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gently caress yeah a super moto thread! DRZ's have more fun yo  Click here for the full 2048x1536 image.  Click here for the full 1600x1200 image. 08 SM with not nearly enough done to it yet. Exhaust and 3x3. Needs a tune badly, poor thing. Best purchase I made was a set of these babies: http://www.motostrano.com/avdisuti.html Do surprisingly well offroad. I run around my back yard quite a bit now that I have a semi-offroad tire. Squirmy in the mud though, but what can you expect. Ride it out wuss! I've still noticed better grip on street than the stock tires give you, so overall I'm really happy. Now I'm just trying to discipline myself and not lock up the rear so much so hopefully they last more than 1,500 miles.
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Mar 18, 2009 19:19
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Vampire Panties posted:How hard is it to install, and what parts do I need? Also, what is the 3x3 airbox mod? There is a ton of really good information at the DRZ 400 FAQ @ Thumpertalk The airbox mod is simple. Remove the side rear plastics, remove the seat, pop the computer out, and you'll be looking down the snorkel to your airbox. Remove the snorkel and dremel out the hole to be 3"x3" to increase airflow. This will make things run lean so you'll need to adjust your mixture.
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Mar 18, 2009 19:55
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Thread would have also accepted: Because they can
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Mar 18, 2009 21:58
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Generally cheaper, as parts are both abundant and there is a huge aftermarket. I met a guy who had 65k miles on a DRZ400S (Same engine, chassis, different tires and suspension) who'd done nothing but standard fluid changes, adjustments and lubing the chain.
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Mar 19, 2009 18:56
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Z3n posted:Did he have any mods to the bike? I should have mentioned that in the post but that was probably the coolest part was he didnt. Bone stock, except for a slightly more street oriented DS tire.
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Mar 19, 2009 20:48
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Confirmed: DRZ's hold up pretty good to being 12 oclocked. Shift lever and tail light took 85% percent of the damage. \/\/\/ Yes, it came out looking exactly like that. Down to the tape job. FlerpNerpin fucked around with this message at 17:21 on Mar 25, 2009 |
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Mar 25, 2009 08:58
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You can do many things to a DRZ to give it some more balls. There are 60 HP DRZs out there. DRZ 480's with the FCR and engine work look like a ton of fun.
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Mar 26, 2009 20:04
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Spent about 3 hours today playing in the dirt. People kept stopping to tell me I was crazy. Great fun.  Click here for the full 604x453 image.
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Apr 26, 2009 04:11
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You'll grow a new set of motard muscles that'll make the highway easier. Man up, as they say.
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Apr 30, 2009 03:19
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690 you say? I'd argue it's worth it.  Click here for the full 604x453 image. We might be able to arrange you taking mine out for a lick if you want to try before you buy. That's a purdy Duke too. The 6th gear helps. I did about a 700 mile day on Saturday and I definitely would not have been able to do that on my old DRZ. My rear end is made of steel. FlerpNerpin fucked around with this message at 23:16 on Jul 21, 2009 |
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Jul 21, 2009 23:12
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Drewby Drewby Drew posted:700 miles! Did you end up riding into the great white north? Zool and I went east on 20 till 97, then north into canadia land, then west on 3 through the mountains again and back down into Bellingham for the night. It was rather incredible. Felt like quite the feat on a sumo. Amazingly, the brutal 690 seat really didn't bother me that much, but in the last hour before stopping I was getting antsy and the previous 200 miles of 80-90mph cruising without really stopping was starting to take its toll on my upper body. We can meet up and do a ride swap if you want to take the 690 for a spin. It's almost impossible not to wheelie if you're not used to it so don't go making promises you can't keep :P It'll have to wait till August though, I'm working non-stop till the 1st and wont have anymore time for riding. Which works out because my rear tire is about 500 miles past due for being replaced after the last 2 weekends of long rides.
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Jul 22, 2009 04:37
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Gnaghi posted:Exactly why I went through all the effort and money to mount this: As the recent recipient of, what I would consider, a pretty B.S. speeding ticket, tell me everything w/ links 
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Jul 24, 2009 04:17
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Ziploc posted:How the heck do you hide that when you get the ticket? Or are those completely legal where you are? Seems to me you could just put your gloves over it. I always take my gloves off and set them over my cluster when I get pulled over anyway. EDIT: NOT THAT THAT HAPPENS A LOT
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Jul 24, 2009 05:50
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I have that exact same photograph from 2 weekends ago.
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Jul 30, 2009 22:08
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The only SM's you'll be able to flat foot are going to be around 200 CC I imagine. Unless you drop the ride height yourself. US SM's are tall bikes. Europe has some shorter ones I believe, but in the states, you either have to have long legs or one-foot talent. Unless you make your own street legal SM out of a bike you do fit on.
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Jul 30, 2009 22:22
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cmorrow001 posted:Should I have to fill up the DRZ every 65 miles? Changing the carb seems to have really limited my range. Just wondering if this is normal. My DRZ had the high compression gasket and the FCR carb, exhaust and intake mod and I could still get 100-115 miles before hitting reserve. Somethings not right if your only getting 65 or maybe you're the most XTREME DRZ rider on the street ever. AkrisD posted:Do you know the monster you've created man?! I had finally decided on a nice DRZ-SM, and figured KTMs and whatnot were out of my league, but now for just a little bit more I can have this awesome machine, either in Duke form or SM trim. They are worlds better than DRZ's as far as street sumo's go, but you pay that top tier premium on them. Also, the 690 is quite a lot of bike to handle at times. I don't remember if your shopping for your first bike or not but if so I would advise against starting on a 690. They are monsters. The torque and brakes take a lot of respect. FlerpNerpin fucked around with this message at 22:12 on Jul 31, 2009 |
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Jul 31, 2009 18:07
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Get ready for the latest in thread title related internet comedy gold The motivational poster! 
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Jul 31, 2009 19:30
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It's also got love it or hate it looks (I think it looks pretty good).
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Aug 1, 2009 01:41
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Phats right. Drz's are charming buckets of fun. I still go visit mine (passed down to my little brother) and have a ton of fun. Congrats!
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Aug 8, 2009 05:27
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Owning both the DRZ and the KTM (starting to feel like a broken record in this thread), the KTM is worlds beyond the DRZ when it comes to freeway riding. I've done a 700+ mile day on the 690 and while I wouldn't say it was comfy, not by any means, but it was possible and the bike has no problem cruising 75-85 all day, whereas the DRZ gets a little wheezy at about 70 MPH. The S doesn't the problem as bad but the SM doesn't like long trips. But they are totally different SM price brackets too. There are a ton of cheap DRZ's to be had, and almost zero cheap 690's. Its the difference between a 8-11k bike and a 3-5k bike. Which one is more fun? I adore my DRZ still, but I couldn't see owning one as an only bike and only form of transport. I use my 690 as my only vehicle. Don't think the DRZ has that versatility. Both are amazing bikes but they aren't quite the same segment.
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Aug 24, 2009 07:44
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Rain riding a sumo is great because the rain hits your neck and drips straight down your jacket.
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Aug 24, 2009 17:43
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The 660 is going to feel like a different world power wise, but also be much less forgiving and possibly vibrate out all your fillings. Ultimately you'll fall in love with whatever bike your meant to. Basically it comes down to something like this (for thread reference): DRZ- Pro's: -Cheap -Lots of them out there, have been sold for a while -Tons of parts, tons of aftermarket, tons of 2nd hand market -Great forum support -Indestructible. Mine's gone down 7 times now, the last one being a hard 55 MPH. No damage. Only part to be replaced due to a crash was a new tail light after a 12 oclock. -Fun to work on and lots of extra power to be squeezed out of the engine for those who like to wrench a bit. -Fairly dated design Con's: -Less power than more expensive sumo's, not an amazing rush of power that most bikes will give you. -Heavy in stock trim, heavy in light trim -5 gears, comfortable at 55-70 mph, 70+ begins to be a stretch for maintained riding. -Murder seat for long rides -Fairly dated design -No tach (not necessarily a con, but its nice to have) If I were to do the same for my experience with similar miles on my KTM I'd go with KTM 690 SMC: Pro's: -Tons of power -Fantastic brakes (4 pot, dual pad brembo front, single pot brembo rear) -Really kit (Braided brake lines, hydraulic clutch, slipper clutch, perilli supercorsa 3 tires, nice stock handgaurds, etc) -Comfortable at speeds of 70-85 all day long Con's: -Aftermarket is rare and really expensive -Bike is pricey -6,000 mile valve checks -Eats tires -Makes the DRZ's murder seat feel like a winged chair by a fireplace. -Stock exhaust gets stupid hot. The heatshield over the header isnt long enough, you will melt your leg or set your pants on fire. My gear is ruined. The can gets blistering hot as well, and will melt your rear blinker and burn the crap out of anything it touches, especially the backpack you have to wear because... -Absolutely zero storage, no helmet lock This is without the obvious, that both bikes are retarded amounts of fun, especially on a sumo/kart track, and that both will get you primed pretty quickly on how to talk to officers of the law. Note on that last bit: Officers of the law really like a bright orange KTM, which is to say in my experience, they've been more interested in learning about it than punishing me for the stupid poo poo they pulled me over for.
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Aug 24, 2009 21:54
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Compared to the DRZ, 6000 miles is soon. But it comes with the performance, and yeah, in the world of fast sumo's, thats fantastic. *cough*510*cough*
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Aug 25, 2009 05:26
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Slim Pickens posted:Just wondering, at what point in a slide do you get back on the throttle? It seems like cracking the throttle while still crossed up would be a recipe for a high side, and that once the bike is tracking straight again is when you get on it. In my experience with supermoto, if your rear is sliding out, you are already on the throttle and your body position should already be in place to manage the slide. Stay on the throttle, and when the wheel catches traction, enjoy the power wheelie and start braking for the next turn...
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Oct 11, 2009 00:52
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Aargh posted:Shouldn't have started reading this thread. Now I'm considering going and test riding a DRZ400SM for my first bike, and to think I was almost worked out on what I was going to get. Hands down the most fun starter bike.
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Oct 11, 2009 05:55
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My kickstand is one bolt away from rattling completely off. Supermotards, The weight sheds itself.
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Nov 24, 2009 16:31
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FYI, Avon Distanzia's are not lovely tires by any means. Every DRZ should run them.
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Nov 25, 2009 23:53
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An entire Sunday afternoon spending riding sumo is hard to beat. Rooftops, 3ft deep puddles, train tracks, loading docks, cement factories, mud trails, state parks, huge parking lots and puddles that were more like river crossings all made this a great evening.
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Nov 30, 2009 04:12
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Mcqueen posted:I hate that Husky and KTM SM bikes are almost always as much, if not negligibly more expensive than DRZ's here in Seattle. Why must you temp me with instant unreliable death, craigslist!? WHY?! You really do get what you pay for though, as a house with a DRZ, Husky and a KTM, it's not hard to see how the KTM and Husky justify the extra cost once you ride one. DRZ is awesome, but a DRZ vs a Husky 450 SMR is a Miata vs Elise.
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Dec 1, 2009 18:42
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Phat_Albert posted:Not that its a bad bike, its just not "turnkey for at least the next 10 years" like the DRZ. While this is true of the 04/05 segment, the newer 690 engines (or 450 if your a track slut) have given people very little trouble. There are some scattered reports of stalling issues, the few people who have it can usually tune it out. Of course a DRZ is going to be a 'pass down to my grandkids' kind of bike, but on the flip side, your grand dad was around when the DRZ was introduced... and the only thing that's changed since then is paint colors. If maintenance scares you off, you might do well with something simpler. Or maybe you're buying a supermoto for your 2nd bike and delegate all 'I'm commuting' to another bike, so a little teeth rattling, oil burning, completely impractical machine is just what you need. As it stands right now, DRZ's sort of fill the wide basic spectrum of SM buying. Everyone can have a good time on one and just about anyone can justify putting one in the garage. Unfortunately, since Suzuki is really the only Japanese manufacture to nut up to supermoto for the last 10 years, the DRZ is the only bike that's out there cheap as hell for everybody. The 250 Yamaha is putting out is a good bike, but it's not popular yet, and you don't see them up for sale ever. Fact of the matter is, if you want more than the DRZ can give you, you're going to have to take that maintenance hit and reliability risk, or buy new/almost new. It's a scale of risk/reward though. The more you're willing to sacrifice and spend the more bike you get. From a KLR with street tires on one end to a Husky 450 RR race ready SM on the other. Also I'd argue that once you take a SM bike out on a kart track with a dirt section, you'll start telling yourself whatever you need to to justify the more impractical bikes.
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Dec 2, 2009 19:09
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1 in something. No rumors out there.
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Dec 9, 2009 23:00
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A supermoto is like having a Lotus Exige with monster truck wheels.
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Dec 21, 2009 01:17
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That's a god drat ark of a trails bike. I've seen a few DR650's in Sumo trim, goofy big bastards. Lots of charm though. Like you just wanna see what the big oaf can do. Which reminds me of one of my secret loves:  I want to buy one of these in Europe and run down 125cc motorcyclists like a Monster-Bike FlerpNerpin fucked around with this message at 17:04 on Jan 20, 2010 |
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Jan 20, 2010 16:57
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cmorrow001 posted:You people need to stop buying 690s. I had just convinced myself that the DRZ would be fine for me for another year or 2 but drat if I don't want something more powerful. The DRZ is everything you could ever want out of a supermoto... ..As long as you don't ever ride a more focused SM. The DRZ will still always put a giggle on your face. Power and components, you notice right away when you ride a KTM or Husky. It's easy to go mad with power and turn the crazy up another couple of notches with the bigger SMs. Riding around back streets/industrial parks, looking for mud or something to jump off of? You wont be missing a terrible amount with a DRZ. Infact, I'd say if your not the type of person who has to power wheelie out of every situation and don't need highway ability, the DRZ is an absolutely fine choice for the money.
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Jan 27, 2010 18:15
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Maintenance intervals aren't all that different. You'll want to keep up on oil changes and valve checks just like any thumper. The DRZ is a very bulletproof engine, the KTM engines are as long as they've been maintained. Oil/Filter changes and valve checks go a long way. One thing to keep in mind, is the DRZ is an old design, and the KTM's/Huskies that are out there in the SM world are much easier to get at with regards to valve checks. On my DRZ you have to take off the seat, which means taking off plastic, take off the shrouds, remove the tank, and then start digging into the head, where the cam has to be removed. On a Husky SMR 450, one clip for the seat, one bolt for the tank, your at the head, no removing cam to adjust valves. It's brilliant. The older you get into the KTM engines the less reliable they are. The latest generation, the 690 LC4, I haven't heard of any problems with the engines seizing or blowing up or leaking. They seem to be pretty bullet proof. Just keep in mind your asking a 1 cylinder engine to spend its life right on redline (often at a 45 degree angle from the ground), and treat it as such. Stay on top of maintenance and they should treat you just fine. More love and care needed if your racing. For the DRZ, power isnt really the limiting factor on the highway so much as it just runs out of gearing. 5th gear is too short for comfortable 75 MPH. It'll do it, it just sounds like it doesn't really like to. SM's are inherently bad on the freeway anyway, tall suspension geometry can mean headshake, no wind protection, murder seats and freeway speeds being at their limit as dirt bikes for how fast they want to go... you really have to sort of tough it out. One of the advantages of the 690's is this is much less noticeable on the freeway. They are stable at speed, and have plenty of power and gearing to cruise out to the fun stuff. The seat will still destroy you though. FlerpNerpin fucked around with this message at 18:57 on Jan 27, 2010 |
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Jan 27, 2010 18:54
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I started the same way, SV as my everyday machine and that supported by my DRZ. I bought the 690 when I couldn't get a deal I liked on an 848, that made the DRZ largely redundant. The SV/DRZ combo is awesome (if not quite as awesome as the StreetFighter/690 SMC combo). DRZ is beautiful if you live in a twisty hill or within a short urban blast to some empty industrial park. DRZ taught me (and a few other people) how to wheelie. 690 makes me feel like a wheelie god. Keep in mind you have to be something of a tall gently caress to fit on a big KTM. They aren't kind to shorties. Z3n posted:KTM should loving give him money for advertising for them so well. No poo poo. Really thought I just want more people to ride with, a bigger SM community, and more people to realize the supermoto is way more fun than buying a gixxer 6billion and having 3 feet of chicken strips. Fake edit: DRZ's are the best bikes ever, buy mine!
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Jan 27, 2010 23:45
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I'm 6'4" and I fit great on the 690, no stability issues. Zool is a few inches shorter than me and has to hop around a bit and hang off the sides at a stop. I'd say you'll just have to sit on one, but I think the needle gets closer into the feasible area of the chart once you hit 6'.
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Jan 27, 2010 23:49
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Just ride the balance point like it's a trials bike.
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Jan 28, 2010 00:24
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You certainly can do long days on a big motard, you just have to be man enough to live with it. I've done lots of 200-300 mile days, and a few bigger, longer days on my 690. Is it comfy? No. You get used to it. The murder seat even doesnt bother me after a while. The real issue is lack of storage space. Aka, none at all. Literally, no space. Not even a helmet hook. Ultimately, my brief time having only a 690 SMC ended up with me wanting a street bike too, for those times where your heading off to a far away land. Admittedly though, 90% of the time, when I am far off and get to the good stuff, I wish I was on the 690. As good as the streetfighter is, there isn't a corner in Washington I'd not have more fun on a 690. The 690 CAN do it though. If you pack a backpack and have an iron rear end the rewards are huge. Plus when you end up at the end of a curvy no-name back road and it turns to gravel, the fun doesnt have to stop. That, is a great feeling.
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Jan 28, 2010 18:07
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I've never ridden a KLR, just sat on them, but it's pretty obvious they would be far more comfortable than a big supermoto. On the plus side, you have comfy seats, comfy suspension, maybe even a windshield, lots of options for storage, bigger capacity gas tank On the downside, you sacrifice a lot of performance for that comfort. Power, torque, brakes, suspension, goodies (690: Slipper clutch, braided lines, hydraulic clutch, brembo, fully adjustable WP suspension, etc) KLR has some off road cred, whereas most supermotos it's mind over matter when you get offroad.
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Jan 28, 2010 18:23
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