About two years ago I decided I wanted a motorcycle. I watched your “Test KTM 690” video. Then I went out and bought a 2018 model with 2000 miles on it. Still my favorite out of the four bikes I own. And this channel is still in my top list of favorites.
Lovely video. Fully enjoyed every minute, bonus points for never wasting my time. Well written, spoken, executed. Tremendous MAD fan here, for obvious reasons, refer to video. Looking forward to your future adventures.
Dave, you raise a great point about the importance of surrounding oneself with like-minded individuals. I have personally experienced this in the past 8 months with Ride the Byroads. You shared some very interesting adventures in your presentation. 👍 You are spot on about sharing it with friends and it’s incredible how you soon make new friends when out riding these adventures. Keep up the great work mate.
If you thought you made a mistake picking the 690 instead of the 990 for your London to Sydney ride, you didn't. My 990 was wildly unreliable and a complete bitch to work on, so you were much better off on the 690. I've owned two 640 Adventures and now own a 690 that's been built similarly to yours but with other companies vs Rally Raid. You're correct in saying nothing matches the 640 Adv as far as an out of the box bike, why KTM never made a 690 Adventure I'll never understand, especially when they easily could've using parts they already had from their rally bikes. Thankfully my 690 has been rock solid, but I have swapped the clutch slave cylinder and fuel filters retroactively. I also carry a fuel pump with me on longer rides just in case. I plan on swapping rocker arms at 10,000 miles, regardless of wear. They looked perfect when I checked the valves at 5,500 miles. The 690 seat height stock is fine for me, but the stock seat is so uncomfortable I had to swap it out, which then raised the seat height. I like the idea of a twin cylinder bike, like an Aprilia Toureg, but riding in Colorado lets me get off road a lot and I just don't want to deal with the more than 100lb increase in weight over my 690...
Best week this year - on Friday I'm speaking with you at ABR and today I'm watching your next video :) It was lovely to meet you Dave and your wife S. I really wish you that your long term goal of going away from reviewing adventure bikes and making thoes wanderfull long videos like Nepal and other few before becomes true. All the best ! P/s looking forward to see Nugget and maybe Clubby if he overcomes his 'fear' local Curry :D next year at ABR.
Thanks so much. What an event. I really didn't expect such a warm welcome. I couldn't believe how many knew the channel. If we're asked back, I'll try to get the band over.
Great video Dave. You've certainly ridden your share of different bikes and you've tested them well. Seems the ladies captured the real essence of motorcycling, having fun. I sold my 890 Adventure and the T7 is staying. What can I say,? I love the Yamaha and I'm finally back on Team Blue after about 40 years.
You're an amazing host Dave🙏! I really enjoy the way how you expose your point of view about só many current themes regarding the "Adventure" world on two wheels.
I missed your talk on Friday so glad you have put it on the channel but I got to see you on the Saturday and thank you for the stickers which I have placed on both of my bike I love the films you make and how you paint a picture of your wonderful country . Thanks for taking time to speak to me and hope to see you back at ABR soon
I bought a ktm 640 because I watched you ride from London to Sydney. I now ride a r1200gs and am riding when and where I can. I think the beat adventure bike is what suits you best. Keep up the good work
Привіт MAD, завжди дивлюсь твої відео і прислухаюсь до твоїх порад. Дякую що у відео згадав про Україну!!! Ми обовʼязково переможемо!!Привіт з України. Коли закінчиться війна, чекаємо тебе до нас в гості!!!! У нас дуже багато гарних людей та красивих доріг!!!
Я надеюсь, что в вашей стране скоро наступит мир. Нам так грустно от того, что мы видим. YA nadeyus', chto v vashey strane skoro nastupit mir. Nam tak grustno ot togo, chto my vidim.
Is it just me but I hear that you meet the nicest of people who are willing to help when you ride a KTM that again has broken down.....there was a reason why Ewan and Charlie were not sponsored by KTM....However, we do love what you do Dave brilliant work.
I'm a little confused. You have looked at so many bikes and seem to recommend them all. I have a T7 but want a lighted bike for dealing with the more technical sections of off-road adventure riding. I am a tall guy (6'4" and 105kg) so I thought that your vid on the Husky 501 was a great idea. I was originally leaning toward the CTF300L but having sat on one, it felt small and cramped while the Husky has a tall seat height. The bike is needed for both road and off-road miles. Your thoughts as a relative expert would be appreciated.
Hey Dave, lovely to meet you and your long suffering wife😂 Hope your weekend with The Legendary Nick Sanders was as confusing as inspirational as I imagined it to be.
Dave just saw your stage debut at the ABR - great work mate. Bring Clubby and Nugget next year.... I love the content of the channel, please keep it coming👍
KTM890r only done bit of the east coast and snowy Mountains, love the bike , built for camping ,,tent and shit "bit on the Heavy side .. shocks are the best for my style of ride'n Adventure.. Thanks for give'n me HOPE and inspiration.
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV I asked why he thinks it s great advertisement for Honda and shits on KTMs because I took the opposite message from the video - don't be blindly brand loyal. You were stoked with your previous KTM, then unhappy with a newer model. It shows companies can be hit or miss, improve or regress. It can also be the case one model in a given year is not up to par and the others excellent. When I am in the market for anything new i look at the current line up not past history. There are plenty of brands across any product line that are still living on the hype of days gone past that are not indicative of current performance/standards. And the opposite is true with people forming baseless opinions on old history, rumor and gossip - confirmation bias. That's fine, people that ride and love their KTM don't give a rats what the ignorant childish Euro haters think. If I were them Id be asking myself why I have such a strong opinion about a bike Ive never owned. Also, why do I feel the need to denigrate other's choice? I 'd for damn sure also find out if my opinion is based on facts vs rumor and current state of play vs ancient history.
Hey man, you ain't letting anyone down. Take care of yourself first, especially your headspace. I used to ride hard, had a few minor crashes and a few major close calls. Finally got hit by a truck and car (two cops that just got off duty and were racing to the bar) destroyed my knee, cracked some ribs etc. I was still young at the time and bought a bike before I was off crutches, albeit a little honda shadow 650 just because I was quickly growing scared I might never get back in a bike again. Wasn't a smart move, but is what it was (benefit of getting old hindsight.) I found myself making mistakes and being distracted by that, and definitely wouldn't be here had I jumped right back to sportbikes. I finally after a few more bikes just took some time away from bikes. Years later got back on, love it. Of course I don't push 10/10ths anymore I just love the ride, leaning into turns etc. Anyway, long winded way to say take care of yourself first. You don't owe anything to anyone in that sense. Do what you enjoy when you enjoy it. I used to have some riding buddies that were concerned about what others thought. I used to. They didn't make it into their 40's like I did. Just hoping to pass on some of the view that years provide. You've got a good head on your shoulders and takes bigger balls to do that video than to just get another bike and ride to make others happy.
It's hard to transfer experiential knowledge to situations characterized by high uncertainty. You've done an ezxcellent job and what a great gathering to share. Before we had a transcontinental highway in Canada I think people were much more likely to stop and give a hand - espacially with tube tires. My mom got her drivers license before her mother. I tried to think of something where I helped another rider and the only thing I could think of was lending an air pump.
33:25 How I had choose my Bike? Made the decision out of my guts. 😂No test riding just sit on it and said “Take my money!” No regrets so far. Love my 901 Expedition.
Good job Dave. I must agree that the word “adventure” has been over-commercialised by the large manufacturers. Trail riding is where it all started and that is the key imo.
I felt privileged to be able to watch this "in real life" and say hi after all of these years. I noticed some slight changes in the talk, the testicle joke was a cracker 🤣 Hope you get invited back next year and we get a proper chance to catch up!
Great presentation Dave, you truly capture the world of adventure riding. Australia is a great place to ride. Even a little further past the coffee shop!
What you do is a dream for most people . What you realised is acompliment that most of us wont get to do. I love your inspiering videos. I'm just a weeked worrrior but love to ride. Do what you love to do till you cant do it no more.
Great presentation Dave! I can only hope to one day be as skilled at riding as you and your colleagues are! I absolutely agree with you about the people who we meet in our travels!
Thanks for the great video Dave really enjoyed it. Given me inspiration to ride Nepal in 2025. Would you have a link to a good dirt bike rental. Would you suggest taking a guide or go with a mate and wing as we have done in Laos , Cambodia and Thailand
@@swedbear4035 yeah, I’d say decide WHERE you want to ride and then WHAT you can ride. And then portion your luggage / ancillary requirements accordingly.
13:00 when do the thoughts on choosing an adventure motorcycle begin. so far, the advice is to meet the neighbor of an employee & be milquetoast enough to get a free bike
Oh you're one of the people I talked about at the beginning, a sad place to be. Normally I delete negative stuff like this, but your comment is the epitome of what I'm talking about, a dream squasher. When was your last decent adventure................waiting..................and there never will be because your world is a dark place.
What a legend you are Dave , yes you are the Attenborough of bikes, with a better voice , so relaxing , cheers mate
Thank you kindly
About two years ago I decided I wanted a motorcycle. I watched your “Test KTM 690” video. Then I went out and bought a 2018 model with 2000 miles on it. Still my favorite out of the four bikes I own. And this channel is still in my top list of favorites.
Great to hear!
Lovely video. Fully enjoyed every minute, bonus points for never wasting my time. Well written, spoken, executed. Tremendous MAD fan here, for obvious reasons, refer to video. Looking forward to your future adventures.
Wow, thank you!
Well put, I completely agree and then some!
Dave, you raise a great point about the importance of surrounding oneself with like-minded individuals.
I have personally experienced this in the past 8 months with Ride the Byroads.
You shared some very interesting adventures in your presentation. 👍
You are spot on about sharing it with friends and it’s incredible how you soon make new friends when out riding these adventures.
Keep up the great work mate.
Absolutely
If you thought you made a mistake picking the 690 instead of the 990 for your London to Sydney ride, you didn't. My 990 was wildly unreliable and a complete bitch to work on, so you were much better off on the 690. I've owned two 640 Adventures and now own a 690 that's been built similarly to yours but with other companies vs Rally Raid. You're correct in saying nothing matches the 640 Adv as far as an out of the box bike, why KTM never made a 690 Adventure I'll never understand, especially when they easily could've using parts they already had from their rally bikes. Thankfully my 690 has been rock solid, but I have swapped the clutch slave cylinder and fuel filters retroactively. I also carry a fuel pump with me on longer rides just in case. I plan on swapping rocker arms at 10,000 miles, regardless of wear. They looked perfect when I checked the valves at 5,500 miles. The 690 seat height stock is fine for me, but the stock seat is so uncomfortable I had to swap it out, which then raised the seat height. I like the idea of a twin cylinder bike, like an Aprilia Toureg, but riding in Colorado lets me get off road a lot and I just don't want to deal with the more than 100lb increase in weight over my 690...
Thanks mate for your thoughts
Best week this year - on Friday I'm speaking with you at ABR and today I'm watching your next video :) It was lovely to meet you Dave and your wife S. I really wish you that your long term goal of going away from reviewing adventure bikes and making thoes wanderfull long videos like Nepal and other few before becomes true. All the best ! P/s looking forward to see Nugget and maybe Clubby if he overcomes his 'fear' local Curry :D next year at ABR.
Thanks so much. What an event. I really didn't expect such a warm welcome. I couldn't believe how many knew the channel. If we're asked back, I'll try to get the band over.
Excellent presentation. Thanks for sharing with us Aussies sitting at home.
Glad you enjoyed it
Great video Dave. You've certainly ridden your share of different bikes and you've tested them well.
Seems the ladies captured the real essence of motorcycling, having fun.
I sold my 890 Adventure and the T7 is staying. What can I say,? I love the Yamaha and I'm finally back on Team Blue after about 40 years.
Those ladies are sensible
You're an amazing host Dave🙏! I really enjoy the way how you expose your point of view about só many current themes regarding the "Adventure" world on two wheels.
Thanks so much!
I missed your talk on Friday so glad you have put it on the channel but I got to see you on the Saturday and thank you for the stickers which I have placed on both of my bike
I love the films you make and how you paint a picture of your wonderful country . Thanks for taking time to speak to me and hope to see you back at ABR soon
@@keithkeeble7483 Thanks Keith. The recorded version doesn't come across as well as the live, but at least there's a record. Cheers, Dave.
I bought a ktm 640 because I watched you ride from London to Sydney. I now ride a r1200gs and am riding when and where I can. I think the beat adventure bike is what suits you best. Keep up the good work
Thank you
How nice to have a permanent record of that presentation, cheers mate 👍
Thanks Dazza. The live was a lot more livelier 😂
Привіт MAD, завжди дивлюсь твої відео і прислухаюсь до твоїх порад. Дякую що у відео згадав про Україну!!! Ми обовʼязково переможемо!!Привіт з України. Коли закінчиться війна, чекаємо тебе до нас в гості!!!!
У нас дуже багато гарних людей та красивих доріг!!!
Я надеюсь, что в вашей стране скоро наступит мир. Нам так грустно от того, что мы видим.
YA nadeyus', chto v vashey strane skoro nastupit mir. Nam tak grustno ot togo, chto my vidim.
Is it just me but I hear that you meet the nicest of people who are willing to help when you ride a KTM that again has broken down.....there was a reason why Ewan and Charlie were not sponsored by KTM....However, we do love what you do Dave brilliant work.
I thought they got knocked back
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV Yes KTM would no sponsor them knowing that KTM "reliability" would be bad publicity....
I'm speechless. There's so much beauty in the world.
Yep
I'm a little confused. You have looked at so many bikes and seem to recommend them all. I have a T7 but want a lighted bike for dealing with the more technical sections of off-road adventure riding. I am a tall guy (6'4" and 105kg) so I thought that your vid on the Husky 501 was a great idea. I was originally leaning toward the CTF300L but having sat on one, it felt small and cramped while the Husky has a tall seat height. The bike is needed for both road and off-road miles. Your thoughts as a relative expert would be appreciated.
You answered your question in the first two sentences.
Soooo hanging out for the vic highcountry 450mt launch review.Cant order one before I have seen it.Hurry😂All the best guys.😃
I finally get my hands on one next Friday.
Hey Dave, lovely to meet you and your long suffering wife😂
Hope your weekend with The Legendary Nick Sanders was as confusing as inspirational as I imagined it to be.
It truly was amazing.
Great video! Makes me want to do another ride in Aus! Last two were on KTM 950 and second on a 650 Dakar which I took up the Birdsville Track.
Thank you.
Great video that’s really well put together , your passion for motorcycle travel is still strong
I appreciate that!
Dave that was a great presentation and sum up of trail riding (I mean Adventure riding) with true experience to pass onto us mear mortals
Thank you
Condolences, RIP John,
A great guy.
Great presentation!
But I still don't know what bike to buy...
Well I succeeded.
Watching from Austria, having three bikes in the garage and now afraid of menopause for whatever reason! Cheers, mate
Ha ha :)
Interesting that if this was a month later that the CFmoto 450MT may well have gained a mention.
Definitely!
You are the consumate orator.Thk you.JHB-SA.
Thanks
Приезжайте на Алтай! Без спешки и суеты!
No mention of the dr650, which seems strange how you seem to be riding it in so many of your other videos.
Drz400
Step 1.Buy liter plus adv bike Step 2. Never take it off-road Step 3. ???
Good point
Lucky you had a snorkel when the water was at your testies m8. lol...
Ah yes! 😀
Очень приятно смотреть видео настоящего мотопутешественника,без пантов, именно о путешествии и этого состояния-тебя в дороге!
forget they are women, challenging for anyone 😮
Yep
Dave just saw your stage debut at the ABR - great work mate. Bring Clubby and Nugget next year.... I love the content of the channel, please keep it coming👍
That's the plan! Thank you.
KTM890r only done bit of the east coast and snowy Mountains, love the bike , built for camping ,,tent and shit "bit on the Heavy side .. shocks are the best for my style of ride'n Adventure.. Thanks for give'n me HOPE and inspiration.
Thanks mate
Ktm's eh....great advertisement to buy a Honda
Why is it?
Why is it?
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV I asked why he thinks it s great advertisement for Honda and shits on KTMs because I took the opposite message from the video - don't be blindly brand loyal.
You were stoked with your previous KTM, then unhappy with a newer model. It shows companies can be hit or miss, improve or regress. It can also be the case one model in a given year is not up to par and the others excellent.
When I am in the market for anything new i look at the current line up not past history. There are plenty of brands across any product line that are still living on the hype of days gone past that are not indicative of current performance/standards.
And the opposite is true with people forming baseless opinions on old history, rumor and gossip - confirmation bias.
That's fine, people that ride and love their KTM don't give a rats what the ignorant childish Euro haters think.
If I were them Id be asking myself why I have such a strong opinion about a bike Ive never owned. Also, why do I feel the need to denigrate other's choice?
I 'd for damn sure also find out if my opinion is based on facts vs rumor and current state of play vs ancient history.
Hey man, you ain't letting anyone down. Take care of yourself first, especially your headspace. I used to ride hard, had a few minor crashes and a few major close calls. Finally got hit by a truck and car (two cops that just got off duty and were racing to the bar) destroyed my knee, cracked some ribs etc. I was still young at the time and bought a bike before I was off crutches, albeit a little honda shadow 650 just because I was quickly growing scared I might never get back in a bike again. Wasn't a smart move, but is what it was (benefit of getting old hindsight.) I found myself making mistakes and being distracted by that, and definitely wouldn't be here had I jumped right back to sportbikes. I finally after a few more bikes just took some time away from bikes. Years later got back on, love it. Of course I don't push 10/10ths anymore I just love the ride, leaning into turns etc. Anyway, long winded way to say take care of yourself first. You don't owe anything to anyone in that sense. Do what you enjoy when you enjoy it. I used to have some riding buddies that were concerned about what others thought. I used to. They didn't make it into their 40's like I did. Just hoping to pass on some of the view that years provide. You've got a good head on your shoulders and takes bigger balls to do that video than to just get another bike and ride to make others happy.
Thanks
It's hard to transfer experiential knowledge to situations characterized by high uncertainty. You've done an ezxcellent job and what a great gathering to share.
Before we had a transcontinental highway in Canada I think people were much more likely to stop and give a hand - espacially with tube tires. My mom got her drivers license before her mother. I tried to think of something where I helped another rider and the only thing I could think of was lending an air pump.
Well that's a start.
Those 690s are beautiful
They are!
33:25 How I had choose my Bike? Made the decision out of my guts. 😂No test riding just sit on it and said “Take my money!” No regrets so far. Love my 901 Expedition.
Great bike
Not at all what I was expecting this to be. This was so good in a surprising way. Not sure how to explain why I liked it so much! Good job!!
Wow, thank you!
Fantastic presentation thanks 😀
Glad you enjoyed it
I love mad tv you and Dave and Nugster don't stop pls Jurie from South Africa
zLots happening
Good vid there Dave. A lot of motorcycling history and knowledge shown. All good. Love to have been at Rangley Hall this year.
It was unbelievable
Good job Dave. I must agree that the word “adventure” has been over-commercialised by the large manufacturers. Trail riding is where it all started and that is the key imo.
Yep sure was
I felt privileged to be able to watch this "in real life" and say hi after all of these years. I noticed some slight changes in the talk, the testicle joke was a cracker 🤣
Hope you get invited back next year and we get a proper chance to catch up!
Thanks mate. Doing it on TH-cam is a bit stodgy
Figure your 100 m deep sand crap test is spot on. As we all know: unicorns are imaginary.
Absooo bloody lutely
Great presentation Dave, you truly capture the world of adventure riding. Australia is a great place to ride. Even a little further past the coffee shop!
Glad you enjoyed it
One of the most addictive channels on youtube, I missed you at ABR, but glad to have have a chance to watch your presentation
Thanks for watching. The live was better but this was OK. I felt it would be useful to post.
Hey Dave, it was great listening to you at the abr! And btw all my bikes in the past few years have been chosen listening to you…
That is awesome! We've ridden some great bikes in the last couple of years.
This is fantastic. Thanks a lot
You're very welcome!
What you do is a dream for most people . What you realised is acompliment that most of us wont get to do. I love your inspiering videos. I'm just a weeked worrrior but love to ride. Do what you love to do till you cant do it no more.
Thank you so much!
Have you guys done a video on the KTM 1290 SAS since the 21 redesign?
Yes. Great bike
Great presentation Dave! I can only hope to one day be as skilled at riding as you and your colleagues are! I absolutely agree with you about the people who we meet in our travels!
Thank you.
I can't wait for you and Clubby to try the Kove 450 - really want to hear your opinion
I saw my first one at ABR
It was great to see you at the abr. The presentation was great live and its great that you have redone the presentation for youtube.
The youtube version is a bit flat, but I felt it was useful to put up anyway.
Thanks for the great video Dave really enjoyed it. Given me inspiration to ride Nepal in 2025. Would you have a link to a good dirt bike rental. Would you suggest taking a guide or go with a mate and wing as we have done in Laos , Cambodia and Thailand
A bit of fiddling doing it yourself. I would lean towards a tour first off. Sacred summits Kathmandu
Thanks Dave I will contact Sacred summits Kathmandu
keep up the good work Dave. An inspiring presentation.
Many thanks!
Tanya has trained my partner and I on off road skills on her property near Gordonvale. Fantastic rider!
Certainly is
Good presentation Dave .Opening the shed door o my god menopause an i,m older and whats worse I must be MAD TV fan lol
😂
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV 😂
Start by measuring your inside leg seam…. Then move the decimal point on your luggage capacity.
Great point
@@MotorcycleAdventureDirtbikeTV then buy a 300/500/701 combo package.
Sounds interesting, care to elaborate to someone less experienced?
@@swedbear4035 yeah, I’d say decide WHERE you want to ride and then WHAT you can ride. And then portion your luggage / ancillary requirements accordingly.
You can liken buying an ADV bike to a tradie turning up with a Swiss Army knife and a leatherman. It’s rarely the right tool.
13:00 when do the thoughts on choosing an adventure motorcycle begin. so far, the advice is to meet the neighbor of an employee & be milquetoast enough to get a free bike
Oh you're one of the people I talked about at the beginning, a sad place to be. Normally I delete negative stuff like this, but your comment is the epitome of what I'm talking about, a dream squasher. When was your last decent adventure................waiting..................and there never will be because your world is a dark place.
You're right, I should upgrade my status in life to youtube grifter
Shout out to the folks that have your back! Great vid
Thanks
Hey was that a spitfire balancing on his head mate
Nope a Russian knock off
Excellent video Dave, as always.
Something different
Hey Dave, how's it going
Good
BLOODY MARVELOUS !
Thanks
T-660?
New version:)