I agree, this past weekend we were in Pahrump for a rally and hit more than one dirt rode cruising at 65-70. The bike handled it perfectly and almost seems like it wants you to go faster. - Mr Orange

I agree. I came from a Husqvarna Norden 901, which is essentially the KTM 890 Adventure. I think the 690 is more like 130 lbs lighter than the other two bikes.

That must have been quite a change. I fixed (the carburetor among other things) on a buddy's XR and rode it when I was done. It was soooooo heavy compared to the 690 to me. It didn't help that he had a desert tank on it, which made it feel even heavier. Ride safe (or don't) -Mr Orange

Great to get a positive opinion from someone coming from the xr to the 690!

Hey ray I just bought a 2023 690 and was wondering how you still like it and if you have had any problems with it

@@stevehicks616 I just love it and the versatility it provides, I put on a Wings exhaust, rear fender & handlebar bag, rally footpegs, a low seat concepts seat & a ram mount phone mount & those upgrades completed the motorcycle for me. It's just a dynamic experience to ride & love it, be safe riding & one or two wheels up lol

@@raypetrocelli595 good deal, I sold my Africa twin and klx300 and bought the 690 loving it so far, just heard a lot of horror stories on the 690 was a little spooked

Glad you enjoyed it!

Thank you!

He's really happy with his choice! I find myself jealous at times and wish I had the spare cash to pick up a 690, and also the muscles required to pick it up, lol, working on that. Red rocks to mountain tops sounds like a great ride! Hope you guys have fun!

They are really great performers for sure. I am glad to have chosen it (and found one), and I still smile everytime I jump on it. -Mr Orange

It was a fantastic time! Thanks!

Good choice! Mr Orange just surprised me with a 2019 KTM 500 exc. It had 360 miles on it when we got it and came with a lot of goodies including steering stabilizer, tires, tons of spare parts, desert tank and upgraded suspension.

I agree with you 100% having the kick start is really nice I wish they didn’t take them away

CJ's 525, which we are currently fighting an oil leak on has both and I will agree 100%. More than once she has left the grip heaters on or key on and killed the battery. The kickstart means I don't have to bumpstart the bike in the sand or somewhere stupid - Mr Orange

Its funny, I bought one vowing to never work on carbs again. But now all my riding buddies are bringing me their carbs to rebuild or fix. - Mr Orange

The WR450 is nothing to be ashamed of! Super reliable and plenty of power. I, Cj, actually looked at one, but decided to go with Jack.

The 490 is an intriguing bike for sure. Especially if it turns out to be a twin. I hope they don't follow in the footsteps of the 390 with lower-end suspension though. Maybe they will follow the 790/890's and have S and R models? The engine will probably be pretty solid and powerful. That's really cool that the dealer is allowing you to do that. I was under the impression that the 490 was still only rumored and not yet confirmed, though I haven't been doing much checking on it recently. - Mr Orange

It's pretty cool out here. -cj

Glad I could help!

I appreciate the thought, but the newer models don't come with the rotary dial under the seat. I believe that stopped in 2018. From what I understand, the only way to get rid of the touchy throttle is to have it tuned, (its most likely running lean and thats why its responding to the fuel so quickly) or install a Power Commander.

@@duckinaroundadventures That's a bugger. Good Luck mate

@@duckinaroundadventures my 2018 model has the dial under seat you only need 123. My throttle is not instant to much play in it for me, with ride by wire.

Man, I've got a 2020 and I ride on paved roads to get to the closer off-road locations to ma and it rides great on and off road.

I would say it rides well on the street and, depending on how far you need to commute, would be a fine bike for that use. It really is a good trail bike too, so long as you're not trying to imitate Pol Tarres.

Thanks for this. I am running the fuel dongle from Rottweiler and it did help the bottom end, but a fuel injected bike will never be able to compete to the softness that a carbureted bike has and that takes time to get used to. Now that I have over 7k miles on it, riding a carb bike feels slow in its response. Its all about perspective. From what I understand the power commander also makes a big difference on the bottom end. Thanks for watching! - Mr Orange

I've gotten used to it at this point. No need to change it now. -Mr. Orange

Good choice! Any mods?

@@duckinaroundadventures just some rally pegs that are much longer/wider and changed my position on the bike for the better. KTM powerparts. (I can vouch for them.) I also changed the front sprocket with one with 14 teeth as I like to be able to easier do the technical stuff in the 1st gear (very tight corners through the trees, steep climbs, etc.)

So, with regard to the fueling on the Ducati. make sure you check for air leaks at the intake manifolds and boots. Cj's old monster had a lean misfire that was being caused by a broken vacuum line to the MAP sensor. I ended up using a smoke machine from my shop to find the leak as it was driving me insane too. You can also spray around the jugs , intake manifold and throttle body with carb or brake spray. Listen for a change in idle and take your time between sprays. A little goes a long way. When the idle changes, thats where your leak is. Let me know if you need any help and I will do what I can. That being said, just adding a larger jet to overcome the air leak would be a band aid and not a fix. But I totally understand the mindset, I am that way with carbs. I personally have owned over 20 bikes, most with carbs, and whether I bring them to a shop or do it myself, they never seem to run right. My shop has all the tools I could ever need to tune and fix the fuel injection, and my patience will not allow me to own another carburetor. I do agree that they have their place, and if I were to ride around the world, I would probably bring a carbureted bike for the shear simplicity. - Mr Orange

That is highly dependent on the type of person you are. The bike itself is very capable of being a first bike, however you have to be able to show restraint when riding off-road or maybe take some classes. Things change dramatically when you first start riding off-road. Maybe check some of the local rental companies or ridershare.com and see if you can rent on for a day? That would save you a ton of money if you don't like it. Thanks for watching! - Mr Orange

Aside from colorways, there is not a difference in the 2019-2022 models. The Husky, depending on year may have longer suspension travel, which depending on the type of riding you're planning on doing may be a better choice. I bought used originally and thankfully the dealer made good on it. Make sure you get it checked out completely before you go signing those papers. Maybe have it checked out by a independent shop? --Mr Orange

@@duckinaroundadventures respectfully, this isn't wrong for us US based folks, but not for everyone. there are/were some pretty significant changes depending on where you live. In 21 Europe got the new euro 5 ecu and thus is much more difficult to tune. They also got monobloc brembo brakes and a slightly upgraded dash with a numerical tach. I gotmy 22 us version in January, and was surprised to find we got the old 2019 version. If someone is in the eu, I don't think the changes are significant enough to warrant looking past a nice used deal. These bikes are super lean from the factory, and need a bit of uncorking, and I personally would trade the marginal improvement in braking hardware and dash for the ability to tune and mod the bike as I see fit.

I forget sometimes that people outside of the US may watch these videos, in the future specifying would be helpful. Thanks for pointing this out! You are 100% correct.

May not be in the USA but in the UK the 2021/22 does not require an off-road dongle anymore. When you switch to mode 2 or off road mode you get no ABS on rear wheel and reduced sensitivity off-road ABS on the front. So check out local spec.

I would argue that this bike is not truly "ready to race", but it is much more so than a DR or KLR. I might add a wings exhaust at some point, but I really like how quiet the bike is. I too have a fuel dongle and the Rade Garage storage container/ air filter kit. The intake gets pretty loud when you get on it with the aftermarket intake, and can be a bit much for me. I must be getting old or something.

That's both a really good and very hard-to-answer question. The 690 can be a tame bike if you have the throttle control. I have never ridden the 390, so I could not give you a fair comparison. I imagine the throttle response on the 390 is similar, with the difference being the lower amount of power. To be fair, I would consider myself a novice/intermediate rider (probably more novice) and am still growing into the bike. The 690 is taller though, by a good margin. So maybe see if Ridershare or one of the other rental websites has one near you to try out? --Mr Orange

I just started riding last November and was contemplating similar options looking at the CRF and klx300. I had a drz400 but needed something better for highway speeds. I ended up finding a deal on a used dr650. I really want to get out in the dirt more too but if I'm honest with myself, I definitely spend more time on pavement. The dr is a bit heavy so it's not as fun as a 300 in the dirt but still quite capable. It's very confident at highway speeds and is so simple to maintain being low compression and air cooled. Everything is a compromise. Honestly with these machines being so cost effective you could own more than one. Good luck

A DR650 is a great bike and if I were to plan a round the world trip it would be at the top of my list of bikes to consider. Being that it was made for over 20 years, mostly unchanged, parts are very easy to come by. They are heavy, and you do get used to it to a degree, but there is no replacement for a bike that weighs much less. Progressing your skills on a heavier bike will make you a better rider I think. I too spend a lot of time on the pavement, whether riding to work every day, or travelling to fishing spots on the weekend, I don't spend every mile on pavement. And I think, with the exception of pure dirt bikes, the same can be said about most dual sports and their riders (even if they don't want to admit it). Everything truly is a compromise. - Mr Orange

the 690 has an amazing suspension with lots more travel and more ground height than the 390. If you are tall enough for it, you will love it for offroad. on the street it's fine too. not great, not bad. well ... enduro, right? it's fun on the street, even with nobbies, but at more than 70-80 mph it gets pretty tiring without rally fairing and will tend to get instable with too low front tire pressure on proper knobbies. (on tkc80 "too low" even means 26psi or lower. that's when I notice it beginning to get uncomfy - yet not uncontrollable) seat concepts seat is mandatory for most driver who want to ride more than 150-200 miles. or several days in a row. the power is easily controllable. after all, this is a 75hp enduro, not a 150+hp sports bike. and i regularly try my traction control. it works well. yet, what you will want to have under control is your gas hand when you don't have a lot of experience. knobbies don't break as well as street tires, and beeing able to go fast in no time, can make corners tighter than you want to. if you are a fairly relaxed driver and are tall enough for it, you will want to consider this bike when you think about changing bikes. I haven't ridden bikes in about 15 years and am pretty happy with it. it's great fun offroad, even for a novice-intermediate. never having ridden a 390 myself, I will assume that if you feel confident on your 390, the 690 won't be overwhelmingly different. I'm sure you will be able to handle it just as fine. last but not least: this bike has a few characteristics that will want to know about before getting one. so, definitely test ride it. preferably for a long ride of at least an hour or 2.

They are good bikes and seem to be hit or miss. I feel bad that yours quit on you. Especially because it means you are missing out on something son wonderful. Having ridden a CRF300, I can say they are a little heavy for the amount of power they produce, but they are a Honda. And with that comes Honda's legendary reliability. I just saw that Honda may be releasing a smaller version of the Africa Twin, something to look out for? - Mr Orange

@@duckinaroundadventures I am 54 years old. I just want to travel in nature and reach quiet corners. I have no ambitions to become an enduro rider or ride on dirt roads at 100 km/h. The 701/690 are not intended for relaxed riding and from experience they encourage you to go into a sporty mode. it's a rational choice. my heart wants a KTM DUKE 1290 - I hope I won't give up and stay with the Honda relaxed path :)

I ran the RallZ rear and front on my DR and was really happy with it with one exception. Good long life from that tire but you could really feel the knobs on the street. I have been torn between the RallZ and the Tractionator Adventure as a replacement for the TKC's. --Mr Orange

I am really happy with my choice, and everytime I push it (and myself), the bike comes out untroubled. The T7 is such a beautiful bike, and when you see Pol Tarres riding that thing like a trials bike, you start to wonder if you can too. But I can't, and I have to keep reminding myself of that. --Mr. Orange

@@duckinaroundadventures what new item is coming ?

What are we talking about?

I had no idea of that when I bought it or I might have bought the Husky too. Though I really liked the orange and thats part of what made me choose it in the first place. Now, with over 13,000 miles on it I have had no issues that I did not bring on myself. Its been great.

There are times, specifically when doing long bits on the highway, that I would like a T7. But every time I get into something a bit hairy, I am glad I chose the 690. Going on 4 months and I still smile when I get on the bike and start riding. I wasn't getting that with the DR. -Mr Orange

It was a heavily ridden used 690 that had a broken piston ring.

In the video I was comparing it to my old bike which was a built DR650. You can see it many of the previous videos. Thanks for watching - Mr Orange

Agreed, though we are working on getting a bit more technical and into more difficult trails. Mr Orange is waiting on case covers for protection and then we will be trying some harder stuff. I still have to get over the mental block in my head from my broken wrist.

Unfortunately you can't with the 2022. You need the whole Power Commander setup. Learned it the hard way ...

Currently running the fuel dongle from Rottweiller and while it has made a difference, there is still some more to be gained from going with a power commander. I still have the stock exhaust so no immediate plans to go with one. Just takes some adjustment for my riding style. While I still have an issue every once in a while, I have pretty much trained myself to be gentler on the throttle at this point. -Mr Orange

@@duckinaroundadventures I have a new '23 701 with a Yosh can and the Rottweiler PC6 and their fuel dongle combo. The mapping really firms up the bottom end power, it grunts down low good now. It used to feel "luggy" below 50 MPH in 6th gear. Now it can slow down to 35 in 6th, roll on and go. The clutch needs less slipping during slow going in 1st also, if it is going real slow and ya want to accelerate, just gas it and turn the tire, the revs come up, the world is your clutch - LOL If on pavement or with adequate traction off road, power wheelies are much easier to initiate, it just runs better and more responsive. It also sounds amazing - the cannon length Yosh can's sound is deep and smooth. It also comes with a spark arrestor screen. Do consider the Rottweiler PC6 and an exhaust, the combo ups the fun factor considerably. One final small mod - I did an internal snorkel removal inside the airbox lid using a hole saw to start, then cleaned it up by hand with a jigsaw blade held in a vice grips. The snorkel remains as is on the outside. The internal snorkel removal prevents the filter from getting hammered with dirt in front where the stock inlet concentrates it. and instead spreads it out much more evenly over the entire filter. No difference in intake sound with this mod, which is what I hoped for. Dunno if it makes more power, I doubt it, but whatever, the power is already stupid anyway 😆 Running a Twin Air panel foam filter instead of the stock paper one.

He says "I did, fundamentally its the same bike, but depending on the year you can get longer travel suspension. The Husky new comes with a better warranty as well, but none were available around the time I was looking."

A DR with a 20 litre tank to give a combined fuel cycle of around 400km weighs 177kg (wet) approx - A stock 690 weighs 159kg (wet) and will give you about 185 km range.. SO! To get better range then the DR, you need to add something like a Safari Tank, 14 litres - which would now give you a similar range to the 20l DR, and the 690 will now weigh 169.3 kg approx. of course there are variables here or there, and the 690 will paste the DR in all categories. But if you’re taking it over distance - the weight difference isn’t huge.

@@martyn_gThe DR is a great bike If you fix the suspension and get some more power out of it. I had 3 of them, the last being a 790 and it was an excellent highway cruiser. DR or 690, they weigh up to 50 kg less than any of the twins which is a showstopper once you get older. However, my modified excf 500 is 50 kg lighter than a DR.

CJ's KTM 525 is much lighter than the 690 too, and a pure dirt bike will beat that. Its all about perspective. For me coming from the DR (which was top heavy) to the 690 was a huge change. I am already pushing my boundaries and this weekend was no exception. Expect a new video soon, possibly a followup to this one, with a buddy doing some hill climbs that I would have never tried on the DR.

I don't see why not. Having spare parts would be a good idea. Crash guards would be a great decision, spare fuel pump, because they supposedly fail and then make the fuel system as robust as you can. There are some known reliability issues, the fuel system should be upgraded with a new in tank filter and a new golan filter for the quick disconnect. Aside from that you can modify them to your hearts content, they're a blank canvas and you can do a lot with it.

They really are a step up from the DR. I only wish I had done it sooner. Try finding one on your local ridershare or one of the other bike rental websites and try one out for the day! It may cost $100 or so, but its a $100 insurance policy to make sure the bike is for you. - Mr Orange

They really are a good choice. Glad to hear you are happy with yours.

@@duckinaroundadventures Kind of just before signing the contract (KTM 690) I found a second hand (7000 km) Husqvarna 701 LongRange + rally tower for less than new price. 500km fuel range... My perfect bike now! 🙂

I wanted something that could tackle freeway as well as single track and trails. I also did not want something that would need the kind of maintenance that the 500 is reported to need. -Mr Orange

It's not that bad, after three hours you start to get sore. If you're standing up and sitting down it isn't terrible. -Mr. Orange Riding on highway for 4 hours, butt gets very very sore, requires lots of breaks. -cj

Engine power is one of the main differences. Suspension wise the 500 has better suspension and also has a taller seat height. The 500's are about 80+ pounds or so lighter than the 690. That makes it easier to pick up and maneuver when riding which translates to better off road performance. This however makes it not quite as good for riding on the street or longer commutes. If your plan is to do some off-roading, and you also plan on commuting on the bike the 690 is a better choice. But if you plan on trailering to a spot to ride or staying close to home, the 500 would be a better choice. You also have to take into consideration the maintenance aspect. The newer 500's require more maintenance than the 690 but repair costs would probably be lower. Both engines can be worked on fairly easily on your own if you have the technical knowledge. -Mr Orange

By maintenance do you mean the oil change and valve adjustments every 6500 miles? They are pretty simple to do yourself. CJ's 525 requires more maintenance than that. Heck, even the DR650 requires valve adjustments more often. Other than that, there isnt anything else that needs to be done that differs from all other bikes. And for the record, I ride 6 days a week if not more. - Mr Orange

@@duckinaroundadventures I’m doing 5000k per month…..lol

Motoz are a stiff carcass, and I sometimes have to get out the big tire irons to get them on/off. I dont look forward to doing it on the trail. That being said, the stiff carcass alllows for lower tire pressures, which in turn means better traction. Its just a matter of compromise. I am looking at tires now and will be checking out the ones you recommended. Thanks!! - Mr Orange

cowboy!?

I wish I could agree with this statement about carbs lasting forever, but that's just not true. Slides go bad, jets clog, vacuum diaphragms fail, floats stick. For 20 years I have worked on carbs, I just don't want to anymore. The fuel supply rarely fails, that's true. But petcocks fail too. With over 20 bikes owned, the only ones I have ever had issues with were the carbureted ones. - Mr. Orange

Thank you! I agree, the seat on the 690 is not very comfortable. About 1 hour on the seat and your butt starts to hurt. But I have noticed that it differs depending on the pants you are wearing at the time. Jeans are the worst and most uncomfortable, where as my riding pants aren't too bad after a while. --Mr Orange

@@duckinaroundadventures I had enduro pants with hard shorts dainese: maybe enduro exc ‘normal’ cover plastic is better. Dalla Valle is too abrasive as material and as design. Next week I’ll try to change…

True, and while that is a worst case scenario, I do not have plans to ride in any other country but the US. In addition, I always have my Garmin Inreach with me when I do ride, and I typically don't ride alone. Suffice it to say, that is a risk I am willing to take. I do love your choice of word "fiddling" though. I am just tired of "fiddling" with carbs.

Youwant to have fun ore be bored on the bike ;-), The relatability issue is to munch focused on. The change that you flip over the bike or misjudge the terrain your riding is a much higher risk. And If you don’t want the power … just be easy on the throttle.

My dude, I got well over 80 000 km of off road, rally and races out of my 690 with no issues. You're reading to many 690 hater post my friend.

I have a 2017 690 and I agree. Under 6k miles and it started hesitating. Took $$2,300 to do the top end and it still ran like crap. Replaced the in tank fuel filter and it ran fine. 2 rides later it randomly died on the street. First visit to the shop said it was a loose TBI connector. It died again on the street. Was told a battery terminal was loose (which is odd, because I checked that myself) and the intermittent firing caused the plugs to fail. New plugs, and it’s been ok since, but now I have doubt. When’s the next time it breaks down in the middle of nowhere? Not all 690’s act that way and the people with running bikes will tell you “I never had it happen so it’s not true.”. I ran a poll on a 690 group with over 200 responses and: 20% of people were stranded and need a tow home. 40% have issues but can get home. 40% have no issues. So less than half of the 690’s don’t have issue…pretty poor odds against a DR. Plus didn’t the video even say within 30 miles the first bike he bought was bellowing smoke?

@@patelbv Unfortunately that's the general reputation of KTM's. I know they have a huge fan base and I'm not picking on them. Just not sure why you want to risk getting stranded when you don't need to.

There is a lot to respond to here. I should probably clarify that the first bike I bought was used and the shop I bought it from admitted to doing a top end job (after it broke down). Turns out they had screwed up the head job and broke a piston ring, so not the bikes fault. The bike had been supoermoto'd out and was ridden that way, and hard. DR's are not a magic pill that will never break down. My DR had its share of problems and leaks etc. 3rd gear blowups, carb issues, plus more. That being said, an internal combustion engine is not perfect. In the automotive world, people will tell you to stick with Honda and Toyota because they are "the best" or "most reliable". I cannot count on two hands how many newer Tacomas have come to my shop with major issues. The short answer is, you never know. You may get lucky and get a good one that goes 80k or you may not. And that's not even taking into consideration how the bike is maintained or how its being ridden. Even things like how often its being washed play a big role. I am not doubting that KTM's have issues, and anyone that knows me knows that I am not a big fan of KTM. I even said multiple times, prior to buying this one, that I would never own one. I also don't consider myself a fan boy. I am sorry that your bike has caused you to have doubts, and I hope over time that changes and you can get back to riding it and being confident in it. -Mr Orange

Hey thanks for watching. That was kind of my point. It being everything a DR wanted to be, and at the time exceeding anything the DR could do.