KLR Gone The Way Of The Dodo Bird?
 

Some seem sure the KLR is lost to history, extinct, part of the Dead Sea Scrolls. A "has been" that's never really "Been"! doh

It gets little respect from certain quarters ... yet still is THE MOST common bike we see for sale on HUBB want ads. (most of the time it seems) How can that be? :smartass:

According to detractors ... they'd rather be DEAD than ride the lowly KLR anywhere. It's just NO FUN they claim. Is that true? :confused1:

Yet, we still see HUNDREDS out in the world at any given time. I even see them here in the Bay Area on the Freeways ... packed up for long Summer travel. Now why is that? :devil2:

Are these KLR overlander motoqueros Sheep following along what others did 20 years ago? ...not looking out ahead at the BRAVE new Orange World! Not too bright I guess ... but who are the real Sheep here? The KLIM clad Orange Crush? .. or the dull army green KLR dullards in cheapo gear? :innocent:

Funny, we rarely see the KLR guys blow their own horn or brag about their bikes. Most display a quiet confidence ... (or maybe just bought the bike from someone else ... and don't know a thing about it!) :rofl:

Is the KLR still worth fixing up? Or will we see it soon disappear from the ADV landscape? KLR Gurus know it's real potential. Those who are looking for a Race Bike to go RTW ... will never get it. I do have to agree ... I'm not a fan of totally stock KLR.

But my eyes have been opened several times riding well set up ones. Details are everything it seems. Do the fixes make it fast? Uh, no. :nono: But the over bore kits really do make a substantial improvement ... and once over bored, oil burning usually goes away for good. :thumbup1:

So how much has changed amongst travelers tastes since my 2nd HUBB meeting at Copper Canyon in 2004? It was a small event ... only 105 riders total. And guess which bike was most ridden there? Yep, the KLR. 35 of them that year. I counted. Nothing else even came close to the KLR in numbers.

So where are those guys now and what are they riding these days? Have they sent their KLR to Hell? :devil2: Or ...? And what did they pick as a replacement?
And why?

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-B...00/040-L-2.jpg
Ancient KLR Skeleton

I thought the dodo went the way of the KLR? :stormy:

If humans ever explore the dark side of the moon, I fully expect them to find an old, junk, KLR up there.
I have ridden everything available in this country. Everything.
What do I own? a DL650, and a KLR.

Mine has Progressive monotubes inthe forks and a TopGun spring on the shock. It will climb walls

I am in the 12th week of a 2 year trip around the world, and I have chosen a KLR650.

Imagine this situation: you are in deepest, darkest Africa, you have the latest bike with EFI, ABS and maybe even electronic suspension, one morning you wake up and the bike doesn't idle properly and you can't take-off, what are you going to do? Unless you're a motorbike mechanic with diagnostic software...not much. With a KLR you may be able to fix it yourself or the local shade tree mechanic will do it for you.

Who is the dodo, the bulletproof KLR, or high tech mystery?

Could not agree more Ashley!
Yet another consideration for travelers is the possibility of losing your bike via theft or a crash. Many don't care ... they want the bike they want, no matter, come what may. Most times they make it fine. But "stuff" can happen ... and does from time to time.

I feel more comfortable riding a bike I can afford to lose. For me, losing a
$12,000 (usd) KTM 690 would hurt ... badly. A $20,000 BMW GSA? Unthinkable.

A $3500 (usd) KLR, DRZ400, DR650, XR650L or XR400 Honda, XT600 Yamaha? Would be sad ... but tolerable, I could recover from that, buy another and start again. (would unbolt my Ohlins shock if given a chance! :cool4:)

or ... maybe not ....

Russia,Mongolia,Ukraine.....Netherlands on a KLR - ADVrider

In southern Chile-Bike won't run - Kawasaki KLR 650 Forum

Poor Doogle has no end of breakdowns with them that stop his assorted RTW trips. Not just for a day or two either. Try a whole summer marooned in Siberia.

If you really insist I will google "broken KLR" and post the results :)

Dont read on if you want to pretend that an overweight KLR is "bulletproof". Ignorance is bliss.

I always chuckle when someone claims any bike is bulletproof. If they are made for the consumer market, then they are ALL built down to a price and are ALL pieces of crap.

In the words of King James (who I believe was describing off the shelf motorcycles) ... "There are none righteous; no, not one"

Or ... I could post the HUNDREDS of KLR trips that have been (relatively) problem free ... going back to 1986.
What were you riding in 1986? :innocent: I was riding an early KLR!
It was terrible! :thumbdown: but never broke down. (sort of doh)

No question KLR's need fettling as any travel bike would. Look at KLR's for sale, some have LONG lists of mods and alterations. Better? Yep? Have you ever ridden a well set up one? I have.
But some are Lemons and some KLR's are the victim of clueless owners.
Can happen with any brand, yea? (loose nut behind the wheel syndrome)

You must be thinking about BMW here? :rofl: Sure, some components on "some" bikes are not up to torture testing ... or just plain wrong for a dual sport bike.

IMO, for intended use, most Japanese dual sport bikes (including KLR650) do the job if not beaten on too hard for too long with at least minimal maintenance. They are not race bikes, not intended to compete in that venue, but pretty tough bikes overall.

As day to day commuters or easy going travel bikes, most make it back in one piece with few major issues. Certainly more KLR's have done long trips than any other 650 class bike.

Are they elegant Race Winners or Dakar Wanna be's? Not so much ... but ALL big four Japanese companies DO have Race divisions ... and maybe have learned a thing or two over the years?
How's KTM's Moto GP effort going? BMW's Moto Cross program? Oh, sorry, neither have one and never had one.

Sadly not much tech from racing makes it to common Japanese dual sport bikes, most haven't changed for 20 years. (KLR, DR650, XR650L) Imagine what would happen to KTM if the Japanese took just a slight interest in dual sport ADV bikes. :helpsmilie:
Adios KTM? :rofl:

We may see changes soon as both Honda & Yamaha have rekindled race efforts in the Dakar ... Kawasaki and Suzuki are lurking in the shadows.
Sleeping Giants awake? :helpsmilie:

bier

Dream on... Sorry, I'll take a modern bike any day for reliability.

"There are none righteous; no, not one" Romans 3:10

I have been a last port of advice for a lot of people riding across Siberia and Mongolia for a lot of years. I get people email me or PM me all the time (several a week during riding season for at least the last half dozen years) from remote places saying bike is broken, what do I do. In my opinion there has been a strong bias in those pleas for help from older bikes designed in earlier years. Sure, Thats just my sample tho. But its a pretty big sample, even if it is a bit geographically limited to Eurasia.

Just following a few rides now. Here's a couple of guys headed out from Europe to Magadan ... one on a relatively modern G650 X-Challenge. EFI, Water cooled. His mate is on a Carbed Suzuki. Earlier generation engineering. Call it simpler if you are for it, call it more primitive if you are against it. In reality its both. It is simpler and it is more primitive. But guess which bike is having the engine stripped apart in Novosibirsk? Not even half way there and before any of the tough stuff has even started. Click thru the pics. I will give you a clue - its not the more modern, better engineered EFI engine.

https://www.facebook.com/MagadanKoly...type=1&theater

And they haven't started the serious stuff yet :(


Mark
www.bamriders.com

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

Yea, bikes do fail ... but sometimes it's the rider's fault. doh
You know these guys? back grounds? What about the DRZ400
that failed? History?

We see a lot of NEW riders getting out there. They buy a bike cheap as they can, know fookin' ALL about the bike they've bought or bikes/maintenance in general ...they just go, having skipped real prep and not spent time/money to really know the bike and it's condition. No real skill or experience.

Could that be the case with this DRZ guy? :confused1:

Suzuki DRZ has a solid history overall. You know that. Tens of Thousands sold worldwide since 2000. Primitive? OK, if you say so. Most DRZ's are still on the road/trail. We still have a 2000 "E" model running around. In fact, it's my dirt bike now as I sold my WR250F couple months back. Uses some oil now but starts /runs fine! This old DRZ was a Press bike from Suzuki ... in 2000 ... it's been passed around to everyone; abused, mistreated and not maintained. Yet it survives! :smartass:

Would I take to Mongolia? HELL NO! Just common sense, right? You don't take a worn out bike half way round the world to ride a 4 month long enduro! :rofl:

I used to hang out on the Thumper Talk DRZ forum. (owned a 2001 DRZ E) Hundreds of DRZ riders ... not many failures like this guy in Russia. Sure, there are problems, but not many like that, that I've seen anyway. :confused1:

So, could it be possible this guy screwed the pooch? Ran it out of oil? Didn't adjust valves? No up grade of cam timing chain? Ran without coolant? Noobs are very creative, have a thousands ways to kill a bike.

It's easy to counterpoint this rare failure with dozens of DRZ's that have done well. Same as with the KLR. Take "Jedi" Adam as just ONE example out of many recent accounts. His DRZ has done pretty well, last I checked, and so did his DR650 before that. How can that be? :mchappy:

Or, take the 35 KLR's that showed up at Copper Canyon Mexico HUBB meeting in 2004. NONE broke down, some rode 3000 miles to get there ... then rode back or onto S. America. Ever been anywhere where you had 35 X-Challenges together at one time? :rofl:

Sure, the DRZ is an older design ... but, IMO, a pretty good one. Mild state of tune, overbuilt, built to last. Cheap to buy, easy to maintain (if you know how) and generally reliable. (14 years of experience with this bike)

Few have the skills, funds, connections or time to build a custom bike from the ground up as you have. I really admire what you've done with your X Challenge ... but that is just not going to happen for most riders.

Even your riding partners didn't go as far compared to what you've done .... and one ended up on the end of a tow rope much of the ride. :blushing:

bier

Sure the KLR is a perfectly OK bike, and cheap. But to buy one so that you have a bike that a street-corner mechanic in "deepest, darkest Africa" can fix is a fantasy.

Several years ago now I rode across Russia with a group of 7-8 people; most on GSs, one on a KTM, and one guy on a GSPD. Guess which one broke down? The GSPD...and after the very-experienced owner spent a few days attempting to diagnose the problem, had new coils shipped to Siberia, etc., it still didn't run, and he had to ship it home from Irkutsk, while the GS/KTM riders rode off into the sunset.

I'm not interested in another "what bike is more reliable" pissing match--all bikes break--but the point is that often when it's broken, its broken, and a well-chosen/prepped modern bike is less likely to break.

Dude ... I hear you. Not really disagreeing to any degree of note with anything you are saying. I liked your original post.

What I am saying (not to you but to the guy who used the word "bulletproof", and thought because he is 12 weeks into a 2 year trip that his bike is bulletproof) is that its naive to claim any bike is bulletproof.

My point is there is nothing even vaguely close to bulletproof. If any rider thinks he has found the silver bullet, then he is kidding himself. Thinking because he has a KLR that he is not going to have unfixable problems is also wishful thinking.

Reality is if a KLR has a shagged crank, or if a 1200 has a shagged ECU (not that I ever heard of a shagged ECU), either way, the likely outcome is FEDEXing in a spare part.

In 2009 while I was in Mongolia there were two other riders there at the time. Tiffany on her BMW airhead ... she was airfreighting in a new distributor rotor. And a DR350, which was running really badly and needed daily maintenance due to broken carb needle (ultimately it was running so badly it was rail freighted back to Moscow)

All the time I see these old bikes being unfixable in remote place, and needing airfreighted parts to get them going again. Yes, sometimes I see more modern bikes needing new parts flown in too. The only difference is that the older bikes break down much more frequently. MUCH MUCH more frequently.

I remember being in touch with a nice Aussie couple planning a ride in 2006 across Russia (London to Tokyo), they chose to take old bikes, on the premise that they were more reliable, more fixable etc ... Guess how that trip ended. Those reliable old repairable bikes broken and freighted out ...

Again its one of a hundred examples I could dig up.

The outcomes dont match the dogma that people have when they choose old bikes - convinced it will make their trips more worry free.

If you like old bikes, then fine, ride old bikes. If you like them for their character, then fine. Say you choose the bikes cause you like their character. If youre Doug, and your whole thing is based around cool old bikes, then do what he does and say its cause I love these cool old bikes. If you love KLRs, just admit its cause you love the heavy old primitive beast that is a KLR. Just dont kid yourself that they are more reliable, or less likely to cause you grief. Its just not reality.

And... Definitely don't kid yourself that your choice, whatever it is, is bulletproof. That just total naivity.

Very experienced? Maybe not? :innocent:

All bikes can and do break. But there is a difference between
a 25 year old GSPD and a well prepped 2 year old GS. Same with a KLR, DR, XR-L or F650. A 20 year old high mileage one IS more likely to break down. A new-ish example ... even though it's an OLD design, will most likely do fine.

Thanks!

True, too early to make any claims. Lots of bad road ahead. I wish him well, hope he's done his homework and has prepped that KLR for the long haul ... bier

I mostly agree here. :thumbup1:

But regards "unfixable" problems .. depends where you are, how persistent you are and how much you're willing to spend ... and of course LUCK has a lot to do with it! We've all read stories of guys getting the most unlikely fixes in remote areas. It can happen ... no matter the bike. I know you've had some of these unbelievable encounters in your travels. So have I.

I carry a spare needle ... never used it of course. It's a $10 part, takes up zero space. Any decent moto shop could have dug up an needle to work in that bike. But I guess Siberia is short on shops. :helpsmilie:

Right, no question. But as I said in my post above ... there is a difference in a high mileage OLD bike that is worn out ... and a bike of OLD design (KLR, DR, XR-L, XT) that is quite new with low mileage. Do you believe even a bike of OLD DESIGN will be more likely to break down? Is it really an "old" bike?

Remember, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Honda still make these old boilers today ...

BMW used to disclose data on customer warranty service claims. All the OEMS did. These stats were published for YEARS in Motorcycle Industry News (MIC). About 10 years ago BMW stopped disclosure of this information. Why?

Probably because they consistently were in LAST place in warranty service claims. (most claims) Shortly after, the big four also declined to give this information ... even though their numbers were (and ARE) incredibly low.

Guys ask me what bike to buy. After a model is decided upon I always recommend getting the NEWEST, low Mileage bike they can afford. The DR650 and KLR are both 20 year old designs. But a 2 or 3 year old KLR or DR is unlikely to have fatal flaws ... once prepped, set up and a good shake down test run done....you know ...like a quick ride to Morocco :rolleyes2:

Yep, old worn out bikes? Not good. :nono: Cheap and Cheerful is good but Beaten and Thrashed is a NO GO. Many Noobs wouldn't know the difference.

But a new-ish bike of older design? I don't see a problem. :mchappy:

Agreed!

But for many it's not about having romantic or sentimental delusions about "Vintage" bikes. It's simply about money, maintenance and cost of parts and service. Often times bikes like KLR's have a low admission price ... even low mileage, newer ones are not too dear.

But you make a very good point about the "bulletproof" delusion so many seem to harbor. Many inexperienced travelers are told a certain model is "bulletproof" and will "never" wear out. So the Noob goes out and finds a "really good deal" ... and screws himself cause he's bought a worn out old nail that's been spit polished and new tires fitted.

ALL bikes wear out. And BMW's are not immune either ... even though things I sometimes hear from that side, you'd think they never do. I used to hear this from the Air Head crowd YEARS AGO ... back when I owned air heads and went to many of the BMW rallies. What a load of crap. My BMW's were THE MOST problematic and unreliable bikes I've ever owned. And I've owned quite a few bikes.

Budget Bikers
 

Steve here, 2 years into a RTW trip on a 2003 XT600, currently in Columbia. There are still a lot of people doing these trips on KLR´s with no complaints. And, while I don´t want to rain on your mechanical party, they were all decent, unpretentious people, an observation I have heard from other bikers.

OK, chief, whatever you say.

As I thought I made very clear in my post, I'm not arguing about what is more likely or not to break down--I'm saying that if an older bike breaks down, chances are good that a shade-tree mechanic in Russia (much less deepest Africa) won't be able to fix it.

only saying that an air head GS is a fairly simple bike to work on. Can only be a few things. Could be something with diode board or stator ... or broken wire somewhere in the harness, bad switch, faulty ground or intermittent short? Been there, taken apart on the side of the road ... in the dark. Coils rarely fail on air heads.

Oh, crystal clear! But wouldn't it depend on what the fault was on the bike? :innocent:
One good thing about common, older bikes is sometimes parts are around or can be borrowed from other bikes. If the fault is a relatively simple one ... a local guy might get lucky, no?

If the piston's seized or it's sucked a valve or you've busted the case ... you're done. But sometimes it's just a blocked jet, torn diaphragm, bad switch, shorted wire, crud in fuel, clogged filter,
bad wheel or steering head bearing, broken cable, cracked frame ... sometimes the local guy can help with these minor issues .... Sometimes not.

Early in this thread I posted a pic of a KLR broken in half. Did you know that guy had a local welder in Baja weld up the frame? He put everything back on the bike, rode it back to USA. He then bought a used KLR frame, transferred everything over ... then rode the KLR back to Mexico, continued his trip. :thumbup1:

It was a month long interruption ... and cost some money, but the welding was cheap and much cheaper than a truck ride up to the border. (1000 miles)

Some local friends here crossed Russia in a Ural side car rig. It broke down many times and locals always got it going. They were hit (rig mostly destroyed), bought all new parts for like $500, had it rebuilt. The girl is Russian ... lives here in San Fran Bay Area, so language was no problem. They had the ride of a life time, by their account. :thumbup1:

From reading Walter's ride reports I got the feeling there are a few decent mechanics in Russia? Dunno. Africa? I think you're on your own there ... but you never know ...

Yes, but it is pretty much the same with modern bikes...

Sure, and maybe a unicorn will show up with whatever parts the locals don't have...

Great story. GuiltyParty did pretty much the same somewhere rather more remote than Baja, with his Triumph 800xc, which I suppose counts as a modern bike: Going Walkabout on an 800xc through Russia & Central Asia...and maybe beyond... - ADVrider

I usually stay out of "my brand of bike is better than yours" conversations, but....

In the 90's I had a R100GSPD, and found it too heavy for what I wanted to do. I decided to buy the best street bike of the Japanese dual sports, which, in my opinion was the KLR. This was in 2001. I have used this bike mainly for trips, I use other bikes for daily transport. Currently, it has about 83,000 miles, maybe 2/3 of those south of the US border in various Latin American countries. It has puked two of the OEM rear shocks, I now have a Progressive brand unit, so far, so good. The only other significant failure was the speedo drive gearbox in the front hub, and a loose baffle in the muffler that restricted airflow (try diagnosing that one). I have done some prophylactic maintenance, like wheel bearings, clutch plates, water pump seals, and the infamous doohickey, but I have never had a serious breakdown on the road. I reshimmed the valves at 8,000 miles, and have checked them several times since then, but never adjusted them.

Does any of this make it a "better" bike than anything else? It all depends on what you want. I ride very conservatively when far from home, so horsepower per cc means nothing to me, and if I need more suspension, then I am going too fast. I understand carburetors, so a fuel system breakdown doesn't hold any terror for me. If I understood EFI better, maybe I would prefer that.

I am curious what kind of longevity people are getting on the more high strung bikes, KTM 690 enduro and the like. I know someone with a CBR1000R who has 100,000 miles, and the engine has never been apart, so I suspect it can be done.

The KLR has been a good choice for me. Knowing what I know now, I might have chosen a XR650L, just because there are so many more Honda dealers in Latin America.

so with far less experience in RTW'ing than many of you, i'm still gonna chime in here with what i have observed in 30 years of riding all manner of beasts.

simple = better.

electronics are fantastic until they take a shit.

i have two fairly simple bikes, a dr650 and a dl1000. both ARE bulletproof, until they are not. but there is no doubt amongst those that know these bikes: the dr650 is light years easier to diagnose and likely cheaper to fix.

the dl1000 is fairly reliable as big efi bikes go. it has it's known issues and those have fixes. but every once in a while, one pops up with a problem that confounds the "experts"--the dealers, those that truly know the machine, and the masses that have ridden it for many years. sure, all of them get fixed eventually, but at what cost? after how long?

compare to the mighty dr. old skewl, carbed, thumper with just about no electronics (does the cdi count as electronics?). no ecu. no fidigity, persnickety efi. no fancy anything. when they breakdown it's a matter of usually one of two things: carb/fuel issue (as in that damn in-line fuel filter), or the stator. no water pump issues. no ecu issues. dead basic. dead simple. and dead cheap.

if someone freighted a dr??? out of mongolia because of a broken carb needle, well, i dunno what to say, except maybe they shouldda taken a basic moto mechanics class before riding off into the nether-lands.

old and basic, but they are also tried and true.

Everything in life is relative.

To someone with points it clearly is. CDIs were abused as new fangled electronics when they came on the scene too. Cant adjust them, cant check them, bla bla bla.

Why would CDI not be electronics?? Its a black box just like an ECU. Its closed. You cant fix it if it shags itself. You cant diagnose which circuit within it is faulty and repair that by the side of the road in Malawi.

Why is CDI ok to you but ECU isnt? Seems a bit hypocritical to me to slam one and love the other. I would be curious to hear your justification for that logic.

I have had EFI cars and motorcycles for 30 years. Since the mid 1980s. In half a million miles on all vehicles since then, never once have I had to "fidget" with a single injector on them.

What car do you drive?
How often does its injection need "fidgeting"? (maybe you can compare with how often your carbed motorcycle needs "fidgeting for reference, and how many miles each does between a good old "fidget")
How often does your EFI car break down?
When was the last time your car's ECU failed?

I am actually not being rhetorical. Lets try and put the answers out there so we can really have a more informed discussion on the fidgetyness of carbs vs EFI.

I will throw some info in for comparison sake ... My cousin keeps an old 1970s muscle car - with carbs and points. I have a BMW EFI V8. Both produce around 300-350 hp. By engine has done 150,000 miles. His less than 50,000. I have never once had to "fidget" with the EFI in 150,000 miles. He has to adjust his carbs (fidget) every few outings!

The fact that he enjoys it, doesnt make it less fidgety. In fact, he has a Hyundai EFI car, just cause he doesnt want to have to fidget with his old donk every time to goes to work or down to the shops.

So my personal experience with old simple tech vs newfangled EFI and ECU tech is that old tech is about 1000 times more "fidgety".

I am happy to do my next blast across Siberia with me on my EFI ECU X-Challenge and put Austin Vince next to me on his DR350 ... if someone wants to put up the money for this fidgetyness challenge. Lets see who has to fidget the most with carbs / EFI. Me or the DR350. I would bet any amount of money on the answer .... would you?

i think it's foolish to compare the efi systems in cars to those in bikes. are you doubting the existence of efi problems in bikes? i don't think so, but comparing them is unfair as those in cars are less likely to fail for who knows how many reasons--exceeds my knowledge for sure.

i can speak only to my experience with any degree of certainty and it's been as follows:

dr650: 4 years of hardcore off-road travel through central america (mostly nica) using local gas--for better or worse. not a single carb issue. no adjustments, no stumbles, starts and runs better than new. no other issues.

Dl1000: 4 years of easy florida riding (boring) using local gas. throttle bodies out of synch 3 times, throttle position sensor out of adjustment twice, throttle body boot popped off twice.

now, you could say that the DL is a shitty example of ancient efi technology and you may be right. or you could say that jap bikes suck compared to the bavaria beasts and you may be right (doubtfully). but my experience doesn't lie.

i'm active on three vstrom specific fora and there are literally 1000's of posts regarding efi issues. i'm active on advrider and read legions of posts of problems of all sorts with fancy, big, "overland" bikes by the bavarians--problems that sometimes cannot be fixed even by the dealers located in the countries these poor folks get stranded in. one of the 12,000,000 sensors goes bad, a microscopic something or other messes with something or other, what would otherwise be an innocuous voltage issue shitcans the entire bike etc etc.

is older and simpler better for all purposes? no. does it reduce the number of problems and more importantly, does it make fixing more straightforward? imho (with aint worth much!), yes.

i drive a 2012 mazda 3. 24000 miles not a stumble. but for modern automobile engines 24000 miles is nothing. i also live in the 1st world where gas is generally clean and free of 12 lbs of contaminants per 100 gallons so...

i think the point is this: take a 2014 GS1200 and a 2014 KLR. go out into the boonies. you have a choice of having to deal with one of them breaking down with limited resources available to you. which one would you choose?

p.s. you may be right about the cdi--i said i wasn't sure. and i've only heard of a handful of ecu's going south. the larger, more common problem with efi bikes is, from what i have experienced and read, related to electrical issues and sensors going bad--neither of which would necessarily put an older design carbed bike out of commission.

A CDI is definitely an electronic device. But it's introduction never created the issues and controversy F.I. ... and it's related components ... has. CDI units were introduced to Japanese bikes in the 70's, were quickly praised as being "the 2nd coming". I know, I was there riding at the time.

Sure, Luddites riding old Moto Guzzi's (like me), Brit bikes (yep, those too) or ancient HD riders complained ... but these complaints were short lived as CDI units immediately proved themselves as SOLID and RELIABLE. Slam dunk!

At the time there just were not many issues or complaints. The evolution of F.I. on bikes has taken more time and required a bit more evolution. (that's a polite way saying ... things were FOOKED UP for 10 years)

BMW were pioneers but have fallen victim to their Teutonic nature ... making systems overly complex and very clever ... incorporating too many components and features that their luxury Cars have. :innocent:

The Japanese took a simpler (and less expensive) approach ... and have had a better track record overall ... and of course have sold 20 times more bikes than BMW or KTM since EFI was introduced.

You can't compare F.I. on bikes to a CDI unit where serious torture off road is intended. CDI is shock proof ... was proven early on in both Super Cross and Moto Cross bikes with no brainer reliability. Names like Denso and Kokusan became famous for truly bulletproof CDI units.

But EFI has more critical (and some delicate) interrelated, ancilary components, both electronic and mechanical: multiple sensors and related wiring, steeper motors and related wiring mechanical linkages, plus interrelated ABS computers, traction control computers... on and on. It's all linked up and one minor fault can cause major problems until diagnosed. Enter CANbus, which for BMW has been a blessing and a curse.

Sure, for the most part, it's ALL quite reliable. But in serious off road conditions we have seen problems.

There is one critical device ALL bikes have and one that too many riders take for granted ... one that is so CRITICAL to modern EFI bikes that it bears mention: The Battery. EFI bikes with ABS, Traction Control and more ... are very dependent on a strong battery. Off road hammering is never good for batteries, despite what some OEM's may claim.

If your Battery craps out on your 700 lbs. GS-A you are stuck. :(
On many old tech dual sports ... you can ride on with a dead battery. It won't start on the button ... but will run if you can bump start it. (I can on my DR)

The other critical issue dogging many modern bikes is bad fuel and how it affects fuel pumps. Both BMW and KTM have had major, repeating problems with these issues. The F800Gs in particular has had these problems and of course the KTM 690. Failing fuel pumps are common ... and a bit of a joke to anyone who's owned Japanese bikes for decades. A fuel pump is just never an issue. (Oh wait! My DR650 doesn't have a fuel pump! :oops2:)

But the future is CLEAR ... Carbs WILL go the way of the Dodo (and the KLR!)
:rofl:
EFI is our future ... like it or not. Most times if you can keep your battery healthy then EFI will survive.

Try not to have a heart attack the first time you pull the tank off a new BMW R1200GS or KTM 1190 ADV. I've been in the shops an seen them. They are quite intimidating. The number of unidentifiable components is truly daunting, the loads of wire bundles and multi-pin connectors is simply astounding. So good luck with all that. bier

For the immediate future I'll try to keep things simple. But to each their own.
:D:D:D

This is a no brainer for me, I'd pick the GS--not because I think it would be easier to fix, but because I'm fairly confident it won't break in the first place (I don't claim to know how likely the KLR would be to break down). If the GS does break, the scenarios under which you could fix a KLR but not a GS are rather limited.

Finding spare parts from locals? In most parts of the world, "not bloody likely" for either bike.

Also, I've been reading GS fora for several years and don't recall reading about any problems with the EFI or CANBUS other than some problems with fuel pumps in early GSs, and that was easily fixed by bringing a cheap bypass cable or a spare fuel pump.

No I am not doubting the issues of problems related to EFI on bikes as i am sure you are not doubting problems related to being air cooled and carbed.

In my experience the problems EFI bikes have had, have not been because of the fact they are EFI. They have been because the manufacturers skimped on certain parts. The problems the 690 has are related to two things. KTM uses the wrong fuel filter. KTM used (pre 2012) a badly designed fuel pump. Both are probably related to KTM's inexperience with EFI at the time the 690 was designed.

Cars, piston aeroplanes, diesel submarines etc all prove the unbeatable reliability of EFI. WWII fighters proved that in rough conditions (think adventure motorcycling), Fuel Injection is superior to carburetion because it doesn't rely on gravity acting consistently in one direction to provide a reliable and predicable fuel flow to the engine. The problems bike manufacturers have are because (going back to my initial point of their being no such thing as a bulletproof mass market motorcycle) the bike manufacturers skimp to extreme levels - they are all cheap and cheerful. There is nothing wrong with EFI. There is something wrong with how some manufacturers on some models have skimped and saved too much.

So the reference to cars was the "proof of concept" evidence.

My bike model has no problems with fuel pumps or with fuel filters. I have some pretty extensive adventure motorcycling on it. Therefore, EFI for me is not an issue. Actually thats not true ... it is an issue. I have a strong preference for EFI on adventure bikes. Precisely because it is less fidgety. Its set and forget.

My bike does have other weak points (wiring to the fuel pump). As indeed do KLRs have issues (I just googled KLR design flaws and got 400,000 results - I dont want to crash the HUBB by listing them).

A design flaw with a particular model does not equal an issue with say EFI in general. You cant extrapolate like that. If a DRZ has cam chain design flaw it does not mean piston engines as a whole suck.

As the car comparison demonstrated, EFI is vastly more reliable than Carbs, in a like for like comparison.

So to summarize:

EFI - arguably less likely to fail, somewhat self tuning, less likely to be fixed in the field in the event of a failure

Carb - never perfect, seldom catastrophic failure

Take your pick, and go riding.

i still think efi is MORE likely to FAIL than a carb. will carbs need adjusting where efi won't? sure. but adjustment is simple and doesn't require parts.

Then by all means ride a carbed bike.

Whatever their other faults, I have near complete confidence in at least the EFI portions of the bikes that I ride.

And the parts most likely to fail (as unlikely as that might be) are small and cheap, so I bring a spare.

Maybe the KLR isn't quite dead yet? At least not in the main stream glossy USA motorcycle press? Cycle World's annual "Travel & Adventure" mag just came out here.

It's mostly a re-hash of stuff they've already printed in the regular monthly rag ... it used to be quite good but after major corp. house cleaning ... it's now mostly CRAP ... but does have a few gems ... like some work by Jimmie Lewis on the GS1200 vs. KTM 1190 ADV and Jimmie's take on Sand riding (former podium finisher in the Dakar)

One interesting bit was a short piece on the KLR! Noob big shot editor Andrew Bornhope (I think his dad is some corporate big wig) does a pretty fair review of the venerable KLR. You have to pay to read it online (not worth it) ... but for US readers, it's on the shelves now. It's not bad and lays out all the arguments for the KLR pretty effectively.

They talk about the common upgrades owners do and refer to KLR.com. and site just how HUGE the bike is in terms of sales and staying power.
US riders should check it out ... bier

Hi Folks,

This thread has certainly been an interesting read so far, with a lot of very valid points to boot.
Let's look at that thread heading again ...... "has the KLR gone the way of the Dodo bird"?
Personally, I don't think so.
At least not for a little bit longer anyway.
One day the KLR will be phased out, as will other popular bikes such as the KTM690, DR650 etc......but for now, the KLR offers new "adventurers" an inexpensive and easy way to get out there and see the countryside without spending huge $$. The price tag certainly promotes travel for beginners to this activity.
........isn't that what this website and all who subscribe to it are about?

Safe travels and adventures to you all

Nevil

Well, I don't think that anyone is denying that, and it sounds like a pretty decent bike to me. US riders in particular are lucky to have it, since some of the other 600-model bikes (Tenere, others?) aren't available in the US.

Spot on there Nevil! :D
In an earlier post I mention attending a HUBB travelers meeting in Copper Canyon, Mexico in 2004.

At that meeting there were 35 KLR's ... out of 105 bikes total. A few of those KLR guys rode down from Canada. Many of them were relatively NEW to bike travel. The term "Adventure Motorcycle Travel" did not really exist in 2004. We were just motorcycle travelers then ... with all the current ADV Marketing crap left out.

Talking to guys then, most were on tight budgets and the KLR was as much bike as they could afford. There were 3 or 4 tricked out ones ... but most were close to standard. I wonder what all those guys are riding now?

trusty old KLR
 

My brother in law has 3 KLR 250s, he paid 1050 AUS , ( im in Australia) , which gives him a second set of rims with off road tyres, also one had a staintune pipe. He has not alot of money and has done aheap of work with the carb, air bix, tappets, his only had 19000 kms a 1998 model I think ? ( the other two are not running) his main white one, his getting it really to come with me the ths HU meeting in Victoria Australia in October this year. I will have to take it easy on my Tiger 800, so he can keep up, but it will sit on 100 kph easy. All he needs to do know is a set of progressive springs in the forks, and harder rear spring in the rear he loves his KLR .

" IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT BIKE YOU HAVE , AS IT'S ALL ABOUT THE RIDE "

Regards
Tiger68

The Yamaha Tenere' 660 is the only one we don't get (well, NONE of the 650 class yam dual sports come to the USA actually, haven't since 1995). We DO get the 1200 Tenere'. And of course we get every other dual sport 650 class bikes: KTM's, *Huskies, *Husabergs (*out of business) and BMW's. (Sertao and G650) We also got the X series bikes, but just for about 2 years. The G450 too.

Actually, Europe and the UK are the ones SHORT on dual sport bikes.

The DR650 has not been sold in the UK since 1996 ... so NO "new" generation DR650's ever sold there. The pre '96 DR was real crap, BTW. Post '96 is totally different and 100% better bike. No interchangeable parts.

The EU got post '96 DR for a few years ... I believe it was cut off in sometime around 2004 or '05? Not sure on this. Quite rare now it seems.

The KLR hasn't been sold in 10 years or so in UK/EU perhaps longer. Made in Thailand since 2005.

Not sure about Honda XR650L? It sold for a long time in most of EU / UK, not sure if still available new? ... can't imagine how it would pass latest Euro lll or lV standards with it's carb.

A couple bikes we don't get here: Transalp Honda (ceased 1990),Honda Africa Twin (we never got it), Yamaha TDM900 (ceased 1992), Suzuki DR Big 800, and a few other odd street bikes I can't recall.

Of course we get ALL the Japanese 250 class bikes, race bikes and dual sports, ATV's and all that stuff. There are still probably 500 Mom & Pop Moto Cross tracks throughout the USA, plus flat tracks and 8 Major road race tracks, including several Moto GP approved ones.

Here in San Francisco Bay area, we also get MV Augusta, Benelli, Triumph, BMW, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Ducati, KTM, Beta, Sherco, Hyosung, Kymco, Vespa ... about 10 different Chinese bikes and 4 different Electric bikes ... which are really HOT around here ATM.

That's very true. There are times now when I read posts on here and on others sites when I wonder if I've wandered into some kind of parallel biking universe. I don't want to hijack this thread so I'll keep this short and if anyone thinks it's worthy of further consideration we ought to start again elsewhere, but all the marketing, the hype and the hysteria surrounding "adventuring" had made me wonder whether I should just delete all the site bookmarks and do what I used to - ride whatever wreck I have in the garage to wherever I want to go without worrying whether whether I have a carbon fibre bashplate or reinforced case protectors, and certainly without caring about what other people are doing.

It's just bike riding ffs. We now have courses to take before you even start travelling - both entry level and advanced, a whole checklist of stuff you need to buy to replace perfectly functional existing parts and your progress can be logged, monitored and assessed as you go. I'll save the rest of the stuff about real time feedback of your cornering prowess and on-line counselling in case you have a hard time with a border official till later.

hmm, I thought there were few more that weren't avail in the US, but I haven't lived there in a while, so maybe I'm confused. No matter...

I have an xChallenge, but if I had to give that up I'd want a 660 Tenere, and if I couldn't get that I'd probably get a KLR. For some reason (I don't know much about them), I don't care much for the KTMs or the other BMW 650s.

If you're thinking: ALL bikes, then YES there are more that US don't get. But among dual sports ... I think that's all there is :confused1: just Yam 600 class bikes.

Nearly bought an X Challenge, loved the look of it ... but when I test rode ... did not suit me. It was nearly new, mostly stock. A beauty ... but I had to let it go. :( But the X Chall is a lot lighter and more capable than current BMW G650 and Sertao. I'd stick with it.

I was enamored with the 660 Tenere' when it first came out ... thought it looked great! (still looks great!) Thought of going to UK, buying one, heading South down through Africa (only made it to Morocco on my Tiger).

But then read a very good review from someone who actually knows how to ride dirt bikes and they straightened things out. Of course the main issue is quite obvious, no mystery: It's just plain too heavy. There are more issues with the Tenere' ... but no point picking the bike apart now. I won't own a 650 class bike that is 75 lbs. heavier than my DR650.

I love riding KTM's ... owned 2 of them and tested a dozen or so. The 640 dual sports were TOO TALL for me ... and early on (I was riding Two Strokes in the dirt) KTM 4 strokes were terrible. Since then I've ridden all the later generations of KTM's: 450, 520, 525 and 530. Have not ridden the 500. Also rode the 690, twice.

I liked them all, the 530 being the best for this terrain:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7...77_REMyp-L.jpg

But the 690 was pretty good as a dual sport. But looking it over closely ... it did not seem like it would make a good travel bike. But it DID attract a lot of attention wherever we stopped. In some Cent. American countries that sort of attention may not be desired. :stormy:

Also, did not appear that easy to load on luggage as it has NO subframe! :taz:
But loved riding ALL the KTM's, All good. The early twins blew up or had serious problems ... about 6 riders in my group owned them early on. (2004 or 2005) Almost ALL had problems ... NOW?

Latest 990's/1190's appear much improved, refined and more reliable. But these guys don't really care about reliability. They all own 5 or 6 bikes and when one breaks, they just hop over to another. Most buy a new bike every year or two. What they want is speed and performance. KTM delivers both in spades.

Like your X Chal, the KLR, DR650 and Honda XR650L all would need extensive mods to be decent and reliable travel bikes. The X Challenge is a good platform to build on, just like the blank canvas DR or KLR.

As for the future ... KTM are in the Cat Bird Seat. They are set to dominate if the Japanese continue to languish and not rebuild their dual sport fleets. It they can continue to refine the 690 ... then I think they are onto something.
If they can maintain it's off road spirit and add in more comfort, reliability and easier maintenance ... it could pull a lot of riders off KLR's, DR's and such. It's really KTM's race to lose.

When I bought my xChallenge, I was actually looking for a DR, but couldn't find one in Moscow that wasn't beat to hell. But they don't make DRs anymore either, do they?

Sure do. about every dealer here has at least one on the floor

Right, not made any more! :rofl: That's Funny! bier
Typical response from BMW guy. :thumbup1: Most BMW guys don't follow motorcycling beyond BMW world, haven't a clue of the history or current status of anything other than BMW.

So many I meet have NO idea about anything regards latest Japanese bikes, the tech or latest new bikes out there. They don't follow racing or go to bike shows or read motorcycle press. They ONLY follow BMW ... who typically represent 3% of sales worldwide among all bikes. (or less)

Since I worked in the business 25 years (press) I came across this sort of "lack of knowledge" often. I follow "all things bikes", cause it was part of the job.

No surprise you could not find a DR650 in Moscow. As I said in earlier post, DR and KLR haven't been sold in the EU in a decade (18 years for the DR650SE)

Briefly covered the history of these Japanese 650 class dual sports already:
As mentioned, the DR650, KLR650, XR650L have all been in production ... and STILL ARE IN PRODUCTION. Original DR600 goes back to the 1980's. The current DR650SE since 1996, basically unchanged.

KLR started in 1984 as a 600, upgraded to 650 in '86. Unchanged until '08, now again in '14. But essential motor mechanicals UNCHANGED since 1986. :eek3: It's currently one of Kawasaki's BEST sellers. Made in Thailand.

The XR650L Honda was based on the XR600R race bike, goes back well into the 1980's when Scott Summers won many GNCC championships Honda won many Baja races. Honda also made the XL series dual sport bikes in various sizes ... going back to the 70's. I owned several. In the UK there was the Dominator, similar to XL600R, AFAIK.

The current XR650L was introduced in 1992 and has not changed at all since!! :eek3: Hard to believe, but true.

RANT:
Lots more to this history, all these bikes have roots going back to 1960's and 70's. All have been made in various sizes from 125, 175, 200, 250, 500, 550, 600 and 650. Too many models to cover here.

And since the 1960's ... how many dual sport, off road bikes has BMW
produced? :rofl: Folks claim BMW "pioneered" ADV travel bikes with their
1981 R80GS. Among California riders/racers, we beg to disagree.

We were doing ADV Touring on our Honda's, Yamaha's, Suzuki's and Kawasaki's since the 1960's on dozens of various dual sport bikes ... and we were doing the same on our Triumph Desert Sleds before the Japanese came in. I never saw a BMW in the early Baja 1000 races ... long before the Dakar was dreamed of.

bier

Er, yes. I'm glad I could amuse you, and I in turn was amused by your assumption that "BMW guys don't follow motorcycling beyond BMW world, haven't a clue of the history or current status of anything other than BMW". In fact, other than the bikes I own, I don't know much and care even less about other BMW bikes, and I'm also not particularly interested in tracking world-wide what other bikes I can't buy here.

At least in 2010, when I found my xChallenge, for new bikes, other than BMW I could buy KTM or a couple of very expensive (+$10k) last-year-model DRZs. No Teneres, no DRs, no KLRs. I think there is also now a Triumph dealer here, although I've never been... Russia is not part of the EU, so I'm not sure what that has to do with it.

To be fair to motoreiter, its actually more to do with the fact that 90% of countries in the developed world do not allow bikes like the KLR and DR to be sold anymore, due to emissions rules. i.e they do not exist in our markets and have not for a decade or so at least. They have not been sold in our part of the universe in a very long time.

We do not see late model KLRs or DR650s travelling across Russia. Over 95% of foreign bikers crossing Eurasia are European ... And being European riders on European registered bikes, most of them are on EFI bikes. The handful riding "old skool" bikes are usually riding Honda or Suzuki 400s and 650s (and the occasional Yamaha) from the 1990s. The KLR just never took off in Europe, even in the 1990s. You just dont see them out of the Americas or Australia.

So thats a "history and current status" update for you.

Russia is not part of the EU, but 99% of the world (including Russia) uses ECE design rules for vehicles standards and fuel standards and emissions standards etc. Some countries are a few years behind the EU in implementing them, but every country on earth with the exception of the US (SAE) uses ECE rules. (A small handful like Canada and Mexico accept both sets of design rules).

Its not really an unreasonable question then for someone based in Europe or Russia to ask if they are still made.

so to go even further off-topic, i always get a kick out of countries that have such strict emissions controls for new vehicles yet could give two shits about the crazy smog-makers they allow to keep rolling (barely) along their roads.

i would bet that the niva--a russian made "suv" spews out a shit-ton of crap even when new.

Exactly! Thanks for confirming that!
bier

90%? :innocent: If you count "major" bike markets then it appears the DR and KLR are still hanging on. DR's and KLR's are sold in Australia, Canada, USA and several S. American countries. Suzuki have an assembly factory in Colombia ... and several Police forces use both the KLR and DR. (Colombia, Ecuador and Peru' to start) KLR'S are built in Thailand ... and sold there.

The USA doesn't have emissions standards?
Oh, thanks for that update. :rofl: FACTS: Our EPA is just a HAIR behind Euro
lll or lV standards and California's CARB meets or exceeds them.

Long ago both Kawasaki and Suzuki decided it was not worth it to sell either bike in EU markets. Tiny numbers. But the US is a big market for them ... so they've modified the bikes to squeak by, mostly with leaner and leaner jetting, air injection and a few other clever tricks.

Sure, I get his lack of interest and ignorance regards history of dual sport bikes ... specifically the KLR, but then WHY is he on this thread? I have to wonder why a guy with supposedly ZERO interest in these bikes ... or Japanese bikes (history) in general and apparently not even any interest BMW's ... is trolling around a thread about a bike he's probably never even laid eyes on. ???

There are about 200 countries in the world ...

You are making it up now. Where did I say that?

You cant invent an opposition and pin it on there nearest victim, just so you can have a rant.

If you want to quote me, quote me. But dont make stuff up. You lose all credibility when you do that, your own position becomes a joke, and the discussion becomes a farce. I mean there's "making a point", and then there's "losing the plot".

Where exactly did i say "The USA doesn't have emissions standards?"

Where???

If you are rolling on the floor laughing, its probably due to your own insanity ...

Reading this thread makes me want to buy a Dodo bird ;)

After mostly road touring I bought a Dodo bird for trying gravel roads between here and Inuvik, NWT. It served its purpose so I started being rougher on it -- spinning the rear beside my gravel driveway after warming for only a minute or so, riding rougher trails faster, etc.

But I have no complaints about the bike. Having decided to go farther more often, this is my preferred travel bike. I've resumed treating it like a machine that will repay care and maintenance with many miles of travel.

To me, this implies the US has no standards, and because it doesn't use ECE standards ... has no standards at all. The fact is ... we have our own standards.

Honestly, sorry if I mis-interpreted your post ... but that is just how I understood it.
And talk about "losing the plot" and "rants" ... mate, you're over the top here! Go back and read your attack on me ...

Pot/Kettle/Black? :eek3:

Yea, good eye their Moderator. I often troll my own threads. I haven't started many and this one was intended as a more lighthearted look at the KLR, appears some can't resist ad hominem attacks and going off into neverland.

Many KLR critics out there, many misconceptions and out right ignorance.
I'm fine with all that ... just don't take offense when corrected. (is correcting Trolling?)

You can have your own opinion, but not your own facts. :blushing:

To be historically correct, Europe got a post-1996 DR650 in the form of XF650 that sold in Europe until 2003.

Same frame and engine, only the XF got a dual carbed setup for more power and cleaner emissions.
Also, Suzuki mounted a 18 liter plastic fuel tank with integrated fuel gauge :)...
Digital dashboard, different plastics. 19" front wheel, but you can swap in 21" from DR650 without issues. 43mm front cartridge forks and 300mm front disc. Vastly better handling and braking than DR.

It was Suzuki's response to BMW F650, but it has gone the way of Dodo bird. Europe did not like it for some reason or the other, altough to me personally it is better bike than F650. And a whole lot lighter.

Right, you're talking about the Freewind, a very cool bike ... and another one never imported to the USA. I saw a Freewind in Germany. At the time, I had NO idea what it even was!

I don't know the Freewind well but have heard there are a few different things from the DR. Freewind engine won't bolt into a DR650 frame. On the DR we've got a bunch of wiring connectors, plugs and metal tabs ... all there for the FreeWind! This really confused a lot of DR guys until some Euro guys filled us in. :thumbup1:

Some DR guys wanted that Dual Carb set up ... but that too is impossible ... according to a few DR guys that tried it.

But the FreeWind motor was better, cleaner running and even got better economy from what i've heard. I like the better front brake too. Lots of them still used in Ecuador ... along with DR650's as well.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5...0/IMG_4460.jpg

Well, all I can say is I read and comment on what I want; I hope it is ok with you?

In any event I've concluded that you are a complete tool so won't be responding to you in future--congratulations, that's a first!

Sure, comment on what you like, but expect others to respond with facts and opinions to counter some of your misstatements ... and to call you on BS when they see it.
I hope that's OK with you? :smartass: (honestly, no offense intended!)

In the end it's mostly preference and opinions ... friendly sparing seems OK to me ...

I'd like to keep it friendly ... this is the Kawasaki forum on HUBB, not Jo Momma on ADV Rider or a BMW "Leg Humper" Ride Report.
Yes, the topic TITLE invites opinions and differing points of view ... and some controversy ... Can we handle that?

Interesting that a moderator has given your post a "like" which includes a personal attack. Curious.

Doesn't bother me ... but I thought mods wanted things to remain civil?
A "Tool" in Tea Bag speak means what? pr*ck? Co*k sucker? Wanker? Something along those lines, right? .... Nice! :nono:

A first? :sleeping: Dude, take your toys and go home to your own sandbox.

bier

Time for a timeout - Patrick, you're in the deepest of the deep brown stuff, and one or two others need to be careful. Just because you think someone is wrong doesn't mean it's ok to dump on him.

Grant,
I've responded to your PM's.

I'm hoping your moderator Chris can PM me and tell me why he's piling on here (Pot/Kettle/Black comment) then posting a "like" on a post with a direct insult in it and not taking any action on that? Fair and balanced moderation? :nono:

Maybe Chris could PM me with comments, don't want to further RUIN this KLR thread with more Off topic stuff.

G'day
Yesterday,Dexta (08KLR)and I had a little blattt up Mt.Glorious Qld Australia and it was good.:mchappy:
:rofl:

ok, so to answer the thread title question: No. it is still being produced and sold in numbers that obviously make kawasaki happy. same for its "sister" dodobird the dr650.bier

Pretty boring without mollydog here....

Over breakfast with (Twowheels03) Paul & Angie we stumbled upon the later part of this thread. Haven't laughed for so hard in quite a while, brilliant course of action!

THANKS :rofl:

I have been follow this thread with interest having recently bought a 2013 KLR.

I am new to this adventure riding stuff at a ripe old age of 67 but loving it. Been on the mountain section of the TCAT and the HUBB meeting in Nakusp this year plus other smaller rides.

The KLR was priced right for me at a hair under CD$6000.00 plus of course all the add ons but most (not every) person adds these to any bike they buy to make it adventure ready.

Anyway back to business. Is not the reality that maybe percentages come into play with this discussion? I do not have figures to hand but I just wonder how many KLR's have been sold in the World vs any other model?
Then I start to wonder what percentage of those models have been reported to have broken down (has to be defined) and that could be key too, vs those that were sold.

I would hazard a guess that the KLR percentage would be relatively small. That is not to say any other bike model sales vs break down percentage may be small also.

Remember "It's not what you did for me but what you did not do for me that I will remember".
Someone said that I'm fairly sure.............
Hope all that makes some sense.

Howard.

I don't have EXACT figures either, but if you contact Kawasaki USA I bet they would tell you!

I DO know that according to KHI (Kawasaki Heavy Industries) spokespeople the KLR650 is ... and has been ... one of their VERY best sellers over the long haul, maybe THE best seller for them. Call them, ask. They won't bite.

If I had to guess, for USA/Canada sales? I'd GUESS 8,000 to 10,000 units per year. If you go back to say, around 1990, that's a good number of bikes sold. Remember, Kawi have about 1200 dealers in US/Canada. (used to be more!)

My question would be ... how many KLR650's are still on the road?

The Big Four used to disclose warranty claim information and break down stats. They no longer do this, AFAIK. But the Japanese always try for a LESS than 3% failure rate. Fact is, they usually do BETTER than 3%. Not bad.

When working as a Moto Journo (20 years) and having attended dozens of
product launches, you hear these sorts of stats touted at those events. But they don't usually publish them now.

Back when OEM's did reveal this sort of info, BMW would typically be around 10% to 12% a year failure rate. The Japanese, (as mentioned) under 3%. But that was over ten years ago. They ALL track, analyze and store this data but don't reveal it as they once did.

Motorcycle Dealer News (USA) used to publish this sort of info along with tons of other stats regards sales, marketing and more. Since I was in the industry, I used to read Dealer News. Now, the OEM's are very tight lipped with this info.

"Now, the OEM's are very tight lipped with this info."

I wonder why?

If the percentage was so good say still 3% wouldn't you want to shout that from the roof tops? If of course you had other brands to compare it to.

Maybe they are tight lipped because the percentage has risen in all brands. Something that would not be good for the manufacturer or us.

Sorry I cannot be more helpful really.
Just at the moment I would trust this KLR to just about go anywhere (maybe not "anywhere" in my hands though!) but I have only about 5000 kms on it.

Maybe I should report back after another zero is added on the end and see how happy I am by then.
Of course there is always the possibility of getting a different bike before then and starting this all over again!

DO NOT anyone tell my wife I said that!

Come on 'ol boy, 50,000 kms would only be 30,000 miles. You can find many KLR's out there with over 160,000 kms showing.

I'm quite sure you will be able to top 50K kms in a couple good Summers of riding. I've done it and I'm just 2 years behind you. :wheelchair: Not ready for the chair quite yet. bier

On my second Gen I KLR. First, '01 has over 100,000 miles and still runs great but looks like hell. Second one, '07, is fixin' to go to Ushuaia.

Looks like I'll be riding my KLR for a long time to come! I hope so anyway.

By the sound of what I am hearing it will probably have to be handed down to one of the kids!

That's great news! :funmeteryes:
!que le via bien!

How is oil consumption on your '07? I know some early "new gen" KLR's used oil and that KHI replaced some cylinders/pistons. My buddies' '09 uses some oil but he's fine with it. Only uses oil when stuck on 70-75 mph, hours at at a time. Normal modest riding = little or no oil use.

On long multi-day rides he checks oil level everyday, tops up maybe every 3rd day or so? To me, that is just not a big deal. I check my oil daily anyway ... we all do, right? Carrying a pint of oil along is no burden ... in a way ... it's good as you continually introduce FRESH oil into your system.

Here's part of our gang on a day ride. KLR's, DR's, XR-L's and big bikes too.
Buddy on the KLR rode up from SoCal, then onto Crater Lake. 3 more DR650's not shown on this ride.

http://patricksphotos.smugmug.com/ph...-qjgbTKd-L.jpg

KLR 650 the best Motorcycle for the low budget nomads.
 

The KLR 650 is the best Motorcycle for long trips to remote places for riders in a budget.

The good
It is very un-expensive
It does everything good. It is not great in any area.
Does not brake as often as some more expensive ones
Repairs are 1/4 of the cost of German Motorcycles.
You not need an specialized shop with computers to repair it.
Any one with some mechanical abilities the KLR 650 Clymer manual and a basic set of tools can fix anything.
Parts are non expensive and easy to find
50 Miles per gallon about 20 Km per L.

The bad
Only the new 2014 does not need springs update.about $200
All need replacement of the infamous Doohikey about $250.
If you are buying a KLR 650 with less than 2500 Miles install a Termo bob to keep your oil consumption in a normal level. It keep the temperature of the engine at 209 F no matter how warmo or how cold it is. $ 118
Frame bolts need to be upgraded when you plan to ride with the motorcycle fully loaded off road. About $20

There are lots of very un-expensive upgrades but you can go around the world without any of those upgrades. It iss not uncommon to find KLR 650 with over 100.000 miles without an overhaul. The KTMs or the new B&Ws have mayor issues before 80.000 miles. If you add the cost of the maintenance you will be close to the cost of a new B&W or KTM.
The real issue here is If you are looking for a motorcycle with outstanding performance you will pay a lot more in initial cost, and frequent maintenance witch translates in higher total ownership cost by a lot.
Final comment:
If you are looking for performance and to you, cost is not an issue I agree the KTMs and B&W is a better bike.
The KLR 650 is a Motorcycle for the low budget nomads. With $600 in upgrades plus all the typical maintenance, brake pads, chain oil etc. you can go around the world without braking the bank.

Interesting thread but people quoting google search results to back their arguments is the funniest thing I've ever seen.

400,000 results for KLR faults? I got 5,500,000 results for "Why Hitler was right" Guess the wrong side won on that basis?