasn't too physically small. I don't like I/L fours so it would probably be a KTM. The 890 stands out for me. I like the 690 but the bars are a bit close for me and I feel a touch cramped. I guess you adapt. I'd have a 690 SMR though.

[Dodgy69]

I just think you need a motor capable of giving smiles in whatever environment your likely to put it in. 90% of the time a smaller bike fits, but on those special occasions eg, track, the big bike makes you smile the most.

[weeksy]

I just think you need a motor capable of giving smiles in whatever environment your likely to put it in. 90% of the time a smaller bike fits, but on those special occasions eg, track, the big bike makes you smile the most.

Nope, it really doesn't.... I rode Trickys MT10SP as the most recent big bike on track, it was no more fun than my 690. When out on the 690 in Inters i don't overtake many, but that's down to me not the bike, i enjoy the challenge of it actually. When i went out with you at Pembrey and was in novice i was only overtaken by 1 instructor in the session and was quicker than plenty of bigger/ faster bikes..
The big ones, i find a bit, well, intimidating i guess, you can't get hard on them, you can't brake as late, push as hard...

Well, i can't anyway.

[Dodgy69]

I don't disagree with that, but I think your track experience would win the day in novice. Particularly on overtakes and corner speed But where else can you try and stretch a big bike, through a few gears.

[Supermofo]

When I swapped my Blade for my Duke II a mate of a mate said 'when you said a duke I thought you meant a 916, why the fuck have you swapped a Blade for that?' But imo the Duke II was fun 90% of all the time. The Blade was only really fun say 35-40% of the time and only really then when doing 100mph+.

The same applies for my 690. I worry to much about speeding now to ride a big bike so I reckon the fun factor would be even less for me. And if you aren't going to do big speeds I don't see the point in having a bike capable of it. I find small bikes ridden at 80 to 90% of their max more fun than a big bike at 30%. The throttle works both ways thing doesn't work for me, if I'm not gonna use it why have it.

Don't get me wrong I totally understand other people feeling the opposite. And I totally understand the feeling you get from really nailing a fast bike as small bike just don't have that rahhhh factor. But it happens so rarely I can live without it now.

Plus a Superduke for me would be wasted on the narrow, gravelly roads i tend to ride now.

[weeksy]

Well the dealer doesn't have the Leo Vince in for my model at the moment, so i'm debating this...



Personally i think the lines suit the angles of the 690 a bit more than the rounder Leo Vince can etc.




Added to that, the exhaust note from some Ebay vids seems a bit deeper too compared to the LV.

[Tricky]

They look like they could have been both designed by the same person and come off the same production line, very similar looking to me but yeah I agree, looks-wise I'd take the Sebring/PP one over the Leo any day

[Supermofo]

Looks pretty good that, I like the lack of strap. Being KTM branded is it more though?

[weeksy]

Looks pretty good that, I like the lack of strap. Being KTM branded is it more though?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sebring-KTM- ... 1438.l2649

RRP is £445. I guess it's new old stock clearout.... the LV comes in about £30 less. So in honesty, not that much that it's worth worrying about either way.