All three are good bikes and any one of them will do the job. You could ride to Panama on a Mo-ped if need be. Keep in mind, the Honda you should be looking at is the XR650L, not the XR650R. One is a race bike, the other is a dual sport that will be a better travel bike and still be good off road. The XR650R is no longer produced. The XR-L is. The XR-R is a better off road bike, much faster, less comfortable but supremely reliable ... as is the XR650L.

All of these bikes need some mods to be ideal as travel bikes. I've owned all three and ridden all three in Mexico and all over California. So far my personal favorite is my current DR650. I am not a fan of the KLR but many HUBB riders (like Andy T) have done BIG rides on them without issue. They have a huge following and are very well supported but the aftermarket.

I'm short .... and so is the DR ... so it works better for me off road. It's just a bit lighter than the KLR and to me, feels smaller and lighter and is more comfortable off road when I'm riding it.

The Honda is great off road too but not quite as good ON road. The Honda is very tall. If you are over about 5'9", then no prob. I'm only 5'7" so it's a tall one. Once again, just my opinion. I bought a new XR650L in 1994 and sold it a year later. I rode a friends XR650L in Baja last year and liked it a lot. It was well set up, which makes ALL the difference.

I was given a new KLR in 1998 and put 5500 miles on it going through Baja and Copper Canyon and beyond. Never connected with that bike. Happy to give it back to Kawasaki and get back on my Triumph Tiger. Some bikes ruin you for other biking experiences. Know what I mean?

Set up is key. A properly set up bike .... including any of the ones you list ... can be very good as a travel bike and still handle off road and do good all packed up. The KLR in stock form is the most travel ready, no doubt. But is it the best bike? Not for me. Tough in sand.(for me)

The DR650 is cheap and cheerful. Simple as a hammer, easy to service and crashes really well. Reliable and smooth on the road. I like it. Very sporty too! One of my favorites all time bikes .... in 40 plus years of riding and 50 or 60 bikes.


Patrick

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Patrick passed Dec 2018. RIP Patrick!