Yamaha XT660X (Tard)

[FlangMasterJ]

Anyone have any experience on this little number?

Will be doing mostly commuting and inner city galavanting.

I know reliability wise the XT's have always been hard to beat. All I'm worried about is the power......will I get bored with it after a while?

[Ghost Lemur]

Hellraiser has one, see his thread here.

[Hellraiser]

I know reliability wise the XT's have always been hard to beat. All I'm worried about is the power......will I get bored with it after a while?

Trust me you will not get bored with it ....... I love riding it more than my 636 but i don't enjoy commuting on it.

[FlangMasterJ]

but i don't enjoy commuting on it.

Why so?

[Wolf]

Why so?

Hellraiser's review is here. It explains what he doesn't like about commuting on it.

Some suggestions were advanced by various people.

[FlangMasterJ]

Cheers Wolf.

Now I understand what he's getting at. I used to find myself having to feather the clutch in first in traffic on my KTM tard. Very frustrating.

I'm unable to take the XT for a test ride because I still have 3 months to go on my Restricted. Which is also frustrating because I spent a week thrashing my mates KTM950SM and know I can pretty much handle any size bike.

Oh well I'll keep everyone posted.

[Ghost Lemur]

Man, I still cry over your KTM. Was truely a thing of beauty.

For some commuting fun, thought of a Tricker? j/k hehehe

What's sort of budget you looking at? Considered the Aprilia SVX? Supposed to be a total weapon.

See here

[FlangMasterJ]

Thanks alot.

I'm looking at spending roughly $10,000 so the Aprilia SXV's a little out of my price range. But not to worry my friend who had the 950SM has a SXV550 coming very soon.

I'm pretty keen on either the XT or LC4. Both bulletproof engines and from what I have read a hell of a lot of fun.

Hardest part about getting a new bike will be the paranoia of getting it nicked. I don't want to have to go through that again.

[Ghost Lemur]

Thanks alot.

I'm looking at spending roughly $10,000 so the Aprilia SXV's a little out of my price range. But not to worry my friend who had the 950SM has a SXV550 coming very soon.

I'm pretty keen on either the XT or LC4. Both bulletproof engines and from what I have read a hell of a lot of fun.

Hardest part about getting a new bike will be the paranoia of getting it nicked. I don't want to have to go through that again.

I know exactly what you mean. Found the garage back door open Tuesday night. All I could picture was a bikeless garage. Thankfully it was still there. So I've started riding to work. Even though where I'm parking outside work has a cctv camera pointing straight at it I'm still paranoid and go down every break to check on it.

[far queue]

Even though where I'm parking outside work has a cctv camera pointing straight at it I'm still paranoid and go down every break to check on it.

Now you just have to worry about "work mates" hopping on for a try out

[Wolf]

I'm pretty keen on either the XT or LC4.

Am I to gather, since the XT's still in the running, that you don't foresee any problems commuting on it?

You're right about the reputation for being bulletproof. I hope the seat on the larger XT's is more comfortable than the one on the 225, though.

[FlangMasterJ]

Their should be no problem at all commuting on it unless I've missed something.

[James Deuce]

I am acquainted with a couple of blokes in Wellington who have bought them for commuting and LOVE them. You can tangle bars with SUV mirrors, but we all know that it is easy to remove the mirror if you can't make it past.

[Wolf]

Their should be no problem at all commuting on it unless I've missed something.

It's a matter of what you're used to, I suspect, and what adaptations you make. Its power profile and handling are different to other bikes, but that's the same across the board. If I were to jump on a super sport and attempt to commute on it, I'd expect that it would feel "wrong" and I'd have to make adjustments to my riding style.

I've gone from commuting on a Suzuki LS400 (cruiser) to a 225cc Enduro - the power and engine braking on the XT are both more aggressive than the LS and it's a damned sight more manoeuvrable. Obviously, I cannot ride the XT like I rode the LS and I have had to learn the ways of the XT. If I went back the other way, I'd probably get in a power of shit trying to convince the LS - with it's long wheelbase and long rake - to corner like I do on the XT.

You learn, you adapt, you find new ways of tackling the same old corners and you have a lot of fun - can't ask for anything more, really.

[Ixion]

Am I to gather, since the XT's still in the running, that you don't foresee any problems commuting on it?

You're right about the reputation for being bulletproof. I hope the seat on the larger XT's is more comfortable than the one on the 225, though.

Fiv hours the other weekend, no problems. Only comfort issue is that the upright position and no fairing, wind gets a bit annoying over around 130ish. Seat's fine.