KTM has not officially brought out an Adventure model for their 690 and I don’t understand why not? The South African market is surely not the only one in the world that really wants this to happen? So, KTM Cape Town decided to launch their own little project called the “Oryx”. In conjunction with Rally Raid products in the UK, they have imported all of the accessories and started selling their own ‘in-house’ Adventure 690 to the public.
To start things off, this bike looks the part. If you want a Rally-type replica, it is the bike to have. Fuel range has been increased from 12liters to a whopping 21liters, with an optional 4.5liters setup as a rear tank. The gearing has been altered to make distance riding less stressful at higher cruising speeds and the 690 will now cruise 130kph all day long with relatively good fuel consumption. In our little time out, I averaged about 16km/l (38mpg) with a lot of playing in between. I’m betting this would go up to 20km/l+ on the open road with a constant, steady hand.
One thing that makes this bike great is the suspension. It’s like riding a 450 Enduro bike! Small jumps are taken with ease and landing is pretty plush. It’s the 1st time I could really ride a dual purpose bike like an Enduro bike and not be worried about breaking something. Point and go is the name of the game and, really, the only thing that will hold you back is your confidence.
With the extra fuel on board, the bike will feel a little heavier upfront. In sand I found the nose would push a little, but I suspect it was due to my fuelling-up completely before I went out. With the altered gearing I did find it a little frustrating in the technical bits, but since this bike was built for distance riding, you really can’t fault it. Give me a softer seat and let’s go to Lesotho!
The bikes are available directly from KTM Cape Town and retail at R105 000.
