Plans for my upcoming RTW trip are starting to come together, and I have reached the point where I am looking to buy the bike to be used on the trip.

I have more or less made a decision, but want to run my reasoning past everyone and see if any of the experienced riders out there can shoot any holes in my reasoning. Perhaps my reasoning below can also help out others debating this same decision.

Size and Riding Style

The bike will be supporting only me and a minimal amount of gear (I travel light). I also have no fear of leaving the pavement. At the same time, an RTW trip will spend some time in highly developed countries and should be capable of at least minimal highway speeds.

Given this I am looking at a 650cc - 1000cc range dual sport. The lower end of this range is preferred because I will inevitable need to pick it up by myself from time to time.

Mileage

I am planning a trip to last a minimum of 2 years, beyond which I am not planning ahead for if I will be on the road or not.

Assuming I travel an average of 100 miles a day, I will be putting on 36,500 miles a year. 73,000 in two years. 146,000 if I'm still on the road in 4 years.

The motorcycle used should have a reasonable expectation of reaching the 2-year mark, though not necessarily without repairs (see below).

Reliability and Maintenance

Reading blogs and talking to experienced RTW travelers, it is clear that repairs will need to be made along the way. The unrelenting mileage in inhospitable conditions will get to any motorcycle, no matter how reliable under ordinary conditions.

Reading those same blogs and talking to those same people it is also clear that the best way to avoid breakdowns is in regular maintenance. Put lots of work into keeping the bike in top condition and just about any brand will give you a highly reliable ride.

Given this, ease of maintenance should be a priority. This can take the form of easy to perform and/or less frequently needed. A person's own skill at performing maintenance must also be accounted for.

Repairs

The ability to make repairs after a breakdown is greatly effected by several factors:

1. How easy are parts are to obtain.
2. How easy it is to find expertise to repair the problem for a brand-specific breakdown.
3. How easy it is to perform one's own repairs
4. How likely are repairs to be possible in the middle of nowhere
5. The rider's skill at performing repairs.

A new model BMW is a popular choice, but can sometimes be difficult to repair because of parts availability. A KLR conversely is seen as less reliable, but typically can be fixed almost anywhere.

Comfort

Comfort while riding is critical. Some start out reasonably comfortable (BMW GS) while others require work using after-market farkles (KLR). Models which cannot be made comfortable should be avoided.

Cost

Cost should include purchase price, farkles, carnet, and gas mileage. To some extent cost is almost irrelevant against the overall cost of the trip, but not if the cost difference equates to additional months on the road.

Personal Decision: KLR650 (pre-'08 model)

Based on the above, I have chosen the KLR650, specifically a pre-'08 model.

The KLR is not without its significant drawbacks. It isn't the most comfortable ride, it requires lots of farkles to match up to stock RTW worthiness of some other brands, and it has a lower potential lifespan than some other brands.

To balance this out, the technology is simple and can be fixed anywhere. There are lots of after-market farkles for modifying the KLR to my desired specifications. The KLR is capable in any road conditions I am likely to encounter and light enough I can pick it up myself. The bike is also very inexpensive compared to many of the other choices, even after adding a long list of after-market parts. The cost difference between the two extremes (KLR650 and F800GS) is sufficient for several months of travel expenses and well worth the consideration.

What tips the balance in favor of the KLR is my extensive knowledge of how the bike works. I currently own a KLR which I have worked on extensively and I am satisfied that if necessary I could repair anything using the clymer manual and my existing knowledge. Some parts will be hard to find in some parts of the world, but many of those can be cludged together with a bit of ingenuity. Those that cannot should be no more difficult to obtain than specialty parts for some other brands people are using. Maintenance (daily and periodic) is easy and can be performed anywhere with a little bit of advance planning. Any other choice would be more difficult to repair and I would have less knowledge of how the bike works.

The big unknown is maximum lifespan, even with good maintenance. A well maintained KLR can easily last 70k - 90k miles, even under abusive conditions. Before the 100k mark, it is entirely possible the engine will need to be rebuilt, or possibly even replaced. My opinion so far is that this risk is balanced out by my knowledge of the bike and its lower cost compared to other choices.

Comments? Anyone who can convince me the KLR650 is a bad choice?

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Traveling The World Since: 2011
Blog: The Seductive Life (General Travel)