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klr 650 vs dr 650 vs v-strom vs drz 400 heeeeeelp!!!meeee!!!!

30K views 49 replies 14 participants last post by  kj7687 
#1 · (Edited)
OK here is the deal, I love my tw don't get me wrong but I ride with a friend who has a vulcan 1500 and the tw is a little out of it's element riding with him, I thought about getting a street bike but I just cant do it. I can not limit myself to just the street.....so what do I get? I want a bike that has good street manners and will also allow me to ride the logging roads and such, I will keep my tw for the trails and use it to ride when I go camping. I am also riding the t.a.t next summer and I will be riding with 2 others on drz 400s, so I want a bike that can handle that to. I like the v-strom but it does not look like a good off road machine to me..am I wrong there? does the klr and dr have good hi way manners? can the drz be ridden on long hi way rides? My budget is under 3000.00 so I will be looking for older models, witch bike is holding up? I have been looking and most bikes in that price range have 20,000-30,000 miles. So far I am leaning to the klr as there seems to be a lot to choose from..but I am torn. so there it is in a nutshell I would like peoples input to help make the choice. thank you in advance for the advice. OH is there a different bike I should consider or leaving out?
 
#2 ·
Go on the Advrider dr650 forum and you will see this is the bike for the TAT. my 2011 DR Land vehicle Vehicle Motorcycle Car Motor vehicle
Land vehicle Vehicle Motorcycle Automotive tire Car
 
#3 ·
KLR or a DR-650. Now are you going to spend more time on the hi-way? If so the KLR is the better choice. However if dirt is going to be the primary diet then the DR gets the nod. Remember both bikes can be modded into what ever you want but having a good starting point ( Street vs Dirt ) will save you alot of trouble.
 
#4 ·
I have a KLR & It works great on the hwy. It tops out at about 100 with stock gearing & 1st gear is a bit too steep for trails. It works great on logging roads though.
The miles on the bikes you have mentioned seemed high for the price range. At least compared to my area.
I never did like the oil filter location on the V-Stom. It seems like it would get damaged.
 
#5 ·
DR400 is a little underpowered for sustained 65+ highway speeds I'm thinking. That said, I have my WR426 geared at 14/40 and it tops out at 93MPH. A friend on his V-Strom tried to pull away from me and we both topped out at 93 MPH. I have a lowering rocker on it and an AirHawk seat pad. It is more dirt worthy than any of the bikes you mentioned and great for the highway at that gearing. Needs to be 40 MPH before shifting into 5th gear. If doing more serious dirt that just roads, slower trails, reduced gearing would be needed.

The WR426 has a lot more power than it's displacement would indicate because of the five valve head lets it breathe. But it'd take a newer WR450 to get electric start.

I had an early model KLX650 and the WR426 give nothing away to it.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Love my KLR. Complements my TW very nicely. KLR does better on the street, TW does better in the rough dirt. A 16t front sprocket helps keep RPMs down on the highway (75 MPH = 4700rpm with 16t , 5200 rpm with 15t(stock)). They have excellent parts availability, huge aftermarket support, and are extremely capable - have been ridden from Alaska to South America. Great bikes IMO.

Look at both Gen I (2007 and older) and Gen II (2008 and newer). The gen I is a bit more dirt biased, the II a bit more street.

DR650 is a great choice as well. In my case, I just found a deal on an '08 KLR I couldn't pass up when I was "looking" (....to buy ;) ) . I think I'd have been happy with either one.

For newer tech (FI, twin cylinder, brakes that actually work, etc) and even more bias to street or long distance travel, Versys or VStrom. If I could add either of those to my stable I think I'd have enough bikes to cover all of my riding needs. :D
 
#7 ·
I've owned both a KLR (2002) and a DR (2009). I liked both of them, but like other people have said, KLR is more street oriented and DR more dirt oriented. DR maintenence is easier with screw-adjust valves (vs. KLR shim-type valve adjust). I would buy one of the new KLR's again though-not the DR. I think the quality of the Kawi's are better than the current Suzukis. I really like the newest KLR (the limited or deluxe) not sure what they call it, but it has 20% stiffer suspension and a firmer seat, and better graphics all for only $100 more than the reg. model. Two things that the KLR desperately needed. Just my opinion.-Glenn
 
#8 ·
I've got an 08 KLR and on the hiway the bigger fairing does a nice job of keeping the wind off. Down side is you will want to protect it from getting damaged. That said some people like the older Gen 1's with the smaller DR size fairing. Again it depends on what your primary use will be and of course there are very nice guards to keep the Gen 2's fairing from getting dinged. Orrrrr.... Save your money and buy both! After all to be happy you will need at least six bikes.
 
#9 ·
I almost passed on commenting on this, because it usually is mostly a case of various owners of the bikes in question providing justification for their own purchase. Then I read some of the comments and I was impressed. Maybe it is because this group of TW owners understands the big difference between street bikes and dirt bikes.

First of all, forget the V-stroms. Horrible off-road, although good street bikes. The DRZ400S is not a bad choice, and two of your friends already own them, so checking one out should be easy. A well set up DRZ is a better dirt bike than either the KLR or the DR. Slightly better than a DR, which is in turn better than either generation of KLR. The older KLR is a better dirt bike than the newer one, since it is much lighter, while as a pure street bike the new KLR is the best budget tourer made. As some here have stated, it has a fairing and substantial wind-screen. It also has a huge gas tank, giving an effective range of well over 250 miles. You could ride comfortably with your friend who owns the Vulcan.

The new KLR would be my last choice in the dirt, however. At 430 pounds with a full tank, it is 110 pounds heavier than a DRZ, and taller and more top-heavy to boot. Not to mention all of that pretty plastic to smash if you ever go down. A good dirt bike it aint, IMHO. I'm not familiar with the terrain on the T.A.T. , so you are the best judge of whether or not you could put up with it in the dirt.

If you are tall(over 6 feet)the older KLR is not a bad dirt bike. Not much heavier than a DR, but the DR has one huge advantage for average height and shorter riders. The DR is designed to have a choice of suspension settings for two seat heights. The seat height on an older KLR is listed at 37", while a DR has a choice of 35" or 33" depending on setup. In rough going off road, the ability to get a foot down has saved my butt many times. I'm 5'10" and I can flat-foot the DR on the low setting. It still has almost 9" of suspension travel on the low setting.

If you are average size you will likely need new springs on all except the new KLR. Both the older KLR and the DR have bad seats, and the DR needs a larger gas tank, unlike the KLR. All of the bikes I mentioned have a 5 speed gearbox and that is one less gear than they need.

Frankly, the DR is a very capable street bike with just a few modifications, and I personally find it to be much better in the dirt. Your experience may differ.
 
#10 ·
He said he has a $3,000. budget so a new anything is out. I like the DR and TW combo because the two bikes are very similar very easy to work on both air cooled DR has an oil cooler and both are fun to upgrade!
 
#11 · (Edited)
#12 ·
The post above is one of the best info posts I have read on TAT no mater what bike you are riding. so check it out if you can not see it join Advrider it is free and has a TW200 forum. enjoy.
 
#13 ·
thank you all for your input so far..I have found a 99 klr for 1500 in my area that i am going to look at, I think the klr might fit the bill, I like the dr but there are not that many in my area for sale. The v-strom is out, the drz in my opinion is not big enough for the long freeway ride I have planned...so I will keep you all posted on my search. I do have the xl 500 that I bought in a fit of stupidity and I thought I would use it but I just don't have the desire to fix it up so I think I will sell that thing. my body is getting older and my brain still thinks it is 18 and the xl is a beast to start.
 
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#16 ·
If you go with the KLR make sure your life insurance is up to date and will made out just saying! good luck you might be better off with the TW.
 
#19 ·
The Doohickey install isn't that hard to do, just takes a bit of time. While you're at it its a good time to check / set the valves. That job is a bit of a PITA because it seems like I never have the correct shims & have to wait till my order comes in. My KLR had less than 1100 miles on it & the tensioner spring was lying broken in the case when I disassembled the case to install the new tensioner.
 
#20 ·
I wouldn't knock off the DRZ unless you feel the need to cruise at speeds greater than 65. The DRZ will HAPPILY do that for many thousands of miles without any issues. If you want to blaze down the highway at 80 mph all the time, get yourself a DR 650. Forget the V-strom if you want to ever be able to do anything more than smooth graded fire roads, because it's rubbish in any real dirt (fantastic motorcycle for street use). The DR will do just as well as a KLR on the street, and will certainly be easier to ride off road. Besides all that blabbering, as I've said before and will say again, the DR 650 is probably the single-best all around motorcycle ever built by any company. It is also an awesome platform to be modified to suit just about whatever style of riding you could possibly want to do with it.
 
#22 ·
Thank you HappyHiker,
I wasn't aware of a upgraded, upgrade. Problem is now I wanna tear into mine again, or at least check. Lol. Winter project...

Thank you,
Bob O
 
#23 ·
I would go with the TW/DR....which is what I ended up with after months of research and finally coming to the conclusion that the doohickey was the deal breaker. Buying a new bike and needing to do a mod/upgrade for reliability just didn't feel right. No disrespect intended to KLR owners, just not right for me.

Mike
 
#24 ·
No disrespect felt. I went ahead and replaced mine because tinkering with my bikes is something I enjoy. Thing is I know several KLR owners who have thousands of mile on their stock doo with no problems. That said everyone has to find out what bike works the best for them. Truth be told if I could talk the wife into it I'd have a DR-400 or 650 in the stable.
 
#25 ·
I would not get too worked up over the "doo-hickey" on the KLR. If you are a competent mechanic, it is a fairly easy fix. If not, just factor it in to the purchase price and have it done professionally. Not too expensive, and the rest of the engine is excellent. For long distance rides on the street, it is the best bang for the buck.

Off-road is another thing entirely. There are several things which endear the TW200 to most of us off-road. It is comparatively light for a street legal dual sport at a bit over 280 pounds. It has a low seat height despite good ground clearance. It is easy to get a foot down under slow going in gnarly terrain. It has a low center of gravity and not prone to tipping over due to a lot of weight up high. The DR650 is far closer to the TW than the KLR in those off-road factors. Because it is much lighter, the DR has a better power-to-weight factor on the street as well. The KLR will do fine if the dirt you are riding is well-graded, nicely packed and dry. Loose dirt, rocky stream crossings and slippery side-hills all favor the DR or DRZ.
 
#26 ·
hmmm I am rethinking I need to ride a dr before I pull the trigger on a klr I think. I like the idea of it being more like the tw. big problem they hardly ever come up for sale here..so I will need to take my time and that is hard. cause I want it NOW. You people are not making this easy cause I am flip floping like a fish outa water on what to get..but one thing is for certain I am going to ride a dr.
 
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#27 ·
You need to ride both I was going to get a KLR went to the dealer and got on the bike the seat was wide and high I could not touch the ground the bike was very heavy if I leaned it over I was done, I would say the KLR is a Adventure bike and the DR-650 is a Duel Sport!
 
#29 ·
Don't forget to buy the one YOU want at the end of the day, though!
 
#30 ·
well i drank the klr cool-aid..... i like the dr but the klr fits me like a glove. I just got to ride both a good distance, the klr was a 2nd gen 08, man it was sweet. now to do some more homework on the klr forums to see what is the best year. I have heard the 08 was a bad year, dont know what that is all about yet but I am going to find out. It seems there must be something to it as i see a lot of the 08 years for sale. I bought my tw before any research and ended up with a 87 but it has been a good bike so far 2000 miles and no problems. but I would have bought a later one knowing what i know now.
 
#31 ·
memory



Going strictly off of poor memory here, I think the early new-gen KLR's may have had some issues with overheating/seizing pistons. I could be full of shit though so do look that up; I'm too lazy right now. Congrats and good luck!
 
#32 ·
Some of the early 08's had ring sealing problems. This led to oil use if they were run at high R.P.M. This is not a real problem as long as you keep an eye on the oil level. I'm one of the lucky ones,my 08 is pretty oil tight. Also it's a good idea to upgrade the rear sub-frame bolts as Kawasaki cheaped out in this area. Look up Eagle Mike's products and you will find all kinds of usefull upgrades and some good tips on keep a KLR alive and happy for a long time.
 
#33 ·
I did find a 85 klr 600 with 617 miles on it in my area...but I know nothing about the early 600s the guy wants 2000 for it, seems like a lot. I don't want to make the same mistake and buy a one year only model like my 87 tw..think I want a 2nd gen klr but time will tell.
 
#35 ·
ok made up my mind(i think) 2nd gen klr 650, after riding the dr and drz and a bmw I just like the klr the most for the price...(upped the budget to 4000) now the search begins....I am not going to ride it on the tat using a "street legal" wr 250 for that ride. going to alaska on the klr though. (still keeping the tw for the trails)
 
#37 ·
not going to carry much, my dad is 78 years old and his friend is 67 and they don't want to load there drz 400's down to much, they don't want to camp so they are trying to figure out how to stay in hotels every night...but we will see how that works out. they may have a support rig (ambulance) to follow them to carry gear. did I say my dad is old? this could be a real adventure:laughing7:
 
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