DR650SE vs XT660Z Tenere for Africa & beyond....
I'm aware that I'm asking both the unanswerable and that its probably all been said before....... but...
Any thoughts on which would be the better steed for the task?
In Australia (where the bike will be purchased) DR650 is around half the cost of XT660Z. Can the Yamaha really be twice as good :confused1: ??
There are positives for the Suzuki's simplicity in Africa, no?
Its uncomplicated. Its air cooled. Its not fuel injected. Its lighter. At the price, if it became a total loss along the way..... it wouldnt be the end of my financial world. Also at the price it allows plenty of room for spending up on some trip-specific mods...... Safari fuel tank.... suspension upgrade....
On the other hand (damn that other hand - lol).... The Yamaha may be more trip ready right out of the box. It has fuel injection which - until it fails in the middle of nowhere - is both a benefit and a negative. Its water cooled, so cooler running in slow going is offset by greater complexity. It has some integral wind protection. And once I get beyond Africa (intending to travel South to North) in Europe it will surely make a nicer ride than the DR. I see the Yamaha as a nice compromise between the Suzuki's utilitarian simplicity and BMW F800GS.....
Ladies and Gentlemen, your thoughts please....
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