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Which Bike? Comments and Questions on what is the best bike for YOU, for YOUR trip. Note that we believe that ANY bike will do, so please remember that it's all down to PERSONAL OPINION. Technical Questions for all brands go in their own forum.
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  #1  
Old 22 May 2014
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Originally Posted by mollydog View Post
I believe the KTM will require just about as much prep/mods as either
XR-L or DRZ400S. Parts? Just because a town in Honduras or Peru' has a Suzuki and Honda dealer DOES NOT mean that dealer will have parts on hand for your bike. They just won't! You will have to wait.

Same with KTM. Set up a deal with a good KTM dealer in USA ... one email and parts on their way to you. In the end, probably about the same or shorter wait as ordering from a local Honda or Suzuki dealer.
Molly, that is a killer point. I haven't really considered thinking along those lines.
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  #2  
Old 23 May 2014
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Originally Posted by Chasbo View Post
Molly, that is a killer point. I haven't really considered thinking along those lines.
Also, if you follow what RTW Paul and other KTM 640 experts do ... you'll find the main bugaboos on that bike, carry the needed spare parts with you. Pretty sure this is what Paul is doing.

There are a few common failures on the 640's (which are commonly known among users) and most of the parts can be easily stowed on your bike for travel: Water pump kit, Valve gear bearings and a few other things I can't recall.

Most long time 640 riders KNOW when problems are coming and replace key parts as preventative maintenance, so no slow down when on the road.

Also, now-a-days ... there are several KTM dealers in S. America. I believe
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru', Chile and Argentina ALL have a KTM dealer(s).
Will they have parts for a bike they no longer make? Who knows? KTM is now BIG in S. America because of the Dakar race. Now a household brand.

Good luck with your planning! (talk to RTW Paul about Cent. America ... he's a border crossing God!)
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  #3  
Old 23 May 2014
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Originally Posted by mollydog View Post
Also, if you follow what RTW Paul and other KTM 640 experts do ... you'll find the main bugaboos on that bike, carry the needed spare parts with you. Pretty sure this is what Paul is doing.

There are a few common failures on the 640's (which are commonly known among users) and most of the parts can be easily stowed on your bike for travel: Water pump kit, Valve gear bearings and a few other things I can't recall.

Most long time 640 riders KNOW when problems are coming and replace key parts as preventative maintenance, so no slow down when on the road.

Also, now-a-days ... there are several KTM dealers in S. America. I believe
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru', Chile and Argentina ALL have a KTM dealer(s).
Will they have parts for a bike they no longer make? Who knows? KTM is now BIG in S. America because of the Dakar race. Now a household brand.

Good luck with your planning! (talk to RTW Paul about Cent. America ... he's a border crossing God!)
Yeah, Paul is the man. I got his border crossing book. I chose SA/CA as my first leg because it should be the easiest for me to do. I will be following him like a hawk to see how he does on the BAM. I am well versed in bike maintenance, so working on the SXC doesn't bother me, it's just the fear that I will be miles from anywhere when it decides to act up.
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Old 23 May 2014
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Originally Posted by Chasbo View Post
Yeah, Paul is the man. I got his border crossing book. I chose SA/CA as my first leg because it should be the easiest for me to do. I will be following him like a hawk to see how he does on the BAM. I am well versed in bike maintenance, so working on the SXC doesn't bother me, it's just the fear that I will be miles from anywhere when it decides to act up.
Sounds good! I'm thinking once you're out on the road for a while you'll tune in to your KTM, learn it's sounds and ways. Hopefully any changes would be noticed in time, do a repair, replace worn parts. The longer you go the better you'll be able to diagnose and analyze issues ... hopefully catching things before any serious problems arise.
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  #5  
Old 23 May 2014
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Been reading with great interest.

Having toured on the XRL, I found it underpowered (my mate says the L is for 'lazy')and 'cramped' (I'm 6' 4").

The single biggest advantage of the XRL above any other bike (KTM and DRZ included) that will make me choose it again: easy maintenance and reliability.
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Old 24 May 2014
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Originally Posted by Squily View Post
Been reading with great interest.

Having toured on the XRL, I found it underpowered (my mate says the L is for 'lazy')and 'cramped' (I'm 6' 4").

The single biggest advantage of the XRL above any other bike (KTM and DRZ included) that will make me choose it again: easy maintenance and reliability.
All good! keep oil cool, keep level to the top. XR's based on 600's of that generation burn oil running fast on highway or going full throttle through deep sand all day long. Watch the level.

Maintenance IS EASY! Very nice ... but if run hard (HOT), valves don't stay in spec too long. Don't let them close up. Poor oil means pitted cams and clacky engine.

Also, IMO, XR's demand good quality oil, (synthetic). Since there is NO oil cooler, synthetic makes a BIG difference. It's Honda's old school air cooling, not even close to the Air/Oil cooled DR650 Suzuki SACS system ... which never over heats! (55,000 miles on mine )

Even though I ditched my XR-L within a year of purchase new (1993), I rode and toured with buddies who kept XR-L's and put lots into them. In early 90's the XR-L was the top dual sport bike. But most All eventually gave up and sold them off. Out of about 7 Honda riding Baja buddies, only ONE still owns and XR-L today. Another buddy has an old XR600R. (better bike IMHO)


70 year old Bob, still wringing out his XR600R. Bob is 6'8". 2000 miles of stuff like this. Happy every day

I made only one Baja trip on my XR-L ... but later made several Baja rides with buddies riding XR-L's. Stuff happens in Baja. Baja eats bikes alive. I saw bent and broken sub frames, seized wheel bearings, broken battery boxes and over heated motors that when taken apart were ruined. (Yes, they ran, but made no power and smoked)

Not all the XR-L's did this ... but the maniacs who rode them like race bikes nearly all paid the price. A few were kitted with over bore kits. Big trouble.

The smart guys fit oil coolers, modified the battery box (Baja Design's used to have a kit), put on a quality aftermarket pipe and reinforced the sub frame ... and let Precision Concepts work on the suspension front and rear. (Team Honda)

The XR-L is TALL ... but the distance between seat and peg is short, so yes, it is a bit cramped for someone 6'4". At 5'6", fit me perfect ... but I could not touch the ground!!

Like every dual sport bike ... the XR-L seat was never made for hours riding. Corbin and others made seats for the XR-L. At one time the XR-L was the star bike in the Baja Designs catalogue. But faded fast when the "new" XR400 came along in about 1997 or '98. A very fun and capable bike ...
even has an oil cooler!

Chris Haines Baja tours still use the XR400 on their tours. Here's a few mixed in with a few CRF's back in '08. They preferred the XR400, cheaper to keep.

Agree, the XR-L is sluggish. I fiddled with my Carb for months ... could never get it to run right or have that snap. "Lazy" is quite accurate IMO!
But the basics are all Honda and mostly good. If the right mods are done and right equipment fitted, it's a good bike and IS reliable.

Baja is extreme torture ... I've seen lots of bikes go belly up there. Including several KTM 520, 525, old 640's. Also XR250 (mine), XL600's (mine and a buddies), KLR's, WR450, CRF450X. None of these bikes were race bikes but were ridden pretty hard by pretty good riders. Stuff happens.
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  #7  
Old 24 May 2014
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Originally Posted by Squily View Post
Been reading with great interest.

Having toured on the XRL, I found it underpowered (my mate says the L is for 'lazy')and 'cramped' (I'm 6' 4").

The single biggest advantage of the XRL above any other bike (KTM and DRZ included) that will make me choose it again: easy maintenance and reliability.
Did you uncork it. Mine is jetting and modded and it pulls great. You can make it way more powerful for under 500 quid but as you say, it the low tuned under stressed engine that makes it dependable.

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  #8  
Old 25 May 2014
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Did you uncork it. Mine is jetting and modded and it pulls great. You can make it way more powerful for under 500 quid but as you say, it the low tuned under stressed engine that makes it dependable.
No, it was dead standard. Agree- if I bought one, I'd do the pipe, the carbs and maybe a bigbore kit.

Mollydog- interesting reading on the history etc. Over here we have Ballards racing. They 'almost' specialize in Honda. Geoff Ballard was a desert racer and did lot of development work on the XR's, including big fin heads (for extra cooling) etc. So for me, its very easy to keep/modify an XR.

I've found the oil level is very much dependent on the oil life/quality. You're right- it doesn't use a drop of oil, and the next thing there is no oil so you have to check it every time you refuel. But I've found it 'only' uses oil when the oil gets old. So better oil (synthetic etc) and more frequent changes = no oil use. But if you have to run it on low quality oil, you have to be meticulous in checking the oil.

And as for the valves- yes, they need adjustment from time to time, but it's a 15 minute job if you have the standard tank. With the long range, it's a bit more cause you have to remove the tank. But that said, I've never needed to do valve adjustment 'outside' of 10k service intervals.
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Old 24 May 2014
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Originally Posted by Squily View Post
Been reading with great interest.

Having toured on the XRL, I found it underpowered (my mate says the L is for 'lazy')and 'cramped' (I'm 6' 4").

The single biggest advantage of the XRL above any other bike (KTM and DRZ included) that will make me choose it again: easy maintenance and reliability.
it is fact a standard DRZ is very very low maintenance, you should not tarnish its good name by putting it in brackets with a KTM when referring to maintenance issues
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Old 24 May 2014
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Originally Posted by WesleyDRZ400 View Post
it is fact a standard DRZ is very very low maintenance, you should not tarnish its good name by putting it in brackets with a KTM when referring to maintenance issues
Oh that hurts Wesley, now I have to go tell my bike thatit's alright to be orange and high strung!
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  #11  
Old 24 May 2014
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Originally Posted by mollydog View Post
Sounds good! I'm thinking once you're out on the road for a while you'll tune in to your KTM, learn it's sounds and ways. Hopefully any changes would be noticed in time, do a repair, replace worn parts. The longer you go the better you'll be able to diagnose and analyze issues ... hopefully catching things before any serious problems arise.
I am doing the TAT solo next year on the SXC and will get to see how it handles an extended trip like that. If it proves to be too high strung, I am leaning towards the DRZ.

oh how I wish I had the money to burn on a 690E!
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  #12  
Old 26 May 2014
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Here is a magazine that have tested and compared both the Tenere and the Sertao....Bikes: BMW 650 Sertao VS Yamaha 660 Ténéré - Transmoto
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Old 26 May 2014
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Here is a magazine that have tested and compared both the Tenere and the Sertao....Bikes: BMW 650 Sertao VS Yamaha 660 Ténéré - Transmoto
The Sertao is so poorly made I think it was a joint effort with Fisher Price. It would fold in half if you rode off a kerb. It is small, light and economical though.

I do like the 660Z. Always have. It's just a shame they're so bloody heavy.
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  #14  
Old 26 May 2014
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This coming weekend, I am getting the chance to ride my 625SXC and a buddies DRZ back to back on a number of surfaces. Pavement, dirt roads and singletrack. That should answer a lot of questions I have and hopefully it will be a day of fun!
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  #15  
Old 18 Oct 2014
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I am 5' 8'' and 120 lbs. I am also 74 and fit. The bike I'm looking for is the crf230l for the reasons stated.
I've rode scramblers mx and I now ride a Honda cbr500 and have since it's inception.
I live in the Kooteny Bc where the riding is unparalleled both on and off road. I lived and worked in the Baja and know what it's like to pick up a bike more than I would like.
I am heading to SA next fall knowing that the little Honda will get me anywhere.
What kind of hurry can I be in when my whole object is to live with other folks without fear of theft or strife.
I just happen to like the little roads
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