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Which 650 DR, KLR or XR?
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Posted by: Dr. Bandit---------------------
I have not found a recent head to head comparison in this category. What's your opinion ?
Posted by: RACINRAY---------------------
dr 650 is a 50 / 50 on off road machine wich i do own it is a 93 but still works well for me the klr is more of a touring bike i would rate it 70/30 on road off road the xr is a all out off road dirt bike wich is on road capable the best place for comparisons is adventure rider 
Posted by: Dr. Bandit---------------------
Thank you for your input Racinray. What is Adventure rider? a magazine ?
I am looking for a bike to do one-day trips with my wife. It has to have a decent seat, suspension, engine, large gas tank and to be street legal of course.
Posted by: ScottS---------------------
what about the 950 Adventurer- sounds like what you need for two up stuff
Posted by: velosapiens---------------------
i put 25k miles on my klr, and i think the klr is far superior for road and dirtroad use, and for 2-up riding. it's pretty heavy for any serious dirt work, but it is a comfortable 2-up bike, or a comfortable 1-up bike with lots of luggage. the xr is more of a heavy dirt bike, but for shorter trips would also be fine. it is much more dirt capable, but less good for road and for 2-up riding.
mw
Posted by: RACINRAY---------------------
sorry DR BANDIT adventure rider is a web sight based on touring off road bikes bmw gs triumph tiger suzuki v strom ktm 950 and also a lot of stuff on thumpers dr 650 klr 650 xr honda it is an other very informative site here is the adress like all sights you can veiww but must sign in before posting www.advrider.com again sorry for the lack of info. 
Posted by: SpeedyManiac---------------------
My friend's dad used to have an XL600, then went to a crotch rocket, and is now on a DR650. He liked the XL, but he likes the DR more, it's more modern, has the e-button, and suits his riding well. He doesn't do extremely tough trails, but he does go off-road without too much problems (he loves the power). His wife will also ride on the back of it, but I'm not sure how comfortable it is.
Posted by: Shig---------------------
After college, I rode the 4 corners of the US on a modified DR 650 (yeah, I was too poor to go to Europe). My buddy rode a KLR 650 for most of the trip. Our ride spanned three months and about 14,000 miles. You should have seen the eyes roll when we rolled into Sturgis.
The DR was the more reliable of the two, but both bikes ran well throughout the trip. The subframe broke on the KLR on the first day, pulling the carb out of the motor at 65 MPH on the freeway. The exhaust also mysteriously fell off the KLR in Bozeman, Montana. The KLR was by far the better road bike, since it had a larger tank and electric start. I syphoned gas out of it on many occaisions. My dad had an XR 650 at this time, and it's range was even less than the DR. Both the DR and KLR had no trouble maintaining 70 MPH with full camping gear, full windshields, and a week's worth of clothes on board. Off road, there wasn't much difference between the KLR and DR 650. In full trim, however, these bikes are way more nimble than the typical street bike. These bikes take "guerilla camping" to a whole new level.
For serious off-roading, the KLR an DR are complete pigs that hate to jump or leave the fire road. If you high-center a log, you will need a crane to lift it off. The XR, on the other hand, is a pretty capable off-road machine. It's just not much of a road bike. Incidentally, my dad is training for the Iron Butt Rally. He just finished a qualifying ride from Florida to Alaska on his new KLR 650. He equipped the bike for heated clothing, and said it was a very comfy ride. Coming from a guy who rallies an 04 Gold Wing, that's a pretty good testimonial.
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