enduro and adventure racing

Rallydude,
The 650 will kill you in an enduro. The bike weighs a ton and a half, plus its power really doesnt give much of a boost. If you are considering taking part in both adventure riding and enduro racing, you should think about a KTM 530. I had a 450 but decided to go back to a lighter bike. Went with a 300, also great bikes for what you are considering of riding. Now on a Yz250. I live in Michigan where the trails are a tad bit tighter for our enduros; Marquette, Harrison, and i would never attempt to race a 650.
Nick Rasmussen

"Enduro" can mean different things to different people.

To some people and enduro is simply a really long race. The course might include paved road sections or long runs high speed terrain. Often the bikes need to be street legal because you would have to navigate from one section of the course to another across public roads. The really big bikes are favored in this type of event, and lights are often required.

To others and "enduro" is a race where the riders are spaced out and are scored based on their elapsed time. The route often includes technical stuff that makes it very difficult to just get across. Full race MX bikes are generally the choice for these events.

The enduros that I participate in are more of a time keeping exercise. While sections of the course may be impossible to maintain the required speed there will be other sections that if you are not careful you will end up early, which costs you even more points. Full race MX bikes, such as a YZ-250 work well, but the "enduro" style bikes are the more typical bike. This type of enduro requires that you have an odometer but that is easy to add to any bike these days. 250 two strokes or 450 four strokes are what I see on these events. The enduros that I run there are places where getting the bike to fit through the boulders can be a challenge and you might have to push the bike over some really nasty stuff. High speed runs are exceedingly rare so I doubt that you would ever make use of the power while the size and weight would frequently be a problem.

So, can you elaborate on which type of enduro you would be likely to be running?

Rod

The DRZ400E (not S!) is a dirt worthy bike and easily dualsported. The 650 is too big for the woods. I think a GasGas FSR515 or KTM530EXC (or whatever they're calling it these days) would be a good choice.

I am thinking about converting a wr450F over to a dual sport for trail and road. I have a wr250f now and want some more top end for the road without sacrificing handling and the fun factor. I am still trying to influence the other half with no success so far. "You have to many bikes now!" I will just have to bring it home and make sure the guns are not loaded.

You could try the DRZ and it is a decent bike for commuting, though long trips are a bummer without a 6th gear. That's a big advantage to the big KTM thumpers or Husky TE-610, which frankly are the closest you're going to get. But for long adventure rides you may find them too light and getting blown around on the highway.

The WR450 and WR250 are fine offroad but you'll be hating life after maybe 2 hours on the road. Okay as an around towner or to connect trails.

The bottom line is no bike is going to do both in a way to make you happy. One decent definition of compromise is an outcome where neither side is happy. If you hang out at ADVrider, you'll see they always ask you to be honest with how much time is slab vs. dirt, and by dirt they often mean fire roads or mild exploring, not racing. Even an XR650R is more of a plated dirt bike than a true dual sport adventure bike since it has a weak electrical system and feeble subframe. Nor would it be good in tight technical places, but get it to a desert race and it's king.

What do you guys think about the new National Start Control Format? Would you like your local enduros to change from Time Keeping to Start Format?