Moekazi
0
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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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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