Take a lot at Colebatch's post in this thread http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ike-do-52163-9 where he observes that beyond civilisation in Siberia, the majority of bikes are KTM or BMW

Anyways, I think the LC4 is a fine engine that if looked after will go a long way. I was happy enough with mine :-) Compared to the DR you probably need a bit more maintenance, but your ride is in a different league.

Things to watch out for:
- Rocker arm roller (probably needs replacement every 25.000km or so, change before you go)
- Good quality oil, change regularly
- Hydrolic clutch master/slave cylinders, take a bottle of Magura blood
- Put gaiters on the USD forks
- Starter sprag clutch can wear out if you put on the throttle whilst starting, easy to replace though (guide on advrider)
- On the Mikuni BST40 carb, the jet needle and needle jet may wear out, take a spare (BST40 guide on advrider)
- Get the right (front) sprockets, otherwise you may have an oil leak if it doesnt fit properly
- Change the crank lip seal in the clutch case every now and then, makes sure you get enough oil on the crank

Anyways, there's no right choice. Pick the one you like and don't look back

I love KTMs and but I own a DR650SE. I think it is safe to say that almost all bikes are reliable to a point if serviced and loved in the right way. But some will take more of a beating than others.

For me bike choice is about budget, reliability, comfort, simplicity of repair and availability of parts. You can get used to almost any bike on a trip, some will be more fun than others, some will be faster than others. What is your trip about fun, getting from POI to POI as fast as possible, getting there without the need for a massage to recover ?

I personally would go with the DR as it seems more universal. But I also understand that there issues with getting that model up there.

Cheers

Hi Guys,

some updates.... I ended up buying a DRZ-400 SM 2005 with 14500km this weekend. In excellent condition for only 2000US$... Well that's the reason I bought it.

Is has a charging problem, and that's why I got this incredible price, I guess it's the connector between the regulator and the battery, I red a lot of posts on internet about this, will check as soon as I can.

So now I have the option to buy enduro rims, big tank and panniers and prepare this DRZ, or to sell it/trade it when the good season starts again...

I kept an eye and still no DR650 SE for less than 3500 US$ and just one KTM Adventure. A 99 with 17'000km, with lot of goodies, but +5000$.. A bit too much for me right now..

This 'might' help...

[url=http://www.touringted.com/drz400s-overland-prep]Touring Ted

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

AHHHH Why can I never insert working links on this site....

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Hi Touring Ted,

thanks for the link, but I already have it! Nice webpage.

I should do the same with the modifications I did on my R100GS

By the way, it's a 2006, not a 2005.

First thing - you are going to pay much much more for a KTM than a DR650!

Although KTM's do have a big following they are very highly strung machines which take a lot to maintain and keep roadworthy.

A DR650 is a much much simpler bike (most would say more durable & reliable too).

A KTM is cutting edge Austrian technology at it's best but you pay a lot of money for it. If you are rich then go right ahead and get one...

For me the DR650 makes much more sense.

Perhaps you should also look at the Yamaha XT series too?

__________________
Triumph Bonneville 800 (2004), Yamaha XT600E (1999), Honda XBR500 (1986).

I'm not a big fan of KTM's but have a look at these ride reports, both guys rode KTM's and absolutely loved them, riding hard and fast. Both links drop you into the middle of their rides.

Same as it ever was…heading to Latin America - Page 91 - ADVrider
No Fumar Español: South from San Diego - Page 80 - ADVrider

I've run a 640 Adventure for 7 years and have become a big fan of this bike...About the second year of ownership the bike had a piston ring fail, in turn causing other damage... This was at 40,000 km and was the only real failure the bike had... I have really gotten used to the bike and what the service intervals are that it requires... I do all the maintenance my self on the bike and being carburated it is still simple and not so dependent on software as are some examples ... My service intervals go about every 2 years or 40-50,000 KM which consists of a valve job being done, water pump rebuild and replacement of the rocker roller bearing on the intake side... I replace the piston rings at every 2nd service around 80-100,000 KM... I am coming up to 152,000 KM on this bike and decided that I should purchase a second 640 at first opportunity ... I found a fairly beat up hard ridden version, same year {03} with 28,000 km and am restoring it to make a second reliable ride... Oil changes are a little more time consuming but other than that service to these bikes is pretty simple...

Now the DR 650 and the KLR have proved to be pretty reliable but not without faults, of coarse the KLR has the DooHickey + oil burning issues and the DR is known to have thin engine case material which can puncture in a tip over and in a few examples gearbox issues outlined in this thread:DR650 3rd gear blowups - Page 22 - ADVrider

Given that choice, I personally would take the KTM, Cause you can take it as it is, stick a stiffer rear spring and luggage on it, and ride it hard over shitty roads anywhere on the planet. The DR650 will be better if your riding is less about fun and more about simplicity - more about getting there. The KTM is better if its more about HOW you get there.

To me, the question (and all the hundreds of other what bike questions on the forum) comes down to ... what kind of rider are you? What floats your boat.? If your priority is the destinations and the bike is a means to get you there, then you want to take a simple, reliable bike so you are not distracted by bike issues. If riding pleasure is also a focus for you, then a lighter, better suspended, higher performance bike will give you a higher return in terms of satisfaction.

For anyone reading this down the line, please, when you ask the what bike question, tell us a little bit (or a lot) about your riding background and style, and what you enjoy about riding, because its impossible to give a useful answer to the question without it.

__________________

I'll wager you have never owned a 640, and that your claims are all hearsay based on
the experiences of others.

I have owned a 640 and ridden it many miles , and it has been as reliable as any Japanese
bike I have ever owned, over 40 years of riding motorcycles.

To the OP : Don't let the claims of "internet experts" dissuade you from buying what is far and away the best
adventure bike in the world. One caveat : if you are shorter than 5 feet 10 inches tall, you will find the bike is a handful.
But if your skill is up to the bike's abilities, you will find no more satisfying bike on earth, for true adventure riding.

By far, the comment written by Colebatch, above, is the most pertinent on this thread. I suggest you
read it several times and digest the deceptively simple wisdom the man was kind enough to offer,
which is based on more riding experience than most folks will have in a lifetime.

Probably because KTM riders are out riding :-)

Well, so sayeth the man who had bought and sold bikes professionally and has also trained as a motorcycle technician to a high level, worked in large multi franchise dealerships as well as my own motorcycle repair business professionally.

I've worked on a few broken LC4's as well as seeing plenty of them coming in and out the workshop. I've also seen many in pieces in workshops all over the world and their owners banging their heads against the wall trying to source parts..

You get a 'feeling' of which engines are better than others, in terms of reliability.

Just because yours hasn't let you down, doesn't mean plenty haven't...

And I'm not saying they're all going to break down , nor am I saying a Jap bike won't either. Reliability is rarely down to luck. It's about engineering. The LC4's aren't built to go around the clock. It's fact, not internet hearsay.

I'm not saying I'm a KTM expert, just giving my opinion which 'possibly' may be more experienced than some others, which is all one can do on an internet forum. It's the OP's decision of who and what he listens to.

Does 40 years of riding a bike make you a KTM expert ? My mum's being cooking for 40 years and she still burns everything.... Get my point ?

I'm just simply saying, the LC4's have their issues and they are well known.

The 640's are great bikes, make great power and are a lot of fun. I believe anyone should just ride the bike that THEY want to. But If you wan't to think it's as reliable as a DR650 or XT600 then you need to maybe ask your doctor to change your medication as it's clearly affecting your mind..

Don't be one of those small minded individuals who refuses to believe the bike in your garage might not be the greatest bike in the world just because YOU bought it.

Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeez !!!!!!!!


No offence intended or implied....

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Ahh, personal insults. The last resort of the uneducated and ignorant,
when all their other arguments have failed.

You have failed to accomplish anything other than to make yourself look like someone whose forum "contributions" are best ignored.

By the way, your mom's cooking appears not to be her only failure. She also didn't teach you
any manners. But I suppose that might be expected, given your working class background.

Sorry mate. I won't be pulled into a pointless internet argument by a troll. Your posts say all they need to without me having to point it out.

I genuinely meant "no offence intended". It's just a little tongue in cheek humour which has obviously gone amiss. Probably due to my working class background and poor parenting.

And if my working class background offends and separates us, I fear you may have just exposed yourself for a clueless snob and separated yourself from probably 99% of the forum members.

I won't post again as this is going WAY off topic.

Safe travels. Ted

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.