and I've put on 18,000 miles in the past 4 months on my slightly used ('06, 4,300mi) KLR650 now, all in the U.S., roughly 2,000 miles off-road. From the issues I've encountered with the KLR, I stick by my opinion.

The KLR is just a cheap ass motorcycle, and you'll spend many more days and hours in your travels keeping it together, fixing and tightening all the stuff that works loose, then other popular bikes. Never mind all the time and fixes you need to make before hand in order to make the bike road worthy.

The air filter/intake is over the rear wheel - sucks in dirt like something fierce - like a Hoover - cleaning air filters every couple days when doing dirt is required.

Everything works loose. Everything! (your foot pegs will fall off if you don't keep tightening them).

Wiring to the tail light is exposed (under the rear fender) and can be broken with rocks. There are all sorts of significant shortcomings with this bike.

Fan motor can be destroyed in a tip-over on the left (blade housing can be bent, blades stop, shaft keeps turning and it self-destructs).

Riding position is shit - figure on spending money on proper clamps and bars.

There are many more problems with this bike that I've encountered, in addition to the above, but known throughout the KLR community.

about the best thing I can say - I like the sidestand.

The KLR will do a continent, but it won't do the world without continual maintenance and repairs. I still stick by the claim - there are no (or few) successful long distance round the world efforts on this bike. Greg Fraziers RTW ride on this bike (or '08 upgrade was it) is without a doubt one of the shortest RTW distances ever recorded by bike me thinks.

If you're serious about RTW - get serious about the wheels. Yeah, anything will work. Just not a 650 with the shortcomings of the POS KLR

If we just stopped buying this bike, then maybe KLR might come up with a better version? I doubt it - they probably depend on the US market of cheap asses keeping this bike in production. If we stopped buying it, they might stop making it. But I really don't see the downside.

__________________
quastdog
Chiang Mai, Thailand