KTM 950 Supermoto (2008) - Review - Test By, Trevor Hedge Page 1 / Page 2 / Page 3 / Page 4

To the Batcycle! By, Trevor Hedge On bumpy, tight and challenging back roads the 950 Supermoto proved the ultimate weapon. My favourite run from Balingup through to Nannup is a tortuous test of any machine and the KTM was such a weapon that it provoked whoops of delight escaping the lid of my Shoei. The big, wide motocross style bars made levering the 191kg machine in the tight turns a joy. However the bend of the motocross bars did bring on a little arm pump when the red mist descended which was quite surprising. The bars are adjustable though, and I am sure on a different setting in the clamps that trait could be tuned out easily enough. The radial mounted four-piston Brembos proved to be absolutely superb. One finger on the lever is all it takes to bury the front tyre into the tarmac and threaten to pitch the rider over the bars. Once the brain is tuned to their ferocity those stoppers prove to be nothing short of amazing. Surprisingly though for a Supermoto styled machine, the rear brake is quite weak and wooden in its feel, a trait that seems to be par for the course for rear Brembos. A comfortable and perfectly padded seat, a 300km touring range and the availability of an excellent range of touring accessories makes the 950 SM ready for the city or the country. The only black mark against the machine in a touring role is a lack of wind protection, but the KTM is certainly no worse in that respect than any other naked bike, and it’s a lot better than many. The only criticism that can be levelled at the machine in a day to day commuting role is that in carburetted form the 950 SM can be a fickle beast in the mornings. Inner city riding could also perhaps benefit from a few more teeth on the back sprocket to make for slightly more pleasant getaways from the lights. Sixth gear is tall enough to easily cope with shorter final drive gearing. Once warmed up and ready for action though the 950 SM fuels beautifully and is responsive at all rpm. It had been quite some time since I had ridden a CV carburettor equipped big bore roadie and it reminded me that fuel injection is not always the be all and end all. The direct connection between throttle tube and carburettor without the intervention of any electronics was quite a revelation and in some ways actually added to the riding pleasure. If a well tuned automatic fast idle system was fitted in place of the manual choke lever on the left bar, the induction system would be just about perfect. With the comfortable riding position and decent tank range, it had me wondering how well the KTM would fare over a more serious big kilometre day. I had already done a 600km day but wanted to see how the 950 SM fared in the real long haul. A few weeks later KTM got in touch with me about a special deal they were going to offer with the 950 Supermoto. To clear stock of 2007 build bikes they were going to throw in a swag of touring accessories. What a perfect chance to put that big kilometre musing to the test while running the microscope over the accessories… Continued on Page Three...

KTM 950 Supermoto (2008) - Review - Test
By, Trevor Hedge
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