Can someone who has experience comment please :

* What is the difference with XT 600?

* Does it worth that money ?

* How is the vibration?

* Fuel consumption?

* If you need a bike for both all time riding and urban riding, would you choose a Tenere or Suzuki DRZ 400 S?

Thanks

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"where the traveller goes, nobody knows ! "

also interested to know advantages if any of the liquid cooled 660 verses the 3aj generation 600. I know chris scott talks of the original unfaired 600 as being the bomb proof pinical of the design but how much was sacrificed in reality to get the 3ajs fairing.

38

My brother had the 660. It wasn't vibey by any means. It was a bit heavy, he reckoned and felt under-powered. Fuel consumption was pretty steep compared other bikes in the same class. In reality it wasn't under-powered but the size makes it feel a bit effortless so it wasn't exciting.
I chatted to a guy who ran a tour company. They use them and get rid after 20000miles as the timing chains start to go. I've heard of finish issues from the dealers and early ones had regulator problems.
My brother dropped his twice in low speed accidents. no damage, the impact protection did its job perfectly.
Also it's very pretty...
Hope this helps

Timing chains after 20,000 miles ????? I've never heard that or heard of any XT660 engine having timing chain issues and I know LOADS of people who own them with triple that mileage. Not sure about that dude.

Doesn't really make sense to sell a bike for the sake of a £60 timing chain either......:confused1:

I rode with a guy on one in Africa. His fuel economy was BRILLIANT. He got over 350 to his tank. Obviously it depends on how you ride. WAY WAY better than my DRZ400S.

Early ones had reg probs in the connector. Not the reg (so I believe).

I think the engine is overworked due to the weight of the bike (185kg dry), which is quite heavy but you can put it on a diet with an exhaust change etc.

Also, the cush drive rubbers fail early. You can apparently just stuff an old inner tube between them to solve the problem.

Ted

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

over on the XT660 web site their posting who's got the biggest !! sorry who's done the Highest mileage.

Here are some of the posts, seem that the engine in tried and tested .

240 km (86,520 miles)
Nick (XTZ, ??)-------------100,000 km (62, 137 miles)
Inkajoe XTR,04) ------------80,240 km (50,000 miles)
Major Fatty (XTR, 06)-------77,249 km (48,000 miles)
Robbi (XTR, 06)-------------70,167 km (43,600 miles)
dallas (XTZ, 08)-------------65,000 km (40,389 miles)
badga (XTX, 05)-------------57,666 km (35,832 miles)
dangerous74 (XTZ, 09)------56,327 km (35,000 miles)
this_is_was (XTX 07)--------46,300 km (28,770 miles)
uberthumper (XTZ, 09)------41,995 km (26,100 miles)
jahmann (XTR, 05)----------36,500 km (22,680 miles)
snakebasket (XTR, 10)------28,968 km (18,000 miles)
Pleiades (XTZ 08)-----------25,421 km (15,796 miles)
orangejohn (XTZ 09)--------21,457 km (13,333 miles)
chester0_1972 (XTX, 09)----20,921 km (13,000 miles)
Easy E (XTX 07)------------20,060 km (12,465 miles)
afk40 (XTR, 09)-------------19,312 km (12,000 miles)
jimmysimpson (XTZ)---------16,898 km (10,500 miles)
WhiteYamBen (XT?, 10)-----14,386 km (8,941 miles)
Keithblade (XTZ, 10)--------12,068 km (7,500 miles)
richardsracingmad (XTR, 08)--9,815 km (6,100 miles)

I had a 96 XTZ 660 Tenere and didn't have a problem with it for the 20,000km I put on it before selling. Of that 20k, 9k was in the one trip, half of it off road.

Do the normal things like change the oil and filter regularly and have a look over it for problems from time to time.

I was getting roughly 200kms to a tank off-road and more on-road.

My only complaint would be that I found them a little top heavy.

Yeah, that fuel consumption is more in line with what my brother was getting and what I got on a Yam 660 engined bike. As for the timing, just reporting what I was told and it makes perfect sense if you're leasing a fleet of them.

maybe I'm riding slower as I get older , but I get over 300 miles to my 23lt tank but that is on the xt660z

I understand from the comtributions XT 660 is not a good all around daily bike, may be better for long distance.

I have XT 600 E and not impressed : Consumption is high, tank small, vibrates, leaks everywhere...

Want to switch it with a smaller one. Thought about DRZ 400 S, after reading Ted, I see it is not a good choice too (((
may be KTM military ? !

Not in rush, will wait and see...
Infact I want to go to a smaller one like 250-400 for daily commuter

:confused1:

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"where the traveller goes, nobody knows ! "

They're all good bikes in their comfort zone. I would take an XT600E over a DRZ400 any day for anything bar proper off-roading.

Leaks everywhere ?? Vibrates ?? Most NEVER leak and mine wasn't vibey at all (for a single that is lol).

If you want a small daily commuter then the XT660X is quite good. Actually so is the DRZ400SM, just to confuse you more LOL.

Supermotos are the best city bikes in my biast opinion.

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

i have the tenere too. riding with the bike right now to australia from germany. the bike has now 23.000km and still working good. its a great bike for travelling. if you do not wanna race etc and need mor power, the bike is really really goood for such long trips. and still offroad its really good. for this price you do not get a better bike.

i am happy and can highly recommend this bike.

regards
ingo

Is that on or off road Dazzerrtw ? On road even fully loaded with panniers, top bag and swag I was getting about 320k sitting on 100kph most of the time.

Offroad and up the cape (york) there was always heaps of wheel spin, start stop and then long blasts.

The bike never missed a beat other than the odd item vibrating off..Locktite is your friend

My consumption (XT660Z) is about the same as dazzer's. I reckon on 500+km range. On or off road doesn't seem to make much difference. Sometimes I find myself riding faster offroad than onroad! The bike normally lives in southern Spain at MotoAdvenTours bike park, but I rode it back to the UK a few months ago and was happy cruising all day long at a (GPS accurate) speed of 75-80mph.

But... I reckon my 800cc F650GS twin is even more economical.

__________________
"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)

I have an MZ Skorpion which has the same 660cc motor. I am over 50 000 km without any problems.
Skorpions came with a 39 tooth sprocket at the rear. Changing to a 43 tooth increases tractability at the loss of top end speed. Well, that is the theory. I know someone reckoned it actually went faster in the end as the engine did not run out of puff so quickly.
Basically it is free revving engine, which is a bit counter intutitive for a 660cc single, but lowering the gearing to make it rev easier improves the efficiency, fuel consumption and life.
MZ Baghiras are the trail bike version. Some lightly modified ones finished the Old Tourag Rally in North Africa one year. Reliable enough motor.

Had them all, brilliant bikes,

First mentioned was used 35 000 k in Latin America, almost without any problem, as long as you maintaned oil and chain.

The second one I have gone up and down in Europe, couple of times, and also crossed the Sahara. 40 000 k, and a graet bike! Never failed me.

Now I ride the new Tenere, xt660z and I am very pleased. Though I think its necessary to change suspention to get the full potensial out of it. Looking forward to a full scale tast when I am heading for The Caspian sea nex summer.

Good luck

Haakon

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Haakon
Check out: North Africa 2007 and The Great African Run