Other reliable road-going Motards besides DRZ400SMs?

[Brainfade]

Hi Tarders
What other good,reliable road going Motards are available here in NZ?
I do love My DRZ but because I mite have to sell My R6 I would,maybe, like a faster Road Tard, I like the look of the Aprilia SVX4.5 & 5.5 but I hear they are not very reliable, is that true, does anyone here use one as a daily ride?
Then theres the Dorsoduro 750 but that seems a bit large for a Tard so, Basically, I guess I want to know what other Reliable (like the DRZ) Road Tards that can be used everyday without rebuilding the thing every 30 hours are available here in NZ.
btw, if the SVX 5.5 was a good daily ride I would get one but not if the reliability is in doubt,phew,I hope that made sense, Ive just finished doing niteshift, zzzzzzzzzz time
Cheers Brainfade

[Gremlin]

The sxv 450 and 550 are basically road legal versions of the rxv, competiton motards. Maintenance on them is high. Same for the husaberg fs650.

While not exactly the same, have you thought about the ktm 690? Bit heavier, but on a road bike maintenance requirement, and still lighter than sportsbikes. Most powerful thumper available I believe.

edit: as far as I know, the dorsoduro hasn't landed yet, but is coming. There is also the aprilia peguso, maybe the shiver? (less of a motard tho).

You also have the yammy (wrf450 is it?) and honda versions (crf?)

[xwhatsit]

I crack huge boners every time I see a pictures of KTM 690 SMs

I don't think they're a piston and rings every 30 hours kind of machine, are they?

I know SFA about them, but they're expensive and orange -- that means it's good, right?

[Gremlin]

690 SM has normal maintenance requirements, ie, 6000km service intervals, or something like that.

Whats important is that its a KTM... some of the toolkits have bottle openers, how many manufacturers do that? They are also the ones making marketing vids of their bikes doing naughty things (on closed roads of course)

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2wsSL0RFEU[/YOUTUBE]

[Sam I Am]

The 990 supermoto R will do !!!
I have a XR650R motard and have a constant grin on my face, You just won't want to be going to far from a petrol station!

[AlBundy]

KTM 690 SMC.

66hp
139kg's.

There's power to be had. To quote....

it's all about what you want to do.

I had the old 640SM a few years ago and for the most part, was rarely passed except on very long straights.

The new smc is smoother, lighter, better handling, has the slipper clutch etc: as a day's sport ride or a hoon bike it's pretty much an R1 beater in all but the open straights. Around the Coromandel, on 22 or over the Rimutakas it'll slay any road bike ridden by the same guy.


The engine is pretty much the same as the SM but with the single pipe it is about 3hp less. The lower weight more than makes that up though and with a few mods it seems close to 70hp is not out of the question.

Mine's still only 1200km old or so and i'm not about to mess with it until i'm sure it won't run too lean and blow. However, once it's loose, i'll get a tune boy or similar and start changing pipes, air filter, remove air box cover etc etc. All the work will be done by the dealer though; i don't want to invalidate my warranty.

First thing to go is the muffler of course; a hoon bike that goes chuff chuff is a joke........or a hondog, yamahahaha or spewzuki

I've ridden the prestige (basically the smr), the smc and the duke and i prefer the smc on the road by far.
NZ roads being what they are; potholes, gravel, hollows, bumps made by trucks on corners etc; the extra long travel suspension of the smc is my cuppa tea.

mind you, if you're not used to long travel road bikes you'll possibly screw up and crash. The deal is to forget about demon late braking and just chop down a few gears letting the back end and compression drag the speed down then gas it up early on the exit (a single will get on the power way earlier than pretty much any multi without breaking traction).
If you do use the front brakes hard they CAN be awesome but you would be crazy to slam them on (front would dive slamming the fork into itself, loading the front up and lifting the rear wheel off the ground). Best to feed them in carefully at first until the front has compressed then squeeze harder and harder. It helps to know that with the light weight, you can outbrake pretty much any road bike if you have the balls.

[Paulus]

XR400L Motard?

http://www.motorcycletrader.co.nz/Vi...3+4294966141+0

I believe its a standard model in Japan. Electric start and a steel tank but otherwise an unbreakable XR400. Got to be even more gutless than a DRZ400SM but at least you won't see 100 of them on your way to work. Does seem a bit pricey though.

[xr-rider]

You also have the yammy (wrf450 is it?) and honda versions (crf?)

neither have very long service intervals

[xr-rider]

theres always a dr650 or a yamaaha xtx660

[FlangMasterJ]

KTM 690 SMC.

66hp
139kg's.

There's power to be had. To quote....

Surely the Husaberg 650 is putting out more hp than the LC4.

[AlBundy]

Surely the Husaberg 650 is putting out more hp than the LC4.

Sounds like an awesome machine..... For the track.

110kg's, 65hp at the wheel...

http://www.motorbyte.com/mmm/pages/2006/84/review84.htm

[Supermoto Junkie]

I've had a few road-tards now,

a XR650R.....cheap, reliable, resonable fast

a WR450......not so cheap, maybe faster, probably as reliable(didn't have it long.

and my fav. a KTM 660 SMC, fast as any motard i've ridden, reliable (LC4), just have to have big legs as they are left kick start only (and you can't fit a starter)

[avgas]

XR650 or the XTX660 would be my pick
but if you have the coin
KTM DUKE III 690 would be my pick
num numss

[AlBundy]

The XT660 is too heavy to be a motard, given it's engine size...

The Duke III isn't really a motard any more... The suspension definately doesn't have enough travel. The SM is probably closer to what the Duke should be...

[Mikkel]

I'm having plenty of fun on my Husky 610sm. Warmly recommended - also very good for commuting