Picked up a Kawasaki KLR

[Greg]

So I love my DRZ, but I've been wanting something that was street-legal & highway friendly... enter the KLR. I have liked these for a long time, they're kind of like riding a 2 wheeled Lay-Z-Boy... big, cushy & comfortable! It's not a dirtbike by any means, at the most it's probably best suited for a semi-rough 2 track trail. The KLR does freeway duty alright, it's no BMW but it does the job. I once heard someone say that the KLR does do everything, it just doesn't excel at any specific task. It's a 'Jack of all trades, Master of none' kinda thing.

The neat thing about it is the ability to carry a passenger comfortably, run at 80 MPH all day long, get 300 miles out of the 6 gallon tank, etc. They are one of the ugliest bikes ever built, but they're also one of the most reliable. I wanted something I can take on multi-day adventures with the wife... I think this will do the job.

This one is a '98 with 18k miles on it. It runs great but it needs a paint job real bad, all the plastic is faded & looks pretty bad. I think it'll paint it olive drab! Here's some pics-

 

[spencurai]

They just redesigned it for '08 and they look a little better...I am going to save my pennies and go for one of those big bore KTMs....I was drooling over one at the dealer but the price tag was flirting with 11grand...ouch!

I miss my XT550 bad! There is nothing better than sliding off the freeway and hitting the trails!

 

[Tacoma]

See!!! the big tank is sexy, isn't it!!! Let me know how you like the suspension. I am leery of the lack of adjustability, but maybe it just doesn't matter. Also concerned about the heft.

 

[Greg]

They just redesigned it for '08 and they look a little better...I am going to save my pennies and go for one of those big bore KTMs....I was drooling over one at the dealer but the price tag was flirting with 11grand...ouch!

I miss my XT550 bad! There is nothing better than sliding off the freeway and hitting the trails!

The '08 KLR's look 10x better, I'd own one if I had the money! I love the redesign. KTM's are badass for sure, but Jap bikes are more reliable IMO. If I'm going to spend 2x as much money as a comparable (Is there any comparison for a 520 EXC?!) Jap bike, it better be reliable.

See!!! the big tank is sexy, isn't it!!! Let me know how you like the suspension. I am leery of the lack of adjustability, but maybe it just doesn't matter. Also concerned about the heft.

It's very soft, eventually I'll toss in a set of stiffer coils in the front to help out. It's a big bike for sure, but honestly it's not unbearable. I can lift the rear-end off the ground & move it around. I loaded it into the truck with help from the seller & removed it by myself. Honesty, it was easier than I thought it would be. Riding isn't bad, I took the wife on a ride around the town & it's very manageable. I need to replace the seat, it's faded & torn. I'll probably get something nice for those extended trips.

I'm going to register it tomorrow, check the fluids, make sure everything is working as it should & then take it on a fun ride! I'll let you know my impressions afterwards.

 

[TK1]

Hey Greg, let's go take that thing out on 5 miles of hell.

 

[Greg]

Hey Greg, let's go take that thing out on 5 miles of hell.

I can ride it out there & back, but I think I'll pass on the offer to ride the trail. I don't think I'd want to try that one on my DRZ...

 

[TK1]

I can ride it out there & back, but I think I'll pass on the offer to ride the trail. I don't think I'd want to try that one on my DRZ...

Just gear it down and bring lots of spare parts, really it will be ok...

But anyways, are you going to keep the DRZ? Me an a friend are going down to the swell this weekend to ride.

 

[Greg]

Just gear it down and bring lots of spare parts, really it will be ok...

But anyways, are you going to keep the DRZ? Me an a friend are going down to the swell this weekend to ride.

Again, no thanks.

Yep, keeping the DRZ... for now. I love the bike, I fixed a few things & it made it fun to ride again. I still need to go thru the carb, it starts hard. Plus a couple changes in the carb will add more power... more power is always good.

 

[OldGeezer]

I thought DRZ's were street legal? At least the '07 ones that I looked at were. Ended up with a DR650 because I still have the XR350 for the rough stuff.

 

[Greg]

I thought DRZ's were street legal? At least the '07 ones that I looked at were. Ended up with a DR650 because I still have the XR350 for the rough stuff.

They make a street legal version, the DRZ400S. I have a the dirt version, a DRZ400E. They also make a SuperMoto version, the DRZ400SM... bad a$$ bikes for sure! I could get it legal but it would cost $500 for a kit with lights, horn, etc. Then DOT tires... $150. That's already 1/2 of what I picked up the KLR for. Plus, there's no way I could get my wife on the back on the DRZ, it's not built for 2. The KLR on the other hand is big enough, can handle freeway speeds & is super-cushy.

I thought long & hard about a DR650, I think that's about the most ideal compromise of a street legal, road friendly, dirt bike. Good choice!

 

[Tacoma]

The DR650 felt pretty good to me, in my quick tour of PA bike shops LOL The KLR felt the most cumbersome of all the 600+ enduro bikes, but also has a huge tank, with an even bigger one available. My purposes would be mainly getting out to BFE w/out a huge vehicle, and it would need to carry a little bit of gear (tent, paintbox, food).... basically a light expedition rig. So the KLR's big-ass tank sounds great. But the Suzuki's sweet suspension sounds good too. On the other hand, Honda's seem to last pretty well all around.

The DR is looking good, if I can find 1)a bigger tank 2) a used one 3) a job to pay for it LOL

 

[Greg]

So I got the KLR yesterday, got it insured & registered then took it out for a 100 mile ride this morning. I hadn't owned it for 24 hrs yet, but I had to find out what this bike was built for.

After topping off the 6 gallon tank, I rode into the Colorado National Monument just south of Fruita. After making it thru the park, I headed towards Glade Park and the gravel roads. I followed the road quite a distance, ended up in some amazing high-country hills. The Fall colors were doing their thing, so I made sure to get some good pics. I eventually found a neat campground next to a small lake. The road continued & really started to gain some elevation, at the same time the temp seemed to drop about 15*. I was wearing a coat, but the shadows were still chilly. A few more miles later, the road came to a dead-end... but there was a small trail that continued on! It was legal for motorcycles & 4wheelers, so I continued. The little trail turned out to have quite a few puddles on it, very slippery & some were quite deep. The fallen leaves were floating on the water, making for some wet booby-traps. I ended up with wet boots & jeans, then in one of the biggest puddles the rear tire spun out from under the bike & down it went. I hefted the bike back up (it's hella heavy) and it started up right away.

After going another half-mile & seeing longer & deeper puddles, I decided to turn back. I took a break for lunch at a big opened meadow. I got back on the KLR & on the way back took some pics of a cabin & windmill I passed on the way up. I had never been this far up the road before, it was a beautiful place.

Here's some pics from the trip-

]

 

[TK1]

Cool pictures!

I think this will be my next bike in a year or so.
http://ktm.com/index.php?id=248&productspecialsID=950-Super-Enduro-R_01.jpg
Practical? No. Do I care? No. Will it be fun as hell? YES!!

 

[Greg]

The DR650 felt pretty good to me, in my quick tour of PA bike shops LOL The KLR felt the most cumbersome of all the 600+ enduro bikes, but also has a huge tank, with an even bigger one available. My purposes would be mainly getting out to BFE w/out a huge vehicle, and it would need to carry a little bit of gear (tent, paintbox, food).... basically a light expedition rig. So the KLR's big-ass tank sounds great. But the Suzuki's sweet suspension sounds good too. On the other hand, Honda's seem to last pretty well all around.

The DR is looking good, if I can find 1)a bigger tank 2) a used one 3) a job to pay for it LOL

I think a DR650 would fit the bill, so would a XR600L/650R... the KLR is a beast, but it allows the miles to just fly by, esp. on high-speed roads. If you value comfort over offroad performance, the KLR is hard to argue against.

I want to do some multi-day trips, but not camping... yet. Ride down to Telluride with the wife & stay in a hotel or something. That would be a good time.

Cool pictures!

I think this will be my next bike in a year or so.
http://ktm.com/index.php?id=248&productspecialsID=950-Super-Enduro-R_01.jpg
Practical? No. Do I care? No. Will it be fun as hell? YES!!

Thanks Todd! I've never seen that bike before, KTM sure builds some nasty bikes, don't they?! I'd love to have a KTM Adventure... :greg: In the meantime, a beat-up, POS KLR will have to do the job.

 

[Greg]

My impressions of this KLR... it needs new tires, badly! The frontend washed out on me a few times & if it didn't, it did feel sketchy on the gravel. I need to add the fork brace that seems to be so popular. Probably could use a tuneup, plug, oil change, air filter, etc. The suspension is super-soft, I bottomed out the front-end a few times. Other than that, I checked the oil, topped off the tank & went for a ride! Not bad for a bike that has more or less sat for 3 yrs.

 

[OldGeezer]

They make a street legal version, the DRZ400S. I have a the dirt version, a DRZ400E. They also make a SuperMoto version, the DRZ400SM...

I forgot about that.

I thought long & hard about a DR650, I think that's about the most ideal compromise of a street legal, road friendly, dirt bike. Good choice!

Yup. Same conclusions I came too. I've enjoyed it so far. Thanks.

Sounds like the KLR will be perfect for you.

 

[Coco]

They just redesigned it for '08 and they look a little better...I am going to save my pennies and go for one of those big bore KTMs....I was drooling over one at the dealer but the price tag was flirting with 11grand...ouch!

I miss my XT550 bad! There is nothing better than sliding off the freeway and hitting the trails!

Save up, and buy my dads '05 KTM 450 EXC, $5000, and street legal!:greg:

5 miles of Hell isn't hard at all













It's just hell! :flipoff:

 

[TK1]

Greg, you should have come with us. We didn't take too many pictures we were too busy riding.

 

[Greg]

Greg, you should have come with us. We didn't take too many pictures we were too busy riding.

Wow, neat pics! Looks like that was a great ride. Are most of those from 5 Miles of Hell? I haven't done much hard riding in the Swell, just exploration-type riding. Looks like a great time, the weather must have been perfect!

 

[TK1]

No we didn't do 5MOH. The top one is the waterfall trail in the Swell, the second one is at the south end of Big Mesa south west of wipeout hill, the next two are wipeout hill, and the last one is Merrimac Butte. We rode about 140 miles between Saturday and Sunday.