WR450 long dist bike?
 

I am planning a trip from U.S. border to belize and am in the process of searching for a machine. does anyone have experience with the new WR450 as a long distance dual sport bike? I know it is more dirt oriented than most which is what i want, the less pavement the better!

I believe i will need a large capacity fuel cell and a thicker seat (the moto inspired seat just doesn't seem comfy) but what other insights do people have?
thanks, luke

forget comfort, what about service interval and load carrying? most enduro bikes need oil changes every few hours or hundreds of miles.

Great bikes, but that's one of the last choices I would make for long-sitance. As Rich said, it's like riding on a 2x4 (and you'll have a real hard time getting the seat wide enough to make it comfy, since ther'es not much for it to rest upon), the power delivery just isn't really nice for extended trips, you'll have to change oil very frequently and the suspension is very stiff, not nice for long trips.

If I really wanted good dirt performance, I'd go for something like an XR600/650 or a DRZ400. - they're much more plush and easier to fit with adventure accessories.

I went out to play on an MX track yesterday. I was on my XR650L with 20% stiffer rear shock, 42 litre tank and 10W fork oil. oh, and road tyres. apart from slip-sliding round the corners, it took it all brilliantly. not as well as my XR400 or Martin's XR650R, but better than Trajan's DRZ400 (road variant) which was bottoming left right and centre.
I'm not trying to move this chat to the Honda pages, but I'd say an XR4/6/6.5R/L would be better for trips than a WR450 or CR450F which came sailing past me yesterday, but then I was on their turf. whatever you get ... enjoy!

yea, that makes lots of sense. i really dont want to be changing the oil every 4 hrs whilst on the road. i guess i was looking towards the WR450 cause i plan to keep the bike for conversion to supermotard when i return, and like the lightweight of it.

I am not opposed to an XR650R at all, in fact i think it is marvelous. though i have trouble believing its ability on a mx track...for me at big, heavy, sloppy forks, heavy, wide, long, heavy. this just from me as i race a YZ250 regularily. but im sure off road its king!

honda seems to be doing well with it in the desert. what kind of mods are done to yours? bags? fuel cell? suspension? seat? others?

im new to this so any advice is much appreciated. thanks again. luke

Martin's XRR has IMS' big tank and soft luggage. I wouldn't say the forks are sloppy, but its big so its going to be hard to handle compared with a 250. it really is good for its size, but Martin does complain that 250's are too easy on tough stuff ... so easy that its almost cheating! I'd say the XRR is a bit radical for most people. I'm no expert, but I'm used to big bikes and the XRR is madder than an axe-man!
big and sloppy nicely describes my XRL tho. it has an enormous fuel tank: 11USG! and long forks etc
Rich

Agree with the others : the WRF's simply are not made for travel ! on road are really not very stable (you pay the good dirt handling) and any weight on the back will made thing worse.
Apart from offroad trips with 4x4 in support or similar use , I think that a heavy travel use will create problems to engine.

Alternatives are heavier and sloppier , but more adapt : Yamaha TTR600 , XR's and DRZ

I'm riding WR400 '1999 and love it. Most of the time we only do day trips, but I have been reading stories on the web, from guys doing long-distance trips on WR. Search on Google.com and see what you can find.

If you are able to ride off-road most of the time, down to Belize, and keep the bike light (soft luggage and only the most important stuff), I would go for it. I changed oil every 600-1000km, and that might be a problem for you.

You might be able to get the WR450 with enduro suspension, and then you will not have any problems with the stiffness of the bike (as long as you keep the bike light).

As an alternative I would recoment you to look at DRZ400; very enduro oriented bike and extremly reliable. You could also look at XR400 if you are thinking about bikes in the 400-450cc range.

Travel save.

Jakob

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kinda sounds like the wrf for long distances might be like going to a gun fight with a knife. i really like the idea of xr650 though. suzukis dont really do it for me...thats why they give u a gift certificate for $200 in tools when u buy one :P

and taking an xrl with street tires and saddlebags to a moto track?!? thats like going to a water ballon fight with a m1 abrams tank. sure enough though, if one wanted to stop for a seista mid-moto it would be nice to pull a nap pad, umbrella, sandwich made by the missus and cold lemonade from the bags.

what is a good long distance tire though? do u run heavy duty tubes or a bib mousee with a innner tube? what about gas quality? i know they all prefer premium, but something tells me thats hard to find while on the middle of nowhere.

how twitchy are we talking about? is it something that a steering stabalizer could help with or is it just inherent for a dirt bike on the street?

would offset triple clamps help more?

thanks again

Hi all
if the wr450f is as reliable as the 400 it will be a good thing,in 1999(i think)an aussie dirtbike mag took two wr400f's brand new and rode the from the most easterly part of oz to the most westerly,5600km in four and a half days,through floods deserts and insane roos,smashing the old record buy three days,they changed oil about every 800km or so,the only mechanical hitch was one screw fell out of the radiator shroud on one bike(the bike that hit the kangaroo)when they got back they pulled the engines down and found they were still like new,so i dont think reliability will ba a drama,and the newies have an electric leg,but to do long distance you need a butt like a rhino
cheers Slugnugget

I think the WR makes a great Dual sport bike. Meaning riding from your garage to the trails.

There are a couple things to consider.

I've become a big DRz fan. Its an incredibly versatile motorcycle. I would only choose the XR 650 over it if the road was very fast with litle to no dirt. Other wise the DRZ is much more capable all around until your start talking 100 mph, which were not.

BAck on topic.
1.) A bike with a little well placed weight is ok. A little weight adds stability on the road and fast straight trails.

2.) GAs quality is a great issue. The DRZ S model has lower compression than the E or kick model dirt bikes to be able to run on lower octane fuel. ALso, the S model has CV carb making it much better at travelling through elevation changes without affecting carburation as badly.

3.) Cush drive. This will dramatically improve the ride and lengthen the life of drive train parts. These only come on bikes that are street legal from the factory.
Point is there are a lot of subtle differences that make a huge difference.

NOw if you were trying to do it as fast as possible and had a pit crew following you the whole way, the WR would be great. lol

Thanks,
TOdd BEllew

What about the good old Ténéré ? Try the XTZ660, it's made for travelling. It'll do anything you want except going very fast straight on the motorway. And when I say anything I mean anything. Nothing will stop it. And it has a real engine. With torque.

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Fred, XTZ660, Holland.

we dont get the DRZ400s in Oz just the E and the kicker,as far as i can tell the S is a softer U.S only model,but the E has been very popular here,the guys i mentioned earlier did not have a "pit crew" just two guys in a 4x4 that changed oil and tryes while the riders slept.it was a bare bones ride across the country to prove the reliability of the wr400 and shatter a few myths about this so called fragile machine,i also agree the XTZ 660 is a great machine aswell,i owned a 2000 model and it was excellent especially the seat,wide,flat and comfy.
Cheers Slugnugget

Slugnugget, what is that now? A 2000 XTZ660? With wide flat comfy seat and all? They stopped the 660 here in 1997. Can you send details about the latest version?

Thats funny about the 400s. I don't believe the XTZ660 comes to the states. Which is unfortunate. I think it makes it hard for world travellers that might want to bring their bikes to the US. The bike seems pretty popular, but are virtually non existant in the states. Since bikes aren't imported, parts are rare if available at all. Plenty of quads come that use that engine, I believe. Isn't the Raptor 660 the same engine?

The other point I didn't make is ability to carry gear. Some bikes are better suited to having panniers and such attached. If your not travelling with a crew you need to bring your own stuff. Bikes like the 400 s and xtz (I assume) are built with stronger frames to with stand long range use. The YZ for example has every component desined to be light as possible. The designers didn't think about having a bunch of extra weight on the rear sub frame. Thats one thing the OZ test lacked IMO . As a race bike they proved its worth. But, they had a support crew.And if your headed all the way to belize, your going to need some of your own gear.

The DRZ comes with several key differences. I believe it actually has stiffer springs than the e/kick to compensate for the extra street gear. BUt, since its soft to begin with and you add gear and only add a one step stiffer spring, its still soft. People usually do add stiffer springs.

The other is the s model uses a taller base gasket than the E/kick giving the S model a lower compression ratio. This is so people could use 87 octane at the pump. So that makes it great for using lower grade gas ie. Mexico and south. PLus, the lower compression allows the engine to not be under as much strain. Lower compression engines tends to last longer, save maybe diesels http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif . The down side to lower compression is less power. BUt, the engine makes plenty with stock compression. Also, theoretically, less compression is less efficient than higher compression. BUt, the difference in actual mileage is probably imperceptable. Also, at very high elevation the difference may be noticeable.

The S also uses a smaller CV carb instead of the FCR carb. It is slower, but the vaccuum operated slide gives it some self adjusting capabilites through altitude changes. A very nice ability for a long range traveller.

The cush drive I mentioned before. It flat reduces fatigue from rider and bike.

Also, since the S is already street legal. You'll need to be street legal of course. Theres no need to have to convert and re title. You Documentation is as simple as it can be.
Being only a 400 its better on gas than bigger bikes. Fuel economy is huge consideration when your trying to strecth to a fuel stop. You don't want to worry especially with a thirsty 600 cc plus beast drinking gas. And it still has plenty of power for a reasonably skilled rider. Since the goal is only really to get there, a lot of power isn't always needed. Yeah if you like wheeling and jumping and roosting every where, it could be under powered especially loaded.

Well I'll put down my Suzuki Horn now. In some circles Suzukis aren't considered highly, I know. BUt, Every manufacturer gets one right now and again. This is one of Suzukis very right bikes.


Thanks,
TOdd BEllew


[This message has been edited by Todd Bellew (edited 25 June 2003).]

If you really want a Suzuki, consider the DR650. It rides as easy as a 400 and doesn't drink much, the only disadvantage is that it has no low rpm torque compared to an XTZ660. But hey, what has?

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Fred, XTZ660, Holland.

G'day all

FredXTZ Yamaha stopped the XTZ over here in 2001,i am pretty sure mine was exactly the same spec as your 97 model probably only a color change(mine was green)
i agree that the Suzuki is better suited to longer time in the saddle than the wr400/450
and as far as taking gear enduros are gonna be limited,but i like the DRZ 400, i am actually thinking of trading my YZF600 in on one and getting back to the dirt,they are fast and reliable,they have done very well in the Australian Safari,a bit of hot water and compressed air and you can get another litre or two from the plastic tanks,would make a great bike for those hard to get places,and a fair bit easier to pick up than my old 660 and no bloody fairings($$$$)
Cheers Slugnugget

XTZ660 fairings? I know a french guy who lost/destroyed all of them in the first few days of the Raid de l'Amitié in Morocco. The bike didn't even look bad without them!

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Fred, XTZ660, Holland.

I bought a drz 400 about a month ago and love it. The power is unbeliveable for a 400. I was looking at the KLR 650 but a motorcycle mechanic that did not sell bikes recommened the suzuki. I weigh 230 lbs and it goes 65 mph easy. I hadnt ridden for about 15 years before getting this and it handles easy. I did get an IMS tank that increased capasity from 2.5 gal to 4.2 gal. I just put it on so I don't know how far I can go before having to go to reserve. So far I have 120 miles.

The handling on the 400 is almost hard to believe isn't it. I stayed off one for a long time and said its way to big and heavy. After I rode one I was hooked. I think the key to it is that the bike has its weight distributed exactly right. Its not a small heavy bike.

I can really see the benefit of the bigger engine bikes. But, I still haven't seen one in a cahssis that makes me feel like I could ride easier than a lighter less powered machine. The DR650 and XR650 just feel like it takes more energy to ride than less, like the power is suppose to be.

BUt, when your trying to carry serious gear I can see using a 650.

For example here in the states you are never far from a hotel or restaurant. You could criss cross the country with little more than clothes and e supplies. And atm card of course. http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/wink.gif

I guess its all back to there is no one bike for every person for every type of riding.
Fun talking about it though.

Thanks,
Todd BEllew

If you intend doing as much off road as possible on this journey, then get something with electric start, I believe XR650's are kickstart only? I rode a DR-Z400 recently, the seat was torture and put me off buying one for Spain next year.

Steve

Steve,

I bought a DRZ-400 a couple of months ago. I agree about the seat. I invested in the gel seat and it makes a world of diffrence if you want to retink the DRZ. Also The IMS tank is a great add on and really extendes the range.

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John

[This message has been edited by ekaphoto (edited 22 July 2003).]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by FredXTZ:
[B]If you really want a Suzuki, consider the DR650. It rides as easy as a 400 and doesn't drink much, the only disadvantage is that it has no low rpm torque compared to an XTZ660. But hey, what has?

Hi Fred,
there is a real bike that is king of overland traveling: KTM Adventure 640. It is able to do everything that Tenere can, even much better, especially offroad. Handling is perfect, much better than 660, engine is stronger, fuel tank is big enough, susspension is much better, and it is equiped with both kick/electro starting! Also, additional CDI unit allows runing on very poor gasoline, and once you mountain CDI on your bike, there is no enough poor gasoline for a bike! The bike is big, able to carry huge amount of equipment, but is also light, around 155 kg dry weight. Only variable fuel consumption in offroad conditions and "comfort" are some disadvantages http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif
Regards,
AnteK

I've never seen one without problems yet!
It's a nice bike on paper and on photos, but it's no good in the real world.

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Fred, XTZ660, Holland.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by FredXTZ:
[B]I've never seen one without problems yet!
It's a nice bike on paper and on photos, but it's no good in the real world.

Hi Fred,
describe why is not good in a real world?
What kind of problems? I have met several travelers on Adventure, no one think about riding anything else but HIM http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif My personal expirience of driving Adventure is much better than driving XTZ 660, except comfort!
Regards,
AnteK

from a drz to a WRF
 

hi guys
this post is old but reliable :thumbup1:
i had been riding a nice drz with the ims tnak, and so on for two rides on pistes in morocco and crossing Spain .
Mostly tracks, around 1000 plus 700 some hard parts and some tough days :palm::scooter:D
Do I want to change ? of course
DO I have to ? of course not :funmeterno:
But waht will I choose ?
a big adv bike ? no
a single of 600 or more ? no
a lighter bike, with FI, LC and maybe 6 gears.
SO the WRF will do teh job , i have found plenty of stories on the web :thumbup1:
oil can wait over 3000 k, NOT the filter .. of course
or the SWM 500 but too young to be sure
I dont like ktm , that is the point
ANd Yam' s are really good bikes , i ride a XT all around Africa in 80', use a tdm for 4 years, ride a TR1 stone-made, and so
T>hen some SUZ as well :clap:

Suzuki is now offering a RMX450Z as their answer to the WRF's . That bike will be a great DS option as well , so now 2 really good 450's for those not wanting a KTM/Husqvarna/Husaberg (but they are really good as well).