By Mark Tuttle
Arden Kysely, a longtime contributor to Rider and other outdoor publications, passed away in August at the age of 73. He is survived by his wife, Sharon, and a trio of loving Shetland Sheepdogs that are the couple’s passion. Together the Kyselys explored the world on foot, horseback, and motorcycle, and there wasn’t a year that passed when they didn’t venture somewhere new.
Rider readers will remember Arden for his tour stories and motorcycle reviews on dual-sport and adventure bikes, a passion of his since high school, when a 1969 Yamaha AT-1 125 Enduro launched Arden into decades of off-pavement exploration. Camping in the middle of nowhere became his favorite pursuit. A frequent haunt was southern Utah, where he was a whitewater river guide and a National Park Service employee. He and Sharon also enjoyed horseback travel, having seen the backroads of a dozen countries from the saddle. Arden’s biggest equine thrill was being chased by elephants in Kenya.
In addition to his full-time job as a software engineer, Arden contributed adventure stories, gear reviews, and motorcycle tests to Rider magazine and others for over 30 years. He believed being kind to the earth, wilderness, and wildlife. When he wasn’t spending time with Sharon and the dogs at home and abroad, he was happiest riding backroads, most recently on a Yamaha Ténéré 700 and a Honda CRF300LS. He also came close to wearing out two Kawasaki KLR650s and a Suzuki DR-Z400S. Since he lived just up the road from me in the Santa Barbara area, I’m happy to say that since retiring I was able to enjoy many more rides with Arden in the surrounding mountains and river valleys. With his slender build and CRF300LS dual-sport carrying less weight, I think he especially liked outrunning me on my own CRF300LS when he got the chance.
Arden was smart as a whip and had the heart of a lion and a gentle nature that endeared him to all of his friends and family, and he will be dearly missed. Godspeed on your next adventure, Arden.
They say good things come to those who wait. Well, we’ve waited 20 years for KTM to produce another rally-inspired motorcycle powered by the bullet-proof LC4 platform. One part adventure, two parts dual-sport, the KTM 640 Adventure was released in 1999 to much fanfare but was last seen at dealerships in the fall of 2007. It was a bike inspired by the Austrian brand’s efforts at the Dakar Rally that begged to be ridden fast and far. And then suddenly, it was gone, replaced by the KTM 690 Enduro, which although a marked improvement over the 640 variant, didn’t have the rally styling that made the 640 Adventure so desirable.
Coming to KTM dealerships in the next few months, the 2027 KTM 690 Adventure Rally looks to rekindle the relationship between the brand’s cross-country rally racing efforts and the motorcycles it sells to the general public.
Sharing the Enduro R’s 693cc single-cylinder motor that makes a claimed 79 hp, the new Rally model is also built on the same steel-tube trellis frame and is outfitted with the same WP XPLOR suspension and Brembo brakes found on the Enduro. What the Rally offers that its Enduro brother does not is added range (total fuel capacity is 5.28 gal., 1.8 gal. more than the Enduro R), an improved cockpit layout complete with a rally tower, 4.2-in. TFT display, and a taller windscreen, as well as chassis updates that are necessary for long‑distance off‑road travel.
Considering we’ve waited two decades for KTM to offer another rally-inspired dual-sport motorcycle, it’s safe to say the 690 Adventure Rally is highly anticipated. With updates that allow riders to go farther, long service intervals afforded by the LC4 platform, and a suite of modern amenities (ride modes, rider aids, and traction control, to name a few), the Rally looks to fill a void left vacant for 20 years in KTM’s lineup.