XRE190 DLX vs XRE300 in SA - Need help deciding. :)
 

Hey all. I'm in Medellín and have narrowed down my decision to one of these two motos. My plan is to travel all over South America with it and then return to Colombia within a couple of years to resell it. I love nature so will likely be on some rough terrain off road, mud, etc but also curved paved roads in high altitudes over long distance throughout the continent. I am a beginner rider, and will have about 60Kg of gear with me.

There is a big difference in price between the two: $4169 for the XRE190DLX and $7197 for the XRE300.
So my question is do any of you more experienced riders think that the 190cc (16 hp @ 8500 rpm Torque 16.2 nm @ 6000 rpm) would be sufficient? They both appear basically the same except for slightly smaller tires and the larger engine (with 25.1 HP @ 7.500 rpm and Torque 27 NM @ 6000 rpm) of course

Many thanks in advance!

I rented the XRE 300 in Peru and was very happy with it. It had plenty of power although it struggled a bit above 4,000 meters.

https://hosting.photobucket.com/albu...720&fit=bounds

It also did very well on paved highways...
https://hosting.photobucket.com/albu...720&fit=bounds

I haven't ridden the 190 but I suspect with only 16 hp it might not pull you up steep grades at high altitude.

Also, I think 60 kg of gear is excessive for either bike. You should be able to trim your load by half (or more). You'll be glad everyday that you did.

............shu

Thanks @shu...! I really appreciate that detailed response! I think I'll go with the XRE300 because I've seen people with 200's have problems above 4000 meters also. I plan on selling it in a couple of years so I'll get quite a bit of my investment back anyway, and I think a 300 will be easier to sell in the future.

Ill definitely take your advice about shedding some KG. Im sure i can get down to 35kg. Did your XRE300 ever die on you at high altitudes?

You're likely to end up riding over 5000 meters in South America, at least every now and then (and possibly for days on end, depending). People do manage with little 190s, but not necessarily by choice. The 300cc bike will not exactly have you screaming around uphill corners at altitude, but it'll at least continue to move you from point A toward point B. And I believe it's fuel injected, which should make life easier at altitude.

I'd suggest aiming for 25 kilos of gear plus specific riding gear, i.e., boots, jacket, pants, helmet. My rule of thumb has been that I should be able to carry it all at once upstairs to my room or through an airport arrivals hall, and that has seemed to me the dividing line between barely possible and never happening. If you decide you need to add something else--a plastic fuel jug, a spare chain and sprockets, a case of beer--you can buy it along the way.

Many of us, certainly including me, have carried far too much crap on long journeys. That's less of an issue with a larger bike, but it's never NOT an issue. Please note that I'm offering this because you say you're a beginner, not with any intent of being insulting.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

Thank's @markharf! That's very good advice and greatly appreciated!

I have around 35kg in my backpack now, but I may have to get rid of some more things and shed some weight. I only weigh 78kg so combined that's only 115kg - not sure if that makes a difference in calculations. I'm likely going to go with the 2024 XRE300 which is electronically injected dual ABS disc brakes, and has bigger tires (90/90–21 front & 120/80–18 rear) vs (90/90-19 & 110/90-17 on the 190).

3000 dollars will probably extend your holiday about 20 days!

the 190 has a kickstart and an electric start, maybe important, although push starting isn't hard.

Most locals have small bikes and don't seem to be too worried.

Mark seems to be incorrect or misinformed, there is no way that you could ride at 5000 metres for days on end! Take the abra del Acay, you are below 5000 metres and the highest stretch is probably 15 kms long, falling in altitude inmediately on either side.
So you may have one or two slow moments in your trip but don't let the altitude worry you, specially as both bikes are fuel injected.

PS you might find it impossible to sleep at altitudes higher than 4500 metres yet alone ride for days on end at above 5000

+1 on the weight reduction

It never did die, but on many high altitude, uphill switchbacks I needed to slip the clutch and blip the throttle a lot to keep it going. It can get a little exciting when you're riding on baseball sized rocks and the rain water is sluicing down the road. You'll see! :blink:

Riding up into the fog, northern Peru....
https://hosting.photobucket.com/albu...720&fit=bounds

............shu

Flashdog is correct; I made one of those metric conversion mistakes that we clueless Americans are fond of, i.e., I mentally translated 15,000 ft. into 5000 meters. I do know better, but nonetheless that's what I did. There are areas where you might remain around 15,000 feet and above for several day--the Lagunas in Bolivia and Chile comes to mind, with a series of passes between 4665m (~15,400 ft) and 5000m (16,500 ft), but none that I know of which would have you remain above 5000 meters for any extended period. Thanks for the correction!

I've slept above 4500m/15,400 ft, and it was not fun, exactly, but by no means impossible.

Mark