Hi Folks,

This thread has certainly been an interesting read so far, with a lot of very valid points to boot.
Let's look at that thread heading again ...... "has the KLR gone the way of the Dodo bird"?
Personally, I don't think so.
At least not for a little bit longer anyway.
One day the KLR will be phased out, as will other popular bikes such as the KTM690, DR650 etc......but for now, the KLR offers new "adventurers" an inexpensive and easy way to get out there and see the countryside without spending huge $$. The price tag certainly promotes travel for beginners to this activity.
........isn't that what this website and all who subscribe to it are about?

Safe travels and adventures to you all

Nevil

Well, I don't think that anyone is denying that, and it sounds like a pretty decent bike to me. US riders in particular are lucky to have it, since some of the other 600-model bikes (Tenere, others?) aren't available in the US.

Spot on there Nevil!
In an earlier post I mention attending a HUBB travelers meeting in Copper Canyon, Mexico in 2004.

At that meeting there were 35 KLR's ... out of 105 bikes total. A few of those KLR guys rode down from Canada. Many of them were relatively NEW to bike travel. The term "Adventure Motorcycle Travel" did not really exist in 2004. We were just motorcycle travelers then ... with all the current ADV Marketing crap left out.

Talking to guys then, most were on tight budgets and the KLR was as much bike as they could afford. There were 3 or 4 tricked out ones ... but most were close to standard. I wonder what all those guys are riding now?

My brother in law has 3 KLR 250s, he paid 1050 AUS , ( im in Australia) , which gives him a second set of rims with off road tyres, also one had a staintune pipe. He has not alot of money and has done aheap of work with the carb, air bix, tappets, his only had 19000 kms a 1998 model I think ? ( the other two are not running) his main white one, his getting it really to come with me the ths HU meeting in Victoria Australia in October this year. I will have to take it easy on my Tiger 800, so he can keep up, but it will sit on 100 kph easy. All he needs to do know is a set of progressive springs in the forks, and harder rear spring in the rear he loves his KLR .

" IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT BIKE YOU HAVE , AS IT'S ALL ABOUT THE RIDE "

Regards
Tiger68

The Yamaha Tenere' 660 is the only one we don't get (well, NONE of the 650 class yam dual sports come to the USA actually, haven't since 1995). We DO get the 1200 Tenere'. And of course we get every other dual sport 650 class bikes: KTM's, *Huskies, *Husabergs (*out of business) and BMW's. (Sertao and G650) We also got the X series bikes, but just for about 2 years. The G450 too.

Actually, Europe and the UK are the ones SHORT on dual sport bikes.

The DR650 has not been sold in the UK since 1996 ... so NO "new" generation DR650's ever sold there. The pre '96 DR was real crap, BTW. Post '96 is totally different and 100% better bike. No interchangeable parts.

The EU got post '96 DR for a few years ... I believe it was cut off in sometime around 2004 or '05? Not sure on this. Quite rare now it seems.

The KLR hasn't been sold in 10 years or so in UK/EU perhaps longer. Made in Thailand since 2005.

Not sure about Honda XR650L? It sold for a long time in most of EU / UK, not sure if still available new? ... can't imagine how it would pass latest Euro lll or lV standards with it's carb.

A couple bikes we don't get here: Transalp Honda (ceased 1990),Honda Africa Twin (we never got it), Yamaha TDM900 (ceased 1992), Suzuki DR Big 800, and a few other odd street bikes I can't recall.

Of course we get ALL the Japanese 250 class bikes, race bikes and dual sports, ATV's and all that stuff. There are still probably 500 Mom & Pop Moto Cross tracks throughout the USA, plus flat tracks and 8 Major road race tracks, including several Moto GP approved ones.

Here in San Francisco Bay area, we also get MV Augusta, Benelli, Triumph, BMW, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Ducati, KTM, Beta, Sherco, Hyosung, Kymco, Vespa ... about 10 different Chinese bikes and 4 different Electric bikes ... which are really HOT around here ATM.

That's very true. There are times now when I read posts on here and on others sites when I wonder if I've wandered into some kind of parallel biking universe. I don't want to hijack this thread so I'll keep this short and if anyone thinks it's worthy of further consideration we ought to start again elsewhere, but all the marketing, the hype and the hysteria surrounding "adventuring" had made me wonder whether I should just delete all the site bookmarks and do what I used to - ride whatever wreck I have in the garage to wherever I want to go without worrying whether whether I have a carbon fibre bashplate or reinforced case protectors, and certainly without caring about what other people are doing.

It's just bike riding ffs. We now have courses to take before you even start travelling - both entry level and advanced, a whole checklist of stuff you need to buy to replace perfectly functional existing parts and your progress can be logged, monitored and assessed as you go. I'll save the rest of the stuff about real time feedback of your cornering prowess and on-line counselling in case you have a hard time with a border official till later.

hmm, I thought there were few more that weren't avail in the US, but I haven't lived there in a while, so maybe I'm confused. No matter...

I have an xChallenge, but if I had to give that up I'd want a 660 Tenere, and if I couldn't get that I'd probably get a KLR. For some reason (I don't know much about them), I don't care much for the KTMs or the other BMW 650s.

If you're thinking: ALL bikes, then YES there are more that US don't get. But among dual sports ... I think that's all there is :confused1: just Yam 600 class bikes.

Nearly bought an X Challenge, loved the look of it ... but when I test rode ... did not suit me. It was nearly new, mostly stock. A beauty ... but I had to let it go. But the X Chall is a lot lighter and more capable than current BMW G650 and Sertao. I'd stick with it.

I was enamored with the 660 Tenere' when it first came out ... thought it looked great! (still looks great!) Thought of going to UK, buying one, heading South down through Africa (only made it to Morocco on my Tiger).

But then read a very good review from someone who actually knows how to ride dirt bikes and they straightened things out. Of course the main issue is quite obvious, no mystery: It's just plain too heavy. There are more issues with the Tenere' ... but no point picking the bike apart now. I won't own a 650 class bike that is 75 lbs. heavier than my DR650.

I love riding KTM's ... owned 2 of them and tested a dozen or so. The 640 dual sports were TOO TALL for me ... and early on (I was riding Two Strokes in the dirt) KTM 4 strokes were terrible. Since then I've ridden all the later generations of KTM's: 450, 520, 525 and 530. Have not ridden the 500. Also rode the 690, twice.

I liked them all, the 530 being the best for this terrain:


But the 690 was pretty good as a dual sport. But looking it over closely ... it did not seem like it would make a good travel bike. But it DID attract a lot of attention wherever we stopped. In some Cent. American countries that sort of attention may not be desired.

Also, did not appear that easy to load on luggage as it has NO subframe!
But loved riding ALL the KTM's, All good. The early twins blew up or had serious problems ... about 6 riders in my group owned them early on. (2004 or 2005) Almost ALL had problems ... NOW?

Latest 990's/1190's appear much improved, refined and more reliable. But these guys don't really care about reliability. They all own 5 or 6 bikes and when one breaks, they just hop over to another. Most buy a new bike every year or two. What they want is speed and performance. KTM delivers both in spades.

Like your X Chal, the KLR, DR650 and Honda XR650L all would need extensive mods to be decent and reliable travel bikes. The X Challenge is a good platform to build on, just like the blank canvas DR or KLR.

As for the future ... KTM are in the Cat Bird Seat. They are set to dominate if the Japanese continue to languish and not rebuild their dual sport fleets. It they can continue to refine the 690 ... then I think they are onto something.
If they can maintain it's off road spirit and add in more comfort, reliability and easier maintenance ... it could pull a lot of riders off KLR's, DR's and such. It's really KTM's race to lose.

When I bought my xChallenge, I was actually looking for a DR, but couldn't find one in Moscow that wasn't beat to hell. But they don't make DRs anymore either, do they?

Sure do. about every dealer here has at least one on the floor

Right, not made any more! That's Funny!
Typical response from BMW guy. Most BMW guys don't follow motorcycling beyond BMW world, haven't a clue of the history or current status of anything other than BMW.

So many I meet have NO idea about anything regards latest Japanese bikes, the tech or latest new bikes out there. They don't follow racing or go to bike shows or read motorcycle press. They ONLY follow BMW ... who typically represent 3% of sales worldwide among all bikes. (or less)

Since I worked in the business 25 years (press) I came across this sort of "lack of knowledge" often. I follow "all things bikes", cause it was part of the job.

No surprise you could not find a DR650 in Moscow. As I said in earlier post, DR and KLR haven't been sold in the EU in a decade (18 years for the DR650SE)

Briefly covered the history of these Japanese 650 class dual sports already:
As mentioned, the DR650, KLR650, XR650L have all been in production ... and STILL ARE IN PRODUCTION. Original DR600 goes back to the 1980's. The current DR650SE since 1996, basically unchanged.

KLR started in 1984 as a 600, upgraded to 650 in '86. Unchanged until '08, now again in '14. But essential motor mechanicals UNCHANGED since 1986. It's currently one of Kawasaki's BEST sellers. Made in Thailand.

The XR650L Honda was based on the XR600R race bike, goes back well into the 1980's when Scott Summers won many GNCC championships Honda won many Baja races. Honda also made the XL series dual sport bikes in various sizes ... going back to the 70's. I owned several. In the UK there was the Dominator, similar to XL600R, AFAIK.

The current XR650L was introduced in 1992 and has not changed at all since!! Hard to believe, but true.

RANT:
Lots more to this history, all these bikes have roots going back to 1960's and 70's. All have been made in various sizes from 125, 175, 200, 250, 500, 550, 600 and 650. Too many models to cover here.

And since the 1960's ... how many dual sport, off road bikes has BMW
produced? Folks claim BMW "pioneered" ADV travel bikes with their
1981 R80GS. Among California riders/racers, we beg to disagree.

We were doing ADV Touring on our Honda's, Yamaha's, Suzuki's and Kawasaki's since the 1960's on dozens of various dual sport bikes ... and we were doing the same on our Triumph Desert Sleds before the Japanese came in. I never saw a BMW in the early Baja 1000 races ... long before the Dakar was dreamed of.

Er, yes. I'm glad I could amuse you, and I in turn was amused by your assumption that "BMW guys don't follow motorcycling beyond BMW world, haven't a clue of the history or current status of anything other than BMW". In fact, other than the bikes I own, I don't know much and care even less about other BMW bikes, and I'm also not particularly interested in tracking world-wide what other bikes I can't buy here.

At least in 2010, when I found my xChallenge, for new bikes, other than BMW I could buy KTM or a couple of very expensive (+$10k) last-year-model DRZs. No Teneres, no DRs, no KLRs. I think there is also now a Triumph dealer here, although I've never been... Russia is not part of the EU, so I'm not sure what that has to do with it.

To be fair to motoreiter, its actually more to do with the fact that 90% of countries in the developed world do not allow bikes like the KLR and DR to be sold anymore, due to emissions rules. i.e they do not exist in our markets and have not for a decade or so at least. They have not been sold in our part of the universe in a very long time.

We do not see late model KLRs or DR650s travelling across Russia. Over 95% of foreign bikers crossing Eurasia are European ... And being European riders on European registered bikes, most of them are on EFI bikes. The handful riding "old skool" bikes are usually riding Honda or Suzuki 400s and 650s (and the occasional Yamaha) from the 1990s. The KLR just never took off in Europe, even in the 1990s. You just dont see them out of the Americas or Australia.

So thats a "history and current status" update for you.

Russia is not part of the EU, but 99% of the world (including Russia) uses ECE design rules for vehicles standards and fuel standards and emissions standards etc. Some countries are a few years behind the EU in implementing them, but every country on earth with the exception of the US (SAE) uses ECE rules. (A small handful like Canada and Mexico accept both sets of design rules).

Its not really an unreasonable question then for someone based in Europe or Russia to ask if they are still made.

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so to go even further off-topic, i always get a kick out of countries that have such strict emissions controls for new vehicles yet could give two shits about the crazy smog-makers they allow to keep rolling (barely) along their roads.

i would bet that the niva--a russian made "suv" spews out a shit-ton of crap even when new.

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'07 DL1000 '08 DR650

Exactly! Thanks for confirming that!