620 R/xc: D-P Done Right?

620 R/XC: D-P Done Right?

More often than not, KTM's dirtbike-with-lights approach to dual-purpose has paid off-witness the 620 R/XC's hat-trick of Ten Best Bikes awards. For `98, though, KTM wanted a lower seat height, down 1.6 inches from last year's bike, delivered via shorter, plusher WP suspension and a thinner seat. Problem is, plushness on-road equates to bottoming off-road. So, where does this leave the R/XC? A lot closer to the middle of the road, that's where. It now feels more like Honda's XR650L, which for the average rider, might be a step in the right direction. Me, I'm not so sure.

Jimmy Lewis