I still have the original front pipes on mine, that go under the engine. Crap idea really, but alternatives are available.
Don't bother with the Yamaha bash plate. It's for looks only and has no strength to it. Several makes are available. I got mine off eBay and I'm not sure of its origin. It does work with SW Motech engine bars and centre stand. It's a dodgy combination and not all parts will work with others of a different make, if you see what I mean,as they can get in the way of each other.
I'm not overly worried about reduced ground clearance caused by the pipes. This bike does Euro-Touring, Welsh bog-trotting and African Adventures without any major drama.
Suspension front & rear is standard. Considering a shorter (longer?) dog-bone link for the rear, to raise it a bit, as a bit more ground clearance can't hurt.
Any problem with surging can be reduced by altering the mixture via the buttons on the speedo/console. You can't do anything like that with an F650. It's the nearest dealer for you.
You can buy one of these brand-new for £3,200 and chuck anything up to maybe £1,500 at it with all the extras you can think of. It'll still be considerably cheaper than even a basic F650 or 640 Adventure!
The engine is made by Minarelli and the bike by MBK of France, who are a subsiduary of Yamaha Moto France.

xt660
 

Hi, i noticed a reference to a very readable site in one of the replies to your query. Just to reiterate it, it's www(dot)bikehigh(dot)com , one of the participants - Damon l'Anson - is a long-time bike mechanic-turned-Journo and a (staff?) writer for Bike mag in the UK, so i guess he knows his onions (or should that be xt's, ho, ho). The bike went down a storm, by all accounts! Enjoy...

Buttons
 

Hello Oldbaldrick,
What control do you have over the mixture via the buttons? - please tell me more; truly this is hi-tech stuff!

I checked the webpages for DK in Stoke on Trent and you are spot on; they were advertising one a few days ago for £3199.

Cheers,

Dave

Dave,
Have a look at .: XT660.com - The #1 XT660 Resource :. or ::.Yam-xt.com.:: Home Page ::.Yamaha XT660X & XT660R Website and Forum. Both very good UK sites with loads of info.
It's possible to alter the fuelling via the 2 buttons on the dash. Full details on xt660.com. By adjusting things here, it's possible to reduce the (alleged) surging, or popping on the over-run.
A Power Commander is another (expensive) solution for those who think they have a surging problem.

Xt660r
 

I recently had a go on a new one as I thought an XT660R would be just the bike but now after a test ride will not purchase, no matter how cheap. The surging and general fuelling gives the bike an awful feeling.

How can they get it so wrong?

Thanks Oldbaldrick - interesting stuff changing those buttons (I see the authors state that newish bikes could lose warranty cover however).


Pottsy,
I don't take much notice of what the journalists say about bikes - for instance, they aren't prepared to rock any boats when the advertising income is at stake. In the case of the bikehigh website, they were given or loaned the bikes by Yamaha (from memory) - therefore, I take their reporting on the bikes with a large dose of scepticism (it is a nice way of making a living however, got to give them that!!).


Dave

This thread has lured me into putting up my first post :)

I had a XT660X for a few months recently and did a lot of research into the fueling snatchiness. Mine had some Arrow pipes on (with baffles removed). I ended up fitting the stage 2 kit (basically 2 air filters) and removed the snorkel. I also ordered a mod from a chap in Oz (details on XT660.com) to richen the mixture - the dash controls don't really make it richer (which is what is needed), so the mod is a variable resistor which alters the air pressure and temp sensor readings to fool the bike into giving more fuel. The end result was nowhere near as smooth as, say a sportsbike, but it was WAAYYY better than standard and I was happy to live with it. The alternative (a PC3 & dyno time) would have been far more expensive.

fuelling on XTZ660
 

i still want to know if anyone tried a power comander and if it actually works to cure the snatchiness?
Also the bike has a lambda sensor so leaded fuel will destroy it - is therer a known fix for this other than removing the sensor (which will essentially wreck the fuelling system anyway).

If these two problems can be cured then I will buy - money in pocket burning hole!

Martync

As for the surging problems on the XT660 I can vouch that these problems have been solved at least on the '07 model. I have not had any problems...at all! And everything on the bike is stock issue. No powercommander, no mixture fiddling, no snorkle blinding...nothing. Admittedly, I've only had the bike for a little over a month. But as I've understood it, the surging issue is detectable from the get go, and not a growing problem that creeps up on you as the bike ages. So, since I don't have the problem now, I don't think I ever will. So with that in mind, I'd say go for it.

The lambda probe issue is another story. If you plan to take your bike into areas with leaded fuel, you will have to deal with this. This weekend I am doing some testing on my '07 model and disconnecting the lambda to see what it does to the fuel consumption. Logically it should rise. But how much, is the question. I've been told in another thread, that BMW's with lambda probes do not noticably consume more fuel, albeit logically it should shave off a few miles per gallon. I mean, the lambda was put there for a reason and not for its good looks :). I'm guessing/hoping it will be more or less the same for the Yamaha. Guess I will know more after this weekend. I'll be sure to let you know.

I became curious about the replacement cost of the probe:-

Just Lambda NTK, Suppliers of NTK lambda sensors by post..

Seems you would pay out about £75, at discount pricing supposedly, to replace the Lambda probe - I surmise that it is needed for MOT (UK), CT (FR) or whatever it is called in DK, routine vehicle testing.


Dave

Small update.

I've disconnected the lambda. The engine error light did not come on (yay :thumbup1: ).

Took it for a short spin and I can't realy notice a difference. The ECU seems to be handling things nicely. Since the lambda apparently does it's work at steady throttle positions I'll propably need to take it out on open roads before I can be certain. But so far, things are looking good.

Final update
 

I've taken the bike for a 150 km spin. No apparent difference except approx 1km less per liter. The bike ran flawlessly as always.

It seems that the ECU is handling the missing lambda excellently. I'm quite pleased with this test which means that I can remove it from the pipe (and plug it) and install it back again when un-leaded fuel becomes readily available again. Or just throw caution to the wind and replace it when I get back.

I was convinced before, but even more so now, that my XT660R '07 will do nicely on my Africa trip. I am quite pleased with the ease with which this snag was overcome.

Will however still need to fit catalyst free cans if I want to avoid burning my catalysts off in my stock ones. Still debating this issue with myself.

Martync, I personally cannot see any lambda issues left to solve. As for the surging/cutouts, I have never experienced it on my '07 model. If I were you, I'd go for it. It's a great bike.

As a few other people have said go on to the XT660.com forum and you will find everything you need to know about trying to solve the surgin wows. I had a test ride on an 06 one around a car park the other day (19 not allow out on the open road beggers) and it was snatchy but i think once you get out on the open road a bit more and i get used to the different throttle/clutch control i could tame it a bit. Also there is alot of fiddling to be done because of all these electronics with the fuelling to get it to suit my type of riding style.

Wrappin' it up...
 

Thought I'd finish off my own thread with a few comments about the XT660R which I bought for my tour around Scandinavia earlier this year.

I went for the 660cc as my partner was just buying an F650GS and I wanted us to have similar grunt. I had an enjoyable 3 weeks riding across Denmark, up through Sweden, into the Arctic Circle and back down through Norway on a mix of motorways, A roads, B roads and tracks. It rained nearly non stop and I piled the bike high with all my camping stuff, veggie food etc :mchappy:

I fitted hand protectors, sat nav, tank bag, 12v socket and H&B panniers and a little bracket on the front for my tent. I did mostly 200 - 300km days (which in Norway can translate to 6 hours in the saddle!).

The bike was reliable (when I remembered to look after the chain! I've since fitted a Scottoiler which I swear by) and pretty comfortable given it's little seat. It took all sorts of punishment and saw me up (and down) the 'Trolls Ladder'...scary. The brakes are a little wimpy but were fine except for trying to bring my overladen bike to a complete halt on some of the steeper Norwegian mountains...I missed a few photo opportunities because I couldn't stop in time for the pull in place :eek3: .

The bike does suffer a little surging at low speeds but you learn to adapt your riding style (and slip the clutch) to accommodate. Handling was good and the XT handled the mix of on and off road well...especially as Norwegian roads can sometimes be a bit of both!

In summary...a fun, hardy, comfortable, reliable work horse which is cheap to buy, cheap to maintain and does the job. Requires a few extras (I recommend a centre stand if you're going to have to change your own tyres/fix punctures) but a good starting point for your adventure...and the 2008 model looks even nicer :clap: .

This thread has made me question my enthusiasm for the upcoming ZT660Z.

Sorry if this is kinda OT.. but with the new Tenere coming out.. what's the better option.
an XT66R with MetalMule/Touratech etc bashguards, screen, panniers, etc
or a Tenere..

i.e. DIY spec it yourself vs a pre-built mini trailie

Tenere seems great but looking at the spec, it's heavier, less ground clearance, less suspension travel and more expensive. It'll still need a bash plate, hand guards and a bunch of extras anyway.

I see it being upgraded from an Xt660R only in terms of brakes and fuel capacity...have I missed something?

Cheers
Kev