The KTM 950 Super Enduro R .. how can you describe that beast? The Super Enduro concept was prototyped in 2004-2005 and took its final form in 2006. The project was fueled by the ongoing war between KTM and BMW for the construction of the most extreme large cc enduro motorcycle ever created. In 2006 it dominated its main adversary, the mighty BMW HP2, and the rest of the competing motorcycles in the Prologue Race of the Erzberg Rodeo 2006. With only 3000 units ever produced and a 100hp twin-cylinder engine, it was the Beast Supreme!
Having the KTM 950 Super Enduro R in the garage, you find it difficult to classify it as an “adventure motorcycle” as it looks like most KTM enduro bikes do. Only when you park it next to one, you realize the sky-hi saddle height, the extra-long wheelbase, and that LC8 beast V2 hiding, not particularly well, under the tank.
Having all the positives of its 950/990 Adventure brother (minus the wind protection) and with 40kg less weight, it has a phenomenal off-road performance. The WP USD Ø 48mm forks and WP mono-shock PDS, even in stock form, work much better than the Adventure - even though they are perfect for solo rides. You can not easily adjust the rear spring pre-load for pillion (the shock has to be removed), but it's not something it is built for. With 265mm of suspension travel, it will swallow any obstacle found in its way and it is perfect for high-speed dirt riding with very quick handling.
The V2 engine is real dynamite, capable of destroying a rear tire in just a ride and the aggressive riding position instantly puts you in race mode. At every opportunity, you want to fully open the throttle and hold on for dear life.
You instantly realize that KTM has created the toughest, baddest, naked adventure bike of all times!
As we have said many times, "if you can not pick up your bike fully loaded, in any situation, then it is not an adventure bike". With 180kg dry weight, it can reach the 200-220kg territory loaded with everything you need. So, if you have been doing your dead-lifts, you can pick it up with relative ease. It is not a featherweight, but it's nowhere near as heavy as any twin adventure motorcycle out there. The single-cylinder 690/701 is lighter, but they will never have THAT engine...
Having a solid off-road platform, I only had to focus on fixing it's mechanical issues and adjusting it to our travel-enduro needs. With a 950cc twin-engine, road sections are covered with ease. I did not want to add a rally screen since it would transform it into a 950 Adventure with almost the same weight. It would also lose its off-road strong point, the ability to enter single-track gnarly trails without having a visor blocking the view in front of you. The KTM 690 screen does the job perfectly. You have a buffet-free ride, without too much air in your chest and with no added weight. Stick to road limits and you can cover distances without much fatigue. It's not a GS, but it doesn't weight 350kg either.
Ergonomics are dealt with a set of Rox 2'' Pivoting Bar Risers and Pivot Pegz WIDE MK3 Foot Pegs. These make a big difference in comfort. The Rox Risers can be adjusted to position you perfectly over the bars and the Pivot Pegz give you a much wider area to stand on. Another option was the KTM Rally pegs, but having used the pivot pegs in previous builds, I just loved the ease of the pivoting action they provide.
The center stand is a must for any Adventure motorcycle. It is way easier to use it than to search for a rock or a log in the event of a flat tire. It doesn't add too much weight (relative to the bike's weight) and the KTM 990 S/R center stand fits without any modifications. A true bolt-on upgrade.
The only actual poor design of the Super Enduro is the position of the oil tank under the radiator. It is tough and will survive a small hit, partially protected the OEM bash plate, but a big crush will move it. Once it moves, it will break your radiator and that's it, you are stuck! I really did not want to go the oil tank relocation mods way, so I opted for the next best thing: The Adv-Spec Bashplate is super sexy, built like a tank with a 5mm aircraft-grade aluminum construction, it will keep weight down while providing plenty of protection. It ads a third fixing point just before the center stand (total 6 fixing bolts instead of the stock 4 bolts) that will prevent any movement from the oil tank. Another usual LC8 issue is the leaking secondary clutch cylinder. A great solution is the Oberon Clutch Slave Cylinder. Once added you forget that LC8s even had that problem.
The last issue is the heat. All you can do is remove the SAS crap and the catalytic converter of the stock mufflers. I fitted the delicious FMF Q4 Slip-On Exhaust, fixed the fueling and that's it. Except for the sound upgrade, the only reason you install a slip-on exhaust is the weight and heat benefits. The Super Enduro does not lack power .. trust me on that.
Mileage is a bit low. The beast is thirsty and the stock 13 liters of fuel capacity (3.43 gal) don't help. The first solution that comes in mind is to add a 30lt Safari Tank. If we were located in Africa or Australia this would be my first upgrade, even though the added weight up front does not help the dynamic characteristics of the bike. If you can reach 230+km of fuel range, you can just make it in Greece. You will always be a bit worried about mileage, but you will eventually reach the next gas station. A great solution is Nenduro's KTM 950SE Rally Fuel Tank that adds 2+ extra gallons but requires that you convert to 2 into 1 exhaust to make room for the tank. I actually bought it but didn't ever use it, since I am in love with the look of the twin pipes. So, my only solution is the use of the RotopaX Gasoline Packs. They help the SE reach the 230+km of fuel range and look awesome! The Super Enduro does not feature a rack, but that was easy to fix. I installed the 6mm aluminum MWW Luggage Rack (fabricated by Most Wanted Warehouse in Greece).
On our off-road adventure tours, we are using exclusively Soft Luggage for a variety of reasons. You can give yourself a read about that in our Hard or Soft Luggage article.
With the Mythical 950 Super Enduro, we are using Enduristan Sandstorm 4H tank bag to keep our cameras and other electronics safe from water & dust. All of our tools, tubes, and heavy items we are using Enduristan Blizzard L Saddle Bags to keep everything safe and maintain a low center of gravity, very important with any tall motorcycle. The saddlebags help much as a bumper when the bike falls and keep it higher, so easier to lift. For the saddlebags, we are not using any kind of frame, in order to keep the added weight to a minimum. The LC8's twin pipes tail is just perfect for this application. The pipes support all the weight and the only modification you will ever need to do is to ad the Enduristan Universal Exhaust Heat Shields.
Last storage item used with the Super Enduro is the Enduristan Tornado 2M Pack Sack, above the RotopaX, strapped to the MWW Luggage Rack. We keep very light items here like camp shoes and layers, a Gore-Tex softshell, or a power-bar.
* More information about most items used to upgrade the KTM Super Enduro can be found here