T7 vs 690 Enduro R : Which is better? 

I was deciding between these two bikes. Ultimately I decided on the 701. The bike is way way way more capable than I am. I do commute on my bike but I also do adventure type riding, and dual sport riding. I chose the 701 because of the weight. I go solo 90% of the time and because of that I need to be confident that I can pickup the bike in the worst situations. I also picked it because I can only have one bike at a time right now. I think an ideal garage for me would be something like a T7 and a 501 or 350, but realistically, if you can only have one bike to do dual sport and adventure, I think the 690/701 platform is the way to go.

I traded my 890r for a 690r and never looked back. The 890r was amazing except for the weight off road. With the 690r I have a bike that, as you said, is a great day trip bike, but still seems like a big dirt bike that is much easier to maneuver and lift.

Well said.... I have the 690 and love it, at least after having installed a windscreen and Seatconcepts seat. With a few mods, it's truly an amazing BDR-type bike. The 100+ pounds weight savings is huge

Agree with your assessment. I've got a built 690, with the rally fairing, bigger tank etc. I LOVE it! On an extended super slab ride, after a few hours I'm envious of my friends T7. However, in the dirt, after helping him pick his T7 up a few times, I know I made the right choice with my 690. It's over 100lbs lighter, and that's huge for me off road. It's also a total hooligan around town, in a way that the T7 will never be

I've been riding motorcycles for 50+ years. I own both. A 22 690 & 23 T700. I had a 2017 Africa Twin, and I sold it and bought the T7. The Africa Twin was a great bike, but it was much more than I needed. I agree with all the points you talked about. Everything you mentioned pretty much sums it up on both bikes, and I enjoy riding both bikes for the same reasons you do, and yes, the 690 is my favorite go to bike for most of the riding I do for off road and short excursions. The 690 does not like to be pampered too much, which makes the T7 a good choice for longer distance and a slower pace if one chooses. I love both bikes for different reasons. Great video!👍

I just hit my 53rd year of riding, including MX/Desert racing. I bought a Triumph Tiger Rally Pro a couple of years ago, just as I started to have back problems. I dropped it in the boonies where there was no cell service and had to lift it myself. Squatting over 500 lbs at 63 years old ain’t fun. I need to make a change, because of the weight and I don’t want to do super long road rides anymore. I have been looking at 450/500 dual sports, but ride two hours out and back on pavement to get to the dirt sometimes and it is a bit windy where I live. I don’t think a featherweight will cut it for me. I actually have had to KTM LC4s including a 640 SX that I raced. Thanks for the review. I think it is time for me to come home to a big KTM thumper. Actually…..you had me at the wheelie on demand part. 😊

This is exactly the conundrum I have recently dealt with. I am planning an off road trip from the west coast of Australia to see the Finke Desert race next year and as I already have the T7 the 690 was the alternate choice for the 1100+ km of dirt to be crossed. Fortunately a friend is a Yamaha/KTM dealer and has offered me the chance to extensively road test the 690, so my mind is not set on either yet but you have certainly assisted with this review. 👍

I own both. You summed them up well. One thing I love about the 690 is that it's easy to throw in the back of my F150 by myself and unload it - and do solo trips without worrying if I drop it - how will I get it sorted? My 2023 690 has the smoother 2-counter balance weight engine but the T700 is far smoother. T700 is perhaps the most reliable ADV on the planet too!!

With 50/50 tyres the 690 is a hoot on the road. The light weight gives it increased corner adhesion and reduced braking distance. It is basically the same bike as the supermoto SMCR and a joy to ride hard on tarmac.

GREAT VIDEO! I test rode the T7 for a 150 mile dirt loop on gravel camping roads, some mud. It was my first time “‘off road” - it’s impossible to stall down low - it’s easy to pick up (dropped it twice) - lugs down low all day. - standing position is perfect for me at 6 ft. - aftermarket is superb. Customizing it would be fun. - I did hit the limits of suspension quickly but again, not in a hurry then eh, don’t worry about it. - personally I would buy it to tour with the possibility of tarmac turning into dirt or a an up coming water crossing. I wouldn’t seek those things out with the T7 but if you got a t7 then it’s all good. My only gripe with it is that it’s not a very exciting engine. It seems to take forever for it to get going when you’re on the road. But, if you don’t care about racing and adrenaline and all you want to do is just relax and tour around and simply get somewhere, it’s a peach.

Outstanding review. I used to race desert, and some MX on a YZ250. Owned a KLR 650 which was great on the street, but felt like a tractor off road. Now, at 65 I'm equally pulled in both directions. Tough decision!

Excellent thoughts on both bikes. I have the 890 Adventure S and a Husky FE 501 S, now there is a huge difference. lol

I put a Dakar style tower / windscreen on my 690. I love it all. All of it! 🏍️🏍️🏍️

Nice video! It is cool to have both machines. The T7 is a sweet light ADV bike that makes a lot of broad band 80% street oriented but still capable of doing some dirt sense. The 690 is a 50/50 big bore dual sport, a DR 650 from Hell. The 690 is a niche bike that is not for everybody, as it is expensive, and most riders want their bike to be biased more toward street like the T7, or dirt, like the 500 EXC. The 690 sucks equally on road and off, which is awesome if one is willing to accept that because the 690 can also do it all. The 690 will tolerate freeway, it is a weapon on a twisty backroad, and is a blast on a trail where it can stretch it's legs a little, although a skilled rider can navigate reasonably tuff stuff on it. The odd thing about the 690 is unlike the plodding DR and XRL, it comes with a big fat dose of actual power. On top of that, the newer twin balanced 690s are quite smooth too. Add a free flowing can, tune the 690 with an O2 sensor delete dongle and Rottweiler mapped PC6 and it picks up a ton of low end and mid power. The "braap factor" is off the hook. I have a '23 701 and post tuning it had so much power, the stock 15/46 gearing felt short. I went to 16/45 gearing and a Renazco Racing saddle, while far from luxurious, I can literally do all day long rides on pavement now. Short people need not apply though, I'm 6 foot with a 32" inseam and am on tiptoes with the wider but comfier saddle. My bike has a simple $80 Puig screen on the stock headlight shell that leaves my helmet in clean air and takes quite a bit off my chest at 70 plus on the highway. I replaced the weak stock headlight with a Cyclops LED, it is good now at night. With the taller gearing going 75 on the highway is much less busy, the real limiting factor for cruising speed is the wide bar dirt bike format. It feels much better pulling gear to gear on pavement, and is still good for the flowy off road stuff you mentioned. There is no way the taller gearing would work before the fueling was corrected though, it had that much less low end grunt. Slow stuff is clutch slip time of course, but it was like that when it was completely stock. I live in CO and have a 300 XC as my main off road ride and a Super Tenere as my touring bike. My 701 sits in between and as you said is my "day ride" bike. I like to ride it to scenic and sometimes pretty tough mountain 4x4 routes. It is good enough while off road that I "forget" it's not a dirt bike and ride it pretty aggressively. I replaced the too soft .59 fork springs with .65 units, which balances the front end better to the .72 rear spring. It always felt nose down and stinkbuggy with the stock fork springs in the dirt. Set up with the stiffer fork springs the laden sag is correct, it feels lighter, steers better and can actually attack whoops, within reason. My background is I'm about 215 in gear, long time off roader and ride my 300 upper mid pack in the "B" class when I occasionally race. Not super fast, but moving along! The naughty 690 platform is probably more fun than I should be allowed to have, been known to do wheelies on it in places that I shouldn't 😂

Thank you so much for creating your video and focusing in on the two closest cousins (ds and adv). Total obsession during the winter: ugh As in life... it is all about time and compromise. Crossing continents range from perfect sunshine single and two track to long boring stretches of road in the cold rain, shorter trips can bias towards the fun stuff and lessen the compromise. Considerations: Style of rider and their pure joy of riding: Any new adventure will be exciting whether you are running at eco pace to save fuel on an old trusty KLR, or hauling the mail after finding hero dirt right after a good storm. Utility/prepared/loaded style or running light tapping into your mojo for those adrenaline highs you will find the balance of weight and performance that may bring the trip to another level. Comfort: This is measured at the end of the day after you have been at it for a few. You can choose a comfy bike like a T7, or simply decrease your milage to accomodate a lighter 690/350. Regardless, you will find a good balance. Exhaustion: Muscling the big bikes in extended deep rutted sand/mud vs your pelvis seeming to split and debilitating spine and neck injuries due to harsh suspension with a stock dirt bike seat... remidies can be found, albeit some more $ than others. Limitations: As time goes by, this might play a larger role. Not as skill levels progress, or current tech evolves, but rather... when you set atop of that hill earlier in the day fresh with enough fuel, scoping out the miles of tracks off in the distance unable to continue because of some terrain that wouldn't have been a second thought if you were on a more capable bike... Years later those regrets may come to haunt you, but in the end add to the wonder that made that adventure so memorable. Seems like these accounted for most of the bike sales in the past and the ones that stuck around the longest. For some cases: motos are ultimately freedom, and when you find those hard constraint limitations it goes against the whole premise. Exhaustion and comfort can sometimes be mitigated with more planning, $, and just knowing when to call it... or... a pickup and a couple of bikes :)

Great video! As someone who has owned both, I agree with everything you said. "Small adventure bike vs big dirt bike" is a very accurate description. Now on the T7, I sometimes miss the excitement and hooligan side of the 690 and as an average rider in questionable shape I have to limit myself when it comes to tricky places/surfaces but I don't see myself going back unless KTM make significant changes. Let's face it, it's an old platform (in production since 2008) and the 690 has always been stuck between genres. Its engine doesn't lend itself to slower riding and it's hard and expensive to make it practical. These days I want to go places, see other countries, and the T7 is a better partner for that, even if it has it's own niggles that have been discussed to death. Having said that, THERE IS NOTHING LIKE A BLAST ON 690!!! :D

You have a good way of explaning this stuff. Pick up that T7 5 times in a day and you'll wish you had that 690! Need to ride 250 miles of highway to get to your easy to intermediate terrain adventure T7.

I am in the process of replacing my Tiger XC 800 with a bike more off-road capable for a RTW trip. The decision will be made between 790 Adventure, 701 and T7. Therefore I am watching lots of comparison videos. And this video was the best I have seen so far - great how you explain things and nail the facts! Great help! Thanks!

The best upgrade I’ve done to my T7 is a full exhaust, Cat delete and reflash the ECU. Go up one tooth in the rear. I have lofted the front tire at 30 mph in 3rd gear, shifted4th and road it out to 85 mph. I raced an 890 R from a stop. I took off in 2nd and kept 3’ in front of him until 74mph and then he pulled away from me. Do the exhaust and reflash it’s definitely worth it. Also going up one tooth in the rear helps keep the front end up longer. Also, my favorite tires on that bike are the MotoZ Rallz. Good grip and last fairly long. On the Transamerica Trail I got 6000 miles out of a set. Don’t expect that many miles normally but impressive. I have 28,400 miles on my 2021 T7 I’ve been happy with it. Yes, there are times where it would be easier on a 690 or 500 but since I’m on a T7 I “just do it” Like Nike 😂

Interesting on the wind buffeting. I am 5'8" if I stand real straight, and the wind protection on the T7 for me is outstanding, with no buffeting. My 890 ADV-R was terrible. Picking up the T7 is a real chore though. I ride alone, almost exclusively on dirt in the forests, and crashed a couple times and almost had to call for help. Once was on ice an ice patch I found I could barely stand and walk on, and once on a good hill where the bike ended up with the wheels up hill on its right side with the berry vines jammed between the (mangled) rear brake pedal and frame. I got it both times, but just barely, and only after taking my gear off and a lot of screwing around. BTW the second crash would have probably been prevented with traction control. It was low light, I think high 30s F, on greasy wet clay and wet grass, bumpy rocks, and a water bar on a pretty steep hill. An unseen bump kicked the bike and me abruptly, resulting in me giving an excessive throttle input. The T7 puts power down in a phenomenal manner, one of the best I have experienced in 47 years of riding, but under the most demanding conditions, TC can still be an asset on a huge heavy bike.

I had a T7 and a 690, sold the 690 for a exc 500f, best combo in my opinion

I’ve got a 2017 Africa Twin CRF1000 (non-DCT). It is very close to a T7. About 40 lbs heavier but 30 HP more. Looked up upgrading my AT to T7 but it just didn’t make sense as I have the Honda kitted out for me perfectly and would have to start all over with a new Tenere. I recently bought a Husky FE501E and put a dual sport kit on it. It was an awesome dual sport bike, but I’m not really an awesome dual sport rider anymore at 66 y/o. So I sold the FE and bought a lightly used Husky 701E, which is very close to the same as the 690 with white plastic. The 701 is so much more up my alley, I love it. Takes very little to make the bike Adventure ride ready. Still love and ride my Africa Twin, especially for long days in the saddle with more pavement in the itinerary, but the Husky is the beast that makes your heart beat faster.

Thanks for this in depth explanation. helpful information.

Nice review dude 🎉🎉

That was a great no nonsense review. 👍 👍!

Thank you. Good work

First I'd say they're slightly different niche... the T7 is middleweight ADV. The 690 as shown is lightweight ADV... so they're sort of shooting at different users (and the stuff below is as much about the differences in the niche as it is in the bikes themselves). I have the 701e and IMO the decision between these two is based on what kind of riding you want to do, what other bikes you have and how hard you ride... and your budget. - If you prefer easy comfortable rides and are OK going slower but being more comfortable than I'd steer folks toward the T7 or 890. - More offroad would push you toward the 690 because 100lbs is HUGE offroad. - Cost would push you toward the T7 since my 701 cost me $20k to buy and get configured for TAT/BDR use, I could have done the same thing to the T7 for $6k less or maybe even more. - If you have a Heavyweight adv bike (I have the Multistrada) then I'd suggest the 690/701 is a better compliment. - If you ride hard on dirt then that would push you toward the 690 since it's as close as you're going to get to a true dualsport but with some ability to handle tarmac squirts in relative comfort and with reasonable service intervals for ADV use. For example: I rode the 7000 miles of the Transamerica trail on the 701... in 19 days (which is moving along), and the plan all along was to haul. If I'd been planning to take 6 weeks to ride the TAT I'd have been leaning T7. So the answer to which is better is... it depends. and oh yea... if you worry about reliability you're probably not looking at any ktm anyway but I'd absolutely say T7 without reservation. For me it would still be the 690/701... but I'd NEVER fault anyone for saying "yea no yea I'm going T7"

Neither get. Tuareg 660 😆🤘. I may be biased & love mine but honestly I'd choose the 690/701 over the T7 anyway, weight savings and how its setup is so much better on the trails if thats where your spending more of your time, I also learned the rough way by buying a bigger asv bike that was unnecessary for my needs & also realistic of my abilities and how far they go

nice comparison it would help many people 🤠

The front fender heights sure standout. I wonder how much that affects the wind buffeting? I'm on a WR250R, and considering a 701. Also went to look at a NC750X, but the salesman said they didn't get any this year. I had a 390 adventure that some riders should consider too. Nice big tank, modern features.

Hi, I bought the second bike just to alternate onroad and offroad trips buying the 690, a wonderful bike that gives me a lot of fun. I have two questions, what tires do you use? and how many km do you do with those tires in the video? (km because I'm Italian :) )

merci beaucoup pour votre simplicité

Great video, Im leaning to the 690, is it ok on highway at around 80mph?

Nice video 👌 Am looking to the KTM siblin the 690 SM. I have yamaha yz450f but i will lile to sell that bike cz i dont have time to ride it but i need a fun city bike. So i was ti king to go Yamaha MT09 or the KTM 690 SM cz it way lighter. I have Versys for loger touring rides so i tink the 690 sm will be a best choise. I will like to find a test ride firs but even if i dont i know how it will feel. I love the wheelies in my yz450f i can do 4th gear clutch up and not blow the engine reving it to the moon. Hope the 690 can do 3th gear easy. Great video again. Ride safe All the best from Europe 🤘

Great review!

Great review, very informative. Had a 1190 till it was liberated by local hooligans. In market for a replacement.

Great comparison! I bought a Gas Gas ES 700 recently and am not very happy with it. Prior to buying it I was considering the Tenere, I kind of wish i went that route instead but at the time there were none in stock anywhere. Fast forward to today and here are my gripes i have with my 700 gas gas. Riding on top vs in it. I'm 6'-1" and even after adding 1" bar risers the bike is just not confidence inspiring to me. I cannot raise the bars anymore because the cables are too tight and have no more slack. Standing is not comfortable or natural feeling for me. The seat height is crazy tall. So if you ride single track and get your foot in the tiniest hole, your probably falling over. The gearing inside the transmission kind of sucks. It's closely spaced and the 1st gear is too tall for singletrack and the 6th gear is to short for the highway. The motor is turning pretty high rpm at 75-80. It's just not very comfort inspiring. Could of been easily fixed with some gearing choice changes at the factory. If you change your sprockets it just makes one thing worse than the other. The electronics for me suck, i ride mostly sand so the mode 2 off-road mode traction control is always interfereing when climbing hills, it pulls so much power you'll come to a stop. You can disable this but that's a pita, start bike, go 5 mph stop bike, hold tc button for exactly 5ish seconds then ride, oops a flameout, guess what? Do it again because it doesn't save the setting. Kill it on a sand hill and your screwed, gotta go down because it's impossible to go up. On top of all that, the suspension is pretty harsh. I might be able to tinker with that at least. The last thing that bugs me is the anti wheelie. Mode 2 is supposed to deactivate it but it's not completely deactivated unless you disable the traction control. In mode 2 it will enable anti wheelie randomly, crest a hill, anti wheelie kicks on, spin the tire a little on a wheelie, anti wheelie kicks on. It's really annoying. But what's more annoying is, what the heck is mode 1 for. You can't give it the beans. The bike barely accelerates because it pulls so much power. They should call it noob mode. Because it basically turns the bike into a beginner bike. The owners manual says mode 1 is more powerful but you will never feel that power with the computer restricting it constantly. Last but not least. My bike has a strange problem with the motor where after your riding for a while then stop to take a picture say for 30 seconds then fire it up again. It sounds like it's ready to explode and there is all sorts of loud engine noise. I'm told it's the cam chain tensioner because it's hydraulic but I'm planning on having my dealer check it out next time I'm in the area. It legit sounds like it's falling apart inside. Then after about 15-20 second it gets quiet again. Not all is bad though, this bike is without a doubt the best hooligan bike, it's fast, crazy powerful, a wheelie monster machine. It will legit flip over easily if your not careful in first and second. I'm still keeping mine at least for now, but would happily trade it for a tuareg or something given the opportunity. I feel this platform makes a better super motard than dirt bike. But thats my owners take. Probably not what other owners feel but i think i lay it out pretty well.

Well said both bikes are great

Mate you are spot on with this review. I have a ducati desert x for big missions and a husqvarna 450 for single track, love them both for different jobs.

701 owner here. Love the power, form factor and riding position, but the Achilles heel of the 701/690 is the gearing. First gear is too tall which throws off the spread of 2nd through 6th. Give me the 701 form factor, with a smooth and properly geared parallel twin (which has be rumored for a while now) and you'll have a true unicorn.

Until something more lighter and capable comes up, the 690/701 is very hard to beat... And is pretty reliable for a KTM, these bikes are around for 10+ years. My 2021 SM is a daily all year commuter and track bike in the season. I'd be hard pressed to buy anything heavier than this.

Bought a 690, your videos were pretty good advice for me. Did you stop making video ?

So which one would you take to complete the TAT from NC to OR all in one go non-stop and camping as much as possible along the way?

Have you heard any rumors about the new Husqvarna 901SM?

Pretty accurate summary, i had the T7 and agree with you on the motor. I sold it ultimately because i was always afraid of getting stuck. What gearing are you running on the 690? I'm running standard gearing and it does not wheelie on command even with the traction control off.

Thanks

great video

What centimeter that KTM windscreen from bottom of that lamp to the top?

The 690 and T7 are two different categories of bikes, so you can’t really declare one is better thank the other overall. BUT you can evaluate them in different categories of riding. Obviously the T7 is generally better on the street and the 690 is better in the dirt.

What kind is that Rally Kit on KTM 690 from? I love the look of that rally kit. I just bought 2023 GasGas ES700. Love the power but not yet riding out off road. Looking forward to this. I used to have 1999 XR650L and love it plus reliability. One problem is 5 speed as compared to ES700 with 6 speed and EFI. I still have 2008 WR450F for off road enduro. This is light beast bike though.

I think I'm getting the tenere, because I already have a yz 450 and a te 300 2 smoker.

Great video. Which crash bars are on your T7, of you don’t mind me asking? Looks sharp. Thanks!

Tuareg 660 is the best and if you have a tight budget, buy a CFMoto 450MT.

Is there much difference in wind protection between the two bikes at 75mph?

I don't know if the 690 is bigger than what I expected or if the T7 is bigger than what I expected, but I definitely did not expect them to look so close in size

690!!!!! For the suspension alone

I am looking at getting another bike to hone my skills for ADV riding on my GS just want practice on a lighter bike, have been thinking the 350 EXC or Tenere

hello Did you change the suspension springs on your 690 Enduro? Can the stock suspension of the 690 Enduro sufficiently cover the combined weight of the 200lbs rider, rally kit, gear, and luggage?

What is the fairing you have on the 690? I have a 690, and I love it, though I hate it on the highway. I have a dream of taking one around the world.

👍👍

KTM should really put some development on "rallying" the 690.

Yeah, T7 misses MX position when there's an intense riding. Maybe something can be done with handlebars - I don't know.

Just add a set of supermoto wheels and you have a proper dual sport bike.

The KTM 690 is the most powerful (HP) single cylinder motorcycle engine in the world. 😃

KTMs just don't like going slow❤

T7 is way to big and heavy for any real offroad the 690 will do easily and also the t7 is wayyy to slow and weak and uncomfy on the road compared to the bigger adv bikes. It’s a weird in between bike that isn’t good at anything. just get a dual sport and a big adv. done.

I bought ktm 690 enduro r its a blast put 7000kms on it lastly first season it a torque monster I love it .Mike from Canada

I had a T7 and a 690, sold the 690 for a exc 500f, best combo in my opinion

Interesting comparison. the 690 has a horrible engine and weird gear distribution. The horse power alone is meaningless but how it is delivered and arbitrary wo considering so many other things. The geometry of the rear arm of the T7 is amazing and along with that amazing engine makes it stick to the ground as you hive ot gas. there is nothing exciting for me in the 690. Very weird bike.

Very nice video, neither bikes on my radar at the moment (getting old, ok guess I am), but the description and pluses and minuses very informative.

Thanks for sharing, good stuff to know and think about. Question, if you only could own one bike and had to choose one of those bikes, which one would it be?