Ktm 950 Supermoto
KTM 950 SUPERMOTO
CW RIDING IMPRESSION
new bikes 2006
Introducing the Super-Superrnotard
BR/AN CATTERSON
KTM IS ON A ROLL. AFTER REDEFINING the adventure-touring class with its stunningly capable 950 Adventure, the Austrian manufacturer has now turned its attention to pavement to create the new 950 Supermoto. And it is no less stunning. Or capable. Yes, it's a Twin, powered by the same tightly packaged, 942cc, quad-cam, 75degree V-motor that propels the Adventure. KTM claims 98 horsepower for the carbureted mill, and having seen 91 hp at the rear wheel from the last 950 we tested, that's certainly in the ballpark. Why old-fashioned carburetors and not the fuel-injectors from the 120-horse 950 Super Duke currently on sale in Europe? One reason: money. The current dollar-toeuro exchange rate is highly unfavorable, so KTM North America is reluctant to spend the many tens of thousands of dollars it would take to have the fuel-injected version homologated. So for the time being, the Super Duke remains mow non grata and the Supermoto will come with carbs.
Not that that’s a problem. Sure, the Supermoto would be more exciting with 20 more horsepower (what bike wouldn’t?), but it is plenty exciting now. In fact, it may be the most exciting motorcycle on the market. It’s certainly the most entertaining.
How so? One look at the roads surrounding Radda in Chianti, Italy, site of the 950’s international press introduction, told the story. KTM’s press department had thoughtfully arrowed our test route, but by the time the English-speaking contingent arrived those arrows were largely superfluous, as we could navigate simply by following the rubber marks on the road!
Until now, supermoto bikes have been based on off-road Singles, and were therefore limited to go-kart tracks and short roadracing circuits where their lack of straight-line speed wasn’t an issue. On faster racetracks or the street, your smile soon turned into a frown as you worried about blowing up your motor as you mercilessly held the throttle to the stop for extended periods of time. The 950 Supermoto puts an end to those worries once and for all.
Though it uses the same engine as the Adventure, the Supermoto is in fact an all-new motorcycle, with something like 95 percent new parts. But while the engine may be unchanged, torque has been increased through new header pipes that run beneath the engine and twin underseat mufflers, each with its own catalytic converter. A new oil tank for the dry-sump lubrication system takes up residence in front of the engine.
The frame remains a chromoly-steel trellis, but was redesigned with steeper steering geometry (25.4 degrees versus 26.6), a lightweight aluminum subframe and a shorter aluminum swingarm that brings wheelbase down to 59.4 inches. That’s long by sportbike standards, but short compared to the Adventure’s rangy 61.8 inches.
Suspension consists of a Dutch-made WP 48mm inverted fork and single shock, the latter attached directly to the swingarm without a linkage and adjustable for both highand low-speed compression damping. Suspension travel is given as 7.9 inches up front, 8.3 inches out back. A thoughtful touch is the sticker under the seat that provides three different suspension settings: sport, standard and comfort. We tried the first two and found them to work great, but skipped the third-we’d had enough “comfort” on our two-day flight to Europe. Suffice it to say that L.A. to Cincinnati to somewhere over the Atlantic south of Greenland to Atlanta to Paris to Florence is not the preferred itinerary. (Blame a radio malfunction and remember: Delta is an acronym for Doesn’t Ever Leave The Airport.)
Returning to the matter at hand, the 950’s brakes are by Brembo, twin radial-mount four-piston calipers actuated by a radial master cylinder grasping 305mm rotors up front, and a floating two-piston caliper working on a 240mm disc in the rear. Wheels are also by Brembo, cast-aluminum “mags” that are said to weigh less than 8 pounds apiece, compared to more than 10 pounds for old-school wire-spoke wheels. Tires are Pirelli Scorpion Syncs similar to those fitted to the Ducati Multistrada, chosen as much for their light weight as their traction and handling characteristics.
The Supermoto’s styling is unique, but faithful to that seen on the Adventure and KTM’s multitudinous orange off-road models. The handlebar-mounted “fairing” resembles an enduro headlight/numberplate, and while the high front fender is abbreviated, supermoto-style, a black-plastic splash guard mounted behind the fork close to the tire keeps road grime at bay.
Throw a leg over the Supermoto and the first thing you notice is how much lower the seat feels than on the Adventure. At 6-foot-1,1 seldom have trouble sitting (or standing?) flat-footed on a bike, but the Adventure-and especially the inch-taller Adventure S-often had me on tiptoes, particularly while riding off-road. Factory specs list the Adventure as having a 33.9-inch seat height, but our last testbike measured 34.8 inches. The Supermoto’s seat height is given as 34 inches, but feels lower than that, and would feel lower yet if the front of the saddle and the fuel tank were narrower. Unfortunately, that would reduce fuel capacity, which at 4.5 gallons is already said to be “the perfect compromise between sufficient capacity and good ergonomics.” My only beef, ergonomically speaking, was a sort of soft spot in the seat that you sink into, which prevents you from sliding farther forward and getting more weight onto the front end. I’d like to see more of a dirtbike-style saddle fitted, never mind what it would do to seat height.
Beyond that nitpick, however, the dirtbike-inspired, sit-up riding position is near-perfect, along the lines of an Aprilia Tuono or Ducati Multistrada but with the footpegs not as rearset. In fact, until the Super Duke makes it to the U.S. and takes its rightful place in the naked-bike market segment, these are the machines with which the Supermoto is destined to be compared. Once under way, the sensation is not unlike that of riding an Adventure. The engine is reasonably smooth, torquey and snappy, with power everywhere and a decent but not aweinspiring top-end rush. (I’d give you some rpm figures, but there’s no tach.) The roads we rode were too twisty to investigate, but KTM claims a top speed “in excess of 200 kph.” That works out to 124 mph, and considering that our last Adventure went 130, that’s probably understated.
With a claimed dry weight of 420 pounds, the Supermoto is light for a V-Twin, and feels even lighter than it is. We got a few laps at a kart track mid-day, and were amazed at how agile the 950 was. It snaps from side to side quicker than anything in recent memory, if not ever.
Control feel is quite light, thanks in part to the hydraulically actuated clutch, and in fact the front brake might require too deft of a touch. Most of the experienced street riders at the intro raved about the one-finger stopping power, but one noted KTM rally racer (no names mentioned, Scot Harden) hit the deck when the front tire locked unexpectedly. Snatching at the brake lever is a definite no-no.
That said, the front brakes’ strong initial bite is a big part of what makes riding the 950 Supermoto so much fun. Thanks in part to well-chosen fork-spring rates that don’t let the front end dive much under braking, a light one-finger tug transfers weight onto the front wheel, which frees up the rear wheel for supermoto histrionics. And believe me, we were getting “histrionical!” By the end of our long day in the saddle, even the more conservative magazine testers in our group (no names mentioned, Paul Carruthers) were backing it into corners, wheelying over rises and performing stoppies at every stop sign (which now read STOP in Italy; when did that happen?!). Brought a tear to the eye of this long-time supermoto fan, it did.
Supermoto enthusiasts have understood the appeal of these bikes from the very beginning, and thanks to KTM and the 950 Supermoto, everyone should get it from now on. Mark my words, in a few years, we’ll all be riding supermotos... £
