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/1545915
P102 RIDE REVIEW I 2026 KTM 690 SMC R cornering ABS, Supermoto ABS and lean-angle- sensitive traction control, but all have been recalibrated to deliver smoother, less intrusive intervention. There's also the optional Tech Pack, which adds the Quickshifter+, Motor Slip Regulation (MSR) and multi-stage Dynamic Slip Adjust and wheelie control. Bluetooth connectivity via KTMConnect and a USB-C charging port further modernize the SMC R, bringing the electronics package in line with KTM's naked bikes, like the 790-and-up Duke range. KTM's been leading the game of late with their dashes/displays, and the tube-like 4.2- incher is no different. The company pioneered using little pictures of the system you're fiddling with, such as the bike sliding progressively more as you dial in less TC or the front wheel getting ever higher with the reducing wheelie control, so kudos to them for keeping this going. I am clearly not the rider that KTM execs are after with the SMC R. Maybe when I was even 10 years younger, I'd be up for it, but the SMC R is just too one-dimensional for me, even when I squint and think I am still that moron hooligan I was when I started this job nearly 20 years ago. As for who this bike is for, I'm sorry, but I'm no closer to finding the answer to that than when I started this article. Inner-city couriers, maybe? My other issue is, you guessed it, the price. At $13,399, and that's before dealer's fees and whatever else, that's a huge amount to pay for a single-cylinder streetbike. The company's own fire-breathing 450 SX-F motocross bike is more than $1700 cheaper, with the full kit 450 SX-F Factory Edition only $300 more. I know I'm not exactly comparing apples with apples, but you get the idea. Okay, how about this: the 790 Duke I just tested—an excellent twin-cylinder naked bike with substantially more power that can tackle canyons as well as it can tour—costs a stagger- ing $4000 less than the 690 SMC R. For those riders who just must have the SMC R—and there will be a few of those—it doesn't matter what the SMC R costs. But for me, it'll make a pass this time, and that leaves me a little sad. CN 2026 KTM 690 SMC R ($13,399) Engine Single-cylinder, 4-stroke Valvetrain SOHC, 4-valve Displacement 692.7cc Bore x Stroke 105 x 80mm Starter Electric; 12V 8.6Ah Transmission 6-speed Fuel System Keihin EFI, 50mm throttle body Lubrication Pressure lubrication w/ two oil pumps Cooling Liquid Clutch PASC slipper clutch, hydraulically operated Ignition Keihin EMS w/ ride-by-wire, dual ignition Frame Chrome-moly steel trellis Subframe Self-supporting plastic tank Handlebar Aluminum, tapered, Ø 28/22mm Front Suspension WP Apex USD Ø 48mm Rear Suspension WP Apex monoshock with Pro-Lever linkage Front-Wheel Travel 8.8 in. Rear-Wheel Travel 9.4 in. Front/Rear Brakes Disc Brake 320mm / 240mm Front/Rear Wheels 3.50 x 17, 5.00 x 17 in. Front/Rear Tires 120/70 ZR 17; 160/60 ZR 17 in. Steering Head Angle 26.4º Wheelbase 58.1 ± 0.6 in. Ground Clearance 9.3 in. Seat Height 35.3 in. Tank Capacity 3.5 gal. Weight (Wet, no fuel, claimed) 338.4 lbs.