DR/KLR = waste of money?

[3L4NS1R]

A stock Yamaha WR250F is 118kg wet
The 690's is 152kg dry.
So we're looking at 40-50kg difference
Not a small difference. =/

Is that including the weight of the car and trailer to get the yama to the trail start?

Face it. You're on your way the door to your boyfriends place...

[TLDV8]

A flat, straight road?

Only to someone who knows nothing about riding dirt roads or reading the conditions.
It is a easy road here but corrugated as far as the eye can see,not to mention the sand patch's.
Sure you could do it on a road bike but it would be a PITA.

What is the point of the thread.

I hated big singles but the last one i rode before the DR was then new 79 XR500.
I am kicking myself for not buying one 20 years ago.
Good speed.
Handles very nicely on the road.
Up to 50 mpg.
Reasonably light (150kg dry)
If you drop it,you just pick it up and carry on.
etc etc etc
You see something off in the bush you just ride into it,be it single track or a dirt road.


Works for me,versatile and fun bike and proves you do not need 200 hp.
The DR is based on Less is More,keeping it simple.

[Bass]

Face it. You're on your way the door to your boyfriends place...

I quite enjoy this sort of stuff.
It's a really obvious troll after all and so we can all have some fun with it. The problem with this approach is that we sometimes tend to get into a bit of serious debate and then lose sight of the fun that was originally intended.

I say "more power" to the guy for taking his road bike out into the gravel in the first place. If he keeps it up, he will end up with an adventure bike one day, despite what he thinks (or pretends to think) now.
We all get hooked once we discover how much of the country we miss out on until we leave the seal behind.
It WILL be an adventure bike too.
None of us would claim that our 650's are trail bikes. That's just not the point.
The point is that they can get you to where the fun starts at a reasonable cruising speed and then they can do the fun stuff with 4 days fuel and provisions on the back, if that's what floats your boat.
Starting to sound like a serious discussion now though.

[Flip]

I’ve been thinking about getting a DR/KL 650 myself. After my 340kg Harley a DR is going to feel like a flea under me. Thinking about hunting from it ie,carrying my day pack and rifle and riding up into the hills (on farm tracks not the big hell stuff). Might also do some of the soft c0ck adventure trips. Would a 250 be a better bike? It has to be road legal has to take me and my pack and be comfortable on the road.
Mikel, Wolsey Spur, umm drove my Land rover up there the other day, did a bit of panel damage, fell into a couple of holes and got stuck twice, had to winch myself out and almost tipped the rover on its side at one point. I remember reading in a 4wd book that this is a "guarantied damage road". It is...

[3L4NS1R]

Would a 250 be a better bike?

only issue with the 250 is usually they have smaller tanks, so no good for the longer/overnight trips. Also I've found higher cc's handle gravel a bit better, more power to get through the soft stuff. That might just be me though having a placebo moment?

[.chris]

A stock Yamaha WR250F is 118kg wet
The 690's is 152kg dry.
So we're looking at 40-50kg difference
Not a small difference. =/

not sure where you got your stats from, the 690e is only 138 dry.
Either way my statement stands, the pro's could do it.
My plastic bash guard would last about 8 seconds tho, would definitely need to swap that out for something more solid.

Might I ask what these sports bikes with knobblies do regarding bashplates/ground clearance - like that extreme R1? (genuine question...)

the only answer to this is, they use their exhausts as bash guards.

[Swoop]

Sure you could do it on a road bike but it would be a PITA.

What is the point of the thread.

I think there are contrails forming off of the wings, when that one went overhead.

[Slyer]

ah right sorry, was looking at the supermoto.

[3L4NS1R]

ah right sorry, was looking at the supermoto.

Now there's a class of bike that I don't understand...

[Squiggles]

I want to see you lot complete the red bull endurocross track on your 650's.
http://www.deflux.co.nz/redbull/

Why werent you out there on the gpx?

[Mikkel]

Mikel, Wolsey Spur, umm drove my Land rover up there the other day, did a bit of panel damage, fell into a couple of holes and got stuck twice, had to winch myself out and almost tipped the rover on its side at one point. I remember reading in a 4wd book that this is a "guarantied damage road". It is...

Yep, I damaged an indicator too - and without the good bastards on mountain bikes that gave me a hand when I was stuck I could still have been up there. The mud was really slippery indeed...

Now there's a class of bike that I don't understand...

You have got to be really clueless not to understand how easy it is to get a bike sideways on gravel on sport tyres.
Of course, if you don't get why that is a good thing then I think there's no point in trying to get you to understand supermotos.

[EJK]

I think DR/KLRs are like some SUVs e.g. Wrangler , Land Rover, Discovery etc but supermotards are like Porsche Cayenne. They are actually fast on and off road and proves enough agility too.

I dunno, I've never drivin or rode one so it's just a guess...

[3L4NS1R]

You have got to be really clueless not to understand how easy it is to get a bike sideways on gravel on sport tyres.
Of course, if you don't get why that is a good thing then I think there's no point in trying to get you to understand supermotos.

Ohhhh... so you want the uncontrolled slides... right. gotcha. :P

[3L4NS1R]

I think DR/KLRs are like some SUVs e.g. Wrangler , Land Rover, Discovery etc but supermotards are like Porsche Cayenne. They are actually fast on and off road and proves enough agility too.

I dunno, I've never drivin or rode one so it's just a guess...

but but.. there are things that could SCRATCH a cayenne... not to mention dirty it! A porsche driver would never let that happen!

[Crisis management]

Let's face it. These "adventure" bikes serve no purpose.

most of their owners consider to be "some serious offroading" - namely riding across his lawn.

Sure, they look real good parked outside the cafe whilst the riders are having their frapacapalattechino

Where the hell is the fun in that?

Get a real bike, you poofters.

Well guys, I think he has finally seen through our pretence, rather than engage in futile arguement I will concede that all he says is true of me. I'm over fifty, lethargic and balding and own a hugely expensive european "adventure" bike that gets used on the occasional sunday to pootle down to the Mt Eden cafes for a coffee (I even subscribe to HTFU). The only time it gets dirty is when I throw a dusting of soil over it for authenticities sake. Just an aside here, it's really hard to get the right consistency of moist dirt that sticks readily but doesn't look hand applied, I've have found that the Living Earth garden mix with a small additon of water seems to get the best results, if anyone has a better solution a PM will do.

I have had it off road until my wife told me to stop messing up the lawn and the gravel at the road works is fairly challenging at times so maybe I'm not a total poser. Tell ya what, I'm heading into town around five-ish (it's sunny and not raining, I checked the rain radar) and I'll travel down symonds street...look out for a highly polished 990 Adventure and we can exchange hair product notes, reminds me, manicure....must rush!!!