Plans for my upcoming RTW trip are starting to come together, and I have reached the point where I am looking to buy the bike to be used on the trip.

I have more or less made a decision, but want to run my reasoning past everyone and see if any of the experienced riders out there can shoot any holes in my reasoning. Perhaps my reasoning below can also help out others debating this same decision.

Size and Riding Style

The bike will be supporting only me and a minimal amount of gear (I travel light). I also have no fear of leaving the pavement. At the same time, an RTW trip will spend some time in highly developed countries and should be capable of at least minimal highway speeds.

Given this I am looking at a 650cc - 1000cc range dual sport. The lower end of this range is preferred because I will inevitable need to pick it up by myself from time to time.

Mileage

I am planning a trip to last a minimum of 2 years, beyond which I am not planning ahead for if I will be on the road or not.

Assuming I travel an average of 100 miles a day, I will be putting on 36,500 miles a year. 73,000 in two years. 146,000 if I'm still on the road in 4 years.

The motorcycle used should have a reasonable expectation of reaching the 2-year mark, though not necessarily without repairs (see below).

Reliability and Maintenance

Reading blogs and talking to experienced RTW travelers, it is clear that repairs will need to be made along the way. The unrelenting mileage in inhospitable conditions will get to any motorcycle, no matter how reliable under ordinary conditions.

Reading those same blogs and talking to those same people it is also clear that the best way to avoid breakdowns is in regular maintenance. Put lots of work into keeping the bike in top condition and just about any brand will give you a highly reliable ride.

Given this, ease of maintenance should be a priority. This can take the form of easy to perform and/or less frequently needed. A person's own skill at performing maintenance must also be accounted for.

Repairs

The ability to make repairs after a breakdown is greatly effected by several factors:

1. How easy are parts are to obtain.
2. How easy it is to find expertise to repair the problem for a brand-specific breakdown.
3. How easy it is to perform one's own repairs
4. How likely are repairs to be possible in the middle of nowhere
5. The rider's skill at performing repairs.

A new model BMW is a popular choice, but can sometimes be difficult to repair because of parts availability. A KLR conversely is seen as less reliable, but typically can be fixed almost anywhere.

Comfort

Comfort while riding is critical. Some start out reasonably comfortable (BMW GS) while others require work using after-market farkles (KLR). Models which cannot be made comfortable should be avoided.

Cost

Cost should include purchase price, farkles, carnet, and gas mileage. To some extent cost is almost irrelevant against the overall cost of the trip, but not if the cost difference equates to additional months on the road.

Personal Decision: KLR650 (pre-'08 model)

Based on the above, I have chosen the KLR650, specifically a pre-'08 model.

The KLR is not without its significant drawbacks. It isn't the most comfortable ride, it requires lots of farkles to match up to stock RTW worthiness of some other brands, and it has a lower potential lifespan than some other brands.

To balance this out, the technology is simple and can be fixed anywhere. There are lots of after-market farkles for modifying the KLR to my desired specifications. The KLR is capable in any road conditions I am likely to encounter and light enough I can pick it up myself. The bike is also very inexpensive compared to many of the other choices, even after adding a long list of after-market parts. The cost difference between the two extremes (KLR650 and F800GS) is sufficient for several months of travel expenses and well worth the consideration.

What tips the balance in favor of the KLR is my extensive knowledge of how the bike works. I currently own a KLR which I have worked on extensively and I am satisfied that if necessary I could repair anything using the clymer manual and my existing knowledge. Some parts will be hard to find in some parts of the world, but many of those can be cludged together with a bit of ingenuity. Those that cannot should be no more difficult to obtain than specialty parts for some other brands people are using. Maintenance (daily and periodic) is easy and can be performed anywhere with a little bit of advance planning. Any other choice would be more difficult to repair and I would have less knowledge of how the bike works.

The big unknown is maximum lifespan, even with good maintenance. A well maintained KLR can easily last 70k - 90k miles, even under abusive conditions. Before the 100k mark, it is entirely possible the engine will need to be rebuilt, or possibly even replaced. My opinion so far is that this risk is balanced out by my knowledge of the bike and its lower cost compared to other choices.

Comments? Anyone who can convince me the KLR650 is a bad choice?

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Traveling The World Since: 2011
Blog: The Seductive Life (General Travel)

You already have a KLR ,you know how it works ,you know how to fix it when it breaks .
That's all you need .

It's not about the bike ,it's about the trip .
Spend your extra cash on travel ,not another bike .

Comfort is entirely subjective ,my VStrom felt great when I bought it but after 8 hours in the saddle I was in severe pain .
My friend had the same problem with his 1200 GS .
My most comfortable seat is on an old bike and I made it out of a piece of scrap foam duct taped to the seat pan .

The KLR can be rebored enroute , no big deal ,any decent machine shop can do that and you can have a piston mailed out to you .
Valves and springs also can be mailed .
What else will go wrong ,--seals ,bearings ?-carry spares .
The rear shock might ,potentially , be your biggest problem ,change it out for a rebuildable aftermarket unit and leave the old one with a friend to mail out to you ,should it be required .
Chains and sprockets :, carry a new front sprocket ,aim to be in a place where they sell Kawasaki or jobber parts at a time when you think the chain and rear sprocket might need replacement .

I would say that the KLR has a good reputation for reliability .
Bear in mind that they are very often bought by younger guys ,on a low budget and thrashed mercillesly .

Nobody buys a KLR for it's poseur status !

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Blessed are the cracked, for they let in the light. - Spike Milligan
"When you come to a fork in the road ,take it ! When you come to a spoon in the road ,take that also ."

Because you are familiar and happy with a KLR it is likely the right bike for you. I went through a similar process of elimination and an Enfield turned out to be the right bike for me. It is the marriage of bike AND rider that is important. You cannot judge either the bike or rider alone.

Got to be the KLR! I'm sure you know all the upgrades and have probably done them already. The F800GS is three times the money. You could go with the F650GS. Nice comfortable bike but IMO, not as solid as a KLR over the long run and will not take a beating the way the KLR can, seems to have more "issues".

I would take to heart what Dodger mentioned about the shock. I would invest in a high quality aftermarket shock set up for your weight and the load. Do similar to the front, add a fork brace, heavier springs and Race Tech emulators or similar. Improving the ride will be well worth it IMHO and will allow to tackle any Tope without fear (don't forget to upgrade sub frame bolts!) I've been on two rides when Topes snapped these bolts! Beware!

I would also be very sure about your seat. You should be able to spend 10 hours a day on the bike, day after day. A good seat will make this possible.

Most everything else on the KLR should be good to about 50,000 miles with decent care. I'm sure you will upgrade the front brake, which to me is worth while. Getting good oil on the road is a crap shoot. Buying premium priced specialty motorcycle oil will cost a fortune, but using good syn or semi syn car oil IMO, is the way to go whenever possible.

I would start with a high quality DID VM-2 X-ring chain and carry an extra countershaft sprocket. That chain should last 20,000 miles, so plan to replace chain and sprockets at that time (more or less). Tires are always a challenge. Get them when and where you can. I almost always carry at least one, usually a rear. Fronts are easier to find and last double a rear.

The rest will be about fitting nice luggage and not overloading the bike. (not so easy). I prefer soft bags by far. Saves weight, makes you pack light.

Good logical approach. Keep an eye on things but don't obsess on the road, better to enjoy. Do maintenance at a time that suits you and when you're taking a several day break from the road.

Never owned a KLR, but in 2001 and 2002, I rented them out of Johannesburg, and toured South Africa first, and then in 2002, many other countries in the region (excellent trips, BTW!!!).. some 20 thousand kms altogether.

Generally, I think it was very capable for travel 1-up, even though the standard seat wasnt too good, but that can be fixed. And it seems to suit the conditions quite well (even if this part of Africa may not be the most challenging as far as roads are concerned). I sometimes had a little problems with the mixture getting too rich in high altitude (about 3300 meters was the highest pass I went to), but I managed to do it without altering the jetting.

Compared to the twins, it is a little bit down on power for motorways, but that´s common for every 1-cylinder bike; they have around 50 hp. It´d be especially noticeable, if you were going 2-up, but you´re not planning to do that. If you were, I´d recommend to get a twin.

And because you´re already familiar with the KLR´s technical side, it seems like the perfect choice for you.

The weight of the bike will likely be a factor, when you´re shipping it between continents, and the KLR is not too heavy.

Thanks for all the replies, lots of great ideas both covering new ground and reaffirming my existing planning!

As for modifications, I've done a lot of work on my existing KLR (which likely will not be the trip KLR as it will have 40k+ miles on it by the time I leave). I'm putting together of a list of upgrades which include things like a custom-made seat (Corbin is close, but not quite right), Cogent Dynamics rear shock matched with Intiminator on the front shock, IMS tank, and all the standard durability upgrades (Doohikey, Subframe bolt upgrade, etc.).

Luggage: I've already decided on Caribou Luggage on the sides no matter what the bike ends up being. Caribou converts Pelican cases to well designed motorcycle luggage. Based on trips around the USA, I should be able to fit in those everything I use except the tent (I pack light when I travel). I will then have a guitar strapped across the top along with the tent. Yes, I know the standard warnings about instruments.....

If anyone is interested on modifications I'm making, I am putting together a web page with my planning. I'll post a link here when I get it done (a few days probably).

Thanks for the input!

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Traveling The World Since: 2011
Blog: The Seductive Life (General Travel)

Since you will spend the majorty of your time on pavement and make cameo appearances off pavement, a K75c would work well. Its just as heavy as any BMW GS...and infinitely more reliable and easy to work on.
Just make sure you swap out the final drive with something repaired by Bruno before you go...

I did a bit of off-roading on the K and it survived fine. So its a valid option.

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edde
93 BMW K75s
www.motoedde.com