Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128136
KTM didn't see fit to significantly alter its main dual-sport bike, so if you want a complete review of this unit, check out my impression of last year following the Austrian company's Mojave Madness three·day dual-sport extravaganza. I decided then that the LC4 was my favorite on-/off·road steed, and this outing did nothing to change that opinion. It might not have the sex appeal of KTM's newer, slimmer and lighter racing four·strokes, but you'll find the trusty 640 much more appealing than those bikes after a long day in the saddle (though the EXC models' new green·sticker-Iegal status means that many folks are sure to convert them for occasional tarmac use). The huge 4.7-gallon fuel cell will help you pull off those aforementioned long days, and if that's not enough, opt for the even higher-capacity Adventure model (the personal choice of KTM's own Scot Hard· en). I like my dual·sport bikes forgiving, tractable and quiet, and the 640 fits the bill on all three counts. Oh, and thanks to a huge front disc, the LC4's brakes are truly incredible. That said, there was a White Brothers project bike along on the ride, and I found its barker pipe Oust a bit louder than stock) and stiffer suspension (more oil added to each fork leg) to make riding the LC4 not only faster but easier. The LC4 sells for $6998. Modeled here by Dick "Scarface" Burleson (who had come out on the iosing end of an encounter with a brush hog a few days before our ride), the Expedition jacket offers an impressive list of features for its paltry $159.95 asking price. Waterproof, seam· sealed and breathable, the machine-washable jaci{et sports removable sleeves than can also be partially unzipped to create rear exhaust vents when it's not quite warm enough to warrant going to vest· mode (as Burleson right1y points out, dual-sport gear must be tuneable). There are also oversized, zippered cargo pockets (with a comfy, soft liner for your hands), as well as a chest pocket, and the entire jacket folds into a rear pocket and converts into a fanny pack for when things really heat up. My personal favorites, however, are the trick little watch strap on the left sleeve (no more swerving in traffic as you tug at your cuff) and drink-system tube port hidden under the Moose chest logo. Like many dual·sport out· ings, our ride included every· thing from falling snow to desert sun, and the Expedition jacket proved quite adaptable. Like the pant, it's available in navy and gray. gravity to their opinIons on things having to do with moto. Unfortunately, I'm not at all sure that this country's normally thorough similar to my own, but for some reason they can actually get people to listen to them (perhaps it has something to do with the ISDE capitalistic system is coming through in this instance; as I perceive a distinct vacuum in a potentially lucrative area of the dirt-biking market namely, the dual-sport niche populated by those very same cash-wielding elders to whom I refer. So bad is the situation in what the industry once identified as the segment of the medals overflowing out of their sock drawers). KTM is one of the few manufacturers to still acknowledge the existence of a dual-sport market, and its LC4 640 is arguably at the top of its class. As for Moose, its function-biased apparel can be purchased in relatively subdued color combinations, and future, that we Cycle News editors are ambivalent about our planned dualsport shootout, since the manufacturers don't offer enough models to jus- (Topl The ride started and ended at KTM's $c:ot Harden's home in Ramona, Califomla. (Above) Hey, old guys have to eat, too. (Leftl The group racked up over 150 miles of supreme Southem Califomia dual-sport real estate. its new Expedition line absolutely caters to the oft-ignored dual-sport rider. Burleson and Harden recently tify the til1le and expense. And it's not only the bike-builders who are missing the boat, as makers of riding apparel seem to have forgotten that riders of a certain age still manage to guide their walkers into bike shops every now and again. Bright colors and splashy logos are all well and good when you're still keeping C1earasil in business, but we oldsters prefer something that clashes less with the gray in our hair. Even if invited a small group of friends on a dual-sport ride to tryout the products in question, and - wouldn't you know it? - there was nary a spring chicken in the bunch. (Heck, I felt downright young in this crowd!) The ride took place right out of Harden's Ramona driveway, and racked up 150 miles of supreme Southern California dualsport real estate (with lunch and gas at Borrego Springs) before returning we can grow accustomed to looking like clowns in front of our motorcycling peers, it's difficult to ignore the dropped jaws and stifled snickers when we saunter into an eatery at the halfway point of a good dual-sport outing. There is yet hope, however, as I discovered recently, and perhaps not surprisingly, it comes thanks in large that evening to its starting point. The chilly December date was intentional, as it would put the Expedition gear to a real test. The conclusion? Well, you can read about the KTM LC4 and Moose Expedition gear in the accompanying sidebars, but there was another revelation that was perhaps more gratifying: Burleson and Harden are both older part to a couple of guys whose conversations turn more commonly to Lasix surgery than body piercings. In the area of dual sport, at least, Moose Off Road's Dick Burleson and KTM's guarantee you that rare is the ankle- Scot Harden seem to hold judgments in his crosshairs. cue I e than the dirt that they play in, and yet I biter who could keep the "street-bike"mounted, "farm-clothes" -wearing pair n e _ os eN • .JANUARY 9, 2002 53