Im thinking of getting one of these already spec'd up to do the TET routes through europe and Sweet Lamb in Wales etc. I cant think of a better bike for the road work and off road trails....thoughts?
Hey Will, you can’t go far wrong with a 690, of course like any bike it has its pros a cons. I would say the 690 does nothing exceptional well but does everything you want it to do well. I’ve ridden mine on the motorway 175 miles in one hit without stopping, that’s helped by the auxiliary fuel tank and the Seat Concepts seat. Saying that I rode from Exeter to Heathrow with the stock seat and no fairing in one hit too. For the road you need to have the wheels balanced otherwise they can misbehave terribly. That’s due to the rim lock throwing the wheel out of balance. I use the brass enduro weights that fit to the spokes as the stick on ones just fly off or get pulled off it the mud. I know with the 690 fully loaded I can pick it up on my own, especially when solo travelling or riding. For better slow control I changed the front sprocket to a 14, this makes it much more rideable in technical terrain ruts and improves the hill climbs. Obviously there’s a compromise for motorway speeds and the motor revs 500 rpm more at the same speeds from stock. I’ve ridden lots of the TET through the South of England and Wales. The 690 gobbles it up. Yes there were some section I wished it was a 100kg enduro bike and the motorways I wished it was a twin cylinder. The 690 sits perfectly in between those two, as they say the unicorn. From what I have ridden in Spain and Portugal the 690 was a perfect choice. I highly recommend them.
Hi Andy, thanks for taking the time to watch the video. As you have mentioned in your question the still picture has the Rally Raid tanks fitted with the Nomad ADV Rally tower. The panel that go between the tanks and the tower are made & supplied by Nomad ADV so they fit perfectly. If you go to my FB page you will see more pictures of the bike during the build and the fitting of the tanks and side panels.
So far I am very happy with my KTM 690r 2016 with 30,000 miles on it. Just buy a lot of Tires, fuel and occasional oil, chain and sprockets. consumable items.
For some reason you only hear about negative/bad experiences with many things. Rarely do you hear about how good something is and how happy many are. They’re awesome bikes, I always smile when I ride mine. I will do a more in depth video as there are so many small things I’ve done to it that I never even mentioned.
Great video and build! I like the Seat Concepts seat, not sure how easy it would be to get here (EU/Spain) as it's an US company, and they have no listing for the 2023 Enduro R or GasGas ES 700.. yet. Was going to order with the "Ergo" option (~€200) but these look a lot more comfy for stints in the saddle..
Hey thanks for the kind words. I know the US and European spec seats are different for the 690. A friend ordered one for his 2021 UK spec bike and it didn't fit. The base was different, Seat Concepts didn't know this at the time. Eventually they sent him a cover and foam and he had his OEM seat base redone as it was easier than sending it the the US. I would email them and see what you options are. Since making this video I have also added a Cool Covers seat cover, this really does make a different too. You can see my review of this cover fitted to my FJR1300.
@@demon_rides will do. They do (now) differentiate between US and "non-North American" seats now, just don't have GasGas listed (though I believe its identical to 690 Enduro R).
9:50 - split radiator might be because of bolts mounting plastics straight to radiator. "pro" 690 users use zip ties instead of bolts ;) . BTW you have to be gentle rider if your fuel tank bolts are still holding.
The split in the radiator was in the core, no wear near the bolts. It was about 10mm long. K Seal got me through the rest of my trip but unfortunately it was not repairable. I use zip tie too. Top and bottom tank bolts have been replaced along with many other modifications. I could have gone into every mod and upgrade but the fear of boring people kept the video short. If there’s desire for a more in-depth video I may make one.
If you have not yet picked up the hood tank bag, i can highly recomend you do. Yes, watee proof, comes with a map holder thing thay food size, which i used to put my phone in while out snd about since i had to replace the camera in it. Yeah never mount it to your handle bars on a single. Do it enough and it will kill your camera. But love the tank bag. Specially if you like that size. It is pretty close to the one in this video. Or the new one they have, the nome. With the small bladder. I perfer the hood tank, but may also pick up a nome as well.
Well as it happens I do have the Mosko Moto Hood tank bag now. It’s the same 4 litre capacity as the Giant Loop Fandango bag featured in the film. I’ve not used it yet as I doodle the features on the GL bag, the compartments etc. plus I now how the tank pannier bag that attach to it. I will test them in the future a decide which I’ll use on my big trip. I never have my phone fitted to the bike unless I have the vibration dampener fitted. That’s a must.
Hi Rosanne, yes. Depending on what year the bike is there are two different brackets. If memory serves me correctly they changed them in 2014. As it happens I’ve just posted a selection of picture on my FB page.
I saw you too 🤣 How cool is that? You see my logos on my bike and you flash my you tube channel up on your phone. Keep an eye on my channel for a big adventure… be safe lads.
great vid, bike looks great :) Some similar mods here to what i've done on my 701 (on my channel). I might give Crispy designs a go next time I fancy a change of decals ;) All the best, ride safe!
Thanks, I could have waffled on for ages as I’ve done so many other things that I didn’t talk about. Sprockets dongles temp sensor and the small jobs and preventative measures etc. If you want to see more of the bike you can see pictures on my FB page. How long have you had the 701?
@@demon_rides ah cheers. It’s a little waffley in part but also have another update video soon as made a few more improvements. Oh cool, let me know if you fancy a ride out in future then :)
