KTM has many well known niggles with this machine. A few in no particular order: 1) The radiator fan's thermo switch is set to activate the fan at a high temperature (102C/215F), I assume for emissions reasons. Bear in mind the switch is toward the bottom of the radiator, where the water is cooler than it is at the top. The 690 gets hotter during slow going than I like as a result. 2) Adding to the bike running hot, the 690's part throttle settings are excruciatingly lean, the ECU's target air fuel ratio in this region is 14.7, which is stupid lean. This is also for emissions. 3) The stock exhaust can is heavy AF, has a catalytic converter in it, and it gets dangerously hot as a result. Starting to sense a theme here yet? 4) The stock paper air filter is prone to not sealing well on the air box, which can allow dirt into the engine. 5) The clutch slave tends to go out. So I bought a new '23 Husky 701 Enduro anyway. Why? Because the above problems are fixable, and the bike is truly amazing once they are addressed. For #1, remove the original fan switch and replace it with a different KTM switch that activates the fan at a much more reasonable 85C (185F) water temp. Yes the fan will run more but that is not a problem for the charging system, and the engine will stay much cooler. aomc.mx/83035045000.html For #2, add a $39 Rottweiler fueling dongle. The eliminates the O2 sensor and allows the part throttle "closed loop" area to run a full point richer. This is still a tad lean, but it is a lot better than stock. www.rottweilerperformance.com/rottweiler-fueling-dongle/ For #3, replace the cantankerously heavy stock exhaust can with a Wings, Yoshimura, or whatever suits your fancy. The bike will sound great, run cooler, and combined with #2 above, it will be much snappier to the throttle. For #4, simply grease the rubber on the filter where it seats on the air box. Be diligent that it is all together correctly when putting the lid on the airbox, as it is a little fiddly and easy to mess up engaging the lid's front "fork" thingies. I replaced my Enduro's paper air filter with a Twin Air panel unit. Even with that filter, the same grease the sealing surface and be careful while assembling rule applies. For #5, an Oberon slave solves this stupid problem once and for all. This one troubles me the most, as KTM has known for years and across many of their models that their clutch slaves are crap. www.oberon-performance.co.uk/clutch-slave-cylinders A nice optional upgrade is the dongle that plugs into the service port that allows the bike to "remember" it's last traction control and map settings. This is particularly useful for the Enduro, as it will stay in off road mode with traction control off while starting and stopping off road. Without the switch it defaults to the street map with full TC and ABS, and turning those off all the time while trail riding quickly becomes a pain in the ass. ktmtwins.com/products/ktm-dongle-ktm-690-1090-1190-1290-adventure-r-super-adv-r-t-enduro-r-2013-2017 So ya, this is a lot, especially for a bike that is expensive to begin with, but if one wants a big single dual sport or SM that rips, let's face it - the Japanese don't make anything remotely as cool as the big KTM single, so it is worth the effort to dial it in. The dual counterbalancer big thumper is an impressively smooth and powerful engine, the quickshifter rocks, and the XPLOR suspension is sprung stiff enough and very good too. I love my new 701 - my biggest problem I have with it is resisting the temptation to do 2nd into 3rd gear quick shifter enhanced long wheelies all over the place while riding it on the street 😆

I was going for the 690, but after seeing this video and reading the comments, I will pass on it and find something else. Funny most KZfaqr’s still try to promote these bikes even though they have problems with them. It’s nice to see a honest KZfaqr for once👌🏻keep being honest, and do what you do👍🏻

1. Do your own maintenance, especially for small things like brake fluid, brake bleeding, oil changes etc. 2. Black brake fluid is just wrong, which you'd know if you did your own maintenance, or if you'd read a few forums. 3. Squeaking brakes can be dirty rotors or pads. This is what brake cleaning fluid is for. If the brake still squeaks, it's probably the bolts holding the disk or the callipers, or, most likely, the pins on the callipers, which should be greased. 4. Buy or steal a KTM workshop manual. Some poor quality dealers don't bother and skip steps when doing maintenance. This way you can do it yourself or check whether it's been done correctly. 5. With KTMs, Loctite is your friend. A lot of bolts will rattle out and a small drop of blue Loctite will save your trouble. 6. Write to KTM, make a lot of noise on the forums, Facebook, Reddit, here on KZfaq etc. KTM, like any other bullshit corporation, is worried about their image and will then try to set things straight.

Thanks for letting us know. Never owned a KTM, but my 2000 Suzuki DRZ 400 e gave me lots of problems too. I sold it. Sticking to Honda XRs.

I bought a 690, new, in 2019, never had any issues except a leak on one leg of the front fork, i changed the fork seals myself for a very small cost, other than than nothing at all and i use my bike almost every day. Buy the way i never changed the brake fluid and it is still clear ! Fantastic bike.

I've got a 2021 and get false neutrals a lot. Like between 4th and 5th too, so, it's fun. Really boggy at low rpms with the baffle out on my arrow slip on. I love riding it though. It's quick, light, and runs cooler than my R1 in the summertime.

I got 2021 model 690 Enduro. No issues whatsoever after 2.5 years and 20,000 km. Original clutch still OK. My brake fluid also went dark quickly so I changed it early, cheap easy fix, no issues since. The Brembo brakes are excellent. Cheers

I have a 2008 Duke 690, 53,000 kilometres and no issues so far, except for replacing the fuel pump. Very rarely is it below 5000 rpm, usually closer to 8000. Unfortunately the stealership here in Zagreb aren't too bright, they don't carry any spare parts at all, everything needs to be ordered from Austria which takes no less than a month. The failure point in the clutch slave cylinder is the O ring,which can't be purchased separately.

Took over a year for my dealer to get me a replacement clutch slave, in the meantime if failed. I replaced it with a Rekluse one. Have not had any issue with brakes, but I do flush fluid twice a year.

My 2017 690 enduro r has been extremely reliable for 9000+ miles. I change the oil every 1500 miles and clean the air filter at the same time. I have put a twin air foam filter in it when I bought the bike to replace the paper filter that it came with though but that was just so I could clean it and reuse it. Still have the original clutch slave cylinder with no problems at all. Guess I was lucky 🍀

I was going to get a 690smc this summer but I don't thinks so. I had a 96 or 97 620 and that thing sucked it never wanted to start and the kick start was on the left , I got rid of it real fast , I'm still looking to get a 890 AR but looking at all reviews before I do.

I was thinking of selling my z900 and get a new 690, because i just love supermoto’s. But man i can’t stand these problems that come with those bikes. My z900 has been absolutely bulletproof after 2 years of abuse.

2019 SMCR 10,000 miles... I bought it new, clutch started slipping soon thereafter... I wasnt knowledgable enough to report it within the warranty period. Clutch slips really bad now at 10K miles... Ive reverse bled and started using high temp racing clutch/brake fluid... the confusing part is it doesnt start slipping until it's warmed up, which makes me think it has something to do with the hydraulics... I think the mc is the culprit,... but either way it will be frustrating trying to figure it out... often loose bolts too that fall out. Amazing performing bike though at its potential... I definitely reccomend unlocking the power with full exhaust, power commander and air intake.

It’s not just you - I have a 2020 smcr (my first KTM). So far: New clutch slave cylinder (Oberon) Warped front disc (replaced with Galfer and fine since) Leaking oil from countershaft (fixed with revised KTM parts) Completely stripped thread in the air box - must have come like that from the factory as it was the first time it was removed (binned and replaced with Rottweiler intake) Various loose bolts (added loctite) Do I regret buying it? Nope - it’s a fantastic bike and all of the above was relatively easy to fix myself. Unfortunately it’s not just KTM - my previous Street Triple had a huge oil leak from the sump and countershaft which was frankly dangerous…

I HAVE A 2020 SMCR 690 ITS BEEN NOTHING BUT TROUBLE AND THE DEALERS ARE ABSOLUTLY RUBBISH IN THE UK THEY DONT WANT TO KNOW I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER KTM THERE CRAP.

Yes. Almost the same with mine 2020. First slave cylinder of clutch (changed by warranty with new repair kit, and broke in few days again. So I went to the nearest autoshop and find fuel/oil/brake oil resistant oring for 0,5$. No problem for 3 years) 2nd is blackening REAR brake fluid(just changed it by myself for 3 times in one month with one from my car and no problem still then) 3rd. Front brake squeaking. It happened after few track days and possible caliper overheating (have 690ENDURO with set of 17th sumo wheels, and enduro brakes) Nothing do with that. Just disassembled caliper and checked everything was good) So not a big problems. But was a bit disappointed facing them for the first time. Good if KTM corrected all of them with new facelift. Heard the last ones (2022+) have even worse situation with low power on low revs because of euro 5 or 6. So want to remove all the “green stuff “ from my bike and looking for any good muffler not casting 500+))

I assume all these issues also apply to the 701? It sounds like a parts quality issue rather than a build quality issue, would ye agree? or is there a design flaw causing the high failure rate on these components? What is the SM community opinion on the 701 build quality versus that of the 690? I was aware of the clutch & the gearbox false neutral problems but the brake cylinder problems I was unaware off. Thanks for sharing.

Ktm has always been known for making excellent bikes. I waited until I made good enough money to buy a ktm. I chose the ktm 690 enduro r.... Ive had nothing but problems since ive bought the bike and its on its third recall. Now it wont start and I have oil flooding my air box and throttle body. I'm just going to get it running again and trade it in.

I alway's upgrade all the crap part on every bike I own, on my 690 enduro R 2021 I've changed the clutch slave, upgraded to a pro shift kit, rottweiler intake and fuel dongle, power commander 6 and a tune, arrow exhaust, water pump and thermo and put liquid ice radiator fluid, steering damper... The bike runs fantastic, no jerkiness and doesn't run hot at all. Next I'm changing the fuel pump to a quantum and the bike will be perfect. The jerkiness problem is that euro 5 that choke the bike and run them to lean and to hot for the catalytic converter work better hot. I worked in different shops for different brands and it's all the same, I had a tiger 900 rally pro and they had all the same issues.

mine had a problem today. My friend's Husqvarna also had a problem. turned off the panel. had to replace the entire harness of the electrical part.

Wow thats sucks. i thought they fixed clutch cylinder in newer models. I have brand new 690 enduro bought back in september 2021 and my rear brake fluid also went black at around 5000 km and i got it changed in 5 minutes at our local friends moto service with DOT brembo fluid. Front brake also starting to loose presure and coming black but now i have almost 7500 km on odo and will change fluid soon. Oh and also iam getting front brake squick at low speed stops.

I had the same problem with my 2021 690, it appears that there was a bad batch on brake fluid. After having mine changed from what the bike came with, everything was fine.

i bought a husqvarna 701 nearly a year ago and i trashed the daylights out of it on the nurburgring lap after lap ; 1 issue and thats the modeswitch unit . as a dutch motorcyclist who is in germany very often i must say german motorbike shops can be terrible , not all but some are just plain hell to deal with .

2019 690 smc r here, 30k kms, not a single problem 💪🏼😬

bro, my is a 19 7200miles a little over 10000km, I have the same problem with you! It 's not the brake but the clutch master cylinder f**ked up and it's on back order now, dealer told me that I might have to wait 3-4 weeks to get the parts delivered, luckily I got the extended warranty might cover it, did you get everting fixed now?

walked 200 km only. what bad luck. I will call tomorrow to drop off the bike for repair. I'm pretty upset.😢

I wish I could have got all the informations in there but intro and developpement is just way too long. It would be great to be a bit more synthetic. Thank you for sharing.

Where do you live? I am from Germany and there is a recall for all 690/701 clutch slave cylinder before 2021. It is also supervised by the German government (KBA), you have to go to a dealer and change it for the new version or you will loose your registration. I am sure, your dealer had this information and let you go with the bad clutch. The 10k service includes vale clearance check. If your bike has less than 10k, you only have to do oil service to keep your warranty, which is cheaper but, if you are close to 10k, it may be a good advice to go for the big service, because you have to do it at 10k anyway (my dealer explained that to me). I have a 701 Enduro from 2019, beside from the clutch, no issues so far. I hope you will get it fixed, but I would change the dealership (what is that Airbox BS?).

I checked my brakefluid now. its pitch black.. on a brand new 2021 model, Ive had it for a week. But ofc the fluid is already 1 year old

My limited understanding of supermotos is they are an after thought. Definitely cool and fun machines but overlooked by manufacturers in terms of quality and endurance. Adding insult to the injury, they are over priced too. I had a 2018 DRZ and I lost the engine in 11 month because a $11K (AUD) even doesn't bother to have a low oil warning light. It was fun for the 5000 KMs I rode it but was never trusty and the experience of owing it was much more expensive in 11 months compared to my BMW S1000 RR race edition in 46 months. I am considering a KTM or GasGas supermoto these days but I don't want another expensive, annoying experience over a bike again. KTM seems to deliver unfinished products case in point is their G3 Duke 390. I was at a dealer last month to buy one so I asked can have the low seat, engine and lever guard (as per KTM has announcement and website photos) but dealer couldn't find them in power parts and even calling their distribution center provided no info but ETA unknown. I was wondering why KTM wasted my time and showing me photos of a none existent product?

After seeing the Video and Reading the comments im wondering whats wrong („Right“) with my bike. Got a 2021 Husqvarna 701 and rode almost 10k kilometers with not a single probleme, could it be that ktm changed a few things on 2021/2022 model?

I had to change the front disc on mine; vibration issues; instead of using OEM I fitted at Moto-Master disc with new pads and never looked back.

Hola , gracias por el video , donde se pueden comprar los espejos de tu moto , yo tengo una ktm 690 smcr 2021 creo que valen, gracias

I’m still buying one

These are really minor problems and you could have fixed them yourself. My 690 is 13 years old. I do my own maintenance periodically. It's not a moped bro.

Durch welche Stadt fährst du da? Das scheint ja in der Nähe Essen zu sein 😉 Zu welchem KTM Händler gehst du denn? Team West?

When faced with the decision to buy the 690 or the 701 SM an insider who works on plenty of these bike told me that Huskys have much better QC these days... Some of the bikes are assembled by the cheapest (and therefore not super skilled or disciplined) workforce available to KTM, usually romanians or ukrainians.

Do they have metal break lines or rubber?

Do you know if also the new 2021/2022 model has the same problems?

The biggest problem with ktm....is KTM they dont give a shit.

Sounds like the brake hoses or seals are not compatible with the brake fluid if the fluid has gone black after such a short time. Have they put the right stuff in ? I was thinking about getting one of these but not so sure now !!

Only problem I've had so far after 700 miles is the brakes are making an electronic buzzing noise that started after 550 miles. They say its normal...

I hear people are having problems with KTM not recalls spesificaly but general service mechanics priblems.

The brakes on my 1190r were garbage. Squishy and they would lose pressure, even after being serviced. Also faulty fuel pump. These bikes are not all that…I never had these issues with any Harley or jap bike that I had with one KTM

Hallo, scheint auch ein Problem mit dem Händler zu sein? Ich wohne selbst in Brüssel und möchte eigentlich eine KTM 690 Enduro, weil es keine Alternative gibt ... alle anderen Abenteuer wiegen +200 kg ... hast du deine KTM in DE oder BE gekauft? Danke! greetings, Peter _ Hi, seems like a problem with the dealer? I live in Brussels myself and actually want a KTM 690 enduro because there is no alternative ... all other adventures weigh +200 kg ... From which dealer did you buy your KTM? in germany or belgium? thank you! mvg Peter

I put rekluse slave in my 690 smcr stock one was working fine up till the day I changed it over2000 mikes clutching wheelies the whole time I changed it because of the buzz other than that no problems

Black brake fluid, what ARE they talking about, Japanese bike fluid doesn't go black even after years and years.

I own a ktm 450 and ktm 300. KTM's dirtbikes are great! That being said, I will not buy a KTM "street" bike. Their street bikes are plagued with reliability issues

Are you talking about the. Clutch master or clutch slave? If the fluid is black then you must be using the brakes alot. I've seen brake fluid last longer. I've also seen brake fluid last 3 months from people riding the brakes constantly.

Ktm in not what used to be. Make your own maintenance with manual service and the troubles back off.

Du hörst dich einfach nicht wie ein deutscher an :D sehr gute Aussprache. thumps up!

sounds like your garage is just trying to get extra or more money out of you.

need to upgrade to Oberon slave cyclinder for the clutch, immediately!!, airbox is all bullshit....

Sounds like you got fucked here man why was they looking at your air filter if you was getting your brake fluid and caliper looked at sounds like someone was fucking around and didn't wanna take the wrap for it man hope it all gets sorted

You were not lying, bi@#ing all day huh. Money pit!!!!

No KTM's for me.

Hi, I've been through the same hell. Engineers from KTM, HUSQVARNA are chimpanzees!!! Clutch, gears that did not enter, oil consumption in hectoliters !!!!! for so much money? with this scrap I was afraid to go further than 10 kilometers from home !!!! The service responded, the gears do not enter and you have to get used to it !!!!! I took the oil off the head and it turned out that the oil ring in the service fell into the engine, why!!!!! because he broke into 79 pieces!!!!! Thank god it didn't scratch the cylinder. These bikes are fun!!!! but also nerves!!! Such quality for so much money cured me of the KTM brand once and for all :) Electricity is also a fallout. Mine was 2016 scrap fuck, I already did repairs in 2018 buhababhbauhba fuck!!!!! KTM I RECOMMEND TO ALL MY ENEMIES :)

You talk too much for too long!