2023 Krämer EVO2-690S Review [Race Tested at Barber]

December 1, 2023

When putting a new motorcycle through its paces, you want to give it a fair shake in its natural habitat. To wit, ADV bikes seek adventure, cruisers cruise, and sport bikes do sport bike things. By that irrefutable logic, we can infer that race bikes race, which brings us to the 2023 Krämer EVO2-690S—a purpose-built machine designed to turn speedy laps at racetracks far and wide.

As for the racing, well, the Krämer crew set its sights on the illustrious Barber Vintage Festival that just so happens to be part of the final round of the 2023 American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) season, held at Barber Motorsports Park. Racing? Barber? Almost guaranteed Southern BBQ? Twist my arm, why don’t you!

Meet Krämer. He’s from Germany.

A quick retelling of the Krämer Motorcycles story goes like this: In 2009, three KTM chassis engineers with a penchant for single-cylinder Supermono racing toiled away with their after-hours passion project. As is the case with many enterprising individuals, they used the materials they had at hand and set about to create an uncompromising lightweight racer. A 690 Duke engine, chassis, and an assortment of leftover KTM RC8 bits (remember V-twin superbike?) gave rise to the HKR-EVO1—H, K, and R representing the first letter the last name of each respective designer: Christof Henco, Markus Krämer, and Nico Rothe.

Four years of development ensued, and in 2014, the brand was formally founded, launching the EVO1’s successor and its first full-production race bike—the HKR-EVO2. It’s been a whirlwind decade or so for the niche manufacturer as it steadily gained momentum in the racing community, expanding its product range to four models. The entry-level EVO2-690S and up-spec EVO2-690R single-cylinder racers have recently had their names simplified by forgoing the HKR moniker, while those machines are joined by the twin-cylinder-propelled GP2-890R and GP2-890RR.

Naturally, all that growth spurred moving to its latest 43,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Burghausen, on the German side of the Austrian border. And for those of us stateside, we’ve got Krämer Motorcycles USA, based out of Fargo and led by Joe Karvonen.

The small, passionate team offers the kind of one-on-one support that larger brands simply can’t equal due to their stratified corporate nature. US customers giving a ring to the Fargo HQ will likely talk with Joe. He is a wellspring of information about the Krämer motorcycles, from technical support to setup, or whatever a discerning race bike owner could need. If the brand’s pit-side manner at Barber is any indication, there is no hoop of fire they won’t jump through to get things right. I mean, Markus Krämer, the guy with his name on the side of the bike ushered me out of the pits for practice; you don’t get much more hands-on than that.

A Gateway Racer: The 2023 Krämer EVO2-690S

At one point, spotting a Krämer in the wild elicited an inquisitive, “What is that?” I’d have firmly counted myself in that camp a few short years ago. However, a turn-key race bike boasting the kinds of facts and figures the 690S has isn’t going to stay secret for long—285 pounds wet and 80 horsepower at the crank is the kind of stuff that makes anyone with a mind for power-to-weight ratios stand at attention. Add in a Krämer-built, race-spec, steel-trellis frame, aluminum swingarm, adjustable everything, and trick componentry, and the conversation is steered toward an affirming “I want that” from those of the track riding persuasion.

The draw of the EVO2 is its incredibly low weight. To provide some context, we’ll look to its closest natural competitor—the parallel-twin-powered Aprilia RS 660 Trofeo. The Trofeo has an extra cylinder and roughly 20 more ponies, but tips the scales at roughly 375 pounds wet—90 pounds heavier than the 690S. Moreover, the EVO2 platform can slim down further, with the hopped-up 690R model citing a 276-pound race-ready weight.

You can have the 690S, too, for $15,995, which might seem steep for the uninitiated. Those who have converted production bikes for racing use will see the sheer bargain, noting that there are no lights to ditch, no emissions equipment to toss in a heap, ABS to disable, and fairings to source. That’s all before considering the perfunctory upgrades a box-stock street bike requires to be fit for battle. Krämer deals in race bikes exclusively and even prepares the bikes with safety wire on delivery, ready to be the envy of scrutineering.

Boil it all down, and what you’re essentially buying is a purpose-built chassis—the steel-trellis frame, swingarm, rotomolded fairing stay, and plastic 3.17-gallon subframe/fuel tank being the brainchild of Markus Krämer himself. The fuel tank is a brand hallmark featured on all its models; the unit improves mass centralization, helping the bike feel more consistent as fuel load drops. Also, it’s just cool.

Trusted technical partners supply the rest of the bits, with the biggest contribution in the form of a current-generation KTM LC4 690 single-cylinder engine. Following that up is fully adjustable WP suspension, including a stout 43mm fork and a shock featuring ride height adjustment. It is relationships like these that paved the way for the limited-edition KTM RC 8C, which is basically a Krämer GP2-890R. The rotor, clip-ons, and ancillary bits are sourced from proven race suppliers, acting as the bow to this delicious slice of unbridled performance.

Lights Out! The EVO2-690S at Barber Vintage Festival.

Rolling onto pit lane at a club race feels different than your average track day. Riders are keenly focused, and even the atmosphere is seemingly charged; after all, we’ve all got a chance to grasp a most prestigious plastic trophy once the dust settles.

All that jibes with the 690S vibe, as it pulls no punches. The Krämer feels different because it is different. The seating position, the handling, the acceleration—it’s all sharp in a way that no production bike I have laid my hands on can match.

Greeting riders is a basic Koso gauge with the bare essentials for speed: a tachometer, shift light, and temperature gauge. That sets the tone, and then the rest of its narrative takes shape once you’ve settled into its spartan cockpit, accented by the sporting yet livable rider triangle offered by a set of wide clip-ons and high-mount rearsets.

The Krämer EVO2-690S is trim, lean, and spacious as a full-blown superbike, but half as narrow, with plenty of front-to-back wiggle room in the adjustable 32.3-inch seat for your average-sized guy or gal. That’s a notable tidbit, seeing as I look comically large on my Kawasaki Ninja 400 race bike and must think thin thoughts aboard the compact middleweight RS 660 Trofeo.

AHRMA’s mantra is “Keeping the Past Fast,” making the club a living museum of motorsports. It’s especially fitting, as the EVO2 acts as my missing link to race bikes of the past. See, older colleagues and friends have always touted the cornering prowess of the Yamaha TZ250, Honda NSR250, Aprilia RS250, and a litany of two-stroke machines my generation missed out on. With no real context for how those felt, they all began bordering on myth until I met the Krämer.

Much like those bikes, the steel-trellis frame and aluminum swingarm are the stars of the EVO2 show. While agile, nimble, and light-footed are all buzzwords we journos apply to machines, those descriptions don’t begin to do the Krämer justice. Lining up in the ultra-diverse Sound of Thunder 2 class, a grid with singles, motards, air and water-cooled twins of varying displacements, including some triple-cylinder-powered machines, the spritely 690S is poised to punch up against bikes wielding way more horsepower.

Many production bikes consider a variety of everyday riding conditions. As a pure racing machine, the Krämer isn’t concerned with street riding or rough asphalt that might concede torsional or lateral flex in the name of compliance or comfort; its only mission is to get around racetracks as fast as possible.

The EVO2 leans into proven supersport geometry and avoids conservative figures that sap handling potency, resulting in a chassis that feels properly stiff and nets unfiltered feedback. Sure, German is its native tongue, but its words of encouragement can be translated to any language when trailing into corners. The 2023 Krämer EVO2-690S treats you right on the brilliantly repaved Barber Motorsports Park, though bumpier racetracks might not be as complimentary.

When I mention chassis stiffness, I’m not merely discussing suspension being cranked to the stops, as I opted for a more compliant setup to match my once-a-year racer pace. It’s an important distinction that speaks to not only a different pedigree of motorcycle, but also a greater range of adjustment and setup opportunities. Save for upping the shock spring rate and opting for the optional Andreani fork cartridges, I was content with the clicker changes. We still left plenty of tweaking unexplored, as the swingarm pivot point has three positions, and the shock’s ride height is adjustable.

After spending a few practice sessions wrapping my head around its sheer precision, the potential becomes inspiring. Few front-ends let riders be so exacting, and its light weight ushers in a level of fancy footwork to take your desired line. Stacked against the diverse competition, you might find yourself ducking underneath a fellow rider or rolling around the outside while waving auf Wiedersehen, all the while its stability-inducing 55-inch wheelbase holds things together.

Witnessing each component work in harmony is a sight to behold, and the spunky 692cc thumper is part of this equation. When you’ve got a chassis such as this, the EVO2’s 75 rear-wheel horsepower goes a long way, as do this engine’s friendly characteristics. Great torque, a lively midrange, and even fun-loving top-end power hit the spot, and its forgiving nature will translate to riders of all skill levels.

Come in a gear too tall, and you’ll have the low-end torque needed to tug you off an apex, which can’t be said of 400s or 600s that aren’t on the boil. Much like a 400, corner speed is still king on the Krämer, so you’d best not squander it. If you do, those larger-displaced machines will have a chance to gobble you up on the straights.

We’re not dealing with mindboggling performance that overwhelms the senses, which certainly bolsters confidence in the elbows-out Sound of Singles class. As you might have guessed, wily Krämers have taken up residence on that grid to create a reasonably even field that makes for great racing. A little more bravery is needed when getting on the gas or reaching for the brake, which provides ample stopping power with its single 320mm disc and a Brembo M50 caliper. Though a quickshifter isn’t standard on the S-model, it’ll grab a gear nicely, and there’s a slipper clutch.

You get all that from a mostly stock engine with its burly full-exhaust system neatly tucked under the bike for protection during tipovers. Running a stock engine has significant advantages for owners, as off-the-shelf service parts can be bought from KTM dealers. Without any significant engine work, service intervals are manageable. Naturally, the engine is remapped, raising the redline 1000 rpm, while four selectable maps flex this bike’s focus on racing. Owners can switch between high-octane race fuel or standard pump gas mappings while retaining access to high and low engine-braking maps.

Checkered Flag

The market for factory-built race bikes for the average consumer barely fills a thimble, with a notable portion of those offerings coming from this brand. Mentioning the niche nature of this product isn’t a conceit, mind you; I’m merely pointing out that few motorcycles available to the ordinary consumer can offer an experience close to what the entry-level EVO2 offers. It’s an undeterred, uncompromising take geared toward helping riders hone their craft.

That philosophy is cemented when pausing to take in the EVO2 and its brethren. How many motorcycles are designed for the rigors of racing, with baked-in crash protection? None. Replaceable pucks on the plastic subframe, various sliders, and rugged bodywork all point to a bike that isn’t afraid of taking its licks. And that radical subframe/fuel tank has never been broken, by the way.

Once the 2023 Krämer EVO2-690S peacefully rested on its paddock stands, I had time to reflect on it all. To take stock of things, this was a bike I’d never touched at a track I’d never raced at (I did one track day on a BMW S 1000 RR in 2019), and came out squeaky clean. I gridded, improved my lap times, and made some passes. Job done. Few motorcycles offer such a clear pathway into the racing paddock. Where you go from there is up to you, but you’re going to have a blast while doing it.

Photography by Robert Martinez

RIDING STYLE

• Helmet: Arai Corsair-X
• Suit: Alpinestars GP Tech V4
• Airbag: Alpinestars Tech-Air 5
• Baselayer: VNM Sport compression top and pant
• Gloves: Alpinestars GP Tech V2
• Boots: Alpinestars SuperTech R

2023 Krämer EVO2-690S Specs

ENGINE

Type: Single-cylinder 4-stroke

Bore x stroke: 105 x 80mm

Displacement: 693cc

Maximum power: 80 horsepower

Redline: 9500 rpm

Compression ratio: 12.5:1

Valvetrain: SOHC; 4 valves