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My KTM comes as stock with quite short gears, but wanting a slightly higher top speed (for long straights on-track), I have also installed a bigger front sprocket. The loss in acceleration is close to zero, and the benefits are phenomenal.
All of which leads us to the crucial question: how does it ride?
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It’s extraordinary! My 690 SMC always makes me smile, and reminds me of the happiness I felt riding my old 125cc GP bike when I was 16-years old. It reacts quicker than I can think, brakes like a race bike, and just…talks to me. It really does. The engine is less flexible at low revs than my previous KTM, but from 5000-8000rpm it delivers every particle of energy with ease and commitment. That, plus the noise!
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True, most modern sport bikes deliver nearly 200hp, but unless you’re a pro, you just can’t use them all. These bikes can weigh up to 200kg, and are tough to slow down. They can reach 200kph in seven seconds, the temptation of which will probably get you killed. In my opinion, they are simply meaningless, especially if used on the open road. When I see these monsters at the racetrack, they mock me as they pass by at warp speed on the straights. But it’s through the corners where I have the last laugh.
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We hear this kind of debate often in the automotive world: Lamborghini Aventador or Lotus Exige?; brute force and a driver assist technology, or nimble agility and 700kg? I am a Lotus Elise person, a Radical nut, and a Supermotard fan. I like to brake in the shortest possible time, hit the apex with minimal effort and at ridiculous speeds, all without an on-board computer interfering.
