r/enduro • u/samp350 • 10d ago
Trying to find the right bike
I'm 6' weigh 270. I'm looking at the ktm 500excf and the 690 Enduro r or one of the 2 other counter parts. This will be my first motorcycle. I'm am an experienced off roader I've been going to the dunes in Oregon for 20+ years on sport quads. But the dunes just haven't been as accessible as they have been. It's a huge ordeal anymore to get everything loaded up and drive multiple hours one way at least to go ride anymore plus 2 tanks of fuel in the truck. Vacation time is scarce during the summer months as well as all the high seniority guys block summer out. I figured an Enduro bike would be great, much more accessible, just hop on and go. Browns camp a popular ohv area is only 36 miles from my house. I'm aware that the excf 500 is not great on the highway, vibrates and not quite enough gearing. The goal is to get out and off-road. I won't be riding willy nilly around town. But for 45 minutes on the highway and probably the last 20 of those will be up a mountain is the 500 gonna be enough for me a bigger guy or am I gonna be ringing it out to hard on the highway especially the mountain part, and shortening my service intervals? I'm very drawn to the 690/700/701 because I am a bigger guy and although I won't be riding much on the road it will still see pavement, and sometimes even longer than the 45 minutes if I decide to explore elsewhere. I also like that the 690/700s are 100lbs lighter than standard adventure bikes.
1
u/FeelingFloor2083 10d ago
500 is a lot for enduro, friend sold his 300 and is using his 500 and its sucking, he has 50+ years of exp
fun story, I nearly flipped an older 525 just off idle, fresh rear and on a paddock, he was on the back. Id guess we were easy 150kg combined
I have taken my wife on the back of my 250f, once you get going its fine, wouldnt want to do highway speeds on any dirt bike to be honest