Why the EXC five-hunny is a shit adventure bike

[Damaraland]

I started the "Adventurising a EXC 500" thread over here: http://www.wilddog.za.net/forum/index.php?topic=219441.0

Saw a bunch of people harping on about how the 500 is actually not perfect for everyone and also not the end-all or be-all of adventure riding (utter blasphemy ), so thought I'd start this topic to give them a place to vent.  Having done about 6000-odd km on mine I think I am also a bit qualified to weigh in on the topic. 

So here's Damaraland's list of why the 500 is a crap bike:

1.  Two fourth gears (if you ride one you'll know)
2.  Every 2000 km's or so I have to do a 5 minute service
3.  The flicker indicator bulb is useless.  Mine stopped working after 50 hours.  Shit bike.
4.  What the f*ck is up with the seat
5.  KTM forgot to tighten the ground wire (if the bike ever stalls as soon as you stand up you'll understand )
6.  Fuel injection.  F*ck sake KTM.  Everyone *knows* that it's unreliable and that carbs is best.
7.  Too much vibration on Tar.  In my heart I know I should've bought a BMW F650GS but it doesn't look as cool on the trailer.

Rules of this thread is simple: 

1.  You don't need to have owned or ridden one, in fact probably best that you have zero experience with these bikes - it encourages robust discussion. 
2.  Repeating hearsay is encouraged (e.g. if you sit too far back the subframe - which incidentally is made out of spaghetti - will explode, killing you instantly).
3.  You're not allowed to mention fuel pump issues, as that is considered low-effort and too easy a target.  I'm thinking mine must be a knockoff because it hasn't broken yet.
4.  Bonus points if you mention Japanese reliability. You win the Internet if you actually know of someone doing adventure riding on a 450 rice burner.

[boland]

 

I must add that the suspension is just unnecessarily good. If it was 30% less good it would have still been enough. What were KTM thinking?!

[ClimbingTurtle]

Its too expensive.
It must be, because I cant afford one?
Well, A new one anyway - and who wants someone else's shit?

[Omninorm]

The real problem with the KTM 500 is that you are left with no challenge becasue the bike is too good. That's why they don't use it in Erzberg, it will make the race too boring.

Rumors are they wanted to use it in Erzberg but RedBull threatened to pull out as there would be no competition and thus make boring tv - everyone will cross the finish line at the same time...in 1st place with no drama.

[Dwerg]

Reason #1: The fanboys come up with colloquialisms like "five-hunny" and make all 500 riders sound like poofters

[jaybiker]

"F650gs doesn't look cool on the trailer"


Well of course it bloody doesn't. No bike looks cool on a trailer.

And the cooler it looks off the trailer the more uncool it looks on the trailer.

[Ganjora]

And the cooler it looks off the trailer the more uncool it looks on the trailer.

kak.
it's a BMW.
the remain kak,  no matter if they are on a trailer,  on the road or on top of a rubbish dump.
they are shit bikes.
end of discussion.

[jaybiker]

Sure, BMW's are kak bikes. But I was saying that any bike looks uncool on a trailer. 

[2StrokeDan]

Perhaps Damaraland can explain to us why a bike that is pushed as having a better spread of power would need a 6th gear.

The more ratios in a box, the narrower the power spread as a rule.

Damaraland, also, of the 6000kms, how many on the trailer, or is the 6000kms actual bike kays.

OK, I know that they're banned from Ertzberg, they're that good.

[Gérrard]

Feeling a bit bruised are we ?  Remember, if you have to explain it, you got it wrong the first time.

[JustBendIt]

They are totally shit because you ride them so fast up and down gravel highways like Road To Hell, Van Zyls and Robbie's Pass and you don't get time to take photos of 4 people helping the rider and bike not to moer over

I really hate the fact that it weighs so little and can do 400 km on the big 20 litre tank and I can take everything I need for 2 weeks in one Giant Loop bag tied on its bum

But the bit that really gets on my tits is that it floats over the thickest sand and when I do drop it I can just bend over and pick it up instead of having to remember what Jan Staal taught me that I must pick the bike up backwards with my legs because I will break my back and literally shit myself if I do it any other way

This bike is so kak I will never buy one .....well not again while I have this one

[2StrokeDan]

They are totally shit because you ride them so fast up and down gravel highways like Road To Hell, Van Zyls and Robbie's Pass and you don't get time to take photos of 4 people helping the rider and bike not to moer over

I really hate the fact that it weighs so little and can do 400 km on the big 20 litre tank and I can take everything I need for 2 weeks in one Giant Loop bag tied on its bum

But the bit that really gets on my tits is that it floats over the thickest sand and when I do drop it I can just bend over and pick it up instead of having to remember what Jan Staal taught me that I must pick the bike up backwards with my legs because I will break my back and literally shit myself if I do it any other way

This bike is so kak I will never buy one .....well not again while I have this one

An objective overview by an actual owner......great!

[Catchy]

They are the most difficult bikes on the planet to wheelie, I have a constant irritating problem of smoke coming from my front tyre when I even attempt the shortest of 1km wheelies !

[JacoM]

My biggest issue with my 501 is tyres.
What to use because the bike is capable enough to use full on endure tyres that works well in Maccaser, Elgin mountains and Tankwa offroad, BUT these tyres do not last when I use it for normal adventure rides which covers mix of tar and gravel. Can somebody please help me? I consider to buy another 501 just to sort out the tyre problem...

The 510 seat is actually much better than the KTM 500 - why can KTM not fix this as well?

[sidetrack]

You guys are so behind the times, we were dual sporting 525's (just as reliable as a 500 fyi) long before this whole technical dual sport craze started  Off course no one believed one back then.

[Kaboef]

The 500 fans have moved the target on what they consider adventure riding.

If your idea of adventure riding is 100km days, and playing in Parklands, then it's a phenomenal bike.

But if your idea is a spurt over Gydo pass to Oasis, and then Biedouw/R355/Padstal, Katbakkies and home, then you will burn that 500 and dance around the flames from joy.

Horses for courses.
I own a 500, and its great for it's niche.

[Sláinte Mhaith]

The 500 fans have moved the target on what they consider adventure riding.

If your idea of adventure riding is 100km days, and playing in Parklands, then it's a phenomenal bike.

But if your idea is a spurt over Gydo pass to Oasis, and then Biedouw/R355/Padstal, Katbakkies and home, then you will burn that 500 and dance around the flames from joy.

Horses for courses.
I own a 500, and its great for it's niche.

+1

Sub because I like reading opinions about the 500

[Offshore]

My biggest issue with my 501 is tyres.
What to use because the bike is capable enough to use full on endure tyres that works well in Maccaser, Elgin mountains and Tankwa offroad, BUT these tyres do not last when I use it for normal adventure rides which covers mix of tar and gravel. Can somebody please help me? I consider to buy another 501 just to sort out the tyre problem...

The 510 seat is actually much better than the KTM 500 - why can KTM not fix this as well?

I heard the 501 is so good that after each Service it gains another 10cc which the 500 cant do, so it must be kak.

[LouisXander]

You guys are so behind the times, we were dual sporting 525's (just as reliable as a 500 fyi) long before this whole technical dual sport craze started  Off course no one believed one back then.

Waar ne. Toe kon ek al nie vinnig genoeg ontslae raak v my 525 ni.....

[2StrokeDan]

You guys are so behind the times, we were dual sporting 525's (just as reliable as a 500 fyi) long before this whole technical dual sport craze started  Off course no one believed one back then.

 

It's what I have been saying, the 450's are so close in everything, and has been around for so long, why have they never been utilised??