I can totally appreciate the light weight and nipple handling of the 501 (have an EXC450 myself) but you must miss the awesome sound of the 701 !? The 501 sounds like a lawn mower in this movie :-D Happy riding ;-)
I had my 2017 701 Enduro for half a year. I now have a 2018 450 exc six days. I won't be missing the 701 that much. Such a hard bike to place in the market. You need friends who do true dual sport riding of which I have none. My friends either ride gnarly single track or street. I'd say have a small bike like a exc / fe and get a africa twin or 1090 for the other stuff.
Well said Mike ! By myself on the 701 I was totally content - just had to be careful about the bike limitations...... When riding with a bunch of guys on EXC 250 - 500's and 501's I felt like saying and I did..... look at me I'm keeping up ! I could run with anybody unless it got too rough, too tight or too steep downhill. If I had more time I"d maybe get another 701 or even a 1290R just to fill that void. You're point about other people to ride dual sport with is well understood !
How you go on the tarmac at speeds above 50 miles a hour? My bikes front end bounces like crazy. I tried a couple of different spoke weights but with no luck. Might have to get a shop to balance it or buy a balance stand.
Ha ! That's why I hadn't been over 75ish 'cause it was so unbalanced. The Tubliss system still puts the rim lock and inner tube valve stem in the same place but mine didn't have any wheel weights at all when new so I needed like 4 oz added directly across from the rim lock. Harbor Freight sells a static wheel balancer for like $20. They work fine. I have about 6 through the spoke weight cones on mine - they might show in the video right at the very end.
May i ask what your requirement of the 49 tooth is for? I’m looking hard at one of these or the 701 and have to decide if it will be more off road or on road. Thanks!
I've got a lot of loose steep(ish) single track trails that I don't want to have to rev the bike to get to the next gear. I also don't want to have to slip the clutch at stupid slow speeds picking my way through rocks. The lower gear tightens up the gear box on the first three gears and allows super smooth acceleration in 2nd and 3rd gears while on single track. Just easier to ride - more controlled.
The 701 can pretty much go anywhere the 501 can go - under good conditions. Downhill in mud or snow is sheer terror on the 701. 701 can handle any single track - but you'll have to slow down if it starts getting too rough or too (big) rocky). The 701 totally rocks on the road - small crappy backgrounds that are rough with potholes - smooth as silk and stupid fast speeds with cornering confidence are very real. Fire roads and gravel the 701 is hands down winner - its no dirt bike in the conventional sense though
Tons more ground clearance but for all practical purposes it feels like the same height - before I lowered the 701. The 701 performed a lot better when lowered 1" in the rear.
Hi Clark :) Do you feel much difference in weight over 701? What about power? In the end of the ride do you feel like ahh this is what i want or you miss the 701?
The weight difference at slow speed, off camber or obstacle laden terrain is actually quite huge. The 701 in tricky terrain was all about focus, line selection and the discipline to be content with a controlled ride. For example, that uphill in the middle of the video...... I've been up it on the 701 and I had to maintain steady constant speed in first gear. If I were to "attack" the hill the back end would break loose for sure and if my weight were off-centered the ass end would start to come around. With that much weight inertia moving sideways there's no stopping it. The second thing, with all that weight...... no such thing as a foot dab to catch the bike from falling. Thirdly, off camber terrain, a low spot where you happened to stop.... once the 701 exceeds a small angle off center and you're not really ready for it - you'll fall over.... the bike has a really tall center of gravity so once that weight starts to shift you've got your hands full. At speed the 701 was rock stable. Stopping the 701 needed a lot more room and concentration to keep it managed. As I mentioned, on the road the 501 feels under powered. Not from leaving a stop light but a quick roll on to pass a car at 63-68 mph without downshifting feels like any sedan on the road - well not my V12's but you get the idea......The 701 made me feel like I wanted to go Ninja hunting and bury the sport bikes in my mirrors - no chance of that happening on the 501. More compromises ! The 701 kicks butt on asphalt, really crappy hard roads or smooth hard packed roads - if there's traction. The 501 is a legitimate hard core dirt bike. I'm happier giving up some asphalt badassness for real dirt bike capabilities - at least for now !
Crazy to think you spend $10,000 on the bike, then sink another $2,500 to get it right.......I have the 450fe. I'm thinking about getting the 701 as a scouting bike, then use my 450fe to hit it hard. The gear box is too close 1-3 is almost the same.
Must like the frequent oil change, service intervals are measured in hours of running time
I can totally appreciate the light weight and nipple handling of the 501 (have an EXC450 myself) but you must miss the awesome sound of the 701 !? The 501 sounds like a lawn mower in this movie :-D Happy riding ;-)
Ya, they're choked off pretty good. Vortex ECU and an FMF took care of that...... 501 even heavy in the woods - got a 300RR Beta to supplement.
I had my 2017 701 Enduro for half a year. I now have a 2018 450 exc six days. I won't be missing the 701 that much. Such a hard bike to place in the market. You need friends who do true dual sport riding of which I have none. My friends either ride gnarly single track or street. I'd say have a small bike like a exc / fe and get a africa twin or 1090 for the other stuff.
Well said Mike ! By myself on the 701 I was totally content - just had to be careful about the bike limitations...... When riding with a bunch of guys on EXC 250 - 500's and 501's I felt like saying and I did..... look at me I'm keeping up ! I could run with anybody unless it got too rough, too tight or too steep downhill. If I had more time I"d maybe get another 701 or even a 1290R just to fill that void. You're point about other people to ride dual sport with is well understood !
How you go on the tarmac at speeds above 50 miles a hour? My bikes front end bounces like crazy. I tried a couple of different spoke weights but with no luck. Might have to get a shop to balance it or buy a balance stand.
Ha ! That's why I hadn't been over 75ish 'cause it was so unbalanced. The Tubliss system still puts the rim lock and inner tube valve stem in the same place but mine didn't have any wheel weights at all when new so I needed like 4 oz added directly across from the rim lock. Harbor Freight sells a static wheel balancer for like $20. They work fine. I have about 6 through the spoke weight cones on mine - they might show in the video right at the very end.
May i ask what your requirement of the 49 tooth is for? I’m looking hard at one of these or the 701 and have to decide if it will be more off road or on road. Thanks!
I've got a lot of loose steep(ish) single track trails that I don't want to have to rev the bike to get to the next gear. I also don't want to have to slip the clutch at stupid slow speeds picking my way through rocks. The lower gear tightens up the gear box on the first three gears and allows super smooth acceleration in 2nd and 3rd gears while on single track. Just easier to ride - more controlled.
Clark Rupp thanks for answering! Makes total sense. Hoping to decide on the 701 or 501 soon hopefully.
The 701 can pretty much go anywhere the 501 can go - under good conditions. Downhill in mud or snow is sheer terror on the 701. 701 can handle any single track - but you'll have to slow down if it starts getting too rough or too (big) rocky). The 701 totally rocks on the road - small crappy backgrounds that are rough with potholes - smooth as silk and stupid fast speeds with cornering confidence are very real. Fire roads and gravel the 701 is hands down winner - its no dirt bike in the conventional sense though
Clark Rupp that really helps. We don’t have anything too crazy here in San Diego where i ride so I’m leaving 701 so far...
Does it sit taller than the 701?
Tons more ground clearance but for all practical purposes it feels like the same height - before I lowered the 701. The 701 performed a lot better when lowered 1" in the rear.
for the power there are a whole stack of things you can do, that are cheap to do.
Hi Clark :)
Do you feel much difference in weight over 701?
What about power?
In the end of the ride do you feel like ahh this is what i want or you miss the 701?
The weight difference at slow speed, off camber or obstacle laden terrain is actually quite huge. The 701 in tricky terrain was all about focus, line selection and the discipline to be content with a controlled ride. For example, that uphill in the middle of the video...... I've been up it on the 701 and I had to maintain steady constant speed in first gear. If I were to "attack" the hill the back end would break loose for sure and if my weight were off-centered the ass end would start to come around. With that much weight inertia moving sideways there's no stopping it. The second thing, with all that weight...... no such thing as a foot dab to catch the bike from falling. Thirdly, off camber terrain, a low spot where you happened to stop.... once the 701 exceeds a small angle off center and you're not really ready for it - you'll fall over.... the bike has a really tall center of gravity so once that weight starts to shift you've got your hands full. At speed the 701 was rock stable. Stopping the 701 needed a lot more room and concentration to keep it managed. As I mentioned, on the road the 501 feels under powered. Not from leaving a stop light but a quick roll on to pass a car at 63-68 mph without downshifting feels like any sedan on the road - well not my V12's but you get the idea......The 701 made me feel like I wanted to go Ninja hunting and bury the sport bikes in my mirrors - no chance of that happening on the 501. More compromises ! The 701 kicks butt on asphalt, really crappy hard roads or smooth hard packed roads - if there's traction. The 501 is a legitimate hard core dirt bike. I'm happier giving up some asphalt badassness for real dirt bike capabilities - at least for now !
Crazy to think you spend $10,000 on the bike, then sink another $2,500 to get it right.......I have the 450fe. I'm thinking about getting the 701 as a scouting bike, then use my 450fe to hit it hard. The gear box is too close 1-3 is almost the same.
disgusting exhaust sound
must change to WINGS
Fastest lawn mower on the block !
This is 501 🤦♂️