KTM 990 Supermoto first test ride
January 30, 2008 - Chris Moss - pics Mike Weston
KTM's 950 SM was one of the best, craziest bikes around. Has the new 990 version pushed it over the edge? Chris Moss finds out ... Scroll down for the full story
The Wayne Rooney of bikes has just become even more of a talented and skilful hooligan. Thanks to a bigger 999cc fuel-injected V-twin motor, KTM's new 990 Supermoto now makes 115bhp. That's a healthy 17bhp more than the 950 carbed version it replaces, with a tad more torque to make wheelies and general lunacy that bit easier. Already a fantastic sportsbike for the road, with its extra cubes, the 990SM's entertainment value has stepped up an extra gear. You can feel the superiority of the slightly restyled bike within just a few yards and you get the extra dollop of fun and speed for just £150 more, giving a price tag of £8,195.
It's even more likely to get you into trouble, mind you, and throttle-twisting in both first and second gears has to be controlled very carefully to avoid landing on your Arai. Though if a copper does stop you for mono-wheeling, just give him the key and challenge him to keep two-wheels on terra firma. That way it might give the man of the law a slightly more realistic view of what riding the 990SM is all about.
Further through the gearbox, the extra grunt and zip gives the bike the edge it was just a little short of in its original 950cc form. I dare say it's not really a hell of a lot faster than the bike it supersedes, but it's noticeably easier to get up to the same pace. And you don't need to tap the gearlever quite as often to maintain progress.
Chassis changes are minimal with a slightly steeper head angle to speed up the rate of turn, though in fairness I didn't notice either that or the extra four kilos it now carries. On a more practical note the tank is now a litre and a half bigger allowing 19 litres of unleaded to be poured in and a few more miles from it in total.
Riding it brought plenty of the expected howls of laughter and respect for what this utterly brilliant bike can do. The toy-like flickability and control it gives you honestly makes a GSX-R or Blade just feel a tad bulky and vague. If feels virtually uncrashable. We've always loved the Austrian bike here at SuperBike, now that love runs deeper. Though it has to be said you're going to need a get out of jail free card more than ever before.
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