KLR as 2nd bike?

If I could only have one bike it would be my WRR, but after a recent tour to Moab and the Colorado high country that was 95% pavement I am thinking something that can pull the hills/headwinds better would be nice.
The KLR 650 is one I am considering, but not sure if it would be that much of an improvement over the WR on the Interstate.
Maybe I should just go with the WeeStrom and give up a bit of off road capability. Yea I know the KLR wont compare off road to the WRR, but does it do much better on the highway?

Guess that one has a cult following as well.Knew a guy used to ride one to miss form mass twice a month,he said it was great on super slab.
A bunch of guys have used them for a long time for adventure touring,they cant all be wrong. I have looked at them as well. Think they have a club also.

I had a 09 KLR and sold it after I got the WRR. I took it on several long trips and it did ok. Not the greatest. Don't see a lot of actual power difference between the two. My KLR was stock.
My friend has the 650 V-strom and really likes it. He feels ts a much better road bike (he rode my KLR several times).. I agree.
The KLR is heavy and I had no luck trying to use it in any sort of off road riding, especially in any loose stuff. Better riders might have more seccess than I did.
I ended up getting a Yamaha FZ1 for street riding and touring. keeping the WRR for off road.

Daryl

I ride a 2005 KLR as my main highway touring bike. I love that beaten up ugly beast! I have put over 66,000km on the thing and it always makes me smile. Mine is no longer exactly stock. I have the 685cc kit (installed when the bearing on the counterbalance shaft failed on me) which makes the engine smoother & more powerful than stock. Even stock, the KLR is a better highway bike than a WR though. I also have Progressive springs in the front, a Moab shock in the rear, and run D607's (effectively street tires). My KLR can handle gravel & dirt roads just fine with these tires, anything gnarlier than the bike set up like this can handle, I can't handle on this bike. That's where my 250 comes in (the 250 always makes me grin )

Bigger, more skilled dirt riders than I am can accomplish more off-road than I can, but the KLR will always be a bit of a top-heavy pig. If I truly *had* go back to having only one bike - the KLR would be the choice..... I'll kick and scream and hurt you if you try to take my other bikes away, but you'll only get my KLR away from me after it is pried out of my cold, dead fingers.

I have a well farkled KLR (2008) and a WRR. The WRR is much better for me in rough stuff and single track. The KLR is better for long hiway. More comfy. The KLR is physically bigger and I have more space to load it up with gear. I have had the KLR in some pretty rough logging roads (the kTrail in Oklahoma and Ark) and did pretty well with it. Buy I do not take it on single track.

Yes my KLR is better on the highway. And I was just fine on a 3000 mile hiway trip with relatives. But it really is not that great on interstate trying to cruise at 70 or 75 mph.. Two lane hiways it is great.

Keep your WRR. Get a Wee, Vee, BMW or something for the super slab.


Edit: The 685 piston in the KLR may well make a difference on the interstate.

judging by the fact that my riding buddy disappeared in my rear view once we hit the highway (he's on an '09 KLR) I'm going to say they aren't any better for that.

He can't do more than 70mph without burning oil like a fiend.

The vibration on his bike also seems much worse. Every time he take a trip out of town he loses at least 1 bolt.

bsheet2 wrote:

Edit: The 685 piston in the KLR may well make a difference on the interstate.

To me "interstate" and "highway" are not exactly the same thing. I avoid interstates like the plague, they're boring and drone me to sleep.... One of my unavoidable stints of interstate (pre-685) resulted in my worst fuel economy ever - hitting reserve at WOT is an interesting experience

Arkmage wrote:

judging by the fact that my riding buddy disappeared in my rear view once we hit the highway (he's on an '09 KLR) I'm going to say they aren't any better for that.

He can't do more than 70mph without burning oil like a fiend.

The vibration on his bike also seems much worse. Every time he take a trip out of town he loses at least 1 bolt.

2008 & up *can* have an oil burning issue. All of my experience is on a 2005. I can cruise at more than 70mph (and could stock too) without issue.

Big thumpers vibrate. That is *why* they invented zip ties

Re-ringing an '08 & up can solve the oil burning issue, and if you go 685cc at the same time it should reduce the vibrations too.

don't get me wrong. an older style klr with a big bore would make me happy. just haven't owned one yet and can't think of many situations where I'd rather have the klr than my wr.

KLRchickie wrote:

...thumpers vibrate. That is *why* they invented zip ties...

Maybe you just invented your own sig line...

I have two friends with KLRs that I ride with. They always want to trade, except when we're slabbing it back from a long backroad route.

I'm not impressed with KLRs, but that is probably mostly because the riding around here doesn't make them the ideal candidate for these conditions. They certainly have a fan club.

I got a ride on a Wee Strom, and I liked that a lot more than the KLR. The rougher it gets the more it will give up to the KLR, but if I was to buy one more bike to compliment the WRR, it would be the Wee Strom.

Actually, taking the wife out for a ride on this impressed me most of all:



Hey! Dragging bits and pieces through corners and you can't even notice the wife perched back there (but she is kinda small).

So screw the KLR and screw the Wee Strom... I want my buddy's 1150GS. It does gravel roads and rough double track just fine.

I have owned a Beemer before, but the closest dealer is 3 hours away from where I live and the parts were always very expensive, and I often had to make another trip when the parts finally came in. Very fine machines though, in a totally different class than a KLR. I have a dealer/ shop that handles all the big 4 Asian imports only two blocks away.
And for the same price I could have a used KLR and a new V-Strom 650.

The KLR is somewhat rough and outdated (and cheap), but so am I...
I think I will look for a used one, maybe get the 685 kit. Thanks everyone for your opinions.

I just bought a 2008 KLR (I got it so cheap that I will do the 685 kit right away). My limited riding on it so far confirms that it is a decent road bike, as long as you don't need to go much faster than 70 - 75 mph. I like it. Lots of farkles on the way for this one.

I rented a WeeStrom for a week in Alaska a few weeks ago. I was pretty impressed. A great road bike that can go off the beaten path on occasion. Lots of aftermarket availability.

Tough decision you have there!

i was going to suggest a XTZ660, but it looks like you guys dont get it.

http://www.yamaha-motor.com.au/products/motorcycle/offroad/adventure/09-tenere

I would have the XTZ right now if I could get one here!

I had a 2002 KLR that I sold a couple of years ago, and I'm sorry I ever sold it. If there was only one bike I could have it would be a pre 2008 one. I've ridden it in Moab, to Copper Canyon, on singletrack, over 13,000' passes, on rocks and in sand. It's a do everything bike and all at 50mpg. If you have a WR250, then a KLR would be more of a duplicate but better for the a long trip, get a Vee Strom, Tiger 800, or KTM 950/990.

I have lots of riding buddies who ride KLR's. With a good rider, they can go anywhere i can on my wr. They aren't that much bigger, & they will carry more stuff, & lug better. But if i were getting a second bike, it would probably be something more pavement friendly, like a vstrom, bmw, or ktm. I'm partial to suzukis, having had real good luck with a drz for many years, & like the price better, so my 2up, pavement adventure bike would probably be a wee strom.

I don't really see the KLR as being that much different than my wr. I can cruise at 70 all day if i want to (and i don't), & i'd much rather pick up the wr in rough single track than a KLR. My wr vibrates less than a drz, & certainly less than a klr. I have a comfortable seat, which is the most important mod for long slab rides, & a big tank. The power of a KLR is not that much better than a wr, if both are modded. If i had to choose a bike to do a year long ride in S. America, i would definitely consider the KLR. But even then, i'd probably stick with my wrx.

I actually like the honda 650L for that kind of bike. It has better suspension, seems to have more power, & is also very reliable. My regular riding buddy Tom has one, & rides it as often as his WRR.

It is nice to have the options we do. We all have different criteria & personal tastes. KLR's have a good reputation, & just fully so. If that is what a person likes, & it works for them, & they have the money, go for it! Lots of people have a whole stable full of bikes. For my riding purposes, i haven't seen anything i would prefer over my wrx. If my wife would ride with me, i'd add a wee strom. But since she won't, the wrx does it all for me.

I've had a KLR. While a great bike, it's too close to the WRR performance wise to justify having one as a stablemate. I would suggest getting something bigger and more street oriented to compliment the little Yammy.

Something like this makes a perfect stablemate for the baby WRR . . .

It also costs about 2 KLRs...

*edit* it should be noted that I want a super tenere really bad... but have another $40K in student loans and 2 cars to pay off before it's even remotely possible to justify.

I got into Dual Sports with KLR's, they are great on the pavement because of the Wind Screen, and a flat corbin seat. But I always was worried what was around the next bend when I was in the back country, Going down a steep hill on rock was scary. I have gone back to many of these places on the WR and haven't dropped it yet. I've been down in Panama a lot where getting to Colombia thru the darian gap has only been done on a 2wheel drive Rokon http://www.motivation-tools.com/adventures/darien_gap.htm
Then these KLR guys did this
In 2009 a team of three Australians (Roly Stokes, Adam Broadbent and Andrew Young) and one Bolivian (Claudia Orellana) built a boat powered solely by two Kawasaki KLR650 motorcycles to sail around the Darien Gap, from Turbo, Colombia, to Carti, Kuna Yala, Panama. The voyage took 4 weeks and is the first-ever transcontinental, international motorcycle-powered boat voyage. The documentary, Four Strokes of Luck, follows the build and voyage.[8]
This French guy has the best set up
http://www.sailawaypanama.com/aboutus.htm

Who's going to try it on a WR?

Shoootr wrote:

If I could only have one bike it would be my WRR, but after a recent tour to Moab and the Colorado high country that was 95% pavement I am thinking something that can pull the hills/headwinds better would be nice.
The KLR 650 is one I am considering, but not sure if it would be that much of an improvement over the WR on the Interstate.
Maybe I should just go with the WeeStrom and give up a bit of off road capability. Yea I know the KLR wont compare off road to the WRR, but does it do much better on the highway?

For what you are thinking....it's a no brainer. VERSYS- light, inexpensive and better all around. I put some distanzias on them and was good to go. Good luck.

josh wrote:

For what you are thinking....it's a no brainer. VERSYS- light, inexpensive and better all around. I put some distanzias on them and was good to go. Good luck.

I don't think I've even seen a VERSYS... the drawbacks of living back in the sticks. And in blue collar Montana, any bike that isn't riding around in the back of a pickup truck with a number plate on it is probably a Harley...

Sweet looking bike and I like the wheels - no spokes; one less thing to worry about. Perhaps I could learn to love one...

But damn... tearing around on that Beemer for a couple of days sure was sweet. I'd hate to have to pick that SOB up if it fell downhill on a slope, but for tarmac/FSR only, I was pleasantly surprised at how nimble it felt and how low the center of gravity felt. It was awkward when almost stopped; other than that it felt just fine.

Jäger wrote:

josh wrote:

For what you are thinking....it's a no brainer. VERSYS- light, inexpensive and better all around. I put some distanzias on them and was good to go. Good luck.

I don't think I've even seen a VERSYS... the drawbacks of living back in the sticks. And in blue collar Montana, any bike that isn't riding around in the back of a pickup truck with a number plate on it is probably a Harley...

Sweet looking bike and I like the wheels - no spokes; one less thing to worry about. Perhaps I could learn to love one...

But damn... tearing around on that Beemer for a couple of days sure was sweet. I'd hate to have to pick that SOB up if it fell downhill on a slope, but for tarmac/FSR only, I was pleasantly surprised at how nimble it felt and how low the center of gravity felt. It was awkward when almost stopped; other than that it felt just fine.

I've had 2 versys 08 and 09. They need little adjustment to make dirt/gravel worthy. If you drop it it won't cost you a fortune to repair. They are a incredible value .

Ya I'm now thinking the KLR would be much less capable off road and only a bit better on the tarmac. And doing the performance mods would narrow that gap.
I think I would be happy with either the 650 Strom or the Versys. And the new Honda Crossrunner looks interesting.

Shoootr wrote:

Ya I'm now thinking the KLR would be much less capable off road and only a bit better on the tarmac. And doing the performance mods would narrow that gap.
I think I would be happy with either the 650 Strom or the Versys. And the new Honda Crossrunner looks interesting.

In my stable I have a 2000 SV650 (my first bike, bought new and LOVE IT ), 01 KLR650, 01 R1150GS and 08 WR250R . The SV has almost 57k on it, and 99.9% of those miles are mine, fantastic bike. KLR has something like 13k on it, I am the third owner and bought it in 04 or 05. Nice bike, kinda fun, big fuel tank. The GS was my dream bike (pre long way round) when I started riding and purchased it 4 years ago. I have put on 20k, and it just eats up the miles very comfortably, wish I would have gotten the adventure for the larger tank. Majority of the miles are on tarmac, and it handles snow very very well. The WR was the latest lust purchase, since it weighs a lot less than the KLR, has a larger alternator, 6 speed transmission and was engineered in this decade. I have been riding the KLR some lately, and I am always trying to shift it in to 6th gear....constantly. The low end torque is nice. I am hemming and hawing over selling the KLR. Right now, it is purely a commute bike. It vibrates a lot. I have a spare head and cylinder in the garage to put in a 685 or maybe a 705, to tone down the vibes. I have solved its oil burning issue with a PCV valve, which is darn cool, since I thought I needed the 685 to solve the problem. I put on the Britannia Composites fairing and LOVE IT on the KLR, so I am almost sold on the Lynx for the WR. I am also hemming and hawing about selling the GS too. Great bike, but damn heavy. The new Triumph Tiger 800XC looks like a perfect bike for the stable. Great motor, and eat up the miles well. Maybe/probably next year.

So...would I buy the KLR now, after owning it, with what I have in the stable? Nope. I would go with a VStrom 650 with ABS, Versys, Yamaha FZ8 or best, the 800XC. The 650 V Twin that Suzuki makes is wonderful, so you can't go wrong there. Versys gets good reviews too. Both the Suzuki and Kawasaki have smallish alternators for 'big bikes', 350-375 watts. The FZ8 is 500+ and the Triumph is 600+, which competes with the GS. Good for heated gear and lights and other power hungry toys. If you don't care about heated gear/aux lights, then any of them are fantastic. I am now more focused on smaller displacement bikes, for insurance purposes. the big GS gets dinged for having a 1 litre plus motor, but it is no super sport bike. Stupid insurance companies.

John

I just got back from a week in ogden visiting my daughter.. who just bought a wee strom for adventure touring. Her husband has a buell, & she rode 2 up on it for a bit, but wanted to be in control, so got the dl650. I got to ride it some, before & after lowering it for her shorter legs. It is very peppy.. plenty of power & very nimble. I liked it better than Taylor's 1200cc buell, which has the rumbling harley engine. We went on a ride up to snow basin.. lots of twisties to open it up.

It really depends on what you like, how much money you have to spend, what your priorities are, & what you want.. & i think it is mostly 'what you want'. If i were to do a slab only ride, i'd probably want something like a v strom.. but why not get a gold wing? They are fantastically comfortable & are like riding in a luxury car. My problem is, i don't want to do a slab only ride. I want to do a dirt only ride, but seem to get bits of slab here & there. So what i want/need is a fairly lightweight, nimble bike that can do slab, but can also eat up the dirt. I need a big tank & a comfortable seat. I don't need tons of power.. under 30hp is plenty.. just enough to cruise on the highway if needed. I'll need decent knobbed tires for the rugged terrain, & a wide range trannie for slow technical riding & highway cruising.

Hmm. What bike could possibly do all these things? Why, there's a picture of one at the top of this page! It is the little bike that could. It does it all. I sometimes covet other bikes, but always come back to the wrx. It gets me anywhere i want to go. Other bikes may do certain tasks better, but not all of them at the same time. That's where the wr excels & has it's niche.

After 30 years of street riding I became a dirt noob last fall after buying my WRR. Upon realizing it pulls down about 75 MPG it became my commuter bike. I added a windscreen, a rear rack and a mount for a Givi top box. When I redline it in a few gears it still makes me giggle to think that it's ONLY a 250. I'm thinking of buying some pavement-oriented tires for it.

My Triumph street bike sits in the garage collecting dust. It's only been ridden maybe two or three times this year. It seems huge and ungainly to me now. I used to really love that bike. It's just not the same now. I may have to change my screen name.