I got off the asphalt and onto the gravel at the very first opportunity, even on the relatively-straight dirt roads of the Eastern Townships where the big KTM was happy to showcase its many talents. Like a toe-dancing ballerina, this dirt queen is all about control and finesse. On a couple of occasions, I started thinking about the president of the SAAQ, Mr. Harbour, as I laid eyes on the speedometer in front of me.

Like a toe-dancing ballerina, this dirt queen is all about control and finesse.

The big bumps and washboards disappeared under the wheels of the 990 -- the faster the better. However, a common flaw of large enduro bikes jumped at me: the first gear is tall and demands a minimum working speed of 20 km/h. Once, I landed in a 200-meter patch of freshly-spread, uneven gravel, so I had to stand up on the pegs, shift my weight backwards and push the machine up to 35 km/h in order to unballast the front wheel and prevent it from sinking -- riding any slower was out of the question.

A blue-collar worker who happened to catch me in action immediately shouted: "Damn, you're solid!" And then I thought to myself: it's not me; it's the bike!

2009 KTM 990 Adventure Long-Term 2

2009 KTM 990 Adventure Long-Term 1


Photo Credit : Philippe Champoux, Matthieu Lambert