invest in is the up-and-down
quickshifter for $277. KTM's
mapped this system well, and
it's made me think I need one on
my old Husky FS, as full throttle
changes are dealt with quickly
and seamlessly, even if a couple
of riders found the system a
touch notchy. I didn't, but that
must mean I either have a numb
foot, or I can just shift gears bet
-
ter. I prefer the latter.
The chassis uses a two-piece
steel trellis frame inspired by
the 390 Duke, but features
slightly lazier steering geometry,
with different triple clamps and
mounting points to give sharper
on-road handling and improve
radiator clearance. The frame
is paired with a bolt-on trellis
subframe and a gravity-cast
aluminum swingarm taken from
the 390 Adventure.
Those eagle-eyed readers will
see that, at 354 pounds topped
with 2.38 gallons of Uncle
Donald's finest, is a smidgen
over the much larger and more
powerful 690 SMR, which tops
(Top) KTM's brilliant
little 4.2-inch dash
can do everything,
including turn-by-
turn navigation once
you connect your
phone via the KTM
app. (Bottom) Seat
comfort is reasonable
for an hour-long ride
but long days in the
saddle are going
to hurt a bit.
(Left) Michelin Power 6 rubber
provide good street grip but lack a
little on the track.
VOLUME ISSUE AUGUST , P113
