Ktm 620 R/xc
KTM 620 R/XC
CYCLE WORLD TEST
DUAL-PURPOSE DIRTBIKE
KTM, THAT TINY AUSTRIAN MAKER OF MOTOcrossers and world-class enduro bikes, is now in the dual-purpose business. And with the new 620 R/XC, the company may have just jumped all the way to the head of the class.
Some dual-purpose history: Back in the early 1970s, D-P bikes were wildly popular, accounting for more than 60 percent of all new-bike sales. These were more street-scrambler than true off-road mount, but before the era of two-wheeled specialization hit, it seemed that everyone had a Honda XL250 or a Yamaha RT360 or a Suzuki Sierra 185 or a Kawasaki Big Horn 350 in their garage. Then, as touring bikes, cruisers, sportbikes and standards came to the fore, dual-purpose bikes lost market share so dramatically that by the late ’80s, they made up less than 10 percent of new-bike purchases. In an effort to bump-start sales, bike-makers gave us Euro-style rally replicas, with big fuel tanks and mini-fairings but not much off-road capability. These didn’t sell well, either.
Enter Suzuki in 1990 with its DR250S and DR350S, D-P bikes that were closely based on the DR line of off-road mini-Thumpers. These “dirtbikes with lights” found a small but loyal audience, and encouraged other manufacturers to try the formula. Most notable has been Honda with its electric-start XR650L, winner of Cycle World's Best DualPurpose Bike honors for the past two years. Now, dirtbike manufacturers are getting in on the act. Five months ago, we tested the revitalized ATK’s 605 Dual Sport, and now comes KTM’s R/XC, officially listed as a 1995 model, but available from your smiling KTM dealer already (early fall for California models).
The basis for the bike is the cross-country 620 E/XC. Suspension is straight off the dirtbike, as is the motor. The biggest changes are to the carburetor and the muffler. To meet emissions standards, the 38mm Dell’Orto is jetted much leaner than the off-road model’s, and the airbox is tightened up to stop intake honk from spoiling EPA test results. Though the header pipes are identical to the E/XC ’s, the muffler is larger and has a Supertrapp end cap. This was installed to fulfill the spark-arrestor requirement and to knock a little more edge off the exhaust note.
Chassis changes are subtle, but make the R/XC better suited for the street. The seat has a thicker and softer build than the dirtbike’s. The rear subframe is constructed of chromemoly instead of aluminum to handle the extra weight of the muffler and allow the occasional carrying of a passenger (rear footpegs are optional, as is a neat rear-fender rack). The main frame now acts as a sump for an extra 500cc of oil, a durability precaution. A centerstand replaces the swingarm-mounted sidestand and there is a lighted speedometer, a keyed ignition and a separate fork lock. A small sealed battery has been added to the electrical system, as well as tumsignals, brakelight relays and streetbike-style handlebar switchgear. Final gearing is substantially taller than that of the off-road bike-not to spread out the ratios or even gain some top speed, but to keep the bike quiet for the ride-by sound test. Lower rpm means less noise.
In all, the conversion from off-road bike to D-P bike has added about 25 pounds to the R/XC’s dry weight, though at 301 pounds it’s still 29 pounds under the XR650L, and 56
less than Kawasaki’s KLX650. Helping here is a plastic fuel tank instead of the heavy steel units more commonly used on dual-purpose bikes.
Missing from the KTM is one item that those two
one bikes and the ATK 605 have: an electric starter. This alone will put some people off, though the R/XC is one of the easiest-starting Thumpers ever, thanks to a manual compression release. Usually no more than two or three swings on the awkwardly placed left-side kick-start lever were needed to bring the KTM to life, though the handlebar-mounted choke lever had to remain in the on position for a full five minutes while the cold-blooded motor warmed up.
Mastering the kick-start procedure is easy; dealing with R/XC’s vibration isn’t. With no counterbalancer, there’s a whole lot of shaking going on here. When the bike is started on the centerstand and idling on hard cement, you have to watch it or it could shuffle backwards, just like an old Norton. On the street, the KTM transmits most of its vibes through the handlebars and the shrouds that cover the gas tank. On long street rides, say 50 miles of freeway, tingles attack feet, hands and butt. This is no touring bike.
But aside from those two nicks in the polish, the KTM shines. The LC4 engine’s powerband is wide and linear, and surprisingly, the chocked-up exhaust actually makes the KTM a better street mount. Where the off-road model has a little too much grunt off the bottom, the R/XC is smoother off idle, though it does suffer from a small amount of surging at constant-rpm cruising. From midrange on up, the restrictive airbox and exhaust seem to have little effect on performance. At the dragstrip, the R/XC sprinted through the quarter-mile in 13.50 seconds, the first big-bore D-P bike Cycle World has tested that’s broken into the 13s (Honda’s XR-L posted a 14.22-second run, the Kawasaki a 14.03, the ATK a 14.04). On the dyno, the KTM put out an impressive 39 rear-wheel horsepower, equal to the heavier Kawasaki, 5 up on the ATK and 7 more than the Honda. This is definitely the class hot-rod.
The transmission is excellent. During testing, we never missed a shift, though finding neutral at a stop was sometimes a problem, not helped by the dim neutral-indicator light. Final gearing-16-tooth front/40-tooth rear-is tall. This is fine for the street, but if the trail gets tough, fear for the clutch. We swapped the rear sprocket for a 45-tooth and added an extra link to the O-ring chain, which made a substantial improvement off-road, even if it added slightly to the vibration. In stock form, the bike was so overgeared that top speed was achieved in fourth gear; now the same speed could be had in fifth. Incidentally, the KTM topped out at 102 mph, compared to 94 for the ATK, 96 for the Honda and 100 for the Kawasaki.
On the pavement, the suspension resembles that of a sportbike: firm with heavy damping rates. Until, that is, you hit a good-sized bump that would kick any streetbike into the air-and the KTM sails right through. A WP Internal Bleed System inverted fork with 11.8 inches of travel and a WP shock (13.3 inches of travel) will absorb just about everything on the pavement that doesn’t have an emergency roadrepair crew on it. The compression and rebound adjustments on both ends allow enough range to suit most any rider, but most testers were so impressed with the suspension that they never felt the need to click any of the adjustments while on the road. Off-road, the suspension is better than on any dualpurpose bike to date. It is compliant in the small stuff-though not as much as an XR-L or Yamaha XT-but will go through whoops like a genuine dirtbike. Yes, you can
even jump it. It has the slightly top-heavy feel of the E/XC, but it is nowhere near as top-heavy as an XR650L. In fact, if you took the mirrors off the bike, you would have a hard time telling the difference between the R/XC and an E/XC cross-country model; that’s how close they are.
The double-piston front and single-piston rear brakes are strong and progressive, capable of overpowering the DOT-approved Pirelli knobbies on the pavement and providing just the right amount of feel on the dirt. The 3-gallon fuel tank is compact, and due to the lean jetting, provides enough for 100 miles
before hitting Reserve on the street, 80 if ridden hard off-road. Plan on safely getting an extra 15 miles on Reserve. During our 1500-mile test, the R/XC held up well; not even a nut or spoke loosened up.
KTM has what a lot of dual-purpose riders are looking for, with just enough street equipment to legally pass licensing regulations and more than enough dirtbike left over for unimpeded fun off-road. While the $4899 Honda XR650L sets its sights on a 75 percent dirt/25 percent street objective and the $7895 ATK is happy with a 95/5 percentage, the $5798 R/XC is more like 85/15 dirt/street. For our money, it strikes an ideal balance in both price and purpose, making it the best dual-purpose bike yet. □
EDITORS' NOTES
Ii HAS BEEN A GOOD YEAR FOR DUALpurpose bikes. First comes the ATK 605, which was close to my idea of the perfect D-P bike, then out rolls the KTM. No bike is perfect, but as far as street-licensable dirtbikes go, this is as close as I've seen. I could do just about anything possible on two wheels with the KTM, short of challenging Superbikes on the high banks of Daytona or outjumping Jeremy McGrath at a supercross.
With the quiet KIM, I can fire up and not disturb neigh bors or wildlife, proudly displaying my license plate as I ride past all those stupid "Street Licensed Vehicle Only" signs. And there's almost no handling penalty for the R!XC's good-citizen status. The extra weight is not much of a concern; replace the mirrors with a single fold-down unit and you've got a dirtbike. See ya on the trail, or the road~ or at an enduro, maybe a dual-sport ride.~..
Jimmy Lewis, OjJRoad Editor
I APPRECIATE THE RiXC's DIRT PROWESS. but I like my streetbikes to come with electric start (although I must commend the KTM for being a first-kick starter almost every time). Also, the vibration is a bit much for the long haul, and thanks to the EPA, the carburetor has a lean spot during constant-speed riding in town or on the freeway. All in all, I wasn't overly thrilled with the KTM on the pavement.
But I like light weight, I like to wheelie and I like having a burst of power when I whack open the throttle. The KTM is enjoyable for those reasons on road or off. In fact, the R/XC is so good that the only real problem is prying it from the vise-like grip of Off-Road Editor Jimmy Lewis for a weekend ride.
"Okay. Lewis, you get all the dirtbikes; hand it over," I try to intimidate him. "No way," he responds, "You have that NR oval-piston thing to ride." He's right, I remember. Besides, I really do hate getting
dirty. -Don Canet, Road Test Editor
Boy, DO I LIKE THIS BIKE. IT'S MORE refined and $2000 cheaper than the ATK 605 (not to mention 50-state legal). It's also more of a dirtbike and only $900 more expensive than Honda's XR65OL, this magazine's pick as Best D-P Bike two years run ning. For those extra bucks, you get an upside-down fork, a better shock, a lower seat height, more range and a liq
uid-cooied engine that scoots the R/XC through the quarter mile lights seven-tenths of a second faster than the Honda.
What you don't get is an electric starter or any form of vibration control. The first situation isn't much of a prob lem; the KTM is a cinch to start. The second is bothersome only if you spend most of your time on the street; for com muting, touring or backroad saunters, the Honda is still a better choice. But if your idea of a dual-purpose ride includes only enough asphalt to link up fireroads and gnarly trails, then you'll like the R/XC as much as I do.
-David Ec[[wards, Editor-in-Chief
KTM 620 R/XC
$5798
SPECIFICATIONS
