Ya, that's the kind of trail riding I wanted to see out of this bike after all the rock hopping and old man riding on all these 500 vids. I've been looking at this bike and had friends in my ear for months (years) who are saying I should get one. I gotta say, this vid may have sealed the deal.
As for the USB socket - I went through 2 of these before I realized what was the problem. You need to open it and fill it (epoxy, glue gun, whatever), because if you don´t, the little coils in the inside, will fall of, because of the vibrations, shock impacts.
Thanks man!! Definitely not a “touring” or highway build, but for real off road adventure this this is going to be way more fun than a 790. I had a 1090 ADVr and let me tell you... it was heavyyyyyy. We followed the 2017 Baja 1000 course on it two years ago (over 5 days) and the whole time I wish I had a light bike... that’s what inspired me to build this. The modern 19+ 690 Enduro R with Rade Garage fairing and gas tank would be an awesome middle point between this bike and the 790... check them out! Let me know if you have any questions!
Awesome build! As I get older, I'm looking at lighter and lighter bikes to ride the BDR'S! Very interested in your setup but with a 690/701! I have a 23 500 6-days but I'd like to keep that as a trails only bike with minimalistic approach! Only advice I'd like to give is to NEVER mount your 500 with the kick stand down or use it as a pivot point! Your stand will definitely snap off! Great video though!
Absolutely superlative ADV platform and build. Pricey but still way, WAY cheaper than any number of sports cars. That 1000 mile oil change interval has got to be tough for continental tours though...
The oil in ADV style riding is good for 40 hours or more. It wouldn't be my first choice of riding for continental riding because of the premium gas requirement... Im building a DRZ400 at them moment.
Exactly why I bought a 690 for this purpose. Have a 501 built similar to this and WAY more fun offroad, but I change my oil at 500 miles and it's dirty and ready, and it comes way too often. I could see stretching it to 40 hours, or about 1500 miles, but for dirt use, that's a lot on a dirtbike imho. 690 way more comfy on the two-laners, and has the power to not be taxing the bike in the higher cruiser revs, especially loaded up. 6th gear on the 501 feels like 5th on the 690 is the best way to put it. I found when my 501 is loaded up with gear, I can't ride it like a dirt bike, anyway, or the bags bounce around too much with the rackless system, so just went 690. Actually tore my Kriega base webbing just from bouncing around trying to ride it like a dirtbike while touring. Went hard mount rack on the 690, and happy. Keeping the 501 for day riding. Sweet build, man.
The 40 hour mark of adventure style riding is coming from a buddy that regularly does that on a 500 and has Blackstone Labs test his oil for breakdown. I think he does only fire roads and roads, so true adv travel.. as soon as you throw some single track in there with lots of clutch work, I would never go more than 10 hours. Cheers
Our bikes should be *relatively* similar when mine is finished, but a 2016. Super epic ride at the end man... I can't wait to do that with everything I need to live in the woods.
Thanks Murray!! That's actually a great bike too! I'll be doing build on one of those hopefully pretty soon to show how to get into a very capable ADV bike for under $5K ready to hit the road.
Thanks man! There are a lot of options out there for rally/ADV kits these days, definitely look around and make sure you find the one that fits your needs
Your build inspired me to build my own. I was thinking of something like the Tenere (great bike), but it's just too big and heavy for what I want so when I saw this build, I knew immediately that's what I was going to do. I already have a 2017 500 EXC-F and am nearly complete with the build. I didn't build it for single track so that's not an issue because I'll be using it for what it's meant to be used for and that's offroad trail riding camping trips (as little pavement as possible). The only thing left for me is suspension upgrade for the extra weight of the tower and packed Mosko Moto Reckless 40 (looking at Enduro Spec). Can't wait for my first camping trip on it.
That’s awesome it’s been yours that long. We don’t have any places for photos at the moment, our focus has shifted to launching a product brand: RaceProvisions.com - Should be going live in about 3 weeks 🤘🏻🤘🏻
Super awesome build bro! I’ve got a 2020 same bike and am following your series intently. I haven’t went to the rally tower yet, but that looks awesome! Thanks for the great content! ✌️
No problem man! My pleasure! You should check out the Twalcom rally extreme light and the Lynx fairing too, it's the same lights and has a GPS mount, but can be switched back to enduro mode very very easily (and is roughly 16 hours less to install) hahha... But if you are set on the Rally tower, the Nomad is amazing! I'll be posting the install vid of the Nomad soon, it's just a bunch of footage and I want to represent it well. Let me know if you have any questions!
SourceADV Sounds great! I am 90% dirt (enduro), so I do want to be able to switch between rally mode and enduro mode fairly easy. If I did the tower though, then I can truly ride the bike ADV style! Can’t wait. Loved the black IMS tank on the bike! I also need to take the plunge on the intake, tuner, exhaust mod one of these days...
@@dannuthals7045 I would guess that going back to enduro mode from the Nomad (fully remove everything and go back to stock headlight) then back to ADV would take 3-4 hours (to do it right -- if you are fast) because of the wiring and having to re-loctite and torque everything. The Lynx and Twalcom are definitely more of a bolt on, the Twalcom especially. The only downside of the Twalcom is you have to figure out a solution to mount the ignition key, but it shouldn't be that hard to make a little bracket with a hole.
Wow! That is a very cool rig. Very much grateful for all of your hard work & ideas. Your riding skills look to be up there too, Boss. ... Say, had you considered a Left Hand Rear Brake?
It’s pretty darn good! Still very adventure biased… check out the adventure and race I did on this 2020 500 - this thing is awesome! Do-It-All KTM 500 Ultimate Dual Sport | Adventure To A Race & RACE IT | Malle Moto??? ua-cam.com/video/WIdYZG85Fg4/v-deo.html
we got the same setup! was hoping to see you strap the stinger 22 on the back! kinda wish i went with the r80 for bigger trips in the future. but the 22 may help me get by for now.
I don’t think so man, they seem like they flex a fair amount and the I would be more worried about abrasion than impact... this is all hypothetical though. No direct stories of tank failures from my group though. Take care!
Thanks man! It’s great as a dedicated ADV bike, but is a little big for single track riding. Doing another build right now on a 2020 500XCF-w that won’t have a tower. Stay tuned!
Not really, if you go rackless your only options are Mosko moto or Rocky mountain ATV’s systems. The latter is a little bit light, maybe a pound or two but I don’t trust it would take as much of a beating as the Mosko ones. You can see the Rocky Mountain on in my other videos on the DRZ400 build
Yep. Seems like a real hole in KTM lineup with no 500 ADV bike. Goes from the 390 to the 690, whereas the 500 is screaming out for this ADV treatment. Such low weight, incomparable. Odds on that this is the lightest most able rough terrain ADV bike I've seen.
Thanks man! It seems like a no brainer for them to make something like this… granted they already have it in their 450 Rally bike.. but it’s $39k LOL… take care!!
@SourceADV that's very well documented, thanks for sharing. I am interested in the tower myself for a 350 EXC-F and am wondering how the weight on the front feels while riding off-road?
It’s a noticeable difference for sure. You can get around with one step up in spring rate, but in general it really makes the bike a rally bike, singletrack is not really on the menu any more if there are trees. Honestly I would highly recommend looking at the Kove 450 street legal rally bike if you want to go down that path. It seems to be a real winner
Hey Ryan, sorry about the delayed response. This bike has 14/52 gearing at the moment because it still hits some single track, but for true adventure riding I'd probably go 14/49 or 14/50. Cheers!
This is such a cool build. I recently bought a CRF 300 Rally as a lightweight companion to my Tiger 900 and I’ve found I like it far better. I’ve also used the Honda to get my 30 year old son into riding I’ve done the usual things to the Honda such as bars and exhaust but the skills required in this build are beyond mine. How can you find something as close to this KTM without building it yourself and what would you spend?
Thanks man!! Honestly, I think that CRF300 rally is a great off the floor version of this bike. Just find some ways to lighten it up a bit, send the suspension to my buddy Warren at EnduroSpec and squeeze some more power of it and you would have a sick bike! Other than that, you could do this build without doing the nomad fairing and for most circumstances it would be about the same if you were sticking to fire roads and off road. That is what I am doing now starting with a 2020 500 XCF-w. No front fairing this time. Cheers!!
Great build. I see you have a 690 in the background. Ex-lover or different bike altogether? I had a 690 a few years ago and now I'm looking to replace it with another or, get a 500. I need a moderate enduro/medium range tourer hybrid. I still have a 300 for serious dirt & 990 for adv & touring. The single thumper will be to go play in the dirt with my son or, go on short camping trips. Will also use it as longer distance event medic on bike too tame for 300 but too hectic for heavier 990.
Hey Sam, the 690 was my dad’s BDR bike, great bike and a lot smoother on road miles than the 500. The 500 is an awesome all around bike, but will definitely suffer on pavement especially in windy areas. Sometimes a little more weight goes a long way. In my perfect world my garage would be: 350xcf for racing, 500 for dual sporting and a 690 with a Lynx fairing for adventure travel. Hope that helps man!
Not too bad, but you definitely get a little self conscious about it going throw bushes and trees and stuff. As long as you are standing most of the time you forget its there.
I plan on getting a KTM 500EXC-F soon, to use for going to local places and off roading but everyone seems to modify it alot and I am unsure i am able to keep up with all of that since I know little about bikes even though ive been riding for 16 years just never really got into it heavy
The GET ecu and Fastway end cap is all you need! Once installed they are super straight forward and the bike will run amazingly. Go to TacoMoto, their maps on the GET are awesome!
At the time I liked the look of the Nomad the most, if I was to do it again I would pick something that can be easily removed to keep the single track capability of the bike. I actually really like the Brittania composite Lynx for that reason. Cheers!!
This one is the standard "Comfort" seat. It came with the bike and is a great middle of the road seat for both enduro and ADV... But if you have the spare change lying around, it would be cool to have both this seat and the Tall XL for long rides. Take care!
Absolutely fantastic! I'm looking to buy the Honda CRF300 but in reality money isn't an issue...for me it's all about street legal and weight, as I'll be hauling it on a truck camper. If you don't mind my asking...what was the total cost of this? The bike and all the mods. It's very impressive and if I buy this bike I'll almost certainly copy everything you did here. I hope you don't mind...but man, that thing is awesome!
Thanks Byron!! I got the bike used before the COVID price craziness, all in I was 14k with me doing all labor minus suspension mods. It’s an awesome bike, but not a single track bike after this. I’d look at the Lynx fairing if you want to still ride some single track. Cheers!!
@@SourceADV It won't be a single track bike. Mainly just to run into the nearest town for supplies after I set up my truck camper (more camping, less driving with the insane fuel prices) and also to cruise dirt/jeep roads during the day. I'll probably never spend more than an hour at a time on pavement with it. Lightweight is what I'm after...the Honda Rally is going to be about 50 pounds more. Great bike (it's a Honda, after all) but this is a contender. More than twice the price, but it's got twice the power and that 50 pounds makes a difference. If you were selling your bike I'd buy it immediately! You did a fine job...the detail is off the hook and I pretty much roll the same way.
Thanks, man! In that case, I would probably go with the Rade Garage ( www.radegarage.com/parts-us/ktm-exc-rally-us/) over the nomad, the nomad is noticeably heavy on the front of the bike. Otherwise, everything else is spot on! I actually sold this bike a while back and started working on a 2020 500XCF-w that I am racing in the enduro circuit here in AZ and then doing light adventure with. They are super capable bikes!
Great feature.....my current project on 2020. Couple of queries: Firstly source of the clutch cover for oil capacity? Nomad do one, is it the same or where did you source? Secondly, just like the idea of a key...... did you say it is the same key as the steering lock and how do you organise that? Planning to go down the same route but unfortunately no Sicass in the UK........ already opted for some Haan Cush drives $$$.....following! Thanks again
Hey Octane! Thank you for reaching out! The Clutch cover is the same as Nomad's, it is by a company called BestDualSportBikes here in Arizona, USA. Great product. RE: the KTM Key barrel, the Nomad key hole is too small and doesn't have a flat spot, so you have to use a dremel to carve it out and then you need to find the right size O-Ring or rubber washer or different nut for the ignition that keeps it from rattling around (the threads on the Factory KTM key are too deep). It's not that hard and better than carrying two keys in my opinion. Bummer on the Siccass in the UK, they make great stuff. Heck yeah on the Haan wheels, good stuff. Send some pics over when it's done. Cheers!
Have you ridden with reckless 40’strapped to your frame much? I’m curious if it melts your strap on exhaust side? It’s mm’s from touching it. I had to pay Moscow for another loop to replace bolt with a metal loop. 🤷🏼♂️
What are your thought on an adventure helmet/ dual sport helmet vs motocross helmet? I have a 2020 ktm 500 exc-f and will be doing the NEBDR and its time to replace my Arai Vx pro 3. Can’t decide if a dual sport helmet like the Arai XD-4 is the way to go or get another motocross helmet with goggles.
I always ride Adventure helmets on BDR’s and bring a set of goggles for dusty days (most still fit by just flipping the visor up). If it rains, you’ll be super happy that you have the ADV helmet. Just make sure to bring a microfiber cloth to clean the visor on ADV helmet. I still run a moto helmet when I am riding single track day trips, they are lighter and vent much better. Hope that helps!!
Dude, I’m hammering on that thing, it just looks like that because tower is about 9 inches in front of the bike. On that rocky climb, those are 6-18 inch rocks, with 12-20 inch ledges, the GoPro always flattens things out. Considering that, I though the bike was doing awesome for something that can do adv too
It wasn’t too bad, but it was pre-COVID. Bike was bought used with 3 hours on it and then all the extras were about $5000. It was cheaper to build than the out the door price of a new bike today all in all
If you remove the fairing, the metal frame of the tower stays, it looks goofy but everything looks. If you want to remove everything you can too and reinstall the stock stuff, you can do that too it will just take a bunch of time. My guess would be about 4 hours on the first go.
Exactly the way I'm currently building my 500 but went with the rade/garage carbon tower instead (had a killer deal)! Btw, that charcoal canister was a b*tch to remove, damn
Awesome dude! Congrats on that find, those are awesome! Send some pics to Hello @ SourceADV.com -- Happy to do write up on it on the website too when you are ready. Dude.... I know right... It's like... Do I rotate the engine or hack at this thing with a dremel and get pelted with charcoal pellets for 3 hours.... For some reason I chose option B... hahhah Take can man, enjoy the ride! Subscribe to the channel I am finishing up editing the Nomad install video
I wish! I looked into building these out for people as a business, sadly the liability ends up being astronomical compared to what you can make as the business. So, maybe in a different world. Cheers!
No sir, got the bike used and all in was around $14.5 but did all the work myself, so if that was at minimum wage I’ve probably got $50k in it 😂😂 just kidding, probably about 45 hours to do all the mods.
The suspension for sure. I’m actually building a 2020 500 XCF-w right now that will be a do it all bike (single track, enduro racing and lightweight adv) and the first thing I changed was the suspension. It just makes the bike so much more capable and handle much better (assuming you did tires too). I will not be putting a rally tower on this new bike, just a tiny removable windscreen. The rally tower completely defeats the single track ability of the bike. Cheers!
Lovely build, well thought out. Looks really planted off road. Should be a pleasure to own. Just wish KTM would up the service intervals as this is often a deal breaker for longer distance adv touring
A buddy and I have been collaborating on oil testing through Blackstone labs. The safe number is around 45 hours of adventure riding, maybe a little more. So 5 full days. Hence BDR bike
KTM service intervals are for race conditions, so most of us do oil changes at 40-50 hours these days. Bring your own oil refill and that's 10 days of riding.. Lots of these going RTW now, so definitely not restricted to BDR's only.
I love everything about this build except the tower. I know it's packed with great features, but personally I find it hideous to look at, like some kind of E.T. head. Sorry, it's not the tower, it's me.
Haha, all good man! It doesn’t make sense unless you want to do 60 mph for long periods of time, then it’s epic… otherwise you are right, it’s just a giant nose on the front of the bike
Great bike! I'm starting my 500 EXC ADV build shortly and noticed you've got the 690/701 indicator/light/horn switch on there, is this plug and play or did you have to cut into the loom to make this compatible?
That’s only at race pace. ADV riding is actually pretty easy on the bikes as long as you are geared right. A buddy of mine has the same bike and gets his oil tested after long rides by Blackstone Laboratories and it sounds like the oil is fine for 40 hours or a little more too, so for 5 day BDR style trips it’s awesome.
@@SourceADV Could you give me the model and make of the clutch housing with larger oil capacity that you have installed on your motorcycle. I would like to buy the same as yours for my new FE501. Merci
Thanks man! They are both pretty tame in stock condition, but as a first bike the 350 is probably a better choice. The 500 when it is uncorked definitely has a lot of power and can get you in trouble pretty quick if you're not used to it.
Honda got closer this year with their 300 Rally.. but it’s still really heavy and underpowered. It will be interesting to see as the adventure community picks up on lighter weight bikes if KTM ever pumps out a 500 twin cyclinder in the 690 frame with a little fairing and a stronger subframe... would be sick! Yamaha has a 500 twin from their snowmobiles they could use, but I just don’t think the market is there yet. Cheers!!
I do not understand why so many put large (heavy) fairings/ tower on such adv bikes, because in adv with such a bike one almost never rides above 110kmh/70mph, and no need for roadbook holder, tripmaster, etc in adv. Only a single nav.
There are lots of places on the BDR’s routes here in the states where 65+ miles an hour for 1-2 hours is common even on the dirt roads and the fairing helps a ton with the wind pounding your face. It does make the bike a dedicated ADV/Rally bike that’s for sure. I think all of these builds just became obsolete thanks to the Kove 450 Rally that just came out . Brand new bike for $9K with 8 gallon tank fully dialed for this type of riding.
@@SourceADV About the Kove: I have absolutely no doubt it is a good ADV bike. Here in Europe, KTM parts are easily and durably available, and many mechanics who know them if needed. So many new, hype dirt bikes have been forgotten for ever, including from big manufacturers like BMW, Aprilia. So what about small KOVE? Also it is Chinese. I prefer to give labour to European factories (although KTM makes the 790 in China). And an EXC conversion back from adv to dirt bike is easy,
Yeah that makes sense in Europe for sure. Most dealers here don’t have good stock on bike parts anymore, you pretty much have to order most replacement parts no matter what from the big parts warehouses; Rocky Mountain ATV, AOMC, Motosport. So you carry common breakables with you for ADV riding or keep them in the truck for enduro riding. I think it’s good that the Chinese companies are offering lower price point bikes to help more people get into the sport. I just hope they are reliable internally, all signs are pointing to yes on Kove.
Hey SourceADV, great video and awesome build man. I'm really torn between a build like this, or a medium sized Adv bike. Although touring is not my focus, I wanted to ask if you find long stretches of tarmac a drag on this, and if you were to do it again would you go this way or like a 790 R or Tenere 700? I know you love the bike and I'm sure it excels offroad, I'm asking from the perspective of a guy who can only have 1 bike but likes the concept of light and nimble so long as taking an hour long highway cruise isn't hell.
1 hour on the highway would get a bit uncomfortable. If you can only have one bike and like the dirt check out a new 690 Enduro with the rade garage fairing and their aux tank kit. It’s a really good balance of a bike that can do some real off road and is comfortable at 70 on the highway for longer periods of time with the fairing. The big twins are heavy no matter which way you cut it... but they will do fine on dirt roads. They get more squirrely on loose rock and sand. Hope that helps!!
Dope bike perfect size weight power and capability. What kills it for me is the maintenance schedule.... Changing oil ever 500 miles and having to inspect valves ever 1000 miles does not work out for a long range adventure bike. Otherwise unicornnmnm
In ADV riding, everyone is saying 30-40 hours for the 500 on the oil changes. You only need to check the valves on KTM 450/500s once, they don’t move after that. My 350 race bike doesn’t even move either, I only check them when I do top ends on that bike at 120 hours
Honestly look at the Kove 450 rally, add the race ecu and exhaust. Everyone is loving those things and they are truly ready to go with a 300 mile range
Not bad to me honestly, on the road, I would say you notice the knobby tires more than the engine... But don't get me wrong, compared to the 1090 Adventure it vibrates and you feel the wind. This bike is definitely biased towards BDR's though which end up being roughly 60-70% dirt roads.
Hi...nice vid...a question regarding the sae connector for jump starting the bike with the portable battery pack...would the wires going to the battery be ok for this application?...ie wouldn't they melt due to the high load?
@@SourceADV ok...so you mean you can't plug in the battery jumper pack and then try to start the bike?...so you are just charging the battery a little then disconnecting the battery jumper pack and then starting it up?...how long would you have to wait for it to charge before you can try to crank it?
Most of the time, Goldentyre GT333 rear and GT216AA front. I think at this time it had the Tusk DSport tires, which are ok for doing a trip where you will have some pavement. Cheers!
Hi, Can You share the wires. schemat...how did You connect the headlight with the original light switch and extra switch to turn both low and high beam?
It’s a pre-wired quick harness that Nomad sells for the Dura lights. It has a couple of leads that just go to a toggle on the dash to choose one or both. It’s a very easy install because of the harness.
The bike looks outstanding - I love the mods. I am considering the Nomad tower for my Husky FE 350S, but am worried about adding too much weight to my bike. Can you tell me how much it weighs? Thanks for the video!
Thanks!! It’s almost 18 pounds extra. If you want to keep riding your bike on real off-road then look at the twalcom rally extreme or the moto minded headligh upgrade and clip on dash. Definitely a bit more versatile.
awesome to finally see someone to actually ride one of these super tricked out ADV bikes! Feels like most dudes just build dick extensions and take photos for social media.
Hey Curt, from what I can tell, they are both awesome. I don’t have any personal experience with the Rade, although I’m a sucker for carbon and their easy on/off design. The nomad is pretty well on there once you install it. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help man!
For what its worth Nomad ripped me off $250.00 and never sent me my product for my 690. E-mailed them multiple times with no response back. Gave them extra time considering the whole pandemic thing and nothing. Currently trying to get money back thru my bank but nothing yet.
Helment is an old MSR adv helmet, I dont think they make them anymore. I did not have the reckless on the bike for the off road ride. I wear a backpack for day rides with very minimal tools.
Here, I put this together for you, let me know if its what you were looking for. docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1abqPiuNQFov56-UHwBnqPB3X7gXlE5M3EvzBg258G2Q/edit?usp=sharing
Jeff, I’ll be honest, I cannot remember and don’t have this bike anymore. Did you try balancing your tires or is it engine vibration you are referring to?
@@SourceADV yes, wheels balanced. It’s the engine vibration through the seat and pegs anything over 65mph. Bike is smooth but a fine engine vibration bothers me. Thanks for the reply though.
@jeffmm1474 ah got it, honestly the XC Gear Mako360 handlebar mount is a game changer for hand vibration, they have pegs that go through rubber too. How long are you staying at 70?
@@SourceADV yep I have the 360s on my 300. I have vibration reducing bar mounts. It’s mainly the seat and pegs. Will try the rubber peg mounts. I’m usually not running 70 more than 5 mins. Would like to go farther but vibes stopping me from that. Will try a 45 rear to reduce the revs or a 15 front. I love the 500 for everything except 65+ mph. Not what it’s made for I know but can always dream of that unicorn. 😀
@@jeffmm1474 Try the 15 front man, at least you wont have to mess with chain length. It will probably kill technical singletrack riding sadly. No real unicorns out there... all though the Kove 450 Rally has definitely caught my eye!
All said and done it adds about 10-12 Lbs to the bike, so not exactly light. I actually really liked the Lynx fairing we had on my Dads 690 because it was light and didn’t mess with the ability to ride the bike on single track as much, but still served almost the same functionality. Cheers!
Oh man! I wish, no time for that at the moment, just Amazon affiliate at SourceADV.com - send your address through the contact form though and I’ll shoot you some stickers if you’d like. 🤘🏻🤘🏻
Ya, that's the kind of trail riding I wanted to see out of this bike after all the rock hopping and old man riding on all these 500 vids. I've been looking at this bike and had friends in my ear for months (years) who are saying I should get one. I gotta say, this vid may have sealed the deal.
Take a look at my recent race video on the 2020 500, it’s an awesome bike!
Bruh…. I have a 500exc and a Tenere 700. The 500 does it all. Bad on the highway but it’s a BDR Slayer.
Agreed! Never going to be a highway tour bike, but dirt and local roads, crazy fun!
I’m not a KTM fan boy by any means but I’ve gotta say, that is probably the most well thought out KTM 500 ADV build out I’ve seen. Well done!
Thanks man!! Just about to do the same to a DRZ400s, but on a budget for a new video series. Should be fun!
What an absolute beauty. I really enjoyed the ride footage at the end.
Thanks man!! I’m building a new one on a 2020 500 XCF-w as a “do it all” single track, enduro racing and lightweight adventure. Stay tuned!
@@SourceADV I certainly shall!
As for the USB socket - I went through 2 of these before I realized what was the problem. You need to open it and fill it (epoxy, glue gun, whatever), because if you don´t, the little coils in the inside, will fall of, because of the vibrations, shock impacts.
Great feedback! Makes sense! Take care and enjoy the ride!
Thanks for posting this inspirational bike. I now can get off trying to justify a 790r. This build is perfect. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks man!! Definitely not a “touring” or highway build, but for real off road adventure this this is going to be way more fun than a 790. I had a 1090 ADVr and let me tell you... it was heavyyyyyy. We followed the 2017 Baja 1000 course on it two years ago (over 5 days) and the whole time I wish I had a light bike... that’s what inspired me to build this.
The modern 19+ 690 Enduro R with Rade Garage fairing and gas tank would be an awesome middle point between this bike and the 790... check them out!
Let me know if you have any questions!
SourceADV yeah. 250lbs is beyond ideal
Awesome build! As I get older, I'm looking at lighter and lighter bikes to ride the BDR'S! Very interested in your setup but with a 690/701! I have a 23 500 6-days but I'd like to keep that as a trails only bike with minimalistic approach! Only advice I'd like to give is to NEVER mount your 500 with the kick stand down or use it as a pivot point! Your stand will definitely snap off! Great video though!
Pretty cool build ! The bike looks great, do give updates when you get some miles on the equipment and have fun !
Absolutely superlative ADV platform and build. Pricey but still way, WAY cheaper than any number of sports cars. That 1000 mile oil change interval has got to be tough for continental tours though...
just take 1l of oil with you, plenty of room in those bags!
The oil in ADV style riding is good for 40 hours or more. It wouldn't be my first choice of riding for continental riding because of the premium gas requirement... Im building a DRZ400 at them moment.
Exactly why I bought a 690 for this purpose. Have a 501 built similar to this and WAY more fun offroad, but I change my oil at 500 miles and it's dirty and ready, and it comes way too often. I could see stretching it to 40 hours, or about 1500 miles, but for dirt use, that's a lot on a dirtbike imho. 690 way more comfy on the two-laners, and has the power to not be taxing the bike in the higher cruiser revs, especially loaded up. 6th gear on the 501 feels like 5th on the 690 is the best way to put it. I found when my 501 is loaded up with gear, I can't ride it like a dirt bike, anyway, or the bags bounce around too much with the rackless system, so just went 690. Actually tore my Kriega base webbing just from bouncing around trying to ride it like a dirtbike while touring. Went hard mount rack on the 690, and happy. Keeping the 501 for day riding. Sweet build, man.
The 40 hour mark of adventure style riding is coming from a buddy that regularly does that on a 500 and has Blackstone Labs test his oil for breakdown. I think he does only fire roads and roads, so true adv travel.. as soon as you throw some single track in there with lots of clutch work, I would never go more than 10 hours. Cheers
Our bikes should be *relatively* similar when mine is finished, but a 2016. Super epic ride at the end man... I can't wait to do that with everything I need to live in the woods.
Cheers! Let me know if you have any questions!
Excellent video and build, glad I found this !!! Love this bike ✌
Cheers! Thank you
Dream bike😍 got a drz400e for now while im a poor uni student. One day!
Thanks Murray!! That's actually a great bike too! I'll be doing build on one of those hopefully pretty soon to show how to get into a very capable ADV bike for under $5K ready to hit the road.
I am in love with this bike
Thanks man!
What a dream build.
Thanks man!
These bikes are a great inspiration for the custom build i hope to one day do
Thanks man! There are a lot of options out there for rally/ADV kits these days, definitely look around and make sure you find the one that fits your needs
This guy has to be single. Nice looking garage man!
Hahaha! Nope, just got a cool lady who supports me doing what I like
I did a similar build with rhe ktm 350,much lighter than my T7,decent power and loads of fun.
Awesome!! I love the 350 platform, I race a 350XCF for enduro. It’s such a great motor and feels so light. Nice work!!
Your build inspired me to build my own. I was thinking of something like the Tenere (great bike), but it's just too big and heavy for what I want so when I saw this build, I knew immediately that's what I was going to do. I already have a 2017 500 EXC-F and am nearly complete with the build. I didn't build it for single track so that's not an issue because I'll be using it for what it's meant to be used for and that's offroad trail riding camping trips (as little pavement as possible). The only thing left for me is suspension upgrade for the extra weight of the tower and packed Mosko Moto Reckless 40 (looking at Enduro Spec). Can't wait for my first camping trip on it.
That’s awesome to hear! It’s such a unique bike, you are going to have a great time with it
@@SourceADV I've actually had the bike since new in 2017, it's just I'm now transitioning it into ADV. Any where I can post pics of it?
That’s awesome it’s been yours that long. We don’t have any places for photos at the moment, our focus has shifted to launching a product brand: RaceProvisions.com - Should be going live in about 3 weeks 🤘🏻🤘🏻
@@SourceADV Congrats on a product brand launch. I'll be checking it out.
Thank you!! Spread the word!
Nice almost like RTWPaul, be safe !!
Yeah! He did a great job, definitely did everything you can. This pup was built more for 7 day or less jaunts.
Super awesome build bro! I’ve got a 2020 same bike and am following your series intently. I haven’t went to the rally tower yet, but that looks awesome! Thanks for the great content! ✌️
No problem man! My pleasure! You should check out the Twalcom rally extreme light and the Lynx fairing too, it's the same lights and has a GPS mount, but can be switched back to enduro mode very very easily (and is roughly 16 hours less to install) hahha... But if you are set on the Rally tower, the Nomad is amazing! I'll be posting the install vid of the Nomad soon, it's just a bunch of footage and I want to represent it well. Let me know if you have any questions!
SourceADV Sounds great! I am 90% dirt (enduro), so I do want to be able to switch between rally mode and enduro mode fairly easy. If I did the tower though, then I can truly ride the bike ADV style! Can’t wait. Loved the black IMS tank on the bike! I also need to take the plunge on the intake, tuner, exhaust mod one of these days...
@@dannuthals7045 I would guess that going back to enduro mode from the Nomad (fully remove everything and go back to stock headlight) then back to ADV would take 3-4 hours (to do it right -- if you are fast) because of the wiring and having to re-loctite and torque everything. The Lynx and Twalcom are definitely more of a bolt on, the Twalcom especially. The only downside of the Twalcom is you have to figure out a solution to mount the ignition key, but it shouldn't be that hard to make a little bracket with a hole.
SourceADV all good info! Many thanks!
Wow! That is a very cool rig. Very much grateful for all of your hard work & ideas. Your riding skills look to be up there too, Boss. ... Say, had you considered a Left Hand Rear Brake?
Sweet Bike! Debating between this and the Honda 450RL for a one Enduro does it all. Thx for sharing👍
Both are great bikes, I feel like the KTM 500 is a lot more customizable, but Taco Moto has parts for both now. Cheers!
Great build!! Try to get some off board footage of the bike running so we can see it in action.
Thanks man! I picked up a Skydio drone, so I should be able to shoot off board on new videos in the future. Take care!
For me, that would be The Unicorn bike. Does it all while being more off-road focused.
It’s pretty darn good! Still very adventure biased… check out the adventure and race I did on this 2020 500 - this thing is awesome! Do-It-All KTM 500 Ultimate Dual Sport | Adventure To A Race & RACE IT | Malle Moto???
ua-cam.com/video/WIdYZG85Fg4/v-deo.html
@@SourceADV I’m gonna check it out right now. 👍
That is a sweet bike!
Thanks!!
Love at first sight.
Thank you!
That is a thing of beauty!
Thank you!
we got the same setup! was hoping to see you strap the stinger 22 on the back! kinda wish i went with the r80 for bigger trips in the future. but the 22 may help me get by for now.
Just wanted to follow up on this, if you use the Alps on man tent you can strap it in front of the stinger 22 and save a lot of space
Looks awesome. Anyone ever heard of those big 4 gallon tanks busting up on crashes? I want one but wonder if those shroud tank wings are problematic?
I don’t think so man, they seem like they flex a fair amount and the I would be more worried about abrasion than impact... this is all hypothetical though. No direct stories of tank failures from my group though. Take care!
Great bike and vid! Love your choices on the build!
Thanks man! It’s great as a dedicated ADV bike, but is a little big for single track riding. Doing another build right now on a 2020 500XCF-w that won’t have a tower. Stay tuned!
Nice-looking bike but I wonder how much does the Reckless system weighs, I bet there are lighter systems out there.
Not really, if you go rackless your only options are Mosko moto or Rocky mountain ATV’s systems. The latter is a little bit light, maybe a pound or two but I don’t trust it would take as much of a beating as the Mosko ones. You can see the Rocky Mountain on in my other videos on the DRZ400 build
Yep. Seems like a real hole in KTM lineup with no 500 ADV bike. Goes from the 390 to the 690, whereas the 500 is screaming out for this ADV treatment. Such low weight, incomparable. Odds on that this is the lightest most able rough terrain ADV bike I've seen.
Thanks man! It seems like a no brainer for them to make something like this… granted they already have it in their 450 Rally bike.. but it’s $39k LOL… take care!!
One beautiful bike 👌
Thanks!!
@SourceADV that's very well documented, thanks for sharing. I am interested in the tower myself for a 350 EXC-F and am wondering how the weight on the front feels while riding off-road?
It’s a noticeable difference for sure. You can get around with one step up in spring rate, but in general it really makes the bike a rally bike, singletrack is not really on the menu any more if there are trees. Honestly I would highly recommend looking at the Kove 450 street legal rally bike if you want to go down that path. It seems to be a real winner
THE NOMAD TOWER LOOKS LIKE AN F16 HEAD UP DISPLAY...
Haha! Ready for combat!
My dream bike
Thanks man! She is perrrttty :) Enjoy the ride out there!
Very nice bike thank you for your comment.
Do you know the weigt of the bike without luggage?
Around 255
Great bike. Mine will be pretty similar. What was the gearing you selected on your bike?
Hey Ryan, sorry about the delayed response. This bike has 14/52 gearing at the moment because it still hits some single track, but for true adventure riding I'd probably go 14/49 or 14/50. Cheers!
SourceADV thanks for that. Awesome bike.
So I found your earlier videos with gearing. Thanks.
Beautiful video, love your choices, my new dream bike, thanks for sharing.
Thanks Ian!
This is such a cool build. I recently bought a CRF 300 Rally as a lightweight companion to my Tiger 900 and I’ve found I like it far better. I’ve also used the Honda to get my 30 year old son into riding
I’ve done the usual things to the Honda such as bars and exhaust but the skills required in this build are beyond mine. How can you find something as close to this KTM without building it yourself and what would you spend?
Thanks man!! Honestly, I think that CRF300 rally is a great off the floor version of this bike. Just find some ways to lighten it up a bit, send the suspension to my buddy Warren at EnduroSpec and squeeze some more power of it and you would have a sick bike! Other than that, you could do this build without doing the nomad fairing and for most circumstances it would be about the same if you were sticking to fire roads and off road. That is what I am doing now starting with a 2020 500 XCF-w. No front fairing this time. Cheers!!
Great build. I see you have a 690 in the background. Ex-lover or different bike altogether? I had a 690 a few years ago and now I'm looking to replace it with another or, get a 500. I need a moderate enduro/medium range tourer hybrid. I still have a 300 for serious dirt & 990 for adv & touring. The single thumper will be to go play in the dirt with my son or, go on short camping trips. Will also use it as longer distance event medic on bike too tame for 300 but too hectic for heavier 990.
Hey Sam, the 690 was my dad’s BDR bike, great bike and a lot smoother on road miles than the 500. The 500 is an awesome all around bike, but will definitely suffer on pavement especially in windy areas. Sometimes a little more weight goes a long way. In my perfect world my garage would be: 350xcf for racing, 500 for dual sporting and a 690 with a Lynx fairing for adventure travel. Hope that helps man!
Does the rally tower make it harder to see obstacles in the trails?
Not too bad, but you definitely get a little self conscious about it going throw bushes and trees and stuff. As long as you are standing most of the time you forget its there.
Wow. Awesome ride!
Thanks! Fun bike for sure
Great job. Nice bike👍
Thanks man!!
I plan on getting a KTM 500EXC-F soon, to use for going to local places and off roading but everyone seems to modify it alot and I am unsure i am able to keep up with all of that since I know little about bikes even though ive been riding for 16 years just never really got into it heavy
The GET ecu and Fastway end cap is all you need! Once installed they are super straight forward and the bike will run amazingly. Go to TacoMoto, their maps on the GET are awesome!
What a weapon🤤
Thanks!!
Great video and super detailed info on the build. Why did you decide to go with NOMAD-ADV vs other such as Rade/Garage or other?
At the time I liked the look of the Nomad the most, if I was to do it again I would pick something that can be easily removed to keep the single track capability of the bike. I actually really like the Brittania composite Lynx for that reason. Cheers!!
Thanks a lot! Yery much details! So you extend oild change now to 2000km? Whats about inside things like piston, etc.? Greetings
1000 miles/40 hours, but Only in ADV style riding.
what are your thoughts on attempting the same build with a 450 EXC?
Yeah man, go for it. They are really really close bikes.
Is that the standard or xl seat by seat concepts? Super awesome build by the way!
This one is the standard "Comfort" seat. It came with the bike and is a great middle of the road seat for both enduro and ADV... But if you have the spare change lying around, it would be cool to have both this seat and the Tall XL for long rides. Take care!
SourceADV Great thank you!
Absolutely fantastic! I'm looking to buy the Honda CRF300 but in reality money isn't an issue...for me it's all about street legal and weight, as I'll be hauling it on a truck camper. If you don't mind my asking...what was the total cost of this? The bike and all the mods. It's very impressive and if I buy this bike I'll almost certainly copy everything you did here. I hope you don't mind...but man, that thing is awesome!
Thanks Byron!! I got the bike used before the COVID price craziness, all in I was 14k with me doing all labor minus suspension mods. It’s an awesome bike, but not a single track bike after this. I’d look at the Lynx fairing if you want to still ride some single track. Cheers!!
@@SourceADV It won't be a single track bike. Mainly just to run into the nearest town for supplies after I set up my truck camper (more camping, less driving with the insane fuel prices) and also to cruise dirt/jeep roads during the day. I'll probably never spend more than an hour at a time on pavement with it. Lightweight is what I'm after...the Honda Rally is going to be about 50 pounds more. Great bike (it's a Honda, after all) but this is a contender. More than twice the price, but it's got twice the power and that 50 pounds makes a difference. If you were selling your bike I'd buy it immediately! You did a fine job...the detail is off the hook and I pretty much roll the same way.
Thanks, man! In that case, I would probably go with the Rade Garage ( www.radegarage.com/parts-us/ktm-exc-rally-us/) over the nomad, the nomad is noticeably heavy on the front of the bike. Otherwise, everything else is spot on! I actually sold this bike a while back and started working on a 2020 500XCF-w that I am racing in the enduro circuit here in AZ and then doing light adventure with. They are super capable bikes!
A fine looking unicorn. Where did you pick up the little ratchet, and do you like it?
Ares on Amazon, works great! I’m on the fence about it versus Rocky Mountains folding T handle (Tusk). Both great options and super inexpensive.
Great feature.....my current project on 2020. Couple of queries: Firstly source of the clutch cover for oil capacity? Nomad do one, is it the same or where did you source? Secondly, just like the idea of a key...... did you say it is the same key as the steering lock and how do you organise that? Planning to go down the same route but unfortunately no Sicass in the UK........ already opted for some Haan Cush drives $$$.....following! Thanks again
Hey Octane! Thank you for reaching out! The Clutch cover is the same as Nomad's, it is by a company called BestDualSportBikes here in Arizona, USA. Great product. RE: the KTM Key barrel, the Nomad key hole is too small and doesn't have a flat spot, so you have to use a dremel to carve it out and then you need to find the right size O-Ring or rubber washer or different nut for the ignition that keeps it from rattling around (the threads on the Factory KTM key are too deep). It's not that hard and better than carrying two keys in my opinion. Bummer on the Siccass in the UK, they make great stuff. Heck yeah on the Haan wheels, good stuff. Send some pics over when it's done. Cheers!
@@SourceADV thanks!
Have you ridden with reckless 40’strapped to your frame much? I’m curious if it melts your strap on exhaust side? It’s mm’s from touching it. I had to pay Moscow for another loop to replace bolt with a metal loop. 🤷🏼♂️
I haven’t had any issues, but am definitely really conscious to make sure there is no slack. Getting a metal loop is not a bad idea though!
@SourceADV How much difference does the fairing make on the road? Does it make cruising at 70mph more tolerable?
It makes a huge difference especially in windy conditions. Way less buffeting and wobbling left and right.
What are your thought on an adventure helmet/ dual sport helmet vs motocross helmet? I have a 2020 ktm 500 exc-f and will be doing the NEBDR and its time to replace my Arai Vx pro 3. Can’t decide if a dual sport helmet like the Arai XD-4 is the way to go or get another motocross helmet with goggles.
I always ride Adventure helmets on BDR’s and bring a set of goggles for dusty days (most still fit by just flipping the visor up). If it rains, you’ll be super happy that you have the ADV helmet. Just make sure to bring a microfiber cloth to clean the visor on ADV helmet. I still run a moto helmet when I am riding single track day trips, they are lighter and vent much better. Hope that helps!!
GREAT VIDEO ,BUT THE BIKE SEEMS TO BOUNCE AROUND A LOT ,GREETINGS FROM THE PHILIPPINES
Dude, I’m hammering on that thing, it just looks like that because tower is about 9 inches in front of the bike. On that rocky climb, those are 6-18 inch rocks, with 12-20 inch ledges, the GoPro always flattens things out. Considering that, I though the bike was doing awesome for something that can do adv too
That's a nice bike, but I'm pretty sure it cost a fortune to get it to that state :D.
It wasn’t too bad, but it was pre-COVID. Bike was bought used with 3 hours on it and then all the extras were about $5000. It was cheaper to build than the out the door price of a new bike today all in all
If you remove the fairing, what happens to the instrument panel?
Can it be put back with minimal effort, or does it have to run without it?
If you remove the fairing, the metal frame of the tower stays, it looks goofy but everything looks. If you want to remove everything you can too and reinstall the stock stuff, you can do that too it will just take a bunch of time. My guess would be about 4 hours on the first go.
Exactly the way I'm currently building my 500 but went with the rade/garage carbon tower instead (had a killer deal)! Btw, that charcoal canister was a b*tch to remove, damn
Awesome dude! Congrats on that find, those are awesome! Send some pics to Hello @ SourceADV.com -- Happy to do write up on it on the website too when you are ready. Dude.... I know right... It's like... Do I rotate the engine or hack at this thing with a dremel and get pelted with charcoal pellets for 3 hours.... For some reason I chose option B... hahhah Take can man, enjoy the ride! Subscribe to the channel I am finishing up editing the Nomad install video
Yeah the two main bolts that hold the tower to the frame pass through there.
COOL!
Thanks man!
awesome build. Is it for sale?
Thanks man! This bike sold mid COVID for around $15.5K, it was an awesome build though that’s for sure!
Great build! What blinkers did you install in the rear?
The whole rear tail is from Sicass.
can I send mine in to get this build out? I have a 2022.😄
I wish! I looked into building these out for people as a business, sadly the liability ends up being astronomical compared to what you can make as the business. So, maybe in a different world. Cheers!
Holy SMOKES man! How much money did this run you? Bike + $12,000? Wow…
No sir, got the bike used and all in was around $14.5 but did all the work myself, so if that was at minimum wage I’ve probably got $50k in it 😂😂 just kidding, probably about 45 hours to do all the mods.
Just finding this a year later after just getting a 2015 500 xc-w. Of all the mods what would you say was the most worth it?
The suspension for sure. I’m actually building a 2020 500 XCF-w right now that will be a do it all bike (single track, enduro racing and lightweight adv) and the first thing I changed was the suspension. It just makes the bike so much more capable and handle much better (assuming you did tires too). I will not be putting a rally tower on this new bike, just a tiny removable windscreen. The rally tower completely defeats the single track ability of the bike. Cheers!
Lovely build, well thought out. Looks really planted off road. Should be a pleasure to own. Just wish KTM would up the service intervals as this is often a deal breaker for longer distance adv touring
For sure, this is definitely for a BDR or TAT not for actual ADV touring.
A buddy and I have been collaborating on oil testing through Blackstone labs. The safe number is around 45 hours of adventure riding, maybe a little more. So 5 full days. Hence BDR bike
@Vee Vendetta nice! Sounds like fun!
You can up the oil capacity a bit.
KTM service intervals are for race conditions, so most of us do oil changes at 40-50 hours these days. Bring your own oil refill and that's 10 days of riding.. Lots of these going RTW now, so definitely not restricted to BDR's only.
I love everything about this build except the tower. I know it's packed with great features, but personally I find it hideous to look at, like some kind of E.T. head. Sorry, it's not the tower, it's me.
Haha, all good man! It doesn’t make sense unless you want to do 60 mph for long periods of time, then it’s epic… otherwise you are right, it’s just a giant nose on the front of the bike
Great bike! I'm starting my 500 EXC ADV build shortly and noticed you've got the 690/701 indicator/light/horn switch on there, is this plug and play or did you have to cut into the loom to make this compatible?
That was the stock switch that came on this year of bike, so I’m not sure. Are outside the US?
@@SourceADV Yes, UK. That makes sense then, the US models have different switches to the EU models then, thanks!
@davidkennedy4065 got it! Yeah different switches. Cheers!
on these bikes, shouldn't the piston be changed every 100 hours? if so it is impossible to make a long journey....
That’s only at race pace. ADV riding is actually pretty easy on the bikes as long as you are geared right. A buddy of mine has the same bike and gets his oil tested after long rides by Blackstone Laboratories and it sounds like the oil is fine for 40 hours or a little more too, so for 5 day BDR style trips it’s awesome.
@@SourceADV Could you give me the model and make of the clutch housing with larger oil capacity that you have installed on your motorcycle. I would like to buy the same as yours for my new FE501. Merci
Sure thing! Here you go: www.bestdualsportbikes.com/clutch-covers-clutch-weights
What tail tidy did you go with? Nice bike for sure!
Thanks! Sicass tail tidy
Love it
Thanks!!
Will you be able to make a rally tower like this for the hero xpulse 200 or the Royal Enfield Himalayan???
I don’t make towers, I just installed the Nomad ADV tower on this bike.
Inspiring build! I am looking to buy my first moto, 500 better than 350?
Thanks man! They are both pretty tame in stock condition, but as a first bike the 350 is probably a better choice. The 500 when it is uncorked definitely has a lot of power and can get you in trouble pretty quick if you're not used to it.
I have a 350. It's plenty fast up to 80 MPH
Awesome, why cant you buy bikes like this?
Honda got closer this year with their 300 Rally.. but it’s still really heavy and underpowered. It will be interesting to see as the adventure community picks up on lighter weight bikes if KTM ever pumps out a 500 twin cyclinder in the 690 frame with a little fairing and a stronger subframe... would be sick! Yamaha has a 500 twin from their snowmobiles they could use, but I just don’t think the market is there yet. Cheers!!
I do not understand why so many put large (heavy) fairings/ tower on such adv bikes, because in adv with such a bike one almost never rides above 110kmh/70mph, and no need for roadbook holder, tripmaster, etc in adv. Only a single nav.
There are lots of places on the BDR’s routes here in the states where 65+ miles an hour for 1-2 hours is common even on the dirt roads and the fairing helps a ton with the wind pounding your face. It does make the bike a dedicated ADV/Rally bike that’s for sure.
I think all of these builds just became obsolete thanks to the Kove 450 Rally that just came out . Brand new bike for $9K with 8 gallon tank fully dialed for this type of riding.
@@SourceADV About the Kove: I have absolutely no doubt it is a good ADV bike. Here in Europe, KTM parts are easily and durably available, and many mechanics who know them if needed. So many new, hype dirt bikes have been forgotten for ever, including from big manufacturers like BMW, Aprilia. So what about small KOVE? Also it is Chinese. I prefer to give labour to European factories (although KTM makes the 790 in China). And an EXC conversion back from adv to dirt bike is easy,
Yeah that makes sense in Europe for sure. Most dealers here don’t have good stock on bike parts anymore, you pretty much have to order most replacement parts no matter what from the big parts warehouses; Rocky Mountain ATV, AOMC, Motosport. So you carry common breakables with you for ADV riding or keep them in the truck for enduro riding.
I think it’s good that the Chinese companies are offering lower price point bikes to help more people get into the sport. I just hope they are reliable internally, all signs are pointing to yes on Kove.
Hey SourceADV, great video and awesome build man. I'm really torn between a build like this, or a medium sized Adv bike. Although touring is not my focus, I wanted to ask if you find long stretches of tarmac a drag on this, and if you were to do it again would you go this way or like a 790 R or Tenere 700? I know you love the bike and I'm sure it excels offroad, I'm asking from the perspective of a guy who can only have 1 bike but likes the concept of light and nimble so long as taking an hour long highway cruise isn't hell.
1 hour on the highway would get a bit uncomfortable. If you can only have one bike and like the dirt check out a new 690 Enduro with the rade garage fairing and their aux tank kit. It’s a really good balance of a bike that can do some real off road and is comfortable at 70 on the highway for longer periods of time with the fairing. The big twins are heavy no matter which way you cut it... but they will do fine on dirt roads. They get more squirrely on loose rock and sand. Hope that helps!!
@@SourceADV Thanks so much. Have fun out there.
I just sold my Tenere 700 after 10,000km. Too big and heavy for any real offroading.
@@SourceADV I second this. 690/701 is the perfect middle ground.
Agreed! Love that bike!
Dope bike perfect size weight power and capability. What kills it for me is the maintenance schedule.... Changing oil ever 500 miles and having to inspect valves ever 1000 miles does not work out for a long range adventure bike. Otherwise unicornnmnm
In ADV riding, everyone is saying 30-40 hours for the 500 on the oil changes. You only need to check the valves on KTM 450/500s once, they don’t move after that. My 350 race bike doesn’t even move either, I only check them when I do top ends on that bike at 120 hours
So taking this leap….what does this bike with all your mods cost?
Hey Gary, this bike had roughly 13-14K in it. I bought it used so that helped a lot.
@@SourceADV - So glad to see it’s not a Garage Queen!!
Build ‘em to ride ‘em!
It's perfect!!!! I'll take it
Thanks man! She’s a beauty
Honestly look at the Kove 450 rally, add the race ecu and exhaust. Everyone is loving those things and they are truly ready to go with a 300 mile range
do you buy this bike as this or built it by your own ?
Built it, check out the other videos. I’m still editing the nomad tower install. There is a lot of footage because it is a really lengthy install
How is this under 260lbs?
Dry weight is 234, it lost a few pounds here and there (exhaust, smog, etc) and all the new stuff is under 30 LB
The frequent oil changes would be too annoying for me.
They’ll go 30-40 hours in ADV style riding
Who installed the tower and what kind of money for all that if you don’t mind
Great bike I’m trying to decide either the 690 or that one
I installed it, took about 15 hours to do it right. I think the whole kit was like $900. If you ride street more than 40%, go 690. Cheers!
How is the vibration on a long ride?
Not bad to me honestly, on the road, I would say you notice the knobby tires more than the engine... But don't get me wrong, compared to the 1090 Adventure it vibrates and you feel the wind. This bike is definitely biased towards BDR's though which end up being roughly 60-70% dirt roads.
Did you order this through nomad directly or a distributor like cyclops?
Direct through Nomad, took about two months
@@SourceADV Thanks, they must be busy ATM with the current events to reply to emails then.
They are just kinda like that, it’s two guys. Typical lead time is 2-3 months
Hi...nice vid...a question regarding the sae connector for jump starting the bike with the portable battery pack...would the wires going to the battery be ok for this application?...ie wouldn't they melt due to the high load?
It blows the fuse if you try to use to to jump like jumper cables, but it you let it charge for a while slowly it works great.
@@SourceADV ok...so you mean you can't plug in the battery jumper pack and then try to start the bike?...so you are just charging the battery a little then disconnecting the battery jumper pack and then starting it up?...how long would you have to wait for it to charge before you can try to crank it?
Just a minute or so
The bike wouldn’t start well because of the cold and I drained the battery trying. It wasn’t dead dead just too low.
@@SourceADV oh ok...then you disconnect it and hit the start button...understood...thanks
What tires do you run ?
Most of the time, Goldentyre GT333 rear and GT216AA front. I think at this time it had the Tusk DSport tires, which are ok for doing a trip where you will have some pavement. Cheers!
Hi, Can You share the wires. schemat...how did You connect the headlight with the original light switch and extra switch to turn both low and high beam?
It’s a pre-wired quick harness that Nomad sells for the Dura lights. It has a couple of leads that just go to a toggle on the dash to choose one or both. It’s a very easy install because of the harness.
The bike looks outstanding - I love the mods. I am considering the Nomad tower for my Husky FE 350S, but am worried about adding too much weight to my bike. Can you tell me how much it weighs? Thanks for the video!
Thanks!! It’s almost 18 pounds extra. If you want to keep riding your bike on real off-road then look at the twalcom rally extreme or the moto minded headligh upgrade and clip on dash. Definitely a bit more versatile.
@@SourceADV Thank you!!!
do you do build outs like this for individuals ? if so how do i get in touch ?
Sadly no, looked into it, too much liability. Cheers
awesome to finally see someone to actually ride one of these super tricked out ADV bikes! Feels like most dudes just build dick extensions and take photos for social media.
😂😂😂
Really debating on nomad or Rade garage. Can’t decide 🤷🏼♂️ any suggestions?
Hey Curt, from what I can tell, they are both awesome. I don’t have any personal experience with the Rade, although I’m a sucker for carbon and their easy on/off design. The nomad is pretty well on there once you install it. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help man!
For what its worth Nomad ripped me off $250.00 and never sent me my product for my 690. E-mailed them multiple times with no response back. Gave them extra time considering the whole pandemic thing and nothing. Currently trying to get money back thru my bank but nothing yet.
Sir what's your helmet setup?
Also did you have the reckless 40 on the on and off road ride?
Helment is an old MSR adv helmet, I dont think they make them anymore. I did not have the reckless on the bike for the off road ride. I wear a backpack for day rides with very minimal tools.
awesome!
Thanks man!
Build specs?
Here, I put this together for you, let me know if its what you were looking for. docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1abqPiuNQFov56-UHwBnqPB3X7gXlE5M3EvzBg258G2Q/edit?usp=sharing
Is this bike for sale?
It’s already sold a while back, I’m working on a 2020 at the moment, that one will not be for sale. Sorry about that! Take care!
Can you tell us what gearing your running? Mine vibrates too much at 70mph.
Jeff, I’ll be honest, I cannot remember and don’t have this bike anymore. Did you try balancing your tires or is it engine vibration you are referring to?
@@SourceADV yes, wheels balanced. It’s the engine vibration through the seat and pegs anything over 65mph. Bike is smooth but a fine engine vibration bothers me. Thanks for the reply though.
@jeffmm1474 ah got it, honestly the XC Gear Mako360 handlebar mount is a game changer for hand vibration, they have pegs that go through rubber too. How long are you staying at 70?
@@SourceADV yep I have the 360s on my 300. I have vibration reducing bar mounts. It’s mainly the seat and pegs. Will try the rubber peg mounts. I’m usually not running 70 more than 5 mins. Would like to go farther but vibes stopping me from that. Will try a 45 rear to reduce the revs or a 15 front. I love the 500 for everything except 65+ mph. Not what it’s made for I know but can always dream of that unicorn. 😀
@@jeffmm1474 Try the 15 front man, at least you wont have to mess with chain length. It will probably kill technical singletrack riding sadly. No real unicorns out there... all though the Kove 450 Rally has definitely caught my eye!
Love it. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
👍🏻👍🏻🤙🏻
How heavy is the nomad tower?
All said and done it adds about 10-12 Lbs to the bike, so not exactly light. I actually really liked the Lynx fairing we had on my Dads 690 because it was light and didn’t mess with the ability to ride the bike on single track as much, but still served almost the same functionality. Cheers!
Where's the store ?
Howdy! Which store?
Oh man! I wish, no time for that at the moment, just Amazon affiliate at SourceADV.com - send your address through the contact form though and I’ll shoot you some stickers if you’d like. 🤘🏻🤘🏻
6:40
Did you have a question about the tank?