Is the 690 Enduro any good as a keeper?

[MikeS]

My mate is thinking of buying a new 690 Enduro as a long term bike for small country/mountain roads and easy off road use. His current XT660 isn't too bad on the road but crap off road (his words). He has a road bike as well.

I have read somewhere of problems with the bikes after time but I can't find this information now.

Has anyone on here had any problems with theirs?
What are they like off road, easy going or full on?
Are they uncomfortable for longer rides?

I have a Suzuki DR650 which he likes but he can't find a decent one so he is looking at the 690.

He is an engineer so he is OK with servicing and fixing things but he doesn't want to be having to work on it all the time.

Any thoughts or comments would be much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[strobingred]

690 e

I had one for two years or so and never had a problem.

Recently sold with 8.5k on. Drove it off road in Portugal. Drove on road to the Dordogne twice and off roaded it with full camping gear and wolfmans on when we got there.

Good all rounder. A few things that need doing such as putting in stronger top and bottom bolts in the frame as they were a known fault. Get them from Rally raid products in Northants. Along with lots of other bling. recommend the Akro as the stock exhaust is like etna when its hot.

Three friends of mine have them and they regularly off road them with two of them going to Morocco on them.

Timpo who is on here sometimes loves them and would heartily recommend them .)

cheers

 

[Flipfly]

Not sure about reliablity compared to things like the DR, but they are a fantastic machine to ride. Great motor, smooth, fast just awesome. Fueling is shite though and is very abrupt when you shut the throttle. Smooth on acceleration, just seems to cut all the fuel instantly when you shut off. Ok when you get used to it. Thankfully off road it is so easy to ride, it leaves you with enough brain power to deal with this little issue.

 

[Timolgra]

Not sure about reliablity compared to things like the DR, but they are a fantastic machine to ride.

I took a couple out trail riding a week or so ago, both on 690s, both had ridden them around the world with no problems

 

[Flipfly]

I took a couple out trail riding a week or so ago, both on 690s, both had ridden them around the world with no problems

Did ya cadge a go Tim? Rode Skygods down on Salisbury, gotta admit that I thought it was fantastic could have been because it was black n white not orange, hehehe

 

[Timolgra]

Did ya cadge a go Tim? Rode Skygods down on Salisbury, gotta admit that I thought it was fantastic could have been because it was black n white not orange, hehehe

That probably explains why it stopped working in Morocco then

Prefer my 640 with big carb mate

Used to have an orange 640 enduro but turned it black....it didn't help though

 

[Timolgra]

I took a couple out trail riding a week or so ago, both on 690s, both had ridden them around the world with no problems

Still got a puncture though

 

[Giles]

I ride with a couple of good mates that have 690's. They've never had a problem with them. One of them has had his bike (690R) since new and absolutely swears by it. (sounds bloody good with a decent can on it ... )

 

[Flipfly]

That probably explains why it stopped working in Morocco then

Prefer my 640 with big carb mate

Used to have an orange 640 enduro but turned it black....it didn't help though

That was his new one that broke down not the one I rode

 

[Tim Cullis]

I'm getting problems with the engine stalling when it's hot. And it gets hot easily when riding on lanes or in traffic. Lots of references to this if you google.

No complaints off road, there's a gentle mapping setting for this, and actually I keep it on gentle on tarmac as well as it's plenty powerful enough.

Seat is more comfortable than you might think, especially if you're used to the plank of a seat on the F650/800GS. Lots of wind blast over 60mph even with the slightly higher touring screen which could be a limiting factor in winter time.

I've fitted Metal Mule pannier frames and rear rack. Standard 12-litre tank seems just about OK so I won't be fitting aux tanks. The RallyRaid fairing is a bit of an overkill but I might go for the Lynx fairing as winter nears.

 

[MikeS]

Thanks for the responses, very useful.

 

[Timolgra]

Thanks for the responses, very useful.

There's a couple of others on this forum and many on ADVrider who use their 690s extensively, they're the ones you need to get info from

 

[strobingred]

690e

G2 cam sorts the snatchy throttle and the re rated lower thermostat sorts
out the temperature. Akro is the exhaust.
Get a switch on the handlebars to change the ecu settings without taking the seat off. (ktm forum has info on making one).

 

[DollyRocket]

Use TuneECU to remap the fuelling by uploading one of the maps on their website. You can buy the cable from ebay for £25.

Sorts out all the ecu problems,especially when twinned with a straight through end can. It turns the bike into what it should have left the factory as.

 

[EricGS]

I've riden my friends with the evo1 tank and fairing. I had been thinking of buying one but ended up buying the 950 adventure S. I enjoyed it but I didn't like the way the side plastics hit my knees when I was in a seated position. That problem wouldn't be there with the evo2 tanks as their flatter in the side profile but hard to find bikes in my price range with evo2 kit at the time. Defo a 690 Enduro R with RR evo2 tanks and fairing will be a purchase in the future. (the one in your first post is evo2)