As factory supermotos go, you can do a lot worse than the KTM 690 SMC R. With 72 hp packed into a stretchy 324 lbs package with responsive handling, this is a car made for ethnocentrism. unpretentious thugs.
The owner of this special model 690 2019 supermoto love almost everything about it, save for a big handle: it carries more plastic than the Tupperware salesman. So he gave it to the team of father and son Michael and Allen Posenauer, at AMP Motorcycles in Offenbach, Germany. Their mission is to personalize it by getting rid of all the plastic bits, without sacrificing a limit of escape possibilities.
We’ve been keeping a close eye on the Posenauers since they broke into the scene. Custom bike building started as a hobby for them—an excuse to spend time together. But rumors quickly spread, and eventually they began to carry out their assigned work.
They also love flat racing and have a penchant for building purposeful, purposeful machines. So this summary of KTM was right up their alley.
However, that doesn’t mean the job isn’t without its challenges. The SMC’s plastic is more than just deep skin – take the bike down and you’ll find a fuel tank under the plastic saddle that can also act as a subframe.
AMP had to do more than a traditional truncation and closure to get the look their customers were after. First, they designed a bolted steel subframe that lends a sporty aesthetic to the trellis front half. Then comes the really hard part – crafting an aluminum fuel tank inside it.
They removed it manually, and also managed to fit the OEM fuel pump and level sensor. And they managed to keep a small piece of plastic — the original KTM side cap. Take a closer look, and you’ll notice that the lid, back loop, and reservoir all have the same triangle shape.
Next, AMP shaped a handful of blank aluminum panels to hide the 690’s internals.
It is an asymmetric set; The exhaust side has smaller pieces tucked into the spaces of the subframe, while the right side wears a large racing license plate. The ‘wings’ and front radiator flaps are separated on the left and integrated on the right.
That number plate isn’t just for display, either. The bike’s owner loves to travel by bike often, so it popped out to reveal a mounting bracket for a side bag.
Up front is a box-shaped headlight cluster that acts as a cover for the dashboard. An LED Highsider juts out from the front, with a built-in 690 speedometer above. AMP took this one step further and also moved the original LED warning lights to the new cockpit.
Directly behind the control panel are the original bars and switches, matched with the new hand guards, CNC machined controls, and Vans handles. The turn signals (mounted on either side of the headlight panel) and end-of-bar mirrors are from Motogadget. A sneaky smartphone holder sits lower, just behind the bars.
The effect of the flat path is obvious here — but AMP didn’t want to focus on it, fearing losing the 690’s lively setup. So they kept the suspension, wheels, and brakes. Even the seat remains the same height and length as before, despite its apparent heaviness.
Remove it, and you’ll notice that the side panels aren’t fully padded. AMP designed them to wrap around KTM’s pneumatic cartridges; customers request them to be wrapped instead of blacked out.
Other upgrades include an Arrow silencer and a burly sump guard, and a strip of carbon trim bits. Its front fender and bracket are custom, as is the rear-mounted license plate holder, which also carries a pair of Motogadget taillights and LED turn signals.
AMP customers nicknamed the bike ‘Marshall’, perhaps why the color scheme is reminiscent of a vintage guitar amplifier. The frame is finished in Porsche Cognac Metallic, with the saddle coated to match. The proper use of black powder coating will increase the home score.
The line between supermotos and flat trackers is fine, and this purpose-built machine mounts it very well. It is said to run as well as it looks, which makes our hearts happy.
We envisioned the avenues where we wanted to launch this angry animal.
Motorcycles AMP | Instagram | Pictures of (and with thanks) Marc Holstein and Christine Gabler
