reminder - la - bartsow - vegas

[ct_bob@juno.com]

OK, I'm just a lurker but I have some serious questions. I am looking for a new bike. Here's my question. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the different Dual Sport bikes out there. I am currently looking at the KLR650 and the KTM 650 adventure. I believe in simplicity, durability and reparability. I thinking of getting into adventure touring, definitely around the south west and possibly going down to South America or even a world tour. What should I look for in a bike and what should I watch out for.

[Zachariah Mully]

>ct_bob said: >I am currently looking at the KLR650 and the KTM 650 adventure.

Ct_bob- Welcome! You've certainely come to right place to ask such a question especially considering that you can consider most people to say "Get a KLR!"... I won't go into the KLR, other than to say I love mine and have found the bike more capable than I ever expected, I'll let the others expound its virtues. Just to give you some food for thought, my ex-roomate and owner of a KTM 620EXC LC4, forwarded this along to me just this afternoon as he is trying to convince me to buy a KTM... I am simply posting this to offer up one mans opinion of a bike very similar to the Adventure R. Ride Safe and welcome back into the fold! Zack SE DC 1991 KLR650 "Buster" 1986 Concours

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I currently own a 1996 620 EXC, which I believe to be the same except for bore/stroke and carb size, etc. I chose the 620 over the 400 because the weigh the same, and who doesn't want more power? Strengths: -nimble yet stable handling -excellent suspension -manageable weight (but much heavier than your 300) -great power- everywhere from 3 rpm to ???. Most tight trails never require a shift, and open ones require very few. In short, I love riding this bike. It has a great integrated feel, and the suspension and handling package top notch. I like riding it MUCH better than anything else I have ridden (for example, XR 600R, XR 650R, DR-Z 400, DR 350, KDX 200). In particular, the XR 600 feels like it is from the stone age by comparison. Weaknesses: -vibration. It is fatiguing compared to my old XR or a friends DR-Z. It was awful without the counterbalancer. You can check for the counterbalancer by looking for a bulge forward of the crankshaft on the left (clutch) side of the engine- SX models generally don't have them, my EXC does. -requires fiddling. Not unreliable per see, but I have a more or less continuous list of things to keep on top of, which was never true with the japanese bikes I owned. When I have ignored things that I thought I should do, they invariably cause me to regret that decision. -requires setup. It took a bunch of work to get it running smoothly (carb vent breathers, jetting, etc) -uncomfortable seat -not a good Dualsport mount. I consider myself fairly hardy, but wouldn't consider doing more than a couple hundred miles in a day, even if it were mostly graded road or pavement conditions. It is not fatiguing in singletrack, however, as long as it is faster than 5mph. -short range- 2.3 gallon tank good for perhaps 80 miles in most conditions. I have put Avon Gripsters on it and played super-retard in the parking lots and city streets- at this it excels. It slides very predictably even for a novice such as myself, and its limits are WAY out there even with trail suspension setup. Its weakness here is the front brake- the 260 mm rotor just isn't too stoppy-able, and fades when pushed hard. Not sure how the 400 would compare here, as it might lack the grunt to break the rear wheel loose. Hope this is helpful. If have any other questions, feel free to ask. Ned Suesse 1996 620 exc "lucy" 1999 Honda Superhawk "fumes"

[DSN_klr650@egroups.com]

We would like to remind you of this upcoming event. LA - Bartsow - Vegas Date: Friday, November 24, 2000 Time: All Day LA Barstow to Vegas Ride