XR4 or XR6
 

My friend and I are planning a trip from buenos aries to vancouver, and i was wondering if anyone has any advice on which bike would be more suitable considering we want to do lots of off-rroading, and my mate is only 5'5'' and 63kg. Also would it be cheaper to by the bikes in-country or ship (dont know any shipping costs yet!!), and finally how do we go about getting rid of the bikes once the trip has finished reference carnet??
Look forward to reading your replies.

Hello Hazey!!! Thought i'd write to you as no-one else seems to have done in a little while. I think your pal would be fine on either bike, but given the miles your planning the 600 would be best. I have riden both bikes fully loaded off the tarmac and to be honest didnt notice much difference between the two. The seat height should be ok for him, or he could cut it down a wee bit like i do...failing that, make sure he always pulls up along side you and you can catch him!!!

Either bike will work fine, but if you give us a little more info, we can help you a bit more.

How much gear will you be carrying?
Will you be putting panniers on the bike?
How heavy will your load be?
What kind of off road riding will you be doing? Will it be just dirt roads, or do you want to head off on more technical trails?

Keep in mind that even though an XR400 might be a little more fun on the trail than the heavier 600, after you load it down with lots of luggage, it won't handle very well anyways, and the extra power of the 600 then becomes more advantageous.

The general consensus is that 600-650s are better for travel since they are more comfortable on long distances - the engines buzz a little less, the extra power feels good on long highway stretches and the added torque make carrying heavy luggage a lot more pleasant.

Cheers,
Wright

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Wright Bagwell
http://www.geocities.com/wwbagwell/