Damn, had a slow washout in a muddy rut and went down. The tab to mount the plastic shroud punched a hole right in the radiator. Glad I made it home.
Ram ball on the back of the cradle, and a U bolt ram mount with a ball on the bars will work just fine. I've mounted my Zumo 550 that way for 10's of thousands of miles. The bonus is you don't need anal lube for the parts like you do with that Touratech crap.
Known issue, you should spend some time reading the 690 Wiki, may save you some more headaches down the road.
Any of you guys have some good videos of a 690 doing some technical trails? I'm waffling between a 500 EXC and a 690 but THIS is sort of the riding I am thinking of and am wondering how the bigger 690 handles the rough stuff. I've looked around on youtube a bit, but most of the 690 vids seem to be on dirt roads and the like... THANKS!
I think even a Jimmy Lewis or Shane Watts would find the 690 suspension not up to that task, based on that video.
690 wouldn't have that much of a problem with any of what I saw on that vid. You would definitely be more worn out at the end of the day though compared to riding the 500.
I have this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvatXSnXNME That video you posted was great. That rider is way way better than me. What he rode seems doable on a 690 but would be slower. Some of the stuff in my video was challenging on the 690, due both to my lack of talent, the weight of the bike, and the too high gearing for the terrain. BTW I was riding by myself so I ride nice and easy. Can't take the chance of a big off. A 500 EXC would have been a lot easier to ride no question. I am keeping my 690 because I rode 50 miles back home on the highway!
If you are an experienced rider and of above average size like myself (6'5" ~220lbs) riding the 690 everywhere that a 450class bike goes is not a problem. I replaced a crf450r with my 690 and it has not held me back at all (after extensive suspension work) and I have taken it in terrain that has had A rider's DNF'ing (I was NOT racing.) No matter how you slice it, the bigger bike will ALWAYS take more effort to get through the tight stuff but I find it more stable in the high speed stuff. Sorry, no video. Here are some stills of tech sections that I've posted a gazillion times: ...alright my computer is not cooperating, I'll add them shortly. here's my "geek slide" video that's always good for a laugh: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87ZnBhK_v9I&feature=player_embedded
I agree.....that terrain would be more fun with the 500 due mostly to weight issues over a long day.....the 690 has the edge for paved riding/gravel roads and distance.....the 500 is better for tighter single track..... That's why I have a 450 and a 690....different tool for different job I would buy a 500 over the 690 if the majority of my riding was technical....I like the 690 for the added benefit for on-road But some heroes ride their 990's two up in this shit: Great ride report at: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=867128
Thanks, guess I'll head over there. Got a link? The thing that sucks is there is no damage at all to the plastic shroud or the hand guard. Whoa, over $500 for a new radiator. That was an expensive 0 MPH tipover.
I ride a lot of that stuff here in Arizona on my 690. But just because you can doesn't mean you should. If I knew the trail would be like that I would take my 400. But sometimes you don't know what you're getting into. I would rather ride my 690 through crap than my 400 on slab. But that's me.
Appreciate that link. Great info. Here's my damage. I wonder if my local radiator repair shop can do something with it? Also, I've seen the KTM and the Touratech rad guards. Any others to consider?
Thats a easy fix. I had the core leak on mine right behind the bracing rod at the top. Cost me $92 to have fixed. You could do it yourself for a quick fix with J-B weld.
Shrug, sure super rough trails on the 690 would be harder than on a 500 but the difference is much less than what you gain on the street. Then again I was one of those people who took their 950's almost anywhere . Any bike that has an exposed radiator should get some sort of guards for it. I've personally gone down multiple times on mine without issue (I have the KTM rad guards and did the zip-tie fix for the radiator shroud).
The bigger the bike the more you have to think about your line. I looked a lot farther ahead on the 950 in the woods than I do with the 450
Ahhhh, that's damaged in a different place then where most people had issues. Rad guards would definitely have helped there. A rad shop should be able to repair that no problem. Even a good welding shop should. Or you could JB Weld it like Dave mentioned.