Видео

I would pick xr650l just because it’s so reliable and simple that’s why they haven’t change it since the early 90s and for the price brand new you can’t beat it

Had a 2016 manual and it was plenty powerful with great engine feel. Looking at a 24. Looks like your seat is set in the high position, I am 5-10 and had mine set low and felt like a big dirt bike. Are you looking over the screen? Also I had the high screen on mine.

Summed up well, helpful, thank you I'm a young 56 with zero dirt riding skills that wants to ride gravel / wet my feet in the abyss :) but 90% ill just ride it to work with 10-minute stints on the freeway, I also don't want a high maintenance girl all the dirty fun I'm interested in is an hour to hour and a half away. Maybe I should invest in one of those "jack trailers" and jus tow it there. I'm leaning towards these bikes Suzuki DR650, Suzuki DRZ400, and a Yamaha XT250. any opinions on these or other bikes. For reference I have two street bikes Suzuki Sv650 and Ducati Multistada 1200 with 3 years' experience 20,000 miles on a variety of roads in KY Happy New year everyone.

I come across your video a week ago....I was destined to buy a 690 SMC R at that point...after watching your video, I decided i should get a Tenere, yesterday i bought one lol...short on my channel. Pretty much because of you when you said you can ride for hours, get there and be ready to go. Definitely made the right decision. Had to come here and let you know

Well said. I ride the 501, but I need something that can handle the big miles I do in the middle of nowhere. I'd prefer the 690. I just don't know if I can trust it.

Thanks for the Video! Subbed.

My 690 loved the interstate and BLM land . I just want panniers that fit the essentials and look worthy of the vehicle.

My 690 loved the interstate and BLM land . I just want panniers that fit the essentials and look worthy of the vehicle.

My 690 loved the interstate and BLM land . I just want panniers that fit the essentials and look worthy of the vehicle.

Who’s watching this video more than twice?

It's funny how you describe getting away from the kids exactly how I can. Only a few hours at a time. I can occasionally go for a day but then my wife complains that I wasn't home by like 4pm 😂 I've got a T7 and I love it but I think the perfect bike for me would be about 50lbs lighter. It doesn't help that it's pretty top heavy, but damn does it ride well. I'm curious to see what the specs are of the KLE500 that will likely be released this spring. The T7 is damn close to my unicorn but not quite. I need a little more of a lighter bike even at the expense of power. I have to say I do love the sound of a twin.

Great video and info, thank you

I get 55-62 mpg riding under 50 mph on dirt roads and pavement

That tight single track vs flowy trail comparision is spot on. When I had my 2012 690 8 years ago, I hated it at slow speeds. It stalled, overheated. I did alot of technical riding and moved to a 2 stroker. 690 is friggin excelent in fast paced curvy trail roads and I miss that. Compared to my XT660R and the XT660Z which I had before 690, the KTM had no bottom end and was a rocket after 4k RPM. If you are a fast rider, 690 is excellent.

Power is fun. I loved my DR650 for its bulletproof reliability but whenever I was on it for a long time I started to wish I had my CR500 between my legs. I'd be exploring and come across some nice big sand dunes or a gnarly hill climb feeling like I was missing out. The KTM sounds like it can provide some of that nonsensical power when you just feel like riding like a madman.

I'm riding a T7 for four years and love it ! Main use is commuting (20km one way) and going on TET Trails / single track trails. BUT i hate the weight of it. Riding solo most of the time, picking it up is a/my nightmare. 3 times a day is more than enough for my (physically) condition 🙃 Therefor i'm considering a change to 690R/701. For riding trails i mostly have to to 1 hour on highways, go on trails for about 4-5 h and than again 1h back. Even on the T7 stressfull/exhausting. I have no idea atm if this is capable on the "small" dualbike ... i'm perplexed what to do 🙅‍♂

Do you have a recommendation for 2up riding? I mostly do dirt riding, but would love to bring my significant other along. I havent found many adventure riders going 2up.

Great review! I have 2023 and have done very similar mods to yours. I am 200lbs and feel like I need to dial in the front suspension. You mentioned working with yours. Any advice on adjusting it? I feel it mainly in more technical riding especially if I get into softer ground. I feel like the front end dives on me too easily. I initially regretted buying this bike. It wasn't a great dirt bike and wasn't a great adventure bike. After riding it for a while and modifying it I have fallen in love with it. It can go BDRs my 350 can't and I have the confidence to solo more technical rides that my old T7 couldn't. Plus I have shit eating grin on my face everytime I ride it. I do wish the gears were not so tall. I am going to throw a 48 tooth on the rear this week and see how that feels.

I am deciding between those exact two bikes for adventouring. The idea is to make those multi-day trips, thousands miles and few luggages and tent. The idea is NOT to sit on a highway, but rather go in exotic offroad routes all over the world. I know very well how to ride a bike on road (i actually even trackday on a decent level with my RSV4) but NEVER did off-road. I have been said that starting with the T7 could be hard due to its weight (even though it looks like the more suited for the purpose i have in mind) so i was searching for something lighter and so i started to look at this KTM. What would you recommend?

This video helped me to make the decision to buy one of these bikes 2 years ago. I was wondering what happened with yours. Did you sell it? In the video, you mentioned you were going to lower the bike. Were you able to do that?

Would a Suzuki DR650 be a good bike for a beginner

Hey, I recommend Puig windshield for T7, the stock one just redirect all the wind in your face which is arguably worse than not having a windshield at all.

Absolutely SPOT ON...wen u said "DEAD RELIABLE"! ❤❤❤❤

I would be interested in the maintenance and repair costs of both...

The AJP PR7 Doma looks like a much better choice than the KTM 690. I would love to read your comparison after riding a PR7. ruclips.net/video/U3xS0-DTheo/видео.html&pp=ygUOZGlydCBiaWtlIHRlc3Q%3D

Great job on the video!!!! I feel very educated now on the bike! Well Done!!!

Definitely the best video on the 690 iv seen im gonna watch the rest of your videos soon keep the content coming 👌

I'm lookin for some SENDABILITY! 😂😂😂

Great job! I own the 701 / 2023 model. Super fun.

Till 2008 was bloody servo brakes! If you dont need abs,you can buy gs 2004-2008

I am in this exact issue since months !!!! The big issue for me is here in France it's impossible de try a 690 adventure R. So it's difficult to set my mind. Actually I have a 2024 T7 World Raid and I like this bike but it's not a very fun one. I'm coming from a 2023 Hayabusa and the motor is nice but lack of a fun part on this heavy bike. As you said my main issue is a don't want to change tires all time. I need tires that grips reaaaally well in the winter on the road because I commute everyday to work with it and here we have snow, freeze and a lot of rain ^^ For that the T7 WR is good but it's sooooo heavy offroad... The capability of this bike is gigantic when you're name is Paul Tares BUT it's not my case... ^^ I ended up thinking maybe the best is to keep my T7 and add a cheap WR250R or something else like DRZ400 and play with that on the week-end. I think the one bike for everything is finally not reachable without a lot of modding (like on the 690 enduro R) and a lot of tires change to meet the necessity of the field you're going on and the weather.

"This is like a barrel of monkeys... you sit on and twist the throttle and make sure you point it in the right direction when you do it" 💀💀💀 A quote for the ages. I love my new-to-me gen 2 690 Enduro R. Absolute beast. Doing the TAT with her as we speak!

Watched two videos from your channel (other was the 690 vs T7 one) and subscribed very quickly after the first based on the 'visceral' descriptions/comparisons. It's also just your calm, thoughtful, thorough, detailed delivery of the same. I've got a 990 Adventure but if I ever sold that I'd get a Tenere 700, probably a World Raid if they ever sold it here, but even the regular one or an Africa Twin but I apparently have a thing for the Tenere. Like the Africa Twin they really are beautiful looking bikes too, much more so than the admittedly better 790/890 or even the Norden 901.

Hi, many thanks for review. I am relatively new rider. I received my driving license 4 years ago and in those years I was able to ride distance of 70kkm (44k miles). On and off road. I do own 1250 GSA. I am 189cm in height and approx 100kg in weight. After my last trip to Iceland 8000km in 2 weeks solo (4000km off road) I decided too look for something which will helps me to develop new off road skills as well as continuing to stay relatively comfortable on the road. I did as well full Costa Rica off road ( 3300km in 2 weeks solo) on 300cc Honda XRE (25 bhp). This bike was absolutely great, tucked me everywhere in the jungle, mountain tracks etc so power on T7 it's not a problem at all. I am looking forward to try T7 anytime soon and get my impression on it. Greetings from 🇨🇭

Depends if it's taken care of, I got two r1200gs now because I got a parts bike. The best windshield is the givi airflow, wind goes over my head and I'm 6,2

Great video. I have a ‘23 T7 and a ‘18 690R……so much fun. I agree with your comments. I upgraded my suspension to my weight.on the T7, huge difference. I will be keeping both while able!

I’m considering down sizing from a Tuareg 660 to a 690/701 because because I want something lighter and more capable of riding aggressive terrain. But I have two concerns: increased vibrations and wind protection vs the Tuareg. Thoughts?

Another great video with great advice.

Fantastic overview! I’m considering selling my Tuareg for a 690/701. I realized I want something lighter, smaller, but with some guts for more aggressive riding that can hang on the highway.

My 14,000 mile - 2016 ❤️ GSA Rocks. At $15,555 the poor Bro’ who lost out to CoVid 🦠 should rest in peace, knowing his steed is in a good place / warm garage ❣️

Great video, Im leaning to the 690, is it ok on highway at around 80mph?

My first dual sport bike was a dr600 next a dr800 and now a 125 cc lifan 😂. I have GSXR1100R and a yzf600r. Never had so much fun as on the 125 running in the woods. Easy learning. Likely will buy a 250 or a dr400 later on. Low weight is what you need to learn properly. Good video.

Sorry to be that guy, but how does this compares to SMC R (if you have tested it) on tarmac roads? I am in between the two (99% public road racer) but i do like the freedom of having fun off road or just riding carelessly over damaged roads etc. My two concerns are: A. Are there any really sticky tyres for 21", prefferably radial, safe enough to ride aggresively on tarmac B. Is SMC R too stiff so if you don't ride it race style it becomes sluggish when turning? Main playground is very tight mountain roads with super sharp, low speed hairpins with varying tarmac (from ultra grip to slippery, some small dirt patches). I ride pretty agressively but not always 100% front trail braking, so a very nimble bike is of importance. I ride a KLX 250S which i laughed upon but proved an exciting toy in these roads but, while it is fun drifting both wheels concurrently going 70 km/h, i would prefer better tyres than the ie. Metzeler Tourance i wear. They are mediocre on road and pretty nothing off road too. Long comment!

Which bar risers did you go with?

I have a 690 Enduro R from 2012, the last model free from electronic shit, I ride on gravel roads mostly and I love it, very well balanced and no problems at all in my opinion, bougt it new, 30 000 kilometers on the meter , all by me

Headed to the shop this morning with my one owner ‘13 oil cooled. I’ve got a sinking feeling it’s a blown main rear seal at 27k. Wish me luck.

Hi, I bought the second bike just to alternate onroad and offroad trips buying the 690, a wonderful bike that gives me a lot of fun. I have two questions, what tires do you use? and how many km do you do with those tires in the video? (km because I'm Italian :) )

This was the best context setting, no bullshit review/comparison I’ve seen for the 690. Great job. And seemingly one take (at least I didn’t notice any editing on the audio).

T7 is way to big and heavy for any real offroad the 690 will do easily and also the t7 is wayyy to slow and weak and uncomfy on the road compared to the bigger adv bikes. It’s a weird in between bike that isn’t good at anything. just get a dual sport and a big adv. done.

merci beaucoup pour votre simplicité