We’ve seen the KTM Adventure range in India but KTM 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, KTM has built the 690 Rally on an existing platform, but 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 7-litre extra fuel tank capacity 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 feature sets 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, front-mounted 3.5-litre fuel tanks for a combined 7 litres of capacity, taking the Rally’s total fuel tank capacity to a whopping 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’re taking on. Another notable difference is at the front too, in the ‘rally tower’ with an integrated windshield and the instrument cluster. The windshield is exclusive to the Rally, whereas the cluster (and all its rider aids) is shared with the 690 Enduro R.
Besides these new 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 has the same 693cc LC4 single-cylinder, liquid-cooled engine with 79hp and 73Nm of torque. It also has the same 4.2-inch TFT instrument cluster, two ride modes with an optional Rally mode, up-and-down quickshifter, fully adjustable front and rear suspensions, and a rear mounted 13-lite fuel tank. The 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 (paid add-on), will let riders customise rider aids like throttle response, cornering ABS, and traction control individually, letting them change the bike’s behaviour according to their choosing. The Rally mode also includes what KTM calls ‘Dynamic Slip Adjust’, which will adjust the 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 to make granular changes to traction control ensuring riders will always have enough grip to keep going.
Also shared between the two motorcycles are the fully adjustable front and rear suspension WP Xplor units. The front USD fork can be adjusted for compression and rebound with a 235mm travel. The rear linkage monoshock can be adjusted for compression (low-speed and high-speed), preload, and rebound with 250mm travel. KTM had extended the oil change intervals (15,000km vs 10,000km) and valve clearance check intervals (60,000km vs 45,000km) with the 690 Enduro R (and the 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 an off-roader, the Rally has tubed tyres on 21/18-inch wire-spoked wheels, with a 161.5kg dry weight; approximately 176kg kerb weight. If you’re thinking this sounds excellent, do remember the seat height is a tall 935mm but it enables the 265mm ground clearance, sure to come in handy when you’re navigating trails to unlock the yet unknown.
What is the difference between Adventure, Enduro, and Rally?
All are road-trail capable, to different degrees
From all these details, it’s easy to understand how the Rally is different 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, off-road oriented 21/18 wheel setup, and of course the tubed tyres with spoked rims. 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 to off-roading. This technically makes all three categories dual sport, but KTM only categorises the Enduro as dual sports.
It’s possible that this makes you question whether the 390 Adventure R should’ve been the 390 Rally; good question, but one that’s 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 Mattighoffen factory and the company has said that it’ll start reaching dealerships in October. Prices are unknown, as is the exact list of countries 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.
All EUR to INR conversions based on current exchange rates.