Dual-sport KLR650 or similar

I have a DR650 and I love it.

Going to the Ganny is a full day affair so I can't do that too often but it's still fun on pavement. You can wheelie and slide without being too worried about wrecking the bike :)
 
ual-sport KLR650 or similar
Hi everyone,

I'm finally ready to come back to riding after a 4 year break and have some questions about dual-sport bikes, specifically the KLR650.

I'm 5'11" / 160lbs, my previous bike was an old CBR250R, very nimble on the streets but too light for highway and uncomfortable on long rides.

I've always loved the idea of riding on a road and then driving off into the woods on a trail, will the KLR get me there? I'm wondering how it handles on dirt vs road (highway and/or city). For the first year i'll be riding it around 2-3 days a week casually to/from work/etc, i'd like to try some trails, and take it on short highway trips on the weekends. Eventually i intend to ride to Costa Rica. Is the gas milage worse than a sport-touring (something like SV650 or Versys)? Am i a good size for this bike or will it be too large/heavy? Are there local trails available for such riding, or will i end up spending 99% of my km's on the pavement? Should i just stick with a sport-touring for road and if i really want dirt then get a dirt bike?

I apologize in advance if this has been previously discussed.

I live in the Maple/Woodbridge area, would love to buy someone a coffee in exchange for some motorcycle knowledge!

Thanks for reading,
Anton
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overall the KLR650 is almost perfect for you. Especially if you are going to ride it to Costa Rica and do some forest track and dirt roads.
Parts are easy to get, big tank, loads of farkles available ( the first thing to do is get a Sargent seat for it ) and it is super reliable.
It cruises nicely at 110 and the big tank gives you a long range.
I actually have a spare touring screen for one. Bought it then bought a touring bike along with the KLR in Aus so no need for it.
Looks ugly - works - cheap.
Pre 2008 make sure the doohickey gets done
 
Is it possible to have two sets of wheels (or tires and swap - i'm told its not terribly difficult) on KLR? I really like the look of sport tires on DS bikes.

Ash said:
That super moto DR650 would be fun, and having the two sets of wheels is a big plus. You wouldn't have to make compromises between street and off-road performance in your tire choices like you would with one set of wheels.

I guess it depends on what you want to do, but to me the Versys is a pure street bike since the 17" front wheel will really limit your choices for dual-sport tires. That being said, you can take just about any bike on a dry, hard packed trail if you aren't too worried about dropping it.
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Is it better to purchase a newer (09) KLR with 4500k that is completely stock and has hardly been used, or older (03) with 20-30k KLR that has all the standard mods done and has been well ridden? at what milage (i know this depends on maintenance) do things start breaking?

I don't want a project bike, but i also don't want to get an older bike out of laziness.

How much would it cost to get the typical mods (skid plate, heated grips, power adapter, doohickey, etc) done?
 
I rode the DR with the supermoto rims/tires. It felt really good, more powerful and nimble then klr. Is 30k (professional rider) reasonable milage? Or am i getting myself a potential headache?

Feels like DR would be better off-road, but with the supermoto tires it feels amazing on the road.

soto said:
I have a DR650 and I love it.

Going to the Ganny is a full day affair so I can't do that too often but it's still fun on pavement. You can wheelie and slide without being too worried about wrecking the bike :)
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lyphe said:
I rode the DR with the supermoto rims/tires. It felt really good, more powerful and nimble then klr. Is 30k (professional rider) reasonable milage? Or am i getting myself a potential headache?

Feels like DR would be better off-road, but with the supermoto tires it feels amazing on the road.
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Just remember the DR650 is air cooled and could be an issue when its hot and not moving in traffic. Personally I wouldn't consider a bike that wasn't liquid cooled.
 
Heat has never been a problem for my DR or any of the other air cooled bikes I've had and they were all used to commute.
 
lyphe said:
I rode the DR with the supermoto rims/tires. It felt really good, more powerful and nimble then klr. Is 30k (professional rider) reasonable milage? Or am i getting myself a potential headache?

Feels like DR would be better off-road, but with the supermoto tires it feels amazing on the road.
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Mine has 22k and I treat it like crap and still rides like new so I don't think mileage is a big issue.
 
lyphe said:
The windscreen is very low, how does it handle at 130?
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Like you noticed on the dr, tires make a big difference. I run knobby tires so they get a little loud and squirrelly over 120.

Fwiw, I took the tall screen off my bike and went back to stock, but then I haven't toured on the klr, ....yet.

Try pm'ing Rotten Ronnie, he had a fully done klr and know has a Dr, he could probably give you the best comparison. Either way you'll have a blast.
 
I've got just over 65,000 km's on my DR and have never experienced any heating issues. Its a work-horse and will take anything you throw at it.
 
Great news everyone, I bought Paul's DR650 Supermoto! As one might expect i'm absolutely in love with it and don't know how i've been living so long without it :) It came with SM tires and knobbies - very excited to take it off road. Great bike, great deal, great guy - Thanks Paul!

Thanks for all the quality replies, you guys helped me make the right decision. Look forward to seeing you on the streets - and in the dirt :)
 
Congrats, you're gonna have a blast.
 
Why would you buy a supple and graceful machine like that when everybody knows an overweight pig on tooth pick stilts is the way to go? j/k

The FCR carb on that bike is a huge part of what makes it so sweet. That alone makes it the right choice. Everything else is gravy.
 
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