I'm Torn! 500 EXC or 690 Enduro R or ???

[copb8]

I'll tell you what.... I'm gonna let you ride my bike...../QUOTE]

Thrill-Billy was the offer to me? If so, thank you, that's generous.

Do you think a ride on your XRL would be a lot different than the one I had? I thought my was pretty good overall. Like I mentioned earlier on, I had some second thoughts on letting it go but at this point I'm all fired up for something new and I have to say, the 690 felt like a modern XRL.

 

[Nooner]

For the original poster, I am wondering if his weight and size have something to do with the perceived front end issues? These bikes are not sprung for big people. If you weigh more than 200 lbs, you are likely not going to be real happy with the stock suspension. I would experiment with shifting your weight bike like I did when you are running the bike at 60+ mph. If that makes a noticeable difference, then it is likely you simply need more preload and perhaps stiffer springs up front. This keeps the front end from sagging excessively which affects the rake/trail of the front end and can cause that instability. New springs are not expensive or difficult to install. I did it on both my KLR and on my Vstrom 650 and it made a world of difference on both bikes. (For the record, I weigh about 185 lbs or so, maybe 200 all up with gear).

I can speak from experience that weight and size were not what made that bike feel like it had an unstable front end, I am considerable less than 200lbs in all my gear as well.

There is a chance that something in the setup could have made her track a bit better, but in comparison to the bikes that I normally ride (and I ride a few quite regularly) the front end felt squirlly, I don't think a Scott's damper would be a bad investment on that bike at the price it is being sold for. Think it just has an aggressive take that could stand to be calmed down (or ridden by someone with bigger cajones than me).

GLWS - it is a beautiful bike...

 

[thrill-billy85]

I'll tell you what.... I'm gonna let you ride my bike...../QUOTE]

Thrill-Billy was the offer to me? If so, thank you, that's generous.

Do you think a ride on your XRL would be a lot different than the one I had? I thought my was pretty good overall. Like I mentioned earlier on, I had some second thoughts on letting it go but at this point I'm all fired up for something new and I have to say, the 690 felt like a modern XRL.

Yeah, I mean it may. Do I think it will, no.setup can make a big difference in these bikes. The fork brace made a night and day difference. You may have had one though, I'm not sure.

If I didn't have the xrl, it'd be a 690, also. I think that's the next best thing. I like that the xrl is air-cooled and archaic.

That said, I like carburetors, tappet valves, cooling fins, and sub-$1000 rebuilds.

The xrl is a better blank canvas for those who don't mint toiling with the inner-workings of their scoot.

Actually... can I ride your 690 when you get it???

 

[copb8]

My XR did have a fork brace.

A big difference between you and I is that you're a carb savant and I'm a carb savage. You get all sweaty and excited with the prospect of working on one and I just get sweaty and pissy.

Regarding rebuilds, I don't think I'll have that many because, sadly, I don't do that many miles in a year on any one bike.

You'd be welcome to ride the 690. As long as you don't do any fast low water crossing on it!

 

[Tailwind]

Bart,

I just talked to D'moto Powersports in San Antonio. They have one '16 690 in stock. I spoke to a salesman named Rick. 210-403-2100

Just thought I would pass along to you.

David

 

[copb8]

Bart,

I just talked to D'moto Powersports in San Antonio. They have one '16 690 in stock. I spoke to a salesman named Rick. 210-403-2100

Just thought I would pass along to you.

David

Thanks David. My local dealer has one in stock as well. I was going to focus on finding a used one to save a few dollars though.

 

[TallGears]

Just take the Tenere up anything rocky and technical like Imogene pass. It does it no problem.

I would say the only thing the Tenere doesn't do well is deep sand.. Fully loaded for a multi week camping trip. Single track and rocky terrain can be done. I definitely understand that lack of will to pick it up though.. especially after the first couple drops

Kidding aside. I have no experience with the 500 but having had XRL's and Tenere's, I would say you have the bikes to do the two different kinds of riding you wish to do already. Deal with the 500's poor road performance if you are going to focus on single track for the day, and take the Tenere for the longer trips and deal with its poorer off road performance on those type of trips.

Maybe the 690 will do both perfectly, but as many have said I don't know that there is a do it all bike and many of found that having 2 is the best compromise. Hopefully you find that balance with the 500 since you already own it.

 

[copb8]

Your Tenere looks HEAVY to pick up!!

The Tenere is staying for 2-up riding and really-long distance travel with some unpaved roads thrown in.

The 690 would in no way replace it. I think the 690 is a good compromise for 1-up dual sporting and moderate trail riding which probably suits what I'm going to do more than the 500.

....... I think

BTW, By your signature it looks like you're completely out of the off road bikes now. Did you lose interest in that type of riding.

 

[TallGears]

Yes I sort of did. At the end of the day I think I enjoy carving twisties on a sportier bike. Dual sporting is fun but honestly it made me want to ride more difficult stuff on a more dirt oriented bike. Lots of dual sporting to me around here is just gravel and dirt roads that are well maintained to the point a civic can drive down it. That too me wasn't very adventurous. I'm generalizing here but we all know we don't have the dual sporting opportunities places like Utah, NM, CO offer.

As we know most of the great places to ride in Texas are private land so that leaves the tame public roads. If I lived somewhere friendlier with more difficult things to ride I might have kept the Tenere. I think I just enjoy pavement more. I enjoyed the heck out of the Tenere and definitely took it everywhere I wanted to go. For now I'm going to ride the GT as a sport tourer and look at either getting a straight up track bike or a straight up dirt bike as my 2nd bike. That will come down the road after I spend some $$ on a few cross country trips on the GT

 

[SilverBullet]

Your Tenere looks HEAVY to pick up!!..

They are but the trick is to ride with a buddy, preferably one that is younger and stronger and even more preferable is not to drop it! Lol

_

 

[Tourmeister]

I would say the only thing the Tenere doesn't do well is deep sand.. Fully loaded for a multi week camping trip. Single track and rocky terrain can be done. I definitely understand that lack of will to pick it up though.. especially after the first couple drops

Even the 530/500 would be challenged in that stuff if it were loaded down like that!! Unloaded, they'd be a screaming blast through that!! I'd run my 1200 GS through that if I were on TKC 80s and NOT carrying that kind of load. Back in April of 2015, Rsquared and I did Comb Wash Rd in SE Utah (near Blanding) and it was miles of sand/silt like your pic above. I was on my 1200 GS with the Hidenau K60's and he was on his KTM 690. The 1200 was a hand full but I was having fun! Rsquared may not have enjoyed it as much, but I don't think he had any problems. We were not loaded down though. With the rear that heavy, it is just really hard to control any bike in really deep sand, regardless of having or not having a steering stabilizer.

 

[Tourmeister]

Here is a relatively smooth and packed section of Comb Wash Rd., a spot where I could stop to catch my breath and reset my brain after several near drops because of the front end washing out... There weren't many straight sections. It was just corner after corner...

Much of the rest of it was considerably deeper and quite rutted up from trucks coming through pulling RVs to a camp site further up the road near the creek.

 

[Rsquared]

This is true but why not do both? The damper doesn't cost that much relative to what people invest in their bikes. Consider it a one time insurance policy for ~$400. If you have MBS the damper is also super easy to swap from bike to bike with only two screws. You will only need to purchase an extra mount for each bike.
_

I may change my mind someday, but so far, I just never have liked the way they make the steering feel on all of the bikes I've ridden that have them, and I've ridden a lot of bikes that have them. I've also ridden a lot of bikes that have really great suspensions and they've all been confidence inspiring to ride, especially at speed. Maybe if I did a lot of high-speed desert riding I'd be singing the praises of a stabilizer, but for the riding I do, $500-$600 goes a long way toward getting the suspension sorted out...

Wonder why this isn't certified for road use? No biggie I guess.

For small companies that make a tank that they won't sell a large number of, I would just guess that it's cost prohibitive to get that approval, or they don't won't the liability. I've seen this before on after market tanks like this that are labeled as "Liquid Containers" but intended as gas tanks.

Here is a relatively smooth and packed section of Comb Wash Rd., a spot where I could stop to catch my breath and reset my brain after several near drops because of the front end washing out... There weren't many straight sections. It was just corner after corner...

Much of the rest of it was considerably deeper and quite rutted up from trucks coming through pulling RVs to a camp site further up the road near the creek.

I will say that I was amazed at how easy you made it look to ride that road on your Big GS, while I was fighting to keep my 690 upright. That picture doesn't do justice to all of the long deep silty sand sections it has. And, I wouldn't say that I didn't have fun when we were riding that road, I just don't know that I realized at the time...

 

[woodsguy]

Even the 530/500 would be challenged in that stuff if it were loaded down like that!! Unloaded, they'd be a screaming blast through that!! I'd run my 1200 GS through that if I were on TKC 80s and NOT carrying that kind of load. Back in April of 2015, Rsquared and I did Comb Wash Rd in SE Utah (near Blanding) and it was miles of sand/silt like your pic above. I was on my 1200 GS with the Hidenau K60's and he was on his KTM 690. The 1200 was a hand full but I was having fun! Rsquared may not have enjoyed it as much, but I don't think he had any problems. We were not loaded down though. With the rear that heavy, it is just really hard to control any bike in really deep sand, regardless of having or not having a steering stabilizer.

I've yet to have "fun" on these kind of roads on a big bike, risk versus reward just isn't there.

 

[copb8]

And, I wouldn't say that I didn't have fun when we were riding that road, I just don't know that I realized at the time...

Great line and I can completely relate.

 

[Tourmeister]

Great line and I can completely relate.

It is what we have come to call retroactive fun. In the moment, we are often wondering what on Earth we were thinking when we thought it was a good idea. Then later, sometimes that night or maybe even a week or so, it transforms into our heads into a fun memory. This makes it easier next time to get into a situation where we are once again wondering what we were thinking...?

 

[Tourmeister]

I've yet to have "fun" on these kind of roads on a big bike, risk versus reward just isn't there.

Well, our speed wasn't real high and a wipe out would just put us down in soft sand, so not too risky. Probably the biggest risk would be pulling a muscle picking up the bike

I never once touched my brakes on that road. However, by the time we got back to pavement, the smell of burning brakes and silica was pretty strong on my bike. The silt had gotten up between the rotor and pads and started getting hot. It stunk for about the next 10-15 miles.

 

[CBaron]

It is what we have come to call retroactive fun. In the moment, we are often wondering what on Earth we were thinking when we thought it was a good idea. Then later, sometimes that night or maybe even a week or so, it transforms into our heads into a fun memory. This makes it easier next time to get into a situation where we are once again wondering what we were thinking...?

I've called it "ride amnesia". It usually takes a little while for the symptoms to develop.

-CJB

 

[Tourmeister]

I've called it "ride amnesia". It usually takes a little while for the symptoms to develop.

-CJB

Landing on your head helps...

 

[thrill-billy85]

My XR did have a fork brace.

A big difference between you and I is that you're a carb savant and I'm a carb savage. You get all sweaty and excited with the prospect of working on one and I just get sweaty and pissy.

Regarding rebuilds, I don't think I'll have that many because, sadly, I don't do that many miles in a year on any one bike.

You'd be welcome to ride the 690. As long as you don't do any fast low water crossing on it!

Fast low water crossings are like nectar of the motorcycle gods.

Lol. I was thinking more like a quick jaunt down the street.

Upon further consideration, it may make me hate my xrl, and I'd have to start a 'torn' thread, yet again

 

[copb8]

You may want to bookmark this thread for future use. ?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

 

[thrill-billy85]

Haha!! See sig.- no really, I'm keeping this one.

Hey, so since there has been talk of steering stabilizers... and since I thought I'd gotten a Scott's, for basically nothing, I'm piqued---

You talk about them helping in sand.... when you ride in sand the front wheel will randomly "go that way". It just doesn't cooperate up there. Now, when I was riding a YZ250 in the Arkansas river bed, the solution was to get your weight back, and apply liberal throttle...

Does the scotts damper help with that washy nonsense?

 

[copb8]

I used to feel the same way about my fjr. After 11 years was the saddest one to see go.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

 

[Tourmeister]

Haha!! See sig.- no really, I'm keeping this one.

Hey, so since there has been talk of steering stabilizers... and since I thought I'd gotten a Scott's, for basically nothing, I'm piqued---

You talk about them helping in sand.... when you ride in sand the front wheel will randomly "go that way". It just doesn't cooperate up there. Now, when I was riding a YZ250 in the Arkansas river bed, the solution was to get your weight back, and apply liberal throttle...

Does the scotts damper help with that washy nonsense?

I think the big issue is that a lot of people are just not comfortable with the front end feeling like it is wandering around in the sand even if the bike is going perfectly straight. Dampeners can be adjusted, but generally they are for sharp impacts that will quickly change the direction of the front tire. Rather then the front end turning, the whole bike gets pushed sideways a bit but the front wheel keeps pointing the right direction. The nicer units have both high speed and low speed dampening controls. The low speed control would be more of what you'd use for the sane where the pushing is not as sharp and sudden as hitting a rock. In the sand, I stand up, shift my weight back a bit, stay on the gas and basically steer by weighting the pegs rather than turning the bars. So the answer to your question is yes, it can help with that washy nonsense, but not everyone feels the need for it. Like dino vs synthetic, it's a never ending debate If you have money to spend and you think you need one (or already have one), go for it. You might be one of the people that love them... or not

 

[Rsquared]

So the answer to your question is yes, it can help with that washy nonsense, but not everyone feels the need for it. Like dino vs synthetic, it's a never ending debate If you have money to spend and you think you need one (or already have one), go for it. You might be one of the people that love them... or not

You're right about that. You also have to consider the cons, as well as the pros.

Like what might hang up the on stabilizer when you have to Eject-Eject-Eject...