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To KLR or not?

marvinsc

marvinsc

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There are many areas near here that aren't very accessible on a true street bike. I have entertained the notion of a dual sport machine for a while now and have researched the Suzuki DR's, Honda XL's, and KLR. I am aware that the KLR is underpowered but the support network and part and accessory market are unmatched by the others. There are tons of them for sale around the area too. Is the "doo hickey mod" worth more $ for a used one? How much power do you need on gravel/dirt anyway? What does the "other" crowd think?:)
 
Have not owned the KLR but i have a KDX220 and KX250 and they were bullet proof. I have also noted many long tourers seem to be on KLRs. Would not say they are better than everything else and after riding a DRZ400 it would be hard not to chose one of those, i would say go for it. I was all green for a while and when stepping down to to 125s i went YZ for the flickability, but i love the greens still.

I hate to agree with you but i have to: i can give up a few ponies for a more rounded bike
 
They are huge, heavy, underpowered, and have a great support network. ADVRider has a good many of them.
Personally, I would mod a DRZ400e. Much lighter, with just as much or more power when modded, but do not have as huge of a following as the KLR.
Mods would include:
Larger fuel cell.
More comfortable seat.
Crash bars/engine guard.
If you needed more power, go with a 450 engine mod kit.
You would end up with a faster, lighter, better overall on/off road bike than the gargantuan KLR 650.
With your size, you would run rings around a similar modded KLR.
 
I suppose I should rise to the defense of the much-maligned KLR650...

"Huge and heavy" are relative terms. Compared to a GS850, a KLR650 feels like a nimble little bicycle. What's interesting is that with a decent aftermarket seat ($165 for a Seat Concepts kit), a KLR650 equals or betters the GS in terms of all-day comfort.

Power is "adequate". I certainly wouldn't call it "underpowered". You can load it like a mule and plonk along the interstate at 80mph all day long if you want. Or take on gnarly singletrack if you have the skills. And it's the perfect mount for urban or countryside adventures -- suspension immune to crappy streets and back roads, tall and weird looking the better to see and be seen, and an entertaining powerband.

It's a great traveling machine. With a big tank, all-day, all-week comfort, and plenty of room, you can take what you need for any adventure. And indeed, you'll find KLRs probing every corner of the world. You see DRs and XRs on trailers far more often than you see them plonking along a remote back road on the way to some nowhere in particular a few hundred miles away.

And let's not discount the power of ubiquity. The KLR is a thoroughly understood machine -- there's a solution for every problem and a fix for every nit.

Best of all, there are tons of KLRs out there in good shape, cheap. Good luck finding a DR-Z that hasn't been ridden down to a low-compression nub, or a DR650 or DR350 that doesn't look like it's been through a rock crusher. Every XR I've seen looks like it's been dragged for a few miles down a bad road. And you'll find that sellers are still demanding a premium for these pretzeled, smoking remnants.

The doohickey parts are around $90 for an Eagle Mike doohickey, torsion spring, rotor bolt, and gaskets. Odds are this has been handled on any used KLR, but it's worth asking. Yes, the doohickey problem is real and still an issue, even on 2008+ models with the "improved" thicker doo.

From there, the sky's the limit. I'd recommend crash protection if you ever go off-pavement -- SW_Motech crash bars, a skid plate, and Tusk handguards will make the bike mostly immune to survivable crashes. I've also upgraded the front brake on my 1st-gen KLR, and it's slathered in damn near every farkle available.


There are many KLRs, but this one is mine.


You might notice the front end on mine was remodeled courtesy of one of Bambi's idiot cousins... yep, that's a GS650GL headlight.
20140505_145729.jpg



It's fun to go places and do things.
2012-03-10_14-43-30_780.jpg



It's also fun to go places and see cool things.
20140607_143937.jpg



And it's tons of fun on nasty country roads (you're riding along with Tim here -- he's chasing me):
https://plus.google.com/u/0/1148126...6050162245894984882&oid=114812650772464406336
 
Last edited:
bwringer said:
Every XR I've seen looks like it's been dragged for a few miles down a bad road. And you'll find that sellers are still demanding a premium for these pretzeled, smoking remnants.
Click to expand...

Hey now!

XR600R_Mar_19_2012_302-X2.jpg


'95 XR600R


Not as comfortable as a KLR but plenty comfortable for limited pavement duty. This isn't a concern for me as this bike is used strictly for off road trips. It is street legal enough to ride on the street if necessary. Power, suspension, handling, and weight all stomp the KLR. It all depends on your definition of 'dual sport' and intended purpose. Mine are 'dirt bike with lights' and ride moderately challenging off road trails at more than moderate speeds. A KLR will do just about anything my XR will do but it will be at a reduced pace and will require a lot more work from the rider. The XR will do everything a KLR will do but not as comfortably. If your definition of dual sport is mostly pavement with some gravel roads and smooth trails the KLR would be a hard choice to argue with.

Thanks,
Joe
 
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To note:

If you're short of leg the 2008+ have shorter standover (but less suspension travel). The 2008+ have more wind protection and slightly better road manners (and beefier forks and front brake).

Some of the 2008+ will burn oil. Mine is a 2009 and doesn't. There is a cheap (relatively) piston and jug exchange kit for 400 bucks that cures this & punches out to 688 with approx 10% increase in BHP & torque as a result.

I prefer to ride the KLR over the GS on long trips for sure. My modded KLR (Ricor Suspension) handles better than my modded GS (Works suspension, emulators etc).

The KLR does nothing fantastically well. It does everything acceptably (for most people) well. :)

The DR650 also has a very loyal fanbase & doesn't have water to deal with.... (aircooled). Couldn't find one round here... - struggled to find a KLR in fact! :)
 
As noted above, a lot depends on what you want to do with the bike and what your definition of dual-sporting is. If loaded long-distance travel is on the menu and you're on a budget, then a KLR becomes much more appealing. If you're planning or hoping for more off-road, then something lighter and smaller will be a lot more fun. Note that the owner is asking $3,500 for that 2008 XR650L. You'll pay $500 to $1,000 less for an equivalent KLR, most likely with more farkles already thrown in.

But any way you slice it, multisurface exploration is a hoot.


Just watch those water crossings...






 
bwringer said:
...Much good info snipped...
Or take on gnarly singletrack if you have the skills...
More good info snipped...
Click to expand...

Bwringer makes a bunch of good points, but if you really want to take the bike off-road (as opposed to just dirt roads) you need to be honest with yourself about your dirt riding skill level. By dirt bike standards it is huge and heavy, and that weight will get you trouble real fast if you don't respect the limits, both the bike's and yours.
 
I did my true off roading many years ago when I was young, stupid, and in better shape. On a YZ250 at that. What I am looking is a lot of the secondary roads in LBL
http://www.landbetweenthelakes.com/ that the Forestry service is not maintaining. These feature potholes, washouts, and sometimes are more like a goat trail.
 
Oops, I just got distracted. 2006 Triumph Scrambler, local..............

 
95 miles away, less than 2 grand. 6000 miles on it. Too many choices........

 
marvinsc said:
95 miles away, less than 2 grand. 6000 miles on it. Too many choices........

Click to expand...

You better grab that, pronto.

Every time I spot a DR650, they want $3,500 for barely identifiable pretzeled remains of what might be a Suzuki once you wipe off the cow dung...
 
It appears he realized this, the ad has already been taken down.
 
Make sure you haunt the "Flea Market" over at ADVrider.com -- some of the best deals are found there, and that crowd obviously knows what things are worth, so there's not much BS. If you've narrowed down your list, you can often post a WTB (Want To Buy) ad and get good results.

Also, have you encountered http://www.bikefinds.com/ ? Incredible resource for finding dual-sports and dirtbikes. Mostly CrackList listings, but it'll find great stuff in small-town Craigslists that you'd never find otherwise.

Bikefinds is how I found my KLR650, and I got a great deal on it.
 
Last edited:
Here's an '06 DR650 in Chesterton Indiana with aftermarket exhaust, seat, and what looks like a Vapor instrument replacement for $3k.
 
I have no reason to rush, I will know the bike when I see it............I think.:o
 
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