I have my first Colorado trip planned and I have looked at DAKAR'S, KLR"S and DR"S (650 size). trouble with which would be best pick.

It will depends on how much off road you may want to do:
-KLR and BMW are the most confortable but pretty heavy off road.They both will cruise at 65/70 MPH on road .
-the DR650 have the best reputation for off road but is not very confortable as with the stock seat, not sure the bike will cruise at 70 MPH.

If you take time to read all the info on the HUBB regarding these bikes you will see that there are pros and cons with all these models. Ultimately buy the bike that offers you the best value for money.

Things to consider include:

Buying spare parts e.g. nearest dealership/outlet. Even if you buy privately is your local dealership a helpful place. It can make a difference if you are not particularly mechanically minded. Mind you there is usually plenty of advice on the biking websites.

If you are using it for touring what panniers and tankbags are available?

If you are travelling alone make sure you are capable of picking the bike up, because at some point (usually in the middle of nowhere) you will drop it.

Are you doing any serious off-roading? Only then does the weight become a real issue. If you are sticking to back roads, fire roads and gravel tracks then all these bikes are more than capable. A decent set of tyres can make a big difference. If you are intending to do some serious off-roading you might want to consider a smaller bike and save weight that way.

But, as I said at the beginning, buy the one that offers the best value for your money. If you are still stuck, pick the one you like the look of the most!

For your info, I ride a 2001 bmw f650 Dakar which I bought because I liked the look of it and my previous bike was a honda transalp and I wanted a change. Have you considered honda - XL/transalp/africa twin? - excellent bikes. (are they available in USA?)

baswacky.