Adventure Bike Rider Forum

qcnr wrote: ↑Wed Apr 10, 2024 12:50 pm A 175kg (dry) 450cc motorbike. No thankyou. But then again there isn't much that could beat my 690,
for weight and power.

They had one in Fowlers today, coming off a 690, i couldn't tell the difference, it felt light. Sure the stats says it heaver but it just didn't feel like it.

KTM at Hemel H have three 450MT inbound but no delivery date info yet , apparently one is already sold.

The 650NK at £3999 is a blinding bargain, albeit older but well proven Kawasaki Versys based engine. I'm after something taller for 32" inseam.

Sent from my moto g32 using Tapatalk

My thoughts on my MT in Morocco after 5000-km from new
https://adventure-motorcycling.com/2024 ... km-review/

Quick version:
• OEM CST tyres great, dirt and road (30 psi)
• Smooth, grunty engine [+ braking] easy to manage and great sound
• Suspension soaks it all up (stock settings)
• Seat is good for 600-km days
• Standing just about sustainable with 25mm risers on stock pegs
• Lights good at night

• Wet weight a bit high on the dirt
• Ordinary fuel consumption, for a 450

Just did another 2 thousand clicks with a Desert X and GS to the Atlantic.
https://transmoroccotrail.org/2024/12/0 ... -cap-draa/

• Wet weight a bit high on the dirt
• Gear change nothing special

We went out for a 100km, afternoon dirt ride through the hills south of Agdz without travel baggage (and my tank half full).
MT felt like another bike – clearly I pack too much!
Much more agile and easy to chuck about. Not a huge surprise, is it, really.
But 15 kilos unladen, the suspension was definitely on the firm side.
Need to look back on some of those YT vids and twiddle my dials.

I've also been trying to make the effort to change gear without the clutch and it's often better.
But it's a 45 year old habit that's hard to break.

All the KTMers enjoyed their lighter 390s too, despite the stock TKC70s.
Coming down the Tichka road back to Marrakech, we all had a blast.

MT checking in from the desert with about 9000km on the clock.
I swapped the Ambros at 8300km for some Kenda Big Blocks, though I could have squeezed 10k out of the OEMs.
Being tubeless, punctures would not be a drama.
Same with the OEM chainset which, with regular lubing, ought to be me back to the UK next week via a CFM service in Seville.
Not read it yet, but it's in a feature in the current issue of Bike mag.

Amazingly, the MT just keeps on going seamlessly, getting up to 80mpg. Not a single issue.
Even at mid/high 20s psi, the Kendas are a bit too stiff for this bike, but are wearing in.
They're not really night-and-day over the Ambros on the dirt and twitchy on some asphalt.
I meddled with the Off-Road button on the piste a couple of times, but tbh if they intervene, the ABS and TC are seamless on the sort of tracks I ride, and help keep the bike on line on loose bends.
Only in deep sand, or stalling on a very steep slope do you need to cut the TC to get going again.
Road and trail, for the MT sure is a lot more fun to ride than the KTM 390s on TKC70s I've been travelling with.

Looking forward to getting home, hose off the desert dust, slap on a DID chainset and stick it on eBay to try something else.
That 450GS looks interesting, even with a 19-er front.