Nice overview, i just picked up a 2016 Enduro R and have had a 2006 XR650L for over 3 years. For the clutch pull, i have installed a bearing in the lever pivot and new cable that has improved the pull dramatically. Seat is correct, i do not have a seat concepts (yet) but the XR is way better. I ended up putting up Rox bar risers on the XR and now it way better to stand up and ride without being hunched over.

Interesting video,nice to hear from someone with both!Thanks from Greece.

Great review. I had a 2011 690 a few years ago as well as the same XR650L. Loved both but for different reasons. After selling them both in 2017 I always missed the 690 more as a sweet spot between my 300 & 990 to ride different events or when I do medical support for enduros or adv bike events. Last year I filled that gap in my garage with a 2017 690. The XR was a nostalgic ride but remains a nice memory.

Great review, balanced and informative 👌

This is the question and video I've been looking for

@371kenny

Жыл бұрын

KTM might be the better bike, but there's a reason the xr has been built the exact same for 30 plus years. You can't go wrong with the 650l

Great review of two great bikes! Thank you.

Best comparison I have watched. Great job!

@bfeadventures

10 ай бұрын

Thank you!

@bfeadventures

10 ай бұрын

Thanks!

The 650 puts a big smile on your face and the 690 puts an even bigger smile on your face.

@bfeadventures

Жыл бұрын

Perfect way to put it. haha

@FoxtrotYanky

Жыл бұрын

L is for lame 😂

@bfeadventures

Жыл бұрын

@@FoxtrotYanky haha funny, but I can still have fun on it!

@FoxtrotYanky

Жыл бұрын

@@bfeadventures I had an R and sold it for a 690. Love the 690 but still miss the R…

@bfeadventures

Жыл бұрын

@@FoxtrotYanky yeah, the R holds a special place in my heart as well lol

Liked and subscribed! Trusted content

Great comparison, I had a few of the 650's Japanese dual sport in the past, as well as a 2019 690 er and one of the things that I love about the 690 is the greater distance between the seat and the foot pegs, this something that not many people talk about, but it brings much better riding comfort especially for taller riders,

@bfeadventures

Жыл бұрын

Fantastic point! I was literally just saying this on a ride the other day!

Enjoyed your well reasoned and presented video. Used to own an '83 XL600 with XR500 suspension on it back in the late 80s, that was one of my favorite bikes. Oh man, could I do wheelies for days on that versatile and fun machine... I currently have a dedicated dirt bike (KTM 300 XC) and a big ADV bike (Super Tenere 1200) and have a '23 Husky 701 that sits between them. I live in Colorado and can ride from my garage to fun trails via back roads, so I am pretty well in perfect "690 country". One thing worth mentioning is the new LC4s come fueled very lean, and they have hot running CATs in their massive mufflers to comply with Euro 5. My 701 runs great, but only after I put a Yosh exhaust on it and added a PC6 with Rottweiler's map. Before the fueling mods, my 701 was surprisingly weak off idle. Post mods it chugs hard off idle like a near 700cc thumper should, which negates a lot of the need for clutch slipping unless it is truly tight going. If it is running and ya want to get the revs up, just turn the throttle and it will turn the tire and get the revs up. Also changed out the fan switch to a lower temp unit, as the stock one is set very hot. This keeps the engine much cooler while riding slow or off road. Meanwhile in XR650L land, it is a lot cheaper and simpler to drill the CV slide and swap the spring, needle and jets in the old skool carb with a Dynojet kit like we have been doing for decades. It is much easier to tune and optimize a 650L than a 690. The newer 690s do come with very good XPLOR suspension that is surprisingly capable, but the 650L has cartridge units that can be revalved and resprung to work well for more demanding off roading too. If I could magically change things about the new 690 platform, I would get rid of to save the weight, complexity and expense of the ABS and traction control as I have them turned off all the time anyway. Ya gotta actually buy a freakin' dongle thingie to accomplish this. Especially with a free breathing exhaust and the fueling corrected, the 690 powertrain is a kick in the pants, but the gearing seemed short, I recall my old XL cruising easily at 70 while my fortified 701 was revving more than it needed to. I went on the Gearing Commander website and confirmed that ya, the stock 15/46 gearing is lower than my old XLs was. I went to 16/45 sprockets and it is perfect now, much more relaxed at highway speeds and surprisingly it is better off road too - 1st used to run out too quickly - I don't want to be revving the socks off a near 700cc thumper on the trail. Taller gearing keeps it in that just crusin' 4-5K RPM sweet spot all the time, with the power laden high revs always available if needed. My 701 is a weapon on a canyon road, sounding bad ass and quickly ripping past 100 MPH with a surprisingly hard revving top end. I do like the quick shifter - being able to leave the throttle on and shift up while carrying a wheelie is awesome. And to think I sold my fast 4 cylinder sporty bike to get the 701 - it may not go 165, but my 701 has the potential to get me into even more trouble than my old 1000 did 😆 Perhaps because I had such a great time on my old XL600, there is a part of me that wishes I had saved the cash and done a full on engine and suspension / various cool goodies modfest XR 650L project along the lines of what Rocky Mountain ATV/MC did, minus the luggage as I hate tent camping and don't want to strap a bunch of heavy crap to my dual sport. While such a bike wouldn't have 690 power, it would be fast enough, simple and unbreakable. Sounds like fun to me! kzread.info/dash/bejne/fJdprdagdM6umMo.html

@bfeadventures

11 ай бұрын

Thanks for the feedback! I totally get what you’re saying! Which of your 3 bikes do you ride most?

@craighoffman6876

11 ай бұрын

@@bfeadventures It varies depending on time of year. We are in the heart of dirt bike season so my 300 sees a lot of action. Overall I probably spend the most time on my Super Tenere, as that machine has heated grips and using a nice Aerostich heated vest, it can be ridden nearly year round. If there isn't snow on the road I can pretty much go riding on it. Really enjoying the 701 though, I tend to explore on that bike, finding lots of new trails and places.

You have the best KTM 690 comparison videos on U-Tube. My favorite riding tune is “Born to be Wild”. You have great videos, but I stop watching this one at 43 HP. As long as I can ride I want to be able to ride hard and fast. Thanks!

@1wheeldrive751

3 ай бұрын

43 HP is in the stock, heavily smog corrected form. So long as you don’t live in Commiefornia, there are a few easy mods (Dave Mods) you can do to the carburetor, and free mods (like opening up the exhaust header welds) that bring the XR up to 50+ HP. If you want to go hog wild with your banker you can modify the XR engine to make nearly the same power as the 690. While the XR’s suspension is good for a 1993 design, compared to modern bikes it is flaccid. That is where the real difference exists. I like the XR for easy trail riding because it’s squishy and comfortable. The 690 is not. You would have to pay more for suspension mods on an XR to get it to the stock suspension of a 690, which many people choose to upgrade from there.

good stuff id roll either but own the BRP. hope you get to chase some today for both of us and #livetoride

That AXP bash plate on your 690 - is it the first generation one? Mine has lotsa space on the sides - too much. It could definitely be an inch or more closer to the engine on the sides. Apparently the newer Gen 2 is a more snug fit and would have preferred it but, I'm not buying a new one.

I’ve had 2 of the xr650’s,2 Klr 650’s,adv 1190r, and now the 690. The 690 so far is the best for me. I jump it like my 426f, road it like the 1190r, and trail it like the xr650. Has it all.

@bfeadventures

11 ай бұрын

I’m with ya! It’s the best Jack of all trades for my type of riding right now.

I own both bike's. 2019 Ktm 690 Enduro R and 2023 Honda XR650L. The Honda is way more leisure riding. Definitely more fun on mild terrain and casual jonts. The KTM is more aggressive and requires a little more attention to ride. I find myself on the Honda more often when riding alone. The KTM I ride when I am with a group or when I am in need of a rush. 0to60 KTM all the way. Casual relaxing Honda hands down. My opinion 😊

@bfeadventures

2 ай бұрын

I like that assessment!

Cool video. IMO intros and outros are the please leave your name and message after the beep with answering machines

@bfeadventures

6 ай бұрын

😂🤣

I think you might like the AJP PR7. Wish they had a better dealer network in the South East.

@bfeadventures

7 ай бұрын

I agree, but that bike isn’t an option really around here. 😒

the 690 is a better bike for riding, but the 650L will still be the 650L when the 690 is replaced by some newer generation of german space magic. 30 years of parts is hard to beat for any product. I've had KTMs and yeah they will piss you off with problems when they have them. I'm looking forward to having a bike that doesn't do anything great, but just works when I turn it over. The budget doesn't hurt either :)

@bfeadventures

Жыл бұрын

Great points! There is no doubt that the 690 will put a bigger smile on your face, but it is hard to beat the parts and support on the 650 L!

@dflood316

10 ай бұрын

I think you meant Austrian space magic. They are different countries.

@martinoliver4993

4 ай бұрын

I own a XR650L and have owned Husky’s and KTM’s. Loved how my KTM rode and loved the power that it produced. I wanted a good economical dual sport bike and the XR650 was my choice. I have had to re jet and changed the breather, removed smog device, and changed muffler. Absolutley turned the motorbike into a new bike. Performance was amazing. With all that done, still a lot less money and when i need to crank it and ride it’s ready to go. My experience with KTM is it, will nickel and dime you to death if you ride it. Good review of both bikes. I rode with a friend yesterday and was on an almost new KTM 350 dual sport. Great looking bike and ran great, but also started leaking coolant during our ride. I rest my case.

Any thoughts of converting a newer 690 smc to enduro? There's seems to be more smc for sale than the enduro so you can find a better deal. I know there are some drawbacks with stiffer susp and travel. Some guys are putting 19" wheels up front. Thx for your input.

@bfeadventures

Жыл бұрын

Great question! Due to the suspension and geometry, you would be much better off waiting for an enduro if you plan to do off-road. Throw SM wheels on it if you'd like. An Enduro w/ street tires is going to perform better on road than an SMC will perform w/ knobbies off-road. I hope that makes sense!

@Bobb1to

Жыл бұрын

If you want to put 19"/21" wheels on a SMC R you also need to change the fork (brake caliper won't fit otherwise) as well as the triple tree I believe (different angle) - the whole front basically 😂 You seem better off to convert an Enduro into a SMC R (change the wheels and done basically). I myself have a 2014 SMC R and plan to do a bit of a mix (on and off road) so I'll just change the tyres and hope for the best as I can't be arsed to change the whole front (and I do more on road anyway). But yes, you may be better off waiting for an Enduro if you plan on doing a lot of off road. Not sure what to expect with 17" wheels off road but guess I'll soon find out

@bfeadventures

Жыл бұрын

@@Bobb1to we used to rip supermoto’s Offroad with 17s! Definitely not as confidence inspiring as a 19/21. Lol

@Bobb1to

Жыл бұрын

@@bfeadventures Hahaha thanks for the heads up! I'll try nevertheless as I'll probably do 20% off road 80% on road. Let's see!!

@maxw576

11 ай бұрын

I bought the enduro for the better suspension and bought SM wheels for around town. Not cheap, but it's the most fun I've had as a daily rider which is is what I use it for the most. I can put the dirt wheels on for off road when needed for rallys. It has a huge aftermarket and the key spare parts (fuel pump, coil, fuel injector) for emergencies can be bought for reasonable price.

Should Honda bring back XR650R? What are your opinions?

@bfeadventures

7 ай бұрын

That’s a big YESSS!

Is the seat concepts reg or xl? Thoughts on each maybe?

@bfeadventures

Жыл бұрын

It’s regular. I honestly didn’t even know they made more than one size outside of the low seat.

@jimmything1000

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the reply. Yeah they make a XL which is wider. But I'm unsure which I wanna order

What about putting a rekluse on the ktm

@bfeadventures

6 ай бұрын

Everyone has their opinions on rekluse clutches. I have run them on multiple enduro bikes. Loved it on my 300XC. With the type of writing that I do on my 690, I really do not see the benefit of running one. The clutch is already a feather. I’m not typically doing gnarly, climbs that I would on the 300. That was where it was hugely beneficial.

It all comes down to how much you want/can spend on a motorcycle, the price difference is huge.

@bfeadventures

4 ай бұрын

That's for certain. Both bikes will put a huge smile on your face!

What is the silver bracket on the right side of the 690?

@bfeadventures

4 ай бұрын

Are you referring to the area near my boots? Those are steg pegs

@eascencio847

4 ай бұрын

yes thanks

change 690 rear sprocket to 48t and it's still plenty fast on the highway

Isn't the gearing on the ktm is too tall first is too tall

@bfeadventures

6 ай бұрын

If you are doing technical stuff, it is very tall.

It all depends on if you want to go ride then get home , so honda! every time.

@bfeadventures

7 ай бұрын

I get that for sure. They will also both put a BIG smile on your face as well!

So XR650 is not available in whole EU so my choice is KTM (XR650 is an old dog out of age (I know it is a good bike but...))

Not verbose ! 👍🏻

Should have had the 690 and xr650r thats what everyone wants to know

@bfeadventures

2 ай бұрын

No kidding! I wish I had one to compare!

@ozbulitsinces1996

2 ай бұрын

@@bfeadventures some one lend the man there xr650r for educational purposes

An XR650R has 61hp, a lot closer to the 690 than the L ;-)

@bfeadventures

4 ай бұрын

I would put the 650R in a totally different league (motorwise) than the L. I LOVE the R!

buy the honda it will keep runing

@bfeadventures

7 ай бұрын

Valid point!

I have the honda and am switching to the ktm...honda is too tall and underpowered

@bfeadventures

7 ай бұрын

For those two reasons, you should love the 690

KTM!!!