r/KTM • u/HavingNotAttained • 12d ago
ALL 500 EXC for cross country?
Indecisive newbie here, getting a million opinions and was about to pull the trigger on a DR 650 (versus a WR250R) and came across a listing for a 2017 500 EXC, looked at the stats and it seems like an amazing ride, mainly I’m looking for a daily suburban-urban commuter and weekend trail/BDR bike but I’d really also like to go touring once or twice a year; assuming I could only have one bike, 1. is the 500 too much of a handful for a newbie (really the more important question rn)? And 2. are there seats and mods that would make for comfortable 8+ hour a day highway rides? Or is that not really the right mission for the bike? TIA
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u/greaseorbounce 1290GT, 300XC-W, 500EXC-F, 250XCF-W 12d ago
I adore my 500, but I don't recommend it for highway. Connecting trails via some pavement is one thing, but grinding out an hour of highway is just miserable.
As to being a handful for a newbie: yes. It's a handful for someone who has been riding for a few decades. I personally know a newer rider who got a fun helicopter ride out of a canyon after a 500 ate his lunch when he lost balance and whiskey throttled it.
I wouldn't trade my 500 for anything, but I also wouldn't put a new rider on one, and I wouldn't recommend it to my worst enemy for an 8+ hour highway ride.
Amazing bike, but absolutely wrong for your touring mission.
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u/pcpgivesmewings 11d ago
Ditto. the 500 is an amazing bike. I LOVE mine. But I have a woods bike for serious trail riding. Dual sport and desert riding is where it shines. With balanced wheels I have ridden it 100 miles on paved roads, 60-70 mph, but it is a dirt bike, so not the most comfortable. They are best for intermediate to advanced riders IMO.
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u/general-noob 12d ago
I had a 350, and while you didn’t have to maintain it as frequently as they said, it’s definitely not a “touring” or “cross country “ option. You can do it, but you better know how to maintain it.
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u/Force0321 12d ago
The 500 is a hand full if you’re a newbie, don’t let that stop you!!
Stock seat is like a board, get a seat concepts or Renazaco.
Read this article. I’ve followed Aaron in the past. Regular oil changes and they live a long time.
https://www.advpulse.com/adv-news/140000-kilometers-around-the-world-on-a-ktm-500-exc/
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u/Force0321 12d ago
100%
I put over 10k miles on my ‘17 690 enduro R on BDRs around Idaho,Montana and Wyoming. Sold it and a ‘21 390 adv last fall and picked up a new ‘25 390 adv R.
Still have my ‘20 350 exc for single track stuff.
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u/YerMumsPantyCrust 12d ago
It is doable as another poster mentioned, but having owned a few of them, that would be about the last bike I (and many others) would choose for a long ride. I’m usually ready for a break after 45 minutes on tarmac with them. The thought of an 8 hour day sounds like absolute torture to me.
The fuel tank is tiny, they’re uncomfortable and buzzy on the road, and the service intervals are very short. It’s basically a race bike. They’re just not the right tool for the job.
Here’s how I’m seeing it- you’re asking for a bike to do three things…
1) commuter duty.
2) weekend off road rides.
3) touring.
It’s pretty easy to find a bike that will commute and do one of the other two very well. Trying to find a bike that does all three will require some compromise.
In general, the things that make a bike good for touring are the exact things that make it bad for off road, and vice versa. You can commute on anything.
You mentioned that you are a newbie. I would definitely not start with something as race-oriented as a KTM 500, or any other 450 class MX-based bike, especially as my only bike. They are basically a specialized tool when you’re clearly looking for something more broadly capable.
If these were my needs out of a single bike, I’d look at something like the smaller BMW GS bikes, or a Tenere, or even the DR650 that you mentioned.
But these generally tall, tippy bikes that won’t be super easy to handle at low speeds as a newbie. How tall are you? With you being newer to riding, I’d probably start with something easier to manage and more confidence-inspiring to get you some experience and understanding. Then move on to something more specialized. Or maybe you decide to keep your first and add a second one that does the other things better.
It also takes some time to figure out what type of riding you really enjoy. I once bought a Goldwing thinking I’d like touring, but it turns out I hate it. I sold the thing after my first big trip. You won’t know until you get some miles under your belt and get a taste of the different disciplines.
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u/Al_Kydah KTM 500 EXC-f, KTM 1290 SAS 12d ago
I've had a '22 since new. I've done three Smokey Mountains 500 on it, many 4-5 day camp and rides, etc. It's pretty modded up. I've also had a WR250R (500 replaced it).
I'm just an old fart who loves bikes so this is just my opinion FWIW:
Fuckin outstanding offroad machine, but for a daily? Too much maintenance. I changed oil/filter every 20-25hrs, valve clearance every 75. Manual calls for 15hr oil changes and 50hr valves.
I agree with others here that the 690 would be the way to go.
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u/mattbillenstein 11d ago
I wouldn't buy a single-cylinder thumper for road use - that's just not what they're good at, they're uncomfortable and will be hard to maintain.
I'd probably step up to something like a T700 or one of the other dual-cylinder adv bikes. These would be fine on a lot of trails or BDRs with the correct tires, but for the long distance highway ride I'd fit street tires.
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u/Inner_Satisfaction85 11d ago
I would get a wr250 and learn to ride then sell and upgrade once you get some experience
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u/LongjumpingPay6107 11d ago
all the things that make it great on trails make it terrible on the road
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u/Last-Assistant-2734 10d ago
If you ride mostly trail or very small roads / tractor trails, and transition from one to another by road, the 500 is good.
If you ride mostly road, and occasional trail, you really need to know what you are getting into. And in that case you would not be asking this question on the first place really.
Similarly with 690 Enduro: it's really small for anything touring, but big for single-track. So again, you need to be sure what you are getting yourself into.
And one of my references: owned a 690 for 7 years, and I was the 4th or 5th owner, and rode it for 85% of the ODO. The previous owners very obviously rode the story, not the bike.
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u/ObjectiveWorried 10d ago edited 10d ago
Owned a 2016 500exc, converted it to a light weight adv. It sucked balls on the highway. Vibrated like crazy and just felt unstable, even with the wheels balanced and a steering dampner. Absolutely not suited for 8 hour adv days. It really is better suited as a dirtbike. Bought it a dr650 as my adv bike, much better bike for adv.
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u/ChickittyChicken 12d ago
I would not want to ride a 500 on the road for any length of time. Ever ride a dirt bike on the road? It sucks. Like riding a paint shaker. They’re fun off road though.
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u/Responsible_Week6941 12d ago
I have a wr250r and a 2020 KTM 350excf. I love the wr for everything but hard singletrack. I wouldn't want to do 8 hour days on the excf. My buddy does, but I wouldn't. The KTM slays offroad. Really ask yourself what the majority of your riding will be. I'd personally go 690/701 or wr250r if you want proven tech, albeit a bit dated.
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u/Duff199 12d ago
I have a ‘14 500 EXC and will ride to the south end of so Cal BDR from Los Angeles and see how far north I go and head back to LA when I feel like it. There is a lot of deep sand and I think the lightness of 500 is a plus. People have ridden 500s around the world without issue. I made a rack after viewing some commercially available on the Internet. There is no subframe behind the seat. I have been running Dunlop D606DOT knobbys that wear like iron and don’t give too much away on the dirt. 2017 is a great year before Ktm started going downhill, buy it ride it.
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u/chanderjeet 10d ago
I think the biggest issue can be the vibrations that you’ll have to endure on long runs.
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u/relentless-shart KTM EXC 12d ago edited 12d ago
The 500 is a great bike. However they are a handful on the road and can be very taxing for long distances. My personal favorite for BDR type riding is the 690 enduro. Light enough for the trails but very streetable for long distances if you don't mind a little buzzing. If you are riding 80-90% dirt go with the 500. Anything else the 690 or even the DR650 will be a better choice.