Test Ride: DR650 vs WR250R vs Super Sherpa

[Padmei]

KLE? Not sure what they're like offroad but shorter riders seem to like them.

XT660R? Might be between the DR & WR? I had a ride on a mates one that he had lghtened by 20kgs & it felt to me like a dirt bike. The FI was terrible at lower speeds but nimble handling & lots of grunt.

[dino3310]

heres on for ya mate, http://www.motorbikes.be/en/Kawasaki...00_R_2003.aspx

[pete376403]

Is this official confirmation that DR650s are really girls bikes? (flame suit on)

[Box'a'bits]

Is this official confirmation that DR650s are really girls bikes? (flame suit on)

Ehmmm. Rosie already rides a Kawasaki, and she finds the DR too big...Did you actually read her write up

Don't know where Dino was going with his suggestion. Too many beers tonight??

[dino3310]

Ehmmm. Rosie already rides a Kawasaki, and she finds the DR too big...Did you actually read her write up

Don't know where Dino was going with his suggestion. Too many beers tonight??

like the WR but i reckon better, plus staying with the quacka theme.. maybe chuck a 300 motor in the sherpa, just a thought.
padmei's suggestion of the KLE500 a good one, great donkey in it.

[pete376403]

Ehmmm. Rosie already rides a Kawasaki, and she finds the DR too big...Did you actually read her write up

Sorry I omitted the smileys, I thought it would have been obvious it was a minor DR windup. Yes I did read the writeup.

[Motu]

I'd go the WR,short arse Merv has his lowered...get him to tell you the seat height and how he did it.(shorter shock).Pity the DT230's are getting a bit old now,but I still reckon they would be perfect for Rosie now she has plenty of experience.A lot of grunt for a small bike,and they can keep up with those KTM640's no problem.

[Woodman]

Isn't there a gasgas 450 pampera . ?

[Shewolf]

Great report Rosie, have been keen to look at these models - how low can the WR and DR go do you know? ie up to 1" or 2"?

[Rosie]

Andy Mac has a WR250R & really likes it. Might be worth having a chat. He has put the Safari Tank on. I've riden it & it is impressive both from power output, flickability, and the way the suspension works. As you say the seat can be worked on. Haven't heard if Andy was looking to go to the KKAR

I had a sit on Andy's WR at the post CCA ride, and had a brief chat about it. That's what made me decide that I needed to test ride one.

I found the DRZ too finicky. Too buzzy on the road, and you can never get the gearing right for all conditions. I'd buy another one in a flash for a dirt bike. 17000km a year might be pushing it too.

The DR650 is much more stable. Easier for long distance. No more grunt, but heaps more torque. Heaps of extras available. Takes a bit more manhandling in the tight stuff, but seems ideal for 95% of the riding I do. They do look very.....ummm.....uninspiring though. You can see they were developed in the '90s.

What gearing did the DR have. Drop a tooth in the front and it livens it up heaps.

WR looks the part.

I have no idea what gearing the DR had. It had heaps of grunt, but it was noisy and vibrate-y and didn't seem keen to go around corners. And it was a bit of a stretch to reach the bars. Meanwhile, the WR felt like the sherpa on nitrous

KLE? Not sure what they're like offroad but shorter riders seem to like them.

XT660R? Might be between the DR & WR? I had a ride on a mates one that he had lghtened by 20kgs & it felt to me like a dirt bike. The FI was terrible at lower speeds but nimble handling & lots of grunt.

Improved off road performance/confidence is just as important as having more power on road. I want a 21" front, which rules out the KLE (and the rather attractive BMW X-Country). The XT660 had never entered my radar screen. I've heard that they are a bit porky, but I'll do some more research and see what I can find out. Do you know what the 20kg of lightening on your mates bike entailed?

[clint640]

KLE? Not sure what they're like offroad but shorter riders seem to like them.

XT660R? Might be between the DR & WR? I had a ride on a mates one that he had lghtened by 20kgs & it felt to me like a dirt bike. The FI was terrible at lower speeds but nimble handling & lots of grunt.

At 180kg plus the KLE & the XT660R both not only fail Rosie's 'not too heavy' test, they get kicked the hell out of the room without even being given the exam papers

I'd go the WR,short arse Merv has his lowered...get him to tell you the seat height and how he did it.(shorter shock).Pity the DT230's are getting a bit old now,but I still reckon they would be perfect for Rosie now she has plenty of experience.A lot of grunt for a small bike,and they can keep up with those KTM640's no problem.

The WR-R is entirely different from Merv's WR-F & is shorter to start with & easily lowerable. DT230's are cool indeed, but a bit buzzy on the road, & maintenance could become an issue doing an average of 17000 km/yr

Isn't there a gasgas 450 pampera . ?

Yep, lots taller than the old 2 smoke Pampera though, 920mm may be low for some but when you're coming from an 830mm high seat it's pretty tall. The fairly short suspension travel of the Pampera may make getting it much lower difficult & again, the reliability doing big km's would be a question. Although I see a couple of new 07/08's on tardme at around $8K, they'd be damn good value at that & there is a 14L Safari tank available for them... We may have to go & take one for a burn in the interests of science but I think the high seat would be a deal breaker.

Cheers
Clint

[Rosie]

Great report Rosie, have been keen to look at these models - how low can the WR and DR go do you know? ie up to 1" or 2"?

The WR can be lowered around 1" by adjusting the rear suspension, and I think there would be another one or two inches in a seat reshape.
The DR has been lowered quite a lot, by putting the rear shock on its lower setting, dropping the forks, and hacking out the seat. It felt about the same height as the sherpa (around 830mm), but the DR may be a bit wider, I'm not sure.

[Bass]

I have no idea what gearing the DR had. It had heaps of grunt, but it was noisy and vibrate-y and didn't seem keen to go around corners. And it was a bit of a stretch to reach the bars. Meanwhile, the WR felt like the sherpa on nitrous

That's an interesting comment.
When I got mine, the first ride I did was out through the Hunua Gorge heading for a bit of gravel. In the corners, I was getting the feeling that " never mind the foot pegs, if I try,
I might be able to scrape my elbows on this thing". It was only afterwards that I discovered that I only had 15 psi front and rear.
So i can't help but wonder if lowering the beast has altered the geometry in some detrimental way.
We did find out that they are quite sensitive to setup - to a degree that I can't explain by looking at the numbers.

Having said all that, I suspect that the Yammie's weight advantage will be a big factor for you and it is nearly 30 years more advanced.

[dino3310]

what about a baby DR, might still be a bit high though http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-238800844.htm

[clint640]

A DR350 was actually on the radar as an option before we got the Sherpa, it'd need some lowering obviously, but we've never seen one that is both road legal & electric start.

Cheers
Clint