After just 3 months into off-road enduro riding on a 125cc (see previous post), I started looking for a more powerful bike, for on- and off- road use. Many companies claim their “trail” bikes are for such multi-purpose usage, but they make design and manufacturing decisions to reduce cost and produce bikes which are attractively priced but technically unable to meet the demands of off-road usage.
I finally decided on a true enduro bike adapted for road usage, the KTM 690 Enduro R, with the famous orange frame and the R for Ready to Race. It’s a bike that has been used in countless rally races like Dakar and Baja, and which can be adapted for road racing as a Super Motocross with minor changes. Difficult to find in stock anywhere, I ordered it quickly, then went looking for a fast program to get a motorbike driver license. With the French vacation period and well-known bureaucracy, it took 3 months to get the green light even with 1st time success at each step (and another month to get the official license), but I was then finally able to climb on this super bike and test my limits.
This was no mistake, this bike is awesome, it goes everywhere, and feels as comfortable on- or off- road. I am now considering going on longer rally-raid trips in 2012, by adding luggage gear, and carrying the spare parts I may need as I discover new trails far from home. Who knows where this new adventure will take me…
