Can the Forum please help me? Am contemplating selling either my 2011 F800GS or 2014 690 Enduro R. I absolutely love them both but there seems to be at least a general duplication in purpose. Which goes & which stays? 2011 BMW F800GS: I find the Beemer is heavy & big for me but is a sweet, smooth ride once on the go, especially longer distances. Long-term maintenance costs might be higher than the 690. It's totally outfitted & I've got alot of $$$ into it to set up to my liking. But, I'm going to find this bike harder to handle the older I get. 2014 KTM 690 Enduro R: KTM is lighter but taller & not as comfy (despite Seat Concepts; I use an AirHawk). Am contemplating more street oriented DS tires in lieu of the knobbies & also an extra tooth on the drive sprocket to reduce RPM's on the road. Interested in very light off-road duty only; no Arizona deep sand washes! This bike can carry extra fuel, water & light luggage for short trips. Other items: 1) I probably won't leave the state (Arizona); no long distances. 2) have a great independent KTM Technician to help with what I can't do. Cost for everything is less (tires, oil changes, blah, blah) for the KTM which is a big factor approaching retirement. Help a Forum Buddy? Thx in advance!
No brainer. Get the ktm 690 and make it more comfortable and mod for touring with cush hub etc. You will save 10k going this way and have a much better off road steed . I got 27k in my 800GS. It is perfect for a heavyweight but stock was pathetic off road.
Indy: I've always thought I was the only one who thought the F800GS is heavy & difficult off-road other than fire roads. I chalked that up to my lifelong "Novice" riding ability. The F8 for me is pretty much street only & I never changed out the OEM street tires. Would still like to hear from some others but, so far, you've validated my thought to keep the 690. Btw, I thought the 690 already has the cush hub; need to do my homework a bit further before I embarrass myself w/lack of knowledge about my bike. Thx, Indy!
Yeah I got my husky 610 set up well. I plan to build an adventure bike from a large thumper one day. stock 690 may have cush hub. Ktm suspension is very good stock. The 800 is great off road but only on firm ground & rocks. Loose crap and you are in for a battle off road.
In my opinion there isn't ever a perfect bike that covers all aspects of the riders ideal ride. Finding which bike suits your needs best and excels in those areas is what we typically recommend to our customer base when we get calls or emails concerning which bike is best. There isn't one bike that does everything exceptional, everything is a compromise. What are your realistic future plans for the bike/rides?
I lowered my 2012 690R, installed a Wolfman luggage system, Seat Concepts seat, factory windscreen, soft grips, steering damper and power outlets for heated gear. I did all this hoping I could cruise all day on the highways. Up until recently, I have not found it a very good touring bike. The vibes broke my right mirror, so I bought KTM folding mirrors. Surprisingly I can actually see out of them and they reduced the vibes felt in the throttle grip, which had been worst at 68-70 mph. At 9k miles I had the valves checked and that somehow led to a new stock map being loaded into my ECU. The tech fine tuned the map to reduce throttle snatch from the fuel injection. I am amazed at how much better the bike suits me. The vibes are greatly reduced at the critical speed and non-existant at 65mph or lower. I run the motor map at #3 and am very happy. Also, I lowered the front and back by 1 inch, so now the bike fits me better for riding in the city. My point is that my KTM 690 finally runs the way I hoped when I bought it. Like you, I am considering running a more street oriented rear tire. I have a Michelin Desert Race on it now, but it is very noisy and probably contributes to the 70mph vibe. I am planning on using a Mefo Super Explorer in back. They last a long long time and are smooth, yet they seem pretty good in mud (I used them on my 950 on an AK trip). I run a Michelin T63 in front because they are quiet and pretty smooth. I would not be afraid to ride my KTM from Boston to Phoenix, something I would not consider two months ago. However, I think I would prefer something like a Yamaha FJ09 sport touring bike for that. My KTM 950 was a very similar bike to your twin. It is a very good highway bike and very comfy. But too big and heavy to do much more than highways and the occasional fire road. Particularly if you are solo most of your travels. PS: yes the 690 has a cush drive.
I've owned both. If the weight of the BMW is your primary concern, you might as well say goodbye to it, 'cause you aren't going to do much to effectively lessen the weight of the bike to any degree. There are things you can do to your 690 to perhaps ease the highway pain some. Seat, windshield, gearing changes, etc. They are both nice bikes in the right environment.
Hey Pantah, Try and mount some Rox Risers with rubber isolation mounts. that also really helps. My neighbor has a 690 and we did that for his ride.
I think this is great advice. You can't do much to reduce the weight of the BMW, but, with the comprehensive aftermarket and a good solid platform to build upon, the 690 has the potential to be just about anything. I've heard the various rally replicas provide good protection from the elements without adding much in weight. And mine keeps up with friends on trail bikes in all but the tightest single track. It's the best do-anything bike I've owned to date.
I vote for the 690 also for the same reasons stated above. You may be able to get it closer to what you want but the 800 will always be heavy. Just to muddy the waters, have you considered a cb500x with the RR stage 3? It appears to be a very good 50/50 bike.
When I get to the top of the mountain on my 690, I have a smile on my face. When the 800GS guys get there, they usually look like they just got back from a war.
My 690 feels like a dirt bike on the road. I think you have to like riding a dirt bike on the street to like the 690. To OP which one do you ride more? I always sell the one that sits the most. I never rode my 950 Adv and replaced it with a 690 that I ride 10x more.. My big problem with the 690 is the "where does that trail go..." syndrome. Just getting over a broken leg from the last ride. I should be on a smaller plated bike for the stuff I like but won't rack up the street miles on a smaller bike to get some remote places I ride.
I agree with what most everyone has to say here. I switched from a Tiger 800 XC, which I consider comparable in most ways to a GS800 to a 690 and never looked back. It's not the mile muncher the 800 was, but otherwise its a better bike for my riding in every way.
The key thing I read was "won't be doing long distances." One thing I didn't read was "highway mileage." Both bikes are capable of "light off road." Nod to 690. If significant high speed highway is on your list, buy buy 690. If you can cruise at 60-65mph all day, buy buy 800! Still trying to set my 690 up for true highway riding.
I can ride my 690 for 12 hours a day at 70 (I daren't risk going higher for fear of another ticket), the 690 is a true do it all bike. It is not a master at anything but it will cross continents either on highway, through twisties or off road with relative ease and can handle some of the knarlier stuff too. It is the best compromise bike in terms of power, weight, and on and off road rideability currently on the market, and that's why I bought one. I should point out that I am not a fanboy, I have no brand loyalty whatsoever.
From what you said in the opening post I'd advise keep the F800GS, sell the 690, and get a KTM 350exc-f.
I had owned both, loved both... (2012 F800 and 2010 690E with Rally-Raid Products kit)... but finally sold both and get 2010 990R for long trips and CRF450 for dirt play... now I'm happy!!!!
Went through the same struggle last month, went with the 690. I really wish I could also afford the F800 to commute on. The 690 is a great bike and really shines off road. It definitely needs some upgrade to compete with the F800 out of the gate on the road. Same goes for the F800 off road. It boils down to this, I can make the 690 better on road...I couldn't make the the F800 much better off road.