is KTM 690 ENDURO R a reliable bike?

[robson]

Hi,
still cannot decide on my dirt/enduro bike options and recently have seen ktm 690 ENDURO R
and I liked it a lot. Problem only is reliability as I always have heard ktm is not the
king in this department. How is it today with ktm? still behind Japanese and British bikes?
thanks

[Richard Simpson]

My KTM 950 is far more reliable than my Triumph Tiger Cub or BSA B25SS ever were!

Not as reliable as my Aprilla Pegaso or Suzuki DR350S were though...but far, far better than my Husky TE610E was.

[WesleyDRZ400]

I do like KTM and own a bike but i would never buy a 690 and take such bike on a long trip unless you are good with tools and carry spares as 90% of ride reports with 690s being used as long distance overland bikes and the bikes have broken down at one point :pinch:

[V_King]

yes they are reliable, they are just higher maintenance. Thats the price you pay for higher performance and lighter and more agile bike compared to the dull competition :whistle:

[WesleyDRZ400]

yes they are reliable, they are just higher maintenance. Thats the price you pay for higher performance and lighter and more agile bike compared to the dull competition :whistle:

So how would you go about carrying "maintenance" to fix the common problems they all suffer to name a few.........failed stator, failed fuel pump, broken rocker arms, swing arm issues, crack/broken frame.

Probably not a problem if these go wrong in the UK.

For myself someone who rides alone the issues associated to this bike put me off as there are other bikes on the market that don't have such issues.

I will also never use a injection bike again after pushing my old injection bike for along time when it keeped cutting out, fault finding can be fun.......

Is it the fuel pump or is it the injector, maybe its the ECU or could it be the spark plug or cap, maybe it has a hair line crack in the throttle body.... alot of maybes when trying to find the problem and replacing parts :S

[Fun Lovin Criminal]

Where's that bloody popcorn?

[AndyB]

How common are these faults? The worst thing about the internet is that everyone posts about problems but very few spend as much time posting comments about how well their bike has performed and that can make a good bike look a bit of a dog.

The whole thing with a 690 Enduro is that the majority of owners take them where they wouldn't take a lot of other bikes and consequently they take more hammer than a less focused bike.

It'd be interesting to see some figures showing miles spent on road, miles spent off road and miles per major breakdown compared to other bikes that would be looked at if someone was going on a major trip into the wilderness. I don't own one but if I was going on an extended trip I'd certainly consider one because my experience of KTM bikes is that because the dealers are normally KTM only they tend to hold a lot more spares in stock than dealers holding other manufacturers bikes.

[Mike54]

yes they are reliable, they are just higher maintenance. Thats the price you pay for higher performance and lighter and more agile bike compared to the dull competition :whistle:

Hm got to disagree with you there. I am a KTM fan and we work with them, but the 690 is the most unreliable dirt bike out there. Fuel pumps, rocker arm bearings, electrics, injectors, you name it, it suffers from it. Yes there are 690's out there that have never had an issue, not saying there aren't, but overall, its an unreliable machine.

It was designed to be a roadbike, frame wise. They just decided to put dirt suspension on it. It has a huge wiring loom, and it has not just one ECU but two. One to do the normal stuff, the other to govern the throttle. They are awesome to ride, loads of fun, but as a bike to do trips on? It's not for me. Everyone I know with one (bar one actually) has had problems with it.

[~ACP~]

Where's that bloody popcorn?

Indeed!

I bought mine second hand knowing about their associated problems, but like Andy says about the internet, I thought they couldn't all be that bad.
The first time it broke down was when the throttle body detached due to a backfire on start. It's about the only time ever I've not been carrying tools! I had to door knock to borrow a screwdriver and fixed it fairly easily.
The next time it broke I came home on the back of a truck when the fuel pump packed up. I'd had it less than 500miles. It's a known problem but didn't expect it to happen so soon.
The 2nd time the AA brought me home was when the chain broke. Not necessarily the bike's fault, more a cheap chain and poor maintenance.
The radiators are easily broken by over tightening the rad guard bolts.
The ECU, fuelling and injection is a PITA.

I certainly have a love/hate relationship with mine. They go like stink and are brilliant bikes off road and off motorways. I wouldn't want to go touring on one.
I hope I've addressed all the problems I'm likely to encounter but there's always that niggle in the back of my mind about it's reliability.

[Mike54]

rocker arm bearings - give them a check (thumbs)