Rot Box
Diesel and Dust
- Location
- Smithfield Utah
Lookin good! Like the tire might try one out on my ATK
The KTM 690 Enduro
- Thread starter Greg
- Start date
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
A few more changes on the 690 over the weekend...
After digging into my problematic heated grips, I learned they were Taiwanese-made cheapies. They have only a High & Low setting and from what I've read they are either too cold or too hot and sometimes one side will work much better than the other. Replacing them would cost $60, but upgrading to a MUCH better grip would about run $30 more. I decided to upgrade to a pair of Oxford Hot Hands. The difference in wiring quality was immense, the cheap stuff looked like a hack job... the Oxford Grips were very well put together, a few plugs here & there, then 2 battery leads and they were installed! Running them at 100% with bare hands is nearly uncomfortable... should be perfect with gloves in the cold!
The Oxford heaters have 4 different settings, so you can adjust grip heat based on the need.
Next up... my stock mirrors were trashed, one was shorter than the other, the stalks were BOTH bent and they has seen better days. I wanted something beefy, adjustable and decent looking. Enter the Double Take Mirrors! These are neat, they use Ram mounts for adjustability and strength. What's really neat about them is that when you hit the dirt, they can be tucked out of the way! The manufacturer has a lifetime guarentee against breakage on the mirror arm (not the lens though
). They are supposed to be very vibration resistant as well.
They were easy to mount and drop into place... and they will tuck out of the way, even with my Garmin GPS on the bars!
Here's the finished product, mirrors and heated grips.-
After digging into my problematic heated grips, I learned they were Taiwanese-made cheapies. They have only a High & Low setting and from what I've read they are either too cold or too hot and sometimes one side will work much better than the other. Replacing them would cost $60, but upgrading to a MUCH better grip would about run $30 more. I decided to upgrade to a pair of Oxford Hot Hands. The difference in wiring quality was immense, the cheap stuff looked like a hack job... the Oxford Grips were very well put together, a few plugs here & there, then 2 battery leads and they were installed! Running them at 100% with bare hands is nearly uncomfortable... should be perfect with gloves in the cold!
The Oxford heaters have 4 different settings, so you can adjust grip heat based on the need.
Next up... my stock mirrors were trashed, one was shorter than the other, the stalks were BOTH bent and they has seen better days. I wanted something beefy, adjustable and decent looking. Enter the Double Take Mirrors! These are neat, they use Ram mounts for adjustability and strength. What's really neat about them is that when you hit the dirt, they can be tucked out of the way! The manufacturer has a lifetime guarentee against breakage on the mirror arm (not the lens though
). They are supposed to be very vibration resistant as well.
They were easy to mount and drop into place... and they will tuck out of the way, even with my Garmin GPS on the bars!
Here's the finished product, mirrors and heated grips.-
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
So I'm making a goal right now... the bike has 7,200 miles on it now. I'm going to try to ride the 690 over 3,000 miles this year and finish the year out with just over 10k miles on the bike. Better start planning some big trips, eh?
So I'm making a goal right now... the bike has 7,200 miles on it now. I'm going to try to ride the 690 over 3,000 miles this year and finish the year out with just over 10k miles on the bike. Better start planning some big trips, eh?
Hopefully I can help you put some of those miles on this year 
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
Tonkaman
Well-Known Member
- Location
- West Jordan
UTBDR up and back should get you close to that...
Rot Box
Diesel and Dust
- Location
- Smithfield Utah
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
x2
X3
Let's make it happen!! I'm thinking about a bunch of 4 day weekends, Friday-Monday. I've given thought to riding from CO thru the Uinta's and wander around towards ID perhaps... ?
True... I've done a 1,000 mile ride, an 800 mile ride and a few 500 milers. 3k should be well within reason.
Shoot, my old man does double that a year without even tryingSo I'm making a goal right now... the bike has 7,200 miles on it now. I'm going to try to ride the 690 over 3,000 miles this year and finish the year out with just over 10k miles on the bike. Better start planning some big trips, eh?
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
Shoot, my old man does double that a year without even trying
I'm sure some people quadruple that number, but 3k miles is a good goal for ME.
I'm sure some people quadruple that number, but 3k miles is a good goal for ME.
And 3k of dirt/road mix on an enduro is a lot harder than 6k of highway on a goldwing
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
And 3k of dirt/road mix on an enduro is a lot harder than 6k of highway on a goldwing
Absolutely! I'm hoping for 40% road, 60% dirt. And only road, to get to & from the dirt.
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
Wrapped up the last bit of work needed on the 690 today, then went for the first ride of the year!
I removed the Kouba lowering link, which had dropped the rear suspension of the bike by 1 5/8", then I installed a factory suspension link to raise it back up. I also had to fix the kickstand, which the PO bent (with a sledge hammer?) to make up for the lowering. I had to cut, sleeve and weld together another short kickstand to make up for the raised suspension. The kickstand looks so much better now, it was bent & beat looking before.The difference in height is very noticeable, I used to be able to swing my foot over & off the bike easily, now it takes much more effort! It's easier to put/keep a foot on the kick stand side peg, stand up on it, then swing your leg over.
I took the bike out for a short loop around Grand Junction, here's my impressions from the recent changes. The new rear tire is very loud, it's like a set of bias-ply Super Swampers on a 4x4! The heated grips are great, 75% is almost too much... 40% is a mild amount of heat. I do love them though, it's so nice to have warm hands! The new mirrors are great, very adjustable... you can set them perfectly and don't have to look at your shoulder in the reflection! I ended up with them pretty low & wide and I like it.
Pics from the day, not sure if you can see the taller 'stock' height...
I removed the Kouba lowering link, which had dropped the rear suspension of the bike by 1 5/8", then I installed a factory suspension link to raise it back up. I also had to fix the kickstand, which the PO bent (with a sledge hammer?) to make up for the lowering. I had to cut, sleeve and weld together another short kickstand to make up for the raised suspension. The kickstand looks so much better now, it was bent & beat looking before.The difference in height is very noticeable, I used to be able to swing my foot over & off the bike easily, now it takes much more effort! It's easier to put/keep a foot on the kick stand side peg, stand up on it, then swing your leg over.
I took the bike out for a short loop around Grand Junction, here's my impressions from the recent changes. The new rear tire is very loud, it's like a set of bias-ply Super Swampers on a 4x4! The heated grips are great, 75% is almost too much... 40% is a mild amount of heat. I do love them though, it's so nice to have warm hands! The new mirrors are great, very adjustable... you can set them perfectly and don't have to look at your shoulder in the reflection! I ended up with them pretty low & wide and I like it.
Pics from the day, not sure if you can see the taller 'stock' height...
- Location
- Sandy, Ut
Sexy!
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
Well, there goes the 690 with it's new owner.... Hopefully the new ride (not yet in my possession) fills the gap of the 690 and more.
Hopefully the new ride (not yet in my possession) fills the gap of the 690 and more.
jentzschman
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Sandy, Utah
Such a bitter sweet feeling when we see something we love go. I hated selling my bike and a few times thought I had mad a mistake. But we look to the future for something better and more suited for where we are. I still really want to get a wr450.
Good luck with the new bike. Can't wait to see what adventures you have with it.
Good luck with the new bike. Can't wait to see what adventures you have with it.
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
I'll post a thread for it soon enough, it ought to be fun in a slightly different way. I do see a LOT of bike miles in the near future.
Rot Box
Diesel and Dust
- Location
- Smithfield Utah
Greg, at this point could you see yourself owning another 690? Anything that would steer you away from one? Eventually... I think I'd like to get one to go alongside my ATK. A 625SXC, 640 adventure or TE610E are at the top of my list but they're pretty rare these days and I have a hard enough time finding ATK parts :-\
- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
I would own another one in a heartbeat, it's a neat bike. The frame design doesn't allow a sharp turning radius, so be prepared. I had some EFI/fuel pump/ethanol issues, but other than that the bike is brilliant. The rear subrame IS the gas tank and it's pretty small, but the bike gets stellar MPG's. The power is amazing for a thumper, gobs of power... I found that I could ride it like a 450 in the dirt and it worked even better. For a bike that can & will do a lot of highway riding, it's impressive in the dirt. It has it's quirks, but nothing else compares... and even on the street, you could push it pretty hard in the corners.
This was the kind of stuff the 690 Enduro excelled at!
[video=youtube;MNQSQJkZpuM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNQSQJkZpuM[/video]
Rot Box
Diesel and Dust
- Location
- Smithfield Utah
Thanks for the feedback Greg