Possible to reconfigure a 990 Adv like a 950 SE?

I was wondering if there is any way to reconfigure a 990 Adventure to be like a 950 SE? I've never had the chance to see either bike without it's body work to understand how everything is mounted.

I love the 950 SE but they are scarce and I'd like some of the internal improvements of the 990, plus the FI if it can be remapped to behave like it should. Are the frames completely different?

I am hoping KTM will bring out a bike more along the lines of the 950 SE again as I am rather put off by acres of plastic on the 990. Can it be stripped away?

Short answer is no. Different mounting points on each model. now if you really wanted to anything is possible. There was one here that someone swapped out an SMT into an SE

I don't see why you couldn't.

Lets say, leave the battery and oil tank, everything on the bottom part of the bike the alone and strip away the tanks, front headlight and support, gauges, etc.

We'd need a headlight/dash and mounting brackets for the tank/seat/tail...If you could tidy up the wiring and fit a big Baja-style headlight, you could make a dash to mount the speedo and tach, then get some SE tank mounts, maybe have to cut off and/or weld on a bracket or two...I don't think it would be that hard.

You couldn't "make it an SE" without a huge amount of work, and it sure wouldn't be a bolt on affair but it certainly isn't impossible.

Sure, it's possible if you REALLY want that (but it'd take quite a bit of tinkering), or you could mod/shave down the bits of the adventure you don't like. Chop the screen, poke holes in the body work, or remove it all-together, ditch the instrument cluster, etc.

I've ridden both, the SE is and incredible bike, no doubt, but the Adventure S or R is better all around IMO, and can go anywhere the SE can (with a few extra pounds of course! ), esp. if you are into the EFI.

That being said, I do have dreams about those offroad miles I rode on an unladen SE in S. Utah... Ahhhhh!

The SE has different steering geometery to the Adventure , the frame is a SM frame on the SE .

Easiest conversion would be to buy a SM and go dirt wheels and suspension off a RFS bike that has lunched it's motor .Then do the rest of the bits (bigger tank etc. ) as needed . Dunno about the legality of those mods where you are though .

A few years ago someone posted a pic (in the "show of your bike" thread I think) of a 950 ADV, stripped down to the basics. It still had the stock fuel tanks and the fairings had been cut down and re-shaped, the instument cluster,screen,headlight was removed along with the support bracket, this was replaced with a standard dirt bike headlight and mask.

There's an old expression....don't mess with perfection

Very little you can do to it that would be illegal per se. There are things that would get you in troube (Like open pipes or no head/tail light.) but even most oof those would be what we call a fix it ticket.

Thanks for all the response. I didn't think it would be an easy conversion just looking at the two bikes.

I checked out the 990 SMT, that "looks" like the closest starting point.

The standard Adventure would "work" for what I want but I'd really prefer a more stripped down bike. I'm looking for a bike to do two up dual sport and back country exploring on, something to replace the KLR that is better for two up riding. I like the ergos of the adventure for both solo and two up. I'm thinking of the 990 as a more dirt worthy option to the Tiger 800XC. Maybe KTM will come out with something closer to that in the near future? I've read rumors of a smaller 750-800 sized bike.

If money aint an issue, then the easiest routes to make a light EFI SE-like bike are:

Start from an SM or SMT and

1) Fit 19/17 or 19/18 wheels. The first option here will change geometry (raise the front in respect to the back), the second will not. I would choose myself 19/18. These should be direct swaps bar the spacers for wheels and brake discs.

2) Fit SE rear shock, a 18 wheel and possibly swingarm too on the back and a complete front end from SE or ADV

Whatever you choose, bare in mind that the SM (and even SMT) suspension valving and travel are perfectly adequate to let you ride casually on dirt. The first has 20cm of travel, the second 15cm (if I remember right). It all depends whether you want a 21 front wheel or not. For casual riding a 19 will suffice and option (1) will suit you well.

Man, it sure sounds to me like you are describing the 990 Adventure as-is.

KLR killer - check
better two-up - check (better than SE)
Exploring - check (more range than SE)
Ergos - check
tougher than Tiger - check
dirt worthy - double check! (DAKAR BIKE!!! 21/18 wheels)

I have to say I agree with Patrol: Don't mess with perfection!

A 700-800cc KTM twin is still just a rumor at this point. Nothing official, no spy photos, nuttin'.


Anyhoo, good luck on your hunt! No matter how good a bike is, there are always features that could be better for the individual. Everything is a trade-off.

I love my adventure, but sometimes it's tempting to do something similar: fit a safari tank for an SE, put a baja headlight and a simple speedo on the front, take off extra plastics. Would be nice for maintenance, and I prefer the aerodynamics of an unfaired bike.

I now 2 SE/ADV

Thats the the bike I was talking about........ sweet!

Thats easy When do we start....

I'd only do this if I couldn't find a SE for any price or already had a beat up looking Adv. I rode my Adv sans top body and it is still an anvil compared to the SE. The SE feels 100 lbs lighter off road. On the other hand, the stock or Safari tanked SE is a ergo pig between your knees when you try to get forward. "Somebody" is supposed to have a tank solution soonish but no info/pic leaks yet...

The Adv seating is better 2 up, no question. I think the Adv already meets your needs but no harm in stripping the nose down and trying a X2 or similar headlight, thats what I have on my SE.

Ya, that's pretty cool... Wouldn't be too much work to acheive that methinks.

I'm not going to chop up 990 yet but I would like to find an older 950, repairable right off/cosmetic damage sort of thing. I still have the original tanks of my 05 950 so they could be re used, I did have the fairings too but I threw them in the bin by mistake when cleaning the shed out the other week.

There was a wreck in Darwin last year, perfect for a project like this but the insurance co transported it east to be auctioned off, too expensive to frieght back for my budjet.

+1 on the above. I loved my Adventure S until I rode an SE. Have never regretted trading the Adv for an SE.

The ONLY thing the Adv was superior in was carrying a passenger. The SE smokes the Adv in every other category.

I say the same! Sold the Adventure for the SE and never looked back!