KTM 690 SMC R specifications, dimensions and price

KTM 690 SMC R

MCNews says the update brings more power, sharper electronics and proper supermoto hardware. But that the big LC4 single still asks plenty of its rider. It notes fully adjustable WP Apex suspension at both ends with revised damping aimed at comfort and control, and says that below about 110 km/h on tight, second-and-third-gear tarmac very few things will disappear from a well-ridden SMC R.

The tester adds that they are probably not the rider KTM had in mind.

1000PS reports Continental Attack SM II tires on 17-inch aluminum spoked wheels, and highlights the extended maintenance intervals: an oil change after 15,000 km and a valve clearance check after 30,000 km.

KTM lists WP Apex USD forks with 224 mm (8.82 in) of travel and a Pro-Lever shock with 240 mm (9.45 in). Steering geometry is 110 mm of trail at a 63.6 degree head angle; the wheelbase measures 1,476 mm and the bike clears the ground by 237 mm. The front disc is 320 mm and the rear 240 mm.

The tank holds 3.51 gal, and the frame is a powder-coated chromium-molybdenum steel trellis.

SMC R against Enduro R

Both 690s cost $13,399 and share the 79 PS engine. The SMC R has 224 mm of front travel against 265 mm, a 899 mm seat against 935 mm, a 320 mm front disc against 300 mm, and 17-inch wheels for the road.

What the service intervals mean in miles

The 15,000 km oil change 1000PS reports is about 9,300 miles. The 30,000 km valve check is about 18,600 miles. For a supermoto that is ridden on short, hard tarmac runs, that means the maintenance calendar, not the odometer, is likely to decide when the bike goes to the shop.

It is a notably longer gap than a race-derived 450 supermoto, which is measured in engine hours rather than distance. Owners should still follow the interval printed in the manual for their market, since a US bike is not necessarily set up like the European one 1000PS tested.

The SMC R suits an experienced rider who wants a light single for tight tarmac and has patience with a big single's vibration and low-speed behavior. RevZilla's history of the class explains the format: supermoto grew out of 500 cc two-stroke motocross bikes with big brakes and flat-track tires, and stayed a niche in the United States while Europe embraced it.

690 SMC R against the 390 SMC R and 450 SMR

KTM's own smaller supermoto and its race-derived 450 SMR are the nearest comparisons.