KLR 650 - all roads lead here

[The Big J]

Hi all,

I have been mulling bike choice and reading this great site ad nauseum so I am posting my thoughts for you to pull apart. I have been researching what bike to ride and all roads seem to lead here- the KLR.


The trip is LA-Rio over 4 and a bit months. I envisage riding on tarmac where possible except I will be going through Copper Canyon and I expect a fair number of the roads in Baja to be gravel. Requirements of a bike are that it is mechanically sound, fit to a budget as NZ dollars don’t go far, be accessible to a relatively novice rider, have good second-hand supply in West Coast, lowest priority being comfort on tarmac. I will be travelling with a friend and I see buying the same bike to make it easier for carrying spares etc.

The ideal seems to be the V-Strom but there seems to be a short supply for purchase – looking at Ebay for the entire USA showed 13 the other day. Also the bike is more expensive than a KLR.

The KLR looks a bit more trail orientated than necessary but at least we know it will handle the rough stuff. With allowance made to kit it out with panniers there doesn’t seem much need for modification to travel. They are in plentiful supply and many people seem to buy them and find they only use them for the highway to work anyway. Mechanically they are simple. This is great. I have no mechanical experience on bikes. I can work out electrical problems or work out obvious motor difficulties – a carburettor I can understand if not strip. I will be doing a bike maintenance course before the trip but assume this will be things like chain adjustment, oil change etc.
I envisage taking just a few spares as it is a Japanese bike – spare sparkplugs etc. In the event of breakdown I am travelling with a companion so we can in case of dire melt-down ride two-up to the next town and try to sort something out.
In terms of vibration I will bring a sheepskin seat, I am sure if others can tolerate numb butt I can too.

One point, I note that the famous ‘doohickey’ will break apparently. Should a replacement be done before the trip? Should I carry a fix, just hope for the best?

Alternative bikes seem to be the Suzuki DR 650 or the Yamaha XT range, to look around and buy based on the best deal. Your opinions are appreciated.
I know this thread is maybe a bit open-ended so to get to what I want to know:
- do I seem on the right track? Good bike, simple mechanics.
- Are there further specific mechanical issues to look out for?
Thanks
Josh