KTM 690 Adventure (re)build

Just a quick break from geeky low fender, hp adding things guys... it finally happened, after I met @milzispete this winter but there was only one KIT690 in the picture, couple of days ago at Hellas Rally bivouac me and Chris met both riding KIT690's... aaaahh I mean a KIT690 and the first KIT701.
Chris rode all the way from U.K. And he's heading to Magadan. I raced mine, part of the usual testing before release, and now we re both enjoying some Turkish sun. More details and thoughts after Hellas Rally later on.

Good to see you have the 701 kit finished .
Does it have the new engine ? Any other interesting thoughts on the 701 ?

Max

Does the RFR rear tank fit the 2017 701?

It does on the KIT701 as you can see
33l of awesomeness to get you to the end of the world and back.

Cheers Max! New LC4 is
A real masterpiece imho! Cruising at 140-150 is fine now as the top speed with 15-46 is 185km/h, instead of 173km/h on my 690 with 15-45.
Testing 16-46 at the moment after I raced with 14-46 and all three combinations fit the OEM chain.
It really vibes less at high revs.

Looking for new bike?

I had so much fun building my '14 , I'd consider building a 701 KIT bike but I really want one with the new motor .
I've ridden to and shipped moto's to S.A. enough times , not to mention my Kayaks and hang gliders ( late '70's early 80's )
that I could justify having one of these stored down there .
Anyway what are you or John going to ride when you visit me in Tucson for a ride .

Twist it, Max

KIT701Rally vs KIT690ADV
#ultimate701 #ultimate690

My money is on the orange one. Simply because he has the same decals as me . I have to admit they look good in blue tho

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If you look on the back of a can of RAL 2009 it says: "For best results use a white undercoat." A 701 could always be made into a 690

Daaaamn @mrwwwhite I can't wait to get my hands in one of these #kit701 (I also can't wait to exchange the big GS for the 701). I can't wait for many things as you can see

Some updates from the 'shed' are well overdue. Before I properly introduce you to my KIT701, let me dial back last year, when the bike that had been the buzz of the entire adv world was finally delivered to my doorstep. Count me among those who couldn’t wait to swing a leg over the 2017 Husky 701 Enduro. And boy, did the beast deliver! Of course that soon after I clocked the proper mileage, I started tearing into it. As eager as I had been to ride the 701, I was more so to turn into reality an idea with the inception somewhere in the fall of ’15. Between dealing with the KIT690 project, some other adventure related ventures, and more personal stuff, I was building my vision of an #Ultimate701



Meanwhile the nice people from MOTUL (who, btw, have been one of the most vocal supporters of the adventure community in my region), asked me to help them promote a new adv initiative. This was scheduled for the yearly moto event. Stars aligned, and I managed to have the 701 up and running in time to include it in the show.
The beast turned a few heads.









You’ve might have noticed by now that I manically test everything before I start to brag. So a week later I was rally-proofing the 701 at a BAJA 500 event. Check out the calm before the storm in the bivouac.












Teams from many countries, including Dakar finishers and mavericks like quad rider Alex Feliu, aligned at the start.





The shakedown and the race day were blessed with pleasant weather.











But continental spring usually turns dirt tracks into what can only be best described as hell. The days before the race had already unloaded their mother of all rains onto the southern plains.
The photogs only followed us up to where the beautiful rapeseed fields stopped. Then, we were on our own. However, I managed to win the race.





When I crossed the finish line, I had not stopped to eat, or pee, for over 9 hours straight.









As daylight dwindled, more competitors started to arrive. You can tell by the looks of the vehicles, riders, drivers and navigators, that it had been a hard-fought battle.

















Happy faces at the end of a gruesome race, and the festivities.

















After the race I checked the bike. The new KIT looked mint. But IMHO there is no magic bullet for success. So I decided to test my work and myself again, at the Hellas Rally in Greece. I assumed that the race would carry crises that must be resolved fast, opportunities that must be seized, and a lot of work that must be done.
I also assumed that a lot of beer would be consumed in the process, while resting my sore ass or mitigating damages at bivouac. For support, I assembled a 'dream team' of novices: my girlfriend Ana, and my buddy Stefan. To my joy, few days before Hellas I learned that two KIT690 owners had entered also the race. Chris was to arrive overland from the UK on his KIT690 Adventure, race a 350EXC, and then push on to Magadan. Jozef was set to race his 690 in the same class as me. That was awesome news.

Since this whole re(build) has started and eventually evolved into the KITs now roaming the planet, one of the things I have been most stoked about is you guys - supporters, cheerleaders, critics, users, clients… The coolest kind of people satellite this project. I am hoping that it is not by accident.

A belated backstory now: Chris and Jozef were not to be the first KIT riders to meet in person. This past winter I traveled to Oman, where @milzispete lives. Initially I was supposed to cycle in Oman for a few weeks with my girlfriend. One thing led to another, and we ended up blasting Omani trails 2up on one of @milzispete’s bikes, an 1190 Adventure R.





We did a 3,000 kms plus loop into some of Oman’s wildest and most stunning places: from the arid Masirah Island, to a secluded beach that is the last refuge of world’s population of green turtles.





From a place where white sugary dunes rise against the Arabian Sea... to windswept summits.







From rocky trails so steep that your heart skips a beat... to hairpins covered in the powdery dust called fesh-fesh that all Dakar riders dread.









After hard days in the saddle, we cooled off in wadis filled with turquoise water. Some of the wadis are real life Ali Baba’s Cave of Wonders, requiring a mix of bouldering, rope climbing, diving and such to complete the journey upstream.







In all these places we were always ready to do whatever it took to find a good bivouac, even if at times that demanded several litres of sweat.







We had a blast in Oman. Happy to now call Pete a true friend.



Actually @milzispete is the man to know if you want to ride in one of the world’s last secret enduro wonderlands. He is now rocking a fleet of CCM 450s, plus KIT690 and beefier bikes.
One last word of warning.
If you go, buckle up for one of the best rides ever. From a simple rideout, Oman may become an obsession.

Wow, thanks for sharing @mrwwwhite ! It seems like an incredible mixture of Camaraderie, pain and happiness! Did you and your girlfriend rode all the way down to Oman?

It was fantastic having you both over mrwwwhite. We are thrilled you loved Oman as much as we do. You know you are welcome here anytime you like buddy

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@mrwwwhite big thanks for sharing the story!

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We flew to Dubai, then took a bus to Oman. Overland, you could ride to Iran, and ferry into Dubai via Bandar Abbas.

when will the 701 kit be for sale and what is the expected Price range?

The main problem is the erratic KTM stock on the RFR parts. I have a lot of queued orders because of that so one step at the time. I also have couple of KIT701 preorders, so since the contact is the same feel free to use it. Price range is similar as KIT690 with rear 18l tank. Wanted to launch things more publicly for a while now, as I successfully converted my '17 and gave it a good shakedown at couple of big rallyes this spring, but again with the KTM issues this year things got a different path unfortunately. Good news is that most of the parts will be finally be in stock in september so I will be finally be able to start shipping things out.

That's good news. I still hoping to order one kit 690. When you told me about the back orders I decide to wait but if now is solved I am going to do it