Posts
1766
Joined
10/3/2008
Location
Piut
RE
Looking for a used dual purpose bike primarily for playing on the trails , single track , fire roads , odd weekend camping trip in the mountains , that kind of thing . I will have to ride to the dirt for 30-40 mins on paved 60 mph highways but it won’t be used to commute . I would be looking at the higher end used bikes and the local market seems to have a good selection of 690s , drz less so but the 690s go for more money of course . Pretty much settled on these two I think , but just looking for opinions , thanks in advance .
the 690 is a snarling, nasty beast of a bike.. it has decent suspension, a great engine, and wonky KTM engineering all over...
The DRZ is an old battle axe.... not much power for the highway, but you should feel perfectly at home once off pavement....
Buy the 690 if you want some thrills on the street.... buy the DRZ if you are looking for simplicity and a tool that gets the job done....
Reliable as a rock.
DRZ has been around for a while, and I don’t think they ever changed much, so any one is just as good as another.
If you want a touch more performance, see if a WR450 is available.
As reliable as the DRZ, and as sporty as the 690.
The Shop
That is the magic one, right there.
Anybody heard the rumour of a street legal klx 300 being introduced in a month ?
Absolutely excellent bike for what it is. Keeps the dirt bike feel i was after but has way more manageable maintenance intervals. My only "complaint" is the 690 doesn't have that raw power like a 450/500 does. It has plenty of power, and i could hit 100 on the street for split second (don't recommend) but struggles to lift the front wheel in 3rd gear without the clutch.
No way would i consider a DRZ400 or an equivalent. It's extremely outdated and weights the same as the 690.
Not saying the 690 is the best thing since sliced bread, but if considering a 400 i'd look more at the KTM 500/Husky 501 as someone else mentioned. Guys are getting outstanding hours out of those things.
DRZ is really, really old technology, heavy and you will get very tired of flooding the carb-ed bike from tip-overs on the trail. Then you will kill the battery impatiently starting the damn thing.
Post a reply to: KTM 690 Enduro or DRZ400 ?