I am debating getting a 500 EXC for my next dual sport bike. I will be riding it 80/20 (roads/dirt), my brain tells me to get something more street oriented however I have ridden a DRZ400, XR650L and they are fat and heavy and no fun to ride on the streets or dirt. I would rarely drive over 100 miles in a day. My biggest concern isn't personal comfort, but engine life. I know on some of these high strung dual sports they recommend a engine rebuild every 2000 miles or so, which is just insane.
>tl;dr should OP get a 500exc as his only bike for mostly blasting around on country roads?
Ktm sucks
>>13990871
Do it if you have the cash, just make sure it's not a 2003 model, those had the shitty frames that accounted for a lot of the "KTM a shit" memes you'll see spouted off around here.
>>13990871
Ive had a 530 for a few years. Rebuilt a few times from many hard hours.
Wrecked a lot.
Ride street and dirt.
Thing is a tank
>>13991070
I am looking to buy new, mostly because I have had horrible experience from used dirtbikes.
>>13991089
How many hours did the engine normally get before a rebuild?
>>13991070
The 500 EXC wasn't made until 2012 I think
>>13990871
Get a 690
>>13991286
More than I am willing to pay for a novelty, not to it isnt as easy/accessible to work on as a 500
>>13991321
*not to mention
>>13991335
Then you're gonna have to deal with the engine life
Doesnt the 500 need a cush hub? and it doesnt come with one?
>>13991537
What's a cush hub?
>>13992299
it's a wheel hub that allows a little bit of squishiness in the drive train between the wheel and the transmission, because riding on tractable pavement is supposedly bad for dirt bike transmissions.
>>13990871
ktm a shit.
>>13992584
Dont like all streetbikes have them?
No i told you this when you posted it on dbt the engine in that bike is essentially an engine out of a race bike it is not designed for road use doing a constant RPM, you will fuck it within 5000km then be out $900 rebuilding the engine. do not get a race bike as a dd.
>>13993177
Also oil changes every 5-10 hours of riding due to how little oil the engines can actually hold.
>>13993177
I never post in the dbt this is the first time time ive ever posted about a bike on /o/
>what about the old 525/530 getting over 30k miles without needing a rebuild
>>13993187
The RFS engines are known to be pretty long-lasting. I am not sure about the new ones.
>>13993177
With proper gearing you can maintain a pretty low RPM so that road use would actually be less damaging than off-road use.
>>13993187
A 2001-2003 ktm 525 would be acceptable, not a 2004-2007 bike though because that is where the " lol unreliable ktm" memes come from, specifically their 2004-2007 4 stroke engines.
>>13993233
The damage comes from sitting at a constant RPM while putting load on the engine. You destroy not only the piston and rings but the piston sleeve as well and you risk damaging your valves/cams
>>13993250
But im looking at a 2015/16 500. I know its a different engine than the old RFS ones but they have been making the 500 long enough to have any quirks worked out
>>13993307
Just as long as it is not one of the KTM engines that shares oil with the gear box, if something goes in the gear box which may happen considering road riding it will destroy everything internally, and i mean literally everything.
At least with the separate gear box/engine oil if a bearing in the gear box goes it is only going to shred the gears.
>>13991321
I just realized that a new 690 enduro only cost 10,500. I saw on the KTM site they said it was 13,500 Euro which is WAY more than I want to pay
>>13993356
And you would be an absolute fucking fool to get a 525 instead of the 690 if you are riding 80/20 road/offroad to be honest.
They only weigh 139kg which is only 20kg heavier than the 525 and the thing is not going to blow up after 5000km on a freeway.
>>13993387
Yea I agree now that I look at it. a $400 or so price difference is much more reasonable than a $4000 difference between the two.
>>13993399
You can pick up a 2008 one with maybe 10,000km for $5000 dollarydoos, i would not buy a brand new one. Even if it only has 500km on it second hand will be at the least 3000 cheaper than new.
Something like a 2009 model would be spot on unless you really need to waste money lol.
>>13993416
If I bought a used bike first thing I would do is a complete engine rebuild. Not to mention there are only maybe 7-9 used 500's and 690's within 100 miles of me I dont have much to choose from. If I buy it itll just be a "business expense" anyway.
>>13993441
Ehh unless it was at 50,000km with one of those engines at the very most i would only replace the rings on the piston, you would not even need to replace the piston itself it would be fine.
I was more getting at the point of you could find one that is basically new for 3000 less and it is not going to lose $3000 in value as soon as you roll it out the door.
>>13993356
as a ktm owner i would suggest a husky FE 570
or something else like a bmw G450X
>>13993471
Really a husky over the ktm lol? as a fellow ktm owner i must ask why.
>>13993471
Is the G450X even made anymore? I thought it was like 1-3 years production tops. Whats the point of getting a Husky over a KTM arent they basically the same bikes? Or am I thinking of husaberg?
>>13993570
You are thinking of Husaberg, the the stupid sideways engines are stupid sideways ktm engines from their 2008 bikes (same engine as a 2008 450exc-r) apparently it acts like a gyroscope.
>>13993582
Damn they look so nice though. And in that case isnt a Husky Basically a KTM since they are owned by KTM and get all their technology from them?
>>13993589
Nono husaberg are KTM, husky is their own brand, husky just changed the colour of their bikes they used to be red, pic related.
KTM bought Husaberg in i think 2007 (don't quote me on that), that is when those new bikes with the weird engines came out.
>>13993589
Here is what Husabergs looked like before KTM bought the company if you were wondering, this is a 2006 model
>>13993807
>Nono husaberg are KTM, husky is their own brand
Husqvarna Motorcycles are owned and produced by KTM now. They are literally a blue KTM with a slightly different subframe.
>>13993264
>The damage comes from sitting at a constant RPM while putting load on the engine. You destroy not only the piston and rings but the piston sleeve as well and you risk damaging your valves/cams
explain to me how that works
>>13993807
Husaberg ceased to exist once KTM bought Husky. KTM and Berg "mutually decided' to ax off the Berg brand.
>>13993807
no KTM bought husaberg in like 95 and husqvarna in 2013 and then shut down husaberg at the end of 2013
What about drz400 lads
690 does about 120mph so you will have lots of highway passing power when you throttle up
drz400 should be lighter but will definitely be slower and is better suited for offroad unless A you dont care about passing power or speed - B really want a lighter bike that bad
