Alright all. Some of you may have seen in route planning that myself and a few friends are looking to do a route across europe next year of approx 4600 Miles.

The time frame is not very long and the route is subjext to change. However I am looking for a bike to do the journey on. One on the options is a Yamaha XT660R. My reason for looking at this bike is due to the fact it has an off road capability. I am not looking at serious cross country stuff. Just the ability that if I see a road / track I want to go down I can be happy the machine will get me through it.

The only thing I am not too happy about is it having only a 15litre tank. Are you able to get abigger replacement or is it just a case of keeping a jerry can with you? What sort of MPG are owners getting? I have been reading between 50-70. Does this seem about right?

How comfy do people find it for distance? Will it cope for prolonged periods of 80mph cruising?

The others bike I am looking at are naked sports bikes. Obviously offering a lot more power and speed but I cant help thinking that more fun could be had on the XT660.

Not to mention that it will be much easier to carry out any repairs. Well over to you for advice.

Thanks in advance.

hi,

if you do search, you'll find a link for a larger tank which costs about 1000 Euro (as i remember correctly).

it may cope 80mph, however, it is a single with no standart taller windscreen (causing windy rides) and it has high mudguard (causing woobling in high speeds). i think it wont be comfy on European motorways for long rides. mpg is reported between 50-70 mpg depend on the speed mostly. some models have surging problem in low speed. i was going to buy one of this machines then i change my mind and want to get a Suzuki DL650 - V-Strom now. almost same mpg, capable of light offroad ridings, solid engine, larger tank, stable on motorways, lots of aftermarket parts like xt660. another choise would be yamaha fazer. they are also cool bikes..

hope this helps mate!

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ozhan u.
website under construction

Depending on your budget you could always opt for the new 660 Tenere. I have one of those. Same bomb-proof engine as the 660 R, but a bit more suitable for longer travels. I have done more than 500 kilometers on its 22 litre tank. Quite good range, I'd say. (It was during brake-in, so I was very light on the throttle ;-)

It's pretty capable on gravel too, and feels to me a lot lighter and nimbler than e.g. the BMW F800GS.

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HansP
All you wanted to know
about riding in Norway

Hi thanks for your responses so far. The money aspect isn't really an issue as other considertaion but obviously for road use only are bikes such as the Honda VFR800.

hi,

i just had a little test ride today on a xt660r. the bike was 2008 model and had 8000 km on the clock. had no serious damage, etc..

first of all i have to say, i did not feel the surging in low speed. no problem on cornering in roundabouts etc.. i think they have sorted this problem out in 2007. acceleration was incredible. i went up to 120km/h quicker than i guess. bike was lighter than i expected and not to high (i am 1.71 m and 65 kg). i was confortamble with the high. there was a vibration as expected from a single but not very disturbing. the seat was a bit narrow and might need a ship skin for long rides. breaks, especially front break was a bit poor because of the suspention high. and because of the narrow front fairing (fairing around the headlight) you feel the wind quite strongly. i am not sure if it would be solved replacing the original windshiled with a stock one. riding agains that wind for 6-7 hours would really be a problem on on motorways.

hope this helps..

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ozhan u.
website under construction

Hi Tomo, well I have had many different bikes over the years - BMWs, Ducatis, Triumphs, and ridden many more. I now have an XT660R, and have done about 5000kms on it from new in the last 6 months. I use it for daily commutes, touring, day tripping, and a bit of offroad/green laning, I generally like to take the scenic route home. Now first let me explain a thing or two about me. I am one of those people that within a month of buying a bike is already thinking about the next one. I have test ridden so many bikes I could probably write a book on it. Since buying the XTR though I have not yet really found anything to tempt me away. Amazing but true, although I havent yet ridden the XTZ.
I thought a DL650 was going to be the replacement until I took it for a ride. I hated it. NIce motor, but the turbulence off the screen, and the cumbersome feel of it, made me really appreciate my XTR more.
The XTR is great fun on the road, it has an awesome motor, and will happily sit at 120 kmh all day. I put a tall screen on mine, which looks ok as well and does a good job. It is comfortable in the saddle for a good all day ride, although this is highly personal - for me I have no problem with 3-500kms a day. Dirt tracks, gravel roads, forest roads are a blast, as is the beach. The bike is nice and agile, and has a very comfortable position standing on the pegs, inspiring confidence to the rider. With a bash plate from either Touratech (i used) or OTR you are good to go. There are loads of extras availabe, and it is nigh on bloody impossible in my mind to get more bang for your buck. On top of all that, its very simplicity keeps the stress at bay. Very easy and cheap to service yourself (something I never even contemplated with previous bikes), basically bullet proof. PLastics are very cheap to replace, if you want to change the colour. They dont break very easily, as they just bend. The only draw back is that it will not do 180kmh on the autobahn, but I hate motorways, and avoid them like the plague on my bike. It is a great way to totally miss the country you are travelling through!