THERE IS NO BETTER DUAL SPORT! The 701 can't be beat.

[@Michael_Shay]

Big agree. I've put about 9k miles on my 701 this year, and I was off the bike for 3 months of the summer with an injury. I do get that these bikes are expensive. But crazy good deals are actually pretty common on the used market. I got lucky and got my 2019 701 with 2k miles on it for $7500. That's basically brand new, I acknowledge I got lucky but I regularly similar bikes for $8500, which is still a great value. It's criminal that there are no direct competitors to this bike. My last bike was a DR650, I liked that bike. Great value. The 701 makes it look like a temu chinese knock off. Which is not to say the DR is bad, the 701 is just that much better. It's also newer and 2x the price. But again, this bike is one you should buy used unless you want to instantly take a huge depreciation hit. I really hope Ducati's 698 motor ends up in an offroad chassis soon, I'd love to see some actual competition. I'm not a KTM fanboy, I have no brand loyalty to any manufacturer. I just buy what fits my needs. I understand KTM's reputation for reliability. But the modern 690s/701s are pretty damn solid as long as you know what to pre-emptively fix. Obviously it'd be ideal if you didn't have to do anything, but that's just how it is. The KLR has the doohickey, the DR650 has the NSU issue. The 690 platform has a couple similar quirks that are pretty cheap DIY fixes, you just have to be an educated buyer. None of them need any specialized tools. Pre-2021 701s need the clutch slave O-Ring replaced. This is a sub $5 fix. 690s have the same issue but idk what model year it was fixed. The sidestand switch should be re-routed on all the 690 platform bikes. It uses a magnet sensor that likes to wiggle itself loose and it cannot be field repaired. Fixing this is as simple as heatshrinking/taping a magnet to the sensor and then changing the routing so it sits under the seat. Or you can buy the expensive bypass dongle if you want the safety aspect. The final thing that only effects a few model years is the shift-star. I think this was also fixed in 2021 but I'm not certain, they changed the part for a couple years then switched it back to the good one. The changed part has been known to break which will leave you stranded and will leave a piece of metal floating around in your engine case. Not good. It's worth pre-emptively repairing. Again, I don't know the specific model years for this, but I can say that my 2019 701 had the bad part. Fixing it is like $60 in parts and all you have to do is pull off an engine cover and then undo like two bolts to replace it. No need to pull the clutch or anything. There's also the rocker arm issue on the 2018 701s, I think there was a recall for that. I would just avoid that model year. Like I said, not ideal but all of these are cheap and easy fixes. Once they're taken care of, the bike is pretty damn bulletproof. And if you're buying a 2021+ bike you really only have to worry about the sidestand switch which is like a 15 minute repair that really only needs household items. Bonus reliability tip: If you crash a lot or do any technical terrain, get the flatland radiator guard/frame instead of any other crashbar system. The radiator mounts are pretty flimsy on this bike, it's easy to crack the radiator. No crashbars on the market can protect from this as well as the flatland one. I'm not affiliated with them, I just love this bike and want people to have a good experience. I busted my rad on a low speed off-camber drop even with crashbars. I've had many harder crashes with the flatland system and I haven't had any issues.

[@bobholley6202]

Picked up my 24’ 701 a few months ago and your spot on brother. Love the damn thing. I have a Tiger 1200 that I was using on long ADV rides and it’s good for that but… jumping off a 600 pound bike makes my 701 feel like a dirt bike! It’ll make ya try things you wouldn’t even consider on a big ADV bike. Absolutely the most fun of any bike I’ve had. Building it out for light ADV now. Looking forward to 2025 on the channel!

[@upshiftingadventures]

Thanks brother, appreciate your support one word of advice, don’t ever go the 6000 miles between oil change. I think I mentioned it, but I change oil at least every 2000 miles. Well worth the extra cost. Enjoy that beast! Cheers

[@bobholley6202]

Definitely following your advise! Oil change every 1500-2000 depending on how hard I ride.

[@eBrumby]

I am a DR650 rider myself. I think its awesome and I appreciate it for its versatility. The KTMs/Huskies are just a whole level higher of awesome. This is a great video, and I think you depict that well.

[@davidwood974]

Such a great bike! Hope you have a great New Year, looking forward to learning more from you. Safe travels

[@upshiftingadventures]

Thank you my friend. Appreciate the support. Have a great year. Cheers

[@guzziman]

Happy new year, best of luck and best wishes in 2025 and beyond

[@willmrx]

I have a 2023 KTM 690 Enduro R, and agree with your opinion 100%!

[@upshiftingadventures]

Great to hear. I don’t know any 690/701 owners who don’t live their hikes.

[@stevedrickhamer3283]

Great videos. Love my 701!

[@upshiftingadventures]

Thank you. I appreciate your support. I don’t know anyone who has a bad thing to say about their 701

[@logancoffey93]

Can't wait for your upcoming 890 videos!!! Although after this video I'm thinking there might have to be 690/701 in the garage

[@upshiftingadventures]

Yeah man, you should. They are awesome bikes but the 890 is in a whole different category when it comes to pavement. Way more comfortable.

[@santiagobordonsosa9792]

Che loco de donde sos??

[@rickreasoner8664]

You can clean up the side plates with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.

[@upshiftingadventures]

Great tip, thank you. I haven’t heard of that and it been tough as hell to get those marks off.

[@ridemfast7625]

Agree with your assessment - 701's are amazing! The only difference for me is my 2020 701 is my adventure bike, put the small oem husqvarna wind screen on it to make that distinction official :), and 2024 500excf my dual sport. imho - 890, 690/701, 500/501 are the best in class.

[@upshiftingadventures]

I did a video about weather the 701 can be a good adventure bike and the answer is yes, with a little but of effort. You’ve got an awesome bunch of bikes, congrats.

[@JinKazama92]

That 701 is asking for some Supermoto action in the twisty mountain roads. Any plans in getting a set of 17's SM wheels?

[@upshiftingadventures]

You know, I have definitely thought about it. I think I’ll prob get some eventually.

[@antonsusakovs1096]

No hate Sending you only positive vibes 😇 Subscribed and looking forward to your 890 content. You seem like a cool guy 😎

[@upshiftingadventures]

Hey thank you buddy. I appreciate the support. Hoping to get lots of great 890 content in the coming year. Cherrs

[@breeno59]

I'm All-in on KTM/Husqvarna as well! Also, my collection looks a lot like yours: 890 Adv R, 690 Enduro R, 890 Duke R, Husky 300, Husky 350 ;) I don't get the 690/701 hate either - one of my all-time favorite bikes! I did the 6500 Xplor Pro fork kit + TracTive rear shock which made a massive difference on plushness ... every time I ride that thing I smile, such a fun bike!

[@upshiftingadventures]

Totally agree with you. Most fun you have on two wheels. Cheers.

[@mudcatstravels9751]

Haters will hate. No KTM here but have been researching mid size bikes. Down to the Tenere and 690 I do believe. Thanks for sharing.

[@upshiftingadventures]

Well, if you’re looking for advice, I think the 701 is far more performance oriented.

[@cranedaddy678]

Imma DR-Z400 guy for the simplicity. If I was to get a bike with lots of electronics and fancy stuff it would be a 701. I've also got a Vstrom 800de which I love for different reasons than my DR-Z.

[@upshiftingadventures]

I think all bikes are awesome, some just have a little extra in different areas. But for me, the capabilities of the 701 are unmatched.

[@Zerotys_ADV]

690, 890 Adv R in the garage for me. Love these bikes. Hey man how tall are you? Did you do any suspension work to the 701? I had to respring my 690. Planning to do the same with the 890.

[@upshiftingadventures]

Right on brother. I’m 6’4”. I did respiring the forks but left the shock alone, just bumped up the preload a bunch.

[@robertchester1596]

Regarding all the hate. I don't think the hate is towards the bikes but directed towards the company with the way they handle warranties. It's the company that gives KTM a bad name

[@upshiftingadventures]

That is definitely a valid point. But the thing is, I have personally had only good experiences with KTM regarding warranty issues, not that I’ve had too many. I think it comes down to the dealerships. There seems to be no shortage of crappy service coming from KTM dealers. I’m fortunate in that I have an outstanding dealership I work with. There are plenty of big three dealers and Euro dealers who also have bad customer service but their bikes aren’t as finicky as KTM’s. I think when the dealers are willing to go to battle for their customers KTM is willing to capitulate. Just my two cents.

[@rickreasoner8664]

It’s about the same weight as a DRS 650 but twice the horse power & 6 speeds (if you can afford it ).

[@upshiftingadventures]

That’s the problem right, price. Problem is people think if you spend a lot of money on something that it should be maintenance free but that isn’t the way it works unfortunately.

[@jetmuchacho]

Everybody loves to hate on KTMs but nobody says a word when their japanese or italian bike wigs out 🤷‍♂

[@upshiftingadventures]

Exactly.

[@spa491]

Tienes toda la razón, las motos KTM generan en parte de la población motociclista un odio visceral. No hay de que preocuparse es pura impotencia y frustración. Estás motos no están hechas para el "gran publico"...por varios motivos, rendimiento, carácter del motor y mantenimiento, lógicamente esto produce frustración y a la vez un odio visceral hacia los pilotos que si saben disfrutar y amar estas geniales máquinas. Esto es lo que hay!! Por cierto mi dual sport es una KTM 500 exc, a la que le cambie los desarrollos para mejorar las prestaciones en los tramos de asfalto.

[@upshiftingadventures]

That is about as good as I’ve heard anyone put it. Great analysis my friend.

[@MrRplo]

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