Glockman's KTM 690

glockman

I hate Jeep trucks
Location
Pleasant Grove
So Stratton likes his 690 so much he convinced my wife to surprise me with one for Christmas. And a surprise it was. I had not really considered a 690 since I have had several single cylinder dual sports (TTR 250 and my DR650) but this one is much lighter and has a ton of power. It had missing front valve stem when I got it so the initial test ride had to wait until post Christmas cleanup to get repaired. I took it for a spin yesterday and it is fast and fun. Not sure it fits my dual sport wants exactly but it will be fun to build and ride. If I end up still wanting a twin (990 or 1090) I can always go that direction later. Orange bikes sell themselves!

Here she is. 2008 690 Enduro (non R) with 16k miles on the clock. It has an Akrapovic exhaust $$$, an aftermarket windscreen not sure the brand and a CJ designs billet fuel neck.IMG_20171226_174945_513.jpg20171226_100844.jpg
 
Last edited:

Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
Congrats!! Make sure it has the right EFI tune for the pipe, if you can. Mine had a FMF pipe and stock tune and it caused problems. It would be wise to upgrade the clutch slave cyl with the an aftermarket piece (Sigutech?) and consider an aftermarket fuel pump, too. Both of those stock pieces are known to be questionable.

Comparing the 690 to 990 is very interesting, while similar in scope IMO the 690 is easier to ride offroad hands down. There were times I wished I had kept my 690 and put a proper rally fairing on it. The biggest issue with the 690 at high road speeds (over 65 MPH) is the lack of any protection from wind. I guess it all depends on what you want to do with it, how far you want to ride and how much asphalt time you plan to ride.

I was incredibly impressed with the 690 on the road, with a set of TKC's you can ride it like a sport bike... great brakes, power, chassis, etc. What's not to like?
 

Tonkaman

Well-Known Member
Location
West Jordan
Oh I’m so jelly! I’ve really wanted one of these for a long time. It doesn’t help that Stratton puts bad ideas into my head...

Your wife is the best!
 

Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
There's a good chance that's a factory windscreen, they had a short & tall version thru the years. Do yourself a favor, get a Seat Concepts foam & cover kit and put it on your pan. The stock seat sucks after 45 min or so!
 

glockman

I hate Jeep trucks
Location
Pleasant Grove
Congrats!! Make sure it has the right EFI tune for the pipe, if you can. Mine had a FMF pipe and stock tune and it caused problems. It would be wise to upgrade the clutch slave cyl with the an aftermarket piece (Sigutech?) and consider an aftermarket fuel pump, too. Both of those stock pieces are known to be questionable.

Comparing the 690 to 990 is very interesting, while similar in scope IMO the 690 is easier to ride offroad hands down. There were times I wished I had kept my 690 and put a proper rally fairing on it. The biggest issue with the 690 at high road speeds (over 65 MPH) is the lack of any protection from wind. I guess it all depends on what you want to do with it, how far you want to ride and how much asphalt time you plan to ride.

I was incredibly impressed with the 690 on the road, with a set of TKC's you can ride it like a sport bike... great brakes, power, chassis, etc. What's not to like?


Thanks for the info Greg. These points are all part of my indecision. I normally avoid the pavement over 55-60mph for anything but short stints. So this bike might be right up my ally. The things I didn't like about my DR were how bad the suspension was offroad and how hard it ran on road at speeds over 55. So this should be better in both those arenas.

I will definitely look into the mapping. I am totally ignorant of any detail on these bikes, this was a total surprise. How difficult/expensive is mapping and how does one check it or have it done?

The clutch is iffy right now so that is on the list, as is the rear brake. I can't lock it up standing on the pedal so a bleed and pad check is top priority.
 

Greg

Make RME Rockcrawling Again!
Admin
Thanks for the info Greg. These points are all part of my indecision. I normally avoid the pavement over 55-60mph for anything but short stints. So this bike might be right up my ally. The things I didn't like about my DR were how bad the suspension was offroad and how hard it ran on road at speeds over 55. So this should be better in both those arenas.

I will definitely look into the mapping. I am totally ignorant of any detail on these bikes, this was a total surprise. How difficult/expensive is mapping and how does one check it or have it done?

The clutch is iffy right now so that is on the list, as is the rear brake. I can't lock it up standing on the pedal so a bleed and pad check is top priority.

Sounds like this will fit your needs quite well, then! I did a lot of rides that where highway & dirt on my 690 and that's where it excelled.

The 690 is a beast offroad... suspension is 10x better than the DR out of the box, let alone with some work! Ride it like a 450, get up on the pegs and push it around. It'll take it!

You're capable enough you can check & change the mapping with Tune ECU. I think all you need is a PC, the cord to plug into the ECU and software. - - http://www.tuneecu.com/TuneECU_En/index.html If there are any Euro bike shops nearby, I'd try that if you don't want to mess with it. Should be easy to plug in a PC and check the tune.

I've often thought about another 690 and going all out with the Rally Raid EVO2 fairing and tank kit!
 

glockman

I hate Jeep trucks
Location
Pleasant Grove
Sounds like this will fit your needs quite well, then! I did a lot of rides that where highway & dirt on my 690 and that's where it excelled.

The 690 is a beast offroad... suspension is 10x better than the DR out of the box, let alone with some work! Ride it like a 450, get up on the pegs and push it around. It'll take it!

You're capable enough you can check & change the mapping with Tune ECU. I think all you need is a PC, the cord to plug into the ECU and software. - - http://www.tuneecu.com/TuneECU_En/index.html If there are any Euro bike shops nearby, I'd try that if you don't want to mess with it. Should be easy to plug in a PC and check the tune.


I've often thought about another 690 and going all out with the Rally Raid EVO2 fairing and tank kit!

The Rally Raid setup looks sweet. I'll look into the tuneecu. Thanks again.

I’ve always had Edge do my tunes on my KTMs and Husqvarna.
I have trust issues with the Edge. Not sure it has been long enough to let them have one of my bikes again. Maybe I'll have Paul take it in for me. lol.
 

Caleb

Well-Known Member
Location
Riverton
I have trust issues with the Edge. Not sure it has been long enough to let them have one of my bikes again. Maybe I'll have Paul take it in for me. lol.


Oh yeah, didn't they drop your new bike or something? Yeah, I'd have a hard time taking my stuff to them too. I'm pretty sure any dealer can do it if it's not something you want to do yourself. I know on the non-big bikes (500 and down) you have to buy a special tool that is used by the dealers to do the tunes (costs $1K I believe). It sounds like that may not be the case on that bike, Greg would certainly be the one that would know :D
 

Gravy

Ant Anstead of Dirtbikes
Supporting Member
Bike looks super rad! Very very cool!

That's a KTM hard parts windscreen. I have the same one. Works well. That rear rack is the same one as mine and really nice piece too.

I LOVE my seat concepts full seat.

Let's plan a trip!


Let us know how you like that motoz rear tire.
 
Last edited:

glockman

I hate Jeep trucks
Location
Pleasant Grove
Oh yeah, didn't they drop your new bike or something? Yeah, I'd have a hard time taking my stuff to them too. I'm pretty sure any dealer can do it if it's not something you want to do yourself. I know on the non-big bikes (500 and down) you have to buy a special tool that is used by the dealers to do the tunes (costs $1K I believe). It sounds like that may not be the case on that bike, Greg would certainly be the one that would know :D
My 10 minute search shows there is a ton of support and maps on tuneecu.com and it only requires a $30 cable and the free software. Once I get a few of the lower tech items taken care of I will definitely give it a try.
 

glockman

I hate Jeep trucks
Location
Pleasant Grove
Bike looks super rad! Very very cool!

That's a KTM hard parts windscreen. I have the same one. Works well. That rear rack is the same one as mine and really nice piece too.

I LOVE my seat concepts full seat.

Let's plan a trip!


Let us know how you like that motoz rear tire.


The windscreen worked pretty well on my short test ride. I am planning on switching to TKC 80s, isn't that what you have? They seem to be better suited to what I will use this bike for.

I'm down for a trip. I still have my army pant giant loop.
 

glockman

I hate Jeep trucks
Location
Pleasant Grove
While my initial ride was short, it was enough to tell this bike needed some TLC. The rear brake was almost non existent, the controls were all sticky, the engine kept stalling. So with parts in hand from Rocky Mountain I dug in. Started with the easy stuff, mirrors and hand gaurds.
20171231_090007.jpg

While I was there I cleaned the pivots and mounts for the brake and clutch and lubed them. What a difference this makes. I never understand why people neglect free maintenance items that keep your bike feeling new. The clutch lever has been cut off and will need to be replaced as it is too short. The OEM replacements are expensive but husky 501 levers fit and there are a lot of aftermarket options.
Next I dug into the engine. Found the bike had already had the canister removed from the right shroud (it would be right over the rectifier in this pic) and another nice surprise, the bike has an Evo1 air filter lid as evident by the mesh vents. The factory is un-vented.
20171231_092943.jpg
I checked the air box as these bikes are known for not sealing around the filter and sure enough it was full of dirt. I cleaned it out but will likely upgrade to a traditional foam filter from Rally Raid like this
1514906555598.png
Then I went for the valves. When removing the spark plug I touched the coil wire and it came out of the cap, it wasn't even screwed into the cap lead. So I cleaned that with some electrical parts cleaner and attached it properly. I also replaced the plug while I was at it even though it looked fine.
20171231_102103.jpg
I checked the valves and found the intake right in the middle of spec (0.007-0.013mm ) at 0.010 mm. The exhaust however were too loose 0.020 and required thicker shims.
20171231_103725.jpg With the valves in speck I checked the cooling fan. The early models are known to rub on the radiator and cause leaks. I fixed that by taking 1/8 " off the shroud and putting a washer in between the mount and the fan to space it off the radiator a little.
20171231_095832.jpg
With that all done I installed the air box and the shrouds. Changed the oil, which was pretty dark and replaced the chain and sprockets. Stock gearing is 15/42 but I opted to go with 16/48. This gives me the option to change the front to a 15 for slower speed off road only riding. I went with Supersprox sprockets and an RK RX ring chain. We will see how they hold up.
With the rear wheel off I inspected the rear brake and found the pads badly glazed. I scuffed them with 150 grit and will see of that improves the braking. I also scuffed the rotor which turns out is a Warp 9 floating rotor, another score. I also removed the lever and cleaned/lubed everything and adjusted it from 2 inches below the peg to level. With all this done I fired the bike up and discovered a terrible oil leak at the left hand oil filter cover. So I pulled the filter and cover, found nothing out of order so I pulled the oil pressure regulator plug and checked the spring and plunger, nothing there either. I turned the filter cover 180 degrees even though the cover goes on both ways. Now it says oil filter at 10:00 instead of 4:00. fired it up an no leak. So I took her for a spin. Everything is better and the bike is much more fun. This thing rips. I am super excited to explore on this bike. I think it will suite my style better than a 950/990. It is really stable at 60mph and the windscreen made it downright pleasant.

KTM 690.jpg
 

Attachments

  • 1514907491804.png
    1514907491804.png
    1.6 KB · Views: 1

Caleb

Well-Known Member
Location
Riverton
Couple things, the fuel injection can be very picky on these. I'd recommend replacing the inline fuel filter and having a couple on hand. I know a lot of guys also put an external fuel filter on as well.

Also, I have a set of OEM brake levers from my 501 Husky. If they'll work for you and you want them, they're yours.

Should be a fun bike.
 
Top