Big Bore Singles - collective review - chip in

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blauth

Race Dog
Joined
Oct 13, 2008
Messages
3,031
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168
Location
Johannesburg
Bike
AJS (all models)
I've been riding bikes since I was seventeen years old (mid-forties now). In that time I've had over fifty bikes. I've hated very few of them. I've found a lot to like in many of them but all of them, without exception have had good attributes and bad attributes. It's for this reason that I am not brand conscious. As I'm getting older and somehow my buying budget seems to be getting smaller, not bigger, I reflect on what makes me like a bike. So this is a review of the big bore singles I have owned (excluding dirt bikes). This is a big bore singles review so no complaining about the obvious vibes except in exceptional circumstances.


Yamaha XT660Z
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To date, this is my favorite. Admittedly, I bought my bike second hand where suspension, single pipe, tail tidy, fat bars, wide pegs and engine tuning were all already done. The bike had a massive fuel range. Despite its porky weight mine handled very well. Wind protection allowed highway travel and seat was ergonomically a bit impractical for off-road use but comfortable. I also found the build quality to be great.

Pro: Large fuel tank, looks cool, feels quite light when ridden off-road, easy to live with, reliable. My bike really pulled well. Great for commuting. Smooth (even off idle) and quick. I didn’t experience the jerkiness that many fuel injection models experience.

Con: Suspension needs work from factory. Seat shape looks kak and messes with movement off-road.


Husqvarna TE 610 (contribution by Adv)
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Pro : smooth motor, linear power and a 6 speed box

Cons : Timing chains, timing chains and cables. Limited aftermarket tanks available.


Honda Dominator 650
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This was one of those moments when I just couldn't afford anything more. On top of that, I had a horrible experience when I had the engine rebuilt but once that was out of the way, this has got to be one of the best (if not the best) adventure bike I've had. Only reason it's not on top is it had a shitty small tank.

Pro: Low seat height, very easy to ride. Smooth engine (very similar to the XR650L), Very simple and easy to fix. Looks pretty good. Comfortable seat. Great for commuting. Smooth and was pretty quick once rebuilt properly.

Con: Small fuel tank. Suspension was too soft and it was easy to get out of its depth, especially the rear suspension.


Suzuki DR650SE (Contribution from Hardy)
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It is difficult to explain to non - DR owners where the fascination with the DR stems from. It does not do anything extremely well (Apart from it's reliability). Yes, there is a few adjustments you will have to make, and yes, you will at some stage upgrade the front springs, if you weigh anything over 80kg, at a cost of R2300.

Pro: It can do anything - fast trails, slow trails, semi technical, sand, mud, highway etc, and it will do it with grace and humility. It is not temperamental - at all. You always know what to expect. It is super reliable, and refuses to break down. It is probably the easiest bike to maintain - by far. The parts is cheap and easy to get. You wont believe the fuel consumption. It will be like that one best friend you have.

Con: Stock suspension needs work. That's a nice way of saying its kak. Neutral light sender switch can come loose and cause engine catastrophe if not attended to. Few cases of gearbox failure, particularly third gear.


Suzuki DR750/800 (contribution from Gerrard)
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750: The only thumper I actually regret not knowing about, and owning when I was younger. To me a great tourer. I just love the feel of big thumpers and this bike has IT. Its heavy, but meant for touring. Not a scrambler, and the low down power is a pleasure grunting along in the mountans.
800: To me this bike is a fail. Its not the 750 with just more engine. Its a different bike and I don't enjoy it. Power only comes in late in the revs and then it flies, unlike the 750 where the grunt is there from idle. that's what I want in a big thumper. Maybe if I had not owned the 750 first I might have felt different.

Pro:
Con:


Honda XR600R (x2)
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This bike is a bit different to the two above in that its way more off-road orientated. Lack of wind protection made highway use a bit kak and long stints always seem like you’re hurting the engine somehow. The engine is awesome, pulling strong and quick, especially if it’s well tuned. This is a bike you can really have fun on. Willies are simple and it's VERY stable in almost every type of terrain.

Pro: Stable handling. Suspension is soft but ideal for a whole day in the saddle and despite it’s softness (which I am going to refer to as plush), it does not easily get out of sorts. You can really ride this bike fast but spending a day in the saddle doesn’t wear you out. Seat is soft and comfortable. The bike is nimble. Engine is simple to fix and maintain. I also find the engine nice and smooth.

Con: Air cooled and higher compression combined with a thrashing results in some oil usage. The bike will not easily let you down but will smoke a bit when it gets very hot. I also burned a stator once. I think this is a weak point on the bike. Not much charging capacity and prone to failure. I understand you can wind another set of stator windings on the half of the stator that is not used and flip to that half in the event of a stator failure. I find the size of the bike is a little short for my 1.83m tall frame when standing but different bars may resolve that. Kak for commuting. Off Idle was jerky on both my 600’s and I could never get it resolved. I think it’s got to do with the Air-Circuit in the carb. Kick start only is an obvious downside.


Honda XR650L (x2)
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Funny enough, this bike is VERY different to the XR600R with the only noticeable improvement being the electric start and maybe the overall size being a little bigger for a taller person. In every other way, the 600R beats it hands down.

Pro: It is still a very nice simple bike. Reliable. Robust. Cheap although their prices seem to be going up, probably because they are not available anymore new. This bike is not bad for commuting with the CV carb making acceleration smooth and predictable. It was a little tall for traffic though and being air cooled, gets very hot in stand still traffic.

Con: I found the handling a little shit. You do get used to it but I think the rear suspension is waaay too high making the rake too sharp which affects the longitudinal stability. I found with luggage, this bikes handling becomes much better because you weigh the back down. Backing off the pre-load didn’t really resolve non luggage riding. Front suspension was fine, much like the 600R. It also suffers from oil usage when hammered being large bored and air cooled I guess. Power is lacking unless you pipe and rejet the bike. I thought the build quality is crap. Not on par with the old XR’s built in Italy.


XR650R (contribution by 2wdrift)
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Ever had a redhead girlfriend? The crazy type? This is her, runs like a ANC member runs from accountability, soaks up whoops and the like even on the harsh stock suspension, will wheelie all day without trying too hard and really has a good amount of character. Then once every few days or weeks or once a month maybe she goes all emotional like and throws you off in a really bad spot, then when you are trying to kick it with your muddy boot on the incline the bitch wont start for a good few minutes worth of kicking. Just before you decide to leave the bloody thing right there on the trail it will fire up and run like nothing happened, then just as you are about to get out of the tricky situation your own stupidity will have you stall the bike and now you start praying she starts in one or two kicks... Later while limping on your kicking leg to get your second beer you realize you still like the bike and wont sell it just yet.

Pro: runs like a scalded cat, excellent off-road ability, reliable if maintained.

Con: kick start only, maybe not as comfortable on the more boring stretches as some of the others. Very heavy on fuel.


KLR650 Pre and Post facelift (Contribution from TomVanBritz and Shanti)
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TomVanBritz: I have owned 2 x KLR650's - When I sold the first one I always knew I will have one again and was holding onto the 'extras'. 2010 model - new shape. I can't fault it because the suspension upgrade is cheap and easy DIY front and back. Very humble but forgiving bike - easy to live with! I want another...and that one I'll probably never sell.

Pro: Good sized tank , fairly comfortable seat , pulls well , reasonable sized fairing for wind , low gears chug along and its reliable

Con:  (Shanti) KLR 650 pre face lift, the good , the bad and the ugly pretty much explains it for me . Once you have ridden them enough to have gone through every bolt with some loctite they are amazingly indestructible . Easy to make a beside the road fix to get you to the next place to properly sit down and scratch your head . I had some issues with the carb occasionally but nothing that actually stopped the bike .  check your doo-hickey and side stand switch. Suspension needs upgrading , carb needs fiddling , ugly ( but in a beautiful way ) , not much top end speed , front end with the long forks tends to wander


BMW F650GS Dakar (contribution from SteveInDar)
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I had a Dakar for a couple of years, only rode it around town and one 500km trip. This was undoubtedly a get-on-and-go bike. Nothing special, nothing so bad you couldn't live with. Amazingly average, which depending what angle you're looking from, could be a good or bad thing.

Pro: Comfortable, E-start, 21" wheel made climbing pavements easy, Relatively easy to service, Reliable and good fuel consumption, OK suspension for 115kg lard-arse if you don't cane it, Good headlight, Controls in the right place ala Jap bikes, Cool paint-job, Can run 140 all day no sweat.

Cons: Crap off-road and too heavy for serious stuff, but otherwise capable, Ate battery's, Fairings brittle. Always making some new plan to stop stuff flopping around, Access to water-pump very complicated with plumbing in the way. Start stripping at the back wheel and slowly move forward till you get to the pump! Front very susceptible to tyre pressure. Weird wear patterns made the bike flop into corners. Ergo's not good for standing.


BMW X-Country (Contribution from Omninorm)
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The Xchallenge after you fix the tennis ball with a proper shock and put new Springs in the front forks is, to me at least, a extremely underrated bike. Gets close to the perfect big bore thumper imho. The XCountry is as good other than missing a  21" front. Seriously great little bike esp for shorter riders and the bonus is it has a normal shock. I really liked riding it esp through traffic. Other than a cam chain tensioner and a fuel empty light that only worked intermittently I never had a days hassle with either of the two. BMW almost nailed it.

Pro: Light, Reliable, Excellent fuel economy, ABS brakes, "Scrambler" look

Con: 19" front, Weak Subframe for loading gear


BMW X-Challenge
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Ohhh boy, where do I start with this love-hate relationship? BMW could have had it so right yet it only takes a few minor things to fuck up a good stew. In short, I loved the engine, power, usability and smoothness but the suspension, what were they thinking?

Pro: Engine was great. Light on fuel, powerful and very very smooth. This is the best part about this bike. Ergonomics were pretty good.

Con: Unreliable!!! (Note, not all owners have complained about unreliability but I've personally known two other okes who will agree with me.) The fuel pump wires are under the seat, just below the tools which are suspended by a bungie type affair under the seat so every time you hit a bump, the tools bash the wires on the fuel pump, with the inevitable failure sooner or later. My water pump gears packed up under 10000km. The rear suspension (the famous tennis ball), although fine when riding, was shit every time you needed to come to a stop, extending to the point where even tippie toes wouldn’t do the trick. Talk about an ass thumping experience when going over whoops due to non-existent rebound damping. The front suspension was mediocre are best. The seat is what it is, hard, wear cycling shorts. Air box sucks in dust.


KTM525 (x2)
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I include this in my review because, yes it’s essentially a dirt bike but I used one for adventure riding and it was very impressive. I have only good memories.

Pro: Ooooodles of power. Smooth, quick, handles well, very little not to like in fact. Surprisingly very reliable. Its light on fuel when adventure riding. Very long gearing with 6th gear having you singing along the highway without stressing the engine. It has both kick and electric start. My indicated top end speed on this bike was 177km/h so it's a very fast dirt bike.

Con: It eats chain and sprockets (no cush drive and lots of power - note: The KTM500 has a cush drive built into the clutch basket and is way more power). Seat is obviously kak for a long day in the saddle, wear cycling short. Oil service every 1250km, get a bit much of you use your bike a lot. Suspension is a bit harsh but I adjusted damper settings and the air gap to get a plusher feel. It was almost right when I was done fiddling.


DRZ400S/E (Contribution from Sidetrack)
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How did I forget the DRZ400, fantastic little bike. Rode mine for many thousands of adventure miles solo and with buddies on trips with much bigger bikes. Loved it too bits.

Pro: Reliable, light, very dirt worthy. Cheap to buy but they are getting scarce to find in good condition. Electric Start

Con: Short gearing for open road. No kickstart backup but an aftermarket kickstart kit is available. Seat will be kak on longer rides, use cycling shorts.


Yamaha XT660R
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When I bought the bike, I rode it up from Durban to Johannesburg. A bit of an ass numbing experience but the bike rode really well. I never really jelled with this bike though. I quite liked the engine (much like the Tenere) but a race against a mate of mine on a Honda XR600R left me looking for parking.

Pro: Reliable. Fairly low seat height.

Con: Heavy for what it is and I found it rides heavy off-road. Front suspension is just crap, being harsh on small irregularities and under-sprung on big hits. Back suspension is waaay to undersprung although damping was better than the front. I found this bike particularly bad for commuting, mainly because the fuel injection was jerky in stop-start traffic. Ground clearance, huh, what's that. Not sure what Yamaha were thinking making twin pipes, routed underneath the engine, killing ground clearance and weight in a single move.


XR500R and XR200R
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I had these when I was younger. Both great bikes. Both legends in their time.

Pro: Simple, reliable (more so the 200). I just couldn’t kill mine and believe me, I tried.

Con: Terrible brakes. Suspension poor, especially the front.


KTM 640 Adventure
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Unlike the X-Challenge which was a love-hate relationship, my relationship with the 640 was a hate-hate relationship. I know there are many (the majority of owners) out there that love their 640’s, I just wasn’t one of them. My mate had one and he loved it.

Pro: Big tank, looks cool. Engine pulls well when you pipe and rejet.

Con: An engine that sounds like it’s going to self-destruct at any moment. When you fill the tank, the entire ride on the bike changes very drastically making it a very different bike to ride. I found the front suspension harsh and my bike suffered from head shake which is not something I’ve experienced on the Japanese brands. Lights? What lights? Those two candles? Oil change procedure a real pain in the ass, WTF, I’d prefer not to spend half the day changing the oil.


KTM 690 (I didn't own it but did some 400km+ adventure rides on one)
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I didn’t own this bike but the owner of one asked to swap my XR for a ride, and I now know why. It’s not a bad bike but it has a couple of fundamental flaws.

Pro: It’s very quick, it’s light and handles lekker when you put the hammer down. It’s light on fuel. Great clutch feel with the hydraulic clutch.

Con: Pieces fall off it, indicators specifically. Clutches in the earlier models didn’t seem to last. The suspension is just crap to spend an entire day on with it being very harsh and unforgiving on terrain like rock embedded roads and corrugations. Filling up if you have luggage is a repacking affair because the filler is where your luggage/bags go. Fuel range is short. Gearing is just weird. Top gear is really short. First gear is too long. I don’t get it, KTM should have done a better job here. Seat is also shit as are a few of the others.


Husaberg 570 (contribution by Adv)
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Pros : Animal, light, fast, nimble.... possibly a widowmaker. The 650 is even more wild but older.
Cons : Parts and finicky fuel injection. Scarce bikes.

Okes who have owned some of the other singles, Husqvarna 610/630, please add your views.
 
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