This was pretty amazing to watch. I’m an old man n00b at off road stuff and 80% of what you tackled was a huge NOPE for me, so huge respect to you. Anyway, I have experience in other “endurance” sports, and one thing that struck me while watching is that you were obviously getting very tired, and that really affects everything, as you know. You cleared that one hill mid-video, but damn, you’d had to pick up your bike twice, you’re handlebar-wrestling the rocks, etc. I think once you get that tired, everything suffers: your line choices, your ability to recover from getting bounced off your well-chosen line, modulation of your controls, confidence, everything. It was tough to watch, because I’ve been there, and as a n00b on MUCH easier stuff. Thanks for sharing your struggles. It does help me understand that a lot of this stuff is just pure will. I ride a DRZ as my “light” bike. have a riding buddy that’s considering selling his 701 and while it’s not per-se lighter than my DRZ it is still very tempting!
Cheers man. You’re right about the level of fatigue. Muscling this bike around really takes it out of you but it’s a lot of fun too. Still on the fence about what bike to go for and add to the garage, I keep going back and forth in my head on a fully fledged enduro bike or something like the 701. I’d probably snap up a 701 if someone I knew was selling one and I knew it to be a good one and a good price.
If you carry more speed through the shitty stuff you`ll be surprised how much better the bike reacts and responds to rider inputs. Attack it ! Other wise the mental game takes over and you lose confidence and stiffen up.
I definitely don't disagree. The problem is trying to keep momentum in these conditions, you lose it so easily and it's incredibly difficult to get it back again. Hopefully new rubber helps
I've gotten this bike up to the top of that mountain before and I will do it again. Nothing to do with Mr Tarres. It's about getting a big bike to places it shouldn't be. It's great fun and incredibly rewarding. Sometimes though like in this video, it's more heartache, but that's life, I wasn't feeling it that day is all. I'll get a lighter bike for sure, there's so much I wouldn't try on the T7 that I want to do, I also want to get into some enduro events. But the T7 is more then capable of this stuff. I just wasn't on this occasion
@@DeadEnduro Ye definitely not something I want to encounter. It’s why I don’t even bother trying to save it when I know it’s going I let it go and jump off 😂 I think you might be right with the 701 though. I’m going to start looking for road registered 501s and keep looking for a WR 450 too. Just need to be patient until the right thing comes along
man i hate those days. where normally you have no issues but just for some reason this one day was nothing but a struggle..lol.. it happens. great video and content!!
Thank you. Sometimes you really do just need to call it a day and accept that your mind or body or both just aren’t in it. It was still a good day though and lots of learnings came from it
Might just have been a combo of the wet, a heavy bike, and wrong tyres then your head gets angry because you're not where you or the bike want to be. Whatever, really appreciate you posting this, I got a lot out of it. It's the slack part of adventure riding, unavoidable at a times too. This is why the lord made whisky.
Absolutely. Everyone has a bad day, putting this spin down to one of those. We can blame everything we like, won’t change it 😂 It was still a fun ride, got a good workout that’s for sure.
Great effort. It was probably just one of those days! Although I did think that the tracks you picked looked very difficult. My Tenere arrived last week and at 64 when I get out on the tracks I'm sure I will have a few of those days. It was good to see that not everyone rides around like Chris Birch and I mean that in a real positive way. Well done again!
Thank you. The marketing hype created by the likes of Pol Tarres and Chris Birch is just that, even those guys know what the best tool for the job is. Just look at Pol Tarres Instagram now as he races the Hellas Rally on a T7. He openly states he can't keep up with the guys on 450s. All that said though, the T7 is incredible and a lot of fun. You just need to remember what it is and embrace it. I could sometimes do with reminding myself of that fact 😂
I really appreciate your honesty! I hope you can fight your fear and/or any doubts that are probably planted in your mind now. I'm sure you will improve your riding skills and regain self-confidence. Respect!
Awesome video and thanks for sharing your trials and tribulations w the T-7. I feel your pain sometimes, but I feel that days like these makes you a better rider. Thanks again for sharing!
I can relate with these feelings. I have the T7 and I feel that it is not the right bike to push through difficult terrain. It is heavy. Because of that it needs speed. See how Pol Tarres is ripping it? I won’t speed when the terrain is tough because I lack the confidence. Then it is harder to control and when I drop it is a pain to lift it back up. But where I live there is no off-road around in a radius of 150km and taking the highway is the only way. I don’t want to travel on the highway on a 300/350 single cylinder bike. So I guess I have to accept that I’ll be taking my T7 on gravel, hard dirt (avoid wet) and generally not too lose ground.
i ride new AT and its BLAST off road. Soft sand? Lovely, even on 90/10 tires. But won't do mud/wet stuff on her. Not using aggresive enough tires, because most of my riding is on road and pretty aggresive at that. Ill take such little compromise anyday. My days of beating bikes in mud and water up to knees are over anyway. Now I enjoy blasting on gravel 120+ and powersliding the most 😁😁
I know the feeling. It's always a compromise. I am so lucky that I have moved to an amazing location for my mountain biking and motorbiking hobbies. The location here is about 30 mins from me and another regular stomping ground is about 10 - 15 mins. So I could get a small bike although I'm eyeing the 701 (lot's would say still not light). That said though I will commute once or twice a week to my new job on the bike so I need to think of that now. I also absolutely adore my T7 and I don't really want to sell it. Hard to know what to do
@@Angry-Lynx good point about the tires. Same logic applies there. I’m having the mitas e07 right now, which are better off road than the stock but far from confidence boosters on difficult terrain. I hesitate to go with more off-road tires because of the amount of riding I do on tarmac and wet tarmac in particular.
@@Kevrek i had e07. Its 'last resort' in terms of offroad. It have lugs to get you out of soft sand and even mud, but forget about any confidence or sideway traction in anything more than gravel, definitely. Main point of that tire is to last long, imo its (road)80/20 tire not 50/50 despite relatively aggressive looking tread
@@Kevrek difficult offroad riding far from home is definitely the most challenging situation for tire selection. You jave to decide whats more important to you. Based on your description id take only full knobbies and accept that youll change tires twice a season or ride very conservative onroad. Rear mitas e09 eg can last you really well (9k km)if you respect it. Front mt21 perform extremely well and is safe on road. Dont know how long itll last because i ride only 1k km on it but not much wear that i can see, so looks pretty good. With knobbies avoiding aggressive braking and acceleration make huge difference for their longevity. Also avoid riding over 90kmh.
@@willers_sr71 No worries. It’s a decent vest but I find it a bit crap when the arms are on my Dakar jacket. Feels very restrictive. So bear that in mind
Brilliant , I'm having the same dilemma with an ADV bike I love and take off road (but keep dropping) and looking at the 701/690 as a potential stable mate. So annoying when you aren't riding your best and it all goes downhill, but equally enthralling when it goes right !
Ye big time. A mate has a 690 so I might try take it for spin some time. But I'm so on the fence on a lot of bikes. Looking at a 450 exc-f 6 days recently. That's tempting too
Would have thought a 701 was a replacement rather than a stable mate, still a heavy pig so you wouldn't be gaining much, stable mate would be an enduro. Read another guys comment that he went from a 701 to a T7 and will never go back, far better on road and can go pretty much anywhere the 701 could. Have seen plenty of videos of guys buying a 200+ kg ADV bike and being shocked it doesn't handle like a 100 kg 2 stroke off road, to many have bought into the marketing hype and watched Pol Tarras ride. I love my T7 but use it as an ADV and expect it to be a pig when the going gets really tough.
Great video. The struggle is real man! I ride my T7 in similar rocky conditions and it can be frightening when things get going the wrong way. I bought a KTM 300 XC for the knarly stuff and will use the T7 for more scouting missions and leave the knar to the dirt bike.
I’ve watched all of your videos. This is the best one so far! Warts and all, when shit just ain’t going your way, when your having one of those days……This is reality! No polished, edited, glossy best of…..I’ve read the rest of the comments telling you to change tyres, change bike…bollocks. Riding a T7 in those conditions if difficult, it’s a heavy bike, that’s the reward when you have good days! You’re out there getting in to it, nothing but respect. Keep the T7, keep plugging away. Great video. 👊
Don't beat yourself up ,,, this is the stuff many of us learnt our craft on , overtime you will change your riding position ,speed and learn to read the track , got to start somewhere and get the experience ,, the Tenere is a great bike but hard to learn on ,most of us started on small low ,light machines , your doing fine , I can only say I remember the flying W's ,eating dirt ,being spat off the back, spinning out ,flipping the bike , 40 years later they are vivid memoriesI laugh at and glad I have . keep going my friend we all have low ebbs.
I love that you didn't cuss, ok you may have beeped out one or two but I know many who would have lost it. That reminds me of a ride or two of mine. I have to remember to take a break, eat a power bar, catch my breath because I just want to go and conquer it.
You’ve hit all that stuff successfully before. Days like this just come along now and then when nothing syncs and it all feels off. Id say 90% of the fails that day were related to the grey matter! Its a slippery slope once you start loosing confidence. Just back on the horse the next day 💪
also this tire set may not be aggresive enough for soft and wet stuff. Try pirelli MT21 up front if that stuff doesn't grip nothing will :) rear: MT21 for max traction or something more long lasting: motoz rallz, mitas e09, mitas mc23, dunlop d606
I have a set of Mitas e12 and e13 respectively that are on the way. Hopefully they're a far superior tyre. I used to swear by the Motoz Tractionator Adv which is on the bike here. But noticed on the road home if I accelerated hard like to overtake the rubber was actually spinning for a couple of seconds, rev limiter shot up but no increase in speed. Perhaps the tyre is just shot but there's loads of thread left
Having had both, the biggest difference is the 690/701 is lighter, and taller. The 701 likes to be ridden fast, the T7 is great at tractoring through technical stuff. I like the T7 far more for off road.
I’m with Simon on this. I think the ideal is the T7 for road trips and some off road and a light bike for that greasy crap. I have a 500 Excf and do drop it sometimes but I can can pick it up with one hand. I would be a bit older so not interested in working that hard. I like the 701 but it wouldn’t be light enough for me. T7 and 501 makes sense
Ye I love the idea of the 501 too. The only thing that puts me off is the keyless start. Where I live I don’t have the luxury of a garage or anything and bike theft is very very high at the minute. So just need to keep that in consideration. 701 is very tempting because it still has the legs for road work but 60-70kg lighter then the T7. I think it could be a perfect compromise
Remember to factor Winter Riding into your decision as well. I like to ride through the winter if possible and take the big bike for that when it gets too cold for the KTM.
@@DonnieP432 Ye that’s very true. I ride all year round also, and it’s definitely something to consider. My mate has an XR he sometimes brings out, I remember for the snow spin we were on he was frozen solid. Well we both were, but he was definitely worse off. 1hr commute home soaked in the snow 😂
if you hungry and/or tired you go into comfort mode and stop balancing properly. At least thats my experience. Then you feel very inconfident and start dropping bike. Shits getting annoying instead of fun, and thats when i know its time to head home on road, and/or take lunch break. Also maybe a little too high tire pressures? On such stuff id air down even to 1.2bar for max traction
Let's be honest, unless you've got a lot of upper body strength and the necessary off road riding skills, the T7 is going to be a real handful. I rode trials and enduro for years and still find it a beast to handle. I'm also seriously considering a KTM 690; the only thing holding me back is the long distance touring issue.
The wise thing when you are tired is to make a u-turn specially with an heavy bike which is far more difficult to raise than an Enduro. Furthermore, to drive alone is not a good idea as you can very easily break the bike and your bones and get stranded in the wild. As good as you can be normally, when you are exhausted you can only be a bad driver. This video shows it clearly as he is falling more on the last part. Last but not least, many people are forgetting that they need to be in a good shape to return safely. There is no point to go to a place and not be able to come back because out of it. Better take some precautions as simple as advising friends where you go and when you should come back. He showed still some common sense by turning back before the top, This is a good video as it shows common mistakes and doesn't hide anything. He is now a better driver as he learnt something.
Amazing how much effort and concentration can be required just to get thru a few feet. That is the challenge of riding of road and you just showed in this vid. I have a full day planned firday. Cant wait.
Your doing great. Drop the tyre pressures off road from what you run on the road and when you get stopped on an up hill get more weight over the back tyre to get going again and then stand up ASAP but keep your weight back when up hill. Liking the videos man. Eric.
do you wear pads when you ride? If not, you might consider it. They give you a little confidence that you wont wreck yourself in a fall, which makes maintaining speed and momentum seem like a less perilous proposition. Cool ride dude👍
I went from the T7 Rally to a GasGas ES700 Enduro. It's light and day difference off road and the power delivery on the road is exciting, where I found the T7 boring and heavy, however the ES700 it' still a 150kg bike when it's on its side. I now have a GasGas EC250F aswell which I use for technical Enduro and I've got the ES700 which I ride the TET. I don't miss the T7 at all.
Glad to hear you made the right decision for yourself and you don't regret anything. I think I'm going to hang on to the T7 simply because I really really love it and I know I'd regret the sale. So I'll hang on to it and in the meantime save for a cheap light bike. Looking at a 450 presently, who knows 🤔
Try doing that stuff in second gear, the T7 has a lot of low end power and it will be less jerky like that. And sometimes slower is harder , the bike wants to move forward (physics) don’t fight it too much, the rest is practice. I do also wonder wtf am I doing in tracks like this with a T7 and if I should get a lighter bike 😂
I'm not convinced the T7 is the best bike for this type of terrain. Even if you've ridden it before and it went OK, if you end up throwing the bike down and getting really frustrated with it because it's tiring you out, I'd suggest a smaller lighter bike would be much more rewarding, especially when the conditions are shittier than usual. You know this already, so it comes down to the compromise of riding a heavy adv bike, compared with a more dedicated enduro. Depends if you're do more street miles and touring or more trails and off road. If the latter, I'd get a KTM EXC or a Beta Xtrainer and learn to live with the less enjoyable road riding
The only thing holding the T7 back is me to be honest. The bike is more then capable. That said, I'll continue to work and improve but I'll also get a lighter bike to abuse too. Best of both worlds
Delicate balance especially on this bike. If memory serves I was running 18psi here. Hard to go lower and just be in dangerous pinch flat territory. I changed out these tyres to Mitas e12 and e13 respectively and it was a night and day difference
I doubt it but in saying that I’ve never tried it on this bike. Depending how good the TC is it would probably just reduce power too much on this loose terrain to get up the hill
Everyone commenting this bike isn't suited to this terrain or is too heavy clearly haven't watched Pol Tarres race this thing in enduro comps. It's perfect for this terrain, but you HAVE to ride it like a smaller bike. Unfortunately on this terrain you have to give it the beans and get that tyre spinning. A) it'll give you enough gyro effect to keep the bike upright B) you're clearing out that tread allowing the next bit to bite. If you try to baby it up the inclines, as soon as you lose speed or traction you're dropping it. You can't be afraid to drop this bike or get a scratch here and there. Give it the welly it was built for!
It takes me an hour off road to get loose. But sometimes I never feel confident. So I go home and then the next ride is a blast. I hate looking forward to riding and then it’s a bad day. It sucks
Way to GUT it out! So few people actually pist the real shit they get into.. good on you for proving... shit does happen, and it's not always glamorous 👍🏻
The 701 is great but you would enjoy a 450 or 501 husky better on the trails. The tenere is better on the road then the 701 with better fuel range so keep the tenere as your dirt travel bike. I think I just saw you bought a 350.
I have a 701 LR... it's lighter than a t700 by a fair amount...but I find it a bit of a handful on challenging single track, or on steep rocky 4x4 tracks. I'm planning on getting a Beta 350 RR S for that type of riding...it should also be able to handle some very lightly loaded adventure touring
If you're thinking too much in it, go for it. I won't do it because in the summer me and wife sometimes go for a ride, and it will be very painful with a 701. But anyway I think I'm going to trade for a 790 2023, I'm getting tired of the top heavy weight of the T7 .
I think you should go old school and get a dr650. A quarter of the price, near same power, 100lbs lighter! There so cheap on the used market, you can find an already modded and upgraded one for 3-4k$. You can afford to have both the T7, and Dr.
Ye that's a fair recommendation. The DR doesn't really do anything for me though. But who knows, couple of months time god knows what I'll end up with.
I think the tenere is well suited for what you're doing on it. I liked the question, should you get the 701 to go along side of T7!. YEP!! 😂 or get a smaller dual sport like a 500 exc-f
I fully agree.. one of the best bikes out there, but it is too damn heavy... Great video, it shows the real struggle. I don't like the 701, it is too aggressive. try to look for ktm 500, or excf 250 /husky fe 250.
completely different class. Dont compare tiny enduro to adv bikes. Adv bikes do so much more than enduro. And are so much more fun ; Try doing 150+ on gravel 'highways' all day and then get back home on roads blasting through corners like sport bike in full comfort with awesome wind protection and heated grips :D And possibly even doing groceries by the way lol ;
@@Angry-Lynx unless the majority of your riding is enduro type trails….being a T7 owner myself, I don’t want to be picking that thing up off the ground at all…she’s a heavy girl. I love my tenere, but if I was doing a majority of serious technical riding, I’d have a KTM or Beta in my garage as well if at all possible. I’ve been wanting the Beta 430 RR-S for awhile now. I’m trying to justify having another bike. It would be perfect for rides starting no further than 50 road miles from home, any further than that and I’d probably want to trailer it there.
@@DirtbikeXpeditions if you ride mostly enduro then theres no even point in even discussing T7. Its adv bike. Obviously enduro bike will be better at enduro. T7 will be much better at everything else. T7 is lightweight adventure bike. You cant grade something by completely other class. And since your riding only enduro what are you even doing here... Its T7 video so obviously about adventure riding
its definitely not the best choice of bike for that type of riding, i would pick my CRF over my Tenere for those trails. However, it does single you out as one of the very few people using the Tenere on challenging trails which has to mean something. To the question at hand though, if you are going to have one bike then i would go for the 701 as it will do everything, although it will still be a compromise. If compromising is out of the question i would keep the Tenere and add a 501 so you can always pick the right bike for the ride.
Ye in a perfect world I’d have 2 bikes alright. 501 is tempting but the keyless start is the issue. I don’t have a garage or anything so need to put that into consideration with any bike I purchase. I’d love a 701 & the T7 for the simple reason I love the T7 so much and don’t want to part with it. But then I wonder if the bikes are just too similar and would it be a waste of money. Hard decision, if I didn’t love the T7 so much I’d just trade it like I have other bikes in the past
@@motorbikediaries think the 701 will be very different especially as its around 150kg, it will be a much better off road bike, but no so good for long trips or loading it up. its a popular TET bike. i guess it depends if you enjoy the challenge of riding a bigger bike or prefer the fun of something much easier to handle. these days i prefer taking adventure bikes where other people are riding enduro bikes, i cant ride as quick but like to make it harder as the trails here are all pretty bland and riding them on an enduro bike just wasnt a challenge.
@@Simon-df2ku Ye that’s what I’m hoping for, that it will be totally different. Give me confidence in the much trickier stuff but still have the legs for a decent spin if needed. It’s very satisfying bringing a big bike where it has no place. Sometimes though it can be frustrating trying to get there like in this video. I think my rear tyre is basically shot though, on a spin home yesterday the rubber was actually sliding under acceleration even on the road, definitely not a good sign. Can’t wait to get the Mitas I ordered on and head out for more. Anyway, I hope that later in the year one way or another I’ll have a second, lighter bike for the trickier stuff or just simply for when I’m out alone and want to try new things. Not sure I’m ready to part with the T7 so I’ll save up for a second bike I reckon
If I was wanting to do pretty much all that type of terrain but had 100km of road to get there I'd simply trailer a lighter enduro bike their then go have fun. ADV's were really designed to strap 30 kg of gear on and go exploring for multi day adventures, some road some offroad. That's why I have a T7 and a KLX450, if you can only have one bike then you just have to accept it's going to disappoint in some areas.
T7 is the only modern bike without electronics that cause problems my last few modern bikes gave a lot of electronic problems only for riding on sunny days which doesn’t work for me
Ye that certainly wouldn't work for me either. The T7 ticks so many boxes, it's just very heavy. But I absolutely adore mine, I'll be keeping it and buying something else to sit alongside it.
Could feel the frustration in this one. But I think it was a combination of difficult to ride surface, as in it was all wet and soggy or just loose gravely stuff, and a lack of confidence to ride as aggressive as needed plus you got real tired and it was no fun in the end. I mean you see the same thing in people trying on like riding in sand dunes and they fall and get stuck and it's all together just a horrible experience, while the big boys they just go full throttle having the confidence, and of course to some extent a better technical ability to handle it, to just blast through all that stuff. Now having said that I'm certainly no Pol Tarres and my first go at a really step hill filled with mush was terrifying but luckily it didn't get the best of me that time. Could just as well have fallen over and lost it. As for swapping bikes the 701 is certainly a lighter bike but I have no experience riding it so couldn't tell you how well it fairs in these conditions. Best bet would be to borrow something else and test it? If not you could always get some rougher tires like the Micheline Trackers which have disgustingly good grip off-road but are not so nice on the tarmac now that I've experienced them. Cheap as they come too. But then again if you are considering commuting on the bike, which I'm not so I could go rougher than the Trackers for my use case, then perhaps not the best choice of course. I swear we could all be owning 5 bikes for every circumstance mate. Looking forward to the next video. :D
haha for sure. Even when I was editing it I could feel my own frustration haha. Obviously so much is edited out too, it was a tough day in the office for sure. All that said, I completely agree with you. I need to be hitting things with more speed and momentum, it's just hard to get it in these conditions and once you lose it, it's very very difficult to get it back especially on the big bike. Then that plays on your mind and effects the psychological side too. I've ordered a set of Mitas e12 & 13 respectively, I believe they will make a big difference. I was tempted by the trackers but their longevity is very very short. So I was a little put off, but will still consider them depending how I get on with the Mitas. You are right though, we could easily have 5+ bikes for the various conditions and what is on the cards that day
yup, mitas e09 ftw. If you respect them on road they last up to 9k km. Imo good deal for how much offroad traction they offer to change rear once a season. Now in big powerful bikes i dont use such aggresive tires anymore, i have too heavy hand on road and it would be wasted in 2k km :D
The T7 is great for mild Offroad but too heavy for most people in remote areas. In slow tech Offroad it wants to fall over for most average riders. It’s just too top heavy. The 701 or 690 is better. A Beta 390 RR would be awesome to have with the T7.
Don’t be put off that’s a big bike to pick up when you are on your own. For that sort of riding though get an enduro bike, if you have a long road ride to the trails get a 701 or similar. I’ve got a 300 EXC it would be ace round there.
Motoz Tractionator Adventure. Honestly I was very happy with them at the start, but now they’re half worn the rubber seems to be terrible. Under acceleration even on pavement they slide. Soon to be replaced with Mitas e12 & 13 respectively
@@DirtbikeXpeditions I’ve ordered a pair of Mitas so looking forward to them. They get very good reviews and a friend has them and swears by them on his T7. I’ll look into the Shinkos though for next time 👌🏼
I feel like your tires are not stable on the mud but you are also picking very difficult roads in Ireland. :) I think for these offroad roads with full of deep mud it's always needed to spend money for best brands to ensure the right performance ;)
@@motorbikediaries Try the Motoz Rallz, I'm running them on my T7 and love them, got them because they have Silica in the rubber and are a bit softer and better in the wet than the Adventure and seem to be wearing well after 2500km.
They are great, go anywhere bikes that are a lot lower and a lot lighter than my old xt 660z. Unfortunately their top speed is only about 65mph. Mine is 20 years old but still strong as an ox. Northside based Wickla lover.
Dude, for that kind of riding. Get a smaller bike, you will have 10 times more fun. The T7 in my opinion is made for gravel roads unless you are a pro rider
I don’t disagree but just love the T7. Playing with the idea of buying a 701 to sit beside it but also still on the fence about trading the T7 for the 701. Problem is the T7 is incredible and probably the best bike I’ve owned, would be hard to part with it
even a dirt bike will struggle if you stop it in deep mud sometimes. the weight just means you have less fault tolerance, not that you can't do it at all. "The Longest Ride" is about a guy that took his Goldwing through the jungles of Africa and South America. Far from idea of course, but just saying "bike's too heavy, it can't be done" goes to show it's a skill issue. This guy's getting after it at least, and a lot of it seemed to be his tires as he mentioned
Dont buy 701 lad , they will do everything but not good at anything in particular, i had 2 690's done hellas rally on one , l had many ktms but 690/701 do not like slow technical shit they heat up n stall easily, i have ktm 350 great bike! Test drove the tenere but my aprilia Tuareg out of the box with not touching anything is light years ahead of tenere, not sure how Aprilia done it with no heritage in adventure bike class like yamaha , but trust me they did it, trade tenere in for aprilia u wont be able keep smile of ur face lad
Cheers man, good to know and keep in mind. The Aprilia looks great alright and I hear great things but I don't think I'd sell the T7 for one after I've done so many upgrades to the T7. I hope I have a second and lighter bike soon though.
Did the exact same climb today on my new tyres and didn't drop the bike once. Videos are so deceptive sometimes but the tyres just had absolutely no traction anywhere. All that said though, I won't completely blame my tools, I was definitely having a bad day too.
Give your ego a rest , please😄 i can do these trails on my mountain bike 10 times faster than you, you are not riding, you are crawling, zero flow, just burning clutch in first gear. Get on tracks at your level, where you actually can shift into second gear and ride at proper speed that allows the bike to balance itself. Then you came back here when you have adequate level of skill. By the way, nothing wrong with the bike, plenty guys ( not Tarre ) can do these sort of trails flying.
I think anyone could ride an MTB on this faster than a 220kg adv bike 😂. This was an off day for sure, but I’ve done this track plenty of times on both the T7 and the 350, this was just one of those days. The tyres also suck for this terrain 🤷🏼♂️ Anyway thanks for watching
This was pretty amazing to watch. I’m an old man n00b at off road stuff and 80% of what you tackled was a huge NOPE for me, so huge respect to you.
Anyway, I have experience in other “endurance” sports, and one thing that struck me while watching is that you were obviously getting very tired, and that really affects everything, as you know. You cleared that one hill mid-video, but damn, you’d had to pick up your bike twice, you’re handlebar-wrestling the rocks, etc. I think once you get that tired, everything suffers: your line choices, your ability to recover from getting bounced off your well-chosen line, modulation of your controls, confidence, everything.
It was tough to watch, because I’ve been there, and as a n00b on MUCH easier stuff. Thanks for sharing your struggles. It does help me understand that a lot of this stuff is just pure will.
I ride a DRZ as my “light” bike. have a riding buddy that’s considering selling his 701 and while it’s not per-se lighter than my DRZ it is still very tempting!
Cheers man. You’re right about the level of fatigue. Muscling this bike around really takes it out of you but it’s a lot of fun too. Still on the fence about what bike to go for and add to the garage, I keep going back and forth in my head on a fully fledged enduro bike or something like the 701. I’d probably snap up a 701 if someone I knew was selling one and I knew it to be a good one and a good price.
If you carry more speed through the shitty stuff you`ll be surprised how much better the bike reacts and responds to rider inputs. Attack it ! Other wise the mental game takes over and you lose confidence and stiffen up.
I definitely don't disagree. The problem is trying to keep momentum in these conditions, you lose it so easily and it's incredibly difficult to get it back again. Hopefully new rubber helps
450 lb beast not a Dirtbike. The Pols advertisement has made a lot of middle aged men think they are going to be able to do things they can’t
I've gotten this bike up to the top of that mountain before and I will do it again. Nothing to do with Mr Tarres. It's about getting a big bike to places it shouldn't be. It's great fun and incredibly rewarding. Sometimes though like in this video, it's more heartache, but that's life, I wasn't feeling it that day is all. I'll get a lighter bike for sure, there's so much I wouldn't try on the T7 that I want to do, I also want to get into some enduro events. But the T7 is more then capable of this stuff. I just wasn't on this occasion
@@motorbikediaries I can’t imagine what would happen if that bike lands on your leg. Have fun, stay safe and keep posting. I enjoy the videos
I don’t think the 701 would be that much different. I would go with a KTM 500 or 350 for harder off road tracks.
@@DeadEnduro Ye definitely not something I want to encounter. It’s why I don’t even bother trying to save it when I know it’s going I let it go and jump off 😂
I think you might be right with the 701 though. I’m going to start looking for road registered 501s and keep looking for a WR 450 too. Just need to be patient until the right thing comes along
Yeh me 😂
Mate your content feels like some big boy stuff, I really hope the algorithm picks you up definitely deserve a bigger audience. Keep it up.
Thanks a million, appreciate the kind words. Will definitely keep it up, great fun putting them together
man i hate those days. where normally you have no issues but just for some reason this one day was nothing but a struggle..lol.. it happens. great video and content!!
Thank you. Sometimes you really do just need to call it a day and accept that your mind or body or both just aren’t in it. It was still a good day though and lots of learnings came from it
Might just have been a combo of the wet, a heavy bike, and wrong tyres then your head gets angry because you're not where you or the bike want to be. Whatever, really appreciate you posting this, I got a lot out of it. It's the slack part of adventure riding, unavoidable at a times too. This is why the lord made whisky.
Absolutely. Everyone has a bad day, putting this spin down to one of those. We can blame everything we like, won’t change it 😂 It was still a fun ride, got a good workout that’s for sure.
Great effort. It was probably just one of those days! Although I did think that the tracks you picked looked very difficult. My Tenere arrived last week and at 64 when I get out on the tracks I'm sure I will have a few of those days. It was good to see that not everyone rides around like Chris Birch and I mean that in a real positive way. Well done again!
Thank you. The marketing hype created by the likes of Pol Tarres and Chris Birch is just that, even those guys know what the best tool for the job is. Just look at Pol Tarres Instagram now as he races the Hellas Rally on a T7. He openly states he can't keep up with the guys on 450s. All that said though, the T7 is incredible and a lot of fun. You just need to remember what it is and embrace it. I could sometimes do with reminding myself of that fact 😂
I really appreciate your honesty! I hope you can fight your fear and/or any doubts that are probably planted in your mind now. I'm sure you will improve your riding skills and regain self-confidence. Respect!
Awesome video and thanks for sharing your trials and tribulations w the T-7. I feel your pain sometimes, but I feel that days like these makes you a better rider. Thanks again for sharing!
Cheers man, it’s all part of it. Can’t wait to go again with new rubber 💪🏼
I can relate with these feelings. I have the T7 and I feel that it is not the right bike to push through difficult terrain. It is heavy. Because of that it needs speed. See how Pol Tarres is ripping it? I won’t speed when the terrain is tough because I lack the confidence. Then it is harder to control and when I drop it is a pain to lift it back up. But where I live there is no off-road around in a radius of 150km and taking the highway is the only way. I don’t want to travel on the highway on a 300/350 single cylinder bike. So I guess I have to accept that I’ll be taking my T7 on gravel, hard dirt (avoid wet) and generally not too lose ground.
i ride new AT and its BLAST off road. Soft sand? Lovely, even on 90/10 tires. But won't do mud/wet stuff on her. Not using aggresive enough tires, because most of my riding is on road and pretty aggresive at that. Ill take such little compromise anyday. My days of beating bikes in mud and water up to knees are over anyway. Now I enjoy blasting on gravel 120+ and powersliding the most 😁😁
I know the feeling. It's always a compromise. I am so lucky that I have moved to an amazing location for my mountain biking and motorbiking hobbies. The location here is about 30 mins from me and another regular stomping ground is about 10 - 15 mins. So I could get a small bike although I'm eyeing the 701 (lot's would say still not light). That said though I will commute once or twice a week to my new job on the bike so I need to think of that now. I also absolutely adore my T7 and I don't really want to sell it. Hard to know what to do
@@Angry-Lynx good point about the tires. Same logic applies there. I’m having the mitas e07 right now, which are better off road than the stock but far from confidence boosters on difficult terrain. I hesitate to go with more off-road tires because of the amount of riding I do on tarmac and wet tarmac in particular.
@@Kevrek i had e07.
Its 'last resort' in terms of offroad. It have lugs to get you out of soft sand and even mud, but forget about any confidence or sideway traction in anything more than gravel, definitely. Main point of that tire is to last long, imo its (road)80/20 tire not 50/50 despite relatively aggressive looking tread
@@Kevrek difficult offroad riding far from home is definitely the most challenging situation for tire selection.
You jave to decide whats more important to you. Based on your description id take only full knobbies and accept that youll change tires twice a season or ride very conservative onroad. Rear mitas e09 eg can last you really well (9k km)if you respect it.
Front mt21 perform extremely well and is safe on road. Dont know how long itll last because i ride only 1k km on it but not much wear that i can see, so looks pretty good.
With knobbies avoiding aggressive braking and acceleration make huge difference for their longevity. Also avoid riding over 90kmh.
Loving the videos, using the bike how its intended, hopefully you have phone signal up there for those solo treks. What is the vest you have on?
Ye most places I have full signal
@@motorbikediaries and the vest?
@@willers_sr71 O’Neal’s Underdog III
@@motorbikediaries nice one cheers!
@@willers_sr71 No worries. It’s a decent vest but I find it a bit crap when the arms are on my Dakar jacket. Feels very restrictive. So bear that in mind
Brilliant , I'm having the same dilemma with an ADV bike I love and take off road (but keep dropping) and looking at the 701/690 as a potential stable mate. So annoying when you aren't riding your best and it all goes downhill, but equally enthralling when it goes right !
Ye big time. A mate has a 690 so I might try take it for spin some time. But I'm so on the fence on a lot of bikes. Looking at a 450 exc-f 6 days recently. That's tempting too
Would have thought a 701 was a replacement rather than a stable mate, still a heavy pig so you wouldn't be gaining much, stable mate would be an enduro. Read another guys comment that he went from a 701 to a T7 and will never go back, far better on road and can go pretty much anywhere the 701 could. Have seen plenty of videos of guys buying a 200+ kg ADV bike and being shocked it doesn't handle like a 100 kg 2 stroke off road, to many have bought into the marketing hype and watched Pol Tarras ride. I love my T7 but use it as an ADV and expect it to be a pig when the going gets really tough.
Great video. The struggle is real man! I ride my T7 in similar rocky conditions and it can be frightening when things get going the wrong way. I bought a KTM 300 XC for the knarly stuff and will use the T7 for more scouting missions and leave the knar to the dirt bike.
Thanks man and so true. I literally just got an exc-f 350 a few weeks ago and loving it. It's definitely better suited to the rough stuff
I’ve watched all of your videos. This is the best one so far! Warts and all, when shit just ain’t going your way, when your having one of those days……This is reality! No polished, edited, glossy best of…..I’ve read the rest of the comments telling you to change tyres, change bike…bollocks. Riding a T7 in those conditions if difficult, it’s a heavy bike, that’s the reward when you have good days! You’re out there getting in to it, nothing but respect. Keep the T7, keep plugging away. Great video. 👊
Cheers man, appreciate the kind words.
Don't beat yourself up ,,, this is the stuff many of us learnt our craft on , overtime you will change your riding position ,speed and learn to read the track , got to start somewhere and get the experience ,, the Tenere is a great bike but hard to learn on ,most of us started on small low ,light machines , your doing fine , I can only say I remember the flying W's ,eating dirt ,being spat off the back, spinning out ,flipping the bike , 40 years later they are vivid memoriesI laugh at and glad I have . keep going my friend we all have low ebbs.
For sure, all about the memories and experience. Cheers
I love that you didn't cuss, ok you may have beeped out one or two but I know many who would have lost it. That reminds me of a ride or two of mine. I have to remember to take a break, eat a power bar, catch my breath because I just want to go and conquer it.
Thank you and glad you enjoyed. This one was difficult to maintain self control 😂 But as you said it was just about conquering it
Always great to log on and see an upload! Keep them coming
Cheers
You’ve hit all that stuff successfully before. Days like this just come along now and then when nothing syncs and it all feels off. Id say 90% of the fails that day were related to the grey matter! Its a slippery slope once you start loosing confidence. Just back on the horse the next day 💪
100%
also this tire set may not be aggresive enough for soft and wet stuff. Try pirelli MT21 up front if that stuff doesn't grip nothing will :)
rear: MT21 for max traction or something more long lasting: motoz rallz, mitas e09, mitas mc23, dunlop d606
I have a set of Mitas e12 and e13 respectively that are on the way. Hopefully they're a far superior tyre. I used to swear by the Motoz Tractionator Adv which is on the bike here. But noticed on the road home if I accelerated hard like to overtake the rubber was actually spinning for a couple of seconds, rev limiter shot up but no increase in speed. Perhaps the tyre is just shot but there's loads of thread left
Having had both, the biggest difference is the 690/701 is lighter, and taller. The 701 likes to be ridden fast, the T7 is great at tractoring through technical stuff. I like the T7 far more for off road.
Cheers for the input. I ended up getting an EXC-F 350 to sit alongside the T7 so have the best of both worlds now
I’m with Simon on this. I think the ideal is the T7 for road trips and some off road and a light bike for that greasy crap. I have a 500 Excf and do drop it sometimes but I can can pick it up with one hand. I would be a bit older so not interested in working that hard. I like the 701 but it wouldn’t be light enough for me. T7 and 501 makes sense
Ye I love the idea of the 501 too. The only thing that puts me off is the keyless start. Where I live I don’t have the luxury of a garage or anything and bike theft is very very high at the minute. So just need to keep that in consideration. 701 is very tempting because it still has the legs for road work but 60-70kg lighter then the T7. I think it could be a perfect compromise
Remember to factor Winter Riding into your decision as well. I like to ride through the winter if possible and take the big bike for that when it gets too cold for the KTM.
@@DonnieP432 Ye that’s very true. I ride all year round also, and it’s definitely something to consider. My mate has an XR he sometimes brings out, I remember for the snow spin we were on he was frozen solid. Well we both were, but he was definitely worse off. 1hr commute home soaked in the snow 😂
if you hungry and/or tired you go into comfort mode and stop balancing properly. At least thats my experience. Then you feel very inconfident and start dropping bike. Shits getting annoying instead of fun, and thats when i know its time to head home on road, and/or take lunch break.
Also maybe a little too high tire pressures? On such stuff id air down even to 1.2bar for max traction
For sure, this particular day I was just very stiff and not myself anyway. Just one of those days
Let's be honest, unless you've got a lot of upper body strength and the necessary off road riding skills, the T7 is going to be a real handful. I rode trials and enduro for years and still find it a beast to handle.
I'm also seriously considering a KTM 690; the only thing holding me back is the long distance touring issue.
She’s a handful alright but so much fun to ride. The new KTM range looks very interesting
The wise thing when you are tired is to make a u-turn specially with an heavy bike which is far more difficult to raise than an Enduro. Furthermore, to drive alone is not a good idea as you can very easily break the bike and your bones and get stranded in the wild. As good as you can be normally, when you are exhausted you can only be a bad driver. This video shows it clearly as he is falling more on the last part. Last but not least, many people are forgetting that they need to be in a good shape to return safely. There is no point to go to a place and not be able to come back because out of it. Better take some precautions as simple as advising friends where you go and when you should come back. He showed still some common sense by turning back before the top, This is a good video as it shows common mistakes and doesn't hide anything. He is now a better driver as he learnt something.
Amazing how much effort and concentration can be required just to get thru a few feet. That is the challenge of riding of road and you just showed in this vid. I have a full day planned firday. Cant wait.
Cheers man. Hope you enjoyed your day on Friday
Your doing great. Drop the tyre pressures off road from what you run on the road and when you get stopped on an up hill get more weight over the back tyre to get going again and then stand up ASAP but keep your weight back when up hill.
Liking the videos man.
Eric.
Cheers Eric
do you wear pads when you ride? If not, you might consider it. They give you a little confidence that you wont wreck yourself in a fall, which makes maintaining speed and momentum seem like a less perilous proposition. Cool ride dude👍
I do indeed - Fox pads to be exact
I went from the T7 Rally to a GasGas ES700 Enduro. It's light and day difference off road and the power delivery on the road is exciting, where I found the T7 boring and heavy, however the ES700 it' still a 150kg bike when it's on its side. I now have a GasGas EC250F aswell which I use for technical Enduro and I've got the ES700 which I ride the TET. I don't miss the T7 at all.
Glad to hear you made the right decision for yourself and you don't regret anything. I think I'm going to hang on to the T7 simply because I really really love it and I know I'd regret the sale. So I'll hang on to it and in the meantime save for a cheap light bike. Looking at a 450 presently, who knows 🤔
Try doing that stuff in second gear, the T7 has a lot of low end power and it will be less jerky like that. And sometimes slower is harder , the bike wants to move forward (physics) don’t fight it too much, the rest is practice.
I do also wonder wtf am I doing in tracks like this with a T7 and if I should get a lighter bike 😂
It's a constant dilemma 😂 . But I absolutely love my T7 so whatever happens I'll hang onto her
I'm not convinced the T7 is the best bike for this type of terrain. Even if you've ridden it before and it went OK, if you end up throwing the bike down and getting really frustrated with it because it's tiring you out, I'd suggest a smaller lighter bike would be much more rewarding, especially when the conditions are shittier than usual. You know this already, so it comes down to the compromise of riding a heavy adv bike, compared with a more dedicated enduro. Depends if you're do more street miles and touring or more trails and off road. If the latter, I'd get a KTM EXC or a Beta Xtrainer and learn to live with the less enjoyable road riding
The only thing holding the T7 back is me to be honest. The bike is more then capable. That said, I'll continue to work and improve but I'll also get a lighter bike to abuse too. Best of both worlds
I like your videos because you ride the T7
Cheers, plenty more coming 👍🏼
Wonder if dropping some tire pressure would help the traction issue
Delicate balance especially on this bike. If memory serves I was running 18psi here. Hard to go lower and just be in dangerous pinch flat territory. I changed out these tyres to Mitas e12 and e13 respectively and it was a night and day difference
Looks like a tough trail for a big bike. I’ve never ridden an adv bike off road though.
A bad day on the trail is better than a good day at work 😊
Ain’t that the truth 🙌🏼
Riding Enduro on the big girls is like playing golf , once you let it into your head it's game over!
😂
I've never had traction control on a dual sport or Adv bike. WOuld that have helped this situation?
I doubt it but in saying that I’ve never tried it on this bike. Depending how good the TC is it would probably just reduce power too much on this loose terrain to get up the hill
Everyone commenting this bike isn't suited to this terrain or is too heavy clearly haven't watched Pol Tarres race this thing in enduro comps. It's perfect for this terrain, but you HAVE to ride it like a smaller bike. Unfortunately on this terrain you have to give it the beans and get that tyre spinning. A) it'll give you enough gyro effect to keep the bike upright B) you're clearing out that tread allowing the next bit to bite. If you try to baby it up the inclines, as soon as you lose speed or traction you're dropping it. You can't be afraid to drop this bike or get a scratch here and there. Give it the welly it was built for!
Couldn't agree more man, it's an incredible bike and more then capable. Only thing that holds it back is the rider.
Side by side UTVs are chewing up many of the trails where I live as well. Making for terribly deep ruts and mud.
Ye it’s a pain but also makes for some interesting riding haha. Adds to the challenge
It takes me an hour off road to get loose. But sometimes I never feel confident. So I go home and then the next ride is a blast. I hate looking forward to riding and then it’s a bad day. It sucks
Absolutely, but we all have those off days I suppose. Best to know when to call it instead of pushing
Way to GUT it out! So few people actually pist the real shit they get into.. good on you for proving... shit does happen, and it's not always glamorous 👍🏻
Cheers, I appreciate that
The 701 is great but you would enjoy a 450 or 501 husky better on the trails. The tenere is better on the road then the 701 with better fuel range so keep the tenere as your dirt travel bike.
I think I just saw you bought a 350.
Yep, got a 350 and absolutely love it. It was definitely the best choice for me and what I want to ride and work towards. Loving it
What you need is a KX 80 big wheel with panniers.
I have a 701 LR... it's lighter than a t700 by a fair amount...but I find it a bit of a handful on challenging single track, or on steep rocky 4x4 tracks. I'm planning on getting a Beta 350 RR S for that type of riding...it should also be able to handle some very lightly loaded adventure touring
Nice one, enjoy the new steed. Still not sure what I’ll go for 🤔
If you're thinking too much in it, go for it.
I won't do it because in the summer me and wife sometimes go for a ride, and it will be very painful with a 701.
But anyway I think I'm going to trade for a 790 2023, I'm getting tired of the top heavy weight of the T7 .
I think I'll get something lighter to sit beside the T7. It's too good to sell, it would leave me heartbroken 😂
@@motorbikediaries that's the best option.
Great videos, really! Let me tell you that those tires are a big NO for this type of terrain.
Beginning to think the same thing 😂 Changing them this week
You need more throttle and then control power with the clutch.
That is one of the reasons why automatic gearbox sucks in offroad.
I think you should go old school and get a dr650. A quarter of the price, near same power, 100lbs lighter! There so cheap on the used market, you can find an already modded and upgraded one for 3-4k$. You can afford to have both the T7, and Dr.
Ye that's a fair recommendation. The DR doesn't really do anything for me though. But who knows, couple of months time god knows what I'll end up with.
I think the tenere is well suited for what you're doing on it. I liked the question, should you get the 701 to go along side of T7!. YEP!! 😂 or get a smaller dual sport like a 500 exc-f
Tempted by a small enduro 4 stroke but the maintenance and keyless start puts me off. Very tempted by a 701. Will see
you make me look like a pro rider-suck it up good job!
I fully agree.. one of the best bikes out there, but it is too damn heavy...
Great video, it shows the real struggle.
I don't like the 701, it is too aggressive. try to look for ktm 500, or excf 250 /husky fe 250.
I definitely want to ride one. I’ve read a lot and believe the gearing really needs to change on them too.
completely different class. Dont compare tiny enduro to adv bikes. Adv bikes do so much more than enduro. And are so much more fun ;
Try doing 150+ on gravel 'highways' all day and then get back home on roads blasting through corners like sport bike in full comfort with awesome wind protection and heated grips :D And possibly even doing groceries by the way lol ;
@@Angry-Lynx unless the majority of your riding is enduro type trails….being a T7 owner myself, I don’t want to be picking that thing up off the ground at all…she’s a heavy girl. I love my tenere, but if I was doing a majority of serious technical riding, I’d have a KTM or Beta in my garage as well if at all possible. I’ve been wanting the Beta 430 RR-S for awhile now. I’m trying to justify having another bike. It would be perfect for rides starting no further than 50 road miles from home, any further than that and I’d probably want to trailer it there.
@@DirtbikeXpeditions if you ride mostly enduro then theres no even point in even discussing T7.
Its adv bike. Obviously enduro bike will be better at enduro. T7 will be much better at everything else. T7 is lightweight adventure bike. You cant grade something by completely other class.
And since your riding only enduro what are you even doing here... Its T7 video so obviously about adventure riding
@@motorbikediaries Would be great to see it on camera 😊
Respect!
You should be glad You are not on the Africa Twin or a Crosstourer on a day like this….
Keep Riding #
Cheers
What midpipe and slipon you have? Is it diy work, self made?
Mivv Dakar
@@motorbikediaries ok. Thx. I found it already. I could buy this but its too loud for me.
The weight of the big bike on trails like this is the challenge, plus I can do the miles wherever I want, on the 690/701 no thanks
Ye for sure. It’s a great feeling getting a big bike where it doesn’t belong though. But ye I admit, sometimes I wish I had something lighter too
its definitely not the best choice of bike for that type of riding, i would pick my CRF over my Tenere for those trails. However, it does single you out as one of the very few people using the Tenere on challenging trails which has to mean something.
To the question at hand though, if you are going to have one bike then i would go for the 701 as it will do everything, although it will still be a compromise. If compromising is out of the question i would keep the Tenere and add a 501 so you can always pick the right bike for the ride.
Ye in a perfect world I’d have 2 bikes alright. 501 is tempting but the keyless start is the issue. I don’t have a garage or anything so need to put that into consideration with any bike I purchase. I’d love a 701 & the T7 for the simple reason I love the T7 so much and don’t want to part with it. But then I wonder if the bikes are just too similar and would it be a waste of money. Hard decision, if I didn’t love the T7 so much I’d just trade it like I have other bikes in the past
@@motorbikediaries think the 701 will be very different especially as its around 150kg, it will be a much better off road bike, but no so good for long trips or loading it up. its a popular TET bike. i guess it depends if you enjoy the challenge of riding a bigger bike or prefer the fun of something much easier to handle.
these days i prefer taking adventure bikes where other people are riding enduro bikes, i cant ride as quick but like to make it harder as the trails here are all pretty bland and riding them on an enduro bike just wasnt a challenge.
@@Simon-df2ku Ye that’s what I’m hoping for, that it will be totally different. Give me confidence in the much trickier stuff but still have the legs for a decent spin if needed. It’s very satisfying bringing a big bike where it has no place. Sometimes though it can be frustrating trying to get there like in this video. I think my rear tyre is basically shot though, on a spin home yesterday the rubber was actually sliding under acceleration even on the road, definitely not a good sign. Can’t wait to get the Mitas I ordered on and head out for more.
Anyway, I hope that later in the year one way or another I’ll have a second, lighter bike for the trickier stuff or just simply for when I’m out alone and want to try new things. Not sure I’m ready to part with the T7 so I’ll save up for a second bike I reckon
If I was wanting to do pretty much all that type of terrain but had 100km of road to get there I'd simply trailer a lighter enduro bike their then go have fun. ADV's were really designed to strap 30 kg of gear on and go exploring for multi day adventures, some road some offroad. That's why I have a T7 and a KLX450, if you can only have one bike then you just have to accept it's going to disappoint in some areas.
It is just a bad day! Really good video! Tumbs!!!!!!!
Cheers. Definitely just a bad day in the office. I get to the top of this mountain like 2 videos later
T7 is the only modern bike without electronics that cause problems my last few modern bikes gave a lot of electronic problems only for riding on sunny days which doesn’t work for me
Ye that certainly wouldn't work for me either. The T7 ticks so many boxes, it's just very heavy. But I absolutely adore mine, I'll be keeping it and buying something else to sit alongside it.
It's too heavy on the top end and in general. Requires more speed in order to remain stable
Could feel the frustration in this one. But I think it was a combination of difficult to ride surface, as in it was all wet and soggy or just loose gravely stuff, and a lack of confidence to ride as aggressive as needed plus you got real tired and it was no fun in the end. I mean you see the same thing in people trying on like riding in sand dunes and they fall and get stuck and it's all together just a horrible experience, while the big boys they just go full throttle having the confidence, and of course to some extent a better technical ability to handle it, to just blast through all that stuff. Now having said that I'm certainly no Pol Tarres and my first go at a really step hill filled with mush was terrifying but luckily it didn't get the best of me that time. Could just as well have fallen over and lost it.
As for swapping bikes the 701 is certainly a lighter bike but I have no experience riding it so couldn't tell you how well it fairs in these conditions. Best bet would be to borrow something else and test it? If not you could always get some rougher tires like the Micheline Trackers which have disgustingly good grip off-road but are not so nice on the tarmac now that I've experienced them. Cheap as they come too. But then again if you are considering commuting on the bike, which I'm not so I could go rougher than the Trackers for my use case, then perhaps not the best choice of course.
I swear we could all be owning 5 bikes for every circumstance mate. Looking forward to the next video. :D
haha for sure. Even when I was editing it I could feel my own frustration haha. Obviously so much is edited out too, it was a tough day in the office for sure.
All that said, I completely agree with you. I need to be hitting things with more speed and momentum, it's just hard to get it in these conditions and once you lose it, it's very very difficult to get it back especially on the big bike. Then that plays on your mind and effects the psychological side too.
I've ordered a set of Mitas e12 & 13 respectively, I believe they will make a big difference. I was tempted by the trackers but their longevity is very very short. So I was a little put off, but will still consider them depending how I get on with the Mitas.
You are right though, we could easily have 5+ bikes for the various conditions and what is on the cards that day
Also get rid of that big block tyre, awful imop, e09 will hook up no problem wet or muddy and on street are still great
New tires are inbound
yup, mitas e09 ftw. If you respect them on road they last up to 9k km. Imo good deal for how much offroad traction they offer to change rear once a season.
Now in big powerful bikes i dont use such aggresive tires anymore, i have too heavy hand on road and it would be wasted in 2k km :D
It's your comfort.
You want a 701 get it. Trade the T7, it's not rare... Or compromise and ktm890 adventure?
The T7 is great for mild Offroad but too heavy for most people in remote areas. In slow tech Offroad it wants to fall over for most average riders. It’s just too top heavy. The 701 or 690 is better. A Beta 390 RR would be awesome to have with the T7.
Thinking of a 450 or similar to sit beside the T7 alright. Watch this space
Don’t be put off that’s a big bike to pick up when you are on your own.
For that sort of riding though get an enduro bike, if you have a long road ride to the trails get a 701 or similar.
I’ve got a 300 EXC it would be ace round there.
Ye something else will be used as a stable mate for the T7. Just unsure what as of now
What tyres do you have?
Motoz Tractionator Adventure. Honestly I was very happy with them at the start, but now they’re half worn the rubber seems to be terrible. Under acceleration even on pavement they slide. Soon to be replaced with Mitas e12 & 13 respectively
Shinko 804/805….haven’t used them personally, but they have been recommended to me for mud….
@@DirtbikeXpeditions I’ve ordered a pair of Mitas so looking forward to them. They get very good reviews and a friend has them and swears by them on his T7. I’ll look into the Shinkos though for next time 👌🏼
I feel like your tires are not stable on the mud but you are also picking very difficult roads in Ireland. :)
I think for these offroad roads with full of deep mud it's always needed to spend money for best brands to ensure the right performance ;)
@@motorbikediaries Try the Motoz Rallz, I'm running them on my T7 and love them, got them because they have Silica in the rubber and are a bit softer and better in the wet than the Adventure and seem to be wearing well after 2500km.
Get up on the pegs and use a little momentum. Crawling feet down on a heavy adventure bike is no fun.
Tell me about it. Easier said then done though 😂
Sehr schön gemacht!
What exhaust?
Mivv Dakar
Good stuff. Wet slippery and an off day. That's a real ride. I dig it. +1 Sub. Hit it harder next time! (easy to say when it aint yer bike).😏
Cheers man. Looking forward to hitting again with new rubber 💪🏼
Damn, reminds me of the times I played Mudrunner.
Hope that's a compliment 😂
You can't lug a bike, and expect it to work for you.
Tell me about it. Just an off day
For the kind of riding I've seen you do, I'd say a tw200 is what you need.
I think I’d want a bit more power but if a nice one popped up I wouldn’t completely dismiss it. Who knows
They are great, go anywhere bikes that are a lot lower and a lot lighter than my old xt 660z. Unfortunately their top speed is only about 65mph. Mine is 20 years old but still strong as an ox. Northside based Wickla lover.
@@AcehMee Can’t beat a Yamaha for reliability
Dude, for that kind of riding. Get a smaller bike, you will have 10 times more fun.
The T7 in my opinion is made for gravel roads unless you are a pro rider
I don’t disagree but just love the T7. Playing with the idea of buying a 701 to sit beside it but also still on the fence about trading the T7 for the 701. Problem is the T7 is incredible and probably the best bike I’ve owned, would be hard to part with it
ugh, absolute bs. Small Single cyl are the worst. Better just in just the most difficult shit, terrible at everything else
its because the bike weighs so much
Tell me about it 😂
even a dirt bike will struggle if you stop it in deep mud sometimes. the weight just means you have less fault tolerance, not that you can't do it at all. "The Longest Ride" is about a guy that took his Goldwing through the jungles of Africa and South America. Far from idea of course, but just saying "bike's too heavy, it can't be done" goes to show it's a skill issue. This guy's getting after it at least, and a lot of it seemed to be his tires as he mentioned
Need more momentum, it will not tractor up that stuff
Tell me about it 😂
Well, if you start in 2nd gear no wonder...
Sometimes it just works 🤷🏼♂️
just floor it ..
İf u think buy special bike 250 300cc near T7 701 still 170kg
True but with the weight much lower it makes a HUGE difference. Anyway no decisions made yet, still deciding
Dont buy 701 lad , they will do everything but not good at anything in particular, i had 2 690's done hellas rally on one , l had many ktms but 690/701 do not like slow technical shit they heat up n stall easily, i have ktm 350 great bike! Test drove the tenere but my aprilia Tuareg out of the box with not touching anything is light years ahead of tenere, not sure how Aprilia done it with no heritage in adventure bike class like yamaha , but trust me they did it, trade tenere in for aprilia u wont be able keep smile of ur face lad
Cheers man, good to know and keep in mind. The Aprilia looks great alright and I hear great things but I don't think I'd sell the T7 for one after I've done so many upgrades to the T7. I hope I have a second and lighter bike soon though.
대한민국도 빨리 T7이 들어왔으면 좋겠습니다
its you unfortunately. You are not carrying any momentum. Its as simple as that.
Did the exact same climb today on my new tyres and didn't drop the bike once. Videos are so deceptive sometimes but the tyres just had absolutely no traction anywhere. All that said though, I won't completely blame my tools, I was definitely having a bad day too.
Try to send it more you ride it wayy too slow for such a heavy bikke
It's not always easy 😂 But I try and will continue to improve
Hey, you record your falls.
Don't think I'd ride much better.
youre too slow. carry more speed
Give your ego a rest , please😄 i can do these trails on my mountain bike 10 times faster than you, you are not riding, you are crawling, zero flow, just burning clutch in first gear. Get on tracks at your level, where you actually can shift into second gear and ride at proper speed that allows the bike to balance itself. Then you came back here when you have adequate level of skill. By the way, nothing wrong with the bike, plenty guys ( not Tarre ) can do these sort of trails flying.
I think anyone could ride an MTB on this faster than a 220kg adv bike 😂. This was an off day for sure, but I’ve done this track plenty of times on both the T7 and the 350, this was just one of those days. The tyres also suck for this terrain 🤷🏼♂️ Anyway thanks for watching
EXC 500 ktm for what you are doing MATE