revtothelimit - motorbike forum

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Mon Oct 04, 2021 4:06 pm I assume the rocker arms wear and you lose valve lift and get a rattly engine if they get worn?

Pre 16 redesign, the rocker arm barings fail. Best case you replace with no damage but that's unlikely, next best case is as per Taipan's and you need to replace the valve train at about £800. Worse case the rollers fall out of the bearing into the rest of the engine

Mines a late 2015 bought in 2016 so the old design. Forums say 2014 on 690s have a redesigned rocker arm baring which doesn't fail. Mine had that redesigned part and Jim Aim said it'd be fine. But when they checked it they said it felt like the exhaust bearing was on it's way out. So in my experience it looks like pre 2016 models (different engine) need the rocker arm bearings checked/replaced at least every 12k miles probably more like 6k. Some people have done 30k miles without touching the rocker arms, other have gone big time with sub 8k miles. That 690 Enduro with 84k on it was killed by the bearings failing, but up to that point they were never touched.

KTM specify a 6k mile valve check. Chatting to 2 different KTM mechanic's I think this is more to do with checking the bearing than the valves needing adjusting. Checking the bearing is part of the service. Some owners check them annually and if you are spanner competent it only takes an hour and a quarter or so.

Replacing mine cost £560 all in with the 12k mile service. So not massive cost but not great considering there's no guarantee they'll last any better than the last set.

As for engine rattles 690s are very loud rattly engines by design. I always put my ear plugs in first as else it scares me and that was from new

Other than that the engines are good. It is a big BUT though as I said.

2016s on have a different head design and a twin balancers and apparently don't have the issue.

Which will last longer , this, or the Whyte ....

Shoulda bought the CB1000.

I do now know at least why you had such a precise figure for the XSRs PCP payment though.

Mr Moofo wrote: Mon Oct 04, 2021 5:11 pm Which will last longer , this, or the Whyte ....

Ohhh HARSH, but accurate!

Mr. Dazzle wrote: Mon Oct 04, 2021 5:46 pm Shoulda bought the CB1000.

Nah, a decent part of it is to get away from 'power'. I said it many times previously but it's way more fun thrapping a lower powered bike and trying to hang onto faster bikes than it is riding a beast, I know in many minds that and XSR isn't a beast but IMO for roads round here it's excessive. I don't expect many to agree, but they're not me.

Small and light, that's what I want

I wonder if i will actually get to see this one ..... next August bwhahahahaha

I dont get it but thats about as important to you as what i had for lunch... enjoy it mate

weeksy wrote: Mon Oct 04, 2021 5:53 pm

Mr. Dazzle wrote: Mon Oct 04, 2021 5:46 pm Shoulda bought the CB1000.

Nah, a decent part of it is to get away from 'power'. I said it many times previously but it's way more fun thrapping a lower powered bike and trying to hang onto faster bikes than it is riding a beast, I know in many minds that and XSR isn't a beast but IMO for roads round here it's excessive. I don't expect many to agree, but they're not me.

Small and light, that's what I want

I agree with the above, but modern 60-70 bhp bikes are a bit meh IMO

It’s no MT07 but it’ll do. We’ll have to book onto a novice Trackday on our learner bikes

I did look at mt07s but the equivalent was £1000 more in yes of age and miles
But having never ridden one I wouldn't have risked it anyway.

Happy.

Donny yeah?

It's no XT660

weeksy wrote: Mon Oct 04, 2021 7:40 pm I did look at mt07s but the equivalent was £1000 more in yes of age and miles
But having never ridden one I wouldn't have risked it anyway.

Happy.

Donny yeah?

Yeah Donny, learner bike challenge is on where’s tricky ?

What about these.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2020-Kawasak ... 635-2958-0

IL4 engine, £2000 more than the 690. It's not making sense

crust wrote: Mon Oct 04, 2021 7:45 pmIt's no XT660

If an 18 model existed I'd actually have considered it.

KTM690 Fwiends

How do I tell if 'mine' has the later head?

There is a cheap 690SMC on t'bay at the moment, stolen recovered and needs some parts, but sub £4k. If I hadn't bought a duke I'd be all over it !

Jody wrote: Tue Oct 05, 2021 6:28 am KTM690 Fwiends

How do I tell if 'mine' has the later head?

There is a cheap 690SMC on t'bay at the moment, stolen recovered and needs some parts, but sub £4k. If I hadn't bought a duke I'd be all over it !

If yours has the Digital Display it has the later engine.... which yours does yes.

It's all your fault your thread made me think "i'd love another 690" when i was sitting there on Sunday .... 45 mins later, i was browsing... the rest... well, that's fairly apparent.

Potter wrote: Tue Oct 05, 2021 6:18 am I think that's a cracking move, tbh I never thought the XSR was you at all and the 690 ticks so many more boxes.

It's a shame you don't get the small two stroke thing because they fit every angle of small, light, agile, quirky, fun, etc.

I think you had to have ridden bikes in the 80s to get the whole two stroke thing, they're not the easiest bikes to get the most out of.

Le_Fromage_Grande wrote: Tue Oct 05, 2021 7:54 am

Potter wrote: Tue Oct 05, 2021 6:18 am I think that's a cracking move, tbh I never thought the XSR was you at all and the 690 ticks so many more boxes.

It's a shame you don't get the small two stroke thing because they fit every angle of small, light, agile, quirky, fun, etc.

I think you had to have ridden bikes in the 80s to get the whole two stroke thing, they're not the easiest bikes to get the most out of.

agree 100%

weeksy wrote: Mon Oct 04, 2021 8:38 pm IL4 engine, £2000 more than the 690. It's not making sense

No it's not. It's a 650 twin.

KungFooBob wrote: Tue Oct 05, 2021 8:07 am

weeksy wrote: Mon Oct 04, 2021 8:38 pm IL4 engine, £2000 more than the 690. It's not making sense

No it's not. It's a 650 twin.

Ah sorry... still not happening for £2000 more... As i said, part of the reason was the change the funding method and get out of the PCP, putting another £2000 in gets complicated and puts me back in exactly the same position as if i'd kept the XSR

Walk-around video from the dealers.