KTM's Super Enduro
By TMX Archives on 21st Jun 06
Ahead of the imminent 2007 EXC and SX model launch, KTM recently invited a select group of adventurous journalists to Eisenerz, in Austria, to get to grips with its latest off-road offering the 950 Super Enduro R.
Using the world famous and breathtaking Erzberg Mountain as the test area for the new 'no limits' machine, an even more select group got the chance to test the bike in the Erzberg Rodeo twin-cylinder race - two full-throttle sprints up the mountain's mass of stone roads.
T+MX enduro correspondent JONTY EDMUNDS travelled to Austria to brave all, scare himself silly and literally live life on the edge for a day to deliver his thoughts on the near 1000cc dirt bike...
BMW is no longer alone in thinking that big is beautiful when it comes to off-road motorcycles as Mattighofen-based manufacturer KTM recently became the second company to release a high performance, twin-cylinder enduro bike - the 950 Super Enduro R.
Following on from the marque's Adventure, Super Duke and 950SM models the Super Enduro is KTM's fourth LC8-engined bike, yet the first designed to be used seriously off-road. And while the idea of a near 1000cc dirt bike might leave most slightly baffled KTM, like BMW before it, is deadly serious about its super-sized off-roader.
It doesn't take a genius to work out that the bike is only going to appeal to a select group of individuals though - mainly KTM enthusiasts interested in short interval adventure touring and café racers wishing to be seen on the biggest, baddest and latest off-road product. But the reality is that KTM has designed the Super Enduro to be used and abused off-road. Not the easiest thing to visualise and not the easiest thing to do here in the UK thanks to our unpredictable climate and 'super enduro' friendly riding areas being few and far between in dear old Blighty.
But the 950 Super Enduro, like all of KTM's offerings, is claimed to be 'ready to race'. Despite the fact that few will be raced, KTM has designed the bike to have excellent off-road features, deliver high performance, be light-weight - relatively speaking - for an off-road twin, with high quality components. An off-road looking road bike it most certainly isn't. The KTM 950 Super Enduro R is serious about being used off-road.
CLEARANCE
AT 190kg and with a seat height just shy of one metre, the Super Enduro certainly isn't a small bike. But that's how KTM wanted it. Not intended to be an off-road look-a-like, the seat height is high partly because the machine has a ground clearance of 330mm - so that it can deal with undulating off-road terrain as best it can.
The engine, the 942cc, double overhead cam, V-twin produces a claimed 98 horse-power and breaths through two 43mm Keihin carburettors. Thanks to its dry sump lubrication system, which means that the oil kept in a separate tank at the front of the engine, the KTM engineers have been able to position the motor as low as is physically possible in the chassis to ensure a low centre of gravity.
The bright orange tubular chassis with removable aluminium sub frame is designed to only weigh 11kg as much as it is to offer optional stiffness and stability.
Like all KTM machines, the Super Enduro comes equipped with WP suspension front and rear - 48mm USD units at the front and a multi-adjustable monoshock at the rear, which offers 255mm of travel. Brembo takes care of the braking duties with a twin-piston calliper working in conjunction with a 300mm floating disk taking care of stopping at the front of the bike, while a second twin-piston calliper clamps onto a fixed 240mm disk stops things at the rear.
ACCELERATION
YOU don't so much get on the 950 Super Enduro as climb aboard, thanks to the fact that the bike is noticeably tall and has a very wide seat. This makes sitting astride the bike with both sets of toes on the ground almost impossible for any rider. The bike feels big - very big. That said, when stood up on the pegs it doesn't feel anywhere near as bulky as it does when seated.
Riding a twin-cylinder 'enduro' bike such as the Super Enduro or BMW's HP2 throws up a whole new set of challenges when riding and racing off-road - mainly the failure to realise just how fast you are travelling, which results in scaring the life out of yourself as you try desperately to make the up-coming corner, and picking the bike up when you have fallen.
However, once the slightly weird feeling of sitting much higher than you would normally do on an enduro or motocross bike has passed and you have realised that aggressive use of the right hand results in eye-watering acceleration, the bike is extremely user-friendly and easy to ride at moderate to fairly fast speeds.
From the crate, prior to my first ride, the only adjustments required were moving the handlebars forward and lifting the levers. Fitted with standard everything else, the bike feels solid enough that it could be launched off one of the many steep drops that make up the Erzberg quarry face with no ill-effect. Of course this was never actually tried out, but the bike did have a solidity to its construction that many would argue is lacking from the rival BMW HP2.
When trail riding the bike handles well at both low and high speeds. It needs to be ridden like a motocross bike across a set of irregular whoops before it will wallow and crash through bumps rather than soak them up and pass across the top of them. It deals well with pretty much all that is thrown at it - within reason! The problem is that, like on the HP2, because the bike does handle well across rough terrain it is easy to forget just how big the bike you're riding really is.
The motor is immensely powerful - possibly a little too powerful. Producing, for the most part, smooth, constant power the mid-to-top end acceleration is incredible, allowing the bike to be revved and revved. Thus, getting the power to the ground initially wasn't always easy. Also, despite the huge amount of poke it was still slightly reluctant to lift the front wheel even when dipping the clutch and cracking open the throttle.
The brakes offer a plentiful supply of stopping power and the action of all the controls is smooth and precise. The fact that the fuel tank is right where I wanted to place my body when turning required what felt like a slightly unorthodox riding style. Because the fuel tank sits on top of the airbox and overspills either side, and doesn't sit between the spars of the tubular chassis like fuel tanks do on most perimeter frames, it dictates how far forward you can sit. This took a little getting used to.
NOTICEABLE
The machine's most limiting factor is its tyres. They are OK for trail-riding and use on the road, but when the bike is used seriously off-road and pushed hard the dual-sport rubber limited both the bike's performance and handling with notable affect. Adjusting the balance of the bike by lowering the front end and jacking up the rear to increase front-end grip certainly helped but the limited amount of traction the tyres offer make it impossible to feel completely comfortable when pushing the bike hard in and out of corners.
Tyres aside, the bike is all but ready to race and when thrashed along the tracks cut into the huge Erzberg Mountain it was easy to see that the bike is much, much more than just an off-road 'looking' road bike. It's a bona fide off-road super-bike.
One thing that was immediately noticeable when riding in anger during the twin-cylinder race was that the power produced by the 950cc motor was a little too much, especially when fed to the ground through trail tyres. This was most apparent at it caused the bike to 'light up' out of the majority of stop-and-go turns and getting the power to the ground often required a cautious right hand. At the same time getting the bike to drive from right down low in the rev range often proved difficult as it didn't seem to want to play ball unless it was turning over at a minimum of about 3,000rpm.
When the bike was clear of a turn and driving forward the motor could be revved and revved, resulting in speed buliding up incredibly quickly. Trying to change gear when flat out occasionally proved difficult as power shifting wasn't something the 950 gearbox seemed to like - not with less than 300-miles on the clock anyway.
On the faster sections of the course the bike was incredibly stable - even when hitting speeds of 100mph.
With no head shake or twitching, I soon felt extremely comfortable at such high speeds off-road. Turning the bike wasn't an issue either - apart from the lack of grip the trail tyres offered at the front-end, but pitching the bike into a turn was as easy as it is on any enduro bike.
ENJOYABLE
THE verdict? I wish there were more 'super enduro' friendly riding areas and races suited to twin-cylinder enduro bikes. More than capable of being raced in standard trim, if it weren't for the tyres the KTM's 950 Super Enduro R would certainly be ready to race. As it is, the bike is an extremely enjoyable and extremely competent off-road work-horse. It offers a mass of power which puts a permanent smile on your face, well mannered handling characteristics and high spec components ensure the bike is as easy to ride as it is happy axle deep in rocks and mud.
Despite the fact that only 50 will reach UK shores its price tag of £8,045 means that it is considerably less expensive than its competition - the BMW HP2.
Just how many will get used as they are designed remains to be seen but the KTM 950 Super Enduro R is certainly everything it's been designed to be.
SPECIFICATIONS
2006 modeL KTM 950 Super Enduro
ENGINE
Type: Two-cylinder, liquid cooled, four-stroke,
double over-head cam, Vee 75°
Displacement: 942cc
Bore x Stroke: 100mm x 6mm
Power Output: 72 kW @ 8,500rpm
Max Torque: 95 Nm @ 7,000rpm
Compression: 11.5:1
Starter: Electric starter
Transmission: 6-speed, claw shifted
Carburetor: 2 x Keihin constant pressure
carburetor 43mm
Lubrication: Forced oil lubrication
Secondary Drive: X-Ring chain 5/8 x 5/16"
Clutch: Multi-disc wet clutch, hydraulically operated
Ignition: Denso battery ignition
CHASSIS
Frame: Chrome-moly trellis frame, powder-coated
Subframe: Aluminium
Handlebar: Tapered aluminium Ø 28/22mm
SUSPENSION
Front: 48mm diameter WP USD forks
Travel: 250mm
Rear: WP Monoshock
Travel: 255mm
BRAKES
Front: Brembo 2-piston floating caliper, 300 mm floating brake disc
Rear: Brembo 2-piston, floating caliper, 240 mm floating brake disc
TYRES
Front: 90/90-21/ 1
Rear: 40/80-18
Silencer: 2 x stainless steel with catalytic
converter
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 1577 ± 10mm
Clearance: 330mm
Seat Height: 965mm
Fuel Capacity: 14.5 litre approx.
Weight: 190kg approx.
Specification: