Me and a friend are planning a 25k round trip of South America. Were using Xr650R's.
Its true the seats are awful but were getting them repacked and altered so should be fine, also we went for the more powerful R as were going to gear the bikes down for the road and the enter torque will pull much better with higher gearing, especially with luggage. The power wont get us into trouble. The alloy frame is much stronger too (although harder to repair) and water cooling is always a better option in Hot climates. The L uses the old dominator engine.Although basic and reliable, it has its own faults which can be found on this forum.
Also, the R has a kick start unlike the L's Electric. Id rather have the piece of mind to always be able to start the bike and not worry about battery condition. Clearing a flooded engine with an electric start will kill you battery in minutes...
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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.
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