KTM 890 SMT
During the late 1990s it became in vogue to swap out your motocrosser’s off-road wheels and tyres for 17-inch road rims and rubber, and then head not for the jumps and berms of the dirt but to the asphalt and kerbs of Cadwell Park or Brands Hatch. The racing was (and, of course, remains) a crazy, hybrid blend of dirt and road that became known as supermoto and, in time, inspired a surplus of exciting bikes by a variety of manufacturers, prime among them being Austrian dirt specialist KTM.
While the majority of production offerings were dedicated, track-focused supermotos – and a whole lot of fun to ride like an idiot – they were also impractical with small fuel tanks, monumentally uncomfortable, relatively crude and only good for going around short, gnarly tracks really fast. However, in 2009 KTM dreamt up the touring supermoto, the 990 SM-T (for SuperMotoTouring), which captured the spirit of a supermoto corner slayer while offering some degree of practicality as well. The idea was that you could take it on holiday, complete with soft panniers, as easily as take it to the track, and while many remember it with great fondness, KTM pulled the plug in 2013 – and that was that. Or rather it was until now, because the SMT is back for 2023.
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Denne historien er fra October 2023-utgaven av Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Honda CRF1100L ES Africa Twin
Without panniers he was adventuring nowhere - so at least Bertie's got something sorted now
BMW R 12 nineT
Chad gets a track day surprise when BMW's R 12 nineT turns out to be surprisingly fun on track
Test fleet: VOGE 525 DSX
After testing the Voge's abilities on a long ride, it was time to take it to the Cotswolds and see how it would manage on the rougher stuff
Portuguese Perambulations
Nearly over before it had begun, a brief workshop stint allows Spain and Portugal to be explored
Highway to Heaven
Three friends take on the challenge of riding the length of Canada, from Vancouver in the southwest to Inuvik in the north. The road is long, the conditions merciless, and wildfires are tearing through the country. To top it all off, the final leg of the journey is the ultimate test of gravel riding skills, nerves, and courage - it's the legendary Dempster Highway...
Battlaxes at the ready!
We tend to take tyres for granted, never really looking at them in any detail, or at how they work, just hoping that they keep us shiny side up at all times. Even in the wet
Ducati Riding Experience
When I rode the Ducati DesertX to France last year, I did have a bit of an explore on some easy fire roads and gentle green lanes in the wilds of the Médoc area, but was left with the feeling that, had I the experience, the DesertX would have been capable of taking me along some more extreme trails to some even more exciting places. If only there was a way of finding out just how well the Italian adventure bike could cope with some more extreme terrain...
Four pot flyer
Many said that sports bikes, and particularly bikes in the traditional Supersports class that was populated by 600cc inline fours, were dead. Maybe they spoke too soon?...
Eastern adventurer
With an increasing interest in smaller capacity adventure bikes, the market expands with a new entry
First Time Lucky?
It's ironic that the first all-new MV Agusta model to hit the marketplace right after Italy's No.1 trophy brand was acquired by Austrian giant Pierer Mobility, owner of off-road titans KTM, should be the company's first dual-purpose model of the modern era, powered by MV's all-new 931cc three-cylinder engine that's destined to form the basis of a whole series of new models in coming months and years.
