Stoked you liked it! Cheers! 👊🏼

Thank you for the feedback! Definitely struggled with the audio on this one since it was in the garage in summer with the air handler running full blast 🙃 will work on getting better audio in the future!

That sounds reasonable considering the wide array of feedback on sizing. Thanks for this input! Definitely something to consider when shopping that boot.

Great choice! That is exactly what I have my 501 set up for, you won’t be disappointed. Thank you for the feedback and for watching! 👊🏻

@@IdahoDualSport208 any suggestions for a new helmet. SG-12 will be my boot of choice.

@ADyess086 good choice on boot. I swap between the Leatt 4.5 and SG12 depending on the ride. Helmet wise I really love the Leatt 7.5 helmet for overall value. I’ve tested those lids more than a few times and they perform very well and fit very light and streamlined. Their replacement program is also a huge perk. I wrecked and slammed head first, blew up the helmet, submitted the form and no questions asked they offered me a brand new one for 50% off. I do also like the 6D helmets, but it’s really hard to beat the value and performance of Leatt, for all protective gear for that matter.

They’re very marginally different, with the major difference being the rear suspension and subframes. I prefer the linkage suspension for faster riding, whereas the PDS is nice in the slower more technical riding - but they both do fine. The composite subframe on the Husqy worries a lot of people for dual sport use due to the need for carrying weight over the rear, but the failure rate is extremely low, and for that reason a lot of us have rear rack systems to reinforce it when need be. KTM’s also come with Brembo clutch and brake systems, Husqy now uses braketech which I’m unfamiliar with - since mine is Magura, and I have zero complaints. Overall I’d say it’s most important to figure out which one you think looks better, and which one you can get the better deal on. The 500 motor is time tested and bulletproof, its maintenance intervals are fair for the performance you get, and they are the most versatile performance dirtbike on the market. You can even throw the GasGas 500 in there as it is also sharing 95% of the same components and would be a great option as well.

😂😂

Great testimony. My SG12’s are only 2 years old but still look brand new. Simple maintenance and cleaning goes a long way. Genuine Italian leather and premium parts make them stand out. They’ve protected me more times than I can count as well. Keep an eye out on Amazon. I see them once in a blue moon for about $350 in open box condition.

You’re not the first person to complain about this. Actually, the SG12 had a minority of people that complained about the same issue. There definitely is no one size fits all.

@@IdahoDualSport208will it get better? It should I get rid of them ? What does people say?

@@random-videosit depends on where the discomfort is coming from. Most good boots require a solid break in - but if it’s a matter of fitment, then no break in will remedy that discomfort. My rule of thumb is, you should be able to walk around in them for 30 minutes without needing to take them off. Minor discomfort out of the box is normal - but discomfort due to fitment is not.

I do not - but if you are predisposed to ankle issues I definitely wouldn’t skimp on boots and go for one of the beefier options. The Gaerne Fastback would be about the minimum I’d consider, but you’ll have to try a few pairs on to see which one offers you the best fit!

@@IdahoDualSport208 I ended up w fox comp boots they were the best fit of the boots in my price range that the local stores had

Also thank you very much for your help and please keep making quality content

@@jasonlemmond3012well please keep us posted how they work out for you then! Always helpful to have other valuable feedback 😎

Thank you for watching, these are great questions and I will pin it so that others can chime in as well! To answer questions 1 & 2, with some pretty simple upgrades the oil changes are much less intensive than the manual specifies. I can say firsthand, that when you install the Taco Moto MOA Oil Filters and a Rekluse or slightly enlarged clutch cover (to slightly increase capacity) you can easily get 2k miles between changes, safely. For most riders using this bike for off-road adventures and dual sporting, that is plenty of time and distance between changes. Maintenance and tool kits are subjective, but I will also be doing a rundown of what I carry and why here soon! In regards to the 501 vs 701 - they are very different bikes. The 701 compromises everywhere and is great at nothing - which makes it great for some people who need one bike to do it all. It can do thousands of miles while tackling moderate off-road without too much trouble. The 501 is unquestionably designed to be the premium offroad machine, that just barely squeaks by being street legal. In my opinion, it’s only enjoyable on pavement for about 45-60 minutes before I’m begging to get back in the dirt and let it dance through the tree line. It is nimble, fun, torquey and feels like any other 250lb dirtbike. If you plan on really using your bike as a daily commuter, the 701 would be more practical than the 501, and more comfortable for the pavement stretches. It is roughly 100lb heavier and not suited for trails the same way the 501 is. Its power is far less exciting, as is its suspension and ergonomics. Overall, the 501 is the ultimate bike for off-road enthusiasts who really want to maximize their experience on trails. It is the ultimate Swiss Army knife dirtbike, but there is a heavy emphasis on “dirtbike”. It is one of the best bikes I have ever ridden, and I’ve never met anyone who didn’t enjoy riding one. There are some great groups on FB that have a lot of solid feedback and information on these bikes that would be beneficial for you to skim through! The KTM EXC500 and FE501 are very similar aside from brake/clutch manufacturers, swingarm, suspension tuning, and PDS/linkage rear suspension. You can definitely study each of these bikes to get a good idea of where they shine, and you’ll quickly see that there aren’t many complaints of where it lacks, other than for adventure style riding. Hope some of this helps, good luck with your search! 👊🏻

That’s a fun route, but had a newer rider with me who wasn’t real comfortable yet. Bumpies is oddly now labeled nonmotorized on maps… hopefully that’s not true.

@@IdahoDualSport208 I just went on it last week. Good to go

Id imagine there’s nobody enforcing it, or anybody else using that trail besides dirt bikers, but I was confused when we were up there and it showed the trail as closed to motorized use. I’m glad it’s not!

@@IdahoDualSport208 next time I go riding I will see if I can find that sign. I prob was not paying attention when I went on the trail.

We stopped right at the turn off and I was mapping a different route down to Robie Creek and noticed my map showed Bumpies as nonmotorized and maybe it’s always shown that and I never noticed - but I think that’s a new closure on the maps.

It’s a great ride. Thanks for watching!

In an ideal world, you need at least 3. Thanks to the economy, I am fortunate enough to have 1 that can do it all 🥲

Heck yeah, would absolutely love to! Shoot me a message over on IG and we can exchange info and get out soon! 👊🏻

This is the best comment ever. I love getting to hear stories like this, and knowing that others have gotten to bask in the same amazement that I have, long before I did! I hope to be riding and exploring as long as you. Thanks for watching! 😁

I couldn’t agree more. This bike is so versatile depending on a few setup changes. 14/50 gearing I can light adv ride with the bigger bikes, 13/50 I can still cruise single track and enjoy technical trails. They’re amazing 🙌🏻

Thank you!

Ultimately, yes. But I ended up selling the DRZ eventually down the road. As much as I loved it, it didn’t make sense to keep a bike because it was slightly more comfortable on long pavement stints and had longer maintenance intervals. The 501 just outshines it in every single way, especially as soon as you hit the dirt. I’ll eventually buy an adv bike for longer trips to accompany the 501 - but right now I’m just enjoying the heck out of that bike and everything it can do.

Glad it was helpful!

I’d love to get some feedback for solutions on this as well. When it rains, or there’s freezing fog and cold temps, it definitely doesn’t seem like there’s any “technology” thats keeping my goggles from fogging up either.

The DRZ is/was still the one of the best true dual sports ever made. I loved it off-road, and more so on road than almost any other single cylinder bike I’ve ridden. But once I got a taste of the 501 off-road, it was over 😅 I would still love a DRZ to have in the garage if money wasn’t an object, though. I miss mine often, even while enjoying the 501.

I think ideally being able to have a 500/501 and a 890/901 would be the ultimate combo - but I don’t have that kind of money laying around 😅 I absolutely love the 500 platform, and will probably never go without one again.

I don’t wear glasses, but I believe there’s a couple that market themselves as compatible. I wear the Bell MX9 adventure for longer ADV type rides, and the Leatt 4.5 for mostly offroad riding. Both are excellent lids.

So I am a bit of an oddball. I run 12/50 about 90% of the time. It hangs in on the short pavement sections and maximizes the torque and linear pull off the bottom in the technical terrain off-road. I’d say 13/50b is ideal 90% of the time, though.

Honestly, this is probably great advice and a great way to save money. Especially when trail riding in the mountains where lenses get destroyed by branches, rocks, and everything in between. Thank you for the input and feedback!

It is an expensive pursuit, but finding the right boot is well worth the effort. I settled with my Tech 7's for a long time because they were comfortable. It was amazing how fast my confidence and riding ability improved once getting into a boot that allowed me to really feel in control of my bike and its inputs. I would definitely look into the fastback, SG10, and SG12 if you also find the AStars to fit a bit cumbersome.

Haha thanks! DRZ’s will always hold a special place in my heart

Thank you! Appreciate the feedback. Trying to get out riding more, but this season has been crazy as I started my own company early this year. Hopefully get in a few good trips before winter 😎👊🏻

It depends on the terrain and duration. All of them would work, but I would think the Armega and Lucid would be your best bet if you need tear offs. If you’re riding different day times or lighting conditions, the quick magnetic lens swapping capability on the Havocs are sweet. If you don’t need tear offs, the Klim goggles are by far my favorite and most comfortable to wear for long periods.

Oakley makes a MTB version of the airbrake which has a mesh instead of a foam around the lens which don't fog up as quick if at all. I ride hares down in Florida, honestly find a goggle that fits your face well and offers a good roll off system.

@@treybird893 Also some great feedback to look into. You are spot on, it is like boots - find something that fits and offers the protection and performance that caters to your riding environment and style. There are a ton of good options to choose from these days!

Yes I do. It’s been a crazy year so far. Hoping to get back to riding soon. Any suggestions?

Not much you can do except utilize a goggle with good air flow. All of these do well in that regard. I do like ability to pop off the lenses and let my face breathe on those Havoc’s!

​​@@IdahoDualSport208 kzbin.info/www/bejne/g4vJnKGBl66EoNUsi=U2_Q9RRQuKi9jP5L I saw These But also No good solution. Maybe Kind of Anti fog spray

100% worth it! Best upgrade for that bike, outside of the JD jet kit.

Definitely the Klim’s! It’s subjective to face shape, but for me the Klim goggles are the least restrictive and by far the most breathable. The EKS lucid was a close second, and I think it’s because of how soft the foam is that goes over the bridge of your nose. However, in one of my other videos I took a nasty high side that threw me head first into the ground and the Armega’s cut the bridge of my nose from the impact, so maybe soft isn’t always a good thing 😅

​@@IdahoDualSport208Many thanks 👍👍

Thank you. I had nothing to gain by making this video, just wanted to share some information and feedback that I was hoping would help at least a few folks out. Glad this was helpful for you, thanks for watching 👊🏻

That’s a very tough predicament to be in. Mainly because, although there is a lot of overlap from those two bikes, they are still far apart on each end of the spectrum. I will say this though, the 501 with the right gearing is the closest thumper I’ve ever had to a 2 stroke 300. It has bottomless linear torque, and only comes shy in the super gnarly stuff where stalling becomes an issue. The 450L is a great bike, but no matter what you do it’s a race motor and it is nowhere near as smooth or tractable as the 500/501 is. The 2 stroke will always feel more playful on the trails, and carry its idle easier in steep tight switchbacks. The 501 hangs in there closer than most people would think, though. I ride with 12/50 gearing a lot of the time and have made it up hills and sections that some 2 strokes struggled in. It weighs almost the same as most modern 2 strokes but can still dual sport without hesitation. It is by far my favorite bike I’ve ever ridden and will likely always have one in the garage after owning this one. However, I would be lying if the temptation to get another 2 stroke hadn’t crossed my mind. I don’t solely seek out tight mountain single track very often, but when you come across it, there’s no denying that a 2 stroke is better in those conditions. Overall the 501 does everything off-road amazingly well, and maybe better than any other bike. It can still hit pavement sections if needed, but I really don’t have it set up for that minus the street legal kit for when necessary. My gearing, tires, and suspension are all setup to get me through typical Idaho terrain which can get technical quick. It’s an amazing bike and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend one over the 450L, but I’m not 100% sure I can say that it would fully replace you’re 250 in a way you’d be satisfied with. Hope that helps a bit. Good luck with the decision!

Thanks for the reply man. I appreciate your input. It's just one of those scenarios where you have one bike (501) that isn't really quite as good as either of the other two at their respective categories...450L is, in my opinion, a better all around dual sport (mostly due to better road manners) and te250i is a better woods/enduro bike - compared to the 501. BUT - 501 is still a decent dual sport, still pretty damn close to the 2-stroke on trails (with proper set up), and it's only one bike to maintain. The other side of that though is that if you try to use just one bike for all of your riding styles - perhaps I'm wrong, but I feel it will 'wear out' faster, lol. I'm from eastern Canada (Prince Edward Island) and our typical dual sporting routes with a combination of pavement, fire roads, and ATV double track don't typically overlap with the tighter single track riding (because most of that is on private land)...so probably makes sense to keep both. The 450L can handle the dual sport routes around here just fine. If they overlapped more, and technical terrain was more integrated into the dual sporting...I'd definitely have a 501, KTM 500, or even a beta dual sport. Maybe you should do the same if your mountain single track is a totally separate scenario that you would do frequently enough? Cheers

@@andrewhume7410you’re pretty much right on the money, and nailed down why I scaled down to just the 501. It can handle the tighter mountain riding I generally do because it’s so integrated into Idaho’s riding. There’s potential to maybe add another 2 stroke in the future, but the 501 has just been so good the desire just hasn’t been there, yet. However, I am definitely planning on adding an ADV bike like the 890r or 901 expedition to accompany the 501 in the next year or so 😎 thanks for watching and giving feedback. This will be helpful for other viewers as well, I’m sure!

I just rode my buddy's 890 adventure through the woods last weekend... interesting, lol. Obviously built for a variety of riding conditions, but it handled surprisingly well on the trails. It kind of just tractors through but you have to keep the momentum going...unless you're really skilled. Fun bike. I'm curious if the beta dual sports are even closer to the 2 smokers? Especially the 390 or 430cc models. Anyway...thanks dude. Ride on.

@@andrewhume7410​​⁠the 890 is rad. A big old dirtbike! It rides like a DRZ/DR, just plow through stuff. In regards to the Beta, keep an eye out. There will be some 390 action on the channel here soon 😎

That’s a tough call. I like the lens included with the goggles, however they also have a dual sport helmet with a photo-chromatic lens which may suit your needs better? The tinted lens they include is really good for most of the riding I do.

@@IdahoDualSport208 Any idea what color lens was included in your goggles? Also, no tear off posts. Im guessing they must not scratch easily or you would have mentioned that.

@@ridemfast7625​​⁠this is the dark smoke silver mirror. No tear off posts, but they are anti scratch treated and I have not witnessed any scratches from roost or branches. The breathability is also excellent.

Absolutely. I use the stout mount from Moto Minded, with their Quad Lock mount with dampener. The bar bag is from Trail Bound Co, and this is their medium bar bag.

@@IdahoDualSport208 Awesome thank you! just bought a 24 FE350S. Pretty new to dirtbiking. Loved the video! Makes me want to get out and ride!

@@mattbanville9355heck yeah! Congrats man. Husqy makes a great bike. I have absolutely loved mine and will likely get another when it comes time. Not sure where you’re located, but it’s just about the perfect time to get out over here!

@@IdahoDualSport208 I am in Ontario, Canada. Would be quite the trip to you.,

Thank you, glad it was helpful! Which one you going with?

@@IdahoDualSport208 klim, the foam comment and I was sold.

@@wateronfirefkgreat choice. They’re definitely a notch above the rest 👍🏻

They 500/501 is surely a riot. Especially once you give it the Taco Moto treatment 😎 I love the DR’s, though. I frequently miss mine because of its versatility and simplicity. And yes those are fantastic spots to explore, feel free to reach out when you’re headed this way and we can meet up for a good ride or two!

@@IdahoDualSport208 sounds like a plan! Subscribed yesterday!

@@PSBEadventuresright back at ya 😎👊🏻

They all have pro’s and con’s for sure. The havocs are really convenient for that reason. The Klim goggles might be overkill for your case, and I’d like at the EKS lucid and Havoc Infinity as solid options. The Havocs would be great if you are changing the lenses often!

Thank you, I’m glad it was helpful!