KLR / DR(Z) / XR 650, or what?

[timberguy]

(Update-got a KLR)KLR/DR(Z)/XR 650,or what?

I'm 5' 7", 160, and need a single bike for the freeway, around town, and limited 'off-road' riding.

Fire roads, Jeep trails, camping etc. are what I have in mind, pretty much the kind of place you'd take a stock 4WD. And getting there by riding, rather than hauling the bike there (though at some later point it would be nice to fit an XR650 and whatever I get into a pickup if that's possible.

I expect I need one of the 650's, and prefer a 4-stroke. Having taken a 1,500 mile trip on a 300, I know I need more poop than that.

Can do most maintenance myself.

Though there are dealers nearby, I think I will have to buy used from a private party, due to limited budget ($3K or less) The BMW's and KTM's cost too much. :(

I did look at a low-mileage KLR, but it reportedly sold for a few hundred over KBB before I could have a more experienced rider check-ride it.

Frankly, I wasn't too disappointed since it had admittedly been in an accident that left a sharp, rusted dent in the tank, handlebars & some plastic had been replaced, but there were other pieces remaining that took damage, AND the frame had paint on the neck that didn't look stock to me.

I couldn't ride it at the time, so there was no way to see if it tracked & handled OK. Consequently I didn't jump at it, thinking just maybe the wreck was worse than described and explained why the mileage was so low.

I will not be racing what I buy. I recently got re-licensed for riding, all my miles are years back.

So what suggestions can I get from you guys on make & model?

Also, any tips on what to look for on the test ride, spotting proneness to wobbles, mechanical issues (general & particular year-model) to check for before riding, etc.?

Is water-cooled going to be that much superior to oil & air cooling?

Finally, these 650's seem to be a little high for my stature How much do the lowering kits effect the steering & suspension? And while I understand you can shave the seat foam, how much can you do before you make the seat uncomfortable on long or bumpy rides? I don't want to have to be taking too many breaks due to too much trimming!

Thanks a lot for whatever advice you can give.



Timberguy

 

[Krabill]

For most/all highway and some dirt road riding, the KLR is really the one to be looking at. The DR/XRL might be slightly better off-road, but they really don't stand up to the KLR for highway comfort. I took mine camping last weekend and wound up with 500+ miles of highway/pavement and 100+ miles of some nasty single/double track. I smiled the whole way.

Now for the reasons . . . the KLR does vibrate some, but not as much as the other two (DR & XRL). It also has a giant gas tank compared to the other two, which is a huge plus for those far-away camping trips.

As far as maintenance goes, you have to change the doohickey ($40 & about an hour), but other than that , it is just oil changes and the occational valve adjustment. Not much to it. All three bikes are pretty reliable.

Air/oil/water cooled? I don't really think it makes much of a difference. All three bikes work.

What to look for used? Abuse. If it hasn't been completely abused, you're probably okay. If the front end is still bone-stock it might seem a little "spongy" on a test ride, but don't worry about it. A fork oil change and some minor adjustments can stiffen it right up.

Lowering? While I'd normally advise against it because it will lower your ground clearance off-road, if you aren't really planning to ride anything too rough, they do make lowering links (about $50) that can drop it some. Corbin also makes a "dished" seat that is quite a bit lower than stock, or you can shave the stock seat. I'm just pointing out that there are options. fyi - I'm 5'-9" with a 30" inseam and I've done everything I can to get the rear end up as high as I can get it. Of course I do quite a bit of off-roading with mine, and I've been riding mx bikes all my life so I'm kind of used to being too short for a bike. It really isn't that big of a deal once you get used to to the butt-off-the-seat-one-foot-on-the-ground stopping technique :laugh:

 

[timberguy]

Finally got my bike!!

I put money on a KLR650 back in May and picked it up just a couple of weeks ago. I knew it was going to be a long wait - guy had lost his title without ever getting it reissued after paying off the loan. Part of the delay was due to him at first not believing all that he had to do to get it cleared and into my name

Anyway, it's a '98 and fairly low miles - around 3K - and real clean. Now I'm getting used to riding again, especially since this one is a lot higher in the seat than the old Honda was.