I have recently taken ownership of a brand new KTM 690 enduro.

I am planning to leave on a trip from London to Vladivostok starting June this year. From there i will either ship the bike to north america, or catch the trans siberian railway back to Moscow and ride home.
This would be a 40+ day journey of 9500 miles.

The question is this, do i take my brand new KTM and risk damage, a lot of mileage, or worst case scenario, having to ditch the bike for whatever reason. :thumb down:

Or do i buy a bike such as the DRZ400 and have a much lower risk! (aside from reliability, but in reality that could go either way!)

DRZ400 or KTM690 for reliability and you are saying the DRZ is Less reliable

I think around 80% of KTM 690 blogs out there the KTM 690's have sh@t there self at one point.....

FI pump, rocker arms ect ect and other such items on the long list of pre trip prep. Dont get me wrong the 690 is a great bike but is not a out the box adventure bike you whack a large tank on and head for the hills that's for sure. its more a hands on bike. check noahs blog out on adv rider he swears by the 690 and prob knows it more than anyone out there but he is very hands on with it
RTW with Noah on a KTM 690 - ADVrider

If you do take the 690 best prep it well, the rolling hobo gives great advice on this Adventurising theKTM 690 Enduro R | The Rolling Hobo

DRZ is a very reliable bike more so than the 690 but it is around the same weight and around 50% less RWHP. oil changes at a max of 3000 miles, check the oil daily, buy post 2003 as they sorted the ACCT problems out after that. Best bet get a low millegae DRZ400S buy a large tank and you are away for Sub £2500

But the 690 would be more fun that's for sure.................. if it does not break down that is

I'm just curious why one would buy a £8000 690 and then NOT take it? :confused1:

Why did you buy it? Surly because it's the IDEAL bike for such a trip, no?


But as mentioned by Wesley, your 690 will need some serious prep, starting with a good seat. (this based on my test riding one) Carrying luggage and enough fuel is another challenge. I'm sure you've done your research, yes?

If you can afford to keep your 690 and buy a used DRZ400 for the trip ... more power to you and DO IT!
I trust the Suzuki DRZ over the 690 ... (I also owned a DRZ but never traveled far on one) Super reliable bike in my 3 years with it and lots of hair ball dirt riding (including Baja). Not one issue other than crash damage I inflicted.

But both bikes need set up to be good travel bikes, both are very good, IMHO. One costs 3 times more than the other. Is it 3 times better?
Man, I hope so!

The main thing is to have fun! Hook up with a mate or two ... should be fun!

Hey willadams1, congratulations on your decision to ride east! You will not regret it.

Like WesleyDRZ400 pointed out, there are horror stories concerning 690's. I can just say that between two 2013 versions, we've had 50k trouble free kilometres. A lot has happened since the first production models rolled out of the factory and many of the original snags have been rectified. It does need work though.

Still echoing WesleyDRZ400, compared to the DRZ, the 690 is lighter and packs twice as much power. Characteristics like that do not come without drawbacks and you will have to prepare and take good care of the bike to keep it running smoothly.

I guess it really boils down to what kind of riding you are into. I like long rides in the east, technical stuff and have a somewhat aggressive style. So for me the key issues were enduro characteristics, weight, power and running on 80 octane fuel. The weight and power of the DRZ were something that dropped it from my short list. Having said that, I'd now sacrifice power for less weight. Something like an EXC500, even though it will require a lot more maintenance than the 690.

Either way, I would suggest leaving bike damage out of the equation when selecting a bike. They are adventure bikes and are supposed to get beat up. We don't do bling, matey

Wishing you an awesome, safe adventure.

__________________
"Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man."
Hobo site / Hobo Facebook

Here are some thoughts
- can you pick up either bike if you are riding on your own
- will any of the places you ride require a carnet, the cost on a new bike might make your decision for you
- I rode down through Patagonia and our expedition leader was on the KTM and he had no problems we were aware of and we rode tarmac and dirt
- there is nothing wrong with keeping the bigger bike for home, i took a 650GS and left the 1200GS at home

Its easy to find posts where people complain about the reliability of a particular bike. But if every happy owner posted to say no problems your view might be different

have a great trip

I would get rid of the expensive KTM, get the DRZ400 and even keep it after the trip scince after the trip is before your next trip and the DRZ are very cheap AND more relyable then any KTM

You have the KTM now so just prep it well and use it for what it is intended for

I would say Rolling Hobo's KTM690 is the best set up i have seen as what he has done is all fit for purpose and not for looks & bling, some people will go out and buy the full rally fairing kit and other such "cool" items and not pay attention to the important modifications and the power to weight ratio is great out the box for the 690

The 690 is 143kg dry & 66 hp at the crank so if you drop 15% hp to bring it in line with rear wheel HP thats 57 rwhp

KTM 690 Enduro*R 2015 - Highlights


As for the DRZ they are great bikes but i would not take a standard one on another long trip as they are slightly under powered when loaded up as when offroading i felt i needed slightly more torque/HP.


DRZ400S 132 kg dry & 39.7 hp at the crank so again if you drop 15% hp to bring it in line with rear wheel HP thats 33.8 rwhp

Suzuki DR

So in standard form engine wise the KTM690 is 11kg heaver but with around 23 more rwhp which is a massive difference so if i was you i would stick with your 690 if prepared well



But if you do pick a DRZ i know this bike very well and if you require advice on preparing for a trip message me and i will advise how to prep it fit for purpose in a very cost effective way

But for me what i learnt was i needed a reliable bike just as the DRZ proved on my trip but also i needed more power.

My list for my next bike was based on the following

Must haves
1)Min 50hp at the rear wheel (standard DRZ is around 32-35)
2)Sub 150kg dry weight
3)Slightly longer fuel range as sometimes i was on my last 0.5l (i dont use a GPS so fuel stops are by chance when off main roads) i had 17L front & 5L rear tank
4)Better suspension set up (DRZ400s has great shocks out the box but require setting up right)
5) steel frame as stronger and easy to weld anywhere if it cracks
6) Min 3000 mile oil changes but longer would be better
7) Better throttle response (slight lag in Mikuni carb)
8) all ready available spare parts with not relying on dealership as this means high cost and can be long wait periods to obtain parts if not in stock, if i ever break down in the middle of nowhere i don't want to wait for dealer "help" i want to go on ebay now and buy the part today and have it shipped out to where i am


Nice to haves
1) Wider ratio gear box
2)better headlight
3)more ergonomic (bar raisers, wider foot pegs)

KTM690 was on the top of my list i even went to my local KTM dealer to consider buying one however i holded back as the CCM450 come out and now end of this year the AJP's PR7 660 is out. the CCM & PR7 on paper tick most my must haves straight out the box.

But i am abit like you willadams1 and to buy a new bike i would worry alittle with the same things you stated "risk damage, a lot of mileage, or worst case scenario, having to ditch the bike for whatever reason"

I like a older bike you can take a grinder to and know if i bodge it a replacement parts in on ebay 24/7 cheap

Also my nice to have list (not considering the PR7 as its not out now) has not been ticked

In the end i decided to go with what i know (also the DRZ was my first real bike that took me on an amazing first motorbike trip so i also have some sort of weird love affair with this model bike)and have slowly been modding a drz as per all items on my above wish list. with the help of friends and doing as much as i can all this finished would be around the same cost of a second hand but very good condition low mileage "standard" KTM690

Wide ratio gears, FCR MX carb, Hot cams, big bore, stroker crank, head & valve work.

Its more a hobby at the moment doing a little ever few months adapting and changing parts, buying the odd bit here and odd bit there. most parts i brought in new condition or used but in good condition on a DRZ400 super moto forum as the drz SM is a bike the kids buy after passing there test and mod the hell out of them, maybe compare it to a vauxhall nova but instead of body kits they are buying engine parts and then when older or they have spent there student loan fees on snake bite and mad dog 50/50 they sell cheap

These mods for the DRZ470 are standard in the various DRZ forums and many DRZ470's like what i am building have already done many thousands of miles with no issues(apart from a guy called uncle bob who also fitted a turbo charger to his and it blow up on the way to the dyno test station straight after his built ) so its already proven

The bike finished i would say would go from the standard 132 kg dry to max +10kg (that's a over estimate in weight to be fair) with the extra fuel tanks and other fit for purpose items bringing it to around 142kg dry weight but with rear wheel horse power at around 57hp

There are many 100's pages on these 470 build on various forums but here is one link just for reference 57HP DRZ - graphs etc - Page 2 - ADVrider

So if comparing to a standard KTM 690 is goes like this

DRZ470: rear wheel horse power 57 & dry weight max 142 (also with wide ratio gears that the 690 lacks)
KTM 690 rear wheel horse power 57 & dry weight max 143

I am not trying to say the 470 would out preform a 690 as it will not but still the stats are very impressive if it is reliable however the 690 still has alot more torque per lb.-ft, its now all about horse power



I have a great bike mechanic engine builder who is kind of famous in my neck of the woods along with great friends who have inputted to this ongoing DRZ470 build

Now if the DRZ470 would keep its reliability considering i have been building this bike with reliability in mind and not just power like the following, big bore cylinder with a larger water jacket for greater cooling, fitting a oil cooler, radiators with 25% better cooling rate, new hose's all round, heavy duty stronger crank with new heaver duty bearings, stronger 1 piece valves rather than the 2 piece valves and so on.....................

Why did you buy the 690 if you don't intend to use it

Fantastic Photo! Interesting topic ... Horsepower!

My buddy can beat me on a tight, very technical UP hill A level enduro trail. Me on my '07 WR250F race bike, he on his ... Horse. The tight, up hill U turns, BIG 3 foot step ups over big roots had the Horse pulling out 3 lengths per turn. If I made a mistake and stalled, then even further. It wasn't even a close contest. The more technical and slow it was ... the further the Horse pulled ahead. This was a little Quarter Horse. Short and stocky, very nimble and quick turning and can climb like Banshee.

But of course ... Horse power is all relative. How much do you really need? How much do you think you can really use? Most of my Enduro race days rode a YZ250R Two Stroke, set up for Enduro. A ripper. WAY faster than I could use most times. Most Enduros in USA have speed averages between
16 mph and 25 mph. Very tight, technical trails, very tough, like mini Erzberg.

And that's the thing about Horse power ... how much do you really need?
I've ridden XR250 Honda's (four strokes) all over Baja, did just fine. On paved roads I could cruise comfortably at 55 mph, where the 450 Race bikes I was riding with were over revving. On the trail I could mostly keep up, but the 450's did have advantage in deep sand and very steep, rocky up hill sections. But not much in it. The 250 was good just about everywhere and I was rarely left behind.

It you don't have enough power/speed ... turn the throttle further ,
don't let off, REV that motor to red line if need be. USE IT. 90% of riders never can use all their bikes power even 20% of the time. This especially true off road with guys on very powerful bikes. Over kill.

Pro Rally racers accepted. As a former racer I am not slow ... even now in my 60's I easily keep the young bucks on the new KTM 500's, 530's, 690's and Husky 610's in sight riding my 39 HP DR650 Suzuki. Especially on pavement.

Anyway, just an alternate perspective on Horse Power. The 690 is a great bike, fun to ride ... not because of the power (all bikes have power) but because it handles well, has very good suspension and has a VERY confident feel mid corner ... something the DRZ lacks. The KTM just tracks through a turn so nicely, stays settled. The power would be nice if you were racing ...
but will you be RACING ... all the way to Mongolia?

Well it all started with me wanting the DRZ to be more road friendly geared and also better geared for offroad so i was going to fit a 16T instead of the standard 15T sprocket as for every 1 tooth you change on the front, it is the equivalent to changing 3 on the rear (for this you have to grind away some on the rubber adjacent to the swing arm to make it fit) and use the 15t or 14t for general use and off road

But the DRZ does not really have the guts to run a 16T so hence the start of the build with fitting wide ratio gears but to do that you have to split the case's so while its open you might as well chuck a stroker crank in there and as the barrels off you might as well whip a BB on and as the heads off you might as well put the hot cams in and do some valve work

Thanks for the words of encouragement everyone!

The reason i bought the 690 was because i really really wanted one! Last bike was a WR250R and wanted a bit more power, I've always admired KTM's, and owned a 640 SM in the past.

I wasn't planning this trip when i bought the 690, and in reality would prefer to do it on something cheaper. Its a bigger worry when riding around on £7000 rather than £3000!

However it would be a dream to take the 690, a bike which i believe would be in its element on a trip like, and a very fun and rewarding experience for me!
I am fully aware of the reliability concerns on the 690 (Clutch master cylinder leak at 2 weeks old!), but wouldn't feel any more or less comfortable on any other bike!

Any bike can break down, its just bad luck or poor maintenance if it happens to you!

Anyway, as i said my concern is more to do with the value and age of the KTM, but i think i will just bite the bullet and take it. Life is for living hey! and money is for spending...