So I broke down and bought another KTM.

[wfo]

I bought a KTM 500 MX in 1988

It was a bitchin' bike
except:

• The transmission sucked.
• Aftermarket parts weren't easy to come by.
• Parts were expensive.
• The local dealer suffered from a little too much hubris.
• I had to constantly fiddle with bleeding the brakes.
• After owning it for 9 years, the bitch, warehouse supervisor lady in Mattighofen told me it was too old for them to keep making/keeping parts.
• The frame cracked (Chrome moly steel is brittle.)

So then the four stroke Yamaha YZs and WRs came out.

I bought a WR 400 in 1998 and I gave the KTM 500 to my brother.

The WR 400 was and still is a bitchin' bike.
Here's why:

• The transmission shifts great.
• Aftermarket parts were easy to come by.
• Parts were cheap.
• I didn't have to deal with the local dealer's BS.
• It still starts real easy and the valve clearances are still within spec.
• I could race it and do well.
• The motor is bulletproof.

So after six years I bought another WR - this time a 2004 WR 450

It's not that much better than the 400. Yeah, the button is nice. But the bike is too heavy and it's got a red sticker. I still race it in the Virginia City Grand Prix every year.

I've also got an '03 VFR 800 Honda. It's getting a little long in the tooth. I wanna sell it and buy a Ducati. I test rode a few Hypermotards and fell in love. Then the new Multistrada 1200 came out. I wasn't too enamored with the Ducati dealer and then I found out that the Multistrada doesn't survive off road crashes very well.

So I decided to buy a new KTM 690 Enduro R in June.

I like it
except:

• The transmission sucks compared to the Yamahas'
• Parts are expensive
• Aftermarket parts are hard to find
• The local dealer suffers from too much hubris.
• It's got a chrome moly frame.
• I had to dump about a Grand into the motor before it ran like it's supposed to.
• It's heavy, tall and doesn't have much steering lock.

Dual Sport riding has turned out to be a blast.

I hope this bike lasts longer/better than the 500 did.

At least the brakes are killer & the suspension's cushy.

[bajadog]

Welcome.

I did the whole KTM - Jap bike - back to KTM again.

I got to say, I still miss my TT600 Yamaha, but my 2002 LC4 640e is
bullet proof, and scary fast.