Voted most helpful review
Reviewed on December 29, 2006
Here are the things that come to mind when I think about my 2007 KTM Super Enduro R after putting 3500 miles on it and countless tires - - Stock carburetion surges and bucks at steady speed below 70 mph when the outside air temperature is below 50 degrees F. Yes, it can be 90% fixed by adjusting...
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Here are the things that come to mind when I think about my 2007 KTM Super Enduro R after putting 3500 miles on it and countless tires - - Stock carburetion surges and bucks at steady speed below 70 mph when the outside air temperature is below 50 degrees F. Yes, it can be 90% fixed by adjusting the air screws on the carbs. However, the carbs have to be removed to do this! 2 turns out on the fuel/air screws takes care of 90%. A friend tells me that cutting off the carb vent hoses to about 4 inches long so they end INSIDE the airbox will solve the other 10%. I have not tried that yet. - How well packaged all the components are on this bike. Somebody really spent the time to get this thing designed with no wasted space while retaining reasonable access if done in the proper order. - How long it takes to check the valve clearances as even the radiator has to be removed to get to them. Do your initial valve adjustment check and carb air screw adjust the same Saturday. - How careful KTM is to have multiple oil screening/filtration points in the oil system. - How well the suspension works at stock settings. Can I get it better? I don't know as I have not adjusted anything on the suspension. - Who was the idiot that designed the headlight adjuster? Anyone who designs a piece with open side U-shaped screw slots on the thrust side of the holes should not be allowed on a drafting board let alone a CAD/CAM system. Continous high speed and occasional brush slaps will very quickly result in the need to order ALL the headlight adjuster assembly pieces! Plastic weld the U shaped holes into round holes and put a black brazier head sheet metal screw into the abjuster block from the outside of the fairing or continually replace these parts. Did I say idiotic design on this part? Yes. - How much fun it is to get GPS readings over 125 mph in the desert. Just be sure you can see a long ways! - How much fun it is to cut huge 80 mph plus donuts in the desert! Can you say one big continual power slide? I knew you could! - How far you can get this bike to go at 35 mph in 6th gear when all you have left in the gas tank are fumes. NEEDS GAS every 125 to 130 miles or considerably less if really using the power in the desert. - How badly the radiator screen gets plugged up with grass seeds and every other kind of seed when riding cross country in the open desert. At least the screen is easy to take off and the bike has never over heated. Something to watch in hot weather. - How good the front end feel is when doing threshold braking. Feel is so good you can actually get slowed down okay on dirt or gravel coming into the next corner after using a bit too much right hand coming out of the previous corner. Front tire can be modulated right on the edge of lockup and the bike just tells you what is going on without surprises. Works on pavement too. I have the pictures to prove the front tire can leave quite a skid mark at 70mph just before hitting a Big Horn Sheep. Skid mark before and after impact but not during contact. Sheep was rolling and front tire tried to climb the sheep. Front tire skid mark continues in hook shape to the right as tire came off the animal. Bike and rider remained upright. Sheep flipped into the ditch. Massive front forks absobed the hit with no damage. - How nice KTM designs the accessory power circuits with one switched and one un-switched power circuit available at the headlight. Makes it very easy to properly add heated hand grips, GPS, heated clothing and radar/laser detector power connections. - Where the heck is the brown wire that is supposed to be under the seat and unplugged if premium fuel is not available? I have not found it yet. - How fast the rear plastic fender/tail light extension works loose and starts flopping around as it is only held in place by screws through and into plastic. Maybe a little too much focus on light weight here KTM? - How hard the stock handgrips are to get off the handlebars when installing grip heaters. don't plan on saving the LH grip. Of course there is no need to safety wire the OEM installed grips either. - How well the bike handles gonzo speeds through knee deep talcum powder dust bowls and everything under all that dust. Just gas it and go. - How easy it is to stall the engine if plonking along in first gear on tight trails. Keep the R's up or be ready to put your foot down QUICK! Oh yeah, you had better have a long inseam if you plan on having your foot do any good when you try to put it down. - Needs a tire sponsor if you like to use what this bike has. BMW riders say they get 10,000 mile on TK 80's. 1,500 miles max on this bike. - What is it with cops and wheelies? Is this a male appendage envy type thing with them or what? Just because they are stuck in a cage with four wheels on the ground or a lead sled copsicle, does not mean it is unsafe for us to save front tire wear by using only the rear tire. You cannot possibly ride this thing with two wheels on the ground all the time! - I did not know that such a small headlight could light up such a large area at night. Assuming of course that you have retained your headlight adjuster assembly. - Rims on this thing must be made out of some kind of very tough metal. It has taken hits on rocks and whatever those hideous things are that hide in those talcum powder dust bowls without the slightest damage. Of course, having spokes with a diameter approaching the size of my fingers can't hurt here. - Stock exhaust canisters are still hot enough to cook breakfast for a whole army fifteen minutes after engine shutdown. Keep your Aerostitch suit away from them for at least three hours after engine shutdown! - Most expensive oil change I have ever done on a ground operated machine. Yes, aircraft oil changes cost more. Nobody gives away the JASO spec OEM specified motor oil and Golden Spectro only takes real gold or platinum metal in exchange for their flavor of Platinum oil. - Excellent quality OEM chain and sprockets. Only one initial adjustment required to date. - Excellent stand up riding position gets lots of looks on the highway. - Rear side reflector support brackets generate questions from people asking me if I made them from scrap aluminum. Simple cost effective flat aluminum bent 90 degrees. Nothing wrong with them and they are easily removed. - How quickly the tools/mounting bracket under the seat ate through the tool kit bag. Cut a piece of inner tube and slide the bag into it if you want to keep your original tool kit. - Nice seat release/install system. - How well this bike goes through really big loose rocks as long as you maintain some speed. Try Rocky Saddle on the Manastash Ridge 4WD Trail in WA State. - How well the suspension keeps the skid plate from hitting really big loose rocks if proper speed is maintained through them. No major dents in the skid plate yet. - Good detail design in how the bottom of the skid plate is in the same plane as the center stand mounts. This make it very easy to put the bike cross ways on a bike lift so both wheels are in the air at once for changing tires and the bike is very stable in that position. - Did I mention I need a tire sponsor? This thing is just plain fun on back roads and open desert if you bring along enough tires and a reasonably close refueling station.
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