Description
Finally! The 2027 KTM 690 Rally. Ever since the KTM 690R emerged in 2008 owners have been calling for an 'adventurised' model. The key differences? A rally tower and windscreen. There's a 4.2-inch TFT display but plenty of room for a tablet and other accessories. Access for working on the engine could be tight on the 2027 KTM 690 Rally due to the trellis frame design so it will be interesting to see how much more this complicated with the two front fuel tanks. Welcome to Cross Training Adventure, we are into all things dual sport and adventure on the east coast of Australia. A handlebar switch allows switching between the tanks. There is no navigation but you can link your phone to the stock screen. The rear fuel tank is still only 13 litres but two additional tanks at the front increase this to 20 litres. It will be interesting to see if the additional weight at the front improves handling. Quite a few 690 owners feel there is too much weight bias to the rear. Keen on adventure riding in Australia? Check out our vids. There is LED lighting adopted from the smaller 450 rally model. And wider footpegs are fitted. Unfortunately the uncomfortable enduro seat on the 2027 KTM 690 Rally is still used - strange when it's clearly intended for longer distance travel. All these changes have increased the weight of course. But given the hefty price for the KTM 450 Rally we wouldn't be surprised if KTM adds a hefty price increase. Here are the 2027 prices for the base model 690R. It's almost 10kg or 22lb heavier now with a fair bit of that additional weight high on the motorbike so it will be interesting to see its affect on the handling. There is no price announced yet for the KTM 690 Rally. It wouldn't be surprising to see at least a 20% increase on these figures for the rally model. KTM has opted for the cheaper Xplor forks instead of Xact. Over the years many owners have complained about the harshness of this setup despite changes in 2026. It will be interesting to see if the extra weight of the rally model provides more of a plush feel to the suspension or not. Owners have been doing this for years. Personally I will be very interested to see how the KTM 690 Rally compares to the AJP PR7. For years it has been the only rally model in the 600 to 700cc market. If you like dual sport riding in Australia then you might like our adventure riding vids. A lot of KTM 690 Rally owners dislike the false neutrals with the KTM gearbox. There's no indication this has changed. But owners who do firm gear changes usually don't hit this problem. Is the KTM 690 Rally going to sell well? I suspect KTM is going to aim for a high price tag. In that case it might depend on how important the extra front fuel tanks are. If you don't need those, then it will probably be cheaper to simply fit an aftermarket rally tower and windscreen.Again it will depend on the price. I expect the KTM Rally will be priced higher than the PR7 but there could still be money to spend on a comfortable seat, suspension tuning and a tablet. Check out our reviews of various adventure bikes and dual sport bikes. But the 690 Rally has a pile of electronic rider aids and extra power. And the high exhaust on the KTM is way less exposed to damage than the PR7's rally exhaust. What do you think? Has KTM hit the nail on the head with this rally model? Would you buy it? Let us know in the comments. Which would suit you better? In our old comparison video we said it depends where you fit on this spectrum. If you want a lightweight adventure motorbike the PR7 is ready to go. But if you are an aggressive rider and/or aiming to ride hard terrain then the 690 Rally will work better. So most of our adventure riding vids will feature the much loved bush pig, the Suzuki DR650. And we've done a 10 part series on how to unleash the mighty beast that lurks within. What else? Cross Training Adventure actively avoids sponsorship. We like doing seriously critical reviews. Manufacturers make some really bad mistakes. and there is a lot of dodgy crap being sold out there. Instead of glowing dual sport reviews for kickbacks or free product, we will try to keep the buggers honest. So subscribe. Or don't subscribe to our Cross Training Adventure riding channel. The main thing is get out and ride while you can with dual sport riding or Adventure riding in Australia, Canada, Vietnam, Romania and beyond! So check out Cross Training Adventure.
INDEX
0:00 What's new
1:11 Weight
1:26 Price
1:50 Suspension
2:19 Will it sell well?
2:41 Challenging the PR7?
3:20 Will it suit you?
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Our trials channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/MOTOTRIALSTRAININGTECHNIQUES
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