In the seemingly endless search for my next bike, I was leaning towards a new KLR650 Adventure, but my trip to the Kwai dealer today saw their 4 KLRs already sold. I ended up choosing the White Z650 they also had. I should pick it up at some point next week. Best part is it's a local dealer without any kind of stupid mark ups. 
Nice. Any reason you picked the Kawi over something like a MT-07? Just convenience? I'm curious how you like. I've never actually ridden a Kawasaki.
That 650 twin is a real sweetheart of a motor. Enough pep to be fun but and just acts like a real puppy dog that's eager to play.
Really pretty in white too.
Are those motors 180* or 270*?
oooooooo that looks fun.
fatallightning said:Are those motors 180* or 270*?
They're 180. Same basic motor as the Versys 650, Ninja 650, Vulcan S. It's friendly enough to be a good "beginner" motor for a slightly more mature rider, but it's got enough punch and fizz that you can still enjoy it (see how much good press the Versys 650 gets).
Looking forward to pick up tomorrow, although it's only in the high 40s. The last few days it hit 70, but the next week or 2 will be more seasonal.
Where are you at? Sounds very familiar....
That's a very different bike than a KLR! And, I think, a much better choice. I don't understand the allure of the KLR (even the new one), it's like you've decided to spend your money on the bike with the heaviest weight, worst suspension and least amount of power. But hey, at least you get to fix the doohickey and have a carb! Well, on the old one, now the new one has fuel injection but still is the heaviest, least powerful and worst suspended of the bunch....
I love Kawasaki's 650 twin. I hear a lot of people say they don't like the sound, but I always liked it even though mine was louder than I preferred. It has plenty of zip, but is perfectly happy to mill around at low RPM's. Really easy to do routine maintenance too. I'd love to get another one some day.
Weather hasn't been conducive to riding, so I've only been on it twice so far. Currently sitting with 98 miles on it. The downside with break in is keeping it under 4K rpm for the first 250 miles. That's 52 in top gear. Also, it bogs down below 3k in the upper gears, giving me a 1000rpm range to work with. Thankfully I have plenty of back roads to do 50 without holding anyone up.
As far as wind, it isn't bad. My helmet is in clean air, and the wind blast on my body is just enough to lift me up a little and reduce the weight I'm putting on my wrists.
Brian(formerly neon4891) said:I ended up choosing the White Z650 they also had. I should pick it up at some point next week. Best part is it's a local dealer without any kind of stupid mark ups.
That's nice! And you have a real unicorn of a dealer.
docwyte said:That's a very different bike than a KLR! And, I think, a much better choice. I don't understand the allure of the KLR (even the new one), it's like you've decided to spend your money on the bike with the heaviest weight, worst suspension and least amount of power. But hey, at least you get to fix the doohickey and have a carb! Well, on the old one, now the new one has fuel injection but still is the heaviest, least powerful and worst suspended of the bunch....
In comparison to the DR and XR, the KLR has always been the best street bike of the 3, and honestly not a very good street bike since the early ones were still too light for extended highway use. As it went through the second and third generations (now on the 4th) it became a better street bike each time, partially due to the weight add. If you have to spend a lot of time on the road to get to the dirt, being a bad street bike can overwhelm the fun you have in the dirt even if you have more power, less weight and better suspension. So depending on people's use case the KLR can either be the worst or the best, with the XR being the best dirt bike.
In reply to GCrites80s :
Gotta disagree with you. The KLR has consistently been the worst thumper dual sport on the market. Yes, it's cheap, yes, it's simple, yes, it's popular. But it's the most under powered, heaviest, worst suspended and has known engine faults.
Compared to a BMW F650 Dakar/Serteo, KTM 640 Adventure, DR650, etc it just doesn't stack up.
I wouldn't really compare a KLR to the BMW, KTM and other Euro adventurers, just the DR, XR, and if you go back far enough the KLX.
How about this: Compare the new KLR Adventure model with the extra hardware with the KTM, BMW where it gets stomped by pretty much everything else in the ~650cc Adventure segment in most ways except price while the base KLR stays in the mix with the '90s designed XR, DR and don't-buy KLX as a worse dirt bike but better street bike. But still not a good street bike. I won't be getting another after I sold my first-gen over a decade ago.
I had a first gen KLR as my first bike. I likened it to a medium quality lawn tractor: always willing and able to do the job, but without much excitement. Better than a MTD, but not a John Deere.
The DR650 is a better bike.
But...the KLR on the used market was cheaper, easier to find and has aftermarket support that rivals Miatas. Other than the 'doohickey' tensioner there really isn't anything diabolical that ever goes wrong with them. If you can only have one bike, and you want to go off road but have to travel some highway to get there, this is probably the best there is without spending Eurotrash money.
What bugs me with the newest version is Kawi really didn't change anything of importance. And the world has advanced past the KLR in the decades since it came out. The 400cc Himalayan is nearly as capable.
Weather in the Northeast hasn't been too conducive to riding, but I just got back from my third "longer" ride and now have 350 miles on it. Thankfully I'm past the 250 mile 4K rev limit. I can take it out to 6k for the remainder of break in. That gets me past 75 on the interstate and into the throaty section on the power band. I can definitely see how the 650 class is enough engine for most street riding.
My self birthday gift is a full set of Shad luggage and mounts. Getting the same SH23 side bags I had on my last bike and a smaller top box that can still hold my helmet. Fun thing will be the side case mounts require turn signal relocation, all parts included, just an extra step or two on install. Those should be in next month or so, coming directly from Spain.
I've been on the fence about the other "touring" mods, a Corbin saddle and a puig touring windscreen. The fact my butt starts to hurt after 30 minutes has me on the edge of assaulting a CC for the Corbin. 15 miles on the interstate has me realizing how much wind protection I lost coming from an ADV, and I want whatever protection I can get.
Overall I'm happy with the bike despite the compromise of not what I was looking for in the first place.
I love these, kinda the black sheep of the naked twins.
End of season update, I stored it on Wednesday. Odometer is around 5,500. It is lightly "touring" modded. Shad hard side bags and top box, and a Puige touring screen.
I misread the fitment guide for the top box, but in my defense, it was cryptically worded. I have the 29 litter top box, but the rack is for the larger boxes, 39L and up. The solution was making an adapter plate out of a $5 walmart cutting board.
Winter mods look to be the proper 39L top case and a Corbin saddle. The stock seat is a 1.5 hour spot, and a little low, the Corbin fixes both issues. Highway manners are mixed, depending on the road. Open areas with crosswinds, like the western sections of I86, horrible. Roads shielded by hills, I81, perfect. Looking forward to a 1000 mile Florida run in the spring.
Where's the Florida trip planned on going, hitting the Challenge?
Hernando county in April. Family place I'm probably moving to in the next year. Possibly March if my timing lines up for the Forgotten Angles spring camp out.
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