2020 KTM 690 SMC R [Model Overview]

Engine
The LC4 690 cc single-cylinder engine combines powerful acceleration from the very lowest revs with an outstanding free-revving nature and refined engine running. Another big plus is besides the engine being extremely economical with fuel it also has long service intervals of 10,000 km, keeping running costs low.

Cylinder head
A lightweight, compact cylinder head contains four valves and a single camshaft placed over the intake valves, and a secondary balancer shaft driven by the timing chain. The intake valves are actuated by finger followers and the exhaust valves by a rocker arm.

Resonator chamber
A resonator chamber balances out pulses in the intake tract and makes the throttle response smoother with reduced vibrations.

Balancer shaft
Twin balancer shafts, one in front of the crankshaft and the other in the cylinder head reduce vibration, which ensures a smoother ride.

Piston
The lightweight and durable forged piston is designed to reduce reciprocating mass, and therefore improve engine response.

Conrods
Plain bearings are used in the conrod to ensure a reduced reciprocating mass, which helps the engine run smoother and therefore enhances its lively character.

PASC clutch
The PASC (Power Assist Clutch) ensures the rider needs minimal input to operate it, due to less engine torque transferring to the clutch plates. The slipper clutch prevents rear wheel lock-up under aggressive downshifting, which reduces destabilising rear wheel chatter on the tarmac when braking sharply or decelerating into turns.

Gearbox
The smooth 6-speed gearbox with Quickshifter+ allows quicker clutchless up and downshifts when you’re on the gas in and out of turns. This not only enables the rider to be more in control of the motorcycle by keeping a full grip of the handlebars, but also improves rear-wheel traction.

Ride-by-wire
The KTM 690 SMC R is equipped a ride-by-wire system, which processes throttle twist grip movements with the help of electronic sensors and activates the throttle valves to control throttle action. This significantly improves the response, giving the rider better throttle control of the potent single-cylinder and a smoother ride.

Frame
The frame is manufactured from lightweight sections of top-quality chrome-molybdenum steel tubing of varying thicknesses. This type of balanced frame design provides high torsional rigidity for best handling and rideability, while a more specifically-tuned longitudinal flexibility can absorb the wheel impact energy, supporting the suspension for reduced rider fatigue.

Subframe
Tried and trusted – the effective use of the rear fuel tank as the main structural element of the subframe, keeps weight low and eliminates design complexity.

Swingarm
This swingarm design allows for an optimal mounting position of the rear shock ensuring a high progression rate. The single-component casting process eliminates any inconsistencies and weak points that would be inherent in a welded swingarm.

Handlebar
The lightweight tapered 808 mm wide handlebars are rubber mounted to reduce vibrations. Their width and shape are aimed at providing maximum control in all situations.

Rider aids
Electronic fuel injection, ride-by-wire and the engine management system (EMS) make it possible to offer innovative yet easy-to-use electronic rider aids. These features can be selected, deselected and utilized to put the potent new-generation LC4 motor to effective use in a much wider range of terrain types and conditions.

Ride modes
There are two ride modes: “Street” mode gives a sporty throttle response where cornering-sensitive MTC limits wheel slip and keeps wheelies to a minimum for optimal street riding performance, while “Sport” mode provides more aggressive throttle response with reduced traction control (without cornering sensitivity) to allow drifts and full control of the slide, aimed at track or very sporty street usage. The modes can be easily switched over from the handlebar, making adjustment on the fly possible.

MTC (Motorcycle Traction Control)
The MTC (Motorcycle Traction Control) lean-angle sensitive traction control system reacts immediately the instant the rear wheel rotation speed becomes disproportionate to the riding situation. In mere milliseconds MTC reduces engine output with an extremely smooth, barely perceptible intervention at the throttle valves, until slippage is reduced to optimum proportions for the selected ride mode and current angle of lean. For particularly ambitious riders, the traction control can also be switched off.

Quickshifter+
Quickshifter+ uses two sensors, where one sensor on the shift arm detects the movement on the shift lever rod when the rider upshifts and the system cuts the injection instantaneously. As soon as the second sensor detects the gear engagement it reapplies the injection and opens the butterfly valve, ensuring fast and smooth action at all throttle openings and engine speeds. When downshifting, the system matches the engine speed to the speed of the lower gear.

Cornering ABS
KTM’s Cornering ABS mode allows riders to always use the full power of their brakes in all conditions, while taking the lean angle of the motorcycle into account. In the optional Offroad ABS mode, the ABS only acts upon the front wheel, while cornering-sensitivity is disabled. In extreme scenarios, the rider can also choose to disable the ABS completely.