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F650GS/G650GS handling vs Duke 690 IV or later

5K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  Javahitman 
#1 ·
I have 20yrs of road riding experience but want something lighter for back roads. I currently have a R1200GS which is too much bike for me and I had a G650GS as a loaner for 3 days and found it to be the easiest, most confidence inspiring bike I've ever ridden! It opens up a whole new set of nadgery, bumpy, tight and narrow roads that just aren't as much fun on the R1200GS.

The downside of the G650GS is only the lack of power.

The Duke 690 looks like the answer...but KTM Australia don't let you take out bikes around the twisties and a ride around town only proved the Duke was ultra light. My concern is that the Duke may be twitchy and you have to be really careful of unwanted pressure on the bars that make the bike move around when leant over mid-corner ....especially on a bumpy road. Basically the G650GS is learner friendly so I can just throw it around like I am Rossi and the bike just sticks to the line perfectly and is especially composed on bumpy roads.

Can anyone tell me how the Duke compares in handling to the F650GS thumper/G650GS? Thank you in advance! :smile2:
 
#2 ·
I don't even see them as the same type of bike myself.

Unless i'm missing something you're comparing a road bike with a semi adventure bike to a great extent. The BMW will be taller, heavier, wider and running a 19" front along with a 17" rear ?

The Duke is a 17" front and rear and in the Supermoto/Pseudomoto genre instead

I've not ridden the 650 but have ridden the Tiger 800... which couldn't be more different to the Duke either :)
 
#3 ·
I have 20yrs of road riding experience but want something lighter for back roads. I currently have a R1200GS which is too much bike for me and I had a G650GS as a loaner for 3 days and found it to be the easiest, most confidence inspiring bike I've ever ridden! It opens up a whole new set of nadgery, bumpy, tight and narrow roads that just aren't as much fun on the R1200GS.



The downside of the G650GS is only the lack of power.



The Duke 690 looks like the answer...but KTM Australia don't let you take out bikes around the twisties and a ride around town only proved the Duke was ultra light. My concern is that the Duke may be twitchy and you have to be really careful of unwanted pressure on the bars that make the bike move around when leant over mid-corner ....especially on a bumpy road. Basically the G650GS is learner friendly so I can just throw it around like I am Rossi and the bike just sticks to the line perfectly and is especially composed on bumpy roads.



Can anyone tell me how the Duke compares in handling to the F650GS thumper/G650GS? Thank you in advance! :smile2:


I have found the Duke 690 to be very stable above 80mph and is not at all twitchy to handlebar input. It handles like you would expect from a supermoto - very confidence inspiring in the twisties and plenty of power for general hooliganism and such. It is true it is not an adventure bike in the sense that it has 17" wheels and no skid plate but I would not hesitate to put on some TKC80s and take it down gravel roads or dirt roads. I had a vstrom 650 and the Duke is a much better adventure bike than that beast and probably has better ground clearance if the stock cat is replaced. If you are really looking for more offroad than on road, you should look to the ktm 690 enduro.
 
#4 ·
I've ridden both, own the Duke.

Don't know about the newer duke, mine's 2015 model.

The GS I found compliant, smooth, great suspension travel, much like what what you experienced, great fun.
The standard duke with only rebound adjustment on the rear i did find harsh, had a ball on it for almost 40,000km, but it really needed suspension adjustment.

After a year away without the Duke i came back and got the R, with fully adjustable front and rear. No more harsh.
But, really no comparison to the GS, the Duke is not plush, it feels bumps but with the R they don't come through as hard or harsh.

The R I find is brilliant, surefooted and precise in everything you want to do, i wouldn't do longer trips than maybe 500km/1000 km weekends but then i did do a 9500km ride in 6 weeks on the standard one with no sore butt, but wouldn't on the R, only because I'm lazy....

Orange=fun* :)
 
#5 ·
I can see where Leecourt is coming from. Riding back-roads in OZ and NZ is a bit different to other parts of the world because our roads are in poor condition. I have owned nearly all the singles that have been made (KLR650, DR650, GS650, XT660, Pegaso) and have found the Duke to be just as good on the bumpy, gnarly back-roads that I ride. In fact the Duke can be MUCH BETTER.....just make sure the suspension is set up correctly for you. All of the aforementioned singles can be ridden "as is" and will pretty much work for a "normal" ride because their super-long (and soft) suspension soaks it all up. The downside of those bikes is that they squirm and wallow when the pace hots up. The Duke, for me at least, is MUCH more fun because it handles superbly and has that extra 20hp that the others don't. Sure, it might not handle some of the REALLY BIG bumps as well at a "trail" bike, but I am willing to accept that for the other 95% of the road where it's an absolute hoot. The main thing is...it NEVER gets "out of control" and that's important to me. The other consideration for Leecourt to bear in mind is that, unlike the "others" with their low-rev, heavy flywheel engines, the rider needs to keep the revs on the Duke in the "right" place to avoid low-rev chain snatch. They all do that, the Duke is just a bit more fussy. Also, as Deepskier said, if you like the "tall" look and feel, go for the 690 Enduro. However, my gut instinct from your first post, is that are just like me....looking for a lightweight ROAD bike for the back-roads.
 
#6 ·
Great feedback guys!

Thanks for the quick response - some notable remarks that are quite insightful for me.

Yep it's just road duty for me so the enduro, however sexy, will not be the best pick. Having owned a Vstrom 650 I can also see the Duke being a better ride too in gravel and on slippery dirt roads than the Vstrom with it's top heaviness.

I like the ergos of the standard Duke compared to the R (yes I'm weird) so will likely buy that and if I have to replace suspension later I will just accept the cost. I am 70Kg without gear so hopefully I am what the Austrian designers weighed when they designed the standard Duke :grin2:

Now I've just gotta research hard on the reliability of the Duke so I know what I am getting myself into and what to look for when I am out shopping. But my heart seems to have already laid a deposit down on a bike somewhere!

Thanks again for your help! :wink2:
 
#7 ·
I like the ergos of the standard Duke compared to the R (yes I'm weird) so will likely buy that and if I have to replace suspension later I will just accept the cost. I am 70Kg without gear so hopefully I am what the Austrian designers weighed when they designed the standard Duke.
Yep, at 70kg you will likely be fine with the standard suspension. Just one thing to consider though......the standard Duke has 135mm of suspension travel at both ends, my comments were made about my experience with my Duke R which has 150mm of travel at both ends. I would have thought that, if you were serious enough as a buyer, a dealer would give you an hour or so to go and try some bumpy, twisty roads to make sure you were happy with the suspension etc (especially if you were buying a used bike??).
 
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