school me on a ktm 690 enduro r

[breakdirt916]

I tried the 500 for a dual sport day, and that bike (and me) felt hella stressed out doing 85...squirrely bars...very high strung out...All my pavement day trip rides from home involve 1-2 hours at 80-100. The 690 was *just* enough to comfortably handle the slab; the 500, I'd do only if I was skipping all freeway (kinda like RTW paul). If you're smashing 80% of your miles on pavement all summer, the 500 is the wrong bike IMHO.

and yes, the forks need to come off to swap the fork guards:



they wrap all the way around the fork

a lot gets trimmed off to clear the 17's:



the front wheel is especially wider than the enduro wheel:



but it works:







everything clears and fits

the kickstand is a little too tall, but I have the W9 replacement

kickstand switch dongle installed and bike fires/runs.

Carrying some extra fuses, and going to do some local rides to make sure it doesn't pop.

[Kurlon]

Toss those guards, 02 era KTM guards aren't full wrap around and you can order the SMR part number that won't require trimming for 17s.

On the 500 you rode one with stock gearing, put sumo gearing on and it's a different animal, and still has plenty of torque to plod along at low speed.

[breakdirt916]

while the SMR parts won't fit (I think that lower fork leg is a different design than the Enduro R), the 00-08 era 525's look like they might actually work

my main concern was the brake line & ABS wire, guide; which it appears the 525 guards do have

thanks for the tip @Kurlon!



I came, I rode, the bike ran





Track: Apple Valley Speedway (formerly Grange)



0.9 miles, kind of tight, 65ish mph on the main straight, 20ish in the turns.

@ onecheek - Adams is 0.75miles, so this is a wee bit longer. 1:06-1:25 would be a lap time range







first time here with Thuderdome EXP

they have:
-speakers with 90's/2000's hip hop playing all day
-laid back, non-policed bike prep and gear prep
-one corner worker
-15 min sessions (A, B, C, and hooligan)
-five sessions from 9am-2pm, open track from 2-4pm, then time attack/slow races 4-5pm
-massage therapist
-BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, and sausage (included for riders)
-Fruteria food truck blending ice cold smoothies, aqua frescas, chamoi fruit
-coaching sessions
-skid pad w' wheelie coach

it's a whole different type of track day from the usual racer-bred practice days.

Definitely a fun way to spend a Saturday over a long weekend

The bike, did NOT randomly die on me



it's kinda like an ex girlfriend who's suddenly nice to you before you tried to break up with her

is it rebuilding trust? Could it have just been a overheated/defective/vibrated apart fuse?

The good news about my problems is: once I have a problem fixed, it doesn't happen again.

The bad news about my problems is: every time I get stranded it's a *new* issue. If something else goes wrong, I can't even prepare for it in advance and fix it road or trail side.

IDK.IDK.IDK

meanwhile, I hated the supermoto setup at 22psi; the rear tire didn't want to lean

I aired it to 28psi, and it finally fell into turns; I even got most of the chicken strip off:



regardless, I can't say that I loved the setup enough to justify keeping it.

I'm not a fast boi, and I can get 80-85% of how far I'd push that bike on a sportsman setup. @Iglu has seen me in the canyons on it; he said we were moving .

They do look sexy, so I'll ride out for some photo shoots, but the wheels come off this week.

They head to offer up with the Acerbis fender and shorter kickstand.

[Kurlon]

That sounds like a killer day at the track... hrmm... when can I get to Cali?

[breakdirt916]

hell yeah dude, it would be a blast. We could hit different tracks on back to back days; just bring your gear.

ordered the '03 525 fork guards from RMATV. If they fit, the OEM guards are not going back on.

Sumo wheels came off and are on offer up/facebook marketplace w' the shorter kickstand, sumo front fender, and trimmed fork guards for $1,100...hoping to get $950 for everything.

**EDIT** I have a roof/driveway/yard clean up to do on one of the rentals - maybe sell the whole package?
$6,500/bo - bike + sumo wheels
$5,500/bo - bike

Expecting to get maybe 5k for the bike and maybe $800 for the wheels

[OneCheekRider]

sounds like Thunderdome was worth the price of admission and trek out there?

NESR West Coast rides? Sign me up!

[MattR302]

This thread is pretty much the sole reason why I haven’t upgraded from my Suzuki DR to a 690/701
Edit: and the stupid fuel tank cap being behind the seat. I don’t want to have to get off the bike to fill up.

Out here people would be asking at least 8k for that bike without the sumo wheels

[breakdirt916]

So I’ve had the bike listed for sale since Thursday and amidst all the flankers, I met a nice dude local, from Grafton who used to ride dirtbikes in MA

He seemed pretty interested, the price was right, and he’d done some of the basic research on 690’s, but I wasn’t sure he has fully immersed in the potential for a lemon European bike.

He was a good dude, but I just could not have him go in with rose colored glasses, and sent him this thread.

Paul is right - anyone reading this would change their mind, and he did.

Not that it’s my problem what the next buyer does with the bike, but I am leaning towards a trade in at a dealer, or sell to someone who’s had KTM’s (ideally an LC4) and know what they’re getting into.

[feralchimp]

This thread is pretty much the sole reason why I haven’t upgraded from my Suzuki DR to a 690/701
Edit: and the stupid fuel tank cap being behind the seat. I don’t want to have to get off the bike to fill up.

Out here people would be asking at least 8k for that bike without the sumo wheels

Y'all might be about to find out what someone asks out here for a 2017 701E/SM setup. This thread is a tough read; the 701 is supposed to basically be the same bike (very different gauge cluster though; maybe other stuff in the electronics stack is also different?) and aside from my NESR-doc'd issues with ABS after the SM swap it's been nothing but reliable.

[breakdirt916]

^ agree 10/10

I've got 3 friends:
-2014 690 enduro - 100% reliable until 2 months ago. bike would randomly die, got rid of lithium battery, went to conventional, issues went away.
-2016 690 enduro - no issues, ever.
-2018 701 - no issues, ever.

had dinner with a few friends last night; one buddy had a 990 and he described KTM's as either being a hassle free bike, or hot mess of maintenance you have to do after every ride.

YMMV

on the plus side, bike is sold

out of country buyer who has a 2017 690 enduro R, and he is handy/mechanical. he wants the 2017 because it's a bike he's familiar with working on.

is it bad that I am itching to buy another street bike already?

no, no no...this first:



go through the YZ and ride that to get my fix, then re-build up cash reserves/e-fund for this rental unit, then get a street bike

[MattR302]

Y'all might be about to find out what someone asks out here for a 2017 701E/SM setup. This thread is a tough read; the 701 is supposed to basically be the same bike (very different gauge cluster though; maybe other stuff in the electronics stack is also different?) and aside from my NESR-doc'd issues with ABS after the SM swap it's been nothing but reliable.

Breakdirt was asking 6500 obo for his E/SM setup - if you’re thinking around there, I wouldn’t mind taking a trip up to Somerville to check it out

[breakdirt916]

Ahh, alas the Husqvarna’s, albeit similar, are slightly more premium vehicles. Add an extra $500 there…his motor has likely not been cracked open unnecessarily, so add another $1,000 there. The 701 got a counterbalanced motor a year before the 690, and that helps resale, so add another $500 there. His mileage may likely be lower so, add another $500. If the supply is short, and it’s “riding season” back east, it may command another $500

Budget $9-$10k-ish?

I’ve ridden all 3 (690 older, 701 counterbalanced, 690 counterbalanced) and they’re all pretty good in terms of how they feel, how good the suspension is, and how much hooligan Supermoto fun you can have on pavement. If you want to save money get the 690, pre-2019, but nothing from 2012-2014 unless the rocker arm was replaced. Be aware all euro bikes can be hot and fun or a hot garbage mess

[Gixxer]

A coworker rides a 690 enduro…. Looks wicked nice in person.

[Spooler]

Ahh, alas the Husqvarna’s, albeit similar, are slightly more premium vehicles. Add an extra $500 there…his motor has likely not been cracked open unnecessarily, so add another $1,000 there. The 701 got a counterbalanced motor a year before the 690, and that helps resale, so add another $500 there. His mileage may likely be lower so, add another $500. If the supply is short, and it’s “riding season” back east, it may command another $500

Budget $9-$10k-ish?

I’ve ridden all 3 (690 older, 701 counterbalanced, 690 counterbalanced) and they’re all pretty good in terms of how they feel, how good the suspension is, and how much hooligan Supermoto fun you can have on pavement. If you want to save money get the 690, pre-2019, but nothing from 2012-2014 unless the rocker arm was replaced. Be aware all euro bikes can be hot and fun or a hot garbage mess

Wife and I’ve had only euro bikes for quite a few years now and nothing too problematic yet… Hope my luck holds! Congrats on the sale, your 690 sounded like a serious headache.

[FriskyDingo]

....
on the plus side, bike is sold ......

SCHOOLS OUT

The end of a truly epic adventure, not lobby treats epic, but epic non the less...

Good luck with the roof, hope you finish up before it get too hot.

[SwiftTone]

Funny enough, I may now be in the market for a 2019+ 690. I started dirt last year and I just been neglecting my S1000XR street bike. The last 2 seasons I've put about 10% of my regular mileage annually. Now want a travel bike that will be alright on the pavement, and good on the dirt. I already have a Husky FE250 for singletrack and occasion pavement.

Any issues I need to know about on the 2019+ 690 or 2018+ 701?

[breakdirt916]

You should be fine; I don’t think I’ve heard anyone have any issues with the latest model. Counterbalanced and smoother than the older models.

It will check your boxes and be a good intermediate platform to perform travel duty between the S1000XR and the FE250

[SwiftTone]

You should be fine; I don’t think I’ve heard anyone have any issues with the latest model. Counterbalanced and smoother than the older models.

It will check your boxes and be a good intermediate platform to perform travel duty between the S1000XR and the FE250

This will be a replacement to the S1000XR.

[breakdirt916]

It will not replace the power, stability, and long distance comfort of a dedicated street bike.

It’s pretty good for street for something that can go off road, but it’s not a good street bike

Hmm; what sort of travel were you planning? How fast will you be going/interstate? Which percentage of dirt to street? and how gnarly is the off road stuff? Do you anticipate having to pick a bike up?

An ADV bike may suit you better to replace a street bike

[breakdirt916]

Bike is off to Mexico!



https://www.advrider.com/f/attachmen...-jpeg.5198397/

turn out the guy (quit his job and) came from Austria, picked it up last week, they went through the bike, and he's heading south

I asked the guy who offered up his garage, and he said they went through the bike with a close eye, and it's solid

[SwiftTone]

Picked this up. Took it for a test on some powerline trails. Rode the hour there and back on local roads. What a hoot to ride the street! Smiles for miles, and its actually pretty good and can be relaxed if you choose to be. Feels fine up to 60mph, didn't try faster as i am on 10/90 knobbies, but even then i don't really feel the knobs on pavement (Dunlop D606). Surprising I can get some decent lean angle on pavement without feeling sketchy. Considering sumo wheels for Max hooliganism. The front end points to the sky too often.

It's a handful in the dirty; sand, whoops, single track. Perhaps I just don't want to dump it yet. more to come on this.



Sent from my SM-S928U1 using Tapatalk

[Gixxer]

Picked this up. Took it for a test on some powerline trails. Rode the hour there and back on local roads. What a hoot to ride the street! Smiles for miles, and its actually pretty good and can be relaxed if you choose to be. Feels fine up to 60mph, didn't try faster as i am on 10/90 knobbies, but even then i don't really feel the knobs on pavement (Dunlop D606). Surprising I can get some decent lean angle on pavement without feeling sketchy. Considering sumo wheels for Max hooliganism. The front end points to the sky too often.

It's a handful in the dirty; sand, whoops, single track. Perhaps I just don't want to dump it yet. more to come on this.



Sent from my SM-S928U1 using Tapatalk

I like this. Too bad someone limited my use on this site so I can’t just hit the thumbs up button.

[jimmycapp]

I like this. Too bad someone limited my use on this site so I can’t just hit the thumbs up button.

It was the deep state.

[breakdirt916]

Nice dude, congrats

It’s truly in a class of its own in that you can truly ride to/from home the trails

I’m surprised that you enjoyed it on pavement on the street. Some of my fondest memories were just bombing around town, and doing power wheelies from each traffic light through 2nd and 3rd gear. I also had a -2/+4 sprocket setup for dirt and on pavement made it crazy wheelie happy. Makes a DRZ400SM seem like a distant memory