Mike's KLR Return

[miKLReturn]

Well it's been seven years since I sold my trusty 98 KLR. When I purchased it in 1999 I found I had waited too long into the model year and there were none to be had in Canada from a Dealer, at least that's what Kawasaki told me. So I was lucky enough to find a used one some three hundred kilometers away in Hamilton Ontario. I took my truck up the next morning and loaded up the KLR to bring it home.


I kept the KLR for two years and rode 40,000km, I had a blast on that bike and experienced some of the best riding I had done to that point!


Then the BMW bug bit me. A few friends of mine had been riding BMWs for years and had been gently persuading me to join the land of the GS. In 2001 I purchased my first new bike, an F650GS, and for the next five years enjoyed all that the little GS had to offer.


Once I was in the BMW family however, and almost from day one, I longed to someday own the king of the boxers, at that time it was the R1150GS. So later when the R1200GS was introduced I immediately went to the closest bike show to check it out in person. This was the bike for me!


The day finally came back in May of 2006 when the 12GS found it's way into my garage. The 12GS is a wonder bike, powerful and luxurious, a joy to ride and a pretty impressive piece of engineering! I thought I would miss it dearly when after sixteen months and 45,000kms I helped it's new owner load it into the back of his truck to take it away to it's new home last weekend.


It was a hard week for me, to be honest I wondered many times if I had done the right thing in selling my GS. Changes in my personal life had made it pretty clear that it was time to get out of the world of “luxury riding” and back to something more practical. One again right from day one the KLR was at the top of a very short list.

Good fortune came my way this weekend and Saturday afternoon I rode home on my new 2008 KLR650, returning back to the bike that got me interested in dual-sport riding in the first place.


I must say that I was a little worried about coming back to the KLR650. Even though I'd read every review and new owner's post I could find (and gone to look at the new version of the bike numerous times) I was counting on a bit of a letdown across the board after 45k on the 12GS. I was unable to arrange a demo-ride on the 08 KLR, so only after making the purchase and bringing it to life would I know if I had truly made a huge mistake. There's no way that a $6500.00 KLR650 could possibly compete with a $22,000.00 BMW right? I should point out that I'm not looking to open that debate, out of respect for both the KLR and GS communities. I'm only going to comment on how I feel at this point about the transition, so as usual your mileage may vary.

So here's the bottom-line, I've done just over 600km since Saturday afternoon and man am I impressed! None of the worries that I had about the KLR were valid and I will go on record to say that this is a great bike for me! I am extremely happy that I made this decision and very impressed in so many ways:

First and foremost is the ride itself. The thing that first hit me was remembering how much I liked the feel of a Thumper. There's something very pure and “dual-sport-like” about a single-cylinder bike, and this motor pulls nicely from the get-go all the way up to top speed: just a joy to experience! This is a very smooth and capable engine, I didn't miss the power of the 12GS at any time, I covered gravel and dirt roads, some small hills and finally a decent amount high-speed interstate slab. I'm not a real racer-type rider but I do like to open it up once in a while, the new KLR is certainly no powerhouse but it's enough to put a big smile on my face!

Next were some really big surprises: brakes, suspension, gearbox and final-drive. My 12GS had servo-assisted brakes with ABS, but after putting the KLR through varying situations I've realized that I actually prefer the KLR brakes, go figure! Though not as powerful as the GS brakes, I like the feel better, I found I had more control and could feel the braking more directly. The servos had a tendency to slam-on abruptly and feel very mechanical at times; the KLR brakes have a much more analog feel with a greater range of “in-between” levels of stopping power, very controllable and predictable.

The suspension also pleasantly surprised me; the roads in my neck of the woods are not always in the best shape and yet the KLR was right at home rolling over anything in its path. For my type of riding the softer spring of the KLR made for a more comfortable ride than the heavier springs on the GS. No doubt that for high speeds or a track day the GS would be the better choice and more controllable, but for my needs again I actually prefer the softer feel of the KLR. The new 08s suspension is far better than the stock 99 that I rode a few weeks ago and had much less dive under heavy braking.

Gearbox and final drive: This might be the biggest surprise of all, and I wasn't expecting (or frankly hadn't even considered) that I would enjoy this aspect of the new KLR as much as I do. The gearbox is wonderful, very smooth both in up-shifts and downshifts, and the gearing is just a treat! This bike is far easier to control at slow speeds than the GS if you ask me, very simple to maintain speed in first gear and at low RPMs. The GS didn't like to be below 3000rpm and would struggle and force you to pick up the pace. Not the KLR, I can hold 1st gear at 1500rpm all day and not even think about it, perfect for off-road maneuvering or slow moving traffic. I've also found that I am shifting less, staying in any one gear for a wider rpm and speed range. This may be just me and my style of riding but the KLR seems more natural and fluid as far as the gearbox goes.

I have to say that along with the gearbox surprises came a huge realization: that I much prefer riding with a chain than a shaft-drive! This goes against everything I thought I wanted when I purchased the GS. The idea of zero chain maintenance and an oil-free back wheel had me sold, but the feel of a chain is much more enjoyable compared to a shaft. There's never a clunk or bang if you don't let the clutch out just right and just like the gearing, it's much easier to ride slowly and feather the clutch with a chain. Not to mention the old argument of FD failures leaving you stranded, I never had one but I do admit that it was on my mind almost constantly when I was many mile from the closest BMW dealer.


Finally, as far as comfort and wind protection on the new KLR are concerned, everything I've read from the reviews is true and then some. The seating position is perfect and the seat itself is pretty comfortable considering it's size, even at this early unbroken-in stage. I did the first day with the stock windshield and then put on the Kawasaki tall shield and I'm very happy with the improvements, the protection is better and I wasn't bothered by the noise-level that others have complained about. The rest of the bike's upgrades really do make the KLR a better all-around bike and elevate it to a new level in my opinion. Everything from the new front-end to the rear swing-arm (and everything in-between) compliments each other and shows a well thought-out package that quite simply is a phenomenal value. This is a really fun bike to ride; it's comfortable and confidence inspiring, yet simple and practical. To me, this new KLR650 is everything that an all-around motorcycle should be and more. I'm very happy with my move from the 12GS to the new 08 KLR and wouldn't hesitate to recommend this bike to anyone how really likes to ride!

Getting a little help from my good friend Jean-Marc!

[Slaghammer]

Great post Mike

[DavaidFG]

Thanks for posting your KLR->BMW->KLR story. I am sure lots of people here have wondered if they made the right choice and your perspective is appreciated.

[dflowers]

Great post. I also just purchased a blue 08 KLR and my impressions are the same as your. Thanks!

[AZ Jerry]

Very nice post, congratulations on your biking adventure.

The RED one would have been even more fun.

[dezracerE]

Nice report.
Thanks for taking the time.
Very informative.
Oh and the right color also...

[calan818]

Hey Mike...very well written post on your motorcycle experience to date...And great pics too! I was curious as to how the 650 GS compares to the KLR 650 in terms of power, and over all impressions. Yellow has always been a fav color of mine, so maybe thats what makes it look so special to me. Is there anyone else out there who thinks the KLR colors are a little off? I own the "Sunbeam Red", which is a real weak color...to me the blue green are not much better, none of the colors POP! They are all kind of washed out looking...likely the next years models will have more choices...What do you all think?

[daimmel]

thanks for telling us what we all feel, this is a fun, reliable, cost savings bike, oh ya did i say FUN!!!

[Les]

Mike, welcome home.

[goluxgo]

Excellent, honest, and well structured write up. That is pretty much how I feel, after making a journey similar to yours. Sometimes manufacturers just get it all right and create a gem.
There is something satisfying about a big single and the fact they left out FI and stayed with a carb is a major factor in the driveability of this bike. I have not ridden a fuel injected bike that likes being below 3000 rpm, and that is not a good thing in the dirt. I also concur that brake feel is as good as it gets.
Happy trails,
Larry.

[silverking]

Originally Posted by miKLReturn

Aaargh! What are you doing to it!!!

Seriously, great post. Thanks.

[JSPEED]

It's a well known fact that when you wash a KLR they immediately start shedding fasteners, burning oil, and the doohickey flies out the side of the engine.

Seriously, a clean bike always works best. Plus it gives you some bonding time with your new baby.

[Pragmatist]

Thanks man! I love my 08 Blue21 KLR but sometimes when I'd see a beemer go by I'd wonder. No longer.

[fireranger13]

Reading your story was great. I pick up my 2005 KLR 650 tomorrow. I had a KTM 950 Adventure before. I always wondered which I would like more the GS12 or the 950 Adventure. Well, the 950 was OK, the GS12 to much $. After some research and a few test rides I found a KLR650.
Looking forward to years of riding off road on it.

Great photos

[apollo11]

Thank you for the post. A good read to be sure.

[Nice Rumble]

Great testamonial! You have discovered, like the rest of us, that the KLR is the best multisurface motorcycle available for the money. At $5349, it is half the cost of most other machines.

[miKLReturn]

Originally Posted by calan818

I was curious as to how the 650 GS compares to the KLR 650 in terms of power, and over all impressions...

It's been a while since I rode the F650GS but after five years on one I can say that I liked it very much. Now that I have some time on the 08 KLR it would be fun to ride it again to see what the truth is.

Mine was not the Dakar model so for sure I can say I prefer the 21" wheel on the KLR over the 19" on the F650GS. I just like the way it tracks and the overall feel when off-road. The power on the new KLR is very nice and I seem more comfortable at highway speeds than I remember on the F650GS. The FI on the F650GS was a little temperamental as well, it would stall every once in a while for no reason. I also like the comfort on the KLR a lot, it's larger, more spacious and has better protection than the F650GS. I do really like the stance and presence of the new KLR very much!

The main thing I didn't care for on the F650GS was the servicing cost, considerably more than my R1200GS cost to maintain.

[Toto]

Nice post Mike!

I returned to motorcycling after a 20 year hiatus, and for the most part love this KLR...for all the reasons you mentioned.
(a few quality issues...but what do you want for the price?)
It is amazing that such an elemental bike can cover so many bases with a real world level of compitance.
Just a great all round bike!

[calan818]

Thanks again Mike! I was curious as to the BMW, as I certainly was considering that bike as well before I bought the KLR. Price point was the main reason, but I figured that the cost of future service had to be an issue on the BMW's as well! My Vstrom has the FI and I know how that is different than the old Carb in the KLR. With Fuel injections its not so easy to feather the throttle at low speed and rpm's, I describe it by saying its either "ON or OFF" the gas...the KLR is much easier to plunk around at low speeds in the woods. My only beef is that Summer is coming to an end!!

[miKLReturn]

Originally Posted by Les

Mike, welcome home.

Funny you said that, I really do feel that way.