Hi there!!

This is my first post, though i've been here for a while... I'm planning a trip to West Africa (I live in Spain) for next fall/winter. It will be my first motorbike offroad trip, and i'm thinking about the right bike to get (as everyone at first I guess!). Currently I own an Enfiled Bullet 500, but I'm not thinking about taking it there (I know some people do...) I'm 1.80m tall (6 feet), 23 years old.

After weeks of reading and researching I have come to the point of narrowing my choice to three bikes:

- 1987 Honda XL600LM (red engine, 28 liter tank...)
- 1999/2002 Yamaha XT600E
- 1988/90 Yamaha XT600Z Tenere 3AJ

The reason for this choice...well, I'm looking for reliability, relative lightness and, of course, not to empty my pockets!!

The pros and cons of each bike (not regarding luggage), as I see it, would be:

- XT600E (would get it with around 12000-20000km for 2900-3300 € plus "teneresing")

LIKE: easy to get here in Spain, newer than the other two (less km), lots of accesories, reliable, oil change every 10000km, light?? (156kg dry)
DON'T LIKE SO MUCH: need much to go (acerbis tank, bashplate, windshield...) so more money, it is more expensive than the other ones.

- XT600Z 3AJ (around 30000 km and 1000-2000 €)

LIKE: fairing, looks, reliability (even with age?), needs almost nothing to go, 23 l tank, cheap, cam get it in Spain
DON'T LIKE SO MUCH: heavier (165 kg dry), older and probably 2nd or 3rd hand (who knows how its been treated), hard to find accesories for it (racks!!)

- XL600LM (around 35000-40000 km and 1500-1700 €)

LIKE: big tank, kick+electric start, light (155kg dry), not expensive, doesn't need much to go, maybe a windshield

DON'T LIKE SO MUCH: hard to get (Germany!!), old, is it as reliable as the others?? oil changes every 3000km, no accesories (racks!!)

So...now the questions!! Basically, it is simple: What do you think? What would you do if you were me? I know every newbe asks the same thing, and some of the "experts" might be a little tired of the same thing again and again... I hope it's not a nuisance anyway...

Thanks guys!!

nadir

I have an '02 XT600E. It's been easy to 'tenerise' with 40 litre tank, rack, bash plate and even a xenon light. I find all the important bits easy to access. Anyone you speak to says it's 'bullet proof', compared to other bikes. Whatever you throw at it overlanding, it'll take the punishment. As for being air-cooled, high quality oil won't let you down if it gets extremely hot in the engine.

Thanks a lot for your answer...the only one up to date! That's more or less what I've read, XT600E seems to be quite reliable. Anyways, I think that it might be useful to turn my questions upside down, since I know every bike will have its good points and probably all of them are up to the job. So, maybe it is better to ask this:

Will any of these three bikes be WORSE than the other two for overlanding?? Is there any particular reason NOT to choose any of them?

Lately I'm somehow leaning towards the XT600Z 3aj TENERE, since there is one readily available, so, please, if anyone has some reasons why I should NOT choose this bike for my first overland trip, I'd be pleased to hear (or read) them.

Thanks a lot again!

nadir

I know little about these. I think the Honda sounds interesting, but as you say availability...

That said, if you count the money it would cost to kit up a XT, would that not cover the cost of a custom made rack for panniers? I am making a set of pannier racks for my Ural using 30mm x 5mm steel bar: cheap and quite easy, so far.

Other wise, have you considered smaller bikes: XR 400, DRZ 400, DR350 etc. All these are a little less powerful, but so much lighter, and can be cheap to buy a nice recent model (€3000 for a 2004 XR?) Worth considering. My XR has a 22 litre tank now, a trailtech computer and I am upgrading the headlamp: cost: €300 for the lot!!

Think about this too. Good luck

__________________
Adventure: it's an experience, not a style!
(so ride what you like, but ride it somewhere new!)

Yes! It was my first choice, but then flying to Germany to get it..-might be if I don't find anything before summer, when I will have the time. At least it's the lightest of all three, and with a huge tank!

Sure it does, that's the reason why I thought about the Tenere (1900 € plus kit). The racks...mmhh, I don't think I know how to make them, but someone could probably do them for me...

Yes! and they are indeed a very nice option also. It's only that everyone seems to be travelling in bigger ones, so I thought there must be a reason... I don't know too much, but some of them have shorter maintenance intervals, don't they? And, is reliability allright? If that's not a big problem, they could be a good option of course, since one of my fears is WEIGHT!! I even had a look at those military KTM, just wasn't sure about KTM reliability...can anyone say a word about that??

I'll take a look anyways. Thanks a lot Warthog!!

nadir

KTM reliability is supposed to be getting better, and the military KTMs have been detuned to improve this further, so down on power but down on maintenance.

Also if a modern military force has been using the vehicle they may well have standardised a lot of the fixings in line with NATO initiatives, reducing the number of tools you need to work on the vehicle and making it more serviceable in the field. There are only two groups of people ever likely to be cowering under a flysheet in a sandstorm trying to strip a vehicle, us lot and the military!

Based on what you have said so far I would go for the Tenere, but check the engine etc when you get it. Even a bike that has had an absolute hammering could be in A1 condition as long as the owner has been looking after it correctly. A visual inspection, ride and compression check should let you know if its a lemon or not.

If you are only really going for the off-road part (rather than having to go off-road because the tarmac ran out) then a lighter bike might be a good option, but a big lad like yourself should have no great problems handling the XT in sand or mud