Triple Threat: One man's obsession with building an all-purpose motorcycle

Triple Threat: One man's obsession with building an all-purpose motorcycle

Triple Threat: One man's obsession with building an all-purpose motorcycle

Somewhere along the way I started mulling the possibility of a production bike that could do it all. And when I couldn't find what I was looking for, I decided to create it. Many months, modifications and garage hours later, that car is complete. I can finally present the KTM 690 Tx3, aka Project Triple Threat: a bike for dirt, road and track.

Why Tx3?

I can't pinpoint the exact moment this redesign became an obsession. One of the primary motivations was finding a two-wheeler that would allow me to stay fresh for any riding scenario. Testing and writing about motorcycles isn't my full-time job, but rather something I dive into whenever opportunities arise. In recent years, this has included track time in Spain, ADV tours in East Africa , and motocross in California.

I firmly believe that to be a great rider you have to treat motorcycling as a study, something you do and practice all the time across the entire spectrum. So I started looking for a motorcycle that would help me ride all year round and be ready for any situation. Sure, there are multi-bike options for staying cool on dirt, road, and track, like combining a less expensive dual-sport motorcycle and a sportbike. But for my purposes, I wanted a motorcycle, a maintenance schedule, a DMV visit, and an insurance payment.

Choose a motorbike to do everything

After scanning the landscape of production bikes, there was nothing out there that fit my vision. The dual-sport offerings would have been insufficient for track days and high-performance street driving. The popular adventure touring and scrambler options are too heavy for off-road or motocross track riding (in my opinion).

After a lot of research, I concluded that a custom dual-sport supermoto conversion made the most sense. The objectives for the triple threat project were configured as follows:

• A solid performer on dirt, road and track
• Excellent power-to-weight ratio; no heavier than 300 pounds (dry)
• A motorcycle with daily riding and ADV capabilities
• Something that looked and felt good to drive; And
• Something I could convert to multiple modes in under two hours

To achieve all this in a motorcycle, I needed a dual-sport that was in the sweet spot of the spec. For example, a KTM 500 EXC-F would be a fantastic off-roader, but with 41 horsepower and a double-digit top speed, it would likely prove underpowered on the highway and disappointing on track days. Another contender, Ducati's 73-horsepower Desert Sled , has plenty of oomph, but at 460 pounds (wet), it's not exactly what I'd want to blast around the motocross track or blast down singletrack.

I chose a 690 KTM 2019 Enduro as the base bike for the Triple Threat project because, spec-wise, it is optimally positioned. With 75 horsepower and 322 pounds (dry), the motorcycle offers an excellent power-to-weight ratio without being so heavy that you have to call a forklift if you put it down.

Service intervals on the 4's recently refined LC690 engine are much more favorable than the 450cc and 500cc options, which appear to need one oil change per month. In 2019, KTM also added a larger-capacity gas tank and an excellent electronics package with riding modes, cornering ABS, quickshifter and traction control to the 690 Enduro.

Best of all, the 690 Enduro is already a proven supermoto platform. From the chassis to the engine and electronics, the bike is almost identical to KTM's 690 SMCR. There are only a few distinct differences between the two: wheels and tires, a stronger front brake, a different fork, and a degree of fork angle. Thus the KTM 690 Enduro became the choice for the Triple Threat project. I started tracking mods and converting the bike this spring.

Like many motorsport restyling projects, I set overly ambitious expectations and then proceeded to add even more along the way. The original mod plan called for supermoto wheels, dropping the stock exhaust, and a roster of functional, farkle-ish items.

This turned into over 30 mods and involved a whole bunch of people on this project, from KTM USA to sending questions to the Common Tread team at multiple parts suppliers on three continents.

The process for this motorcycle project was definitely something to take seriously. Of course, I wasn't fabricating a chassis or building an engine. But Tx3 involves (regularly) swapping the wheels and drivetrain onto a motorcycle with which I'll jump, wheelie, and hit triple-digit speeds. And instead of a professional mechanic or pit crews maintaining OEM test bikes, every bolt-on spec, axle installation, and transmission change would be entirely on me.

When Tx3 started, I hadn't bothered with motorcycles since college. As such, I made sure to get the right tools (including two digital torque wrenches) and followed Lemmy's RTFM axiom (operating words “law” and “manual”). I also consulted with a KTM mechanic – Mason Cruz at Shelby Powersports – and created a spreadsheet with all the conversion steps and bolt specs to guide the mode swaps.

When choosing mods, I added a couple of objectives to the project. The first was to drop the 690 Enduro about 300 pounds (which involved dropping 20 pounds). This would be very important off-road, where the extra weight cannot be disguised. I also wanted a setup where the bike could be ready for the track (asphalt or dirt) in just a few minutes.

With all that established, here is the rundown of the main mods and tools selected to create the KTM 690 Tx3.

Wheels and tires

The wheels are the most critical component of this project. For those, I went with Warp 9 Racing , a Utah-based company specializing in supermoto conversions. They built a pair of 17-inch aluminum wheels with Michelin Pilot Power 2CT skins and added clean 300mm rotors. Warp 9 CEO Kevin Tanis was generous with calls where I quizzed him on every aspect of the conversion process.

For the bike's MX and ADV mode, I swapped the KTM 690 Enduro's stock tires for a more aggressive Dunlop D908RR rear and D606 front, a combination recommended by Dunlop USA.

Drive the train

To get the most out of the bike in supermoto mode with the 17-inch wheels, I opted for a different sprocket layout, choosing the 12-tooth and 46-tooth combination that is the standard ratio on KTM's SMCR. To quickly swap chains, I needed two X-ring chains with different link counts and to switch between a riveted master link and a clip.

Luckily, MotionPro sent me their all-in-one chain tool , master link clip pliers , and chain alignment tool . All have proven to be huge time savers.

Exhaust, airflow, EFI

My first impression of the 690 LC4 engine was that it screamed from midrange to top-end (especially for a single), but was stymied at low revs. It was almost as if first and second gear had a governor on them. Some input from Rottweiler Performance revealed that this has to do with the EFI mapping on many KTMs, which essentially gives the bike an inefficient low-end air-fuel ratio. There are many expensive ways to fix this by completely remapping the bike, but the quickest solution I've found is Rottweiler's $29,95 Fuel Dongle, which essentially tricks the ECU into running a more optimal ratio. This 10-minute mod eliminated the 690's lethargic low-end power delivery and allowed the LC4 engine's internal tiger to roar from first to sixth.

I installed a titanium Wings exhaust , which shed a lot of weight, added some power, and gave the bike a bit of swagger. And to help the Tx3 breathe even better, I installed a DNA air filter and box kit, which increased airflow from 96 to 146 cfm.

Brakes

The brakes presented two challenges for this project. First, the KTM 690 Enduro has less stopping power up front than KTM's SMCR, a Brembo two-piston caliper versus a four-piston one, which was less than optimal in supermoto mode. Another complication is running two sets of rotors on the same pads, which can create brake performance and bedding-in issues. After consulting with Brembo and Galfer, I matched pads for each mode: Galfer HH sintered pads for the supermoto wheels and Brembo SD sintered off-road pads for the knobby rims. I also swapped the stock brake fluid for Motul RBF600 Racing Brake Fluid . These changes, along with the weight reduction, gave the Tx3 plenty of stopping power.

Controls and accessories

For foot controls, I opted for a grippier and lighter Raptor Titanium MX footpeg , upgraded with a Vanasche rear brake lever, and switched to a Zeta Revolver shifter . The Zeta has an adjustable toe box, which can be quickly adjusted to fit different boot types.

For ADV mode, the Tx3 got Nelson Rigg Dual Sport panniers , an Oxford S20R Adventure tank bag and a KTM touring windshield.

To speed up the conversion to using the track, I installed ClickNRide signals , which can be removed and connected in seconds.

I saved some additional weight with the Warp 9 titanium sprocket and rotor bolts and the Rottweiller canisterectomy kit. Switching to an EarthX lithium-ion battery saved almost five pounds.

To top it all off and give the Tx3 a clean, fresh look, MotoProWorks Sweden created a custom graphics kit for the bike.

Rock on Tx3

Last week I performed the final edits and first mode change on the Triple Threat project. It's too early for a full scorecard on how well Tx3 meets the original goals. However, I have some first impressions. So far, the bike is a blast. It cruises comfortably on the open road in ADV form and definitely inspires traffic violations of the fun kind in supermoto mode.

The goal was to be able to change modes in less than two hours. The first transition from supermoto to ADV lasted well over three hours. I expect practice will shorten that time.

With ClickNride cues and a tail tidy that I customized, the bike can be stripped of blinkers, mirrors and license plate – for off-road or track use – in a matter of minutes, so that the goal is a win.

I didn't take the bike on a scale, but I weighed all the modifications against the stock parts and was able to lose 16 pounds on the Tx3 in the daily rider setup and 20 for Supermoto and MX mode. The latter should reduce dry weight to around 301 pounds. The bike hasn't been tested but with estimated gains given by Wings and DNA air filters, a calculated horsepower guess is somewhere near 80. 

Over the next year, I plan to test the bike in all guises to see how it lives up to the original expectations. I also plan to continue looking for ways in which motorcycle manufacturers can produce something that is perhaps less intensive and more outside the box, that meets these goals, something I have not found in any current production motorcycle.

All of this gives me a great excuse to ride a lot, from daily treks, to track days, to motocross. I will also add some ADV autumn tours. I hope the next few months prove that all the effort, research and work was worth it. This will depend on whether the KTM 690 Tx3 proves to be a worthy performer on dirt, road and track. I'll let you know how it goes.

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