Choosing an adventure bike!

[wetdog]

Hi Folks,

My first post here and, I'm glad I found these forums.

Well, I'm getting back into biking after 5 years, and decided an adventure bike would be good to have in NZ. Previously I had for a short time a TDM850 in the UK and loved the comfy position rather than the cramped sports bike's I've owned.

I've had my heart set on a KLR650 recently, but after searching on trademe I've seen a few BMW F650 Dakar's. My budget is around $10,000. So a new KLR650 is all good, but the other option is a 2001/2002 F650 with km's from 2k to 36k, for around the same price.

Mostly I want a bike that will cruise on the road at 100kph pretty comfortably, and have the ability to go on gravel/dirt but nothing technical. Also something that is droppable a bit, as I have zero off road riding experience, only smooth tarmac for me so far!

Any comments of the new KLR650 vs and older F650 Dakar would be welcome. I've none to test ride here in Whakatane which is a shame

Thanks,

Joe

[Waihou Thumper]

Hi Folks,

My first post here and, I'm glad I found these forums.

Well, I'm getting back into biking after 5 years, and decided an adventure bike would be good to have in NZ. Previously I had for a short time a TDM850 in the UK and loved the comfy position rather than the cramped sports bike's I've owned.

I've had my heart set on a KLR650 recently, but after searching on trademe I've seen a few BMW F650 Dakar's. My budget is around $10,000. So a new KLR650 is all good, but the other option is a 2001/2002 F650 with km's from 2k to 36k, for around the same price.

Mostly I want a bike that will cruise on the road at 100kph pretty comfortably, and have the ability to go on gravel/dirt but nothing technical. Also something that is droppable a bit, as I have zero off road riding experience, only smooth tarmac for me so far!

Any comments of the new KLR650 vs and older F650 Dakar would be welcome. I've none to test ride here in Whakatane which is a shame

Thanks,

Joe

Go KTM, wait for the 690 Adventure, or pick up a great second hand 640A....
Look, this has been done to death here, there is a wealth of preferences, bikes, and what is good, what is not ....Fuel ranges, tyres etc etc....
If budget was my goal, then KLR....If something else, then go BMW....
BUT, at the end of the day, the KTM is great, it performs, the costs are lower than BMW and the range is HUGE!
I personally would be looking for a DR650 or a XT660, the DR has the long range tanks available, oil cooled, nice and cheap etc....
I love my KTM and wish I had two of them, seriously....
I can remove the tank, kick start it, work on it and parts are cheap....
There is also a wealth of information from the cousins across the Pacific!
I looked at KLR but went European, consider KTM, at the end of the day you won't be disappointed.
Range is a big factor to me and when I can do over 600Km to the tank it makes a difference whether to turn left or just keep going!

[junkmanjoe]

Hi Joe, welcome.

i went throught this a short time ago.

my budget was 7k max.
i also looked at klr650, but decided on a 07 dr650,
i looked at and tested a couple ktm, very nice bikes, but out of my budget, one day soon i hope.
any way dr650 great value for my dollar, not as heavy as klr, etc, but, klr has a longer fuel range,my dr last sat on our ride i ran my tank out from full, and it went 220kms, with 30km, on back up.
dr is easy to throw around, is a basic bike which can go where the others can as well.

luck with your hunting.

[marks]

just buy this

its a great deal

just be aware that I might have a certain bias

you owe it to yourself to ride some before you buy something.

Spend a weekend in Auckland and try a few (if you can tolerate those pansy self obsessed Aucklanders)

[Taz]

I would get the new KLR (or DR650 with safari tank) over the used F650. I owned an XT600 for 45000kms and it was brilliant. Only problem was the small tank 15 litres 210 to reserve. I ordered an acerbis 23 litre tank and all was good. 200 km range is just not good enough for those out of the way places. KTM 690 Enduro is 17k so I'd hate to think how much a 690 Adventure would be (if you could get one)

[Oscar]

Hi Folks,

My first post here and, I'm glad I found these forums.

Well, I'm getting back into biking after 5 years, and decided an adventure bike would be good to have in NZ. Previously I had for a short time a TDM850 in the UK and loved the comfy position rather than the cramped sports bike's I've owned.

I've had my heart set on a KLR650 recently, but after searching on trademe I've seen a few BMW F650 Dakar's. My budget is around $10,000. So a new KLR650 is all good, but the other option is a 2001/2002 F650 with km's from 2k to 36k, for around the same price.

Mostly I want a bike that will cruise on the road at 100kph pretty comfortably, and have the ability to go on gravel/dirt but nothing technical. Also something that is droppable a bit, as I have zero off road riding experience, only smooth tarmac for me so far!

Any comments of the new KLR650 vs and older F650 Dakar would be welcome. I've none to test ride here in Whakatane which is a shame

Thanks,

Joe

If you've had no off road experience, the F650 is not the bike for you.
Learning to control a bike off-road (including gravel) on summat that heavy is not a good idea.

Get something light, a DR650 or KLR if you must for on-road comfort, but I'd urge you to start on something like a DRZ400/250 or XR400/250. With the correct external gearing, these will cruise at 100km/h on the open road, and you'll have a lot more fun off road...

[pampa]

Hi welcome,

I've owned a F650GS Dakar 03 (sold less than a month ago), is
- a nice bike overall
- good looking in my opinion
- good on the road
- good resell value
- very good fuel eficiency,
- very expensive to repair,
- very expensive third party parts
- common in here
- tough and copes well with drops just replace the original mirrors that cost 100$ each with something more reasonable, I've dropped mine million times ... like u didn't have much experience offroad
- heavy 190kg aprox
- reasonable power (~50Hp) better than klr less than Ktm 640. I geared it down to get better bottom end 15tooth sprocket


Now I have a G650, I was looking for a Ktm 640 and couldn't find one and got what I thought was a good deal and they're selling cheap this days.

Agree with Mark is better when possible to try them out, but otherwise u can always sell it and buy another one that u like better

Cheers,
Pampa

Go KTM, wait for the 690 Adventure, or pick up a great second hand 640A....
Look, this has been done to death here, there is a wealth of preferences, bikes, and what is good, what is not ....Fuel ranges, tyres etc etc....
If budget was my goal, then KLR....If something else, then go BMW....
BUT, at the end of the day, the KTM is great, it performs, the costs are lower than BMW and the range is HUGE!
I personally would be looking for a DR650 or a XT660, the DR has the long range tanks available, oil cooled, nice and cheap etc....
I love my KTM and wish I had two of them, seriously....
I can remove the tank, kick start it, work on it and parts are cheap....
There is also a wealth of information from the cousins across the Pacific!
I looked at KLR but went European, consider KTM, at the end of the day you won't be disappointed.
Range is a big factor to me and when I can do over 600Km to the tank it makes a difference whether to turn left or just keep going!

[Padmei]

HAve to disagree with NZKTM. With respect the 640 is a great reponsive powerful reliable bike but compared to the KLR or BMW it is a very highly strung aggressive bone shaking competition bike.

Coming from a road riding background unless you wanted to go to the extremes of adventure riding you might feel more comfortable on a more roady bike. In saying that Ive taken Gonzo on a MX track & got some air & been in quite a few sticky moments.

Whatever you buy you will love the feeling of being somewhere in the middle of nowhere riding thru leaf covered tracks crossing rivers & climbing rocky trails.

You lucky bastard

[pete376403]

I've never ridden a KTM single but I'd guess that they are off-road biased at the expense of on road comfort.

Of the 12000 odd kms that I've done on my KLR so far, the majority would have been on some sort of legal road (sealed or gravel) as opposed to real "off-road". For me the on-road comfort outweighs the dirtability - notwithstanding it *can* do snotty off road, but it makes you work for it.

I have done a South Island tour on a Dakar. They have a nice seat. Not sure if that alone is worth the $4 -5K diff between new KLR / second hand Dakar.

Work out your own definition of Adventure riding - for some people it's hard core single track, for others it's just minor back roads - and then test ride as many different bikes as you can and pick the one that does it for you.

[marks]

& been in quite a few sticky moments.

Hopefully Igor had some tissues

Whatever you buy you will love the feeling of being somewhere in the middle of nowhere riding thru leaf covered tracks crossing rivers & climbing rocky trails.

You lucky bastard

wot he said

[Padmei]

Hopefully Igor had some tissues

fuckentenfuckingcharactersalrightyoufuckheads

[wetdog]

Thanks for all your quick replies. I'm so excited and so much choice in the adventure bikes.

I did some googling on the 640, and it does seem a bit full on for me atm. Also I never realised the Dakar 650 was quite so heavy and maybe expensive after a drop. I'm definitely leaning back towards the KLR650 which a few of you seem to like alot too.

I'll call around for some quotes on 08/09 models and try for a test ride first, but I'm sure I'll be smitten again whatever I get on.

Whatever you buy you will love the feeling of being somewhere in the middle of nowhere riding thru leaf covered tracks crossing rivers & climbing rocky trails.

You lucky bastard

Yep thats what I want, and to see some more of this beautiful country, without being scared by the car drivers.

[Waihou Thumper]

KTM 690 Enduro is 17k so I'd hate to think how much a 690 Adventure would be (if you could get one)

That is why if a 640A came up for sale it would be a good buy...
If I had 7-8K and I saw one, then it would be a good purchase. 2003-2004 model.

[Waihou Thumper]

HAve to disagree with NZKTM. With respect the 640 is a great reponsive powerful reliable bike but compared to the KLR or BMW it is a very highly strung aggressive bone shaking competition bike.

I thought that too...
BUT.
Having ridden this lovely beast for 26000Km over the last two years I have found it a competitive beast and a forgiving road machine.
Comfortable in fourth gear and the only thing lacking maybe a sixth gear...
We all know that though...

[Padmei]

If you haven't already checkout KLR650.Net. They have all the info on them but read between the lines as it's a seppo site they like a good whinge. Be aware that some of the early 08s were oil burners so go for one with a later build date or an 09 (sorry but uglier colours though).