Ktm 950 From Milan To Dakar

KTM 950 From Milan to Dakar

There’s a new player on the big-bike scene: KTM. The Austrian firm debuted its first-ever twin-cylinder engine in the prototype LC8 at last year’s Munich Show, but now that engine is a thundering reality, powering the ultimate Paris-Dakar racer, the 950 Rally, and its road-going alternative, the upcoming 950 Adventure. On display in Milan was the Rally version prepared for local off-road hero Fabrizio Meoni.

The KTM Twin is an outstanding engine, beginning with its powerto-weight ratio: The 950cc (100 x 60mm) unit weighs just 123 pounds, yet produces 102 horsepower at 8000 rpm. Its combustion chamber is state-of-the-art, with a 22-degree included valve angle. For the time being, the Rally version breathes through a pair of 43mm CV carbs, though fuel-injection is planned.

Because its cylinders are splayed at 75 degrees, the 950 engine isn’t perfectly balanced, so a small balance shaft smoothes out the primary forces. But that 75-degree Vee angle also makes the engine much more compact than a Ducati-style 90-degree “L-Twin,” for example, and that helped keep the bike’s overall dimensions small. The wheelbase spans 61.8 inches, which is reasonable for a 130-mph dirtbike. The Rally version is said to weigh 438 pounds, with a massive WP 48mm fork boasting 11.8 inches of wheel travel. Seat height is a towering 39.2 inches.

Even in “civilian” trim, the 950 Adventure will be a highly specialized bike for specialized riders, with 10.2 inches of fork travel, a 36.2-inch-high seat and a claimed dry weight of 416 pounds.

Boding well for the future is the fact that the 950cc engine can be stretched to a full 1000cc, and its cases include a large number of mounting bosses that should grant great freedom for frame designers.

Can’t wait for the V-Twin Duke, soon-to-be king of the hooligan bikes.

Bruno de Prato