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an XT660Z or the GS800 or the KTM990 ???
The eternal dilemma - an XT660z or the more expensive (but veeeeery sexy) GS800 or KTM990!
My requirements are; 1. reliability 2. ease of getting parts in remote places 3. ability to repair in remote places 4. fuel range (tank size and fuel consumption) 5. ability to take a hit and keep working (ie fall over without killing it!) 6. handling 50/50 off-road / on-road 7. engine performance Looks, brand cachet, are way down the list. So without ever having ridden any, the way I see it based on my armchair internet research; KTM990 (damn I love that bike! but) - expensive (to buy and maintain), - reliability issues, - fragile - hard to get parts - poor fuel consumption - hard to maintain yourself (seen the oil change procedure on this thing, what corporate brain surgeon dreamed that one up!) - probably very difficult to get running yourself if you have a problem in a remote location + fantastic motor + fantastic suspension + reasonably light + good fuel tank + looks soooo goddamn sexy! BMW GS800 - expensive (to maintain), - more expensive than the XT660Z - reliability issues, - fragile - hard to get parts - hard to maintain yourself - probably difficult to get running yourself if you have a problem in a remote location - poor fuel tank (16L) + less expensive than the KTM + fantastic motor + good suspension + reasonably light + good fuel consumption Yamaha Tenere XT660Z - least brand cachet - lowest 'quality' - single cylinder - average suspension - average performance + well priced (relative to above) + reasonably cheap to maintain + can maintain yourself + parts readily available + can "bush mechanic" the thing back into shape and keep going + reasonably light + good fuel consumption + single cylinder + average handling and performance The Ten is the top of my list as my intended purpose is along some of the more remote parts of the Australian outback, so reliability and ability to "sort things out" yourself if you should have a problem are paramount. Having a superb but finicky athlete (the KTM) broken down in the middle of nowhere and having to wait 3 months while parts are shipped from outer Mongolia to be fitted by someone who has never even seen a bike like this, is of no use to me . . . or am I being overly pessimistic wrt the reliability and fragility of the BMW and KTM. I would love to get some other views. Perth, WA, Australia |
You said there will be 50/50 on/off roading...
But...I think you have to decide how heavy offroading you have in mind. If you will do only gravel roads, better trails... than you can choose BMW or 990. If you will do heavy offroading, rocks, mud... than you should consider Tenere, because its lighter. Maybe on paper its not much lighter, but on terrain 15-20 kilograms makes a big difference. I had 990, and sold it (also) because of that. It had great performance, but could not use it much on hard trails. With Tenere I feel much lighter and confortable, the bike is a whole lot more agile. Think about that too, when making decisions. |
I would personally go for a ktm 690 if you intend to do anything more than a gravel road ,just get extra fuel tanks ,still cheaper than buying either a 990 or 800 gs .
Having ridden both the Tenere and 990 offroad in wales i would say the 990 is far easier to ride on the more difficult terrain as the weight seems a lot lower down and not top heavy ,but everyone feels different on each bike ,try a test ride on each one and take in some gravel roads |
The might all be sold as 'adventure' bikes, but they are three very different machines...
You can't really compare them on a specification level - you need to ride them and find out which 'feels' the best for you? Or do what I do and just buy the one you like the look of best x Jx |
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Jx |
Cant comment on the 990 but in my opinion the 800 doesnt feel as "dirt bikey" as the Ten off road it felt to me as just an off road spec tourer.
all depends on what you like, i prefer big singles over anthing for offroading, twins are better suited for the road. |
I realise now that my 50/50 onroad offroad spec is misleading; what I mean(t) is 50% on good road (tar, well formed dirt road) and 50% on poor road (dirt roads and tracks) with single and firetrail type tracks probably the worst I would normally encounter. Very little would be true cross country (ie. not on a road as such). In Australia think Simpson Desert Crossing, Birsdville Track, Great Central Road, Gibb River Road, etc.
On these sort of roads the softer GS800 is a defiinite option but my concern is the complexity, reliability & fragility of the GS800 (and the KTM). I read an interesting description where the author claimed he would choose the KTM (technically the far superior bike) only if he had a truck load of spares and specialist KTM mechanics trailing behind him at all times! Not an option for most of us (non-celebrity) mere mortals! |
Go with your heart and your gut instinct. as JMo stated elsewhere something along the lines of : if you really want it get it as long as you are happy then who cares what anyone else/magazines think :)
I think I would also look at V strom and the new G650GS or has that just given you more to contemplate. The KTM does look great in the Orange/Blue livery If you are going well off the beaten track I would'nt consider any of the bikes and I would go for something much lighter. Unless you have long legs the Ten is still heavy off road. hey you can take them anywhere but if you go lighter you will have more fun and be less tired when you get there. WR450, KTM 450 ?????? with bigger fuel tanks |
I looked at the KTM, GS and Tenere before I went ofr the Tenere. I wanted fire road and gentle trail riding capabilties but also touring options without costing loads in fuel.
KTM: Didnt like the reliabilty issues, cost of spares and servicing costs. Bit of a rough ride I thought although good quality parts. Expensive to repair. GS: Too expensive and dont like the idea of complexity, canbus systems and servicing costs plus spares. Tenere: Fairly simple engine and shares the same parts as many other Yams plus rides well on and off road. Like the look and economy plus Yamaha are everywhere these days so spares are cheapish, easy to service myself and not that much i cant fix on my own. Glad I went for the Tenere but its a personal choice I think. Whatever you choose I hope you enjoy it as much as I do owning my Tenere and going on adventures |
am i right in thinking the wr450f not got such a strong frame for carrying luggage etc..tho?
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The modern crop of enduro bikes are great for trail riding, but not really suitable as a long distance 'all terrain' touring bike... Something like a DRZ400 would make a much better 'overlander' as it has far longer service intervals and a stronger rear subframe - and you can get a range of aftermarket tanks up to a gargantuan 28L!!! But you have to remember than once you stick 20+ litres of fuel, plus a luggage rack and luggage and all those other bits (like a screen and stronger bash-plate) onto a smaller bike, it is no longer as light, nimble and maneuverable as a basic enduro bike... Which is why the Tenere is such a good compromise - it has all the bits you need fitted already, is very comfortable over distance (far moreso than an enduro bike), and as long as you are sensible, you can take it pretty much anywhere you'd want to go on a bike, with luggage, on your own... Yep, its time to dig out that old picture again: http://i492.photobucket.com/albums/r...8/DSC09891.jpg Jx |
So how did riding up there work out for you? ;)
However it does, I think, prove your point quite nicely - travelling on a light bike you might have got back up there, but the trade off would be the other 20,000 miles of easier going that you'd have had to do on the smaller bike to find somewhere you could get the big bike stuck. Off the top of my head, a DR-Z is about 135kg with 10l of fuel in it. Bigger tank and enough extra fuel to match the Tenere and it's going to be the wrong side of 150kg. You'll probably want some sort of screen and definitely want a better seat as well - more weight. Let's say it works out 40kg lighter than the Tenere with an equivalent fuel and luggage load. Not to be sniffed at, but my guess is you'll end the day more tired from a few hours riding the 400 flat out on tarmac or well graded roads than you would dragging an extra 40kg through a couple of ditches then chilling out on the easier bits. Mostly hypothesis rather than experience, so of course ICBW. |
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It was the other side I had to, erm, decide discretion was the better part of valour... http://i492.photobucket.com/albums/r...0/DSC01163.jpg ...this was exactly the same spot I abandoned the bike in 2008, and broke my heel in 2010... I'll be going back to the US this autumn... 3rd time lucky?! Jx |
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