City and Highway Riding Impressions. 2024 KTM 500 EXC-F

This video is a quick review on the 2024 KTM 500 EXC-F. I talk about my impression of how the bike feels on city streets and freeway/highway sections.
I have posted other videos with riding impressions and fuel consumption tests on this bike. If you are interested in those check out the channel.

[@wakka_wakka]

Great honest realistic review. Not enough people are this honest with their purchases.

[@pathemperley1596]

I had a 2019 CRF450L and now have a 2024 ES500 GasGas. CRF was amazing. I rode it stock for a Year to give it a year to see how it rode. I then did the Vortex, Yosh, T stat delete all emission delete and it then ripped. The stock 2024 GasGas does vibrate, I put hand guards, skidplate, pipe guard and Comfort Seat. I dont notice the vibration on the dirt. New to me bike so figuring out the Suspension adjustment, and tire pressures etc.

[@dustinhoover3157]

Yeah it is kinda comical how people can get a brand bias in some way. I have had many good experiences with Honda machines. Though I have to say, this KTM is a solid performer so far. Does it have noticeable vibe on the road? Definetely. Is that a deal breaker? Na, I can tolerate it as is and there are mods to improve upon it if needed.

[@scott762johnson]

@@dustinhoover3157 I also think the stock tires add to the on-road vibration. I’m sure when I switch over to the super Moto wheels and tires it will almost be nonexistent, especially with those neoprene triple clamp screws I got from Dave @BestDualSportBikes

[@TACOMOTOCO]

More great content on the 500🤜🏽🤛🏽

[@bourbonbrewque9433]

Totally love mine! Perfect for my 12 mile rides on back roads in San Diego. Did fine on the freeway.

[@dustinhoover3157]

I am enjoying my bike as well. Since you mention San Diego, I have to wonder what your freeway speeds are in Southern California? Parking lot right!? hahahaha

[@dustinhoover3157]

Here in LV, we have two freeway speeds: 1. Tailgate party 2. 80 mph cluster while playing on cell phones.

[@discoveror9576]

Your candor is welcome/appreciated. I've noticed similar things on my WR250F (51/13 gearing is even shorter). My biggest objection to it over 50 mph is the ATTENTION that it demands; it's twitchy and just not relaxing the way even my lightweight 'adventure' bike (KTM 390 Adventure) is. And, a good wind puff can be terrifying over 50 mph; it just demands too much focus to enjoy any surroundings/sight-seeing.

[@dustinhoover3157]

I just got back from another freeway jaunt with a light breeze. Did a pull around 75 mph and the bars were just rocking side to side constantly at that speed. I know alot of owners put steering stabilizers on these bikes anyway, and it would certainly benefit the on road experience as well. Which had me thinking about how different the bike feels at speed on a smooth road versus off road. You can rip over rough terrain without the speed wobble. No suprise there I suppose.

[@discoveror9576]

@@dustinhoover3157 I suppose it goes back to your point regarding the basic design. I got the WR250F to learn off-pavement riding better on a light-weight bike ... ~250 pounds vs. ~400 pounds for the 390 Adventure. I put DOT tires on the WR250F (Pirelli MT21 front @ 14 psi, Dunlop D606 rear @ 12 psi), backed off the damping, changed the rear spring from stock 56 N/mm to 48 N/mm (used by the KTM family bikes) and carefully aligned the wheels. Directional stability is decent, but over 50 mph indicated (46 mph GPS) it gets scary, especially over imperfect pavement. A Good side-wind puff can require a change of pants! Though I hoped to use it as a 'dual-sport', now, I don't think I ride it any distance at all. The focus demanded is just not relaxing or enjoyable. Watching scenery? ... fagetaboutit !

[@AliasTekTV]

@@dustinhoover3157 I've been over triple digits on my CRF450L and not had headshake. That usually means the front wheel is out of balance or the steering head bearings aren't tight enough. it should have some SLIGHT drag when turning on a stand and should not flop side to side on it's own. Also, a lot of people will start to grip the bars harder on the highway. ANY input to the bars will translate to the bike. Grip with your legs, use only enough pressure to keep the throttle held in place with the palm of your hand and lightly grip with your left hand. I personally 50/50 with covering the clutch, sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I do however always keep the breaks ready. Here in SoCal anything can happen in the blink of an eye, and in the morning 50 mile highway commute people will be doing 85. The wind however, will make you a toy to mother nature. Dual sports just don't weight enough to counter it easy.

[@dustinhoover3157]

@@AliasTekTV There are a variety of factors that will cause stability issues at speed. In the case of this particular conversation, it was definetely wind. The morning this video was recorded there was no wind (from weather) and the bike had a little bit of shake at sustained 65 mph. Later that day on the same stretch of road with a slight headwind at 75 mph the shake was wild. Slowed down to 60-65 and it improved quite a bit. Acceleration and decleration loads can have a big effect as well. Like you say, I've had this bike over 100 without much issue. The question is, how many miles did you stay at that speed? These dual sports just aren't the right machines for sustained highway speeds. Of course it can be done, and quite frankly it will be this weekend.

[@AliasTekTV]

@@dustinhoover3157 the 85 stretch is about 36 miles per google maps. By over 100, the speed was an indicated 115 (14/50 and a 120/90 rear) but not long as the front tire is only rated for 90. I’ve not personally had shake with the wind. Here in SoCal we have the Santa Ana winds that can sustain 50+ with gusts as high as 70 or 80. I’ve watched trees fall over in parking lots. I’ll pay more attention next windy session and see.

[@scott762johnson]

I just got a 2024 KTM 500 EXC-F. I was coming off of a 2016 BETA 430RR Race Edition making 57rwhp In stock form, the KTM ran like crap. I still loved it because it felt so much lighter and much more nimble. I swapped the ECU , and did Dave’s Ultimate Tune, from BestDualSportBikes OMG. Original rear wheel horsepower on the Dyno, 48. After the ECU swap, a whopping 68.4! At the rear wheel! I’m going to need a steering damper for this thing, because under power, all it wants to do is dance! A whopping 20+ HP gain over stock, at the rear wheel! (did I say that already) Anyways, Dave sold me a neoprene bushing vibration dampening set of screws for your triple clamp. The neoprene bushings inside get rid of almost all of the vibration. Between that and a steering damper, you can’t go wrong. I’ve also got a set of SuperMoto wheels and tires coming…5” w/Dunlop SQ5. 120/70r17 front & 160/60r17 rear; supposed to be the stickiest street tires for motard Went for a 100 mile ride today and those stock tires suck. They suck on road, and they suck off-road. They spin a lot on the street, and do the same in the dirt. Only being able to air them down to 18 pounds, because they don’t have beadlocks installed from the factory, kinda sucks. Getting IRC MB5 EVOs for off-road, w/Michelin ultra heavy duty tubes…they rip earth to shreds; I consistently air them down to 8 pounds with never an issue🤘🏻 Let me know if you have any questions or wanna compare experiences! @BigBeardScott on Instagram 🤙🏻 Oh, and almost forgot…what mirrors are those? They look great for the street stuff!

[@jarrod1687]

Holy shit that's insane 68 hp with just ecu?

[@exothermal.sprocket]

@@jarrod1687 Guessing he also went exhaust and intake stuff.

[@VictorZimbardi]

super happy to see your opinion on the highway portion specifically! I was very curious about how strung out it would be going like 65 mph +

[@rhysturner3500]

Awesome vid, have the same exact thoughts on my 24' 500 👌

[@bourbonbrewque9433]

Traffic moves about 85, If I do jump on the freeway its short 10-20 miles max, cruise around 65-70 to trails and desert is about 50 miles away.

[@autismion]

I rode a 150 and it had zero vibration I could feel. Wonder how the 300 is, a 2 stroke dual sport could be super cool if the gearing is wide enough etc.

[@sailor7557]

Thanks for your informative video. It helped me decide not to buy another 500 EXC. I owned a 2003 525 EXC for almost 20 years and you are correct. It is not a good, long distance highway or freeway bike. For many reasons they are actually very poor highway and freeway bikes. During much of that same time period I owned a 2008 KLR650 which is in my opinion is a very good and comfortable road bike. I put over 20k fun adventure miles on my KLR but it was also painfully underwhelming in every possible way but mainly regarding horsepower and true off road capabilities. So now I’m thinking a DR650S might be a fun bike that would do a little bit of everything. May I ask your thoughts?

[@dustinhoover3157]

@@sailor7557 I considered the XR, DR, and KLR 650’s leading up to the KTM. I knew they would be tanks and great bikes, but in the end the KTM was more interesting. It is a lot of fun to ride off-road. It seems to be a care free vs. athletic decision in the end, because all of these bikes can be modified to suit your purpose.

[@Thatbeardedguy86]

I have a 23 501s and I've put a decent amount into it to try and make it a bit more comfortable on road. Honestly ive given up. Going to try and get rid of it. Thing gives me a headache from the vibes

[@dustinhoover3157]

@@Thatbeardedguy86 That's a bummer! Might be a good reason to get a another bike and just dedicate the Husq to the dirt. These are enduro bikes with turn signals, and that may be the most important thing for a potential buyer to understand. The 500 is very fun off road, and for that reason I tolerate my on road complaints.

[@Thatbeardedguy86]

​@@dustinhoover3157Definitely thinking I may do that. Strictly off road I love it. But as a dual sport it leaves a lot to be desired.

[@Greeny_Machiney]

How would this bike handle with a supermoto conversion that can be (easily) swapped back and forth? One bike to rule them all.

[@dustinhoover3157]

@@Greeny_Machiney I have been considering a set of wheels and tires to switch between. Gear it a little taller and it should be a good city bike. All about the money at this point.

[@chrisblanchard4938]

For me over 50mph my 2024 500 excf vibrates like crazy on the road. Off-road its a blast and no issue with vibration. Not sure is there is a fix for the vibration through the pegs or not? I have seen some potential fixes for the handlebar vibrations. My 2020 ktm 500 excf seems to vibrate much less. Still love the 500’s though on and off road.

[@dustinhoover3157]

Yeah there is no denying it on road, and I agree off road it's not a big deal. I seem to recall hearing about a foot peg solution somewhere. So far I have put off vibration dampening in favor of other mods. Skid Plate was number one. Blatant fail that KTM doesn't include one from the factory. Even more so considering that Husqvarna does.

[@exothermal.sprocket]

Off road you probably get a lot of chatter, vibration, shakes and bucks from the suspension so the engine vibration just mixes in with the terrain vibration and you can't tell the difference. All singles have a vibration problem, which cannot be tuned out completely even with dual balance shafts. Just the nature of reciprocating engine geometry and 1 cylinder. It can be minimized, but not eliminated.

[@eljam8138]

I agree with you, why buy a dual sport and mess it up . Only thing is , i would love to be able to own one and not two bikes. Adv and a dual

[@autismion]

If they could add counter balancing to these and wider gears, these could make a great light adv bike?

[@dustinhoover3157]

Certainly.

[@LHe2Gaming]

Hey mate, what mirrors are you running?

[@dustinhoover3157]

@@LHe2Gaming Double Take Adventure

[@leanit5756]

I had a couple of EXC500Fs, and the engine vibration on both was just ridiculous, and unbearable. Gave headaches and blurry vision. I sold both for that reason.

[@awesomefish100]

I don’t like going much over 55 on the 500. Feels like I’m going way too fast on a bicycle

[@dustinhoover3157]

For extended durations I keep it 50-65. I don't have a problem going fast on the bike, it will pull stong to 100 easy. I just don't like keeping the bike strung out. Of course, one could change the gearing.

[@exothermal.sprocket]

Does the world actually have a truly balanced 50/50 dirt vs. pavement machine? Or are we fooling ourselves? Should an EXC-F be kept as dirt oriented as possible (while still meeting registration regs), and an ADV be kept as pavement oriented as possible, rather than people trying to criss-cross these two separated classes to meet in the middle?

[@dustinhoover3157]

@@exothermal.sprocket I’d say the 500 would be best kept as a dirt oriented machine. My comments about its weak points on road are just to give information on what it is. The KTM brands have probably done more than any other to give the best spread of model options from dirt bike/dual sport to ADV.

[@exothermal.sprocket]

@@dustinhoover3157 Yep I understood. Here's me bemoaning the fact Yamaha never developed a WR450R with the same sort of longevity and reliability as the 250R had. Or, here's me bemoaning the fact no 500cc Vtwin dual sport has ever been developed that straddles the fence between enduro and ADV.

[@dasauto44]

Would supermoto tires help with the highway bro?

[@dustinhoover3157]

@@dasauto44 I’m sure they would help a bit. The stock tires are decent on the road!

[@LUK_2007]

Does it vibrate as much with sumo tires?

[@dustinhoover3157]

@@LUK_2007 I’m sure it would help overall. Much of the vibration can be felt at a stop while idling though.

[@claytongarnett3234]

What mirrors are those?

[@dustinhoover3157]

Double Take Adventure style by Ram Mounts. They also make an Enduro (round) style, and recently released a new arm that looks pretty slick.

[@chrisblanchard4938]

Did you pull the reeds or keep them in?

[@dustinhoover3157]

I still have them in.

[@chrisblanchard4938]

People do buy them for using on the road. They make great super moto bikes

[@dustinhoover3157]

I know. I actually really enjoy riding it around town. Sustained riding on the freeway and highway gets old quick though. I've had the bike on several 100+ mile rides already. In the dirt you go all day and its all fun.

[@dasauto44]

Insurance average cost?

[@awesomefish100]

Mine is around $30 a month for liability, theft/natural disaster from progressive. You can add more coverage for more $

[@Coaltrain87.]

Does your bike make all kinds of strange sounds when decelerating down a hill? My 24 sounds like the rod is knocking and something is loose metal wise. Mechanic swears nothing is wrong but i dont like it

[@dustinhoover3157]

No issues with mine. I can hear chain noise for sure.

[@dustinhoover3157]

Try to get some video and audio of it.

[@Coaltrain87.]

@dustinhoover3157 I don't have a gopro or anything unfortunately. I'm told it's just big thumper normal noises . I've had 2 strokes my entire life and won this 500 6 days so it's all new to me

[@dustinhoover3157]

When I first got mine I felt that the engine was really noisy compared to other bikes I've had. With alot of bikes you mostly hear exhaust. On this one I can hear the moving parts in the engine.

[@dustinhoover3157]

You won the bike?