When I had my 02 KLR, I usually kept a 13 tooth front sprocket on it. I did not use it for blasting down highways at 70+mph for long stretches. So for Big Bend, Arkansas, Cloudcroft, Colorado, etc,... it was MUCH better at climbing and descending rough stuff than with the 14 tooth (stock). I ran the Dunlop D606 tires. The Pirelli MT 21s are also good tires (what I use on my 530 EXC).
The KLR out at Big Bend (Terlingua Ranch). The tank panniers have spare tubes and rain gear. They make good cushions for when the bike gets dropped
Look close and you can see zip ties near the front 1/3 of the fender.
I forgot to mention the radiator. If you drop a KLR on the left side, there is good chance the radiator will get crunched. They make guards for them that are not real expensive and worth every penny. Of course, if you get a big after market tank, that can work as a guard. The radiator fan is plastic. They are known for breaking. People that use these bikes for world travel usually replace them with a metal bladed fan.
You can see the guard here on my KLR (silver bar framing radiator)
This is Black Gap Rd., in BBNP. Lots of big loose rocks. This is why you need a guard...
Depending on who you talk to, Black Gap is probably the most technical road in the park just because it is steep and rough in one section. However, River Road, Old Ore, and some of the others are technical because of deep sand/silt with rocks hidden within, waiting to surprise you. My left foot peg went missing on River Road. I'm still not sure how that happened without me noticing!? Anyway, someone else found it, posted a pic of it here, then mailed it to me when they got home
They KNEW it had come off a KLR when they saw it.
There are quite a few sections like this... which usually give people problems, but that is not really bike dependent.
The 2007 and older (Gen I) bikes are definitely more dual sport worthy than the newer bikes just because of all the new plastic on the Gen IIs. If you tear that up, it will cost a lot to fix. Plastics for the Gen I are cheaper. My KLR was held together with zip ties, quite literally. After hitting a deer and having the plastics rip around the fender and the headlight, I just got out my dremel, put alternating holes on each side of the tears, and then stitched it back together with zip ties. It really looked like a Frankenbike! The plastic was relatively soft and flexible, so it could take abuse. It might get those white lines at stress points, but a heat gun could help take those out.
The rectangular single headlights on the Gen I KLRs are actually quite good IF you upgrade the wiring harness (or at least the wires to the head light). The stock wiring has enough voltage drop before it gets to the light that the light is not real bright. This makes quite a difference if you fix it. It may sound crazy, but the headlight on my KLR was vastly better than the headlights on my 1150 GS and my 05 1200 GS (I put LEDs in my current GS). Also, the headlight is just a rectangular automotive head light, so they are cheap to replace if a rock takes them out, unlike the fancy fairing stuff on the newer KLRs.
For ANY motorcycle, when you are packing, how you pack makes a HUGE difference in how the bike handles!
This is good... (see zip tie stitching below front blinker...?)
This is a nightmare... The top bag was VERY heavy.
The difference between those two setups makes a massive difference in the amount of energy I had to expend over the course of the day of riding. With the top heavy setup, I was fighting the bike constantly. I could not keep the front end down on LONG and STEEP climbs. That combined with the poor suspension had me hitting rocks and bouncing up and off the road. By the end of the first day, I was literally pushing heat exhaustion. With the side bag setup, I was riding in Cloudcroft on some ATV trails and it was still a lot of work, but it was doable. I doubt I could have done it at all with the top heavy setup.
If you start adding all that weight, up top or down on the side, you will REALLY start to notice the soft stock suspension. It completely changes the geometry of the bike. It raises the front end, making it harder to control it. On the trip where I had that top bag, I was literally sticking my upper body as far forward OVER the windscreen as I could get it in an attempt to keep the front end on the ground when doing climbs. The guy leading the ride was on an old worn out DR 650. He wasn't having the same problems. But, I think his genome is part mountain goat... If you are serious about a KLR, you might also consider a DR 650. They are air cooled, so no radiator to worry about.
Here are both side by side...
The "which bike" thing is a never ending dilemma. It comes to different conclusions (if ever) for different people. The newer KLRs can do all kinds of stuff. They have advantages over the older KLRs and disadvantages. My issue comes down to energy. If 90% of your ride is easy but there is 10% that is nasty, that 10% can easily ZAP 90% of your energy and raise the chances of you getting hurt and/or tearing up the bike. So for me, that means I am willing to endure a bit less highway comfort/performance in favor of better performance when things get nasty so I am not burning as much energy. That primarily means lighter weight and good suspension. Secondary to that is crash worthiness and potential expense of repairs. My KTM is much more crash worthy than my 1200 GS and it is WAY cheaper to repair than my 1200 GS. The difference between a Gen I and Gen II KLR in that regard is not as extreme.
As much as I hate to point it out because I WANT IT, there is a KTM 500 EXC for sale here on TWT right now that would be a fantastic bike for you. It is light years better than the KLR for any kind of dirt. But, it would not be comfy for long days on pavement, even though there are people that have used them to travel the world. It has the FI you want. It has vastly superior suspension and power. It weighs much less. You can get better seats to improve comfort. It has a six speed tranny, which helps with the highway cruising. The headlight sucks, but if you really need to ride at night, you'd probably want/need to add auxiliary lighting to a KLR as well. I'd buy it in a heart beat if the timing were right, but...