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

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copb8 said:
Yep, they both do different jobs better than the other.

That said, for my future riding ambitions if I had to get rid of one of them it'd be the 500. Reluctantly.
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Why, I would guess the 690 is better on the bitumen and a very close in the dirt. Size wise the 690 probably fits you better than the 500 also. Hope you're past your latest kerfuffle. It sounded pretty bad.
 
JQ1.0 said:
Why, I would guess the 690 is better on the bitumen and a very close in the dirt. Size wise the 690 probably fits you better than the 500 also. Hope you're past your latest kerfuffle. It sounded pretty bad.
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Exactly. The 690 'can' do single track but it's a bit more work and a notch or two lower than ideal. On the other hand, if you consider our 1400 mile trip into Mexico that involved a lot of heads down 80 mph riding and maybe 30% unpaved and 10% hard single track, the 690 was absolutely perfect. Big Bend is another example. It breezes through anything the National or State Parks have to offer and can cruise from Rio Grand Village to Study Butte at speed in total comfort. We did a 280 mile loop through Pinto Canyon, Marfa and back to Presidio and all 3 of the guys on 690/701s we're still smiling at the end the ride. One 500 rider was going to start looking for a 690 on Monday.

I'm now toying with the idea of selling the 500 and maybe getting a 300 2-stroke for the woods. Not sure I want that yet or that my size is that ideal for a bike that small. But you know how it is, half the fun of owning the bikes is always looking for just the right one.

Regarding the AR wreck, I'm probably getting pretty close to as good as I'm ever going to get and while not ideal it's very livable.

How's your arm? I can't go down Old Ore without think about it. Also how you whipped our butts on the Window of the World hike. Still catching my breath on that one.
 
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Arm is good to go. Lesson learned in carrying more water while hiking. And I wasn't wearing heavy riding boots.
 
Yea, this thread sold me on the 500 way back when and it's been my dream bike for a while now which would replace my DRZ. I'm starting to poke at the market but JCatDRZ's 701 sure is tempting.
 
I vote with the wildman above: 690. My DS buds back in CO had 500 and 530 exc's and all grew out of the lack of comfort and honestly, the size of the bikes. They ride out of Boulder and Grand Junction CO and do a lot of single track, but just not the extreme stuff. They finally said "time for a KTM 300" for the tight stuff, and a bigger road oriented dual sport for longer rides and gravel roads. I think it all boils down to your age/endurance, comfort level desired and riding ability when choosing any big bore single for anything close to single track. I did it for years on far lesser/earlier generation bikes than the 690 but it finally wore me out (XR650R, WR450R, KTM 620RXC, XR600R). I went on to put 125K on between two GSAs and never complained a bit :-)
 
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I am really enjoying my 690 upgrade from the DRZ400. I do miss the DRZ, but cant keep up with two bikes.
 
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