What bike for Desert Trek??

[Aust 520exc]

Just looking for some advice as to a suitable bike for the following trip...

I'm looking at doing a 10,000 to 20,000km trek through the outback over about a month or two next year.

Most of the riding will be split between dirt roads (made & unmade) and straight out desert. So the bike has to be able to handle the rough going.

We will probable need a fuel range of 400km plus - probably aftermarket fuel tanks.

Won't have any support vehicles, everything we need will be with us, either on body or bike - food, fuel and bedding. GPS and Satellite phone are coming with us.

My 520 is not really suitable - Racing Four Stroke is definetlynot designed for this purpose, so I've been considering XR 650, or 600, Husky 610 99/00 model, KTM 640 Lc4. I haven't had much to do with these bikes so I was looking for any advice about these or other choices I haven't yet considered.

Cheers

 

[kx100]

KX500 with an IMS tank or maybe a WR 426 with a baja designs kit and an IMS tank?

 

[mknight]

Almost this same question was asked of "Super Hunky" (Rick Siemen) of offroad.com just this month. Here was the question and reply (he recommended the LC4).

SERIOUS TRAIL RIDE

Dear Sir,
I am delighted to read all your mail and learn much, thanks. I plan to embark on a ride through China all the way to Tibet. I am a fairly confident rider, over 50 and in good shape, traveling with 3 other similar guys.

Considering the lack of any support to speak of most of the way, what you recommend as the best = read = most dependable enduro bike possible?

At 400-650 category and if you must to choose between BMW, KTM OR HONDA, which would you pick as the most reliable?
Thank you so much
JB

My choices would be KTM first, Honda second and the Beemer last. Why last with the BMW? Simple. I would not like to ride such a huge distance on such a heavy bike. While the KTM and the Honda are both reliable, I feel the LC-engine from KTM is as close to bullet-proof as you can get.

 

[KTMrad]

Adventure Tour

Check out the following websites....I think they will be helpful to you. Sounds like what you're really doing is Adventure Touring. There was a guy I read about in a mag a few years back, and he did Australia on a BMW.

http://rallyebikes.homestead.com/home.html

http://www.adventure-motorcycling.com/

http://home.tampabay.rr.com/ffrank/

http://www.adventuremotorcycling.com/

http://www.aracnet.com/~anspach/index.html

http://members.ozemail.com.au/~elefantman/

 

[Aust 520exc]

Thanks for the reply's & links, I will check them out when I'm on a computer without a firewall. I think I will go with the Lc4 - and not just because I have a KTM fetish:p :p

The adventure touring is more road/dirt road based, what we are planning will involve as little road miles as possible - there is a whole lot of desert, with not many roads.

Would anyone know the differences between the electric start & kick start Lc4 640 models?? After the past year on the 520, I've gotten a little lazy and don't think I would be able to kick start a bike:confused:

 

[KTMrad]

I have a '00 KTM 640 LC4 Dual Sport model, it has electric and kick start. The dual sport model is street legal with electric start. If you get the dirt version, it weighs less but no electric start. I would go with the electric start, as you stated you want. I think the LC4 will be a great bike for you, I love mine. One thing, you may want to upgrade the seat, it looks like the 2001 models have a better seat than my 2000 model, the seat sucks !! You can't go a whole day without your ass bothering you. Otherwise, great bike.

 

[KTMrad]

BTW, you may want to go to the KTM-Euro Bikes message board on this site and ask their opinions on the KTM.

 

[Jaybird]

I noticed that the trip master thingys the LC4's have, reads out only in kilometers. Prolly be just right for you. Y'all are on the metric system down there, yes?

 

[Aust 520exc]

That's right Jaybird, although growing up on a farm you learn that area is measured in acres, distance can be inches, feet, chains, miles, centimetres, metres, kilometres, volume is litres or gallons (no specific reason for chosing which one, but it depends on the age of the person you are talking to:confused: ), and the nearest town is only a country mile away!!

So in other words the metric system or any other system is fine by me!