‘Just my thing’

Three months with the new KTM 890 SMT and Mike Armitage is well aware of its shortcomings. But that doesn't stop him wanting one in his leaky garage

Back in the February issue our long-term test 890 SMT was lobbed into a group test with three high-rise all-rounders. It didn't win. In fact, it was nowhere near heading the result. ‘It doesn't feel like a serious motorbike,’ mused one of the testers. They were right. It doesn't. And that's why I've got more passion for the 890 now than after my giggly first ride on tangled B-roads. Better than expected My first few weeks with the 889cc twin were spent blatting down back lanes a bit too quickly and turning my 40-mile commute to the Bike bunker into a frenzy of sharp acceleration, nose-down braking and abrupt cornering. And huge grins. It was staggering fun, but its semi-slick Michelin Power cup tyres, cropped screen and insatiable appetite for a caning didn't…

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BIKE United Kingdom (Digital) - 1 Issue, April 2024

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