What about a TT600R Belgarda?

Basically same engine as a XT600, aircooled and kickstart-only, but with bigger airbox and carbs. You can also get a Acerbis 21 litre tank for it.

It was Yamaha's answer to a (relatively) hardcore enduro before being replaced by the WR.

It has many nice details such as fully adjustable Paoli/Öhlins suspension with a lot of travel, Tagasako alloy rims, Brembo brakes with braided hoses, swingarm grease nipples, quick-change airfilter, etc.

The biggest downside to the bike is the narrow seat that turns highways into pure torture sessions. An airhawk or custom seat is a must. Its also quite a tall bike...I'm 182 cm and I can't flatfoot it, but only reach the ground with the tip of my feet. Nothing precarious, but might be an issue to some.

I think its a serious contender for a Africa overland trip, but I have to say that, as I own one with the sole purpose of doing a major overland trip

I also owned one for a while; it was a pig to start, kicker only.
Battery-less ignition, there is a routine to starting the belgrada that has been posted in here previously.

There are no cush rubbers on the rear hub = a "harsh" ride experience.

I am not sure if the engine is at a higher state of tune compared with the XT600 version - does the XT600 have a dry sump engine design? The TTR600 is definitely dry sump.

The OEM exhaust drops to bits - the end cap blows off and disappears into the nearest hedgerow (that end cap has pop rivet fixings so that they act in tension rather than in shear - the net result is that the pop rivet heads fail and away the end cap goes).

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Dave

to fit a kicker to an xrl you have to split the engine cases you will need bits from a xr 600 or early domi , oil cooler easy just split the pipes to the frame and plumb in

Yes, I've heard the horror stories. I found that correct valve settings makes the whole difference. Mine starts 2 kicks cold and 1 kick warm. It has a very specific starting procedure though.

Its not tuned any differently, only difference is the engine is narrower by 30 mm, lighter flywheel and crankshaft, bigger carbs and airbox. That's it.

No cush rubbers on the TT, but hasn't bothered me. I guess it comes down to what you're used to.

I've got a Sebring exhaust on mine, which is holding up fine.

The TT isn't a perfect bike though...it vibrates like hell. During the 900 km/ 14 hour day I put in on it, I lost the feeling in my throttle hand for several days afterwards. The seat is narrow and another seat or Airhawk is a must in my opinion. The headlight ain't worth crap...might as well carry a candle lantern on a stick. I'm changing my whole front fairing to a LED set up.

The lack of a battery can be a pain, when wiring up GPS, charger or other electrics. The alternator puts out 185 watts, so consider that too.

The TT is faster than an XT, but a KTM or water cooled XR650R has an extra 15-20 horses on it and will blow it out of the water, both in acceleration and top speed. In reality the TT cruises best at 110 km/h (speedo speed) but will easily hit 130 during passes.

I would have preferred something that handles asphalt better with a higher crushing speed, but I can't afford a bigger/newer/lighter/faster bike. Its what I have and its perfectly capable. So I'll make do with it.

Thanks for the info on the bike. Out of interest what would you have gone for if you had a larger budget?

As we've arrived in 600 single land have you had a look at Chris Scott's website - and in particular his Desert Riders experience with XR650Ls. Lots of stuff there about pros and cons / prep / riding experience etc.

Link to Chris's site - Honda XR650L for Desert Riders | Adventure Motorcycling Handbook

I like the new Honda CB500X with the Rally Raid Adventure kit.

That being said, with all the "Adventure" add-ons a TT or XR is still much better offroad. The CB excels as a all-round overlander though I imagine.

Ahh, that brings back memories!

Sounds like you have yours sorted - I never did because I never quite gelled with the bike and then I went abroad to work so it was sold (no point in such a machine sitting around doing nothing for long periods).

It seemed to me that there was a bigger following for the TTR600 in Germany compared with the UK.
(I got a large second hand tank from German ebay, years ago)

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Dave

The TTR and TTRE has a huge following in Germany, Italy and Greece with plenty of knowledge and parts.

Ive had my bike for 1½ years now, and im slowly sorting it out to fit my needs. Its pretty good as it is, but itll be much better with a Renazco seat and with a different fairing with 2 x LEDS and some wind protection.

David151, the XT600E may be unsuitable for kick start installation. As I understand it the internal gear ratios are different from the TTR600 and the older XT's. The kickstart mechanism can be installed (some cases require some machining) but as I understand it, kick starting the bike is hard. I am not an expert, just pointing out that maybe you should double check if you want to get the XT600E.

My 2000 XT600E has done 15 km in deep sand, flat out, high rpm in first gear. It did not overheat or suffer any damage. The air temp was not high but the airflow was very low, obviously. If the XT600E had a tendency to overheat it would have done that then. As you probably know the XT600E is strongly built with a massive subframe.

Cant really comment on the XR, but my FMX650 has the same engine as the XR650L. It has considerable more power than the XT600E, if that matters to you. I have yet to overheat it, but then I have it correctly jetted (it comes way lean from the facory). Of course it is a roadbike and is never tortured at low speed, the airflow is always there.

I had a TT600RE, and would consider it a poor choice for a long trip unless heavily modified. It was not comfortable onroad, especially on bumpy roads. The seat is too narrow, the suspension is very harsh/cheap. The TTR600 has a better suspension, but the same seat..

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Yamaha XT600E '01, Honda XR400 '03, Yamaha XT550 '83

I have not read the entire post but… Having owned both (well, XTs in the Tenere version), I would get the one in the best condition and with the best equipment for the best price with the least amount of travelling. For me the big improvement on the Honda was the CR-derived suspension – much better than anything I ever had on my XTs and a major upgrade cost saved.

As some have suggested, the whole kickstart thing is irrelevant these days, just as starter cranks are with cars. Just buy a new battery and remember to switch the bike off (somewhere on the HUBB is a video of me failing to bump my L for a bet). A starter motor spins the crank much quicker and more consistently than you can kick on a hot afternoon in the Nubian desert.

One problem with the XR-L is it's tall seat (Domi motor in 'CR' frame = sub-optimal fit), but if you're also tall then the suspension makes up for it.

On any bike I think its important to know how hot the motor is, but these days all you might get is a red warning light. A simple temp sensor off the plug or in oil will work. Establish what's normal, refer to it regularly and back off or slow down when it looks like it's being exceeded. And with air-cooled, don't turn off when very hot - park it into a breeze and keep it running so the oil is still pumping.

I think oil consumption has a lot to do with how a bike was treated in its early days. Gentle running in, sympathetic cold starts, avoiding the red line and frequent changes with good oil must all help. Big, air-cooled single are more prone to oil loss than others due to the thermal expansion and contraction of the big piston (or something like that).

Never tried a DR650 but in Europe in the Saharan heyday, it was mostly Yams and Hondas and BMs. Then DRs and no Kawas. It could have been down to Dakar results at the time.

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Morocco Overland 4 (2025) • Trans Morocco Trail