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Which Bike? Comments and Questions on what is the best bike for YOU, for YOUR trip. Note that we believe that ANY bike will do, so please remember that it's all down to PERSONAL OPINION. Technical Questions for all brands go in their own forum.
Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
Taking a rest,
Jokulsarlon, Iceland



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  #1  
Old 2 Oct 2007
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Help me choose?
Hi all.
1st post here,but have been reading for a while.Great forum.Can l plz have some advice?l am about to buy a new bike and need it for on/off road, about 75/25.l really like the suzi dr650se and have test ridden.My other choise is the Klr 650.l would mainly be commuting to work on occations (60k) and the odd weekend trip into the bush with mates.Suzi stands out, but l am being told by mates to go for something lighter like KTM450,XR400,DRZ400 etc.My question is:would the smaller capacity bikes be upto the hwy work?
And would they be as comfy as the big singles?l am now 43 y/o with a bad back,but just cant give up riding.What should l do?Any advice or opinions will be greatly appreciated.By the way,l live in OZ.
thx Steve
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  #2  
Old 2 Oct 2007
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try the ktm 690 adventure :-)

That'll sort you out!
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  #3  
Old 2 Oct 2007
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Bad Back?
XT600, non electric start, disconnect the decompressor......that should loosen your back up a bit! it did mine.....
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  #4  
Old 6 Oct 2007
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How about looking into the yamaha XT660R. Just got one myself and the seat is alot more comfortable than other trail types bikes as its wide at the back (road riding part) and thin up at the front (off road rinding part). This means you can ride the bike with out having to move around every 10 secs to get comfortable. Some say its a bit heavy but if you take it easy and dont want a full on out and out moto X bike then it is a good shout.I'm looking to do part of africa in 2 years time and alot of people have used these bikes for those types of trips

Have a look at this forum, plenty of info on the bike and there is alot of aussies that ride this bike down there to.

.: XT660.com - The #1 XT660 Resource :.
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  #5  
Old 6 Oct 2007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nomadic1 View Post
try the ktm 690 adventure :-)

That'll sort you out!
Great advice
Pity it doesnt exist nor does anyone know when it will be available.:confused1:
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  #6  
Old 6 Oct 2007
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Thumbs up KTM 690 Adv
Quote:
Originally Posted by saab463 View Post
Great advice
Pity it doesnt exist nor does anyone know when it will be available.:confused1:
It is planned to be available in 2008: this is according to KTMs own financial plans for the next two years - short of them going bust, you can expect to see it in 08 then. This link has got the information about KTM and their plans upto 2009:-

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...n-suzuki-28587

Steve,
Sorry, a bit off topic, unless you can wait that long and it does not sound like you can!
There are loads of threads in the forums here that discuss the relative merits of big bikes (say a 650cc) Vs a small one (say 250cc) for long distance riding + there a whole load more that discuss particular models, especially the popular ones like the XR series and the DRZ.
Do a search for any key words that take your fancy and maybe your shortlist will be a bit clearer.
For my 2 cents worth, the Dr650SE sounds like a good bike for you - depends on how hardcore your offroad sections are - only you know the answer to that!!

Cheers,
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  #7  
Old 7 Oct 2007
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thanks
Thanks evertone for the advice/comments,l wont be doing any snotty hill climbing,creek crossing stuff when off road.Thats why l narrowed my search down to the 2 bikes mentioned.Also their price is quite reasonable,compared to the KTM and XR etc.l just want a reliable bike that will haul me around without ringing its neck off at hwy speeds.Getting too old and have too much self preservation these days.There is also a Honda 650cc called transalp XLV650.Dont know anything about them either.At 147kg dry,l think the DR650se will end up being my bike sometime soon.
Any other comments will be taken on board though
cheers Steve
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  #8  
Old 28 Dec 2007
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my choice
Quote:
Originally Posted by hamson_4 View Post
Thanks evertone for the advice/comments,l wont be doing any snotty hill climbing,creek crossing stuff when off road.Thats why l narrowed my search down to the 2 bikes mentioned.Also their price is quite reasonable,compared to the KTM and XR etc.l just want a reliable bike that will haul me around without ringing its neck off at hwy speeds.Getting too old and have too much self preservation these days.There is also a Honda 650cc called transalp XLV650.Dont know anything about them either.At 147kg dry,l think the DR650se will end up being my bike sometime soon.
Any other comments will be taken on board though
cheers Steve
l have a one owner Yamaha IT200 1986 in near mint condition.l will be off loading that in order to get my DR650se.Will be sometime in the new year,so cant wait.Looking worward to button start,sick of almost breaking my big toe many times over the years,The Suzi is fairly cheap down here in OZ campaired to smaller stuff and European.Under 8K AUD brand new.
Regards steve
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  #9  
Old 28 Dec 2007
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Hi,

I have a Yam XT600E late model. It's a great bike and I've used it for long trips on 90% tarmac where it rumbles happily along. You can also pound along off-round although it's far from nimble. Jumping it is like riding an elephant off a cliff!
A freind of mine recently bought a Suzuki DRZ 400. It's a really nice little bike, he's fitted it with a huge 28litre Safari tank (which I'm pretty sure is made in OZ) making it a really nice long distance off road tourer. One down side is that itty bitty seat, but obviously there's a trade off in that it doesn't get in the way standing up. He rides it on the motorway at 70mph and claims it's just fine at this speed, although whether that's doing the little single pot any good is another thing. It is a much more capable bike off-road than mine though.
I guess it boils down to what's important to you. For me, who rides mostly on tarmac and does the odd bit of rough road/off road riding, the XT is perfect. However, if I was expecting to do as much riding off-road as you are, I'd put up with the discomfort and relatively low top speed of the DRZ in order to get the maximum fun off road.

Matt
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