Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

RIDI-NG.lMPRESStON Honda XR650L and KTM 620RIXC (Lett) The KTM 620RlxC (lett) makes few concessions to_usetruly a dirt bike with lights. The XR650L's dirt heritage has been softened to make It more livable on the tarmac. Ba(k-to-ba(k By Kit Palmer y fingers were tingling from the vibration; my butt was numb from the hard and narrow seat; I cursed every car that passed me on the freeway, because 60 mph was as fast as I wanted to go, comfortably. I couldn't wait to get off this motorcycle. The motorcycle I was cursing under my helmet was the KTM LC4 620R/XC dual sport bike - a machine not really intended to be ridden down 1-405 during rush-hour traffic in the middle of Los Angeles. But this is exactly what I was doing. Why? Because I had no choice both the bike and my body were at the office, my truck was at home and earlier that afternoon we had decided to go riding in the mountains near my house the next day. I had to make my usual 75-mile commute home from work, this time, on theKTM. In between expletives, though, I couldn't help but think that I had no right entertaining these terrible thoughts in my head about the KTM. After all, this motorcycle is exactly what I and many of my off-road riding buddies have been screaming for for years - an honest-togoodness barely street legal dual sport bike. And that means no counterbalancers, no street tires, no mushy seat, no steel gas tank, no second-rate suspension components, no freeway gearing, no electric-start (well, ahh, let's not get carried away now). The next morning, I hooked up with fellow Cycle News editor Mark Hoyer, who rode up on the Honda XR650L, a bike t was longing for the previous afternoon. It's also a motorcycle that has taken the dual sport scene by storm, no doubt because of its deep off-road roots and excellenLon-road demeanor. It's powerful motor, sturdy suspension and unbeatable quality of craftsmanship don't hurt.any, either. Despite Mark and I being wellacquainted with both motorcycles, this would be the first time riding them backto-back, something we've been wanting to do for quite some time. The second we made the transition from pavement to soil, I couldn't believe how quickly I changed from hating the KTM to loving it. It had rained earlier that morning, and traction couldn't have been any better. At the simple twist of the wrist, the KTM's front tire climbed skyward as the back tire dug its claws M If) 0\ 0\ ,...., u) ,...., l-o OJ "S OJ > o z 14 into the hard-packed but moist soil. The vibration suddenly didn't matter anymore, nor. did the low gearing or firm seat. I was in heaven. .There was plenty of power on tap, and the suspenSion soaked up everything in sight. You could slam into the rain ruts, plow through the rocks and launch off the jumps with confidence, much thanks to the KTM's mQre offroad-tuned suspension. "So, Mark, don't you wish you were riding the KTM now," I thought. Suddenly, everything went quiet. A little over-excited, perhaps, but I went into a turn way too hot and stalled the engine. Mark rolled up on the Honda, shut off the motor, and patiently waited for me to fire up the KTM, using its leftside kickstarter lever. Five minutes later, he was still waiting. Kick, fumble, fumble. Kick, fumble, fumble. Kick, fumble, fumble. "'&%$@#&%$# KTM," I thought. Kick, fumble, fumble.. Luckily, I was on a hill and eventually resorted' to bump-starting the big KTM back down the way we had come. When the bike· fired to life, I turned around and rode up to Mark. He·then proceeded to mock me by moaning and groaning as he touched the electric-start button. The Honda fired right up. He pretended to wipe sweat off his forehead. Errrgg. "I hope the road gets gnarly up ahead," I thought. Soon after, I found myself enjoying the love part of my love-hate relationship with the KTM again. The rougher the trail, the better I liked the KTM. "This truly is a dirt bike with blinkers," I thought. Suddenly, silence again. This time I didn't deserve it. Yes, the rear brake is a little touchy, but not that touchy. Now I had to go through the starting regiment again - pull in the compression-release ~ever, find TOC and just beyond, let the lever pop back out; bring the kickstarter lever back up, then whurnmp! Eventu.alIy, it started. I think Mark felt a little sorry for me. This time he waited until I was riding away before starting the Honda. Later on we swapped bikes. During the trade-off, we let the KTM idle. I could breath a sigh of relief on the Honda. I didn't have to worry about stalling the motor any more. Nope. That was Mark's problem, now. It had been a while since 1 last rode the Honda, and I had oearly forgotten how good this bike feels - the smooth- him stalled in a turn. I gav~ him plenty of advice on the subject of starting the KTM. After all, I was an expert at it by now'. We eventually traced the stalling . problem to carburetion, because when you suddenly backed off the throttle, the motor had the tendency to cough once and die. KTM did inform us that they had replaced the stock needle in the "jetless" Kwik Silver II carburetor for an optional off-highway (K-9) needle, designed to enrich bottom end and lean out the middle, and it was de.termined that the bike was running too rich off the bottom, thus causing our stalling problem. KTM felt a minor repositioning of the needle would reduce, if not eliminate, the problem. Yes, stalling and starting the KTM was the topic of most of our conversa- (Right) Despite some carburetlon problems the KTM's throttle response was very quick and overall power good. (Left) True to Its more dirt· oriented nature, the KTM (right) Is much narrower than the Honda. working controls, light throttle, plush suspension (at least the first few inches), precise steering and powerful motor. No wonder nearly half of all the riders I saw at the last dual sport ride were on XRs. But I didn't like everything. When the trail pace picked up and the terrain got rough, J longed for the KTM's suspension and lighter weight. The Honda might be more plush over the smaller bumps, but the suspension just doesn't absorb the hard hits as well as the KTM's, which really comes as no surprise. After all, the Honda does give' away approximately 40 pounds to the KTM. The XR also produces good power but isn't distributed to the rear wheel as well is it could be. First gear is geared too low, and the gap between first and second is wider than the Grand Canyon. This time, it was my turn to watch Mark start the KTM. He had disappeared, so I turned around and found tions and the brunt of many jokes on that . ride, but we both easily agreed that th.e KW - performancewise - was the bike of choice on the single- and two-track dirt roads. It's definitely the machine for the hard-core dual sport rider who doesn't mind some of the inconveniences usually associated with full-on dirt bikes - like manual starting and less-than-stellar pavement manners. But, hey, at least it can be ridden on the streets. The Honda, on the other hand, is much easier to live with. You can ride it on the street and highways comfortably, you can ride it aggressively on the dirt. And, of course, there's the high quality of craftsmanship which Honda is famous for. While Cycle News believes the foregoing test reliable, it is the opiniorl of the reviewers only and should riot be relied upon in determining the performance or safety of the velricle(s). The reader should make his or her own investigation.

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