my first ktm! while called a 600 the engine displacement was actually 550ccm.
i had been admiring ktms for many years. i mean, being an austrian and having seen heinz kinigardner take two moto cross world championships on ktms you have to love them. when i then started riding in the austrian- hungarian enduro championship i found that half the field – and certainly the most competitive part – was riding ktm bikes.
the ktm was a surprise after the honda, fast, light, very good on straights but not easy to get into corners. in fact it took me some time to figure out how to do corners properly. the bike felt stretched, and it seemed the best way to go round corners was to make it as short & painless as possible. stick it in, hit the throttle and slide it out. compared to later models the tank was too wide & the seat still too steep, but the bike allowed for more movement than the honda.
i loved it. but after one year i traded it for the 620; it was getting old.