Klr650 yay or nay?

[boosten lebaron]

The ones I talked to had recently come from naults. They probably just bounce around dealerships.

[RandyO]

The ones I talked to had recently come from naults. They probably just bounce around dealerships.

I didn't really deal with a sales person when I bought my AK550, just grabbed one told him who I was and asked him to call the big boss for my best deal, 10 minutes later the sales manager, comes downstairs to talk to me, asked who ta hell I am that I would get a better deal than employees get, I wrote a check, they gave me title application, bill of sale, and I got my plates before I picked it up.

[boosten lebaron]

I would have been happy enough if they just accepted there own quote lol.

[dankatz]

Going back to the KLR, my friend managed to kill a new one recently by falling in a water crossing. I think he sucked some mud into the engine somehow - the unkillable got killed. Bummed for my friend as he bought it brand new and did not get a nice winter deal.
I had a DR650 in the past. I personally think they are much nicer than the KLR's. They are significantly lighter and lower. The engine is same air cooled 650 single, but utterly smooth. I am waiting for Suzuki to make minor updates to the suspension, get EFI to make it Euro compliant and add ABS like they did to the DRZ400S aka DRZ4S. The KLR is just too big and heavy in my opinion. I think it is actually bigger and heavier than my Aprilia Tuareg with a higher center of gravity

[nhbubba]

I didn't think much of the KLR until I borrowed one when we were down at the Hatfield trail network in WV. We had a large party spread across a couple different places within the same "holler". I found myself at one of the other houses and needed to make a quick run back to our camp. Someone threw me the keys to their KLR. Being me, I decided to take one of the connector trails rather than running all the way out and back on the paved roads. 100-yards in I kinda got it. Bike handled dirt way better than I expected, but still had a big fat seat for comfort. I think this was a gen-1, but my understanding is the basic package hasn't changed.

Not saying I'd spend good money for one. But I get it. The bike isn't shit.

I must be feeling some sort of massive stress or something because I'm obsessing about a new bike. Spending way too much time thinking about a new light ADV/dual-sport. At this point I have it down to a used and abused DRZ, or a new or nearly new Honda CRF300L. The dark horse is throwing caution to the wind and blowing it all on a brand new CRF450RL. This thread got me looking. Naults has like 14 CRF300L's in stock per their website.

I didn't really deal with a sales person when I bought my AK550, just grabbed one told him who I was and asked him to call the big boss for my best deal, 10 minutes later the sales manager, comes downstairs to talk to me, asked who ta hell I am that I would get a better deal than employees get, I wrote a check, they gave me title application, bill of sale, and I got my plates before I picked it up.

If we could all have it so easy. Dealers have always been exceptionally miserable for me to deal with. At this point I don't even want to go in to buy parts anymore. I just assume buy online and wait.

[dankatz]

I didn't think much of the KLR until I borrowed one when we were down at the Hatfield trail network in WV. We had a large party spread across a couple different places within the same "holler". I found myself at one of the other houses and needed to make a quick run back to our camp. Someone threw me the keys to their KLR. Being me, I decided to take one of the connector trails rather than running all the way out and back on the paved roads. 100-yards in I kinda got it. Bike handled dirt way better than I expected, but still had a big fat seat for comfort. I think this was a gen-1, but my understanding is the basic package hasn't changed.

Not saying I'd spend good money for one. But I get it. The bike isn't shit.

I must be feeling some sort of massive stress or something because I'm obsessing about a new bike. Spending way too much time thinking about a new light ADV/dual-sport. At this point I have it down to a used and abused DRZ, or a new or nearly new Honda CRF300L. The dark horse is throwing caution to the wind and blowing it all on a brand new CRF450RL. This thread got me looking. Naults has like 14 CRF300L's in stock per their website.



If we could all have it so easy. Dealers have always been exceptionally miserable for me to deal with. At this point I don't even want to go in to buy parts anymore. I just assume buy online and wait.

Those CRF300L will be heavily discounted soon given the nice little updates to the 2025 model
https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/n...rally-preview/

[boosten lebaron]

For me the klr ticks more of the boxes than the dr or xr. I'm not looking for the best of anything l, just something well rounded enough to do most of the meager things I ask of it. Basically I need something that can hold a few days worth of clothes, be able to get up and down the road that goes to my back garage which is just mud and ruts a good 3 months out of the year, and can almost immediately hit the highway for several dozen or hundreds of miles as soon as I get off my property. While all 3 can do that the klr can do it all with a bit more practicality. Last year I was gonna go with the crf300l rally but it struggles a bit on the highway and isn't as built proof as a typical Honda. Too many were going boom.
Are there better bikes for what I want to do? Yup. Are any even close to as cheap so I don't care I leave it out in the woods for a few months while I clear land? Nope. I would never, ever pay full price for a klr but the deal I got was about right for a near 30 year old design. The xr and dr are just over priced for what they are now. Heck, even the 300l is cheaper than the xr usually.

[RandyO]

If we could all have it so easy. Dealers have always been exceptionally miserable for me to deal with. At this point I don't even want to go in to buy parts anymore. I just assume buy online and wait.

only cause I saved the owner a ton of $$$,$$$ on his house lot where he built his home. Since then, I have done several surveying & wetland jobs, and bartering for payment on some, one job got me my UTV, and 2 ATVs + nearly $3k in repair work on my Vstrom after catching the green cancer of the wire harness from my winter escapades, the employees treat me well cause of my friendship with the boss. Now that I'm retired, I'm paying for all my work though, but still get a discount, and an unheard of 30day terms

[Crconnor18]

This thread makes me want to get another ole pig. It’s a bike without lifestyle creep. Does it all and just barely enough power to get a ticket on an interstate, heavy enough to keep you from trespassing on single track, comfortable enough to tour, simple enough to *almost* never die.

My 890 is sweet but I don’t go anywhere the KLR can’t. Would be curious how the big DR handles in comparison to a KLR. I hear there are more aggressive ergos, lighter and maybe some more power?

[boosten lebaron]

I had dr650 many moons ago and it was a great bike. It could go anywhere any other dirty bike had could go. Highway was rough on it as you could imagine. If the xr, Dr and klr were all the same price the klr would be dead last in terms of fun for money but since it's so much cheaper it wins. Xr650l I think are roughly $9k otd if you can even find one. It's not that they are in demand though. It's that dealers only get one or two a year and they sell out. I know Motorsports international is getting 6 in this year and 3 have already been sold. They said they have never been allocated that many before and they always ask for more. Same with the DR but they are easier to find. $8500 otd I think at most places. Neither bike ever gets discounts.

[nhbubba]

Supposedly of the 650 Japanese singles, the XR is the most dirt worthy, the KLR the most road worthy, and the DR is in the middle. I've not ridden the XR, but I have the other two. There is something about the DR that just hits me wrong. I should probably give it more of a chance. Its weird because I love the DRZ400.
The KLR on the other hand just has this weird subtle charm.

Where are we hearing about 300's going boom? I hear the opposite.
Even hearing that you can go big bore (ie Ari Henning kit) and a bunch of other crap to them without any real impact on durability.

My read again and again is you must reserve at least $1500 to fix the suspension.

Those CRF300L will be heavily discounted soon given the nice little updates to the 2025 model
https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/n...rally-preview/

Exachary. Some dealers down south and one in MI are already advertising decent discounts on them. Not so much in our region though.

[nick5446]

This thread makes me want to get another ole pig. It’s a bike without lifestyle creep. Does it all and just barely enough power to get a ticket on an interstate, heavy enough to keep you from trespassing on single track, comfortable enough to tour, simple enough to *almost* never die.

My 890 is sweet but I don’t go anywhere the KLR can’t. Would be curious how the big DR handles in comparison to a KLR. I hear there are more aggressive ergos, lighter and maybe some more power?

Dude, same! We just bought a cabin in Maine and now I'm thinking I need one to leave up there.

[tls25rs]

At this point I don't even want to go in to buy parts anymore. I just assume buy online and wait.

Seeing as most dealers don't stock the parts sadly it is easier/quicker to order online yourself and have them shipped. Otherwise you are typically going to a dealership, interfacing with a parts person that doesn't really want to be a parts person, having them question the part number you are providing to be ordered, having them order the part, leaving, waiting for a call from them to tell you the part has arrived which they typically forget to make and having to go back to the dealership to pick up the part.

Looking at it both ways it all around sucks.

As the dealer, doesn't make sense to stock parts you may or may not sell. Your dealer level pricing is being undersold all the time by online retailers that aren't paying for the brick and mortar or the staff. Can't pay your staff a reasonable wage to keep experience in the dealer because your margins are tiny when matching the online retailers.

As the buyer, why insert the middle man into the equation when you can go online, find the part you need and order it yourself to be at your house within a couple of days for less money than the local dealer can get it for you.

Not sure there is a real winner here. As a consumer I would love to be able to walk into a dealership with knowledgeable/helpful staff that could either have the materials I need in stock or to me in a day or two at a reasonable price. That is very quickly becoming something that just doesn't make sense from a business perspective though

[MattR302]

There is something about the DR that just hits me wrong. I should probably give it more of a chance. It’s weird because I love the DRZ400.

LMK when you want to ride a DR with the 790cc kit, pumper carb, and Cogent suspension.
I can put the big tank, Sargent seat, and the luggage on it if you want to steal it for a BDR trip or whatever.

[boosten lebaron]

Supposedly of the 650 Japanese singles, the XR is the most dirt worthy, the KLR the most road worthy, and the DR is in the middle. I've not ridden the XR, but I have the other two. There is something about the DR that just hits me wrong. I should probably give it more of a chance. Its weird because I love the DRZ400.
The KLR on the other hand just has this weird subtle charm.

Where are we hearing about 300's going boom? I hear the opposite.
Even hearing that you can go big bore (ie Ari Henning kit) and a bunch of other crap to them without any real impact on durability.

My read again and again is you must reserve at least $1500 to fix the suspension.



Exachary. Some dealers down south and one in MI are already advertising decent discounts on them. Not so much in our region though.

It's mostly long distance YouTubers. The engines have trouble when the miles get higher which I would be likely match. Low miles, Low stress and they should be fine but I always look towards the future.

And yes about the Suspension. Unless your 115 lbs it's too soft. Just sitting on one shows it's an immediate problem.

[dankatz]

Supposedly of the 650 Japanese singles, the XR is the most dirt worthy, the KLR the most road worthy, and the DR is in the middle. I've not ridden the XR, but I have the other two. There is something about the DR that just hits me wrong. I should probably give it more of a chance. Its weird because I love the DRZ400.
The KLR on the other hand just has this weird subtle charm.

Where are we hearing about 300's going boom? I hear the opposite.
Even hearing that you can go big bore (ie Ari Henning kit) and a bunch of other crap to them without any real impact on durability.

My read again and again is you must reserve at least $1500 to fix the suspension.



Exachary. Some dealers down south and one in MI are already advertising decent discounts on them. Not so much in our region though.

Even less than $1500 for the suspension, maybe with someone else doing the work you get to that. An Ohlin's kit, shock and fork is around $1k for the crf250l. I suspect similar for the 300l. I really like Ari's big bore kit - that is what the CRF could use for better highway cruising.

On a separate note, my DR650 with the sargent seat and parabellum screen was a comfortable highway cruiser. Stock, the KLR is better for the highway. But, even with the well spaced 5 speed I found the DR to be pretty good on the highway. My old trusty "Rusty" served me well for years and I probably should not have sold it. I bought it used and well farkled and only lost a couple of hundred $$$ when selling it many miles and years later

[RandyO]

Seeing as most dealers don't stock the parts sadly it is easier/quicker to order online yourself and have them shipped. Otherwise you are typically going to a dealership, interfacing with a parts person that doesn't really want to be a parts person, having them question the part number you are providing to be ordered, having them order the part, leaving, waiting for a call from them to tell you the part has arrived which they typically forget to make and having to go back to the dealership to pick up the part.

Looking at it both ways it all around sucks.

As the dealer, doesn't make sense to stock parts you may or may not sell. Your dealer level pricing is being undersold all the time by online retailers that aren't paying for the brick and mortar or the staff. Can't pay your staff a reasonable wage to keep experience in the dealer because your margins are tiny when matching the online retailers.

As the buyer, why insert the middle man into the equation when you can go online, find the part you need and order it yourself to be at your house within a couple of days for less money than the local dealer can get it for you.

Not sure there is a real winner here. As a consumer I would love to be able to walk into a dealership with knowledgeable/helpful staff that could either have the materials I need in stock or to me in a day or two at a reasonable price. That is very quickly becoming something that just doesn't make sense from a business perspective though

I learned long ago, that when buying local, the money ends up back in your pocket, at least it ended up in mine. I don't mind spending a few ¢ more so that my neighbor can feed his family and pay his mortgage. The UPS guy gets a good paycheck without my support

[tls25rs]

I learned long ago, that when buying local, the money ends up back in your pocket, at least it ended up in mine. I don't mind spending a few ¢ more so that my neighbor can feed his family and pay his mortgage. The UPS guy gets a good paycheck without my support

I would also like to buy local to try to keep local businesses in business and local people employed however the businesses in question are not making that an easy task these days for the reasons described in my previous post you quoted.

Your situation was slightly different than most of ours in that the local business/owner was able to utilize your services and therefore put your money back in your pockets. For the majority of us, and likely you now that you are retired and not providing the service that the business/owner needs, that is not the case.

[OneCheekRider]

is a stock 300l really that bad at highway comparatively? My WR250R maxes out at GPS indicated 86mph after a PC and +5 in the rear. I've ridden it to Mexico and back multiple times, the last time doing over 300 hwy miles straight between both countries with gear strapped to the back. I swap to 17" SM wheels and ride it to the local canyons 40 miles away and back without issue. And this is SoCal 65mph speed limit "wild west" freeway. I'm not in the fast lane but I'm pretty comfortable cruising along.

[dankatz]

is a stock 300l really that bad at highway comparatively? My WR250R maxes out at GPS indicated 86mph after a PC and +5 in the rear. I've ridden it to Mexico and back multiple times, the last time doing over 300 hwy miles straight between both countries with gear strapped to the back. I swap to 17" SM wheels and ride it to the local canyons 40 miles away and back without issue. And this is SoCal 65mph speed limit "wild west" freeway. I'm not in the fast lane but I'm pretty comfortable cruising along.

It's not that bad. My 2014 CRF250L with stage 1 mods (22hp instead of 18hp) does highway fine as well, but is not comfortable for more than an hour on the highway. I can also reach over 80mph and comfortably cruise at 70-75

[nhbubba]

My DRZ400 was just barely passable on the interstate. At 50-60 MPH it was perfect. I remember the stock 250L being slower.

I've not ridden the 300L. Still, I'm considering taking a flyer on it on reviews alone. I can't really explain this one. I think I half want the project... which means I should be looking for a tired old DRZ.

I also still have a set of SM wheels laying around. :biggrin:

[boosten lebaron]

KLR group buy lol?

[boosten lebaron]

Those CRF300L will be heavily discounted soon given the nice little updates to the 2025 model
https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/n...rally-preview/

They are already here i think There arent a ton around, especially the rallye so no need to go big on the discounts. One of the dealers i contacted about the KLR still being discounted offered a crf300l in its place since its cheaper now. OTD i think is just under $6k. The rallye is $7k ish otd. I dont think they are cheap enough for me to consider, especially the rallye.

[boosten lebaron]

It's not that bad. My 2014 CRF250L with stage 1 mods (22hp instead of 18hp) does highway fine as well, but is not comfortable for more than an hour on the highway. I can also reach over 80mph and comfortably cruise at 70-75

Maybe it's your stage 1 kit but I test ride a 300l today and could only hit 77 on the highway according to gps. Still had revs but couldn't really move the needle. It was screaming though. Kinda wanted to cruise at 60, 65 was starting to make overtaking a plan way ahead move. The speeds are ok for around here I guess but out west I really want to be able to hit 80 without grenading the motor. I'm not convinced a 300l is a viable replacement for the klr650. The 300l is cheaper now that the klr rebate is dead.

[e30addict]

I loved my WR250. It was just fine for my skill level.in the woods and would do 93 if I pinned it. Normal highway was "acceptable" for what it was. 65mpg and fuel injected was sweet too.