Yet another Supermoto- KTM 660 SMC

[mikey]

Hey everyone! Rather than spending £££ on tuning up my DRZ with bore kits and stroker cranks, I went out and bought myself a ready made super supermoto.
Shes an '04 660smc with 3800 miles from new and is bone stock.
This is the proper hardcore supermoto of the old KTM range with no ignition key, kickstart only (on the left hand side) and vibrations that make your hands and feet go numb after 15 miles....is character the right word to use here?
With the stock gearing it is nice and torquey through all the gears and cruises at 60/70 surprisingly well, but will lift the front in second and third with just a tug of the bars and throttle if mood takes
The only thing I plan on doing to the bike is spending a few hours with autosol as the polished surfaces are very dull (pictures are deceiving), and nothing else. Even the standard exhaust is quite fruity so I see no point in changing it.
As per usual, C&C are welcome.

 

[chrisQ]

Stunning bike, i want a supermoto next for some wheelie action. HTR

 

[scoobyman]

mate had one some fun

 

[moglie]

Very nice mate. How does it compare to the drz? I take it you dont use it for big miles, just quick blasts?

 

[fiestasi]

A very very clean supermoto, will it even see a dirty road? lol

 

[dannyfawcett]

You do not understand how much i envy you right now, that is a stunning bike!

 

[corsacj]

So much win

No key though? thats abit hairy lol

 

[StephenMcC]

Wouldnt Fancy The Left Hand Kick lol, No Ignition I Could Live With Though

Amazing Machine!

 

[fiestasi]

I've a left hand kick start too, I can more or less stand on it and it won't budge there is that much compression. Have you tried kicking yours yet? Watch your ankles!

 

[mikey]

Very nice mate. How does it compare to the drz? I take it you dont use it for big miles, just quick blasts?

Build quality wise the DRZ is definately better and I believe I will have some fun trying to obtain parts for them from Mr McCallen. I can find nowhere online that sells parts for the 660 Completely different to the DRZ, lot gruntier but not as revvy. Imagine a DRZ with 60 odd HP and thats what it is lol. Weighs the same I believe!

A very very clean supermoto, will it even see a dirty road? lol

Cheers! It'll be a lot cleaner when I get a tube of autosol round it. This is the dry sunny weekend bike that will probably sit in the garage more than its ridden

You do not understand how much i envy you right now, that is a stunning bike!

Cheers! Supermotos FTW. I've had a few boys over looking at it/talking to me when I've filled her with petrol already...and haven't even had her a week. If you want attention, forget your GSZXCBRs and get a bright orange motard lol.

So much win
No key though? thats abit hairy lol

Only a key for the steering lock But the bike needs a certain knack to start it so you could literally kick at it all day and she still wont go. Wont even start on a push...compression just locks the back wheel. Theres a hidden aftermarket killswitch on her too for security I was thinking about retrofitting an ignition barrel/key in the future sometime though if I can be bothered.

Wouldnt Fancy The Left Hand Kick lol, No Ignition I Could Live With Though
Amazing Machine!

Cheers! Left hand kick comes surprisingly naturally. A lot easier to sit on the bike and kick with the left than stand beside it and kick with the right! Watch out for the kickback though... (see below)

I've a left hand kick start too, I can more or less stand on it and it won't budge there is that much compression. Have you tried kicking yours yet? Watch your ankles!

I have had her kick back on me once already. Nice big bruise on my left shin. Its a lot easier to kick it in my trainers than the moto x boots though so im stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea on that one...

 

[fiestasi]

Would i be right in saying that you used the DRZ for work? I think ive seen you riding through Lurgan.

To have a supermoto and not get it dirty is just wrong on so many levels. Use it for what it was intended for!

My well used Berg ;-)

Ta

 

[ferrett]

nice , just recently treated myself to a moto , only i went for the more grown up option with a starter

 

[fiestasi]

Starter as standard on the berg also

 

[mikey]

nice , just recently treated myself to a moto , only i went for the more grown up option with a starter

Starter as standard on the berg also

In period brochures the 660 is 18kg lighter (131kg vs 149 without fuel) than the 640 through lack of starting/conventional ignition system and ally vs steel silencer. Don't know if its that much but shows how heavy items can be I guess. If nothing else the kick gives me a bit of a workout before each ride The only time I wish I had the electric boot is when I stall at lights/junctions then its a panic to start before the lights go green lol

 

[moglie]

Dont want to hijack a threat lad but saying were on about supermotos and bikes in general, anyone any experience of the kawasaki er6n/f's? Thinking of selling my drz 400 and buying one.

 

[mikey]

Smallish update!
Changed the rear sprocket to a 45 tooth up from the stock 38 on the bike. Now goes like a supermoto should, feeding the gears to her as quick as she'll take them and unexpected wheelies in 5th over crests lol. Comfortable top speed on the bike (both my comfort and mechanical sympathy comfort) is now down to about 85 on the clock, but as the cliche goes, its not about how fast you go, its how fast you get there

After hemming and hawing for a while about the exhaust I finally bit the bullet and bought an akrapovic slip on can for the bike. Just waiting for a bigger main jet coming to complete the setup as I sheared a new jet off in the emulsion tube last night when fitting it...DOH
Can is ever so slightly lighter than stock and had it bolted on in 10 minutes no problem. With the baffle in it is no louder than stock, with it out it has the quintessential big single bark with nice spitting and banging (im sure theres flames) on the overrun. Not too loud when I'm on the bike and doesn't make my ears ring so can't complain. The bike is pretty much sitting the way I want it at the moment so no further mods are in the pipeline.

 

[fabiostar]

buy a large tube of loctite and do every bolt on the bike or it will get lighter as the miles go by lol...trust me it will.

 

[mikey]

buy a large tube of loctite and do every bolt on the bike or it will get lighter as the miles go by lol...trust me it will.

And don't I know it. Latest bolts to shake loose were for the sidestand this week.

 

[fabiostar]

buy a larger tube lol... the old lc4 motors did a bit of viding but go ok.

 

[mikey]

the old lc4 motors did a bit of viding but go ok.

The 660 is worse than the 640s/625s as it has no balancer shaft Hands get numb pretty quickly when I'm wearing the thin racing gloves.
I must get a test ride on some of the new LC4s to see how they go out of curiosity. The new 690cc's arent putting out that much more HP than the 654 in my yoke but it would be interesting to compare the power delivery/smoothness with the fuel injection and balancing units etc etc.

 

[mikey]

After putting 2000 fun miles on the bike since August I parked her up for winter a couple of weeks back and stripped her for cleaning. The pictures at the start of the thread don't really represent what the bike was like in real life close up with corroded fasteners, dull chrome and alloy and faded plastics. 6 years of sitting in a damp garage and only ridden 100 miles a year would take their toll on any bike!
A brace of new KTM nuts/bolts are being ordered along with new KTM plastics. Surprisingly the genuine KTM plastics are only a couple of pounds more a panel than aftermarket ones with the guarantee of fitting correctly and colour match so can't complain! Autosol, polish, plastic cleaner gel and elbow grease will take care of the rest.
Also taking this opportunity to sort out a couple of wiring issues and wire in a killswitch of sorts for a bit of security.
Hope to have her up and going for the start of the season in March!

 

[mikey]

Tuned.
After long winters nights of polish, autosol, elbow grease and money, the bike is finally at the stage I'm happy with. Also fitted a 16 tooth front sprocket over the standard 15 to make the bike a touch more comfortable to ride at 50-60mph without any major difference in pull.

 

[Kerzo]

Looks excellent indeed, never been on one of these before but imagine it would be a good bit of fun!

 

[robporshe]

Picking my Ktm 660 on Monday cant wait been along time since I last rode a supermoto my last being a WR426, which was a bitch on starting for the first few weeks being a kick start there is defo a nack to these things .do the ktm 660 have a decompression lever

 

[warren]

I wasnt intending to buy a supermoto anytime soon. Have been pretty content with the R6.....but I wonder is there room for another bike in the budget......