| Author | Message | ||
     Danger_dave |
http://kiwiridermagazine.blogspot.com/2009/07/klr6 50-to-waikato.html | ||
| Reepicheep |
Fun bikes for sure. I enjoyed my KLR-250 a lot. It's now the KLX-250 (I think), and suffers a bit from being tweaked for entry riders. The original KLR-250s were fairly serious dirt bikes (for their day). I knew the 250 would be pretty good on dirt (it's a 650, but minus 100 pounds), and it was. I could go pretty much anywhere, though in deep mud or really gnarly climbs I wished for 60 pounds less and 20 HP more. And its suspension was pretty easy to bottom if you were getting much air. But in terms of bang for the buck, what fun! It amazed me was how well it did on tight little paved mountain roads. For as many crappy components as Kawasaki put on a 1985 KLR-250, the thing (with a good set of tires) would absolutely rail on tight flowing turns around 40MPH or so. I can imagine on the street that the KLR650 is even more fun... Ultimately though, the vibes of a stressed out single, the reality of a 17 hp motor (the 250), and trying to live with crappy brakes meant it was never really any competition for the 9sx if I was going to take a street ride. I assume the 650 would be better, but ultimately suffer the same issues. It'd be a slam dunk if you live within access of fire roads or ride a lot of long smooth dirt though. And it would probably make a *great* urban assault vehicle... If I had to live with one as my only bike I could be happy. I sold the KLR-250 and am now rebuilding a KDX-200. Which gives me exactly that 60 pounds less and 20+ HP more. It's not street legal, but the 9sx is still my streetbike, and I havent seen anything yet (except for a TT or an XT) that I think I would rather ride day in and day out... For me, I think thats ultimately where the KLR fails... $6000 can get you a nice KLR and you will be good to go both street and (nice) dirt. But it won't be a master of either. $5000 can get you a nice used XB9S, and another $2000 can get you a nice used KDX-200 (or DR-350). And you can have a master of each... Actually, not quite fails. I think the KLR is a great place to start, and perhaps every serious rider should own one in their lifetime. I don't blame anyone if they eventually move on (I did), but they should spend a year playing on one for sure, or they are missing something. I wish Buell would make a modern replacement for the KLR-250. Small displacement, seriously light, *barely* street legal, serious suspension and real ground clearance, maybe even kick start. And not so tuned (cough CRF-450X cough) as to need a forumla one team to keep the thing running on the street. Sell kits for dirt or super motard, and sell the thing cheap. If it could be a direct injection two stroke, all the better. | ||
| Court |
Tough to beat the KLR in terms of the fun/$ department. I've got two, with titles, "project" KLRs . . waiting on time and ideas for what to turn them into. Great article. | ||
| Blasterd |
I've got an XL600R and it is a whole lot of fun! | ||
| Danger_dave |
Reep: The 650 has surprising little engine vibration I thought, but then, coming from a Thunderstorm owner... Court: I'd like to get one and make it a naked. | ||
| Dfishman |
I had to go with the street legal XR650R in Sumo trim.I need power!And its got it!  | ||
| Birdy |
I just bought a KLR-650. It's a great bike for all-a-round putting. No it's not fast, nor will it turn and burn like my STT. And it's never going to "Sky" a triple without killing both itself and me on landing BUT it's a great trailbike/backroad touring rig. It's all about what you want it to do. It'll never replace my Buell and Uly would do almost everything to KLR can do, at twice the price! PLUS there are a ton of place to buy all kinds of farkles for the KLR and my STT...well I had to build/mod almost everything I added to it. The down side? There are just as many problem with the KLR as with my Buell if not more! Fixing a couple this weekend. For one I have to crack the case. | ||
| Danger_dave |
Yeah. The magazine pros put me on a few KTMs recently. They might be 'Ready to Race' - but I'm not. I found them harsh and with only one speed. Flat out. Brilliant machines if that's your thing. Not me on the dirt at all. KLR works really well. | ||
| Reepicheep |
I liked the XR-650. Until about the fourth time me and my riding buddies had to wrench that big red pig out of some muddy ravine. I was on the KLR-250, two buddies both on XR-650's. I was a far worse rider then either of them, but could still go more places. And when I did get stuck, it was easier to drag that sumbitch back up the hill. Makes my back hurt thinking about it to this day. I sold the KLR-250 to get a KDX-200. So I went from 260 pounds and 17 HP to about 220 pounds and 36 HP (got the big bore kit). Buddy #1 sold his XR-650 and got a CRF-450X... something like 260 pounds, but stupid powerful (45 hp maybe?) and torque everywhere. The thing is hard not to wheelie by accident... freaking unicycle. Friend number three is still clinging to his big red pig... he is the best rider so he can pretty much pull it off, but as we all accumulate body fat and ripped tendons, and loose body function, he looks harder and harder at much lighter bikes. I shoulda bought a KLR-650 as my first street bike... absolutely and for sure. | ||
| Road_thing |
 My XR600R. Loads of fun, but a bitch to start when it's hot, so I don't ride it in city traffic much. Otherwise it's a gas... rt | ||
| Bishopjb1124 |
http://norfolk.craigslist.org/mcy/1276091845.html | ||
| Reepicheep |
Geesh Thing... how on earth do you keep your license riding that thing on the street? I'd have had three reckless operation tickets in the first week... | ||
| Buelleaver |
I rode an yamaha xt 600 for years. lots of fun. being able to hop off road on a whim is great. |
