No, the main reason you WON'T have that bike in Thailand is . . . it's no longer possible to bring it in under any circumstances as of about June 2012. Cambodia . . . still no problem but you can't ride around on a foreign tagged vehicle in Thailand very long.

Too bad . . . Cambodia's paperwork and visa issues are much simpler than Thailand . . . but on balance, I'm sticking with the LOS.

Not sure what "lived extensively" is but the last 11 years have been in Thailand (2 years), India (6 years) and Thailand (3) years. Thailand is "too easy" compared to India and in many, many ways easier than any western country.

+1000 generally but my TE630 is ALWAYS way more fun than my DRZ, and it's alot faster, too, on street or dirt.

It's the unplanned stuff that'll really get you here, however. I'm looking at a buddy's cracked lower triples on an XR400. This is going to be a huge PIA AND expensive and time consuming.

Seriously agree. It's almost irrationally overstated. My father-in-law rides 100,000km a year. He's done it for 14+ years. It used to all be done on . . . Harleys ! Now he's entirely on BMWs which he finds the most reliable bike he's ever ridden. (He's a machinist.)

The engine's are all pretty good or better. The transmissions might make clunky noises and have too few gears but . . . they work, fine. The soft parts do wear out, whether the quality is good or crap. It's the connective tissue that fails or degrades in a noticeable manner, sometimes across just a single trip.

Really ? I find almost any euro bike easier to work on, if made in the last 15+ years (my '68 Ducati Sebring 350 required a neurosurgeon to manage the points !) . . . the japanese put an astonishing amount of attention and effort into delivering quality AT delivery. But they suck to work on or maintain. XR/DRZ cams . . . and valve shimming. MUCH easier on my KTM 950, aside from the tank removal and carb removal necessitated by a V-twin, than on those and . . . I could teach my wife to do it easily, quickly and confidently. The buddy with the cracked triples . . . Ducati/BMW certified tech - works at a Honda dealership now and says . . . "I've gone to hell . . . working on japanese machines."

The japanese are the master's of "special tool" such-and-such.

True that. Experience begets, generally, greater expectations and awareness. Rookies think just getting away on a slight grade at a red light is pretty amazing.

Hey, the 3x3 mod returns power AND improved economy.

My entirely original DRZ with 46/15 gearing returned just over 45 MPG @ 60MPH. The modded one will throttle wheelie in 2nd gear with a 100kg rider and returns >55MPG. (The MRD pipe certainly didn't hurt, either.)

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Orange, it's the new black.