KTM Belgium sent me a DVD with their latest bike that they had specially build for the Ertzberg rodeo: The KTM 950 SuperEnduro. I think I have looked at this video for 10 or 20 times and I was sold. Great marketing stunt (it worked with me..). I always loved the 950 Adventure, test drived it once but –after the experience with the Africa Twin- thought it was way too heavy.
The SuperEnduro was 30 kilo’s lighter and it drove so well I couldn’t resist it. I went to KTM Belgium headquarters with my 640 and testdrive it. In the Ardenne region I took some dirt roads and the 950 felt wonderful so I bought one. I totally loved it, it was a fantastic bike with far too much power fot off road of course, but I managed to handle it quite well.
If the previous bikes were a test of commitment, the KTM 950 Super Enduro R (SE) is a test of sanity. Produced in limited numbers between 2006 and 2008, this machine is widely considered the most insane, uncompromising dual-sport motorcycle ever built. It is essentially a 98-horsepower, liter-class V-twin engine stuffed into a lightweight dirt bike chassis. It shouldn’t exist, but it does—and it is utterly terrifying.
When you first approach the Super Enduro, its sheer physical presence hits you. It is a towering monolith of orange plastic and steel. Sitting on it is a challenge in itself, but managing it at a dead stop is where the real comedy—and tragedy—begins. With its massive ground clearance and a towering 920mm seat height, it is a long way down to the tarmac. In fact, the Super Enduro was the only bike I’ve owned that made me fall over while standing still. All it takes is a slight camber in the road, a hidden pothole at a stoplight, or a brief moment of distraction, and that top-heavy V-twin weight takes over. Once it starts tipping past the point of no return, you just have to step away and watch 200 kilos hit the sand.
But the moment you press the starter and that 942cc LC8 engine barks to life through the twin exhausts, all the embarrassment of falling over disappears. Unlike the single-cylinder LC4 “Paint Mixer,” the 950 V-twin runs remarkably smooth, but it possesses a demonic energy. There is no traction control, no ABS, and no rider aids. It is just your right wrist connected directly to 98 horsepower and 90 Nm of torque.
On asphalt, twisting the throttle in the first three gears will instantly loft the front wheel into the sky. It accelerates with a violent, intoxicating rush that leaves sportbikes baffled. But the real madness happens when you take it off-road. Blasting down a gravel trail at 160 km/h on a bike this size feels like riding a rocket-powered sledgehammer. It spins the rear tire effortlessly, throwing massive roosts of dirt (or grass) into the air while the high-end WP suspension somehow keeps the whole plot tracking straight.
Living with it is impractical. The fuel tank only holds 14 liters, meaning you are constantly scanning for the next petrol station, and it eats rear tires for breakfast. It is loud, intimidating, and physically exhausting to ride fast. But whenever you park it, look back at those aggressive lines, and nurse your bruised shins from falling over at a standstill, you can’t help but smile. They will never build anything like the Super Enduro ever again.
