I have written reviews here before and I want to do it again!
I'll start by saying that I used to have a Tenere 700 motorcycle, and to this day I love it very much. My green T7 is perfect. I always thought so until I developed a back problem a year ago, and it became a problem for me in difficult off-road conditions.
I developed a herniated disc and the 200kg Tenere became a problem on narrow, difficult mountain sections and I also developed a fear of falling which I have not yet been able to overcome as riding it could be harmful to my bad back.
I still drive it, but now it's only on light dirt roads in leisure mode.
And I got the idea to buy myself a second bike for those adventures that I always loved so much.
I've been looking for a bike for a long time that's light enough and can be registered, but what I wanted to register wasn't possible. I really wanted to get a 2025 WR 450 F. It's a crazy and reliable bike. I had the chance to ride it, but unfortunately, it's impossible to register it because it doesn't have EU certification.
And then I found out it was possible for the KTM EXC F.
Yes, I didn't like that bike as much as the Yamaha, but you can't actually register anything other than European brands.
It's funny that the KTM dealer listed my 2026 KTM EXC F 500 as 12 kw XD.
I didn't ask them to do anything with the bike; I simply asked the dealer if it was possible to register it, and they said they'd do it without any problems.
I got this bike for adventures in the mountains and forests of Bulgaria. The bike is fairly light and maneuverable, but the suspension is quite stiff and the bike is very vibration-laden. I've already spent a lot of money installing dampers and handlebar ends to combat the vibration, but I'm only halfway there.
I know it's a sport bike and expecting comfort is foolish, but the stock vibrations are simply terrible.
As hard as it may seem, the bars reduced the vibration a bit, although I wasn't counting on it, but it was a nice bonus. If anyone is buying Outback Motortek Crash Bars for the 2026 Outback, please note that the bolts are not the right size. The 20mm bolts included need to be replaced with 16mm ones. Also, you'll need to do some fiddling with the plastic, as the radiator guard is a bit shorter than it should be.
Hopefully, by the time you get yours, this will be fixed. I also recommend cleaning all the threads before starting assembly. The thread quality wasn't the best, so be patient, and everything will be great.
I'm also looking forward to a soft seat to combat vibration.
I haven't yet decided which seat to buy and would appreciate your recommendations.
I ride mountain trails and often forest trails that aren't meant for riding.
Overall, I'm happy with the bike, but it's very unusual. Of course, the WR was better, but I can't register it, and my routes don't return to where they started, so transporting the bike on a trailer is simply not an option.
By the way, someday I'll go TET on it and write another article about how it coped with all the adventures that awaited it.
As always, my passion extends to the bike's appearance, and here it became a twin of my beloved T7.
By the way, if you'd like, I'll share my experience with the ALPINESTARS TECH 7 and O'NEAL RIDER PRO 2 boots.
And I'll jump ahead and say that I'll be praising the latter.
I really love the graphics and as you can see, although I'm not a rider, I like this style. You know, it's a fashionable, bold, youthful style. This graphics looks amazing to me, of course. I know that not everyone will like these colors, but the designers did a phenomenal job. I made two bikes completely personalized for me.
At the moment I have more than 1200 km with the graphics, there are no off-road conditions, I am not a motocross racer and do not kill the graphics so quickly, but it still looks like new
By the way, the installation was much easier than on the Tenera 700. I did it in about three hours, and the results were completely worth it.
Now, when I walk into the garage, I feel like a kid in a toy store.
You know, having a bike exactly the way you want it and the ability to customize it is a great joy.
Take care of your health so you don't have to compromise, although riding a different bike is also a useful experience that can reveal your potential a little more.
Thank you Winner's Ink Graphics for the excellent work done on my graphics, excellent service and first class quality graphics.
Also, a special thanks to Outback Motortek for promptly resolving the problem. Yes, they have problems with the current line, but they solve everything quickly and will help you, so I think you should contact them if you need good protection for your bike.
I left these links for certain reasons
https://outbackmotortek.com/
This is the only manufacturer of Crash Bars for this bike, there are simply no others, so if anyone finds it useful, I will be happy to save you some time.
https://w-inkco.com/
And this is a truly stylish and professional set of graphics that I am simply delighted with and could not help but share it
An observation on your gear/ bike colors…
I started wearing all black gear several years ago, because of the color combinations that were just too busy for my taste. Previous to this, I use to wear various bright/ colorful gear.
Fast forward to 2022 and my best friend and I, along with a group of friends were riding in the forest and my buddy had a heart attack and passed away on the trail. We got a helicopter there within 30 minutes and two of the guys in our group kept him alive with CPR, but he’d lost his pulse before they arrived. The fireman that was lowered down to assist us told me that it was extremely difficult to see us through the trees with our dark (black) gear and they only spotted us because of one of my buddies had bright orange and another had neon yellow, like yours.
Since that day, I’ve only bought the brightest colors, mainly neon yellow and bright orange, since I only ride in the trees these days. So against my decision to keep it simple and wear black gear, I changed my tune, knowing it may help in a similar situation with spotting us in a mountain full of trees.
Some may think it’s a bit too bright and that’s fair, but for me, I’m on your page with the neon yellow gear and it goes well with your bike. Definitely not for everyone, but if there’s ever someone looking for you, you’ll be much easier to spot.
I'm so sorry for your loss. Thank you for your valuable experience and advice. I'll definitely take it to heart.
At first sight, I read "Wank" on the shroud, which I thought was pretty original and totally "fashionable, bold, youthful style".
🤣
Isn't that so? Even you appreciated it))
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From an aid standpoint, do you bring anything additional since that happened? It’s always in the back of my mind when there are older guys in the group.
That's the actual right emoji.
😉
Cliff notes.
I aint reading all that c***....... 😂
Well, don't read, why show your negativity?
Unfortunately that’s what this place is turning into, lots of negativity and the “social media” keyboard warrior mentality.
I guess that what comes with an open discussion forum, but it’s definitely taken a serious turn for the worst on here.
I’m 60 and most of the people I ride with are older than me, but many are ex-pro racers or guys with decades of experience. Many are still in great shape and take good care of themselves, but that doesn’t necessarily make any difference when age starts creeping up…
I carry a bottle of pills that has come in handy more than once. It contains bayer aspirin, Percocet, Motrin and Somas. I also carry pickle juice for someone that may get serious muscle cramps out on a ride. But more than anything, I recommend taking a CPR class so that you don’t feel helpless if someone ends up having a heart attack while riding. It’s about all we can do…
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