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If you read a shootout 650 it was 20 years ago, you might see a story like this one it would include a XR650L Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki KLR650 DR650S But even if the bikes are similar, the message would very different in 1995, these bikes are extreme heavyweights dirt bike world, to the absurd limit now, it is the lightweight in a new category are the budget adventure bike today, and compared to BMW and super Ténéré the world, they are lean and trim and cheap, too.
400 drumsticks Rarely is the old material is a second life in high-tech, fast moving world of dirt bikes But that's what happened here can thank BMW, KTM and Yamaha to expand bike category previously tiny adventure in a fairly large movement with even greater interest of its external borders there are thousands of aging dirt bike riders looking bikes like the BMW R1200GS and wondering But how do you get your wet boots in this area without spending 15,000 Easy, turn 650s you might even have one in your garage already in the old days, you might have futilely tried to strip one down and make it lighter; but with this new role, you will probably want to go the opposite direction with a bolt on accessories These are the four main actors in the world 650.
Honda had the same price for four years.
HONDA XR650L This bike was introduced in 1993 and was more earth worthy bike dual-sport time that wasn t much to say at the time, but the XR650L came from a good pedigree He wasn t far from the air-cooled, four XR600R -valve Scott Summers used to win GNCC race course, Summers was a freak of nature and could ride the old 600 better than anyone on earth, but Honda is still a serious effort to make the new dual-sports version of the XR legitimate moped He won about 50pounds with the addition of an electric starter, battery, a steel tank and various horns and blinkers as 650 s extra hole came with a reduction in compression and softer state of tune, but the suspension and geometry were essentially the same as the version of dirt.
The 650L has remained unchanged over the years Everyone assumes that the liquid cooling XR650R aluminum box which was released in 2000 would eventually turn into a dual-sport.
XR650Ls are timeless This belongs to the old national test driver MXer and DB Eric McKenna.
Replacing the old bike air cooled, but it never occurred to the original 650L remained in line while other models come and go L today still weighs the same as in 93; 328 pounds without fuel KAWASAKI KLR650 This bike was more or less forgotten in the dirt bike world for most of his long life The original KLR650 was an odd bird.
Back in the 80 late when it arrived it was a massive fuel tank, a small fairing and what appeared to be a very high-tech engine has been liquid cooled DOHC had four valves While guys off road initially disappointed with the bike, it was embraced by the crowd in the street because he was light by their standards, he had an electric starter and little actually worked fairing.
Kawasaki gave the KLR a rigid seat and a suspension attention 2014.
Kawasaki has tried to woo the off road market with more oriented version dirt bike in 1993, he quickly disappeared, and the KLR lived Finally, the bike has a remake in 2008 s when the mounting frame fairing arrived with new working body Then Kawasaki really came in a second time between the reservoir 6 1 gallon and protection against the wind, the guys of discovery adventure bike and a multitude of spare parts have been developed now, the KLR can be whatever you want it to be without any accessories, Kawasaki dry weight is just 400 pounds DR650SE SUZUKI Suzuki DR650S has been around almost as long as the Kawasaki KLR, but he never found a home warm with a cult or a subgroup of the air-cooled Suzuki, SOHC wasn t as sophisticated as this.
Kawasaki's, but it still makes more power Initially, there was a very large tank, like the KLR but not keeled, only oversized headlight mask that offered no protection against the wind Suzuki DR was always placed just between land loan Honda and Kawasaki oriented street in 1993, became the DR650S DR650SE with the introduction of the electric starter which was a big step forward in 2001 and 2006, the bike has received updates and was restyled along the way, the large fuel tank has been reduced capacity two times the dry weight of the Suzuki is 383 pounds in the dirt When you get four bikes off-road, it's easy to spot the dirt bike Honda is perfectly at home, while others simply tolerate the weight of the dirt is the biggest factor; XR good 60 pounds lighter than the Kawasaki, and you feel every book He also actual suspension of dirt In fact, the fork of the Honda works well even off-road bike standards dedicated His weak point is his Honda engine is the slowest of the four Its top speed is acceptable because of the super final transmission high, but at the other end, the first speed is so great that you have a moment on anything that looks like a real track.
It is also clear that times have changed since the Honda was developed We have actually raced in the Baja 1000 a stock XR650L in 1993, and it seemed perfectly natural at the time but by today's standards, ergos Honda are in the stone age you sink ever in a wide seat, soft, the fuel tank rises to the top and bottom bars are strangely, we assume that we could get used to what we did in 93 next highest on the dirt counter is, predictably, the Suzuki weighs less than the Kawasaki and has more power than the Honda he also has a great first gear, but the engine is a fleshy bit down low than the Honda, he can hide his better gearing but can t look in the department of the suspension Suzuki has only about 9 inches of travel We have to give some credit; he does best possible with these 9 inches, but it is not in the same league as the Honda.
Back in 2013, we Fitted with a DR650S a shipping rack Moose bags and Pelican.
Kawasaki suspension rates the same as Suzukis, but the KLR additional tonnage is both an advantage and a disadvantage here weight can actually help to make a cushy ride, but it begins to be not around that you are dealing with over 400 pounds you never seem to go beyond the size of the Kawasaki motorcycle could be smaller than the big-twin motorcycles like the Yamaha super Ténéré and Honda NC700X on paper, but it seems just as great in the KLR dirt engine on the other hand, doesn t feel great in everything he might be modern in the description, but the output power is slightly better than the transmission of the Honda Kawasaki is lower, which is useful off road, but the motorcycle engine speed curiously high speed motorway Other details of the dirt from the Honda and Suzuki have good footpegs, while Kawasaki ss have tragic Suzuki bars have an apartment, a small curvature that we haven t seen from the Earth's crust was still warm all seats are poor for various reasons ON dventure It is ridiculous to classify these bikes strictly on their performance dirt in the big picture, they are all lame compared to a EXC KTM where they're meant to shine is on long adventures across the continent, and that's where Kawasaki really struts two things give a huge advantage tank massive and mounting frame fairing Whenever speeds over 50 hours on the ground or in the street, the Kawasaki rider is in the undisputed comfort while three others fight the wind Kawasaki even excellent handguards Suzuki was good too, but the Honda's are small range, Kawasaki destroyed the other three that why you put up with this fuel drum 6 1 g allon between your legs may be the tanker for other actual fuel mileage is not all that good in fact it is the worst of the three, typically just over 50 mpg on the most of the blame road will the low fifth Honda and Suzuki speed are a little better, but have microscopic fuel tanks 3 4 to the Suzuki e a meager 2 8 for Honda You have to plan your trip around the gas stops or a Kawasaki All three near acceptable levels of vibration for Single Cylinder the Suzuk is the sweetest and the Honda is a bit shaky, but you do really think that on long trips Outfit ME Almost everything is available in bulk for Kawasaki, with Honda products and Suzuki just over rare Kawasaki Here are some recommendations to get new footpegs on the day you get the bike We use a set of Twisted Throttle and their rods accident on rack s stock is large and accepts a wide range of replacement items so do get rid of our own sweet motorcycle saddlebags Kawasaki We also like the large windshield Kawasaki security concepts is much better the saddle storekeeper is good when it is new, but the foam breaks down rapidly Honda A fuel tank is top of the list here Acerbis, IMS and Clarke are all good the bike is old, however, and most of the fuel tanks on the look slightly shabby market for Honda, it seemed best to go with Wolfman Expedition flexible bags, which can be removed quickly and easily from side racks in this way, the bike can be converted into more of a pure land bike when we call path Suzuki DR650 We built for testing in March 2012 would deliver a fuel tank and a set of IMS Moose racks with hard luggage We Pelican DG have also installed a pipe, Security Concepts saddle and a set of hot handles MEAs on top of the things we plan to do is to install a kind of wind screen we know that the variety of fork mounted can perform well the Kawasaki storer, but we saw some we would try to TCI, for one, which is the land mark Turbo town pRICE BIG All these bikes are priced well the Suzuki is the lowest in 6499 following is the Kawasaki 6599, the Honda 6690 future of the food chain up bikes are twins like the Honda NC700X 7499 and the Suzuki V-Strom 650 8549 There are also two other singles who are the players BMW G650GS 7895 and KTM 690 10399 When you look at the overall price landscape, Kawasaki is even more stunning so cheap, you almost have to have if you're a hardcore motorcyclist; it could be a backup for your BMW 1200GS It is good to know that if you put out, you can not make more than 6599 Honda and Suzuki damage is a little left in the world of adventure bike Honda is still good dirt bike, but competition in the world has evolved well beyond even his abilities Suzuki is somewhere in between, it has the best engine, but it's not the dirt bike Honda is not the bike the Kawasaki street is to go in both directions, you have to finish the job.
This test was published in May 2013 and updated with current prices To read the Dual Sport Guide 2015 buyer here.
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