How does the KTM 690 Enduro R do on single track and off road?

[spencergt66]

I've been kicking around the idea of consolidating the herd. I have a Husaberg Fe550 with a Rekluse Z Start Pro set up really well for off road and dual sporting and an Aprilia scooter that I ride to work 4 or 5 miles each way every day. We're looking at moving further away from work so I need something to commute back and forth on, probably 20 miles each way. Not going to be doing this on the 550 or my 990. I have a 990 Adventure S so I'm not looking for a hard core adventure bike, already have that. How would the 690 compare to the Husaberg or similar bikes off road (KTM 525/500EXC etc)?

I take the 550 on trips to California all the time on the back of the Jeep and use it primarily for day trips 70 to 100 miles of pavement, all day off road and then 70 to 100 miles home. While the Husaberg does ok on the highway, it really shines off road. With the Rekluse and the trials tire, I can take it anywhere and feel comfortable doing so, although I have had the park rangers look at me side-eyed coming up some of the single track.

I would really like to sell the two bikes and have one, but my concern is having a bike that weighs a lot more and losing off road capability.

[Motomochila]

Depends on your skill and comfort level. I just got back from doing Baja on my 690. Lots of rough sections on the Baja 1000 race course. 4 ft whoops and many rocky trails. I have the rally raid tanks on which adds weight up front plus all the other bolt on farkles that I needed to make it more adventure. I'm 6'1" and 215. Other than one section below Catavena on the race course where the rollers were 4 foot deep and 20 miles long, my bike ran with any of the lighter bikes. Suspension set up is the crucial modification.

[spencergt66]

Well main purpouse of the bike would be commuting and single track day trips so maybe a tank and tail bag. I like the scooter for the convenience and the berg for off road capability kinda looking for both

[milzispete]

The 690 isn't quite a do it all bike. It's good on the highway and good off road but it isn't great at either. Is it the best all-rounder available at the moment?

Absolutely

A lot can be done to them to push them toward better performance for road or rally type riding but the gearbox is pretty close ratio making any gearing changes a definite compromise.

The main issues for me are grip rather than weight. The snotty and really tight stuff just requires a bit more physical effort. Throw some difficult inclines into the mix and you're starting to have a bad day. Lose momentum or bounce onto the wrong line and you are done; ride back to the bottom, do not collect $200.

Trails tires, low psi's and gearing won't turn it into a 500 off road. They will turn it into a 500 on road though and I'm pretty sure that's not the direction you were hoping to go.
Leave it stock or go the fast track route and it's going to be great most of the time.

[spencergt66]

Hmmm that's one thing I did notice last year at the Ktm rally was the gear box. Wtf is that all about everytime I slowed down you had to drap 2 gears.

I was told that there is a mod to for 1st and 2nd gear so the bike wouldnt run detuned like stock. To me I was shocked at how much of a turd the bone stock 690 was but everyone there said that you had to change xyz to get them to work right?

[Maurizio]

Originally Posted by spencergt66

I have a Husaberg Fe550
I have a 990 Adventure S
I would really like to sell the two bikes and have one, but my concern is having a bike that weighs a lot more and losing off road capability.

Leave your stable as it is.

[oldxr]

Find a cheap used Japanese street bike to ride to work-less maintenance work needed for the euro bikes that way.

[spencergt66]

Originally Posted by Maurizio

Leave your stable as it is.

Was looking at offing the scooter and fe550 not the adv s

But just afraid the 690 wont do what the 550 does

[GR0NK]

I didn't like the 690 in the singletrack. The front end was vague and pushed all over the place. Really have to stand and lean forward a lot to make it work there. If it's slick you're just going to curse it. If you're just taking it easy it will do it. On open terrain and gravel roads is where it starts to show its qualities.

FWIW, I have a whole garage full of orange woods bikes and that makes me a bit biased. My 525EXC is a barge in the woods compared to my 250XCF-W but it will outhandle a 690. Like a previous poster wrote, keep your stable as it is.



Sean

[GR0NK]

Originally Posted by spencergt66

But just afraid the 690 wont do what the 550 does

It won't. In the context of "a dirtbike you can license for the road" they are all compromises. The 950/690 overlap a bit and so do the 690/FE550 (or KTM 525, 500EXC, etc...) so it just comes down to where you want the compromise to be made. I race my 525EXC so I have a use for it beyond a dirt oriented dual sport. Conversely, time spent on a 950 Adventure and 950 Super Enduro has opened another aspect of adventure riding for me and now I have a need for one of those as well. Nothing I want to do really falls into the area where the 690 shows its worth and that's the question you have to ask yourself.



Sean

[Maurizio]

Originally Posted by spencergt66

Was looking at offing the scooter and fe550 not the adv s

But just afraid the 690 wont do what the 550 does

I missed the scooter...

The 690 works well enough in the woods if in "woods trim", i.e. weighted down as much as possible, tuned suspensions, proper f.i. tune, off road tyres (and I mean true off road donuts, such as all teh enduro F.I.M. approved like Metz Six Days or Pirelli Scorpion Pro) and so on.

It works well enough on the road if in "road trim", i.e. windscreen, seat, luggage, road tyres (even 17"s) and so on.

Having it set up for both the uses means having a bike that performs at an intermediate-to-low level in both uses.

I tried to have one do it all bike and, after selling the 950 and the 450, I bought the 690.

In stock form it was an almost good commuter bike, but lacked all the fun factor for a semi-hardcore off road use.

So I went in the "woods trim" direction, and now I feel that it is a almost good singletrack and fireroads bike.
Not an extreme enduro goat, but a good off road pig...

Keep the scooter, too...

[spencergt66]

All good point and info.... Think ill pry be keeping the berg but then I still have the same issue, i will need something to commute on because the scooter wont handle the freeway.

[Maurizio]

Originally Posted by spencergt66

i will need something to commute on because the scooter wont handle the freeway.

It depends on the scooter... ;-) :

[Velociraptor]

Tight single track is not much fun for me on the 690. I think the Berg would be much much better. Maybe the new 690 models have normal steering lock but my 2009 does not have decent steering lock and that can be an issue on tight switchbacks. The 690 is great on everything but tight single track. It is the best compromise street legal bike made in my opinion, but the key word is compromise. I loved mine in Baja. It was great for the stuff I rode down there which was not the hard technical stuff, but back home I did one section off I-90 that was a long stretch of rocky uphill and the bike was geared too high(stock gearing) and felt way too heavy for what I was trying to ride. Not really much fun. I love my 690 but use my 990 for road rides and avoid single track on the 690. The reason I keep my 690 is because it can handle highway to the dirt OK, has fairly normal maintenance intervals, and is great in the dirt on everything but tight single track. I have thought of selling it and getting a 500 exc, but do not want to deal with the added maintenance.

[Ned1]

Howz about a clean 02 DRZ for the commuter Spencer?