Mlachica said:
What are your impressions of this bike?
Well, i only got 500 miles on it, but so far my impressions are all positive!
So far, I think its a perfect bike for what i want. With some mods, it will be even better! :smiley_drive:
I went with the XR(L) because i wanted a dirtbike/streetbike that is fun in the dirt but still able to be ridden comfortably on the streets and highways to get to the trails.
The XR does both very well! I have cruised at 80mph on the freeway and it still had a bunch to go! This is in stock form!
My decision was between the XR650L and the DRZ400 and i am VERY happy i went with the bigger bike! My buddy with the DRZ400 loves it in the dirt, but its gearing tops it out around 60-65 or so! We are going to mess with different sprockets to try to get his bike a little more highway friendly without sacrificing too much offroad performance!
Enough rambling, my impressions so far:
NOTE: These are just quicky first impressions so far, as i havent ridden the bike much! Once i get some more riding miles under the belt, i will start a thread about the build up of this bike and all of my thoughts on it!
PROS
-Very simple, proven, reliable design and super easy to work on
-Very useable and comfortable power for the freeway or the dirt (Gearing is almost spot on for both). In the dirt, there is gobs of power, available whenever you want it!
-The Suspension works great for my weight (260lbs) and needed minimal tuning, the stock setup can be setup for up to 280lbs!
-I am getting 45-49mpg even when riding in dirt!
-Very nice true "Dual Sport" tires that work great both on and off road!
-Electric Start
-Parts available all through baja (this bike is almost identical to the old XR600)
-Bike has a strong (relative) subframe to put cargo on
-Aftermarket support is huge for "long range" parts for this bike
-This bike and its design has been around a long time and has quite the "cult following", info regarding mods and such is very plentiful
-Comes with a 1 year unlimited mileage warranty (i bought 3 extra years!
)
-Its a big, wide, tall bike and fits me well! I would NOT recommend this bike for shorter folks. I am 6'3" and am on my toes at stop lights!
-It has the most ground clearance of all of the readily available dual sports!
CONS
-One big problem i already notice is the lack of crash protection on some safety items in the event of a small offroad accident! EXAMPLE: I had a VERY mild fall last week and a rock very easily bent the rear brake light indicator so the brake lights were on the rest of the day until i pulled it apart and fixed it. My friends Suzuki has all of this type of hardware protected with guards and such! The XR650L has some pretty vital parts exposed!
-Ergonomics were very cramped with the stock bars and made for uncomfortable longer rides. I alleviated that with some Renthal "Desert Vintage High Bend" bars and now all is well! Bars are now 2" higher and 1 1/2" further away from me
-Obnoxious amount of smog equipment for a dirtbike (it will all be removed once the bike is through its break in period)
-Huge taillight assembly (will be modified with some much more low profile)
-Gigantic turn signals just asking to be smashed (will be modified with some much more low profile)
-Big time vibrations at high RPM on the road (not sure if this is the nature of the big thumpers or not). I am going to try to replace the triple clamp with one that has rubber isolators in the handlebar mounts to see if that helps.
-Very heavy to pick up if ya drop it
All in all i am totally digging this bike and looking forward to setting it up and doing some long range overland trips with it!
Also, anyone currently looking to buy a dual sport is welcome to come check it out and test ride it!
Also, i found this very cool website/club in SD:
http://www.dualsport-sd.com/
