TESTED quickest to Pai?? KTM 690 SMCR or Ducati Hypermotard 821-(R1095/ MHS Loop)

KTMphil

KTMphil

Senior member
Joined
Jan 11, 2011
Location
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Bikes
2007 KTM 990 Adventure Suzuki DRZ 400
This is something that has been talked about a lot - What is the quickest production bike on R 1095 westwards to Pai? A very twisty road, some steep gradients so lots of power needed & some nasty surface in some of the corners. What combination would come out on top to be the quickest?


Many experienced riders here think the KTM 690 SMCR would be the top contender. Light, comes in at around 135 KG and produces 65 HP, a great ratio. Quickly flickable in the multitude of windey switchbacks, nasty surface areas not a problem, good brakes, maybe this could be the winner?


Another contender the Ducati Hypermotard 821. Newly released engine model, lots of V-twin torque, great for out of the uphill corners, massive 110 HP, but you pay for that power with being 50 KG heavier than the KTM 690 SMCR. Monster front brakes on the Ducati Hypermotard, give great late braking if you've got a big sack, a huge advantage.



Which will come out trumps?


IMG_9775_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr
 
So five keen rider's leave Chiang Mai for Pai, a quick group so should be there in no time.



Neil - Rented Honda CB 500 X (here for a week, will be riding around the Nan region afterwards)

Jeff - On his brand new 860,000 Bht Ducati Multistrada 1200cc

Darryl - One of the quickest twisty rider's in Thailand, on his Suzuki DRZ 400 SM

Kevin - Newly purchased KTM 690 SMCR

Me - Ducati Hypermotard 821




IMG_9760_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




Darryl has been experimenting with the LHS handlebar Dual combination rear brake/ clutch lever. When you pull the lever, the first 20% of the levers motion slips the clutch very slightly, the remaining motion of the lever applies the back brake. Right hand corners with your leg out and forward you would normally not be able to use the rear brake in the corner. he loves it and says it makes him a lot faster.


IMG_9761_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





There are also numerous cams to change the ratio of the levers motion to suit you






...
 
All down to rider.. But all else being equal my money would be on the SMCR...
 
I have a DRZ E and no one passes me on the way to Pai. I have passed pretty much every kind of bike on that road. Piss's me off when guys try to block me when I am passing them, but I pass them every time and leave them behind in the dust. It is one of my favourit rides in Thailand.
Cheers and ride safe
 
Morocco said:
I have a DRZ E and no one passes me on the way to Pai. I have passed pretty much every kind of bike on that road. Piss's me off when guys try to block me when I am passing them, but I pass them every time and leave them behind in the dust. It is one of my favourit rides in Thailand.
Cheers and ride safe
Click to expand...

Are you Mark Rossi in disguise?!
 
I laughed when I read the new brake set-up makes Daryl a lot faster.......FMD how much faster can that boy ride?
 
LUFC said:
I laughed when I read the new brake set-up makes Daryl a lot faster.......FMD how much faster can that boy ride?
Click to expand...



Darren, with his new rear brake/ clutch setup, the only thing that changed was he disappeared after the first bend instead of the second bend.
 
Darryl's front, bubble gum, track rain/ race front tire. You would have thought it would wear quickly, he says he's done 3,500 km on this tire and its only 1/2 worn. You only get 7,000 - 8,000 km out of Pirelli Rossi 2's, so this might be something worth exploring?


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[/URL]IMG_9765_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr[/IMG
 
It's hard to create a perfect laboratory test situation to test the performance differences of the KTM 690 SMCR & the Ducati Hypermotard 821 as you cant have the same rider on the same bike at the same time. You could do timed runs with the same rider, but over a 100km test bed (road), thats not really feasible in this situation.


Kevin & myself's riding abilities were pretty similar so a lot will be learnt riding these bikes against each other to Pai on R 1095.



Taking off on the straight part on R 1095 heading westwards, the first thing you notice is with it's extra 45HP, the Ducati is significantly faster on acceleration, but only when the RPM's are above 8,000 RPM, where the real power is. So to compensate for the Ducati's extra weight, out of the corners, you have to make sure you're in the right gear with the RPM's high to get back an advantage.



The first sweeping corners we hit, no real difference in the two bikes cornering speeds. As they corners get tighter, as expected, the Ducati becomes more of a cow to throw and flip and it becomes hard to hang on to the KTM in the real tight switchbacks, especially when they are continuous & opposite, the KTM 690 SMCR pulls away.
 
What is interesting is that it was easy to make up time on the Ducati due to plenty of straight sections between the tight curves and the Ducati's monster front brakes for late braking. So you out-accelerate the KTM 690 like crazy after a tight corner and also out-break the KTM 690, it was amazing how much catch up that gave after a tight switchback.



Overall, ignoring going at silly speeds down the long long straights to catch up after tight corners & only using the Ducati's extra power/ speed on the straights between curves, the KTM 690 SMCR would win but I dont think by a lot, it would be very close with the same riders.


You look at Darryl blasting away ahead of all of us on his DRZ 400, but he has a skill level much higher than most here. Put a top rider on the Ducati Hypermotard & it would be interesting to see what would happen.




1/2 way there at Coffee Hill & we've already got the data we need, looks like the bikes are pretty close, in the more open sections the Ducati Hypermotard is noticeably faster.


A bunch of Thai riders out for a ride that day too


IMG_9762_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr
 
Memorial bridge is always a good re-grouping point, waiting for a couple of bikes to arrive


IMG_9764_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




IMG_9767_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr






IMG_9768_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr






Everyone safely to Pai, Jeff's first tight run on his new Ducati Multistrada. His first impressions is that he's not too impressed with it, feels very big and cumbersome.


We give the Pai Paradise GH a shot, 500 Bht with fan bungalow, first time for me here (one of Darryls favorites)




IMG_9769_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




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IMG_9773_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr






Nice spot to get a photo of your machine too




IMG_9779_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr






3 bikes pai by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr





IMG_9771_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr
 
Everyone's Hank, so into Burger Queen for some burgers & home made fries


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Into Bebop (gets lively after 11pm), drinks with Suchard




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1am Bebop shuts, everyone heads for Don't Cry just across the bridge, packed like you wouldnt belive






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Looks like Pai Country has changed hands, it seems to specialize in seafood now and has lost its great breakfast menu so we gave it a miss. Kevin's breakfast of champions at the flower place



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More testing on the way back, the results were the same with me leading. Super tight stuff Kevin was all over me, with some straight parts in between i could pull away.

A few showers and it was all over for a while



IMG_9785_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr






Front brakes on the Ducati Hypermotard



IMG_9784_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr
 
Back roads of Mae Rim and a last photo shoot opportunity



IMG_9798_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr






Rice crop looks perfect, rain has stopped, in a month this will be ready for harvest (Som tells me)



IMG_9794_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr




IMG_9789_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr






jeff by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr






IMG_9788_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr







kevin by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr








IMG_9792_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr







IMG_9790_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr






IMG_9796_edited by Triangle Golden 007, on Flickr
 
So thats about it. As most people thought, it looks like the KTM 690 SMCR is the quickest to Pai but not by much.
 
Great stuff. Thanks Phil
 
Some top photography here. Great camera angles. Shot through wheel is a bold effort. Scenery - picture postcard. Forgive the cliche. The shots are anything but. I enjoyed.
 
Phil, just out of curiosity what's the max comfortable cruising speed on the Ducati and the flat oot, get yer head behind the non-existent fairing top speed?
 
LUFC said:
Phil, just out of curiosity what's the max comfortable cruising speed on the Ducati and the flat oot, get yer head behind the non-existent fairing top speed?
Click to expand...


140 km/hr is very comfortable cruising, here don't often cruise at more than that with all the phantom U-turners on the roads. I had it to 200 km/hr, felt like there was plenty left. It has one of the most comfortable standard seats i've ridden on, 700km days and no doot jep.
 
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