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NewB Question: Reliability of Duke 690?

15K views 17 replies 12 participants last post by  Morpheous 
#1 ·
Greetings all... I'm currently a Ducati owner considering a jump over to one of the new KTM Duke 690's... I know nothing about the brand, the reliability, etc and was just wondering what the word on the street was about the bike... This would be my commuter bike with occasional track days... My last three bikes were Ducati's and a Buell XB... Both were acceptable in terms of quality/reliability... And the Duc has a 1080cc hi-comp kit with other engine work and has been completely flawless in its reliability... If you can't sense it, reliability and ease of ownership is important to me... Is the KTM Duke 690 something that would agree with a rider such as me? Any thoughts would be appreciated, thanks!
 
#2 ·
I do not have a Duke III but I did have a 2007 690SM for 9500 great miles. Only problem was the stalling which an 08 should not have due to the different ECU's. I would change the oil every 2000 miles though. I did about 70 miles of commuting for 10 months in everything from 105 degs down to 8 degs and she was great. Only problem now is what to replace her with cause the KTM does not react well to a cager doing a left turn in front of you! You will love the bike!
 
#3 ·
...All sounds good, and it sounds reliable and fun... But I take it you didn't enjoy it enough to want to replace it with another 690? (glad to assume you fared better than the bike, btw!)... Did the novelty wear off or in the end was 65hp not enough? One of the most fun bikes I had was a Honda Hawk, but that was 20 years ago... It might be really boring to ride a Hawk after all the bikes I've thru since! I guess I'm just realizing I like light-weight bikes more than high HP bikes... It would be a bummer to get a lightweight fun bike only to realize my 76ft-lb duc is really more fun after all! And actually, it's not truly "heavy" at 400lbs wet? Oh, and what kind of gas mileage did you get with your 690 and was it stock? Thanks for the insightful reply, it's helpful!
 
#9 ·
Well I do have a Duke 690 2008 model now. 2500 miles with some stupid little body work problems but no motor problems as of yet. I put 12,000 miles on my 2007 690SM before she was taken by the ALLSNAKE bastards! Great motor and much better than the old LC4 model. I put 15,000 miles on my 2000 Duke II before the motor went boom! The new LC4 motor is like the old one but much improved. The stock slipper clutch and 6 gear make it so much better. I am not real happy with the fuel delivery but I just love carbs! Great bike though!
 
#10 ·
coming from the 1000cc V-twin:

you'll love the lightness and handling but you'll hate the lack of power.

I passed an R6 in a long curve but he blew by me when it straighten out.

690 duke is a perfect bike for the city or a mountain road with alot of curves.
 
#11 ·
Had no problems with mine. Heard of a couple of rear brake brake probs on uk bikes where owners tried to adjust their lever and overheated the caliper, apart from that the worst ive heard is a couple of tail light led's blowing.

They are great bikes, really well built and super light and flickable.

Just stuck some handguards on mine today.

:thumbup:
 
#12 ·
I traded in a 1999 cbr900rr that i personally put a shit ton of miles on over a period of like 6-7 years.

As someone else mentioned : Epic bike for it's duty range ( 35 - 80mph ). Don't expect to be blowing through sweepers @ 110mph.


I have the 08 SMR - the duke is more similar to the SMC / Enduro then the SMR ( gas tank location , air box config, etc.. ) but has the LEAST ground clearance of all the LC4 powered bikes.


Reliability should be top notch - so are components. I went with the SMR because I wanted some "jumping travel" but I didn't want the SMC's looks. I went with the SMR because it's said to eek out 1-3 extra ponies at only a 30lb cost. Plus I got the Beak of Excellence ( i think its subconsious - i only date girls with big noses.... :hmmm: :rofl: )


But all and all - if you don't need the power of your liter bike ( which I didn't anymore ) and dont plan to do any fireroads / light trail riding - then the duke is an awesome bike.
 
#18 ·
I think you will find the overall build quality and component selection of the Duke 690 on par with what you are accustomed to with a Duc , but slightly better in all areas (esp in the powerplant design). The KTMs (in default stock configuration) are more of an 'R' spec when compared to most other brands. This is the coolest and most fun ride I have ever had.
 
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