LONG TERMER: KTM 890 SMT

Dave Manning has clocked up almost 1,500 miles on the KTM in four weeks, here’s how he’s found it…

Given the KTM tagline of ‘Ready to race’ that scrolls across the dashboard of all of its models when the ignition is turned on, one might wonder why, and how, the Austrian firm have created what is, to all intents and purposes, a touring bike.

The SMT acronym refers to the fact that the bike is a ‘supermoto touring’, essentially giving the owner the ability to cover miles in comfort on top of what amounts to the sheer lunacy of a big-bore supermoto.

While KTM’s parallel twin powerplant has now grown in capacity from the 890cc that the SMT is endowed with to a larger 957cc that equips the 990 Duke, the larger version is actually very different to its marginally smaller sibling. It seems something of a shame that the bigger engine has taken some of the shine off the 890 lump as, viewed on its own, it’s an absolute peach of an engine. It’s really punchy at the bottom end (I’ve had the front wheel lift a little, somewhat unexpectedly, from very low revs), and will pull top gear from 40mph, but only just. It’s far more pleasant, and presumably kinder on the crank/gearbox, if you run a lower gear at lower speeds. The torque curve feels really flat, with a consistent power delivery right through the rev range – no dips, troughs or peaks – revs only starting to drop off a little as you approach the redline. There’s most definitely some racey supermoto heritage in this engine!

Jumping off my previous Yamaha long-termer and straight on to the KTM, the steering is quick compared to the Ténéré – that’s the difference a 17-inch front wheel makes compared to a 21-inch. And quicker than most other ‘touring’ bikes, but without the headshaking and nervous front end that a traditional supermoto might get when hard on the gas and/or over ripples/white lines/cat’s eyes, etc. It’ll be an absolute hoot on a track day…

The fuel gauge has a ‘miles remaining’ display, as well as a bar graph, but it seems to be a little erratic, in that I had 120 miles left, but 20 miles later (on the odometer) it was down to 80. I fuelled up, and it showed 150 miles, but 15 miles later showed 170 miles, and another 15 miles it was back to 150… and it jumps in increments of 10 miles, but often reduces by 20. So I’ve started paying more attention to the bar.

All of that said, the fuel economy does seem reasonable, currently stating 60mpg as the average since its first service just before I got it, and getting better with each trip out (hmmm, am I riding it somewhat more gently than whoever did the running-in miles?).

While it’s clearly aimed at touring (hence the T in the name, and the hard luggage I’ve had fitted), I was nonetheless pleasantly surprised at how comfortable it was. One-hundred-and-fifty miles to Heathrow (on mostly dull and straight roads) and not a single bum-niggle.

Those panniers aren’t the only factory accessory that’s fitted to this SMT – there’s also the low-level front mudguard; the belly pan (and the Akrapovic exhaust can); as well as the Tech Pack which gives all manner of electronic doodars that I’ll be looking into more next month.