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group test AND YOUR TESTERS ARE n two wheels, we firmly subscribe to The puniest of the lot, KTM’s 690 Duke is the the bigger bore is best philosophy. epitome of the class. The big single is small fry oBut when it comes to crazy, smaller when it comes to outright numbers, but the sizes can come up with sensational surprises. Austrian machine proves that power ain’t While the big boys in the naked classes cream nothing like but a number as the 654cc motor off all the plaudits, there are a handful of bikes punches well above its weight. Like any with more modest motors that leave miscreant cornered animal, get it into a tight situation mayhem in their wake. There ain’t no and it’ll come out fighting. Fitted with an array Simon ‘Rootsy’ Benjamin ‘BJ’ replacement for displacement, but the trade ace components, the Duke’s spirit is noble. Roots Kubas Cronin off between capacity and audacity is a With no natural rival, the Aprilia Only gets on the Couldn’t get BJ off balancing act that can occasionally find favour Dorsoduro can be easily overshadowed by go-kart track on the track. He found in bikes beyond the norm. bigger rivals and overlooked by beginners, but the occasional stag- a groove and stuck The right surroundings, like a decent track the techno heavy supermoto clone can deliver do, Rootsy in it all day. Went or open countryside, will always see the usual balance in unstable situations. No wonder it’s struggles big time for the knee down suspects hit the front, but the wrong Aprilia’s best selling machine of the mo’. in the power to option rather than environment is what these bikes are all about. Then there’s the new boy, Ducati’s weight ratio the foot out, so So, if you were to find yourself on a grippy Hypermotard 796. Taking all its styling cues department. But marks off for poor go-kart track with the rest of mid-Wales to play from the 1100 and pinching the plucky motor not as much as Al! style there. with, the wish list of machinery to take to task from the Monster 796, the mini ’motard seems changes considerably. like an Italian styling exercise that by pure With only 210bhp to boast – between the coincidence matches its looks with dynamic three of them – this line-up of truly loco motos ability. But knowing Ducati and its intimacy has to rely on guile rather than guts to shine. with form and function, this is no accident. FUN DOESN’T ALWAYS RELATE TO SPEED, AS THESE THREE BONKERS BIKES PROVE WORDS: SIMON ‘ROOTSY’ ROOTS PICS: MARK MANNING 50 september 2010 fast bikes mag.com fast bikes mag.com september 2010 51 group test loco motos benjamin’s KTM 690 DUKE opinion f medals were awarded for bravery, this little KTM would Despite the impressive spec list, I Ihave one proudly protruding from could never see myself wanting a It MAY BE A CYLINDER DOwn BUT Its PIstON its orange chest. It may be a cylinder bike like the Duke. In this down on these rivals, but its single company it’s got no hope; its little GEts THROUGH A TItanIC AMOUnt OF WORK piston gets through a titanic amount single-cylinder doles out enough ” of work and is only caught lacking at fun on a go-kart track, but unless anything above 100mph. you constantly travel via back The Duke is part of KTM’s royal lanes, it gets boring really fast, family – and rightly so. While other and uncomfortable. And then manufacturers have gone down the there’s the price, which is about easy route and opted for either more £3k too much in my opinion. For capacity or more cylinders, this third only a few quid more you could generation Duke proves that you need buy the best supersport bike in neither to entertain. At 654cc, it’s the world, or a host of other such massive for a thumper, and so long as impressive machinery. But KTM you’re graduating up from a smaller continues to make it, so machine, you won’t be disappointed. somebody must be buying them, The LC4 mill revs hard and fast, I just don’t have a clue who. pulling like a mule from low, but with Let us know if it’s you! just 5,000 revs to play with (all you get below 3,000rpm is judder) you’d BJ’s verdict 5/10 better get that left foot tapping to give the bike a chance. Delivery can be changed through its mapping system for the fiddle freaks out there. Find the right environment, like a 900m kart track, and the only thing that can touch it is a WSS rider training on his CRF450 ’motard. Here, the Duke makes complete sense – although the 690SMC is even more logical. The lightweight motor means the ancillaries strapped to it don’t have to be made from anything too substantial – although the 690 feels KTM 690 DUKE £7,651 solid. The frame is light and the plucky KTM on your Hyper‘ or purposeful, the swingarm industrially ’Duro, then you’d better get serious. sparse, the can is made stumpy and So long as you’re not knee deep in set low to aid balance, and if there’s corner, the Duke works well turning no need to stop the bike from 170mph positively despite the lack of weight then why have two calipers? over the front. The WP suspension is As soon as it rolls into this racy top notch, even if the rear’s set too setting, the Duke becomes a toy low. The potential is enormous. through and through. Even with the Riding hard on unknown roads is strange geometry making the bike perfect, the Duke giving you a fine feel as if it’s already pointing view of what’s to come and not upwards (we pointed the needing to be lent over too finger at the shock set-up), don’T BE far makes it a perfect recce the bike still pings FOOLED BY bike. But if you should between turns like a Spending over £7,000 for a come across longer, single. It’s a cracking bike in mosquito eying up Al. tight turns but we’d want smoother turns, or know The 654cc lump has an overhead camshaft Highlights Gas hard out of a turn in another cylinder for a road inside out, you’ll operating four valves. 46mm throttle bodies ﬁre ˲ WP Suspension first gear and the rear find the Duke isn’t as the juice in. The EPT (Electronic Power Throttle) is that money engine ˲ Adjustable mapping Dunlop Alpha-10 slips, grips happy as the front tyre electronically controlled and manually closed. An adjustable map switch with three settings is ˲ Slipper clutch and then continues turning on scrabbles for purpose. It works included. There’s also an APTC ‘anti-hopping’ ˲ 654cc its shoulder. Brake hard and it obeys on track because of the dramatic clutch to reduce rear wheel chatter, with 30 per ˲ 148kg in an instant, with downchanges weight transfer. In less pronounced cent softer springs. The other LC4 motors have ˲ 65bhp executed easily and with as much or situations it’s more of a problem. different tunes, aiming less at top end. as little fuss as your style demands And then there’s the price. You’ll TRACK 6 So long as it’s a small ‘un thanks to the balanced APTC slipper need to properly fall in love with this clutch. Its rivals are ultimately faster, bike, live in the middle of Wales and The thin-walled steel trellis frame weighs just FAST ROAD 5 9kg, and carries a one-piece aluminium die-cast Needs tight confines but overtaking the Duke is a mighty, have a kart track on your doorstep. swingarm with a pro-lever linkage that houses a almost suicidal, task. £7,600 is simply massive money. chassis fully adjustable WP shock. 48mm WP forks look HOOLIGAN 9 Stunning stunter at slow speeds Turn out of the arena and onto the after the front, with a Brembo radial caliper. open road and the tables are reversed Verdict 6/10 Find an open road and stretch Decent Dunlop Alpha Tens tyres grace the NEW RIDER 6 that throttle cable. The lil’ wheels. The racy SMC is pared down by 9kg. It Never too intimidating – although not to the degree you’d The single configuration is alive and kicking. And Duke will thank you for it wheeling, and a hell of a lot of fun has a smaller tank, higher seat, and it uses DESIRABILITY 6 think. Of course, speeds are down on spoked wheels not forged. Good looker – if you like orange the Duke (and vibes are up), but if + WEIGHT, DIMENSIONS, TYRES, BRAKES you think you’re going to breeze past - REAR SHOCK, PRICE, MOTOR’S LIMItatIONS 52 september 2010 fast bikes mag.com fast bikes mag.com september 2010 53 group test loco motos benjamin’s Ducati Hypermotard 796 opinion hy didn’t Ducati come out with the 796 as the I really dig the wee Hypermotard, W first in its range of off the even if others don’t as much. hook Hypers? With this as the starter, What I really like about it, and we could only look forward to bigger what it holds over its bigger and badder things for our main. In its brother, is that it’s a peach to tool own right, the 796 version of Ducati’s around on.

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