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I'm liking the 2019.
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https://youtu.be/R0oH1ReNg30 |
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Jx |
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Personally speaking (and I think I speak for John at Rally-Raid too), we don't feel the V-X300 offers anything significantly different to the CB500X - which has a lot more torque [at much lower revs] and is just such an all-round competent twin cylinder platform. (note. with the 2019 model coming with a 19" front wheel as standard now, it's an even better all-rounder). Yes the V-X300 is around 20-25Kg lighter than the CB, but similarly John feels the G310GS exploits that similar weight saving more appropriately if you want more of a dual-sport biased ADV bike. As I say, there is nothing wrong with the V-X300 as such (other than having to wring it to the other side of 10,000rpm to make max power and torque), it's just we both feel the CB does the twin-cylinder thing better, and the GS the trail-bike thing. As a compromise between the two however, the V-X300 still has a lot to commend it. Hope that clarifies things! Jenny x |
For the past 3 years my wife and I have been going back and forth between the DR650 and the CB500x too. I think we'll go for the 2019 cb500x stock, just add a skid plate, crash bars, maybe taller windscreen and soft luggage. There are many ride reports on ADV forum of DR650s in South America and Africa. We have enjoyed reading them, such as Mick and Tanya's Earth's Ends, and there was another one involving 3 climbers who climbed mountains riding south from USA. Most of these RRs involve a lot of wrenching on a DR.
Jamie Z i think one consideration which I have not seen you mention in the previous 3 pages is - How comfortable are you wrenching on the bike? For a DR, simple changes in elevation in Peru and Chile could require you to make adjustments to the fuel air ratio. Foul a plug from running too rich and you'll need to change spark plugs. The carb engine requires more work than the more trouble free EFI twin cylinder engine. But all these are not an issue if you are comfortable wrenching the DR. The cb500x helps mechanically noob riders like me. But when the sensors on the FI bike goes, I'll probably be stranded. In preparation for our trip, my wife and I managed to learn the following on our Yamaha FZ6S over a few years from our mechanic friend- Change tyres, front fork seals, sprockets and chain, spark plugs, wheel bearings, all fluids on the bike. But we can't manage all electrical faults and the engine, so I expect the DR will have more "engine can't start" days, or "engine not running well" days than we know what to do. I know we will not be able to exploit the lighter weight of the DR, much as we would appreciate it, because we are not that kind of rider who's good with working on the carb engines, clutch plates, and electrical faults that are inevitable on a 6 continent, 200000km rtw tour we will soon embark on. I know we will regret it when the going gets too tough for the cb500x, but I also know the DR will leave us stranded probably more often, although its easier to fix at random bike shops in developing countries. We leave for trip in October 2019. We are 10 months out. Buying the 2019 cb500x in USA and heading Ushuaia over 14 months. Maybe we'll see you on the road. Stay in touch? |
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I wouldn't consider myself a mechanic, but I don't mind digging into a problem and figuring it out. I've worked with a handful of carburetors in the past, and I can do other simple maintenance and repairs. But honestly, that aspect of the DR650 isn't one of my biggest concerns. They're really known to be very reliable and simple to fix. I do have a preference for fuel injection and multi-cylinder. Those are my biggest draws to the Honda. Jamie |
Jamie Z I have emailed you instead as I just realized I can't reply your pm. I only have 2 posts on HU and need to clock one more. Guess I've been lurker too long.
Its good that you have experience working with carb engines. I think it gives you more choices of bikes to choose from. |
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I hope I didn't overstate my experience with carburetors. It's not like I could pick one up and fix it. But in the past ten years, I've had a few carbed vehicles (a couple bikes and a boat) that I've played around a bit with the carb. All I'm saying is that if my bike has a carburetor and it breaks, I'll see if I can figure out what's wrong and fix it. All I'm saying is that having a carburetor doesn't dissuade me from owning any particular bike, even though my preference is for fuel injection. Jamie |
With a carb in South America you need the jets required for running at 13000ft + on the Altiplano, it will make that part of the trip much easier.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk |
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Just to clear up a few points about the DR650: it is a tough and reliable bike. I have traveled extensively on mine (2 bikes, one with 45,000 miles and the other with 70,000 miles.). There are very few things that will break on the DR, and there are well known fixes for those things: a couple of screws on the Neutral sending switch that need some locktite and a chain roller that should be removed. The pickup coil is a known issue, but the part is small and easily carried. Other than that, the issues that require a mechanic are few and usually self inflicted. People do have wiring issues caused by their own installation of aftermarket electrical stuff. Carb issues are not uncommon.... when the owner has decided to modify the bike by installing a pumper carb instead of using the stock carb. Yes, you will have to mess with a pumper carb, but not the stock CV carb. No jetting changes needed with the stock CV carburetor from sea level to 14,500 feet- personal experience. I routinely ride hard dirt passes to nearly 14,000 feet here in Colorado, and have ridden a DR to 14,500 feet; I have ridden many miles at sea level. It will start and run fine at high elevation. Yes the bike will down on power, as all bikes, carb or EFI will be. Occasionally the idle speed may need a small adjustment- easily done with one screw while sitting on the bike. The DR has left me walking only once in all those miles and that was a pickup coil failure. Other than that, it starts and runs faithfully, in hot temperatures (115* F) and cold (5* F). None of the 'can't start engine' days you refer to. The clutch plates are good for more than 70,000 miles (my experience) if they are not abused. Choose whichever bike you like, but the DR650 has earned it's reputation for a reason. ...................shu |
I don't think he painted it as an unreliable machine, but the fact of the matter is the Suzukis tend to be "mechanic's bikes" and I do think that's accurate.
I've seen many honda CB500x's and CRF250s doing serious overlanding with owners that have barely even looked at the maintenance schedules and still manage to keep going against all odds. There's a reason for that old joke "'I really wish I had gotten the Suzuki' - said no Honda owner ever" Suzuki randomly cheaps out on components in its DR/DRZ lines which require preventative maintenance that can be quite intimidating if you're not already mechanically inclined, the actual maintenance schedules tend to not be at all the schedules listed by the manufacturer under hard adventure riding so you need to keep a close eye on things when the miles start piling up, and as mentioned carbs are fiddly, especially when you start adding in bad fuel along with altitude. From what I've seen well taken care of a Suzuki will be lighter and more offroad capable than a Honda while being nearly as reliable and much easier to work on. Poorly maintained under hard conditions, well, you're better off getting the Honda - and I wouldn't underestimate how hard it is to keep something well maintained when you've got a 'new to you bike' in a hut somewhere in the middle of nowhere with a mechanic that doesn't even speak the same language as you and you've got only a dim idea of how carbs work. |
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I do the service myself so I can give the details: - every 3000 km I wash the air filter - every 6000 km I change oil and filter - every 12000 km I adjust the valves. The rest is just good sense and daily attention: check chain, brake pads, tires etc. Honda does make great bikes, so does Suzuki (and we could expand the list with more brands). However the stock DR is a lot more competent in the dirt than the stock CB500X, I tried both on extended trips. And yes conversely the CB is much better on the tarmac. In the past months I found myself on roads where I was quite happy I had the DR. But we'll, some guys did a world trip on a Harley, so that's really up to you which bike you get. Last thing to complement Shu: the NSU screws are now loctited at the factory. The carb has the air mixture screw hidden below a cap of bronze - that cap must be removed because the DR is running too lean (I suppose that's how Suzuki managed to have it pass emissions tests). This requires taking off the carb. |
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I actually wished I were more mechanically inclined and know how to take apart the carb engine and put it back together, because then i might be confident enough to consider a DR. Carb engines do require tuning, partially or fully rebuilding the engine over a long trip. Thats not a problem for some, but I'm a noob with tools. So its me. See, I'm the kind of mechanical noob who has never tuned, modified or taken apart a Yamaha FZ6S engine with 235000km on the odometer now. I had the bike for 10 years, buying it since it was 4 years old with 63000km on the clock. My mechanic insists valve clearance checks are a waste of money, and you know what? Turns out he was right and saved me the money. The bike has never done a valve clearance check. It was running perfectly fine two years ago when I decided to send it for an engine rebuild at 190000km to last the last 3 years I needed it for work, which will end in Oct 2019. My wife rides a similar FZ6s model with 250000km now. We have never touched the engine. No rebuilds, no tuning, no cleaning the injectors, except for the engine rebuild by the dealer 2 years ago. We have been changing our own tyres, all fluids, sprockets and chain, fork seals, wheel bearings and all under my mechanic friend's mentorship. As a result I have never had the opportunity to take apart a carb engine. I believe the DR will get u through any route in the right hands. I believe what you guys say about it being a reliable bike and taking you to places other bikes can't go. I'm just not that guy who tunes and rebuilds the engine. When I write my ride report, you will probably see me stranded when a sensor inevitably fails in some place I will need a month to wait for a spare part. I took my chances. I liked the odds. |
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That said, if I'm correct, the FZ has valves clearance set with shims of a certain thickness, and this kind of technology makes that valve clearance is much more stable in time than with other more traditional screw/counter screw adjustment. I suppose that's what your mechanic meant. The drawback with shims is that there's much more work involved if any adjustment is required. 1. You need to go to your dealer and buy (order?) the shim(s) of correct thickness after you measured the clearance. 2. You need to lift the camshaft to replace the shim underneath. Screw/counter screw clearance is not as stable as shims, but if adjustment is required then that only involves a bit of screwing, as the name implies. In particular you don't need to visit your dealer. So there's good and bad with both options. |
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For me, however, I'm also looking for a bike that I can count on notching at least 100,000 trouble-free miles, perhaps 200,000. My previous two street bikes never needed a thing. I had a Honda ST1100 that I bought with about 50,000 miles on it, and I put another 35,000 miles or so before it was totaled in a wreck. It never needed anything other than regular maintenance, and with 8,000 mile oil change intervals, even regular maintenance was very easy. My V-Strom 650 went 135,000 miles before I sold it. The only thing that ever went bad on that was the non-replaceable fuel filter. I spent an afternoon and about $100 on a modification to bypass the internal filter and add an external. I told the new owner that if he makes it to 200,000 miles, I'd buy him a bottle of whiskey. Not sure if he ever made it or not, but I have no reason to believe it wouldn't easily make it that far. I've been without a bike for several years now, and I'm ready to get back in the fold. When I've read about the DR, I read accounts of needing an engine rebuild after 75,000 miles. That seems pretty common. So far as I can tell, you don't see many DR650 bikes with over 100,000 miles without requiring some major overhaul. I tend to put about 20-25,000 miles per year on my bikes, and I tend to hold onto them for quite a while. So... looking at the lifespan of the DR, I think it doesn't quite fit my needs. Jamie |
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