Topic: New Biker....ME!! Well kinda.....

[blur911]

KLR are nice but I would not buy one. so much other choice other than that.  I would maybe look into and older XR650 L(or X.  can't remember the suffixes)... in terms of the big boy offroad thumper.

The L is the street legal XR, it's really tall and better off-road than the KLR, but I think a KLR will do just fine for the riding he wants to do.

I just read a good article about the KLR and rumours of a KLX700.  Lots of good info and comparisons in there.

https://advrider.com/kawasaki-klx700-renderings-and-rumors/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_content=02_25_2020

[Fobroader]

KLR are nice but I would not buy one. so much other choice other than that.  I would maybe look into and older XR650 L(or X.  can't remember the suffixes)... in terms of the big boy offroad thumper.

The L is the street legal XR, it's really tall and better off-road than the KLR, but I think a KLR will do just fine for the riding he wants to do.

I just read a good article about the KLR and rumours of a KLX700.  Lots of good info and comparisons in there.

https://advrider.com/kawasaki-klx700-renderings-and-rumors/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_content=02_25_2020

I looked at that XR650L, way too tall for this guy. I think the KLR will be a good bike for now and two decades for now. Its one of those bikes I don't see selling even if I get something different down the road.

[ktm525]

KLR is a solid choice. You should have jumped on the one I linked to about 3 months ago. It looks like it sold. Again any KLR sold in the last ten years (20?)  is the same...

[Triple Bob]

KLR are nice but I would not buy one. so much other choice other than that.  I would maybe look into and older XR650 L(or X.  can't remember the suffixes)... in terms of the big boy offroad thumper.

I disagree, a KLR would be a great choice, they are good on power, reliable, and unbreakable.  Something old will just be a PITA.

And I agree, you will grow out of a 300 fairly quickly.

[Blueprint]

Back in my college days I really liked the Suzuki Savage 650 - very simple custom with a 650cc single.

[Fobroader]

Back in my college days I really liked the Suzuki Savage 650 - very simple custom with a 650cc single.

I don't know what it is, I'm a fan of most styles of motorcycles, but cruisers and choppers have never really done it for me.

[dirtyjeffer]

Back in my college days I really liked the Suzuki Savage 650 - very simple custom with a 650cc single.

LOL...they still make that bike...it's called the Boulevard S40 now:


https://www.suzuki.ca/?q=en/node/5177

$5700...reliable as an anvil and relatively inexpensive (it's a pretty simple bike)...it's even belt drive.   

[ktm525]

Back in my college days I really liked the Suzuki Savage 650 - very simple custom with a 650cc single.

I don't know what it is, I'm a fan of most styles of motorcycles, but cruisers and choppers have never really done it for me.

Me either. Small displacement cruiser just seems so greasy small town drug pusher to me . 

[Fobroader]

 

Thought that was strictly El Camino/clapped out Harley territory 

[Great_Big_Abyss]

A Thumper!  Single cylinder.  TONS of torque. 

[Arthur Dent]

That one was recommended to me when I started riding. Low seat height, reliable, lots of low down torque for easy riding, belt drive for easy maintenance. But I just don't like how it looks and I am shallow enough that it matters to me. While similar the Boulevard is better looking than the Savage with a few detail changes.

[ktm525]

They look like they have a ton of fork rake.

[dkaz]

KLR? I don't trust all that new fangled technology.

Nope, apparently it will survive the end times, perfect for me

Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk

KLRs are great, there's like millions of them out there, maybe exxagerating but just a little. But if parts do break which they seldom do, you won't have trouble finding parts.

I disagree, a KLR would be a great choice, they are good on power, reliable, and unbreakable.  Something old will just be a PITA.

And I agree, you will grow out of a 300 fairly quickly.

I was going to argue against this, but it's Alberta where you go forever between curves and I wish I had a bike with more power. I'm glad I'm going back to BC where 300s are FUN.

[PJungnitsch]

Think they've been discontinued as of 2018: https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/the-klrs-long-run-is-over

but still some new old stock out there, and some well farkled older ones for sale:

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-sport-touring/edmonton/2013-kawasaki-klr650/148661269

Still think an ABS Vstrom would be a better bike long term, but a cheap used KLR to learn on and drop may not a a bad idea. And it's a piece of motorcycling history.

[dkaz]

Still think an ABS Vstrom would be a better bike long term, but a cheap used KLR to learn on and drop may not a a bad idea. And it's a piece of motorcycling history.

Not to mention fuel injection. My hate for carburetors alone would steer me away from the KLR.

[dirtyjeffer]

Still think an ABS Vstrom would be a better bike long term, but a cheap used KLR to learn on and drop may not a a bad idea. And it's a piece of motorcycling history.

Not to mention fuel injection. My hate for carburetors alone would steer me away from the KLR.

i've personally never had any issues with a carb'd bike, but i can see the appeal of FI and would likely go that route if possible as well.

[ktm525]

fuel injection is much better until it is not. The only drawback to fuel injection is it is tougher to troubleshoot in the bush or away from civilization. I used to be able to carry a little wire and a couple of jets. Now I carry two different fuel filters and a power supply (as you can't bump start a completely dead fuel injected bike. On long trips I carry an extra pump. Lose your fuel pressure and you are walking.

[dkaz]

I guess if you're going to be in the bush often fending for yourself, carb is the way to go. For the 90% of us road bikers who stay on the road, fuel injection hands down. My Vino 125's carb had to be adjusted so often it was annoying.

Same with tires. I can't remember if the reason why offroaders like tube tires so much is because you can almost only use tube tires with spoked wheels that are better for offroading than alloy wheels? Or they're easier to do full replacements on? I'd only consider tubeless on the road because plug kit air and go.

[Fobroader]

I was with Dkaz on the whole carburator thing...but after talking to some of my very experienced biker buddies, they told me its not an issue. A friend has a late 90s KLR and hes only had to rebuild the carb a few years ago. Cheap gasket kit and maybe a few hours of your time. I can handle that every decade.

[Arthur Dent]

Carbs don't like sitting. If it gets used regular then it would ok. Bikes carbs are simple things unlike the emission controlled monsters from cars in the 70s/80s.