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What To Do? A KLR Quandary.

Buy a different bike. Preferably one designed in the last two decades. A Versys/WeeStrom with knobbies will prolly get you anywhere a KLR will and work better on the highway, too. If you want something more dirt oriented, visit a KTM or Husky dealer. They both offer motorcycles light years ahead of the KLR for less than $9k.

I had a first gen for a couple years. I commuted on it daily and did a bunch of off road i prolly shouldn't have. It was fun riding, but i can't say the bike is any good. It's heavy, has crappy brakes, and the suspension is not very good. There was two things that was good about the bike: cheap and it had a big gas tank. If the DR and XRL came with a big tank stock, i think Kawasaki would lose a lot of sales.

Now with gen 2, they fixed the brakes and the suspension is better. However, it's still heavy and they went and dolled it up so much dropping it off road will burn up any money you saved buying a cheap bike. Plus, after 30 years of the same engine they still didn't get the Doohickey quite right, but they found a way to make some burn oil. Nice.

I can understand why people like them. They're cheap and get the job done. Sorta like stuff made in China, but i don't think it's a good value.

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Versys/WeeStrom with knobbies will prolly get you anywhere a KLR will and work better on the highway, too. .

Was about to post that. Engine guard and flush mount signals are a requirement for any DS. As many have noted though, skill will carry you much further than the machine ever can. Maybe get a cheap light bike to work on rider skill before pushing it with a bigger bike

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Buy a different bike. Preferably one designed in the last two decades. A Versys/WeeStrom with knobbies will prolly get you anywhere a KLR will and work better on the highway, too. If you want something more dirt oriented, visit a KTM or Husky dealer. They both offer motorcycles light years ahead of the KLR for less than $9k.

This is the whole quandary though. My Wife owns a Versys, and I own a Strom (albeit a 1000 not a 650) and neither one will TOUCH a KLR in the dirt. So when you get better road manners you will lose dirt prowess. The same when you buy the new, cool looking KTM or Husky. They are much better than the KLR in the dirt but can't touch it on the street.

Nevermind.... just go buy something, that'll fix all your problems.:lol2::duck:
 
So I must ask.. if you only have a test ride under you on the 800, how do you know the extra power makes it easier to power through rocks and sand?

I have ridden the 800 off-road. BTW, the 650GS I have has the 800 cc engine slightly detuned but with more low end pull than the 800. I have gone over similar roads that are sand and rocks and really feel the benefit of more HP at the rear, especially loaded with gear, water etc. compared to lesser powered bikes I have used. I would like a steering damper eventually.

BMW classifies the F650GS as a 650cc for European certification reason, when actually it has a 800 cc hiding under the skin.

:sun:

RB
 
This is the whole quandary though. My Wife owns a Versys, and I own a Strom (albeit a 1000 not a 650) and neither one will TOUCH a KLR in the dirt. So when you get better road manners you will lose dirt prowess. The same when you buy the new, cool looking KTM or Husky. They are much better than the KLR in the dirt but can't touch it on the street.

Nevermind.... just go buy something, that'll fix all your problems.:lol2::duck:

When I was thinkin' Versys, I wanted something more off road capable, why I didn't get the Versys. Of course, I still have my 01 SV which still runs great and gives me a bit more on road prowess. I have the suspension pretty close on it except for the stock shock which doesn't bother me. I don't race the thing, just a street bike.

As I've aged, my requirements for power have mellowed. I do like a light weight off road motorcycle, have tons of fun on stuff like little TTR125s and such even though over any sort of jump, my fat butt bottoms the suspension, don't have to be the latest MX terror, prefer it NOT be in fact. BUT, with the KLR, I wanted good street/highway comfort, easy speed limit cruising, and ability to get down a muddy road if needed down at my place. I won't take it out IN the place away from the "road" (that's a liberal use of the word "road"..:lol2: ) like I will the 200, but I can make it down that road even in the wet, which since I sold my 4x4 Toyota, is a good thing. I'm lookin' to sell that place, have it on the market, and am planning to buy land and a house up around Rocksprings to spend my last waning years, but I'll keep the KLR anyway, and, up there, OF COURSE the SV. The roads up there actually have CURVES in 'em. :rofl: I could probably sell both bikes and buy a Versys since the land up there doesn't seem to have any actual SOIL, just rocks, but I think I like having more focused rides, less "all around". As you say, you give up one area, you gain in another. It's all in where in the compromise spectrum you feel the most comfortable with the bike. Besides, that cheap Chinese 200 is still running, even if most of the bodywork is cracked and wasted. :lol2: I don't really play ride in the dirt much, anymore, but that one is good 'nuf for it if I want to. Heck, that thing is 7 years old, now and is designed after something from the early 80s at best. :doh: But, it's still fun and capable as far as I am going to push it.

They both offer motorcycles light years ahead of the KLR for less than $9k.

OOOPS, I'm out!!!!! Not nearly worth it to ME. To each his own with his discretionary income. Me, I really don't have much of that. I see the rest of my life with USED Japanese motorcycles, not that I can't be happy with that. :lol2: Actually, part of the highway allure of the KLR is its 50+ mpg now that gas prices are going out of sight. :headbang:
 
...It seems to me that the better suspension on the 800GS or the KTM 950/990 series plus the better power-to-weight ratio of those bikes go a long way toward negating their significantly heavier overall weight.

Except no negating any of that weight when you're picking them up off the ground alone.

_
 
You know, I've found that by staying away from motorcycle magazines, both online and in print, I don't have NEAR the new bike cravings I once had. Heck, I don't even know all the models available, anymore....:rofl: But, I'm happier with what I've got, put it that way.
 
Except no negating any of that weight when you're picking them up off the ground alone.

_

...even a grandma can pick up a fallen Goldwing!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSQhQWT7pNQ"]Picking up a fallen Goldwing - YouTube[/ame]

The morale of the story is don't fall if possible.

:rofl:

RB
 
...even a grandma can pick up a fallen Goldwing!

Picking up a fallen Goldwing - YouTube

The morale of the story is don't fall if possible.

Sure under ideal circumstances. Now have Grandma or even a bodybuilder try that in a mud hole or in deep sand. Not that easy. My old gen DR650 probably tips the scales at over 400lbs fully loaded. By the third time I picked that bike up in the dirt I was spent for the day. It is a compounding issue, go down once and then getting it back up tires you out some making you ride sloppier and easier to crash the next time, rinse and repeat until your lucky to get the bike back upright again. Now this is talking about riding single track like SHNF which beats you up quite a bit more on a big bike than the type of riding at BB and such.

_
 
Except no negating any of that weight when you're picking them up off the ground alone.

_

Well, yes, except for that part. My strategy is to always try to ride with some big fellows, like Big A, so they can pick my bike up for me when I crash.

I know even Grandma can pick up a Gold Wing that has fallen over in parking lot. The challenge is I never seem to crash in a parking lot. I always seem to fall over on the side of some steep, knarly hill. The bike ends up upside down and I can't find any decent footing to leverage it up by myself.
 
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Sure under ideal circumstances. Now have Grandma or even a bodybuilder try that in a mud hole or in deep sand. Not that easy.
_

It sounds like you guys are crashing too much! :-P

Seriously, picking up a heavy bike off-road is no fun. For me riding is a inward struggle of the ego. It is very easy to get confident on a big bike on a mild class 1 road. Then a class 2 pop's up and you say to yourself, "I can do it", because I am doing pretty well now! Then the class 2 slowly changes into class 3 and you are now deep into the trail...suddenly the front washes out on your bike and you're stuck on a very challenging "road" with a heavy beast. You then proceed to pull off the extra luggage with the hopes you can get enough leverage to lift your bike.

I remember vivdly going through this same scenario in Colorado as my v-strom went high speed into a muddy bog. I had to get a passing dude to help me extricate the bike from the pit....had it been a WR, I think I would have managed it fine by myself. I have to say, the WR250R with an aftermarket tank, fully loaded pushes almost 390 pounds.

For me, the source of my crashes tend to come from my lack of using good judgement. Basically, it was my hubris or excessive confidence in one's skill. Let's face it, most of us are mediocre riders, including myself, especially when compared to some of the hardcode bretheren on Advrider who can make the GS1200 dance up a steep rock hill. I think it is imperative, you match the style, weight of the dual-sport you are riding with the terrain. The other problem I see is on certain dual-sport group rides...is you will have one guy on a really heavy GS style bike trying to keep pace with his friends who are on lightweight thumpers. At the risk of being perceived a newbie, the GS presses on only to have a crash after pressing the limits of the bike's performance curve.

It is important to realistically appraise the scope of one's own riding ability/limits and to make sure the dual-sport bike you select is ridden with that in mind. Taking a dual-sport class and learning how to rectify various "what-if" scenario goes a long way.

The GS boy
 
This is the whole quandary though. My Wife owns a Versys, and I own a Strom (albeit a 1000 not a 650) and neither one will TOUCH a KLR in the dirt. So when you get better road manners you will lose dirt prowess. The same when you buy the new, cool looking KTM or Husky. They are much better than the KLR in the dirt but can't touch it on the street.

Nevermind.... just go buy something, that'll fix all your problems.:lol2::duck:

On class 2 roads that the OP is doing, i really don't see the KLR having much advantage. Once back on the road, the Versys is a better ride.

Not sure why you think the KLR is better on the street than KTM or Husky. They make SuperMoto versions of their dirt bikes by simply changing the wheels and front brake. You can buy bigger tanks, softer seats, and fly screens if you want to relatively cheaply. See how much it costs you to make a KLR lighter, more powerful, better braked, better suspended, and add a 6th gear.

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Not sure why you think the KLR is better on the street than KTM or Husky.

well, here's one reason:

They make SuperMoto versions of their dirt bikes by simply changing the wheels and front brake.

KTM and Husky SM bikes make great SM bikes, and why the Japanese don't put 6 speeds on big thumpers confuses me. But a KLR on the highway is a lot better from a comfort POV than a dirt bike with street tires.

And this is coming from somebody who WANTS a dirt bike with street tires (have had dual sported XR250, KLR650, DR650)
 
The reason for the missing 6 gear is because at initial design speed limits were 55, where 5 is perfect.

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Buy a different bike. Preferably one designed in the last two decades. A Versys/WeeStrom with knobbies will prolly get you anywhere a KLR will and work better on the highway, too.

So you mean like the old damper rod style forks, right? Oh wait, both the Versys and the Strom share the same tech there. I know.. the shock... oh wait, same tech again. AHHH, I got it, the motors are light years ahead of the KLR. Oh wait, you mean they are all DOHC motors.... disc brakes, well all three in my garage have them.

I'm glad to see that we have come oh so far in the past 20 years.

On class 2 roads that the OP is doing, i really don't see the KLR having much advantage. Once back on the road, the Versys is a better ride.

Not sure why you think the KLR is better on the street than KTM or Husky. They make SuperMoto versions of their dirt bikes by simply changing the wheels and front brake. You can buy bigger tanks, softer seats, and fly screens if you want to relatively cheaply. See how much it costs you to make a KLR lighter, more powerful, better braked, better suspended, and add a 6th gear.

.

Number one, I don't go TX Adv riding so I have no idea what you call a "Class 2" road. But if they are anything like the sand and pea gravel roads of Big Bend I will ride with anyone on any Strom or Versys and we'll go see just how much fun they have. This is coming from someone that actually OWNS both. My Strom has 92k miles on it so I'm pretty sure I know by now what it is good at and what it isn't good at.:trust:

Anywho, like I said before... I think everyone should go buy a KTM or Husky. They are awesome at everything because they look cool and are expensive. That means they are better, right? :yawn: Like I've said before, they are this generation's "mid-life crisis Harley". Me, I think I not buy into the hype since I've been there done that with a street legal dirt bike before.
 
So you mean like the old damper rod style forks, right? Oh wait, both the Versys and the Strom share the same tech there. I know.. the shock... oh wait, same tech again. AHHH, I got it, the motors are light years ahead of the KLR. Oh wait, you mean they are all DOHC motors.... disc brakes, well all three in my garage have them.

I'm glad to see that we have come oh so far in the past 20 years.

The Versys has upside down forks. I don't understand the point you're trying to make. The only way it makes any sense is if you believe all parts are the same.

As for the rest of it, i'd argue that the KLR is more of a hype bike. People hear it can do everything and are cheap, so they buy them. Then like the OP, they find out they are just sorta OK, and start looking for something else. I'd even argue that the main reason they're so cheap is because the market is flooded with KLRs that people bought on hype and then saturated the market when they got rid of them.

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The Versys has upside down forks. I don't understand the point you're trying to make. The only way it makes any sense is if you believe all parts are the same.

As for the rest of it, i'd argue that the KLR is more of a hype bike. People hear it can do everything and are cheap, so they buy them. Then like the OP, they find out they are just sorta OK, and start looking for something else. I'd even argue that the main reason they're so cheap is because the market is flooded with KLRs that people bought on hype and then saturated the market when they got rid of them.

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Not to argue, but then why does the military use them in combat? :trust: Hype bike, indeed?! What the KLR provides is a value in an all-purpose motorcycle that's cheap and easy to work on and fix, with great ergonomics and a standard seating position. The smiles per dollar on this machine are hard to beat!
:sun:
 
This has been a very interesting thread. One question remains. If you are going to trailer to the dirt, why would you trailer a KLR instead of bringing a 250cc?
 
This has been a very interesting thread. One question remains. If you are going to trailer to the dirt, why would you trailer a KLR instead of bringing a 250cc?
Morning Hap, I grew up in Lytle......
And, I trailered my KLR once last year (deduct manly points) because my wife wouldn't ride the couple hundred miles there and back.......and I love her more than manly points.
For strictly dirt riding.....you wouldn't. Unless the KLR was all ya had........:sun:
 
The Versys has upside down forks. I don't understand the point you're trying to make. The only way it makes any sense is if you believe all parts are the same.

As for the rest of it, i'd argue that the KLR is more of a hype bike. People hear it can do everything and are cheap, so they buy them. Then like the OP, they find out they are just sorta OK, and start looking for something else. I'd even argue that the main reason they're so cheap is because the market is flooded with KLRs that people bought on hype and then saturated the market when they got rid of them.

.

Upside down or not, they are still damper rod forks on all three machines. You were claiming that the other two were more modern, and I would like to see your proof. So far, you have done a poor job of it. Oh, the Wee Strom you suggested....conventional forks, damper rod style just like the KLR. So I'll keep waiting for your proof. But just remember that I have all three in the garage and do all the work on all of them so chances are I probably will be able to call BS on this particular thing quicker than anyone. But go ahead prove to me that the two bikes you "say" are more advanced really are.

Oh....aluminum frames...those are modern, right? Oh wait, KTM uses all steel frames on all of their bikes? Really? Well there goes that theory.....LOL
 
Let's Go to the Videotape

i-FWzFZ5j-M.jpg
 
Thanks everyone so far for a really interesting thread. If I was a manufacturer this would be invaluable market research, but then I'm not sure they actually listen to those of us who ride the bikes!

I think it boils down to either spending some $ on the KLR (improve suspension, lose the oil burn & lighten the load) or spending more $ on the 650GS. Still not sure but mental bike shopping is cheap & fun.
 
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