The turbo-charged tractor, Suzuki's DR650.
And the Austrian greyhound? The Husqvarna 701.
An unfair comparison? Perhaps.
But I regularly see riders trying to decide between these motorbikes.
Lets start with the fun and games.
A drag race to 100kmh on a deserted back road.
A rolling start on the bitumen.
Neck and neck.
Convincing proof the DR650 is just as powerful.
Except the Husqvarna rider missed a gear change.
Doh.
Second run.
No missed gears this time and the 701 leaps ahead.
And it should.
The 701 has close to 70hp.
My derestricted DR650 is only a fraction over 40hp.
But what about dirt roads?
The 701 has too much wheelspin and doesn't catch up until about 80kmh.
Second run.
More throttle control and it's neck-and-neck until about 80kmh again.
The power delivery and outright horsepower are the biggest differences between the DR650 and the 701.
You can see on this dyno chart both motorbikes are quite comparable until 5500rpm.
The DR650 tapers off.
The 701 just keeps getting faster.
So if you are an aggressive rider who loves power and tends to keep
the revs in this range, the KTM 690 or Husqvarna 701 is for you.
But if you are like me and enjoy lots of low to mid-range grunt, then the DR650 is great.
There's more to the story.
The DR650 has a much bigger flywheel so it tends to pull like steam train.
The 701 has fuel injection so it has a snappy throttle response and can break traction easier.
It really comes down to your preferred style of riding.
Price. There's a huge difference of course.
US$13000 for the 701 and only US$7000 for a DR650 in 2023.
Your average DR650 is a boring old-fashioned motorbike.
But your typical owner loves having that extra cash to unlock its potential.
If you hate modifying your motorbike, then the 701 may suit you better.
Weight.
The 701 is 10kg lighter.
In reality it's a bit less as you can drop about 5kg from the DR650 simply by removing things like
the pillion footpegs, handlebar end weights, rear handles and replacing the heavy mirrors.
Suspension.
Both motorbikes are polar opposites in my opinion.
The 701 has very firm suspension.
Aggressive or heavy riders enjoy it.
Others spend money to get it softer.
The DR650 wallows around like an old Citroen car!
If you are light and ride gently it might suit.
But the vast majority of riders modify the suspension...
especially the pre-historic rod forks.
I've added the Plex Valves in the forks and that's it...
works great.
AUD $275 or about USD $200.
Handling.
In a nutshell, the Husqvarna 701 feels light and flickable but can feel a bit twitchy at speed.
The DR650 feels more planted at speed (assuming you've got the suspension sorted).
But you do feel the extra weight if you are trying to wrestle it through single track.
Like so many aspects of these two motorbikes, it comes down to your riding style.
This graph sums it up for me.
The DR650 feels like a big-bore dual sport motorbike with adventure leanings.
The 701 feels like a big-bore dual sport bike with enduro leanings.
Brakes.
No problems with the 701.
But the front brake on the DR650 is quite soft and spongy.
A lot of riders fit a braided steel cable which apparently improves it quite a bit.
Reliability.
Early KTM 690 models had a long list of issues, it's substantially less nowadays.
My gut feeling?
If you adventure ride regularly into remote areas then you might
prefer the reliability and fixability of a DR650.
The Husqvarna 701 has fuel injectors.
A fuel pump.
Two ECUs.
Ride-by-wire throttle.
ABS.
Traction control.
Radiators.
And it's tuned to put out double the horsepower of a stock DR650.
Plenty of owners are using the 701 as an adventure motorbike.
But the general consensus is you want to be well prepared with mechanical knowledge,
tools and certain parts if you break down in a remote area.
If you are interested in either of these models, the only way to really be sure is get a test ride.
Years ago, my dream motorbike was a KTM 690.
But I hated it, and sold it after three months.
A ride on this 701 only confirmed it's not for me.
The DR650 is much more suited to my riding style.
But there are plenty of 690 and 701 riders who find the DR650 is a laughable dinosaur.
With plenty of good reasons to think so.
What about you?
Have you ridden these motorbikes?
Owned them?
Keen to hear what you think!