We’ve seen the KTM Adventure range in India, but the brand has just updated the model that inspired it: the Rally, specifically the 690 Rally in Europe. Headlined as the spiritual successor to the famed 640 Adventure, the 690 Rally is built on an existing platform, but KTM has given it some extras to make it take on tougher trails, and for longer.
- Shares the engine and most of the chassis with the 690 Enduro R
- Gets a 7-litre larger fuel tank than the 690 Enduro R and an integrated windshield
- Indian launch unlikely anytime soon
KTM 690 Rally: What’s different from 690 Enduro R and what’s shared?
Two big changes; most other features are same
KTM has given a few new features that set the 690 Rally apart from the 690 Enduro R and bring it closer to the Adventure line. Starting with the biggest change, there are two auxiliary front-mounted 3.5-litre fuel tanks for a combined 7 litres of capacity, which, paired with the rear-mounted 13-litre fuel tank, take the Rally’s total fuel tank capacity to a substantial 20 litres. KTM has also given riders the ability to choose which tank(s) the motorcycle will draw fuel from, so they have the choice to play around with front-rear weight bias, depending on the trail they are taking on. Another notable difference is at the front, in the ‘rally tower’ with an integrated windshield and instrument cluster. The windshield is exclusive to the Rally, whereas the cluster, along with all its rider aids, is shared with the 690 Enduro R.
Aside from these additions, the new 690 Rally shares its platform with the revered 690 Enduro R, which was updated last year with a new engine, design and features. The 690 Rally gets the same 693cc LC4 single-cylinder liquid-cooled mill with 79hp and 73Nm of torque. It also has the same 4.2-inch TFT instrument cluster, two standard ride modes (Street and Off-Road) with an optional Rally mode, an up-and-down quickshifter and fully adjustable front and rear suspension. Stopping duties continue to be performed by a 300mm dual-piston front disc and a 240mm single-piston rear disc. Both are from Brembo, and both use floating calipers.
The optional Rally mode (a paid add-on) will let users customise rider aids such as throttle response, cornering ABS and traction control individually, letting them change the bike’s behaviour according to their preference. Rally mode also includes what KTM calls ‘Dynamic Slip Adjust’, which adjusts traction control in real time depending on the traction required by the wheels, over and above the preset chosen by the rider. This will allow the bike’s ECU to make granular changes to traction control, ensuring that the riders will always have enough grip to keep going.
Also shared between the two 690s are the fully adjustable WP Xplor front and rear suspension units. The USD fork, which has 235mm of travel, can be adjusted for compression and rebound. The rear linkage monoshock, which has 250mm of travel, can be adjusted for compression (low-speed and high-speed), preload and rebound. The 690 Rally has the same 15,000km oil-change interval and 60,000km valve-clearance interval as the Enduro R and SMC R.
However, the 690 Rally gets a different headlight that’s in line with all the updated Adventures, a 12V charging port on the right side of the tower and a USB Type-C port on the left. Being a bike with a heavy off-road focus, the Rally has tubed tyres on 21/18-inch wire-spoked wheels, a 161.5kg dry weight and approximately 176kg kerb weight. If you think this sounds excellent, remember that the seat height is a vertigo-inducing 935mm, but it enables 265mm ground clearance, sure to come in handy when you’re navigating trails to unlock the unknown.
What is the difference between Adventure, Enduro and Rally?
All are road-trail capable but to different degrees
From all these details, it’s easy to understand how the Rally differs from the Enduro. What we believe sets it apart from the Adventure line is its inherent bias towards trail riding, with road riding taking a backseat. This is obvious, with the bike sporting rally tyres, an off-road-oriented 21/18 wheel setup and, of course, the tubed tyres with spoked rims. The Adventure line prioritises road riding, with off-road capabilities added on top of them. Enduro is much more closely related to the Rally but with an even bigger bias towards off-roading. This technically makes all three categories dual-sport, but KTM only categorises the Enduro as such.
It’s possible this makes you question whether the 390 Adventure R should’ve been the 390 Rally; good question, but one unlikely to be answered by KTM. Just as unlikely is the 690 Rally heading to India anytime soon. For Europe, it is being built at KTM’s Mattighofen factory, and the company has said that it’ll start reaching dealerships in October. Prices are unknown, as is the exact list of markets where the 690 Rally is heading. For context, the 690 Enduro R costs EUR 13,599 in Austria (Rs 15.07 lakh, converted). With its added features, we expect the Rally to start at a higher price.
EUR-to-INR conversion based on exchange rate at the time of writing.
Suraj Sreekumar
Vishal Venugopal
Dinshaw Magol
