Adventure Travel On The Cheap

[TEWKS]

The KLR is back with a well deserved refresh. Question...is it enough to draw riders over from the uppity brands like BMW.  Hey who said that!!!  
I doubt it but for 8k loaded up, and somebody looking at testing the adv way of travel, it wouldn’t be a bad place to start.

One more note, I might fall into that nose up crowd as far as considering such a bike. But, Bill let me take his KLR on a little group ride he led in NC and I remember not really wanting to give it up. 

 

The 2022 KLR 650 Line

 

[MontanaMark]

I had a 2009 KLR for about 5 years.  A buddy of mine had a 2011 G650GS.  The comparison in performance and comfort was striking.  I ended up selling my KLR and buying his GS.  I've never been happier.  The GS is the swiss army knife of motorcycles.  I find myself riding it around town 80% of the time, compared to my RT.  It's light, fast and easy to maneuver.  Works fine on fire roads, even an occasional gnarly, rutted, rocky track.  Top (comfortable) freeway cruising speed on the KLR was about 70 mph.  This is even with a 14 tooth drive sprocket.   The GS will do 80 all day long with virtually no vibration.  The only thing I would change would be a temp gauge on the GS. 

 

One thing I haven't seen in all the promos, what's the claimed HP and Torque?

 

Still, glad to see Big Green doing the right thing...

[TEWKS]

I had your Bike’s daddy. 

[roadscholar]

On 1/28/2021 at 10:50 AM, MontanaMark said:

 

One thing I haven't seen in all the promos, what's the claimed HP and Torque?

 

 

There's a reason for that, it probably hasn't changed : )

 

I've always liked KLR's and had several, they're the anvil and hammer of dualsports, simple, crude, but effective and dead reliable. Comparing one to an F650GS is almost like a donkey to a thorobred, onroad anyway, a KLR is actually better in most offroad situations.

 

One day my longtime riding buddy Dave (who's owned a myriad of dualsports including big KTM's and a KLR ) and I set out on the 2 bikes we had available. Being the nice guy I am I said here you ride the 1150GS and I'll persevere with the lowly KLR.

 

 

By the time we got to the top of the pass, he waves me over and says I hate this thing can I please ride the KLR.   

 

 

 

And so it was, we enjoyed our respective steeds and had a great day of riding. 

 

 

He said he had to keep it pinned coming back up the mountain, couldn’t sacrifice any momentum : )

 

 

[mickeym3]

When I was looking for a smaller bike to replace my Wethead GSA I seriously considered both the KLR and the DR.  But faced with long slab days getting to the great places to ride I found a used 850GSA and couldn’t be happier. All the comforts of its big brother with a package much easier for my small 71 year old frame to handle. If the Canadians open up the border by June I’m planning on the MOA Rally and then on to Alaska.  While a KLR is very capable I’m just spoiled by the GSA’s ease at doing about anything. 

[Yeeha Stephen]

Our local group was talking about this and the rule of discussion was "No negative comments on the KLR."

It was a surprisingly long session when we got to the affordability, reliability, and ease/cost of maintenance on the bike.

It got extended when we got to the retiree/fixed income part of the discussion! Ha!

 

SS

[JohnnyJ]

They are ugly, heavy, and unerpowered... And I love them!!  

 

Johnny J