500 exc question

[Josh_SLR]

for those of you that have one what is the longest you have taken it on the highway? Would the bike be ok to ride from the bay area to New Mexico? Do an oil change in New Mexico and then do the TAT trail to Oregon? What is a realistic time frame between oil changes? I know this isn't the best bike for this but I am trying to figure out if it would be ok for the few times I would do a ride like this. I know the 690 endure would be much better for this type of ride but is it manageable on the 500? I will do a big ride like this once every few years.

 

[wsmc831]

There isn't a huge difference in the amount of oil carried in the two, and until they stopped making them you could buy a Big Oil clutch cover from BSB in AZ to up 500 capacity to 1.7. The 500 does fine, I wouldn't worry about 1k miles of road without oil change, but you'll probably need to change tires when you get there.

https://gumroad.com/l/motonomad

 

[usedtobefast]

On a side note, we did the TAT from where it starts in Colorado to Oregon. We rented a Penski moving truck (one way), loaded up the bikes, and hauled them out. Was kind of fun start, and we had time in the truck to talk about the upcoming ride.

Do you already own a 500? Or looking into how well it might work?

If you already own one, I'd say go for it. If you are mostly riding pavement there I'd suggest to put on some very street focused tires and have well balanced wheels. Then have knobbies waiting for you in New Mexico to put on out there.

If you don't own a 500 yet, the TAT does not require that awesome a dirt bike. It is mostly dirt roads, and anything kind of like single track is mostly an overgrown dirt road. A DR650 or Honda XR650L with a big tank and rear rack and knobbies are pretty perfect TAT bikes.

 

[etxxz]

Road is fine, but you have to do a REALLY good job balancing the knobbies, and consider removing the rim-locks for that. The TAT is not crazy challenging, much less on a dirt bike that capable so the 500 should do just fine.

Mmmm... My 2009 450 exc-r feels about the same on balanced knobbies 21/18" or on 17/17" supermoto wheels & street tires. What gets me after 2-3hr riding is the vibrations that come across the seat that leave my ass itching. I'm only 165lbs 32-34 waist AND already have the softer Enduro Engineering seat. Itches dude.

Oil is translucent still at 500mi changes. Filters at 1000mi. Air filter gets cleaned by visual inspection based on amount of dust exposed. Going back to tires. Selecting the right tire will be important for covering that distance. Full blown DOT knobbies (~MT21, D606) probably not the best idea.

Also consider adding an electric fan kit. There's oil cooler kits that increase your oil capacity too for longer rides etc. Higher tooth count front cog for hwy cruising. Stock, your teeth will fall off after the first 30min at highway speed with imbalanced tires.

edit - agree with above. +1 on DESERT TANK.

 

[Josh_SLR]

On a side note, we did the TAT from where it starts in Colorado to Oregon. We rented a Penski moving truck (one way), loaded up the bikes, and hauled them out. Was kind of fun start, and we had time in the truck to talk about the upcoming ride.

Do you already own a 500? Or looking into how well it might work?

If you already own one, I'd say go for it. If you are mostly riding pavement there I'd suggest to put on some very street focused tires and have well balanced wheels. Then have knobbies waiting for you in New Mexico to put on out there.

If you don't own a 500 yet, the TAT does not require that awesome a dirt bike. It is mostly dirt roads, and anything kind of like single track is mostly an overgrown dirt road. A DR650 or Honda XR650L with a big tank and rear rack and knobbies are pretty perfect TAT bikes.

I do not own one right now. I am thinking about getting g one next 6ear. Right now I am on a 250l and i might be doi g this ride on it in 2 months. Just wondering how that bike would handle a ride like that.

 

[vkb]

..snip...

Also consider adding an electric fan kit. There's oil cooler kits that increase your oil capacity too for longer rides etc. Higher tooth count front cog for hwy cruising. Stock, your teeth will fall off after the first 30min at highway speed with imbalanced tires.

edit - agree with above. +1 on DESERT TANK.

The 500EXC comes with an electric fan already and the stock 15/45 gearing is stoopid tall to begin with. I have the Acerbis 4.1g tank on mine and that gives me around a 200 mile range. Definitely balance the wheels to cancel out the rim-locks. I do mine just fine with spoke weights from No-Mar and a cheapie Harbor Freight static balancer.

The 500 EXC maintenance schedule is expressed in terms of hours. Engine oil is to be changed every 15 hours. At off road speeds that amounts to a few hundred miles or so, but at pavement cruising speeds that is stretched out closer to the 1000 mi neighborhood. Probably the bigger concern is the 30 hour valve inspection/adjustment interval. If you wanted to adhere to that schedule then you would be cracking the engine open every 2 thousand miles or so to check them. Reality is that if you are diligent with keeping the air filter clean and don't spend enormous amounts of time eating dust then it probably won't be an issue to stretch that.

I've ridden mine a couple hundred miles a day mostly off-road for a few days in a row. I would never consider droning over pavement for the sort of distances you are talking about. Is it doable on the 500? Sure. Will you destroy the bike? Probably not. It will, however, be thoroughly not enjoyable. I had a KTM 690 Enduro R and would ride that thing 700 miles in a weekend on road and off road.

 

[NorCal Factory]

It's the wrong tool for the job. After 50 miles you will which you were on a different bike.
If you do ride it long distance on street add a second rim lock to help balance out the wheel . One rim lock will have your tires hopping.

 

[vkb]

It's the wrong tool for the job. After 50 miles you will which you were on a different bike.
If you do ride it long distance on street add a second rim lock to help balance out the wheel . One rim lock will have your tires hopping.

Why would you add a second rim lock and make fixing a flat or changing the tire more hassle? Just add weight opposite the rim lock in the form of spoke weights, lead core solder wrapped around a couple spokes (old school), or flat stick-on type weights secured (duct tape) under the rim strip on the inside of the wheel. If you don't want or don't have a balancer to do it then the generally accepted offset weight is 3.0oz front and 3.5oz rear.

 

[etxxz]

I have the same no-mar spoke weights. I still would just get rid of the rim lock for a trip like that. Part balance, part tube changes. Rim locks are really only necessary for running less than like 10psi on serious offroad stuff. You can go over all the same stuff with 18psi and not need rim locks.

Agreed, probably not the best tool for the job. Expensive one too. If you already have one, then by all means go for it!

 

[Josh_SLR]

Well I am asking because I think I am going to pick one up next year. I love the bike! I will only do a trip like this a once every few years. the other trips I would take it on will be 50 miles street to get somewhere. If not truck it to a location and just take off from there. I like the power and the weight way more than the 690 and that's why I am asking. It is going to be the 690 or the 500 but I think the 500 will be better for what I am going to be doing with it. If it can make it on a ride like this the it will work. Will it be a nice ride there no, but will any dirtbike be a nice ride on highway that long.

 

[wsmc831]

Don't get too caught up the numbers. I enjoy the 690 more than the 500 which I find fairly bland, even with every power-up bolt on available, the 690 motor is still more fun and better at long trips. It did 1700 miles in Baja in March and wouldn't have enjoyed it as much on the smaller bike.

 

[Josh_SLR]

Don't get too caught up the numbers. I enjoy the 690 more than the 500 which I find fairly bland, even with every power-up bolt on available, the 690 motor is still more fun and better at long trips. It did 1700 miles in Baja in March and wouldn't have enjoyed it as much on the smaller bike.

How is it to pick up when you drop it though? Also can you add a bigger tank on the 690? I didn't think you could because where it is located. How do you like the 690 on single track? Is it a good bike to hit wood trails and river crossing and stuff like that? does the ground clearance cause any issues?

 

[vkb]

How is it to pick up when you drop it though? Also can you add a bigger tank on the 690? I didn't think you could because where it is located. How do you like the 690 on single track? Is it a good bike to hit wood trails and river crossing and stuff like that? does the ground clearance cause any issues?

The 690 is heavier than the 500, but it's still not a super heavy bike. According to KTM the 500EXC weighs 250lbs with no gas and the 690E weighs 315lbs without gas.

There are solutions for expanding the fuel capacity of the 690, but they involve adding additional tank(s) to the front of the bike rather than replacing the rear tank, which is basically the whole back half of the bike. Fairly costly too.

If your budget is for a single bike and this upcoming trip is not representative of how you will be normally using the bike then perhaps just get the 500EXC and go for it.

 

[oobus]

How is it to pick up when you drop it though? Also can you add a bigger tank on the 690? I didn't think you could because where it is located. How do you like the 690 on single track? Is it a good bike to hit wood trails and river crossing and stuff like that? does the ground clearance cause any issues?

I also have a 690, and mostly use it for moto camping in the forest, little single track and some long day rides (this summer went 420 miles in 11 hours on a trip to Coos Bay). My bud that rides with me had a 500 and it ran fine on the road for long trips, lighter and better suspension out of the box, but started using oil around 5,000 miles. He now has a 2014 690. Mine has over 6k and doesn't use a drop.
He and I routinely get 55mpg and can get an easy 140 miles out of a single tank. Add a 1 gallon rotopax when needed and you are well over 200 miles between fill ups (which is longer than your ass can last anyways). I run around in the boonies so now my bike has a Safari tank on it and it should be good for well over 325 miles between fill ups. I got a used tank and put everything together myself, and shopped for deals so I've got less than $425 in my extra fuel.
Bad ass way to go is with the Rally Raid front tanks or even the side tank for the back but they are high $. The only one I know with that kind of Bank is LunchBox
For what I do the 690 is perfect, btw I'm 6'3ish and 210ish.

 

[HadesOmega]

Why is having the wheels balanced such a big thing isn't it commonsense especially for a dual sport on the highway. I always balance my wheels and it only has one rim lock. The DR650 can run all day on the freeway like that.

Hmm the TAT sounds like my kinda fun =)

 

[vkb]

Why is having the wheels balanced such a big thing isn't it commonsense especially for a dual sport on the highway. I always balance my wheels and it only has one rim lock. The DR650 can run all day on the freeway like that.

Hmm the TAT sounds like my kinda fun =)

Because it is pretty much the norm for dirt bikes to not have the wheels balanced and the 500EXC and 690 are delivered new without the wheels balanced even though they are plated for street use.

So a "dirt bike guy" that takes to the pavement for the first time doesn't think about it because he's never thought about balancing the wheels on a dirt bike, and a "street bike guy" that's buying his first dirt capable bike doesn't think about it because every bike he's ever bought comes with the wheels balanced.

new guy: "my new bike is shaking my teeth out on the highway. is it the knobbies?"

every one else: "no, balance your wheels"

new guy: "ok, all better"

That pretty much sums it up.

 

[Lighterknot]

My bud that rides with me had a 500 and it ran fine on the road for long trips, lighter and better suspension out of the box, but started using oil around 5,000 miles.

Where was the oil going? I had over 15k on mine when I sold it and it didn't burn any oil at all. Did he have seals leaking or was it burning it? Did he also have to adjust the valves a lot? Mine didn't move at all in the last 3k miles that I owned the bike.

 

[oobus]

Where was the oil going? I had over 15k on mine when I sold it and it didn't burn any oil at all. Did he have seals leaking or was it burning it? Did he also have to adjust the valves a lot? Mine didn't move at all in the last 3k miles that I owned the bike.

Rings and valve seals, and the guy is a meticulous mechanic.

 

[Josh_SLR]

Rings and valve seals, and the guy is a meticulous mechanic.

That is very discouraging. Its a great bike and I would love one but not at that cost.

 

[wsmc831]

That is very discouraging. Its a great bike and I would love one but not at that cost.

If hearing about one issue with one bike scares you away, you may want to look in to other forms of transportation, or pick another bike that you can't find any report of any issue, ever. Good luck.