The Yamaha Italy website specs are a bit vague on the differences between the TT600E and the TT600R, but only a 9kg weight penalty for the convenience of an electric starter (& slightly larger tank) would swing it for me. They both have Öhlins suspension & the motors seem identical.
EDIT: Oops, looks like the R has the Öhlins, not the E. ISTR that the E uses a Paoli shock on the rear. E uses Paoli 43mm USD forks, R uses 46mm USD according to Yamaha Italy, but the photos show conventional(?). I don't know how good these components are and how they compare.
TT600E: http://it.yme.com/page.cfm?pageID=37171
TT600R: http://it.yme.com/page.cfm?pageID=34688
The TTs are cheap, especially new, and lighter than water cooled bikes like the KTM, but less power, equipment and with possibly iffy build quality. They're rare in the UK but there's one for sale on Biketrader at the moment - think it's a TT600E, and there are big tanks (expensive)and other goodies available.
Chris Scott had a similar list of bikes and went for the XR650L imported from Australia. See Desert Riders ( http://www.adventure-motorcycling.co...ders/index.htm) if you haven't already.
Let us know what you go for!
[This message has been edited by john (edited 22 September 2002).]
|