Posted on 06/25/2014 10:37:55 AM PDT by LouAvul
I'm leaning toward buying one this coming winter when the prices go down.
How do you like it? What mods did you have to make to make it better for you?
I don't really want to buy a new bike then spend thousands extra making it road worthy.
My riding will be mostly pavement. After the break in, Tulsa to Chicago, Chicago to Flint, MI, then back to Tulsa. Then Tulsa to California. For what it's worth, I'm 6'6" tall, 37 inch inseam, 200 pounds.
I’d buy a used KTM 950 Super Enduro R for that.
Victory
(in before the H-D crowd)
Nice bike. I get most of my motorcycle opinions from the folks at Adventure Rider. Look up the website and join the forum. There is probably a community of people online who can give you all the info you need. Good luck.
TOTALLY different bikes.
No comparison with either the Victory or any Harley.
(other than two wheels and ridden on the road... some of the tme)
Is thia a sting?
I’d take a serious look at a used Buell Ulysess given your height and inseam. Phenomenal bike, sad to see it go out of production. Still supported by HD dealers nationwide.
Mechanically, Kwackers are pretty much bullet proof.
But they are built for people under 6 foot. If you are planning a long ride, your legs will be cramping like mad. It might be worth sticking on a spare pair of foot rests, about 6 inches back, so you can lean forward comfortably during the ride.
Another suggestion - grab a cheapo tank back and mount it low. It’ll stop you sliding into what is assumed to be the drivers position by the seat.
KLR 650 owner - 6 foot 3 and 197 lbs.
The next step up in Adventure Touring bikes are the Twins. The BMW's made this their own category over years, but are expensive. KTM has the 990 a perennial shoot out winner for big Adventure Touring bikes. Triumph has some, and so do some of the Japanese manufacturers. All of them are quite a bit more expensive than the KLR, but also way better for extended paved road touring. Less vibes, more power, more carrying capacity, more comfort.
If you aren't planning on going off road at least a bunch of the time then I would look for a multi-cylinder bike for touring. If you don't want to do dirt the big multi-cylinder Adventure Bikes still make great touring bikes, especially for long-legged dudes like you. But the singles, like the Kawasaki KLR 650 would not be a great interstate touring machine. Most touring cruisers would be far better. Not to mention purpose built sport tourers like Yamaha FJR or Kawasaki Concours. .
Good luck. The Adventure Rider site mentioned above is a great resource to do more research.
I put 22 thousand miles on an 07 KLR 650 and then sold it. I like to have a lot of reserve power and the 650 just does not have it, plus I don’t like tube tires on a motorcycle. If I were to get another adventure class bike I would buy the new Suzuki V strom 1000.
Don’t ya mean polaris?
BMW 800 GS, a twin. Probably my favorite Adventure Sport bike. Plenty of power for whatever, but still small enough to be slightly manageable on dirt roads. I believe the BMW weighs about the same as the KLR, but has two cylinders and a bunch more HP. It also has all the bags available as (expensive) factory option.
If I could only have one bike, this might be it. (Or, maybe not, there is my Shovelhead digger...)
You want comfort Harley is your best for long trips I have a dresser 1998 with 276k miles with the original engine still going strong.
“Tulsa to Chicago, Chicago to Flint, MI, then back to Tulsa. Then Tulsa to California.”
Good luck riding those footpegs all the way..............just sayin.
That’s a lot of miles to ride on a KLR 650. You might want to look into one of the Vulcan models: the Nomad is a great touring bike. If you don’t plan to be off-road or on dirt roads much, why not get a bike that will be stylish and comfortable?
I inherited a Kawasaki 1000 Police Special from my brother recently. Not sure of it’s condition, but from what I have heard and read, it might be worth restoring. Only bad thing is that whoever converted it, painted it Yellow, including all the fairings. :(
Go to http://cycle-ergo.com/ and put in your data, then compare bikes you’re interested in.
I’m 6’2” and have low back trouble. I recently bought a 2005 KLR650 because it has upright seating and some of the best (highest) knee and hip angles for tall riders. Unfortunately, it vibrates terribly due to the thumper engine and buffets my helmet mercilessly at highway speeds, has no weather protection, and I wouldn’t dream of taking it cross country. I prefer the sport tourers I’ve had in the past and will likely sell this one this fall and go back to a sport tourer.
Other than that, its a fun bike. If you get engine guards, you can mount highway pegs to stretch out your legs.
For trips that long I would go with something bigger. I loved my KLR, but 650-750 is small for long runs IMO.
Honestly a cruiser is what you need for trips like that. Honda, HD, Kawasaki, Yamaha, BMW...I don’t get into those arguments...they all make good bikes. Pick what’s best for YOUR situation.
Forget everything you know about Limeys from the past.
GET A ZX14 a real road burner for trips like you are talking about....
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