OK, I'm considering going for a smaller engined machine for a bit of leisurely touring with perhaps a tiny bit of off-roading/greenlaning.

What do folk think of the XT660R...any one travelled far on one?

The lack of a kick start is a bit frustrating...not sure if it's possible to bump start a fuel-injected bike? On a test ride I thought this little single seemed reasonably comfortable and powerful. Not sure how it copes fully ladened with all the camping stuff though?

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greencat

I don't know if a fuel injected bike can be bump started. Interesting quesiton. Here's hoping for a reply from someone more knowledagble in such matters.

As for the touring question: I think there was a thread about this at a previous date. The problem seems to be that the model is still fairly new and so, not many have had the chance to test it thoroughly. But if you believe the Yamaha sales pitch "the authentic go anywhere, do anything, motorcycle", they seem to believe that the XT660R will take over where the XT600 left off. Only time will tell if this will be the case.

I am in the preperation stages of my trans africa trip starting in November. To me, it is a choice between the BMW F650GS and the Yamaha XT660R. The BMW costs about 33% more than the Yamaha (at least in Denmark where I live). Personally, I am not convinced that the extra cost reflects it's performance and durability over the Yamaha's. If Yamaha can give you a 5 year warranty (which they do), it does give you a hint of how durable they believe it is. I am unaware if BMW gives the same warranty. Having said all that, I am not discounting the F650GS option just yet. It does seem to do the job, and several touring agencies swear by them. And even the staunchest opponent to BMW have to admit that they look darn good . I digress...back to the Yamaha...

My main worry (goes for both the Yam and the BMW) is the fuel injection. Since I personally will be traveling in areas where petrol quality will be questionable, hyper modern bikes fuel system is somewhat of a worry to me. I don't know if this is an issue to you. Just tossing a ball here.

My conclusion (conclusion=guessing): Seeing as the XT660R comes from a company who has had so much success with the XT600 can't have gone all wrong. Dare I guess that much of the "this works" technology from the XT600 has gone into the XT660R? And then added a few improvements to an allready widely accepted success. Also, complemening the engine with an extra 60 ccm perhaps gives it that extra "umph" that is needed to carry yourself/paniers/extra fuel/tent and packs for a long trip.

Eventhough the F650GS is not entirely out of the picture yet, Yamaha does seem to be my personal favorite at the moment. So if you want to trust my guesswork/conjecture/selfinvented logic, I'd say go for it.

Or, you can wait untill May 2008 where I should be returning from my Africa trip and I'll be able to give my oppinion more based on facts and experience .

My XT600E which is similar to the 660 but older and smaller engined and with carbs (and therefore presumably less powerful) copes well with even the enormous amount of crap I load on it. A recent trip I took to Morocco and Iran I took what can only be described as a ridiculous weight (there was an ice axe and crampons in there for some of the time, that'll give you an idea what a rolling gear store I was!). Bouncing around on Moroccan pistes and Turkish roads didn't seem to do the subframe any harm either.

To sum up, assuming the 660 has similar reliability and quality to the 600 then it's going to be great for the type of stuff you mention. The only major 'oops' Yamaha seem to have made is to run the pipes under the sump, but I'm guessing you can get a bash plate for them.

Have no idea about the injector/push starting thing though!

Matt

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*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!

Bump starting not a problem i have had to do it a few times until yamaha sent me a replacement under warranty.
Only had mine a couple of months but am well impressed, taking mine to Iceland in July.
Check out .: XT660.com - The #1 XT660 Resource :. a great site to research your dilema.

I am thinking of buying one too.

I think it's a pretty good bike as long as you don't want to go offroad. The pipes running under the engine is a big minus for offroading. But there is a 2in1 exhaust system that would change this (off-the-road in Germany sells them).

Additionally, the tank could be bigger in my opinion. But if you stay away from remote areas that shouldn't be a problem.

If it help's.
I have moved from a large bike to the nice and small XT660R.
I fitted a set of my old panniers useing a new set of rack's from TT.
TT also make a very good full size engine guard,at about £120 and for the size of it ,it seems to be good value,and the part's arrived in less than a week.
I have taken the bike off road with a pillion and it does the job well.
I have also been getting 70mpg 2 up and loaded,so 70+ should be doable solo.
With a 5lt jerry can on the back,that would give me a range of 300 mile's or so.
And there is still a few pre registered one's for sale at £3200 !!!!

OK...having had a test ride and weighing the pros and cons of big bike vs little bike and XT660R vs all the others I'm going to go for it and plump for the XT.

I'll add some feedback here as I kit the bike up and following my 3 week exploration of Scandinavia.

Thanks to all who provided comments here

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greencat

The XT660 isn't really a development of the XT600, it’s a whole new bike, so any comparisons on that level are like comparing an XT660 to a KTM Adventurer, however, I believe it is (XT660) a bloody good bike from a company that understands how to build reliable and practical motorcycles, at a fair price. It’s on my list of bike to consider after my XT600 gets pensioned off – a while yet.

As for touring on a single, I believe it’s the way to go, there is enough power to propel yourself and all you luggage along at a reasonable rate in safety, whilst not being too heavy to pickup when you drop it and you will at some point. Have a look at the problems people have with the bigger bikes and there more complex systems. In this month Bike magazine there is an interesting article about riding to Timbuktu; complains about the bigger bikes being too heavy and breaking down amazed me.

For my two pence worth, I would buy one and then give loads of money to Metal Mule to kit it out. They make really solid kit from panniers (which I have) to sump guards and exhaust systems. Check out Bike High – they have nothing but praise for both the XT660 and the Metal Mule equipment – they even raced their touring bike in the Himalayan Rally and won their class.

Happy Trails.

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http://www.moto-andalucia.com

Hi there,

I bought an XT660R recently and will be starting on a RTW in 2008 on it. Im currently equipping the bike. So far here is my rundown...

...the bike is ridilled with fueling problems which yamaha have not been able to cure (apparently not even on the 2007 models). The main problem is the fueling which is very surgey and causes the bike to cut out at low speeds. XT660.com has a number of fixes for this although none seem top be perfect or absoloute without shelling out or major modidfications. I'm currently considering a power commander to cure these problems, all the other cures involve lots of cutting of snorkels etc. which isnt such a wise move in the desert. Do try XT660.com; there are some good techies on there. I would be well aware of this before buying one, no one seems to have found a complete cure. Its pissing me off quite alot, but liveable with.

Apart from that my only dilemna is the pipes. I dont know whether to just get some new pipes without the cats in them (The xt has these in their pipes) or get a 2-into-1 to aid ground clearance. Im not going to be doing off off road, but the consensus seems to be that its a wise move. If this is the case i will probably buy the offtheroad.de kit. The problem with a 2-into-1 is that noone seems able to equip the 660r with both a 2-into-1 pipe and engine bars. For me engine bars were a must as i expect to drop the bike lots

Apart from that im very happy, and a fabulous little bike. I paid 2700 quid for mine with 2000 miles on the clock a few months ago a couple years old. Was minters and in great condition.

Here is my list of expected changes to the bike before the trip:

Yamaha Hand Protectors
Pipes (To remove Cat convertor)
Engine Bars
Uprate Fork Springs/rear spring (Currently fork is very soft)
Bash Guard
Renthal Bars (Current bars are very cheap and bendy)
Panniers/Rack
tkc 80 tyres
rallye footpegs
folding gear lever
Large Screen (Get bashed about at the moment on the highway at 80mph or so)
GPS mount


That little lot should get me going.

Thanks
Joe (Leaving March 2008)

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Thanks
Joe

At present...commuting (and probably riding like a pratt) i find i actually only get about 50mpg. Saying that this week i'm going to try and behave myself and see what i can push it to.

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Thanks
Joe

One thing that scared me off XT660, besides low exhaust and relatively high weight, was the fact that the engine is not made by Yamaha but Minarelli (Italy). Entire bike is made by MBK in France, not Yamaha.

Excellent machine and will take anyone anywhere for any amount of time. 2 guys used these to go to the highest altitude a bike has been ridden (in india), they rode there from the UK, attempted the climb and achived it then rode home.
best mods are micron exhaust (doesnt go under engine)

I want one, where can they be purchased for £3500? when Ive looked there more like £6000

I've had my XT660 R for nearly 2 years now. Its longest journey was down through Africa. No Problems at all even with dodgy petrol.
Bump-starting a fuel injected bike is no problem, but it does need a bit of power in the battery to make the electronics work.
Mine has always given between 70 and 80 miles to the gallon, except in W.Africa where it dropped to the low 50s.
Loads of extras available - centre stand from SW Motech and another company, panniers & frames from SW Motech, Touratech & Metal Mule, sump guards, crash bars, taller screen, rear carrier etc all out there. 2 into 1 exhaust from www.offtheroad.de or Metal Mule, silencers from Carbon Can Company, Akropovic, Scorpion etc, etc.
It could sometimes do with a larger fuel tank. Off The Road make one, but I believe it is made from glass-fibre and costs €800! I used a 5L fuel can on the back of the bike. The tank holds 15 litres and the red warning light comes on with 5 litres remaining. I always expect the red light to come on at about 150 miles, meaning I have up to 75 miles in reserve!
Loads of parts are available on UK eBay.
For me, there's no other bike out there that I would rather have. It is cheap to buy (new on eBay for £3,200), cheap to run, easy to service and maintain with loads of extras available oh, and it's quite comfortable too.
I have not experienced surging on mine, but it is due to go in for a replacement throttle switch under warranty.
Go get, and enjoy..........

They have been advertised in For Sale section of MCN for the last few month's .You Can get a Brand new unused pre reg 2006 XT for £3199 .

Dazzer

Thanks for that great review oldbaldrick. I was propably going to go for that bike anyway, but it was nice to see a post from someone with "hands on" testing. Especially under rugged conditions that you have no doubt experienced during your trip through Africa.

The low clearence due to the pipes is still a minor worry (very minor) to me. Did you equip a 2 in 1 or did you just trust the bashplate to do it's job? (Your post is not clear if you fitted one or just related where you could buy it)

What about shocks? Did you fit something extra sturdy ones or just go with the ones the factory fitted?

Thanks again for an excellent post.