KTM 990 Adventure - Gordon's Well Dunes

[GrosNoob06]

funny, a bit heavy for sand... compared to a classic 450cc... but the LC8 engine is just really fun. Nice vid.

[mynamesmitchel]

i like the enthusiasm of taking this giant in the sand but... i think the dirt bikes still do quite a bit better. not that it would be fun to wrestle with that tank for a few minutes, it must get tiring.

[theburgerboy]

Great video! Did this behemoth really put the smackdown on the 450s? lol

[desertgeologist]

460 pounds. *gasp*

[robbynelson3]

I almost bought one og those. Damn. Regrets. Big time.

[DecaPierce]

so the ideal riding position on sand is rearward?

[hilslamer]

@DecaPierce

Yup - front half of the seat is off-limits in the sand. Especially on that bike - so much front weight that you literally had to keep the throttle on all the time to keep the front up in the sand enough to get real steering input from it. the Adventure is actually really tricky to ride in deep, fine sand like that and it took most of my abilities to keep it roosting...

[tymister]

Does the paddle tire ever hook up enough to just power wheelie?

[hilslamer]

@tymister

Absolutely, although it's strange: on something with enough power(like a KTM LC8, or so) if you rev it too fast and hard, it will simply spin the paddle and "aerate" it - meaning it won't dig as fast as it throws the sand away, kinda like a prop that cavitates in the water when you get too aggressive with the throttle on a real rowdy boat.

[mrsandman818]

How much did the paddle cost to have made because im in the market for one for my 950 adventure.

[hilslamer]

I bought a brand new D908RR, had is shipped directly to Skat Trak, and then they performed the work and shipped it to me. I think their bill was about ~$170-180, including shipping - expensive, yes, but paddles never really wear out unless abused and there was literally no other way around that option because I couldn't come up with a better tire/rigid carcass for that bike that would handle paddles glued to it.

[hondarideralex]

I just find it awesome to watch you drag that thing! What's really amazing is when you hit about 4th or so you are still just throwing a massive roost and the 450 you are racing isn't really any more. just awesome. What size paddle is that?

[hilslamer]

@hondarideralex

Glad you enjoyed it - so did I! I had the paddle cusome made by Skat-Trak.

...from a Dunlop D908 Rally Raid tire, it had 11 paddles on it and retained some of the center blocks to keep it from digging too much under the wrong circumstances wit the weight of that bike.

[MXnMetal]

those bikes are tank's

[rockguitarZTOFFE]

nice bike but why do you have a red flag at your bike

[hilslamer]

Flags are mandatory safety equipment at the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation area.

[kariemariann]

this video is awsome, thats a mean looking tire

[soulylove]

whats is the name of this song?

sorry for my english, but I'm chilean,

[hilslamer]

Audioslave...can't remember the name of the song right now...

[TheJakeman36]

@soulylove Cochise by Audioslave mate

[DJW997]

@soulylove song is called cochise by audioslave

[MrWallsie]

Why Not!!! Look at the old dakar bikes

[fastfundad]

Why?

[hilslamer]

Why what?

[fastfundad]

Why ride a giant DS bike in the dunes? Don't worry about my comment - I am just envious because I would be scared to ride a big bike like that in the dunes.

[hilslamer]

I guess the dunes is full of "why", and I just wanted to see how ti worked. A SuperEnduro does much better...but 100hp in a motorcycle in the dunes is still fun in any case...

[geati6783]

the 990 adventure is made for fun like this

and it handles very well, its not so heavy as it looks like (alot lighter than a bmw gs)

more like a supermoto with windshield and bigger fueltank ^^

[nebu8989]

nice looked like a lot of fun! Im looking into an adventure/touring bike... hmm

[CobraGar]

Buy another wheel

[hilslamer]

huh?

[CobraGar]

Unless you just enjoy mounting and unmounting a paddle tire every time you ride the dunes. An additional rear wheel would be a valued investment.

[hilslamer]

Understood. A "spare" for an Adventure is about $850, so it hasn't been a priority...LOL

[illbreddogg]

what tires is this???

[hilslamer]

11-paddle, custom, from Skat-Trak, made from D908 RallyRaid

[XGLDarkNinja]

someones got some skills nice vid

[torso99]

DRIVING INTHE SAND IS HARD ISENT IT?

[hilslamer]

Not if you know what you're doing!

[Helladius666]

In my dictionary fugly = someone's getting jelous

[hilslamer]

Ah - got it!

[unreel07]

wat a fugly bike

[hilslamer]

fugly = functional

[Jcrongo]

yeah fuck you, you cocksucking piece of shit. i hate you. the 950 is the sexiest piece of machinery made in motorcycling history. go fuck yourself cocksucker

[sasoren1947]

Can never get enough, over and over, it just gets better, like a fine wine...

[galtzur21]

nice bike, riding was good for this heavy beast.

[algentry1]

holy cr+p.....nice bike. I must now go stand outside the KTM Dealer, til they open tomorrow, and buy one..

Great Video!! Thanks, I loved it. I saved it to my favorites, to watch a lot.

Al

[ktmracer105]

ok this video was okay but who really wants to see a 990 in the dunes i mean a 505sx gets boring after a while. you did a awesome job on the video im just saying that if u had jumps it would be a lot more interesting. i cant make a video near as good as you so dont take this the wrong way

[hilslamer]

I guess everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but mine is that if you find that a 505SX gets "boring" at any time, the problem is probably with you and not the place(dunes, etc.) or the bike.

Thanks for the props, in any case.

[canktm25]

good tune and video excellent job ,us east coast guy's just see mud and rocks and roots...

[Str8UpVandalism]

true that brother true that..

[redlightklondike]

beauty vid.

[punkenduro]

the 990 in the dunes, with an ADV sticker, rotf.

[Dario2ruedas]

Excellent, jaja!!!

[Ruibusa]

nice vid

[sporehouse]

Was that a CR 500 you were dragging against? How close was it at the end?

[hilslamer]

It was actually a CRF450, but it was built to the hilt - punched out to 501cc, super rowdy cam and 13.5:1 compression ratio..blah blah blah.  It was FAST, and he was the only guy that would race me after the 990 smoked a whole line of 450's. Of course, for that one, the camera wasn't running...LOL

Since I filmed this I've gotten the forks much stiffer and the 990 to work much better than you see here. A SuperEnduro 950 makes a much better dune bike, though...video soon...

[hilslamer]

Just looked back at this...it was close through about 4th gear for me, 5th for him, and then I could just pull away. There's no replacement for displacement1 But ~8 inches of suspension travel and that much weight makes 85+ mph at the end of the drags pretty scary, especially through the rolling hills t the end of the dragstrip there. It took all of my skills and a little luck to get it hauled down safely several times...

[hilslamer]

Actually a CRF450R, built to the hilt - 502cc, really fast. Probably pushing 65+ hp, it was a close match for the Adventure. You can;t see it but once we were downrange a bit I could pull him easily; off the line we were pretty even.

I have now ridden a 950 SuperEnduro at the dunes with that same paddle on it; it was much better than the Adventure because it has a lot less front weight. It would have beaten that CRF much easier...

[hilslamer]

That paddle was custom-made by Skat-Trak per my specification, and at considerable cost. It's based on a Dunlop 908RR rear, and has 11 paddles vulcanized in place with only the remaining center knobs left in place.

[Wr450Fan]

What is the brand of paddle tire you are using ? I want one for my wr450

[10petrolhead10]

wow i really didn´t thought it would accelerate so fast!! I just can´t believe it!

[ssrider7]

where did u drive this,in wich country

[Asiertxu11]

he is from usa

[ImRyanCallahan]

Yes, its Cochise. thank You!

[ImRyanCallahan]

whts the name of the song please?

[hilslamer]

Gasoline, by Chris Cornell/AudioSlave

Good stuff.

[hilslamer]

Ah sorry... maybe it's Cochise? The song name I mean...can't remember...sure that it's AudioSlave though...

[baseball415]

that bike looks clumsy in the sand

[baller619]

good job man.

[mvertigo16]

cheers man, that's a hell of a video.

[euheide]

That's a great video! I think the bikes used in Dakar, like the Gauloises KTM, 690 Rally for example, are more close to the 640 Adventure model , they are significantly lighter and more prepared for the desert than the 990Adventure. Still, I know how easy it's like to be stuck in the sand even with Dakar like tyres, so you have a good point. I wish I knew how to switch tyres like that ;)

[hilslamer]

Yes, both! Yes, Clumsy! Yes FUN!

[2StrokeKanista]

Hei there,

i did really enjoy watching your' video. The beginning and the end is very creativ and i might steal the idee for my next vids if u dont mind. ;)

[hilslamer]

I only did it that way becuase when I think about a dune trip, the first thing I know I need to do is put a bunch of paddles on...so I broke up the tedium with some video shots...

[2StrokeKanista]

Its ok, i'll link it here. Can probably take a while.

[hilslamer]

Just link me - I'd like to see how you use them.

[everlast666]

AWESOME Video! the other day i went on a KTM 990 ADV Test Drive! and that thig is incredible! i want one!!!!! pitty that here in ARG they cost 23000 dollars. i guess i have to settle with my KLR

saludos

[fcosta01]

you need to work on that suspension man to ride the sand dunes!!!!!

[hilslamer]

It's about as good as it gets for a 450+ lb bike.

.56 kg/mm forksprings are as big as will fit in the forks. Period.

[LunchAnderson]

What's the flag for?

[hilslamer]

You'll notice that most videos of the dunes(in the US anyway) show flags on all of the vehicles. They're mandatory, and they add a measure of safety when cresting a ridge or hill in that other people on the other side can see your flag, hopefully preventing a collision.

[LunchAnderson]

Aha, thanks!

[natbicocca]

hat's the song?

[hilslamer]

Gasoline by Audioslave

[porramerdabosta]

no, is no!!!!!!!!!!

[ajohnson]

That's a narly paddle tire. What is it, like a 12 cup that beast is spinning? Looks like the bike is to heavy for the dunes and hard to handle. kinda like your front tire doesn't like to float on the sand. I'll stick to a ktm 520.

[hilslamer]

It's actually a specially made 11-paddle. No, it was not the perfect dune ride but it was also a very soft day there, and keep in mind that you could ride this bike TO the dunes, install the paddle, play around, reinstall the knobby and head home.

[MotoCaribeLead]

great video... cheers1!

[aukanmeister]

sitting here with my two year old daughter, and we are loving your video!! She loves the music, and I love both the bike/driving AND the music:)

[RedDustRoleModels]

Great video ...

[ninjaaa6361000]

were is this at, like located

[hilslamer]

Gordon's Well, N. of I-8 at the Imperial Sand DUnes Recreation Area(ISDRA) in sunny Southern California.

[katoosh950]

Great vid! I love the tire iron cam. Very creative.

[warh0rn]

haha wow way to hang in with those lighter bikes.

[bykertr]

excellent

[XMOUS3YX]

nice vid. actually nice to see paddles in the dunes and not knobbies like some other vids..

[baja500bound]

You're crazy Tim!!! You need to join the TRS crew next year. Feel free to leave your bike at home,, just bring beer.

[smilez858]

Regardless of the size of the bike, looks like you had fun out there, and that's what it is all about.