Originally Posted by Birdwatcher
Originally Posted by greydog
I still have my KLR 650 but it needs a big bore kit and a different carb. Saet is too soft and is one of the worst seats I have ridden on. The new ones are much better. I have a KLX 250 which is a decent little bike and a Suzuki V Strom which is a very good road bike. I'll probably not buy another new bike. I can't warm up to all the electronic gimmickry. GD

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away the Harley crowd used to rag on Japanese bikes as being “disposable”. Back in the ‘80’s the Evo motor was a revelation. In the forty years since however HD saw fit to make continual engine modifications and changes, incidentally making the bikes less and less rebuildable. Egad, the latest Sportster replacement, the water-cooled “Nightster”, has a big fake gas tank with the real gas tank under the seat.

Meanwhile Kawasaki has been making the 652cc KLR motor mostly unchanged since they bumped it up from a 600 in 1987. I believe the KLR is the oldest streetbike design currently in production in the US.
Yeah, mine's fine except for the oil burning. That is why it needs the kit. The carburetor sux. The great thing about it is that it is torquey and hooks up real well. The down side is the weight and brakes which are just slightly better than dragging your feet. They are the perfect anti-lock brake however; they won't lock-up on gravel. The new ones are much better in the brake department and the fuel injection takes care of the carb issue. GD