helmets?

[cowan462]

I am looking to buy a motorcycle after not riding for 20 years. I wanted to ask if the KLR 650 might be a good bike for a person that wants to do most of his riding on pavement, but might venture off to explore some forest service roads. I am a large guy 6 ft 1 275 lbs. My friends all ride the large cruiser-type bikes but I like the idea of a dual purpose motorcycle. Can this motorcycle be used for long-range cruising at moderate highway speeds? Thanks for any help or advise. William cowan462@...

[Blake Sobiloff]

On Aug 13, 2007, at 3:38 PM, cowan462 wrote:

> I am looking to buy a motorcycle after not riding for 20 years. I > wanted to ask if the KLR 650 might be a good bike for a person that > wants to do most of his riding on pavement, but might venture off to > explore some forest service roads. I am a large guy 6 ft 1 275 lbs.

Hi William! The KLR's a good bike for a returning rider since it doesn't have a ton of horsepower that can quickly get away from you. The KLR's a bad bike for a returning rider because it's tall and somewhat top-heavy, making it easy to drop. However, for someone your height the bike's height probably won't be too bad. If you plan to do mostly pavement, including a fair amount of long- distance riding, I'd probably look at the '08s instead of the earlier ones. The '08s have much better wind protection and the seat's a bit better, too. The only significant downside to the '08s is that they use brittle sportbike plastic, so if you fall you're looking at some expensive cosmetic repairs. The earlier bikes used a different kind of plastic that's flexible and much more durable, so a fall might make for a some light scratches that most won't notice, but it wouldn't shatter. EL Green recently posted a very comprehensive comparison of the '08s vs. the older models; you might want to dig that up in the archive and give it a good read as well. In fact, there are a couple of good threads on the '08s that might be worth your while to dig up, now that I think about it. Enjoy--and welcome back! -- Blake Sobiloff http://www.sobiloff.com/> San Jose, CA (USA)

[Rick]

Blake talked about some of the bad things but not all. Here are a few more. Once you start riding the KLR (new or old) you will have to carry floss all the time to get the bugs out of your teeth from smiling to much. Your wife will wonder where you always are (I bought my wife her own KLR so she can ride with me). You will want to adventure travel to foreign countries on your KLR ( My wife and I have been to Canada, a touch of Alaska, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Belize in the past year). You will become addicted to buying (from Fred at Arrowhead Motor Sports) more FARKLE (fancy accessory, really kool, likely expensive) than you knew you had money to spend ( I've been farkleing two bikes). You will be on this forum all the time absorbing more information about the KLR than anyone would have thought possible. There are many more bad things but I don't have time to write them all down. Good luck and keep your floss close by.

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "cowan462" wrote: > > I am looking to buy a motorcycle after not riding for 20 years. I > wanted to ask if the KLR 650 might be a good bike for a person that > wants to do most of his riding on pavement, but might venture off to > explore some forest service roads. I am a large guy 6 ft 1 275 lbs. > My friends all ride the large cruiser-type bikes but I like the idea of > a dual purpose motorcycle. Can this motorcycle be used for long-range > cruising at moderate highway speeds? Thanks for any help or advise. > > William > cowan462@... >

[E.L. Green]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "cowan462" wrote:

> I am looking to buy a motorcycle after not riding for 20 years. I > wanted to ask if the KLR 650 might be a good bike for a person that > wants to do most of his riding on pavement, but might venture off to > explore some forest service roads. I am a large guy 6 ft 1 275 lbs. > My friends all ride the large cruiser-type bikes but I like the idea of > a dual purpose motorcycle. Can this motorcycle be used for long-range > cruising at moderate highway speeds? Thanks for any help or advise.

I was in the same situation as you a few years back. The KLR650 fits the ticket perfectly for what you're looking for, if properly modified to handle your weight (you need a heftier spring, my friend!). Said modification is very cheap. My only recommendations: 1) Buy a used KLR so if you don't like it, you don't take a beating selling it, and 2) Take a MSF safety course before hopping on the KLR. Puttering around on the little mini-bikes they use for a while will get you used to riding a bike again, then the tall KLR won't seem so intimidating when you mount it. After that, the sky's the limit (as my farkled-out KLR will attest!). -E

[Robert Waters]

I too went back to riding after twenty years. I've had about seven different bikes and I like this one much more than any. I bought it new in the spring and have put nearly 5000 miles on it. Since you are wanting it mainly for highway I would suggest, unless you just want an 08, that you put a one inch lowering kit on it. I ran into a traveling KLRer awhile back and he highly recommended it - said it would take curves much better. So, I put one on and did about 300 miles yesterday -most on paved roads in the hills of NW Arkansas - many sharp curves. I would have never believed I could take curves so fast. On one curve my foot touched the road and it was on the peg in the normal place. I don't know, it may be common for the peg to touch, but mine almost did. I had installed an AVON GRIPSTER on the rear and it does grip the road. Not a bad off road tire either, but I have not really put it to the test off-road yet. They say say the 08 protects you better from the wind and rain. That may be, but with the right size windshield the 07 will do just fine. With a stock windshield and leathers I have gone through several rain showers and did not get wet at all. Just leaned forward and kept going. I have noticed that I'm spending too much time with this bike and that other things there were very important to me have received less time - so be warned. Good luck. There are still some new 07's out there, but I would have no problem buying a used one if I had it to do over. Robert Mon Aug 13, 2007 3:38 pm (PST) I am looking to buy a motorcycle after not riding for 20 years. I wanted to ask if the KLR 650 might be a good bike for a person that wants to do most of his riding on pavement, but might venture off to explore some forest service roads. I am a large guy 6 ft 1 275 lbs. My friends all ride the large cruiser-type bikes but I like the idea of a dual purpose motorcycle. Can this motorcycle be used for long-range cruising at moderate highway speeds? Thanks for any help or advise. William cowan462@yahoo. com TotalHealth.bz Focus On Truth --------------------------------- Ready for the edge of your seat? Check out tonight's top picks on Yahoo! TV. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[mbetcher]

Since this website is inhabited by KLR enthusiasts you can predictably expect to get a lot of favorable reviews of the bike. I like mine as much as the next guy, but in good conscience I wouldn't recommend it as the best choice for your intended use. If you are going to do mostly -- or almost exclusively -- on-road riding something like a V-Strom would be a better choice, IMHO. The KLR will perform adequately on the road, but is very compromised in the brakes and power departments compared to a more street-oriented ride, IMHO. Yes, the fanatics will flame this and say that they have ridden their KLRs to Tierra del Fuego in complete comfort. Well, I rode a 250cc two-stroke enduro from Ohio to the Yucatan and back a long time ago, and I rode a Honda cruiser to Alaska a couple of years ago, so I know from personal experience that almost any type of bike can be pressed into almost any kind of service (although a Goldwing on a forest trail might be a stretch - LOL). And if you never ride a true highway machine for comparison you may never be fully aware of the KLR's on-road limitations. But I keep three bikes in my stable (none of them very expensive -- a KLR, a 1985 Suzuki GV1200 "muscle cruiser" for relaxed local meandering and a 1992 Suzuki GSX1100G for...ahem, "performance" as well as long-distance touring) so that I can choose the appropriate implement for the intended use. But if I were forced to pare down to only one bike for all purposes it would probably be a V-Strom because it triangulates nicely between all of them. Just MHO. Hope nobody is offended. -- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "cowan462" wrote:

> > I am looking to buy a motorcycle after not riding for 20 years. I > wanted to ask if the KLR 650 might be a good bike for a person that > wants to do most of his riding on pavement, but might venture off to > explore some forest service roads. I am a large guy 6 ft 1 275 lbs. > My friends all ride the large cruiser-type bikes but I like the idea of > a dual purpose motorcycle. Can this motorcycle be used for long-range > cruising at moderate highway speeds? Thanks for any help or advise. > > William > cowan462@... >

[Terry Hamrick]

We really need a decent "track day" where all the vendors show up with their machines. We could ride everything and make a good comparison for our individual wants/needs. I know they do this at some of the large gatherings, but those are too large... rant over albatross

On 8/14/07, mbetcher wrote: > > Since this website is inhabited by KLR enthusiasts you can predictably > expect to get a lot of favorable reviews of the bike. I like mine as > much as the next guy, but in good conscience I wouldn't recommend it > as the best choice for your intended use. > > If you are going to do mostly -- or almost exclusively -- on-road > riding something like a V-Strom would be a better choice, IMHO. The > KLR will perform adequately on the road, but is very compromised in > the brakes and power departments compared to a more street-oriented > ride, IMHO. > > Yes, the fanatics will flame this and say that they have ridden their > KLRs to Tierra del Fuego in complete comfort. Well, I rode a 250cc > two-stroke enduro from Ohio to the Yucatan and back a long time ago, > and I rode a Honda cruiser to Alaska a couple of years ago, so I know > from personal experience that almost any type of bike can be pressed > into almost any kind of service (although a Goldwing on a forest trail > might be a stretch - LOL). And if you never ride a true highway > machine for comparison you may never be fully aware of the KLR's > on-road limitations. But I keep three bikes in my stable (none of them > very expensive -- a KLR, a 1985 Suzuki GV1200 "muscle cruiser" for > relaxed local meandering and a 1992 Suzuki GSX1100G for...ahem, > "performance" as well as long-distance touring) so that I can choose > the appropriate implement for the intended use. But if I were forced > to pare down to only one bike for all purposes it would probably be a > V-Strom because it triangulates nicely between all of them. > > Just MHO. Hope nobody is offended. > > -- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com , > "cowan462" wrote: > > > > I am looking to buy a motorcycle after not riding for 20 years. I > > wanted to ask if the KLR 650 might be a good bike for a person that > > wants to do most of his riding on pavement, but might venture off to > > explore some forest service roads. I am a large guy 6 ft 1 275 lbs. > > My friends all ride the large cruiser-type bikes but I like the idea of > > a dual purpose motorcycle. Can this motorcycle be used for long-range > > cruising at moderate highway speeds? Thanks for any help or advise. > > > > William > > cowan462@... > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Doug Herr]

On Tue, 14 Aug 2007, mbetcher wrote:

> Since this website is inhabited by KLR enthusiasts you can predictably > expect to get a lot of favorable reviews of the bike. I like mine as > much as the next guy, but in good conscience I wouldn't recommend it > as the best choice for your intended use. > > If you are going to do mostly -- or almost exclusively -- on-road > riding something like a V-Strom would be a better choice, IMHO.

[snip]

> Just MHO. Hope nobody is offended.

Yup, great point. The 2008 KLR might also be worth looking at since it leans more toward street use and has better brakes. If price is an important consideration then a used KLR might be a fine choice, but otherwise the V-Strom should be high on the list. -- Doug Herr doug@... A16 in Oakland, California

[Kimosabe]

Having had many bikes, my recommendation is to buy a used KLR250 to use for a year before deciding if and what larger bike to purchase. It has easy handling, light weight, adequate power, a good seating position and should be inexpensive to purchase. I suggest you test drive one. Steve in Niceville

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Doug Herr wrote: > > On Tue, 14 Aug 2007, mbetcher wrote: > > > Since this website is inhabited by KLR enthusiasts you can predictably > > expect to get a lot of favorable reviews of the bike. I like mine as > > much as the next guy, but in good conscience I wouldn't recommend it > > as the best choice for your intended use. > > > > If you are going to do mostly -- or almost exclusively -- on-road > > riding something like a V-Strom would be a better choice, IMHO. > [snip] > > Just MHO. Hope nobody is offended. > > Yup, great point. The 2008 KLR might also be worth looking at > since it leans more toward street use and has better brakes. > > If price is an important consideration then a used KLR might be a > fine choice, but otherwise the V-Strom should be high on the > list. > > -- > Doug Herr > doug@... > A16 in Oakland, California >

[Kimosabe]

Ooops! Now that I've made note of your height and weight, perhaps the Yamaha DR-Z400S might be more appropriate, although I haven't driven one myself. If the seat height it too tall, you may consider using lowering links or buy the lower DR-Z400SM and add dual purpose tires and/or lowering links. Steve in Niceville

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Kimosabe" wrote: > > Having had many bikes, my recommendation is to buy a used KLR250 to > use for a year before deciding if and what larger bike to purchase. > It has easy handling, light weight, adequate power, a good seating > position and should be inexpensive to purchase. I suggest you test > drive one. > > Steve in Niceville > > > > > --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Doug Herr wrote: > > > > On Tue, 14 Aug 2007, mbetcher wrote: > > > > > Since this website is inhabited by KLR enthusiasts you can > predictably > > > expect to get a lot of favorable reviews of the bike. I like > mine as > > > much as the next guy, but in good conscience I wouldn't recommend > it > > > as the best choice for your intended use. > > > > > > If you are going to do mostly -- or almost exclusively -- on- road > > > riding something like a V-Strom would be a better choice, IMHO. > > [snip] > > > Just MHO. Hope nobody is offended. > > > > Yup, great point. The 2008 KLR might also be worth looking at > > since it leans more toward street use and has better brakes. > > > > If price is an important consideration then a used KLR might be a > > fine choice, but otherwise the V-Strom should be high on the > > list. > > > > -- > > Doug Herr > > doug@ > > A16 in Oakland, California > > >