The Feral Princess: KTM 690 Enduro R Scrambler

Home Sweet Home: David Nast Cole’s Adventure Rig…  

In 2009, KTM introduced the 690 Enduro R, a more aggressive off-road version of the company’s 690 adventure bike. At its core, the Enduro R is a giant, high-powered street-legal dirt bike with no direct equivalents available from a non KTM-owned manufacturer. It’s lighter than an adventure bike, more powerful than a dual-sport / enduro, and is probably closest in spirit to the 61-bhp Honda XR650R, which was never road legal from the factory.

“This is an enduro bike with 74 bhp, a monster raving lunatic that blurs the scenery like no other. Put simply, the KTM 690 Enduro R is a trail bike that’s overdosed on steroids…” –MCN

The early models produced 64 bhp from the big 654cc LC4 single-cylinder engine, while later models received a full 690cc and 74 bhp. Either way, the Enduro R is one hell of a dual-sporting brute!

This one comes from our new friend David Nast Cole — a filmmaker, artist, and self-proclaimed “trash wizard” based out of Los Angeles. David only got involved in motorcycles during the pandemic, but he jumped in with both feet.

“In 2022, I delivered my friend’s 1989 Transalp from LA to CT. I’d only had my license for two days, but I dove into a 6,000-mile, 30-day trip full of trail riding, dirt roads, camping, sleeping under the stars, being a tramp, etc., etc.”

That experience made him want to own a bike that could pull double duty on the highways and trails. Normally, an adventure bike would fit the bill, but as David says: “Modern adventure bikes look a bit like dogshit Transformers” — a sadly accurate statement in the 2020s. Then a buddy sold him a 2010 KTM 690 Enduro R for cheap. Unfortunately, like nearly every Kato on the market, there was only one color: “I just couldn’t handle the orange!” 

Of course, David’s experience had been in art and filmmaking, not building motorcycles, but he had tools and materials at hand at the Snail Farm, the DIY art studio/warehouse/collective he runs in LA.

“I tore off all the orange and was aiming for something that carried the spirit of the motorcycles of the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s. Using mostly recycled steel and reclaimed parts from some moto junk piles, I taught myself as I went — fabricating pieces, sewing bags, doing leatherwork, and slowly stitching this bike together. Ended up with extra fuel tanks, additional racks for luggage, lots of storage pouches for various tools and camping necessities.”

David removed the orange plastic bodywork and rebuilt the panels in sheet metal, fabricated a pair of forward-mounted auxiliary fuel tanks using a split 60s CB tank (the stock tank is under the seat), built a set of crash bars from old gas pipe, reworked a set of vintage Japanese fenders to replace the plastic ones, built and mounted various cargo racks for his first aid kit and trail saw, re-sprung the suspension, did all the leatherwork himself on the tank bag / tool roll / etc., and more. 

There are bikes built to look pretty at shows, and bikes built to be used and abused. The Feral Princess is most certainly the latter, a wild combination of a rat bike, dirt bike, scrambler, and adventure-tourer that looks straight out of Mad Max.

We saw the bike at the 2024 One Moto Show in Portland and knew there must be some stories behind the battle-scarred steed.

“I finished it in the summer of 2023 and I rode from LA to Banff for four weeks. It did surprisingly well. These days it’s my daily rider. I take it camping, chase dirt whenever I can, and even (very unsuccessfully) raced it once in the B100 [Biltwell 100 Desert Race].”

Bravo to David for going his own way with this project, creating a two-wheeled adventure mule quite unlike any we’ve seen, loaded for bear and stout enough to haul many years’ worth of stories on its back. 

Below you’ll find our uncut interview with David about the build, as well as more photos from  Spencer Harding, Sunny Mills (tin types), and our own Moh Mohiadeen (One Moto Show shots).

KTM 690 Scrambler: Builder Interview

• Please tell us a bit about yourself, your history with motorcycles, and your workshop.

Hello! My name is David Nast Cole, I am a filmmaker, artist and trash wizard based in LA.
I haven’t been involved with motorcycles long, picked up tinkering on CT90’s during the pandemic, but the bug bit me bad and within a year I did a solo cross country trip and shortly after began building bikes! Love riding dirt, exploring, cowboy camping, and tramping about.

As for the shop:
I manage a small DIY art warehouse in LA; we share tools, materials, and space. I am the only motorcycle fanatic here, so when I began tearing into a perfectly ok motorcycle everyone was a tad confused! But in end folks seemed to understand where it was going.

• What’s the make, model, and year of the donor bike?

2010 KTM 690 Enduro R.

• Why was this bike built?

I just couldn’t handle the orange!

• What was the design concept and what influenced the build?

Modern adventure bikes look a bit like dogshit Transformers. In 2022, I delivered my friend’s 1989 Transalp from LA to CT. I’d only had my license for two days, but I dove into a 6,000-mile, 30-day trip full of trail riding, dirt roads, camping, sleeping under the stars, being a tramp, etc., etc. I was hooked. I knew I wanted a bike, something that was off-road capable, highway-able, and built for adventure, BUT all my options looked kinda like angry robots, SO…

A buddy sold me a cheap, low-miles KTM 690.

Just FYI I have a background in making art and films not building motorcycles, so this was new experience for me. Anyways, I tore off all the orange and was aiming for something that carried the spirit of the motorcycles of the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s.

Using mostly recycled steel and reclaimed parts from some moto junk piles, I taught myself as I went — fabricating pieces, sewing bags, doing leatherwork, and slowly stitching this bike together. Ended up with extra fuel tanks, additional racks for luggage, lots of storage pouches for various tools and camping necessities.

I finished it in the summer of 2023 and I rode from LA to Banff for four weeks. It did surprisingly well. These days it’s my daily rider. I take it camping, chase dirt whenever I can, and even (very unsuccessfully) raced it once in the B100.

• What custom work was done to the bike? 

Here is a little list:
• I removed all the body panels and rebuilt them in sheet metal.
• Built rear rack by modifying a CT-90 rack.
• Built split forward aux tanks by modifying a 60’s CB tank, split in half, added filler necks, and plumbed it (the stock one is under the seat).
• I redid the fenders, re-working old Japanese fenders into dirt bike-shaped ones.
• Headlight bucket, with additional cargo racks that hold my first aid kit and other gear.
• Custom built crash bars made from old gas pipe.
• Replaced all the risers and handlebars with traditional off-road ones.
• Custom built exhaust pipe heat shield
• Recycled 60’s windshield with embellishments and mounted trail saw
• Did all the leather work, tank bag, tool roll, including lots of embroidered embellishments.
• The suspension was re-sprung/adjusted for the bike’s new weight.
• Custom paint, designs.
• At the One show in Portland, Josh at Kick Start Customs hand-painted its slogan — “Home Sweet Home” — on the side tank.

• Does the bike have a nickname?

I call it the ‘Feral Princess’ or ‘Hot Bucket’.

• Any idea of horsepower, weight, and/or performance numbers?

Google says the bike produces 64 hp but I guarantee it’s much less; over the last few years of heavy riding and abuse, the bike has lost some of its ‘zing’ 🙂 I think it weighs in around 450lbs.

• Can you tell us what it’s like to ride this bike?

It’s very similar to a dirt bike. The throttle response is snappy. The bike can cruise freeways all day but lord is it uncomfortable! But what it lacks in comfort it makes up for in capability on the trail. A little heavy for anything too technical, but that only matters if you’re picking the bike up!

• Was there anything done during this build that you are particularly proud of?

None of the pieces are particularly impressive. I am not really a builder or a craftsmanship-type person, but I really enjoy how the assembly of all the parts and shapes and imagery really add up to a unique identity for this machine.

• Is there anyone you’d like to thank?

All the folks at the Snail Farm (my art studio/collective in LA) for the support, special thanks to Paul Cole & Judy Nast (my parents) for their encouragement even if they were very confused on what I was doing, and a shout out to Jackson at Lucky Wheels for his continue patience with all my silly questions.

Follow the Builder

Instagram: @Davidnastcole
Website: www.davidnastcole.com
Photos by Spencer Harding: spencerjharding.com
Tin types by Sunny Mills: sunshine-acid.com