Minimalist Long Distance Dual Sport Choice?

[Stu]

Don's desire to replace his trusty DR650 with a better long range bike has led me to wonder what you all might think would meet this need. I would suggest that a trip to Alaska and then do off road riding once there (including running up to Prudhoe Bay or up to Inuvik in the Yukon). Add in the 70 mile very rough trail off of the Stewart-Cassiar highway up to the Telegraph Creek abandoned settlement. It should be comfortable enough to get there, be able to sustain at least 60 mph speeds and get great mileage (up to 245 miles between gas availability). It should be light enough for the trails so that one person could pick it up when it hits the dirt, or mud.

My KTM 500 EXC would do the off road stuff great. It has loads of accessories available for it including larger gas tanks. It has common off road tire sizes (21" & 18"). It would be less than ideal on long road sections. (If you grew up with British singles, as I did, then it would be considered to be fabulous for those long rides.)

Another possibility would be the new BMW 650GS Sertao. It is 165 lbs. heavier than my 500. It has 3.7 gallons with no options for larger tanks. It has a 17" rear tire. It has dual overhead cams that are difficult to service (the 500's single cam setup is easy to swap shims on, if and when needed). The Sertao gets great mileage but is not as powerful as the 500. It would be better for the long distances than my 500 and probably see much greater mileage in the end without needing top end work.

The compromises are making Don's DR650 look pretty good.

Stu

[Andy]

What are your thoughts on the KLR? It's pretty much what you're describing.

[Stu]

There seem to be 2 KLRs, those built before 2008 and those after. I've ridden a 2009 and was impressed with its smooth engine. Well balanced. It does look like it matches features with the BMW: it has a 17" rear, weighs 423 lbs, is a decent bike for cruising at interstate speeds, etc. The larger gas tank is a strong plus (6.1 gallons). I did see that Kawasaki added $1,000 to its price over former years without much in the way of upgrades since 2008. The strong Yen may be the reason for that.

My impression of the differences between the pre-2008 machines and newer ones is that the older ones are lighter, a bit better off road but rougher around the edges (more engine vibration in the one I rode). For really long trips my choice would be the newer model, 2009 or newer. (A few 2008's reportedly had some valve issues if they were run at high speeds on interstates for long distances.)

Valve shim replacement if needed is more involved than with a single cam set up but it is still something you can do in your garage. There is a good write-up here:

http://www.klr650.marknet.us/valves.html

The KLR, like the DR, has a reputation for reliability. Many of them have made RTW trips. There are loads of accessories for the KLR (and DR) and they are less expensive than BMWs offerings. The KLR and BMW are both only about 40 lbs. lighter than the KTM 990, remember.

I think the KLR would be a good choice. However, for me, lighter is always better, especially off road, so my choice of the three bikes would be the DR.

Stu

[Rick]

Stu, What about the XR? You know I'm partial to red.

[Savage]

I liked my DR650 a lot, I like my KLR more, but what about a WR250?

[Stu]

Rick,

I think Honda had a DS winner there that they chose to drop. Probably not enough sales for them. Perhaps it was the cost of getting it Euro-3 spec'd given the units they sold. Dunno. I am surprised that the DR continues to be available in Europe with a carburetor. KTM went with FI in order to meet these very stringent standards. If the DR and the KLR are going to meet government regulations in the future they may have to update them or follow Honda's example. BMW adopted FI on the 650 single to meet the EU-3 standards. And kept the costs below the 690 KTM, another EU-3 compliant bike. The future of the XR? With FI it would be great. BTW, a guy in LA has ridden his XR to Alaska and back twice. When he is in Alaska he rides the trails after a tire swap.

I've read a couple of RR on ADVRider where the WR250 has been used for the TAT and to go to Alaska and back. I would think it would be working pretty hard at highway speeds (requiring more maintenance?) and pretty buzzy but I have not ridden one. The WR250 has a very strong following. There is also a thread on ADVR about making this bike long distance capable. It adds to the cost considerably. The WR250 in stock form is only 7 lbs lighter than my 500 EXC, and that is weighing my EXC with 1/2 a tank of gas and some mud on it and comparing that weight to Yamaha's listed weight. It has a 2.1 gal. tank and, worst of all, a 5 speed transmission. You don't have a lot to do to either the DR or the KLR or, for that matter, to an XR.

Stu

[Stu]

Rick,

There is another option, in Europe only, not here, unfortunately, that is blue. It is probably what a new XR650 would be like:

http://www.yamaha-motor.eu/eu/products/ ... t660r.aspx

Stu

[Stu]

Continuing...

For that matter we don't get the mouth watering 660R Tenere either (with or w/out ABS):

http://www.yamaha-motor.eu/eu/products/ ... e-abs.aspx

Stu

[Bob Morgan]

WR250R..............................

6 speed transmission.
Some riders are reporting 30K to 40k miles with no problems.
First scheduled valve adjustment is at something like 17K
With stock gearing, in 6th gear, at redline = 100 mph. Drop a tooth on the front or go up 4 on the rear and you can still pull 70 mph with ease. Wearing an aggressive knobby on the front you get a little head shake at 70. I have ridden both gearing choices and like the lower one the best. It has a nice sweet spot around 65 MPH.

The motor is electric smooth, and does not really buzzzz at any speed. My DRZ would buzzzz but not the WR.

I just got back from Colorado, and even though the WR is a little Porky for a 250 the weight is down low in the frame. It feels and rides like a much lighter bike. It was Rock Solid on the trip, with Never a hint of a problem starting, or riding.

The WR is very adjustable for height. I'm 5' 10" and have it slammed down as low as it can go, but there is an adjustable clevis in the suspension linkage that makes the shock longer and shorter from stock at your choice. It's the only bike I know that does this. The rear shock is a little light on rebound damping, and many owners have sent the suspension to places like "Go Race" for a tune job with excellent results.

Low mileage used examples can be purchased for $3000 to $4000.

[Bob Morgan]

I forgot to mention.....................................
I averaged almost 70 mpg for the trip. Running 3rd and 4th on the back roads I got 70+ If you slab it at highway speeds it drops 65 or a little less.

IMS makes a 3 gallon tank that looks 100% stock. I never came close to running dry before finding a place to fuel the bike in 7 days of riding.

Even in the thin air, mine (100% stock Motor and exhaust) was able to pull Monarch pass in 6th gear. Jumping out and passing cars on the downhill side of the mountain was not a problem. I easily kept up with the 610 Huskys, and 650 KLRs along on the ride.

[Stu]

Bob,

I went to the Yamaha web site to check on the specs on the WR250R and apparently hit the tab for the single cam model. My mistake. The 3 gallon tank would get you 195 miles at 65 mpg. A 1 gallon Rotopax would get you just past the 245 mile range and up to 260. Just enough to squeak by. The wet weight of the WR250R is listed as 295 lbs., a whopping 34 lbs. more than my 500 with 2 gallons of gas in it. The 500 carries more weight up high (longer cylinder, larger engine of course) so the actual feel of the bike might be very similar to the WR250R. If the WR250R is as smooth as you say it is at 65 mph with stock gearing it should make a very capable dual sport bike. The 500 EXC does have some vibration at highway speeds and it might be wearing if you were attempting to make 500 mile days.

The WR250R community has some capable & thoughtful individuals:

http://motomind.blogspot.com/search/lab ... 0Equipment

He has everything pretty much covered. He also uses a 4.5 gallon, translucent, IMS tank.

Stu

[Bob Morgan]

There are super tanker tanks available from Safari, that extend the range way out there, but I just don't use it like that.


I forgot to mention the steel rear sub frame that is very stout. In all my reading I have never heard of anyone bending or breaking one from loading it up. The other thing is the stator that is very powerful. Plenty of power for more lights, or even some heated gear.

Here's a pic of mine from last week.

[MacWildcat]

Kind of sounds like the Don's current DR650 sounds like a really good option for a minimalist adventure bike. Great dependability in a simple package, air cooled with with small oil cooler to extend engine protection...and no reason to carry 5 lbs. of fuses needed for other, ahem bikes to keep them operational. No extra plastic or gizmos beyond what is necessary. Good predictable handling on and off the pavement...won't kill you when it get more than 5 degrees out of sorts. Personally I could sacrifice recliner comfort on the pavement if it means I have a bike that I can count on to get me through the tough stuff. Very good payload capacity, optional fuel capacity up to 9 gallons, lots of accessories available to meet whatever your needs may be.