2026 KTM 690 SMC R Review

I’m a massive supermoto convert. Supermoto is my happy place. Between my very basic motocross skills and my barely competent road racing, supermoto at least gives me the feeling maybe I am not as bad a rider as I originally thought.

That confidence is thanks to years on my trusty Husqvarna FS 450, but the 2026 KTM 690 SMC R is an entirely different beast. I’ve had the SMC R in my garage for a month, and each time I ride it, I’m left asking myself, “Who exactly is this bike for?”

Photography by Ryan Nitzen

The KTM runs one of the largest single-cylinder engines you can buy in any form, be it a supermoto or a lawn mower or a generator, and that thumping 105mm-wide piston between my legs is neither smooth in how it generates power nor is the engine particularly enjoyable when the revs are up. That’s despite the dual balancer shafts introduced several generations ago.

The 690’s motor is vibey and one-dimensional—even if it is prodigiously powerful—but perhaps I am being too harsh here. After all, KTM can’t keep up with demand for the 690 Enduro R version of this bike that uses the exact same engine, and I’m told these SMC R’s have no issues selling off dealer floors, so what gives?

At a glance, the numbers are good.

Producing a claimed 78 horsepower (up four over the 2025 model) and 54 lb-ft of torque, KTM’s legendary 693cc LC4 single-cylinder engine continues to deliver its performance with a brutal immediacy few twins, or even triples, can match.

There is still enough vibration to remind you what you’re riding, but I’ll admit some of the excessive tingles that once defined big-bore thumpers have been mostly eradicated. And that’s no easy engineering task.

Although the single-cylinder engine retains its familiar displacement and overall architecture, KTM has carried out one of the most extensive revisions to the platform in recent years for 2026.

The LC4 features redesigned crankcases, new clutch and stator covers, an updated oil circuit and revised internal oil routing to improve lubrication efficiency and durability.

A new, higher-pressure fuel pump works alongside updated valve timing and revised mapping to deliver a smoother throttle response, cleaner emissions and Euro 5+ compliance without sacrificing the engine’s trademark punch.

KTM has also repositioned the catalyst within the redesigned exhaust system, allowing for a more compact silencer and reducing the heat transferred up the rider’s back. The service intervals have also been doubled to 9000 miles for oil changes and 37,000 miles for valve inspections.

KTM has used its latest ride-by-wire calibration for a smoother transition between on and off throttle. Around town the engine pulls from low rpm hard and fast, but it doesn’t like the rider pussyfooting about. The sledgehammer of a piston needs a solid right hand to get the most out of it. Anything less has the SMC R laughing at you.

At its base there are three selectable ride modes in Rain, Street and Sport, but I’m not going to go on about how they differ in throttle response as I’ve done so for the last 18 years in this job. Stick it in the most aggressive Sport mode and be done with it. Or buy the Tech Pack and get the Track riding mode. Then you’re really talking.

Unlike many a thumper, the 690 runs a six-speed gearbox, with sixth being a bit of an overdrive, dropping the revs right down so freeway riding is less vibey than you’d expect. Acceleration from slow- to medium-speed corners is no doubt impressive—the motor will pick up speed quickly—but at times it feels a bit jackhammerish, and I can’t help but think this bike is a bit of a one-trick pony. It’s also far from comfortable for anything more than a half-hour ride, thanks to the plank-style off-road seat.

The 2026 690 SMC R retains its fully adjustable WP Apex suspension at both ends, but KTM has revised the damping settings to improve both comfort and control. The updated suspenders are claimed to offer better compliance over rough pavement while maintaining the sharp steering and front-end feedback that have defined the SMC R over the years.

Now, having not spent any time on the previous iteration of the 690, I can’t comment on whether the changes wrought have made any difference. That said, there’s certainly nothing wrong with the 690’s agility when the road gets twisty.

You’ve got a 35-inch seat height mated to a hefty 8.5 inches of ground clearance up front and 9.4 inches at the rear, and when paired to 17-inch wheels laced with Continental’s ContiAttack SM 2 rubber in place of the Maxxis Supermaxx ST units of the last generation 690, the result is a machine that annihilates your favorite twisty backroad.

Feet-out supermoto-style street riding doesn’t get much better than this, especially when you consider the lithe 339 pounds of claimed wet weight (without its 3.5 gallons of fuel). If you’re out chasing apexes, there are very few bikes that will get close to a 690 below 70 mph; it’s one of the benefits of a supermoto, but unfortunately for the 690, it’s not every day you’re out trying to break your personal lap record.

This is where I really struggle with the 690: it’s a damn fun, exciting motorcycle, but it only seems to make sense to me when I’m doing illegal things.

The low-speed manners aren’t great thanks to the massive single-cylinder’s vibes and the lack of bottom-end torque, and the ride is pretty uncomfortable if I’m doing anything other than sending it, which, to be honest, is 95 percent of the time.

This is despite the 690 getting some good brakes in the Brembo radial master cylinder operating a superbike-level four-piston caliper that grips a 320mm front rotor. The stopping power is direct and strong with great feel at the lever despite the ABS in between it all.

The rear brake is also decent, enabling you to modulate the pressure nicely for the odd drift into corners while doing your best Chris Fillmore impression in the Supermoto ABS mode.

The SMC R’s got some good hardware (software?) in its brains to bring it into the modern age.

Replacing the previous monochrome LCD display is a new, skinny 4.2-inch TFT dashboard with totally redesigned switchgear, making menu navigation a little easier. The SMC R retains cornering ABS, Supermoto ABS and lean-angle-sensitive traction control, but all have been recalibrated to deliver smoother, less intrusive intervention. There’s also the optional Tech Pack, which adds the Quickshifter+, Motor Slip Regulation (MSR) and multi-stage Dynamic Slip Adjust and wheelie control.

Bluetooth connectivity via KTMConnect and a USB-C charging port further modernize the SMC R, bringing the electronics package in line with KTM’s naked bikes, like the 790-and-up Duke range.

KTM’s been leading the game of late with their dashes/displays, and the tube-like 4.2-incher is no different. The company pioneered using little pictures of the system you’re fiddling with, such as the bike sliding progressively more as you dial in less TC or the front wheel getting ever higher with the reducing wheelie control, so kudos to them for keeping this going.

I am clearly not the rider that KTM execs are after with the SMC R. Maybe when I was even 10 years younger, I’d be up for it, but the SMC R is just too one-dimensional for me, even when I squint and think I am still that moron hooligan I was when I started this job nearly 20 years ago.

As for who this bike is for, I’m sorry, but I’m no closer to finding the answer to that than when I started this article. Inner-city couriers, maybe?

My other issue is, you guessed it, the price.

At $13,399, and that’s before dealer’s fees and whatever else, that’s a huge amount to pay for a single-cylinder streetbike. The company’s own fire-breathing 450 SX-F motocross bike is more than $1700 cheaper, with the full kit 450 SX-F Factory Edition only $300 more.

I know I’m not exactly comparing apples with apples, but you get the idea.

Okay, how about this: the 790 Duke I just tested—an excellent twin-cylinder naked bike with substantially more power that can tackle canyons as well as it can tour—costs a staggering $4000 less than the 690 SMC R.

For those riders who just must have the SMC R—and there will be a few of those—it doesn’t matter what the SMC R costs. But for me, it’ll make a pass this time, and that leaves me a little sad.CN

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Click here to read the 2026 KTM 690 SMC R Review in the Cycle News Digital Edition Magazine.