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Everyone keeps asking about the seat. I say it's designed for just what is intended: a nice, 40-mile ride, the last 27 of which is spent in a high-speed chase…
Hold on, phone's ringing.
Uh-huh. No. Of course I don't. It's not like we're a bunch of stupid apes, ya know. Look, it's called literary license. Yes, okay, I understand and, yes, I like my paycheck. Sure, you too…
That was Legal. They want it to be clear that what I was saying is that this was a “high-speed” and “chase” naturally held on a closed course and that only the highest, most trained riders were used during the chase, and that in no way were the police involved. Or was that most highly trained?
First off, this is proof that they are monitoring my computer and second, that they might even be reading my very thoughts. From now on, I am going to wrap my head in aluminum foil before riding the KTM 950 Supermoto.
But there isn't enough tinfoil in the universe to shield the mental energy this bike provokes.
Take Associate Editor Mark Cernicky, who's worn his share of aluminum hats and is often speechless. The guttural noises and mad hand gestures were off the charts this time, underlining more than ever his “Sir Twitchy” nickname. It's because the 950 SM grips you, like Cernicky's fist clutched the key as I tried to take it from him.
He was distracted when I said there was a truck outside unloading free 160mm slicks for his CRF450R supermoto racer. His vise-like claw relaxed only for an instant, but the key was mine.
Guessing by its name, I'm going to go out on a limb and say this bike was inspired by converted dirtbikes like Cernicky's Honda. KTM, of course, based its big-Twin street machine on an orange version. But as Pierre Terblanche points out in the “Hypermotard” story elsewhere in this issue, converted motocross bikes with 17-inch wheels don't really make good streetbikes.
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What does make a good streetbike is using the ethic behind supermoto racebikes, much as Buell did in coming up with the new Ulysses: light weight, minimal bodywork, grippy tires and an in-command riding position. These qualities should be at the heart of any streetbike. Call it a 950 “Supermoto” if you must, KTM, but ditch the high fender and mount a normal one, reshape the fuel tank to look less like MX radiator shrouds and this orange bike starts to look a lot like a sport-standard. Especially because at 428 pounds dry, it ain't no supermoto racer. Light for a current-day Open-class streeter, yes, but not something you should be hucking into the air over jumps (unless you are very highly trained).
So what we have here is a dedicated streetbike that draws its inspiration and key design features from the company's dirtbike experience. You get, therefore, about 8 inches of travel front and rear from the WP suspension.
“The factory tested the suspension on European supermoto courses,” said Tom Moen, Media Relations Manager for KTM. “The tracks there are a lot more high-speed and flowing, as well as having more pavement than ones in the U.S.”
Damping is definitely definitive, in the sense that settings are sporty, but without being harsh. And adjustability is wide. Cernicky is not subtle about asking a motorcycle to do things, and he had tightened up front and rear to suit his swift-kick, take-no-prisoners style. Canet, meanwhile, likes to slide as much as anybody but also appreciates a nice, comfy ride on a streetbike, which he got on his test loop by backing out the rebound a few clicks. Compression damping at the rear even provides for high- and low-speed adjustments. You can definitely suit your style here.
Chassis feel is awesome, with the bike channeling the Spirit of Traction right through your palms and ass. I know that sounds uncomfortable, but it's not, and it's way better than aluminum foil under your Shoei. Trust me.
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