I am undecided on the Mosko's vs Giant Loop bags. The Mosko V3's (I've been using V2) have a few changes that address some of my concerns, so maybe they deserve another go... Anyone got the newer V3's?
I’ve got the 80L V3, so far so good. I hear what you say about the giant loop, but I find a modular system with pockets etc more practical that a big bag.
Thanks for the feedback Keith. I wouldn't be too concerned by majority of the naysayers. In my experience those that have a go are literally those that never really give anything a go. I for one appreciate your honest feedback, both good and bad. The best made plans can simply come undone so easily in the locations you were going. Two days earlier or later and it could have been a completely different experience. It just sounds like a good reason to start planning the next little adventure. Thanks again for putting the time in to share your experiences on the this bike.
You can always take less! Until you are leaving with just a bottle of water and a leatherman there is always room to go lighter. I just got back from 12,000km 28 day trip and I had 8kg worth of gear, I don’t think many people can handle my setup though, 16 nights in a row in a bivy isn’t for everyone haha, plus I’ve crossed the Simpson twice now with only using about 600ml of water I think I am part camel. I never carry more then 2 days worth of food, I buy new clothes along the way, I ride a Yamaha so I don’t take spare parts or fluids or tools really haha. I have found though that for most of the big trips having the bike so light is only beneficial for a very small portion of the riding, I could basically ride a bmw gs for 95% of the trip, but I guess you want to make that 5% as fun as possible.
8kg, 600ml water across the desert, that is amazing... I guess everything is a trade-off. I could've left my chair at home, but gee that was a nice little comfort item when sitting around the fire!
Tom relies heavily on Nerb1 for a lot of things that explains it. 😆 we got luck on that trip with the weather but we did flew pretty fast on the Simpson desert. Australia is amazing !
Nice wrap-up, Keith. Sounds like a great trip. I just finished the TransAmerica Trail (5,500 miles) on my 2020 KTM500 and I agree it's the best bike out there for this type of thing. My bike is set up very similar to yours. I used the GL Coyote on the first half of the trip and then pared my gear down a little and went with just the GL Mojave saddlebags and GL Rogue dry bag for the second half. I was much happier with that slimmer setup, but I wasn't camping and didn't need to carry nearly as much water or spare fuel as you did, so not a great comparison. I have never run a wind screen and didn't wish for one once on my TAT trip. I would have liked to run the Adventure Spec mini fairing (more to get my GPS positioned up higher than for wind protection), but I couldn't get it it fit with my Highway Dirt Bikes hand guards and bar clamp.
Good debrief Keith. Dont take anything to heart... I reinvent my luggage every trip. Its never been the same gear twice! I also strapped my bladders over the tank.... then i stabbed one with a tree branch on the hay river track. So there is disadvantages to any position. When I recorded that clip, I didnt realise you had done the rig road. So Im glad you got some decent riding in.
I for one applaud your decision to not risk the mud Keith. Making the smart choice in the moment is usually the hard choice. Sometimes you're wrong. You can be sure all the armchair adventurers will point it out for you. Case in point, I was on a moto trip on the west coast of Vancouver Island (rain forest). The group wanted to camp beside a waterfall. I was the only dissenter, and they were pissed because it was late, so we had to camp literally on the road (dead end). Boy were they surprised when it stormed like a bastard overnight and that whole basin was under 3 feet of raging whitewater in the morning lol.
I have a set of tank saddle bags for my Beta300RR two stroke light adventure bike. They are inconvenient.The shifting and braking are harder. The nice thing is they do balance the weight front to rear and I will put up with the pain to get past it. I would love to come down and adventure in your back yard. Thank you for the post!
Keith ever thought about using the Tubliss system on your wheels? Saves a lot of weight and you can repair punctures without removing the tyre with a plug unit. Plus it protects your rims from distortion when hitting a pothole etc.
I haven't, but someone I recently spoke to (who actually runs mousse 😱 on his ADV bike) got me thinking about how great it would be to ditch the spare tubes and not worry about flat tyres!
@@keithjob They are not DOT approved in the States for highway work but personally I will risk it on my 690 because in many ways it is the safest solution because even if a tyre gets a sidewall tear the system keeps the tyre walls secure against the rim (arguably even safer than normal tubeless) plus tyres run a lot cooler than tubes or mousses. a personal decision/risk assessment that has to be made by the rider. With Tubeliss you can put goop in the high pressure tube itself and in the tyre so doubly safe. But what is safe ultimately? Solid tyres?
I used the mosko system for a 500 mile desert ride. straps ripped. lost my took kit and spare tube (didn't know it was gone until hours later) and my plastic side covers have dirt permanently ground into them. I'm using them for an upcoming 950mile ride, but that will probably be the last time. Giant Loop for me the rest of the way. I already use their duffel bag on the back and their 2 gal fuel bladder (which I absolutely love).
Great video. Don’t worry what people say you take what you want it’s your trip and you want to be comfortable. Some people say I take to much but I don’t care I take what I want. Ride safe
Thanks Keith, great series and great ride and info. I'm about to do similar trip ( 4wd accompanied ).. I just sold my FE501 ( which would have been my bike of choice for the desert trip) but have just finished a build on a Husky (hard kit) 701. I agree with your comments about that extra weight on the larger bike. Luckily we will carry minimal gear as the 4wd will support. All great info on luggage as well. Thanks again mate.. great info.. RIC Q
Great videos Keith , I run 14/45 gearing with a loaded setup on a 19 Fe501 it’s brilliant, still plenty of power but 110kph is effortless, I’m loving Kreiga os36
Great summary. Your fully loaded bike, including fuel probably weighs 20 kg less than a dry T7! Re the Mosko bags, I made my own version and each side fits a 50L dry bag. It’s so convenient to have one large bag compare to their design. Why would some one considering a CRF300 and $2000 of suspension fixes not think of a good 2nd hand exc/excf? I’m sold on my 500 like you.
Love it Keith, if you run the reckless 80 without aux pockets you end up with 25l per side weight of 4.7kg the 40 is 14l plus 2l aux pockets so 16l per side for a weight of 5kg. So you would lose the small water proof pockets on the 40 and gain 9l in the main section. The 40 does make you cut down what you take but if you go the 80, 50l really without adding all the extra pockets it’s a better set up as your weight is lower.
Great video. Those KTM’s are amazing bikes. I did a very similar build on a Honda CRF450RL. The KTM motor is just a little too viby for me. The Honda motor is a little smoother which helps the hands. Keep up the good work.
Hello, 36kg for all the Stuff in a very remote Area isn`t too much. i Travel in Europe with 17kg - but i have important way less km to the next Fuelstation/repairshop`s/medical assistence/food supply .... I see your Vid about your Gear - i will pack 95% of them too! Many Thank`s for your Vid`s - i enjoy the Information´s, entertainment and the brilliant quality. That`s a very hard / good work. Cheers from germany, Alfred
I'm on a Beta 480, similar bike to the Kato 500. I love your set up and approach. Running Tusk gear and trying to stay lightweight as well. Prepared to camp out as preferred. Do you trailer your bikes to a set start point before the real adventure? As much as I have the Beta set up for ADV running I'm no fan of spending hours on the road. I am in Melbourne's western suburbs, so the real adventure doesn't start for at least 3/4 hour. Obviously longer if I want to go further or interstate. Any tips on this issue?
Yeah the road sucks. Whether you trailer or not really depends on your ride plan and how much time you have. We trailered for this one to save time, but I have already ridden that piece a few times before so wasn't sad about missing out.
This was very useful, I am trying to find out the brand/model of the windscreen you mounted, I must have missed it from the build videos… EDIT: forget this, I found the right video now.
Had the same concern about the screen, try fitting it with plastic screws, or scrivets. just enough to hold it in place, but will also detach easily from the bike in case of a get-off. Also had Mosko Moto stuff, a little over-rated in my opinion. Expensive, mine chafed as well, but worst of all, just too heavy. Great video's.
Thanks for the commentary and observations Keith. I feel the same way you do about the 500EXC. I have a 2015 with Acerbis 20L tank and appreciate the extra capacity. However it gets in the way when riding short rides. did you lay the bike down to slosh the fuel over from the dead side to the petcock side? I doubt you did considering the load you were carrying. Again, I offer you this. if you want to come over to Colorado just tell me when, you have an open invitation to ride with my brother and me anytime.
I did tilt it over, and got another 10km before it ran out again, so I waited. On reflection if i'd actually laid it right over, all the way, that might've worked.
Great wrap up Kieth, pity you had to cut the trip short. I really enjoyed the footage. Question re servicing the 500, did you do any oil changes on the trip, and how many k’s are you generally doing between services. I went with a 690 over a 500 specifically because of service intervals but the 500 is so much lighter and I wonder whether the 500 might’ve been a better choice
The original plan was to do a change at Mt Dare. My brother did his 500. I didn't bother as we cut it short. So 2000km is what I did. Generally I change it around 1500km, 25 hrs. Thereabouts. Depends what rides are coming up.
Could you please give a little more color on how you use your coms system? VHF --> BT to SENA? How does that work? What’s your VHF’s brand and SENA model?
Great review, with the regards to the rino clip, I’ve designed and fabbed and aluminium unit that the rino fits into due to this issue. PM me if you want the drawing/ pics.
@@keithjob I work in the construction industry and all machinery goes by hours for obvious reasons .if your engine runs for say 5hours but only move 20ks ,then it's impossible to calculate fuel usage by the usual methods if the conditions are mixed .people use their speed instrument to calculate servicing and so on but if your driving or riding in city conditions ,you can spend 2 hours stuck idling in traffic but not do any real ks but still use fuel because your engine is always running in traffic .as you know desert crossings can chew up your fuel in soft sand .this is the reason I always use hours when off road .
@@C_R_O_M________ Yeah, thats not surprising. I’ve seen a couple of videos of guys dropping a fully loaded BMW and you’d definitely want at least one person to help you back up with it. Ktm looks much more manageable for a solo rider.
I am undecided on the Mosko's vs Giant Loop bags. The Mosko V3's (I've been using V2) have a few changes that address some of my concerns, so maybe they deserve another go... Anyone got the newer V3's?
I have the 40L V3 due to your channel. Love them. Same bike also. Looking at getting your grips also!
I went with the R80 V3 myself, for my 500. It fits great with a true north rack.
Just purchased 40L V3, mosko are selling them with 20% off right now.
I’ve got the 80L V3, so far so good. I hear what you say about the giant loop, but I find a modular system with pockets etc more practical that a big bag.
Thanks for the feedback Keith. I wouldn't be too concerned by majority of the naysayers. In my experience those that have a go are literally those that never really give anything a go. I for one appreciate your honest feedback, both good and bad. The best made plans can simply come undone so easily in the locations you were going. Two days earlier or later and it could have been a completely different experience. It just sounds like a good reason to start planning the next little adventure. Thanks again for putting the time in to share your experiences on the this bike.
You can always take less! Until you are leaving with just a bottle of water and a leatherman there is always room to go lighter.
I just got back from 12,000km 28 day trip and I had 8kg worth of gear, I don’t think many people can handle my setup though, 16 nights in a row in a bivy isn’t for everyone haha, plus I’ve crossed the Simpson twice now with only using about 600ml of water I think I am part camel.
I never carry more then 2 days worth of food, I buy new clothes along the way, I ride a Yamaha so I don’t take spare parts or fluids or tools really haha.
I have found though that for most of the big trips having the bike so light is only beneficial for a very small portion of the riding, I could basically ride a bmw gs for 95% of the trip, but I guess you want to make that 5% as fun as possible.
8kg, 600ml water across the desert, that is amazing... I guess everything is a trade-off. I could've left my chair at home, but gee that was a nice little comfort item when sitting around the fire!
@@keithjob I work in the Pilbara, I know a little about heat/dehydration and so forth. 600 ml of water is just not clever.....
Tom relies heavily on Nerb1 for a lot of things that explains it. 😆 we got luck on that trip with the weather but we did flew pretty fast on the Simpson desert. Australia is amazing !
Nice wrap-up, Keith. Sounds like a great trip. I just finished the TransAmerica Trail (5,500 miles) on my 2020 KTM500 and I agree it's the best bike out there for this type of thing. My bike is set up very similar to yours. I used the GL Coyote on the first half of the trip and then pared my gear down a little and went with just the GL Mojave saddlebags and GL Rogue dry bag for the second half. I was much happier with that slimmer setup, but I wasn't camping and didn't need to carry nearly as much water or spare fuel as you did, so not a great comparison. I have never run a wind screen and didn't wish for one once on my TAT trip. I would have liked to run the Adventure Spec mini fairing (more to get my GPS positioned up higher than for wind protection), but I couldn't get it it fit with my Highway Dirt Bikes hand guards and bar clamp.
Good debrief Keith. Dont take anything to heart... I reinvent my luggage every trip. Its never been the same gear twice!
I also strapped my bladders over the tank.... then i stabbed one with a tree branch on the hay river track. So there is disadvantages to any position.
When I recorded that clip, I didnt realise you had done the rig road. So Im glad you got some decent riding in.
Thanks Nerb, yes the Rig Rd was a great track. It's a long way to go for a two-day ride however!
Your the most fair dinkum bloke on RUclips around this sort of stuff Keith. Love your work love the channel. Keep on keeping on mate !!!
Thanks fella!
I for one applaud your decision to not risk the mud Keith. Making the smart choice in the moment is usually the hard choice. Sometimes you're wrong. You can be sure all the armchair adventurers will point it out for you.
Case in point, I was on a moto trip on the west coast of Vancouver Island (rain forest). The group wanted to camp beside a waterfall. I was the only dissenter, and they were pissed because it was late, so we had to camp literally on the road (dead end). Boy were they surprised when it stormed like a bastard overnight and that whole basin was under 3 feet of raging whitewater in the morning lol.
Well done Keith on the whole documentation of the desert adventure, loved it 👌👍
I have a set of tank saddle bags for my Beta300RR two stroke light adventure bike. They are inconvenient.The shifting and braking are harder. The nice thing is they do balance the weight front to rear and I will put up with the pain to get past it. I would love to come down and adventure in your back yard. Thank you for the post!
Thanks for sharing Keith.
Keith ever thought about using the Tubliss system on your wheels? Saves a lot of weight and you can repair punctures without removing the tyre with a plug unit. Plus it protects your rims from distortion when hitting a pothole etc.
I haven't, but someone I recently spoke to (who actually runs mousse 😱 on his ADV bike) got me thinking about how great it would be to ditch the spare tubes and not worry about flat tyres!
@@keithjob They are not DOT approved in the States for highway work but personally I will risk it on my 690 because in many ways it is the safest solution because even if a tyre gets a sidewall tear the system keeps the tyre walls secure against the rim (arguably even safer than normal tubeless) plus tyres run a lot cooler than tubes or mousses. a personal decision/risk assessment that has to be made by the rider. With Tubeliss you can put goop in the high pressure tube itself and in the tyre so doubly safe. But what is safe ultimately? Solid tyres?
Thanks!
I used the mosko system for a 500 mile desert ride. straps ripped. lost my took kit and spare tube (didn't know it was gone until hours later) and my plastic side covers have dirt permanently ground into them. I'm using them for an upcoming 950mile ride, but that will probably be the last time. Giant Loop for me the rest of the way. I already use their duffel bag on the back and their 2 gal fuel bladder (which I absolutely love).
Carry what you want Keith it’s your adventure
Great video. Don’t worry what people say you take what you want it’s your trip and you want to be comfortable. Some people say I take to much but I don’t care I take what I want. Ride safe
I appreciate your reviews. I just got one myself. Excited to test it out. Ride safe 🙂
Hope you enjoy it!
I like the Kreiga OS luggage on my 500. I also have a 5l tank on the rear. This tank also keeps the luggage off the left side of the rear wheel.
Thanks Keith, great series and great ride and info. I'm about to do similar trip ( 4wd accompanied ).. I just sold my FE501 ( which would have been my bike of choice for the desert trip) but have just finished a build on a Husky (hard kit) 701. I agree with your comments about that extra weight on the larger bike. Luckily we will carry minimal gear as the 4wd will support. All great info on luggage as well. Thanks again mate.. great info.. RIC Q
It would be a BLAST having no gear on board! 😛
Really enjoyed the series Keith, shame about the weather but an adventure none the less. Very interesting to hear your after thoughts. ATB Jason 👍
Great videos Keith , I run 14/45 gearing with a loaded setup on a 19 Fe501 it’s brilliant, still plenty of power but 110kph is effortless, I’m loving Kreiga os36
That’s too long (gearing) for me but I can see this setup working for mostly tarmac.
Hey raffs adv, I have been looking at the kreiga os. So the 36 set up doesn't get in the way when standing or getting your weight back?
Great summary. Your fully loaded bike, including fuel probably weighs 20 kg less than a dry T7! Re the Mosko bags, I made my own version and each side fits a 50L dry bag. It’s so convenient to have one large bag compare to their design. Why would some one considering a CRF300 and $2000 of suspension fixes not think of a good 2nd hand exc/excf? I’m sold on my 500 like you.
Thanks for the comments! Making your own bags.. hadn't even considered that.. Hmmmm...
@@keithjob I’m going to make a YT vid of how and why I made my own soft luggage. Been putting it off for ages.
Have you ever considered the Honda CRF450RL as a replacement for the EXC?
Love it Keith, if you run the reckless 80 without aux pockets you end up with 25l per side weight of 4.7kg the 40 is 14l plus 2l aux pockets so 16l per side for a weight of 5kg. So you would lose the small water proof pockets on the 40 and gain 9l in the main section. The 40 does make you cut down what you take but if you go the 80, 50l really without adding all the extra pockets it’s a better set up as your weight is lower.
I like this. Thanks for laying it out so clearly Gary! I shall do some more research.
Great video. Those KTM’s are amazing bikes. I did a very similar build on a Honda CRF450RL. The KTM motor is just a little too viby for me. The Honda motor is a little smoother which helps the hands. Keep up the good work.
Hello, 36kg for all the Stuff in a very remote Area isn`t too much. i Travel in Europe with 17kg - but i have important way less km to the next Fuelstation/repairshop`s/medical assistence/food supply .... I see your Vid about your Gear - i will pack 95% of them too!
Many Thank`s for your Vid`s - i enjoy the Information´s, entertainment and the brilliant quality. That`s a very hard / good work.
Cheers from germany, Alfred
I'm on a Beta 480, similar bike to the Kato 500. I love your set up and approach. Running Tusk gear and trying to stay lightweight as well. Prepared to camp out as preferred. Do you trailer your bikes to a set start point before the real adventure? As much as I have the Beta set up for ADV running I'm no fan of spending hours on the road. I am in Melbourne's western suburbs, so the real adventure doesn't start for at least 3/4 hour. Obviously longer if I want to go further or interstate. Any tips on this issue?
Yeah the road sucks. Whether you trailer or not really depends on your ride plan and how much time you have. We trailered for this one to save time, but I have already ridden that piece a few times before so wasn't sad about missing out.
Great job keithy love your channel
Thanks 👍
This was very useful, I am trying to find out the brand/model of the windscreen you mounted, I must have missed it from the build videos… EDIT: forget this, I found the right video now.
No worries... it is easily the most-asked question I get! (The answer is Bajaworx for those reading this later... ;-)
Had the same concern about the screen, try fitting it with plastic screws, or scrivets. just enough to hold it in place, but will also detach easily from the bike in case of a get-off.
Also had Mosko Moto stuff, a little over-rated in my opinion. Expensive, mine chafed as well, but worst of all, just too heavy.
Great video's.
Great idea about the plastic screws!
Thanks for the commentary and observations Keith. I feel the same way you do about the 500EXC. I have a 2015 with Acerbis 20L tank and appreciate the extra capacity. However it gets in the way when riding short rides. did you lay the bike down to slosh the fuel over from the dead side to the petcock side? I doubt you did considering the load you were carrying. Again, I offer you this. if you want to come over to Colorado just tell me when, you have an open invitation to ride with my brother and me anytime.
I did tilt it over, and got another 10km before it ran out again, so I waited. On reflection if i'd actually laid it right over, all the way, that might've worked.
Hello again, Keith. One question? which one do you prefer Mosko reckles 40l or giant loop Coyote?
Thanks for sharing, some great tips in there-
Glad it was helpful!
Hey Keith what's was the distances on oil changes.
Check the response to Jeff Smith. Thanks!
Think I’ll stay with my DR650 and it’s 33L tank
Great vids thanks Keith
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed them.
Great wrap up Kieth, pity you had to cut the trip short. I really enjoyed the footage. Question re servicing the 500, did you do any oil changes on the trip, and how many k’s are you generally doing between services. I went with a 690 over a 500 specifically because of service intervals but the 500 is so much lighter and I wonder whether the 500 might’ve been a better choice
The original plan was to do a change at Mt Dare. My brother did his 500. I didn't bother as we cut it short. So 2000km is what I did. Generally I change it around 1500km, 25 hrs. Thereabouts. Depends what rides are coming up.
Maybe the lower tire pressure could have effected your mileage too.
The Mosko Moto woodland 40L V3 look great on the KTM IMO.
Hi keith love the content 👍🏻my question to you is how many hours has the ktm done now and when would you be looking at a piston re fresh?
210 hrs. No idea about a piston refresh. Probably never?
Thanks, top review 👍
No problem 👍
Nice informative vid keith , im planning on doing rig rd on my 690 just wandering how much fuel your mate used on his 690 cheers
The 690 used 41 litres Mungaranie to Mt Dare. 675km on the GPS.
@@keithjob thanks keith
Could you please give a little more color on how you use your coms system? VHF --> BT to SENA? How does that work? What’s your VHF’s brand and SENA model?
Hi there... it's UHF, not VHF. I've got a few videos on this topic. Here's a playlist: ruclips.net/p/PL_zt7gW1mGMi2kcuqPWg-aVj5lvf80Ldb
@@keithjob Thanks a lot. Yes of course, it’s UHF.
Great review, with the regards to the rino clip, I’ve designed and fabbed and aluminium unit that the rino fits into due to this issue. PM me if you want the drawing/ pics.
Thanks for the info! That would be cool to check out... can't find a contact for you though? Can you email me at keithjob "at" gmail "dot" com?
Never once hit a tough track on my 2018 KTM exc and said "wish I was on a adventure bike"
You got that right.
What did you do for servicing whilst on the trip?
I didn't. It was only 2000km.
@@keithjob About how many hours would you think you did between oil changes?
@@samp5690 about 25hrs for this change. Which is in line with my normal intervals.
I all ways go by engine hours for fuel not kilometres.I have been doing that for years and never had a problem .
Really? 🤔 What's your calculation?
@@keithjob I work in the construction industry and all machinery goes by hours for obvious reasons .if your engine runs for say 5hours but only move 20ks ,then it's impossible to calculate fuel usage by the usual methods if the conditions are mixed .people use their speed instrument to calculate servicing and so on but if your driving or riding in city conditions ,you can spend 2 hours stuck idling in traffic but not do any real ks but still use fuel because your engine is always running in traffic .as you know desert crossings can chew up your fuel in soft sand .this is the reason I always use hours when off road .
Even with all the gear on it, still looks about half the weight of a 1250gs
More like 1/3rd of the weight! A fully loaded 1250 would be north of 300kgs.
@@C_R_O_M________ Yeah, thats not surprising. I’ve seen a couple of videos of guys dropping a fully loaded BMW and you’d definitely want at least one person to help you back up with it. Ktm looks much more manageable for a solo rider.
yea, I admit it inches and feet make no sense at all!