Got the bug- should I go Orange?

Probably the wrong (or right) forum to be asking this question, but here goes.

History- been riding mostly street my whole life. Road motocross as a kid, but it's been forever. Bought a 2012 v-strom 650 last spring and have been spending more and more time off-road with it. Nothing crazy, but probably as much as my limited skills can do with it. I'm not the most mechanically inclined person in the world, although I can perform the basics without problem. I have Italian sportbikes so I'm used to some "quirks".

Sooooo.... I've caught the bug for the KTM 990. Looks freakin awesome and I know it would be much better off of the pavement. The bike I have is bullet proof and fine for tooling around town and the mild gravel roads.

Finally the question- is the KTM reliable (enough), do my skills justify it and should I pull the trigger?

Thanks in advance

Ride it and you will have to have one . . . Great all-around bike.

This forum will walk you through any maintenance concerns. Many Advriders have over 80K miles on their bikes . . . Doing their own maintenance etc.

It will make your Wee feel like a Vespa by comparison. There really isn't a better alternative for a do-everything bike.

I liked it better when I was in a league of my own. This league has mass expanded over the years and I have nowhere to go, from here. I don't need any more competition.

Does your pocket book have the skills? Or can you resist all of the fantastic tuning options available for this bike? Ownership of these bikes tend to be an obsession. And these bikes demand attention. You'll want to ride it alot and then maintain them to keep them up. You'll want to read up on them and learn about service, learn and start dabbling in upgrades, and you'll slowly start getting pushed by the bike to expand your riding capabilities.

If you want a great preowned bike Check out Narcisco Lopez bike in the flea market and DO NOT Hesitate. A once in a lifetime bike!

Just my dumb opinion.

Why do you ask 2 dogs? Great joke!

Great bike. Powerful. Some maintenance. Plenty of help with maintenance. Lots of aftermarket products to choose from. I say do it.

Why do you ask 2 dogs? Great joke!

My Dad told me that joke when I was like 12 and the nickname just stuck. You're the first to "get it". Funny and thanks for the advice.

Thankfully, times are good so I could swing it. I've completely farkled the Italian bikes and need a new obsession!!

Thanks

Run trough the OC-hall of wisdom and read the service manual in your free time. The mechanical side ain't that complicated at all. And IF it fails it's easy to fix aswell.
Just check all the small imperfection's on the bike and the thing wil be bulletproof. This is my 5th KTM and i can say you won't be dealing with 'Italian quirks'.
None of my KTM's have left me stranded yet. It aint a Japanese bike but it aint as boring to ride as a Jap bike either.


But be warned, the thing wil become an obsession!

Ive had KTM's since 1978. If you try one you'll buy one.

I also had a 650 Strom I traded a mis-guided airhead project for. I took it on one long trip and sold it,strom had the soul of a cheap refrigerator and the suspension of a shopping cart. Very utilitarian.

You need one. Bought mine in 2011 after reading the HOW info (incredibly useful). My SO and me are happy 2-up and I am happy solo. A good choice if you could have only 1 bike. You'll seek out places just to test your worthiness of such a machine, no BS. Not sure i am worthy yet.

I say that to my kids too!

Good luck! I hope you join our ranks soon!

Exactly, nothing rides like a KTM. Not even a Ducati can give you the same or better riding sensation, IMO.

Its a thrill to ride. Looks better than any new BMW. Can tackle the world in comfort, better than most thumpers. And the maintenance really isn't that bad. Its just time consuming...

Just do it! Whats the worse that could happen?

Why would you want a bike that gives you a woodie? Stick with your V(vagina) Strom and cruise! No hauling ass allowed!

Just bought mine in November . I came off a KLR 650 . Before that an older Goldwing & before that a collection .
I still ride motocross on a 2stroke .

The 990 is a blast so far . I haven't been able to get off thee road much yet but I'm not scared .
It rides better than any bike I have owned !

My ONLY complaint is the throttle is a bit twitchy . BUT I will get used to it !!

You will love it .

For this reason you should stay well away from KTMs - they require constant attention and repair. And if you're thinking of using it off-road, you better have deep pockets!

It is a little tame and I certainly don't want to develop a Mangina!

There ya go...buy one!

Best choise by far.
Give it a try and you will be a happy owner for sure.

Yes these bikes require more maintenance than most bikes do. But it's not that bad, most things are easy to fix like another clutch slave cylinder or a water/oil pump rebuild. Having said that, the KTM adventure is like a complete package with everything you want.