Thinking about dual sport/ ADV bike

[nhbubba]

Report back. Wana live vicariously

[Jewcati]

What about the 690 enduro? Obv not as comfy as the 790...


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[Chippertheripper]

I have a soft spot for the 690. With a rally fairing specifically.

It needs a fancy saddle, and it has a pretty small fuel range...but it’s always been on my sweetheart list.
Again, a compromise, but a fairly reasonable one, for lots of stupidity.

[MattR302]

The advice I usually give if someone’s on the fence with a dualsport/ADV bike, find a decent condition Japanese 650 for ~$2500. Whatever you can get a good deal on: KLR650/DR650/XR650L. They’re a good middle ground between being able to do highway, and being able to do sorta rough double-track.

Ride it for a while and see how you actually end up riding it.
If it ends up being your cup of tea, the aftermarket is unlimited for these bikes, have at it.
If you need more on-road ability, you can easily flip it $2500 and check out some ADV bikes.
If you need more off-road ability, again, flip it for $2500 and check out the 250-500cc dual sports.
If you actually end up doing a good mix of both, but want more performance, a 690/701 might be the ticket.

[Jewcati]

The advice I usually give if someone’s on the fence with a dualsport/ADV bike, find a decent condition Japanese 650 for ~$2500. Whatever you can get a good deal on: KLR650/DR650/XR650L. They’re a good middle ground between being able to do highway, and being able to do sorta rough double-track.

Ride it for a while and see how you actually end up riding it.
If it ends up being your cup of tea, the aftermarket is unlimited for these bikes, have at it.
If you need more on-road ability, you can easily flip it $2500 and check out some ADV bikes.
If you need more off-road ability, again, flip it for $2500 and check out the 250-500cc dual sports.
If you actually end up doing a good mix of both, but want more performance, a 690/701 might be the ticket.

This idea might be the ticket


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[dankatz]

Agree with Matt. Personally, see if you can find a DR650. Most have had mods with more comfortable seat, etc.

[breakdirt916]

W t fluff

[Chippertheripper]

Agree with Matt. Personally, see if you can find a DR650. Most have had mods with more comfortable seat, etc.

See post 2 in this thread. Buy the cheap whatever, and at least you can get back out what you invested in this experiment.

[Jewcati]

But the 690 and 790 are so damn sexy.

How is the 690 on the highway?


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[e30addict]

Personally I think a KLR or a DR is too much of a compromise, especially if you already have a small dirty bike. They're a slightly cheaper option but suck on the highway for long, especially with knobbies. An ADV bike is comfy everywhere if light off road is the goal for it. If you're going to take a bigger bike where chipper takes them then the KLR/DR is a better choice, unless you have some skills and/or don't mind dropping an expensive bike. If you want to go over 60 and be comfortable going out all day (or weeks one end) the ADV bikes are killer.

I'm still a dirty noob, and I tried the DR650 and the Tiger route. Ultimately, the sweet spot for me was a WR250 and the Tiger. Scratches all the different itches.

[nhbubba]

This is all a spectrum.

690 is a thumper. It isn't going to be happy on the interstate.
The 1x90 (1190, 1290, even 1090) are big twins. They are going to be a handful in the dicey stuff.

The 790 is situated to split the difference. The 690 is still going to be better in tight off-road and the 1x90 is still going to be better at crossing countries. Just the way it works.

KTM is obviously a premium name-plate. Their bikes are mostly well set up. Better suspension. Lighter components. More exotic materials. Etc. They are more desirable than the dated japanese designs (KLR, DR, XR) in almost every respect. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up. But backing into all this with a cheap KLR or something to start is an excellent suggestion.

That said, the 690 has been around long enough that there are some affordable 690's to be found if you hunt hard enough too. There was one on FB market place for about $5-6k last year I spent almost every day refreshing.

[Crconnor18]

One thing I recommend, if you do your own bike work, is to check the complexity and intervals of the bike you get.

My KLR and my old vstrom were simple to do the work. The 640 I had took almost a college degree to complete with 2 filters, drain plugs and needing to bleed the frame plus valves checked frequently. KTM has made it simple to do but it rather intrusive to get to the covers.

I would love a 9x0 KTM but I can’t fathom pulling a fuel tank to do an oil change. Seems harder than it should be.

[typeone]

map out your routes first to understand the terrain and speeds. if you're unsure, you are most likely heading to the Quabbin > Berkshires via backroad only. screw the slabs.

[Kurlon]

This is all a spectrum.

690 is a thumper. It isn't going to be happy on the interstate.

I don't think you can make a blanket statement like that. I regularly take a 650 thumper on the interstate and no issues. My CBR250R was a wee thumper, it was just fine on the interstate.

[tls25rs]

Having a 701SM and having ridden it on the highway a bit there should be no concern about any riding on the highway with a 690/701 variant from the more recent years. The latest motors with the counter balancers that they have aren't uncomfortable at all at highway cruising.

[ducatirdr]

I find the tipping point between the 690/701 to the 790 sized bike very interesting and telling. The 690/701 will encourage you to ride stuff that will soon have you regretting your decision. While on the 790ADV-R I take one look at a trail section and say NOPE!!!

For real off road I'm choosing a small 2t. For hucking side by side hero trails I'll do it on my 790ADV-R. Everything in between is a lie. LOL

[breakdirt916]

The 690/701 is pretty darn close to being slab worthy...13/15t front sprockets, a little wind protection, seat concepts, and 75mph not 85mph and it should go awhile. It’s not torture the way that the 250/450/500’s are on the freeway. It can do more than the Japanese singles of years past.

But I don’t think that’s what he wants.

He wants a fun street bike that can do a little bit of dirt

[JettaJayGLS]

Teach me: why can't you just have a mega wide gear ratio to solve the highway issue? My RC390 is pretty comfy in the 70mph range in 6th. Low end seems pretty good too - as good if not better than the KLR650 I've ridden.

I've been anti ADV/Dual-Sport for awhile...but I think I'm getting old and coming around.

[Chippertheripper]

Teach me: why can't you just have a mega wide gear ratio to solve the highway issue? My RC390 is pretty comfy in the 70mph range in 6th. Low end seems pretty good too - as good if not better than the KLR650 I've ridden.

I've been anti ADV/Dual-Sport for awhile...but I think I'm getting old and coming around.

Some of the smaller singles lack the oomph to pull a low gear at high speed...to maintain highway cruising speeds. That said the 390 (or homies husky 401 I got to derp) has no problems cruising at 70.
That’s why I want them to put that motor into a normal dualsport chassis like an exc and have a good, light, lc4 dualsport again, that’s some smaller and lighter than the current 690.
In its 2020 trim, its ass got FAT with the increase in fuel capacity.

[nhbubba]

I think the 690/701 has come a long way. Everyone I talked to about older ones say it isn't great for interstate highway use. Whenever I go down the rabbit hole and start hunting (it happens) I quickly talk myself into a newer one, convince myself it has to be the newer balanced motor Joel has in his -SM. Then I see the availability and pricing and back out of it again.

With a 200 XC in the garage I tend to gravitate towards more tour-friendly choices. Also probably having an adverse reaction to trying to do ADV things on a 450 enduro. Fat saddle, more than one cylinder, big windscreen. These become my requirements.

As we've said, this is all YMMV territory.


As to the gearing, I have no idea. I would not mind a large 5-6 step for an uber over-drive on the slab. (My harley basically has this.) As chip says, not sure all the smaller bikes could push that sort of thing though.

[MattR302]

Do a search for “CRF500L” - there’s been a bunch of guys that stuff the CB500 engine into a CRF250L frame. When it’s all said and done, it only adds about 25 lbs to the bike: ~50hp twin in a compact 350-360 lb dualsport.

[SRTie4k]

By the time you kit out a 690/701 to do touring duty, you're beyond the cost of a 790/890R, and it's still going to be worse on the interstate. That doesn't mean I don't want one!

I still think a small and cheap dual sport and a big displacement and comfortable adventure bike is the perfect combo. I've taken my Super Adventure places it really shouldn't be, and although it can be a bear to wrestle on technical stuff, it can be done. The R is even better at that stuff, and just as comfortable and nearly as agile on pavement. And once you get through it all and are at the far reaches of the state and need to get home before your wife gets pissed, you can hop on the interstate, set cruise, kick back and listen to a podcast and/or music.

When it comes down to 790/890R vs 1290R, it really becomes a question of stature. As a 6'2" guy, the 790/890R is just way too small for me. If I was shorter I'd probably own one instead of my Super Adventure.

[breakdirt916]

@jettajay [noob]imho, widening a dual sport gear box even more than they already do, attempts to fix a problem we don't need to solve. if you need an even wider ratio transmission on a dual sport to go 70mph comfortably for 85% pavement 15% dirt, you should be on an adv bike. modern enduros have 6 speeds to do short pavement stretches; that's nuf'

I stand by it - separate duties. light plated dual sport, big street bike that comfortably handles slab; go adv if you need a *little* bit of dirt. and even though adv bikes are capable off road, every time I did it, I honestly kept wishing I was on an actual dirt bike for those sections...I keep the street bikes street worthy w' street tires and keep the dirt bikes dirt worthy with the thickets DOT knobs possible. Even using an adv bike exclusively on the street to me compromised street tune/capability.[/noob]

[tls25rs]

Not the best looking thing out there but there is this

https://www.husqvarna-motorcycles.co...o-lr-2020.html

Another 701 variant would be something like this

https://www.701rally.com/

There is a video floating around out there someplace of a guy on a big KTM riding the River Loop at Hop-Ev Multi use trails in Dunbarton but my 5 min of searching couldn't find it

[JettaJayGLS]

@jettajay [noob]imho, widening a dual sport gear box even more than they already do, attempts to fix a problem we don't need to solve. if you need an even wider ratio transmission on a dual sport to go 70mph comfortably for 85% pavement 15% dirt, you should be on an adv bike. modern enduros have 6 speeds to do short pavement stretches; that's nuf'

I stand by it - separate duties. light plated dual sport, big street bike that comfortably handles slab; go adv if you need a *little* bit of dirt. and even though adv bikes are capable off road, every time I did it, I honestly kept wishing I was on an actual dirt bike for those sections...I keep the street bikes street worthy w' street tires and keep the dirt bikes dirt worthy with the thickets DOT knobs possible. Even using an adv bike exclusively on the street to me compromised street tune/capability.[/noob]

Sorry, my view wasn't to widen the tranny of an already shitty dual sport motor, but to make a new dual sport with a good powerplant (like my RC390, as Chip also suggested). Maybe that motor is just more special than I thought.