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I went to MMI I know what Im doing here chief
Cliff's Cycles KTM
NETRA enduro B-vet
Close your eyes, look deep in your soul, step outside yourself and let your mind go.
Heavy, especially from the saddle. Suspension not commensurate with price tag. Shitty range. Not fan of the non-tubeless wheels.
Tiger 800 XCx is almost enough to make me look the other way, thanks to the uprated suspension. Electronic cruise really drives it home too. Big bump in fuel economy too, hear this helps the range. Supposed to retail at a somewhat reasonable $13500. But everywhere I've seen it's been closer to $15-16k out the door somehow. That's 140HP KTM 1190 ADV money! (Which is a twin btw. Schwing!)
Would get me in the cool kid gang though. Suzuki gets no respect.
I have a friend with a Triumph dealership. Would you like an XCx if it were $12,500?
I went to MMI I know what Im doing here chief
I had a Tiger 955i, much heavier than the 800xc, but same basic setup... spoke wheels, full bags, ADV on-roader if you will. It was HORRID off road, even with Metzler Tourances, and then Conti Trail Attacks... it's just too fat.
The XC looks the part, but reviews have it as a 95/5 bike... plus, you ever tried to source Triumph parts?! Pay double and wait a month.
That being said, I went to the dealer this weekend to take a poke around at their inventory.
They had a DRZ400, DR650, and a WeeStrom all parked in a row... the DRZ400 was the tallest, I could tippy-toe. The 650's were both flat-foot.
I like the idea of the DRZ400 as a stock bike the best, even though the seat would probably wedge itself into your taint after 50 miles.
They also had a CRF250L, which was the same physical size as the DRZ400, but was much lighter. Dealer said you'd be lucky to hit 75 on it, and lucky to hit 90 on the 400 or 650 DR's.
They had a CB500F (not the X unfortunately)... and it was pretty nice. Suspension felt better than the CBR650 they had next to it.
The build quality was all there... and it wasn't too small for a 500 in physical stature.
I'm going to wait and really see about a 500X in person.
So far, I'm not ruling anything out.
"Life is a tour, not a race... just stay out of my way when I'm touring!"
I don't know what reviews you've been reading, but are you sure they weren't of the Tiger 800 roadie? Because in regards to the XC that's utter nonsense. All the reviews I've read, and my own experience owning one, put it above all the 1200 ADV bikes in dirt worthiness (except for the KTM 1190 Adventure R), and generally about even with the F800GS. Is it a trail bike? No, of course not, but it's far more dirt-oriented than the older Tigers, etc.
Did the DR-Z have a bunch of crap bolted to it? Because according to published curb weights, the Honda is actually three pounds heavier than the Suzuki. And substantially less powerful.
--mark
'20 Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro / '19 Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE / '11 Triumph Tiger 800 XC / '01 Triumph Bonneville cafe
My ride reports: Missile silos, Labrador, twisties, and more
Bennington Triumph Bash, Oct 1-3, 2021
Why hello, Capt. DoesntwanttoagreewithanythingIsay, how are you?
The review was actually on the 1200 explorer, not the XC... I had to go back and check. The XC has amazing 50/50 reviews. But like I said, no Euro bikes.
The DRZ400 didn't have anything bolted to it... it is just a wider bike than the 250, so it felt more cumbersome... The Honda I could get he balls of my feet down, the DRZ I could only get down my toes...
Anyway...
The guy who did his conversion to the CB500X posted up a new video... Kept up with a KTM 640, and a 450, all-be-it he wasn't flogging it.
"Life is a tour, not a race... just stay out of my way when I'm touring!"
I think the dealer was smoking crack if he thinks the 250L won't hit 75mph. I had a CBR250R, same engine and it saw 90mph on multiple occasions. Ask Roland what he thinks of his 250L.
I just started combing youtube videos... yea, he was trying to sell me a bigger bike. Videos with up 1 down 2 sprocket changes, they're hitting 110 on GPS with a pipe and tune.
If only they made a touring seat for the 250L... Corbin Motorcycle Seats & Accessories | Honda CRF250L | 800-538-7035 ... fuck....
"Life is a tour, not a race... just stay out of my way when I'm touring!"
I agreed with all of this:
Ah, yeah, that makes perfect sense. The Explorer is a nice touring bike, but I would not buy one for anything more offroad than a well-maintained dirt road.
Makes sense. Also, the DR-Z is taller (by a couple inches, I think), so that exacerbates that issue. Also means, of course, that it carries its weight higher, making it more top-heavy.
--mark
'20 Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro / '19 Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE / '11 Triumph Tiger 800 XC / '01 Triumph Bonneville cafe
My ride reports: Missile silos, Labrador, twisties, and more
Bennington Triumph Bash, Oct 1-3, 2021
Kept up with? You mean the dude on the 450 let him stay close by for the sake of making the video, right?
If riding a dirt road like that is as gnarly as you want to get, a stock sv will work. Im not sure I understand your wants vs needs for off-road worthiness in a motorcycle.
Cliff's Cycles KTM
NETRA enduro B-vet
Close your eyes, look deep in your soul, step outside yourself and let your mind go.
By kept up with, I meant was able to go down the same road as... even he said he bottomed out and needs to fiddle with the suspension a bit.
NEED:
Highway speeds
Good seat
Lighter than a KLR650
Smaller than 750
Enough suspension to hold a 250lb rider and gear
WANT:
Potential 2 up, but I don't really care.
Reliability
8 hours in the saddle with no monkey butt
To keep up with a WR250, or a CRF250L off-road, but be much smoother on the highway.
Japanese.
To work on it, tinker with it... change what doesn't work for me.
And see above to the original "usage" chart.
Did I just talk myself into a DRZ400?
"Life is a tour, not a race... just stay out of my way when I'm touring!"
Nope. You talked yourself into a bike that doesn't really exist. Especially from Japan.
You might get a drz there with suspension upgrades and gearing and a seat.
I think you might want to reconsider the klr if you don't plan on getting gnarlier than that video. And even if you do, it's still a lot closer to what you want, you just have to learn how to handle the weight.
Cliff's Cycles KTM
NETRA enduro B-vet
Close your eyes, look deep in your soul, step outside yourself and let your mind go.
Is the need to be a one-bike guy a hard requirement, or driven mostly by the belief that surely a bike exists that meets your requirements? Because I think you're basically making the case for being a two-bike guy - or a guy who rides a streetbike on fireroads.
Can a lot be gained by electronically adjustable suspension, or are the main limitations still in geometry, weight, and tires?
nedirtriders.com
What about a XR650L with a larger tank and better seat?
"Life is a tour, not a race... just stay out of my way when I'm touring!"
A lot of money can be lost investing in an electronically adjustable suspension... hah. S1000X, and Mulitstrata's aren't in the budget.
Also, I have to be a 1 bike guy... no garage for 2 bikes, and also... I really want to limit my street riding to commuting, and focus more on trails, dirt roads, and some technical stuff... basically I want to live with it, shake it down, and plan a possible adventure ride to Utah in a couple years.
So, hence the want for something highway, cruise capable, but off road ready.
"Life is a tour, not a race... just stay out of my way when I'm touring!"
It's tall. I don't know how much comfort you need with reaching, but it's tall.
You could slap a Lynx fairing on it too, for some wind protection if you needed it.
Cliff's Cycles KTM
NETRA enduro B-vet
Close your eyes, look deep in your soul, step outside yourself and let your mind go.
I think any bike you find you'll need an aftermarket seat to get 8 hrs in the saddle. Hell I've tried 2 aftermarket seats on my FZ6 and still am not happy after more than a couple hours.
I read a good DR650 vs KLR650 shootout comparison a while ago. KLR is heavier and better on road, DR is lighter and better off road. Like I said earlier, I think you should find a cheap DR650 and ride it for a few months and see how that meets your needs.
BMW Motorrad USA
An F800GS is 461 lbs wet. The G650GS is 430 lbs wet and $7,895 with ABS and three year warranty. The YB guys say Wagners is a good dealer.
Last edited by Garandman; 08-11-15 at 02:25 AM.
Here's one suspended, uncorked, and luggaged:
Error | Adventure Rider
Cliff's Cycles KTM
NETRA enduro B-vet
Close your eyes, look deep in your soul, step outside yourself and let your mind go.