His goal was a bike that’s much more versatile than a standard 500 EXC, but with better performance off-road than a KTM 690 Enduro R, a bike Kurt could use to explore the vast expanses of Baja. The perfect bike would do longer journeys and retain the agility and performance of a lightweight enduro. He wasn’t after a pavement queen, but needed something that would do more than just survive the highway. He’s been dreaming of building one for 10 years. Kurt Forgét, the owner of Black Dog Cycle Works, understood the appeal of a featherweight, go anywhere adventure bike. Check Adam Riemann’s Motonomad film series, or Aaron Steinmann’s 77,000-mile around-the-world journey if you still doubt it. EXC buyers who lived where it’s possible to plate a dirt bike had been making them street legal for years anyway, so why not capitalize on the demand while making it easier for people?ĭespite the naysayers who claimed high-power, lightweight singles were ticking time bombs, the KTMs have proven remarkably durable. It didn’t take much – different lighting, brake switches, keyed ignition, turn signals, bare bones emissions – to turn the whole segment on its head. It’s been almost 13 years since KTM hit on the simple-yet-brilliant idea of adding a few bits to its enduro bikes to create barely-street-legal dual sport machines.

Ultimate adventure mod pack