Highland Motors

Just fyi, for the pics you can host them on a picture hosting site, then just paste in the img text whenever you want them to show up on a forum. Saves multiple uploading and lets you put in as many (and as big) pictures as you like.

I use www.postwhore.biz and www.photobucket.com smugmug and imageevent are also popular.

have fun

A few more years before he can touch the floor

I'll do that next time - many thanks

Hi John,

Thanks for this thread (you gave it to me @ club Highland), seems that without the aquavite the Swedes stay silent!
Good to read that its a stonking bike. (I am already a bit in love with the bike) I Just got an invitation this week from the Dutch importer to come over and test ride an Allroad, cant wait....
Being an allroad touring kind a guy i am really waiting for the Highland Nordkap of which they say it is based on the Triumph Tiger and the BMW GS. However i got no indication when it will come out.

Can you please put some pics of the front, the back and the dash in this thread? and how's the bike doing? stil turning over irregular?

Oof

Welcome mate!

it was getting lonely here again. The bike is better the more I use it. Especially when I keep hearing from my mates about their problems with other bikes. Sometimes I just expect too much.

I'm past worrying about the low rev smoothness, I just ride round it, most of the time forgetting it's a problem at all. The advantages of real power in the main riding zone seem to outway the other consideration. Still have not done a decent off road test, the little bits I've done are promising but without someone useful alongside it is hard to judge.

Just done the latest oil and filter change at 3500 (Edit:- oil and filter required each 3000k) and expect to go out with my mate on his Blackbird tomorrow, fortunately he limits his top speed (he needs his licence for his job) so I am not the one trying to keep up, the Highland being superior on the twisties.

This seems to be the only current thread that has any real info. The guys at Rock and Road although helpful don't really seem to do anything in the way of promotion now. Could be that the KTM has cleaned up.

If there are any KTM 950/990 owners in the north of England following this who wouldn't mind me tagging along for a day or half day, road or off road please drop me a line 'cos I'd love to see why the Katooms are 'weapon of choice' for the confirmed dual sport rider. I don't mean track style just a ride to get some idea. That's it, just humour the poor old soul

Send your bike over here next month for the KTM Adventure Rally at Mammoth, CA. Put some dirt tires on it, and we'll switch bikes for a while.

But seriously, those Highland bikes are pretty cool. I'd love to ride one someday.

Would these do the job?

They go on next week for some Yorkshire Dales trails

Erm, yeah--those would fit the bill just fine! What sizes are the rims? Narrower than stock 950 wheels I presume?

John, have you seen the thread in 'Europe' about the Tan Hill meet in June and the later Wales meet in September. Would be great to see a Highland in the flesh?

The road rims are 17/19 from the Highland Allroad 950 (see the Highland website) http://www.highland.se/outback.asp. The spare wheels for off road knobblies are the original for the Outback 18/21 being about half an inch narrower than the Allroad. There are in theory quite a few models in the range though most in this country seem to be the Motard with a full set of 17 inch wheels.

What a shame, have seen the post http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=224496 but I am supporting my Mrs on the Edinburgh Moonwalk that weekend.

I see you have a great range of riders and bikes going to Tan Hill and that would be just my cup of tea (and camping too), not to mention a few beers. Please keep me informed of anything else local, although I might do the Wales trip later in the year.

Many thanks for the invite. Cheers

...but what's the difference between these and a KTM 950SE?

The KTM has about 30 lbs (dry) on the Highland but if you swap out the cans for something titanium you get back nearly 20 lbs of that.

Lots of dealers, lots of farkle available.

The guy reviewing really missed out by not riding the 950SE.

The Highland does look cool though. It'd be nice if it got imported in quantity to the US as that would put pressure on KTM to keep updates coming for the 950 SE and Adventure as well as motivating BMW to either reduce the insane price on the HP2.

One of the few things I like about capitalism... brings me better quality toys

Interesting you compare the Outback with the KTM 950SE, I'm sure the Highland would be unlikely to compare favourably with such a focused enduro machine. Looking back on the thread you can see the comparisons I was making. Would I want to ride a 14 litre tank bike down to France (see post #55)carrying luggage, perhaps not? Perhaps a 990 Adventure or a 1200GS, great bikes that do the long journeys easy? I think they are heavier than they need to be.

Yes I can make changes, adapt a bike in many ways but I really thought the Highland was well designed, light, powerful and reasonably comfortable, well specified with good components. Further it was unusual and I fancied it . Small adventurous outfits like Highland in my mind need support even if they don't suit everyone, the big boys need keeping on their toes for obvious reasons.

Until I get to take it off road properly I cannot make comparisons with other off road machines, I do look forward to it though and I feel lucky to have the opportunity to find out about this particular toy

BTW the Outback has a cat in the cans so I could probably save a few ounces there too.

Can't save much weight on the pistons though - see below

That was why I figured the SE was a better comparison - other than tank size. It doesn't look like it has the creature comforts of the 950/990 Adventure and it's obviously not the tank that the 1200GSA is. Probably just me judging based on appearance rather than on riding one. Visually it seems like the Highland is more dirt-oriented than the 950/990 Adventure.

That piston is cool... looks like some serious engineering going into them. Must rev like a sewing machine!

Hi John, glad it's still all going well.

The side-on pic of you sitting on the bike makes it look really small, like a 250 or something like that. Are you a big guy or is it a small bike?

Edit - Answered my own question, I see in your first post that you're 6'1", 200 pounds. So, as you're bigish but not a monster, I'd say that the bike looks on the small side, I note also in that pic that your left foot is flat on the floor.

It's funny that Tim, I thought just the same on seeing the pic first time. I think when I put the off road wheels on that will raise the seat height a bit. The bike does not feel small but it does feel light, it is probably little too much static sag but is ok for me on the road.

Nice to get your input

Riding out today I had a good look at the seat and the reason I can get both feet flat on the ground is that the seat is quite narrow and well shaped at the front giving a longer reach for the seat height.

Unlike the greater height with off road wheels and tyres that give a seat height of 37.5 inches

Highland are sending a replacement headlamp as original has cracked from side to side. Should get some idea of time for a replacement part.

That reminds me, I did not get breakdown insurance for the French trip. Highland gave me their number in Sweden, giving the promise that they would organise everything if a breakdown occured. So all I had to do was take a puncture repair cylinder and a few tools (and of course my phone). Great stuff.

The motor at present does not seem to produce significant extra power at higher revs. Max power in it's present guise is around 6000 with peak torque at 4000. I rarely need to take it over 7 as there is enough below and taking it over does not seem to be any major advantage.

The importer Tim says they respond well to a better breathing air filter and removing the cat from the exhaust releasing the top end. He seems to know what he's on about as he races his in SM1 class with little other modification. I think both Tim and Pokenhood from Nottingham have got them 'to rev like a sewiing machine', but don't think I will bother with mine until I feel the need.

Hi John,

I have been reading your posts with great interest - thanks for taking the time to document your experiences with your Highland.

I own three Highlands in the USA, which I acquired from the defunct USA distributor (see pic below of my stable). All are 2004 950 V-twins: one Outback; one Allroad; and one Motard. The Outback is my daily transport to work (when dry). The other two have only turned tens of kilometers as I have been tuning their EFI using the Highland tuning kit.

After taking delivery of the bikes in 'kit form' I secured titles and Illinois registration for them and have been experimenting with improving the low-end control. Tim, the UK distributor has been an invaluable source of assistance with the tuning process, and is an exceptionally nice guy as well.

I am pretty happy with the present tuning (largely as passed on to me by UK Tim), and may be placing the Allroad up for sale later this month (if anyone Stateside is interested please feel free to PM me).

I will be in the UK the third week of June (funny enough, in your neck of the woods - Huddersfield), and would like very much if you'd share some more of your experiences over a pint or two at a watering-hole of your choice (l feel I'm entitled to indulge in the British vernacular, having returned to the States a couple of years ago following a 10-year stay in 'Blighty'). Let me know if you'll be around the last week of June .

Who says small companies do not step up.