Ultimate Off-Road Adventure Dual Sport Bike - rtwPaul's Modded KTM 500 EXC - Six Days / World-Ready
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- Опубліковано 20 вер 2024
- Is this the perfect full-time off-road adventure motorcycle, capable of handling any road or trail in the world reliably? After nine years of living and traveling on two wheels, rtwPaul thinks it might be! Check out Paul's amazingly modified KTM 500 EXC Six Days enduro motorcycle, all ready to take him around the world for the next few years (at least!)
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#rtwPaul #adventuremotorcycle #lightWeight #KTM #500EXC #dualsport
Insurance company: Do you have any modifications...?
This guy: Get yourself a cup of tea, sit down and we'll begin...
Lolol
😁
😂👌🏻
"Do you have any modifications...?"
"How much time do you have?"
Amazing bike, this is truly a dream machine!
I rode a CRF150 across Vietnam, started in Saigon finished in Hanoi. Took 3 weeks,I had my GF on the back + all of our luggage. The first week it was fun the remainder was a pure painful slog of being in 5th gear with the throttle wide open trying to stay at 85+ Kms. We had bugger all protection, when I think back to that I can't really believe how silly I was thinking that was a good/cool Idea. We rode a mountain pass that took 4 hours through the night, not a single car passed us we really were in the middle of no where, how easily a flat tire or a pot hole could have taken us out. The standard light was so bad I had to squint to see and when it would rain my helmet had no visor so I just had to slow right down. At the end of the journey I realized that I want to do this again but properly, like you are doing. So i moved back home and for the last 1 year have been saving my ass off and planning my next proper big trip. Unfortunately Covid has other plans but I hope it all settles down soon and I can be off on my maiden voyage. Again awesome bike, I wish I had someone like you in my life to guide me a little but I guess that is part of the fun/learning process. Cheers.
Have you tried doing anything yet?
What year500 is this? was looking at the 690 as well for possible adventure dual sport for me..
You get this kind of upgrades from years of riding experience. Thank you for sharing! Super inspiring.
@@GiancarloBenzina dude has ridden around the world multiple times and you say he's not experienced? Interesting take.
@@andrewanderson1988 you need to re read what he said. He was saying he has Years of experience.
@@joeybobbie1you'll notice I am not replying to the original comment, but someone that deleted their comment? Doesn't look like I am the one that needs to reread.
I rode my 690 Rally throughout Europe, the UK and Africa covering 12k in eight weeks. Once I got back home to Alaska, I sold it for a 500exc that I now have 9000 miles on. I haven’t found a seat yet that doesn’t kill my ass after a few hours of riding! I’m taking it to Ushuaia from AK next year. The 500 hands down is the best of all worlds. Not great at any one thing but brilliant at everything!
I'm 15 seconds in, "This 500 exc is going around the world for the next 4 or 5 years" LIKED AND SUBSCRIBED!!!!
So jealous of that build! Perfect! I miss my 2014 500exc. Amazing bike. Love it for all the exact reasons you stated. Thank you for this incredibly well thought out overview. "Light is right"
so there you found the unicorn !!
Its the perfect bike, for RTWPaul. It seems like by 20,000 miles the engine was starting to need rebuilding, and from then on out it needed more rebuilding. Anyone who has ridden a 500EXC down the road much, knows they're a dirtbike. With enough mods almost anything can work, to a point.
Once your on real dirt it would be the bike to have for sure.
It's incredible, actually, this almost EXACTLY the same year bike, same rally tower, wheels, even same luggage, that I was thinking of building, but ended up going with a 1970 Honda Trail 90 instead.
When you get to Norway - remember to take the coastal route and NOT the E6 that goes from south to north.
Og ikke kjør off road, for her er det ikke lov...
@@JohannesDalenMC helt klart. Noen offroadere harvet opp en tursti på hytta vår i sommer. Helt unødvendig - så enig med deg :-)
I have no plans on adventure motorcycling. I ride a small 115cc bike as a daily commuter. But, I enjoyed your video so much because I appreciate people who do what they love. Thank you so much for sharing your setup and knowledge. That's 14 minutes and 20 seconds of my life not wasted.😉 Take care!
Me too bro,
115cc it does not matter if you are a great ride.
@@vantruong9452 That's the thing, I'm not a great rider. Haha. But I enjoy driving my bike anywhere. It's very relaxing and calming in some way.
Perfect presentation of this machine. Have a good time and ride and all the best for your trip.
A true no BS kind of video, the man told y'all what worked for him and left it at that. 👍👏 Take it or leave it. Pro rider or future rider, everyone can appreciate his thoughts and effort into upgrading a bike for HIM. The whole point of motorcycling is that your bike represents you as an individual
Five years ago today I left Connecticut for a trip to Guatemala and back on a 2007 KTM 450 EXC. I did the cush drive, enlarged oil cooler for increased capacity, custom racks for soft luggage, larger tank, etc. It was primarily road riding, 100% across the USA, 100% across Mexico and some light trail riding in Guatemala.
It was like riding a chainsaw for 7-10 hours a day. I would never take a small single cylinder race bike on a trip like that again. For this trip, I guess if you're doing lots of off-road, the experience would be drastically different, but for me, my CB500X with a RR L2 kit has been the sweetest setup yet for my travels around Honduras and Guatemala (I live in Honduras currently).
Thanks for the info, Greg. Safe travels!
@@MOTOTREK Thanks you too! Keep up the great work on this channel! I always enjoy your videos.
A basic modded DR650 will do hiway great,80mph mine is happy. And most any off road is fair game...............the problem is the bike doesnt cost much,isnt any kind of poser bike. The real kicker is parts can be had world wide and cheap. So that's no good. There's no drama. Mine has 50,000 miles on it and it runs the same as it did at 1000 miles. If you need the bike to be the star of a ride,and attract attention,the DR wont do it....but it will get where you want easily,day after day. Ive ridden a KTM 500 and if you were riding singletrack all the way it would be great..
@@MOTOTREK Can you list the parts you’ve fitted please? Am currently designing a lightweight adventure bike based upon a modified CCM 604 frame and a BMW F650 Dakar engine converted to a carb. It’s a similar idea to your’s, but a smaller budget, and I’m starting with a generally reliable Rotax engine designed for on and off road.
Liking your setup. Ride safe.
@@bradsanders6954 - funny that anybody who spends more than $7K on an "adventure" motorcycle is a poser.
Looks like a great build Paul, thank you for sharing with us all! Really like the tiny turn signals, overbuilt hand guards w/mirrors, I know that Taco Moto worked with you on a lot of those goodies! Good luck with your travels, looking forward to seeing your next update!
Hell yeah !! Went the same route on my 2010 Ktm 530 and it's been completely awesome, in fact just got home 🤟
Just bought mine. A used 2010 500 EXC. My first bike ever....
Heck of a setup there, looks like you’ve got it all covered. Best of luck on your journey.
I just finished a 2400 mile ride through Baja on my 2013 KTM 500 EXC. I was with a KTM 790 Adventure and a KTM 950 Adventure and after all was said and done I’m convinced this is the best bike for the job. I could tackle anything from single track, sand, mud and hills with confidence and still chew up highway miles with no problem. Wish I had tried the Moto Z tire. I used a Metzeler Karoo 3 and it was thrashed.
Thanks for posting the vid, I’m gonna have to borrow some of your mods for my future trips. Have a great adventure!
Thanks for the info, Hugh!
How often did you changed the oil?
Trombolio I added some oil on the 3rd day after a long fast stretch of dirt where I was riding between 70-90 mph and working it hard. When I hit La Paz at around 1200 miles I drained and replaced the oil but not the filter. I used Lucas Oil that was available at Auto Zone. Like rtwPaul says, he won’t be racing, and if I wasn’t riding it quite as hard I don’t think I would have had to change the oil quite as soon.
Wow ! So glad you made it. Its ages since I saw you ON HERE when you were setting off that's great supercool bike too. Well Done PAUL.
i lik your humility and the fact that this bike is made for you and what you wanna ride.. indeed it's an awesome bike but not suited for everyone ! Good ride and hi from France!
true, but how is a DR Z400 not better for this mission?
Falcon 4 not as light or powerful and not even close comparable suspension
Gotta be more than 30 grand into this bike. Impressive build, glad to see you actually use it.
Hit me up when you get to Ulaanbaatar. Or even before. I live there and ride a 1993 Transalp.
will do, thanks for the offer
what the hell are you doing there?
Carlos Leon, I live in Mongolia. It’s awesome as a base but I travel too. I’m actually in southern Vietnam now on a 2 month trip that got extended to 5 months (and counting) due to covid19.
@@martinfoster5163 why did you move to mongolia? :o
My fiancée is from Mongolia. It’s one of the only places we can live since visas for Mongolians can’t easily get visas for other countries. However, we’re in Vietnam now as we came for the winter and got stuck here due to the pandemic. Hopefully, we’ll get back to Mongolia when the pandemic is under control.
Yeah, an impressive build up of a global traveller motorcycle. (Glad you anticipated the fuel pump problems.)
The quality and feel of your stuff is epic and this 500 is friggin awesome!!! Great choice, Adam Riemann picked for motonomad, 500exc, he dround his in motonomad 2 and still finished, fantastic build!!!
"this is the best bike because I changed everything on the bike". The end.
if you can find another race bike that has every thing that the ktm 500 2016 has, and can do 900, hours before being touched, then get back in your hole !!
Waste of time to watch this commercial taking a stock KTM 500 rip it apart and adding after market components, good luck to source replacements in Kabulistan. For a fraction of money you get a DR650 which is far superior as a RTW bike. But hey don’t listen to me report back when your done it😜
@@honeybadger975 your just bitter that you’re saddling a la-z-boy commenting on a UA-cam instead of putting 400,000k’s on bike.
@@honeybadger975 weight is a key here. Even if you'll spend 50k$ for upgrades you won't make it as light and as nimble as 500 exc, and this is the priority for the owner. If you have another priorities then you'll choose another bike.
@@west_adv sadly this is true, weight is king in the end, why it has to be priority 😔
Watching this video for the first time and I have to say, I am impressed with what you have done to modify your KTM 500 XC. I was not aware you could add a kick start on a bike with electronic ignition. Sweet! Will be following you!
This is only possible with select models of bikes that are pre-configured to allow optional kick start kits to be added after sale. Beta may also have such models, but I'm not certain.
I too think the kick start option is a sound decision on this build. Lithium-ion motorcycle batteries are notorious for sudden failure....
He has the 2016......which already came with it from the factory....
I stopped riding 10 years ago because my knees just can't take it any more much to my distress (had to sell my completely customised XTZ 750 - rather heavy but a ground-up custom build by me). I live vicariously on two wheels through guys like you. I love every single piece of detail you cover in your vids. Your EXC set up looks utterly droolworthy. Expensive maybe but on the other hand, lotta fellahs drop at least £$30-40k on a totally impractical two seater car so it's still collossal useable value to be on the best pair of wheels you can get.
Thanks for the feedback, KD. Sorry you're not riding anymore :(
Beautiful bike you have there Paul with a lot of common sense aftermarket upgrades! Looking forward to the luggage video and if you could go into detail on everything you'll be bringing with you from spare parts, to tools, to clothing would be awesome. Will you be recording or blogging about your journey throughout? Looks like an amazing route you've chosen.
Could also show what Type of Drone you will be using, Tent etc.
Man!! So nice....I was raised in the Mojave desert....I really miss it for the riding.
This is the perfect time of year for the AZ desert!
Just rode 1500km in Northern Pakistan thru the Himalayas, Karakoram and Hindu Kush Mountains. Magnificent vistas and incredibly hospitable people. You should ride through on your way to India.
In the beginning you mentioned that you picked this model because it has high possibility to find spare parts around the world.💪👍 But then you have changed pretty much everything with after market parts✍️✍️. I really don't follow your train of thought. But clearly you have so much experience. Hope for the best
the basic bike is still the same, its mostly ergonomics and structure changes
That's what I call a dream bike! Great upgrades and a proper bike to travel light!
Excellently presented and upgrades are well thought out.
Awesome bike! I really like that skid plate/tool box!
I'd be concerned about integrity, after being bashed by a large rock or log at speed. But it does keep the heavy stuff down low....
Really glad to see another Mototrek video. Great subject and material. Thanks! Keep em coming.
Thanks, will do!
I want to do a similar build to my 6 Days! I had thought about selling this bike but I’m kind of inspired to have an ultralight adventure bike!
Man....you know what you're doing. Preparation like a Dakar winner. The best presentation how to I've seen. Welcome back and great riding ....
I agree on the oil change/ maintenance, a couple years ago I met a guy that was riding his ktm 500 through different countries and we talked for a bit, but what he told me when I asked him about his oil changes he had said that he hadn't changed his in about 5k miles. He said it's how you ride, if you're gentle and cruising theres no need to do it as recommended. As far as I know hes still out there on his 500 riding all over.
Thanks, Carbajal!
@@MOTOTREK you're welcome, forgot to mention it was in Alaska. Good luck and I'll be watching🙏
Ktm 500 for "gentle and cruising"... :-))) Not the best choice for sure...
@@antontimkin if you're going around the world I'm assuming it would be for the most part, then there's the letting the beast scream and opening her up😁
awesome, i will just stay with the rubber hoses, silicone hoses if they go bad they suddenly rip apart, whereas the rubber ones starts with a small leak first usually repairable until you get somewhere.
Awesome video, with great production and content. Bravo! May we all live vicariously through you RTWPaul!
Thank you kindly, Rob!
Awesome overview and details of why you went with extra/after market solutions. Thanks RTW
Glad it was helpful!
I have a very sensible crf250 rally 2019 and trust me it is prime but I must confess that I like this ktm 500.
Yup. This guy is for real. Gonna send this video to all those T7 buyers that think they can do RTW trip with a bike straight from the dealership...
Thanks for great content. Because of what you said, I'm now on my second exc, started with a 2022, now getting a 2014 for friends and family who visit. Everything you said to me personally in emails past or in your videos has been spot on. I didn't listen originally to your advice and bought a Honda 300L, thinking the 500 was too much power. All I can say is...Ooops, that bike needs to go. Since I got the 500, literally every time I ride it, I'm smiling at what the engineers and testers did to push this platform. Amazing, always outside my skill level, and infinitely capable. I'm like you demographic-wise in many ways for those curious. I'm not a racer or mx or enduro guy, but like to as Paul puts it, be able to go wherever I want to go on the bike, and when not loaded down with gear, push the bike on trails pretty hard for a non-pro. It does it all. Love the 500's.
Wait so he recommended going with the 500 starting off?
@@asvpdro6468 I probably told him I rode (not raced, just trail rode for fun) as a kid, so the 500 wasn't my first bike. I'd recommend anyone start with a smaller bike for their first than the 500 since one needs to learn throttle control and how to depower your engine with the clutch as second nature. But the 500 does "handle" like a small bike, even much much easier than the honda 300L, so when friends visited who had little riding skill, I actually rode the 300 on trails since I found it more dangerous after feeling confident my friend, on my 500, knew how treat the throttle with extreme care. The 300 is also heavy and kludgey and dangerous (esp. without suspension upgrades). The 500 feels like a freaking mountain bike in nimbleness, that = safety, the 300L feels like a school bus in comparison. it's just the big engine thing, you gotta have basic body position down and clutch and throttle respect down, then the 500 will actually be much safer than the 300L in the dirt and on the street (given it's ability to "put" it anywhere you want in fast moving traffic, where the 300L is slow to get you to that place you want to be).
Great choice of bikes. The perceived high maintenance is just a myth. I am very lax with my maintenance and have had no issues in my 2013. I don’t even change the filter with every change. I’m convinced in a clean engine there is no way a quality filter is spent. I would also think it’s a very vulnerable way to get grit in your engine during a roadside change.
Wow, with a few exceptions the upgrades and modifications that you’ve done to your bike are pretty much exactly what I did to prepare my 2016 KTM 500 EXC for round the world extended travel. Your windscreen from MotoMinded looks to be much larger than the one that I got from them and your console dashboard setup is pretty slick as well (I just setup two different NAV’s on my handlebars). I’ve debated long and hard about attaching a rack setup but after seeing yours I may have to give that a rethink. I’ve been putting it off but I know that I should get a new set of heavy duty wheels with a Cush rear from Woody’s Wheel Works, too. 👍🏾
All this to basically ride on roads going RTW? Its hard to do trails going RTW. Unless you have 12 years set aside. And time for rebuilds every 20K miles or so. 500EXC not optimum going down the hiway.
hi the original reduction is 13/50
passing in 15/48, it approaches a reduction for the road. The 500 exc f is very powerful and considering the modifications it is a very expensive solution. For a trip to Mongolia, you have better suited and especially much less expensive motorcycle choices.
I must say that this bike is beautiful and make me look, I understand that you have fun. have a nice trip
Those are the right boots as well. Tried many others and found them to be the best.
That is quite the wind deflector. Makes sense for those long days.
Have a great trip sir.
Great video and thank you for covering the elephant in the room. I’ve been having sleepless nights about what to get, 690 enduro or 500 exc. It’s definitely going to be the exc now👌👍
Sending this video to C90 Adventures 😋
Ed March is awesome!!
Sweet set-up! I was going to do something similar with a 500 or 690 but then they came out with the 790r and I was sold! Hope to see you on the road. I will also be taking off on a world-wide adventure in the spring of 21. I still have many mods to get done to my bike
Chad Bjerken was thinking the same thing. This build is awesome but it feels a bit like making a dual sport in to a very off-road capable middle weight Adventure. Looking at his upgrades, petty sure the new 2020 790 R Rally version hits the major points w/ longer service intervals. Heavier, but if your a big enough guys, which he is, easy to lift solo w/ good technique. I guess “Rally” version may be hard to find based upon your location, where I live they are available; too expensive unless your doing a trip like this guy then you need it! Safe travels
@@THEelduderino yeah, we all like what we like! His build is perfect for him. I decided to go with the 2019 790R and I love the machine! I am a little bit concerned about all the electronics in my travels but not enough to deter me from buying it. Yeah the rally is a bad machine also! A guy could just order the suspension and throw it on your regular adventure or your R version too, if you like but I am more than happy with the stock suspension on the 790 R. I will put a heavier spring on the rear shock but doubt I will need more than that.
Good points, it’s about taste, his build is pretty sweet! He shared that his build was cheaper than a new 790 R so hard to beat, plus he’s over 100#s lighter. I just bought a new 790 R last week, waiting for the snow to stop to break it in. Different goals though, taking mine in to some serious trails this summer but realize 85% of miles will be on road. While the 790 is very capable off-road, it’s a beast on road. Safe travels, enjoy the ride
@@THEelduderino You are going to love that bike! It rips the trails like a HEAVY mx bike and it's a sport bike on the streets! It likes to be rode hard 😎
Nice bike. I have a 2015 xcw 500 that I’m slowly converting into an adv bike. I’ve done maybe half the things you’ve done already but definitely learned a lot more here. Thanks!
This is my KTM. Almost nothing on it is from KTM. Haha
And the upgrades probably cost more than the bike.
@kenny master Remember a KTM is much more likely to die out there than something like a DR650.
Here comes the haters. I love you guys...you make realize how lucky I am.
That’s what makes it “his” KTM
@@DonHavjuanthis is just not true. People like the DR650 because you can work on it, the problem is you have to work on them all the time.. read dr650 ride reports, they're full of repair stories. My Panamerican trip on a ktm was 25k miles of just oil changes and chain lube.
Sic! nice quality sound on the video too! FYI, those of you wanting more details I see HoboMoped has a 9 minute video of this same bike.
Thanks for the info, Sandy!
Dude! The best setup I have ever seen and I have seen a lot. I wish you listed all the brands etc for all the upgrades. Is there anywhere I can find that info? Thanks for sharing and have fun on your adventure.
Go to my website, its listed there - rtwpaul.com/2019/12/12/adventurizing-a-ktm-500exc-for-rtw-riding/
I second that. Please can you give a list of all the mods you did, I've watched the video 3 times and still can't remember everything, a list would help. Thank you
@@peterstimpfle9424 go to rrtwpaul.com/2019/12/12/adventurizing-a-ktm-500exc-for-rtw-riding/ its all detailed there
I didn’t see any details about the toolbox in the front of the skid plate? Did you build that or buy it?
Hope your having a ball on such a dream machine 🤞
It was interesting that yo changed gearing to 15/48. What was this like off road ?
Did you gain torque and longer gears, 1 , 2, 3rd ?
I have a 14 Husaberg FE 501 and was thinking of emulating your bike build.
Smart Lad all makes perfect sense I’ve just bought 2016 KTM 250 EXC-F > Six Day I live in Laos so it’s the perfect machine to use in my back garden gives me the option to ride quick or slow I’ve done a few I’ll be using some of your ideas lice the sump guard with the tool tray Enjoy the ride Bro...!!!
This is a magnificent and enviable setup!
magnificent yes....necessary ...no....I'd do that on my CBR and I just a mere girl! lol
What a shame this didn't happen Paul, I wish you the best of luck for 2021.
Nice bike and extensive upgrades. Based on other videos and reading, I was glad to see you upgraded the fuel filter. I'd filter the fuel as it went into the tank, and I'd carry a spare fuel pump. That's been a KTM Achilles heel.
Adventure bikes should have a 5+ gallon fuel tank. No exceptions.
Paul, I can promise you that you’d like the Fasstflex bars and pegs. They WILL extend your riding day by reducing fatigue.
Glad I waited to the end of the video to comment cause I kept thinking about maintenance. Seems you have it covered. Wish you well on your trip.
So how often does he do the oil changes?
Here is me dirt bike. I put every single aftermarket part they make on it. Now I'll explain why I "needed" to add all those parts.
Norway is a great motorcycle country - but _not_ for offroad. All off track riding is illegal and there are few gravel roads where nature is best. Many smaller roads in the wood are private and closed with gates for normal traffic. But camping is easy and free almost everywhere outside towns and cities. If you cant see a house or building, it's most likely no problem to set up a small camp for a couple of days.
Norway isn't all that expensive either... as long as you skip restaurants. Buy all your groceries at grocery stores like Rema 1000, Kiwi, and Coop Extra and it will be fairly cheap prices. All three stores also have their own brand products that are even cheaper. There are quite a few toll roads in Norway, but virtually all are free for motorcycles. Gas prices are very high. A US gallon of gas is $6 to $8 (14 - 18 Norwegian krone per liter).
Even though Norway isn't great for offroad riding, it's still a great country to visit with a motorcycle. I would suggest you use a set of tyres that are more suitable for road use and that you ride along the coast. The scenery is unique and you will most likely have an experience you will remember for years.
Wow! Just wow! You’ve thought of everything! I really love the fact that you pointed out I’m not racing this bike around the world, I’ve shied away from husky and KTM because of service intervals but you were absolutely right!
Awesome set up! I know a girl riding a stock 400cc Indian around the world right now. She could learn a thing or two about bike choices that's for sure.
Shout out to Paul! I'm a new subscriber and loving it! Thank you!
Welcome!!
Knew Taco was involved with this build ... their signature KTM mods... great bike! safe travels ...
Hello Mate! I saw that you will take a stretch in Brazil.
I do not know if you have already traveled the route you intend to take, but I do recommend that you contact motorcycle clubs that usually do these routes, especially in Mato Grosso do Sul. In this region, "illegal tolls" can occur ( Paraná is Ok and beautiful). I don't know how the region is doing ... lately (Oct 2020) there is burning in the Pantanal forest ... (Don't wait to find, a lush forest, piranhas and jaguars ... sad).
In case you need parts for the bike, there are people who run on KTM and also have some dealerships that can help you. Besides, when you're around, let me know, so we can have a coffee! Abraço.
Great motorcycle...Bring it in NE India..Our mountains are waiting
I love your bike! I have almost the same bike with all the same upgrades and the same camping luggage! Your bike is done up so awesome though, very nice! I just did the top end on my 2012 at 661 hours. The cylinder was barely showing any wear and the piston and rings were looking a little worn but still very serviceable. I was at 20,000 miles. I had the cylinder recoated and got a new piston. Also I had the valves and guilds replaced and the head ground and cleaned up. Bike is running still running great! I would think if I were you I'd be running mooses just for the safety factor of never getting a flat. I bet you probably are running mooses and just forgot to mention it. haha
Massive tnx,ur the 1st person that gives me much better info mods..👍😀
I have some Dirt Tricks Sprockets on my Honda Xr650r. They are the best . Nice adv conversion . Best of luck on your ride .
I love these videos, this is not the best bike, its the best bike for me.
There are many parts on that bike that I think I need on my Tenere 700. Super cool bike
Awesome. I’ve always thought the 500 would make a good long haul bike. Currently have a 250EXCF for farm and dirt riding and a 990SMT for road and longer haul. Bought it for a Cape York trip and then couldnt bear to get rid of it.
Hit me up when you’re in the Canberra, Australia area if you need a place to sleep/ workshop, or some local trail advice/company.
@@fabriciooliveira3720 not now. Just sold the 990 and bought a 2017 500 ready to go back to the Cape next year. What a weapon. Same physical size as the 250 but so grunty and smooth. Still have the 250 at the moment but doubt i’ll keep it. The 500 is just as flickable and does the tight stuff just fine.
Nice. Although my choice would be a DR350 or DR650/KLR. If you are about to go anywhere and not spend a ton of cash, then you need to be able to fix your bike. You need simple, lite, reliable bike with enough power to keep 100 km/h comfortable. Also, it should not attract unwanted attention. A relative clean DR 350/650/KLR are around 2000 EUR depending on where you are. You will sync another 2000 EUR to fix it up and mod it and bam, you got are ready to go.
I was hoping for many more specifics. The first 10minutes is about the stuff that anybody does to any bike for any longer trip I'd say. But anyway a pretty nice bike to RTW. Enjoy!
Specifically what, Robert?
@@MOTOTREK ummm. Let me first say I am not an EXC500 owner, not do I intend to buy one. Therefore I am not particularly interested in any particular modification on this particular bike. What I am interested in on the other hand is the topic of transforming the pure dirt bike into an adventure bike. I am very well aware of that it is a very complex process. I've also come accross couple adventurized EXC500s, from top of my head I recall the Rolling Hobo and Braaping Kiwi as the most comprehensive ones and particularly the Hobo's riding style is very interesting for me. And since I know a little about this bike from those I was interested in this video. But I guess I was after a different info that I got.
To explain and to answer your question let me give you just couple examples of what I was hoping for.
Gas tank - I would be interested in specifics like what was the original capacity, is the average bike economy and what what research was done and why this option was picked. What is the capacity and range in this setup.
Speaking about the gas tank you mentioned the fuel pump. Gas pump is not exactly a passive component, needs some power and management. What kind of issues did you face installing it and what have been done in this regard?
Speaking of power, you installed quite some extra electronics. Extra lights, 2 GPS units, USB ports. Taking into consideration that EXC is a race bike, the wiring is very minimal and the alternator is not exactly expected to power an adventure biker's needs. Did you measure the output and calculate everything and/or done the load test with everyhing at max load? What kind of modifications were done?
And one more for example brakes. Bigger front rotor. But what about the adapter for caliper? Did you have to make your own or is there an existing one on the market? Same goes for subframe, and pretty much every part you changed.
I am sure you get the idea. So to return to the beginning, you don't have to answer my above question. But if you'll write an article or do a video with such content I would love to read/watch it. But having done a few of such myself and knowing how much work and time consuming it is I absolutely understand if you don't. Anyways I am certain you built yourself a great bike and you will enjoy your trip a lot! Have fun!
All great questions, Robert. Here's Paul's comprehensive build thread advrider.com/f/threads/1369978/ I bet you'll find all the answers there.
Nice bike build! We might actually meet on the road somewhere: I'm getting my bike shipped to Almaty on Monday and will pick it up late April to ride it through the "Stans" and then back to Europe ;)
Safe, fun travels, Cedric!
Welcome from Almaty. In April and May all mount passes above 3000 m. still closed. What will be your route? I'm planning big trip for July.
@@antontimkin I'll head out of Almaty in late April, going for Uzbekistan first, Tashkent, Samarkand, Buxoro, Qarshi... then I'll cross into Tajikistan and ride the M41 including the Wakhan Valley. By the time I'll head for the high passes above 3000m it will be late May/ early June, so I don't expect any problems there. After that I'll ride across Kyrgyzstan back into Kazakhstan and then head west along the road to Baikonur, Aralsk etc. ;)
But since you are here, could I ask you a question? How harsh is the current winter compared to the last one? More/less/equal amount of snow? Because I saw Itchy boots cross into Kyrgyzstan on the M41 in late April last year, I will be at the same spot about 4 weeks later, but would be nice to have a comparison between this and the last winter, so I can gauge it a little better. Thanks!
@@cedricfranzen8558Your plan is good. At the end of May may be some snow remainings but it will be possible to move. This winter was abnormally warm. But this could lead to another problem, rivers will be more difficult to cross. General rule help - if you can't cross river, stay overnight it will be easy to cross in the morning.
@@antontimkin very good tip! Thanks for your help and have a safe trip in July :) Where are you headed?
Great video and no doubt that bike is going to be amazing on your RTW trip, Paul!!! Safe travels buddy!
Wow! What a set up Paul, awesome job! I learned a lot from watching your video and will look to use your advise on my bike for some of the upgrades. Pleasure to meet you on your travels, we met in beautiful Caraz, high in the Peruvian mountains back when you had your DR 650. Cheers Ged.
Hi Ged
Good choice of light weight adventure bike, makes definite sense to use older model better for big kms and spares
Great video! I was set on the 155kg Enduro R but really want something (a lot) lighter, this seems to really fit that. My only concern is the maintenance schedule but i've seen on your (and others) videos that you really don't need to worry about oil until close to 2,000km, so that is not a concern, and longevity seems to be a non-issue either. Just need to sit on one and see if my 5'10 32" insem can handle it..
Hi gpatricks! I am thing exactly you do. Would it be ok to extend oil exchange in non-race conditions to 2000km? To 4000km? Even that is really less. Would every 3 weeks on a big trip. What's about service for motor internal things? Piston, Engine mounts ....
@@freedomandbike it will depend entirely on your style of riding, brand/type of oil, climate, and what the oil analysis lab tells you for each sample. After the 1st change I would change/get the oil analyzed at 1000km, if good go to 1500, if still good go to 2000... Not sure I would push much further, and at ~€25 per oil/filter change why would you?
@@gradocchio Thanks very much. Anyway this range would be far out of reachable intervall during long travelling. No way to change oil and filter already every 5 days of travelling. On the other side it would be too much pollution. 1,5l every 5 days. 50l in 6 months. No way. Additionally every 2 weeks motor revision.
@@freedomandbike yes, if you ride 10,000km every 25 days that would require about 5L of oil, 73 oil changes per year for the 146,000km you apparently travel... and of course every two weeks you need to completely rebuild your motor, so that's 26 "motor revisions" per year... what planet are you writing from?
Sir you got all the bases covered. Awesome bike great presentation. Stay safe enjoy the ride.
KTM990, long 1500km off road mixed gravel mud rivers etc feel off lots was buggered due to the weight everytime I had to pick it up but a great bike...modified KTM450 exc, same trip following year, was outstanding and out road the 990, was no effort to pick it up due to being so light. Agree though with another comment, all off road it was great, but if I had to ride the 450 on road for extended length it would be horrible. Love the vid though, great mods!
It’s good to see the two ends of what a 500 exc can do - Aaron Steinmann, did a rtw on a basically stock 500 exc
At the end I was surprised he hadn't swapped out the block and frame as well.
Awesome machine. Good travels!
LOL
Great videos and appreciate you taking time to share your riding wisdom. Have you done any episodes about route planning? Entry requirements, places to avoid, how you determine where to ride while still being able to stay mostly off road? I'd love to hear and learn about that.
KTM , take notice !
Paul,you should replace the lithium ion battery with a iron phosphate one. The lithium battery degrades sudenly because of vibrations
Really like the mirror idea gets them out of they and gives u much needed space. What mirrors r those would like to do something like that w my 690 Enduro ADV build.
Highway Dirtbikes
This is so satisfying to watch!
Dream machine farkel supreme
Gday Paul
Looks like a well set up machine. I also have a ktm 500, i have added grip warmers and same on the seat, huge difference on a winter ride.
I also installed gel in my seat, keeps the vibrations off your ass.
I use tubliss on Heidenau k60 scout dual sport tyres, on the dirt I take down to 5 psi grip is excellent.
Ride safe i look forward to following your progress.
That is one beautiful bike, great set up. Can't wait to see more videos. My 640 and I will be following you. Keep the rubber side down Brother.
Love my seat concepts seat also . Have one on my Klr and my Drz .
Thx for the feedback, Keith.
That's one hell of a prep. Hoping it doesn't all feel too heavy? So many tips, thanks for sharing the knowledge. Ride safe and enjoy the moment. A new subscriber.
amazing bike, congrats. My feeling: you can get all that with an AJP PR7 out of the box, and I guess final weight is gonna be quite similar
Went to the website. Great stuff! Thanks for sharing. You certainly know how to live.
You'd be riding infront of my home, Nagaland/Manipur in northeast India. Please be warned, the Highways here can be a challenge even for your awesome ride 😄. Be glad to have you if you need a breather from your trip. ✌🏻
It would've been easier if you tell us what parts of the bike are stock 😅 Seriously, l love it! It looks the part and l'm sure it'll be amazing to ride! 😍 ATB for your adventures!
This is what the manufacturer should provide