So who are the Adv riders here?

I have a garage full of KTM's. I feel like they are all happiest when they are being ridden hard. If you want to push a bike, I highly recommend them. If you want to have that feeling of adventure and exploring, where the landscape is the goal instead of the sensation of exploring your limits, there are many better bikes. I had an XT250 and a Tiger 800 for short periods of time. They were great bikes that encouraged me to explore random terrain even just on my commute. My impression of the KLR is directly in the middle of those two.

 

Whew! Dude didn’t even have his helmet strapped. Good way to get life flighted.

 

100% Self Inflicted...

 

Could have just popped his left pannier off and made it thru.
Worth the walk back to carry the pannier

 

ADV influencers dont do shit like that. That's a pussy move.

 

Dave Wolfe, I would suggest a DR 350 as a lighter, more dirt capable bike than a KLR.
6 speed gives it 65 mph capability

 

I just want to see how that got that big bastard back up the hill.I've ridden regular dirt bikes off into areas with groups that's taken hrs to get back out.That was a good fall

 

Ya think?

 

Well then then manly men can show their strength somehow pulling that thing back up.

 

How does it compare to the DR650? I've always kind of thought the DR's were about the same weight, but I haven't really looked into it.

For the Japanese 650cc bike's I've always thought they were the following:
more dirt capability -> more road capability
XR650L -> DR650 -> KLR650

 

I'd bet money it is Still there...at the bottom where it stopped.

 

That may be for the 650s, but the Honda is a phenomenal pig off road. Doesn't really leave much to say about the others, does it?

I think anyone wanting a smaller, dirt-worthy, ADV ride would be well served by looking for a WR450. Some categories of ride have only one participant and no others can compete with it. The WR serves multiple categories equally well.
Name any other bike that bests a WR in all of these categories - highway, city, asphalt track, dirt track, MX/SX track, desert - pretty much anywhere and everywhere. Can't be done. Yamaha is King in the dirt when street legality and streetable characteristics are a question.

 

Maybe. It did self-disassemble, tho'.
Perhaps the surviving individual parts hiked their way back to some DIY-ers garage?

 

What about the KTM 690 Enduro R

 

that's an oddly certain statement. For street legal dirtbikes, the common choice is the KTM500. I'm not going to say it's leagues better than a WR, but you can't deny it's capabilities.

 

They are significantly heavier than true dual sports.

KTM690 first result on google shows 322lbs
2021 ktm 500 xcfw = 235 lbs

 

The old DR650 is a beast, they tamed it for later years, and added electric start but it's still a PIG . Perfect bike for blasting down dirt roads, singletrack is not so great on it.

 

2012 to 2016 KTM 500XC W is a damn near bullet proof platform. Only weak point for true ADV use will be the weak MX subframe, beef that up for luggage.

 

Um, yeah, I should have included the qualifying "Japanese" argument when I mentioned 650s.

As far as KTMs, don't care. I ride in the contiguous US. If I were in Europe, or any other part of the world other than the US, maybe a KTM. There are 2.5x as many Yamaha dealers here vs KTM. For me, that means there isn't a KTM dealer inside of an hour's drive while the Yamaha dealer is a 4 minute drive. Honda is a ten minute drive, Kawasaki and Suzuki are a 12 minute drive, I've even got a Beta dealer only 21 minutes away. KTM? I can't ever see having any affinity for any brand that I'll have to travel an hour and ten minutes just to get to their door...and then return afterwards? Not happenin'.
If you have KTM near you, obviously, YMMV.

 

There are 17 KTM dealerships within 120 miles of “central pa”. It is a common motorcycle with an extensive dealer network. I think Yamaha makes a great bike too and am happy to objectively discuss the merits of both.