Don't say I didn't tell you so...
 

This post is not intended to offend anyone, its just a realization of all the experience that some of you have been going through.

Some of you guys, (no need to give out names), have been with us for quite some time now, you have all owned an XT wether it was the X or the R doesn't matter. What matter is you have all experienced the satisfying factor you get from riding this bike, the low maintenance required, i.e. long service stretches, and you have also learnt that whilst the XT is not a bonafide out and out SuperMotard, or a kick arse off roader capable of impressing Pastrana, there is no other bike out there at the moment there that will replace the all-rounder flexibility of an XT.

A few of you, sold your XT and got SV's , Fazers, Beemers, while some even went for a proper Supermoto, only to realize they got bored quickly or that a 4 in-line speed machine is no thrill in their ordinary riding needs, ie commuting or other.

I only want to name one person as an example that is afk40, he sold his R got a SV and hated it, then he sold that and got a Honda FMX and thought it couldn't perform more than 80mph, finally he listened to my advice and got a new 07 XT and now he is very happy again. This is a man who has owned over 200 bikes so he is no fool.

I think anyone else wishing to part with their existing XT should follow this advice and hold on their impatience to try something better when unfortunately there is not really anything at the moment worthy of replacing or even matching the low maintenance cost and performance that you get from an XT. You would be burning a hole into your pocket buying and selling other bikes to try and get an edge on the XT.

If of course someone is looking for a different bike with the idea of touring long distances then I'll be the first to tell them the XT is not for them and they are better off with a TeDiu M or a Cruella (Deuville).

This is going to be a looong thread, Don't say I didn't tell you (no offence)

Nein my friend this is not meant to be controversial, this is meant as an helpful suggestion to people that are somehow in doubt whether or not to sell their XT for something different and then being later disappointed of their choice or change. Better the devil you know, my brother, and if people will take this advice as a controversial issue it's their choice.

You are spot on there CaptMoto. I went out last night following my cousin on his Aprilia Tuono tearing up the country lanes. Today I've done 150 miles around London following 4 monkey bikes. Now, an R1 would have been fun last night but no fun today at slow speeds cutting through traffic. An XTX is so much fun going fast or slow. Not many bikes can do both and also have a very comfy riding position. They are a blast and have a huge grin factor. I love 'em.

I think this thread could be the best one in ages. It helps us focus our minds on what we are about, what bikes we love and indeed if we still love bikes.

I need to confess, I have considered a trade in for either a different bike or the 07X. I went out a couple of weeks ago and had a good luck at what is around for about �3k. I sat on loads of bikes and came to the conclusion that nothing floated my boat. I tell you all this, the 40 odd miles ride back even on a super fast A road was brilliant because it made me realise what I had and that was a brilliant all rounder. Not a particularly brilliant A roads speed machine but for everything else excellent. Its nice to realise what you have before you do not have it...

Anyway, I had a go on the 07X and thought/tried to sell my 04X to help part fund it but after a test ride I realised although the 07 is brilliant, it is not IMHO �2K extra brilliant. My bike is in A1 condition and runs as good as it can. My focus has now returned to playing with the idea of putting some new cans on it but cant decide if I can live with the extra noise (whole different story I know). I want the looks, weight saving, bling, I dunno!

Back on track, when this poxy weather improves I'm straight out on it again. Still the best bike for me considering my situation.

Thanks to all and thanks to the Capt for a great forum. A 100% plus to owning an already great bike.

Tony

OK, I know at least part of this was aimed at me, so I'll chip in briefly.

For me, the XTX was a fantastic bike - I loved it, and it taught me a fair bit about riding quickly. The issue I had with the XT was that I wanted it to be more than it was. It wasn't quick enough to ensure that I was going keep it for the long term, and the cheap build was a bit of a let down too. I'm not trying to slate the XT, far from it.
I chopped the XT for the WRF so that I could have the pleasure of building a pukka SM machine. I knew it would be compromised on the road, and I had no intention of keeping it for a long time. If fact, I sold it with 788 miles on the clock after 2 months. Some would call me mad or say 'I told you so', but the way I look at it is that I had great fun building it and riding it (it was purely a toy), and I got the 'hardcore SM' bug out of my system.
I'm now back to my summer norm of riding a sportsbike (CBR600) with the BMW as my daily hack. I love sportsbikes, and will probably change for a new R6 in a month or so. The bike after that will be a KTM 690SM for the winter. I love bikes, and change them often during the warm months so that I can experience more of them. I get different kinds of enjoyment out of the different types of bikes I have owned.

I guess the real point I am making is that whilst the XT is a great bike, it is not all things to all people, and you have to understand that no-one will keep theirs forever.

I see XT660.com having moved into it's 'second generation' of members, where most of the original members have either sold their XTs or have another bike too. I think that's great for the site as it means that the membership didn't die out when the first wave of members sold up.

I think trying to convince existing owners not to sell is a fruitless excercise, as everyone will view their XT slightly differently. If someone thinks about selling their bike, it'll be for a good, valid reason to them, even if that reason is simply 'I fancy a change'.

This is the time of year where a lot of people will change their bikes, so you can expect to see many more people leaving the XT fold, but at the same time, many more will join. My XTX was sold within 2 weeks of me trading it in, and I suspect it will pop up on the forum again in due course.

I know that you hate people talking about other bikes within this forum, but I hope you can understand why people do - the XT is not perfect and will not be the perfect long term ownership proposition for many people. Most importantly, we are bikers! Bikers are fickle creatures and many change bikes yearly as the cost of doing so is affordable for many people.

I have said this before - I have made many real world friends on this forum, but have not felt very welcome since I decided to sell my XT. This is also why many other old members don't post anymore.

I would like to urge a little more tolerence to the inevitabliity of people selling their bikes sooner or later.

Storm

Well said John, this all fits perfectly within the understanding of yours, and other people's personal choices and preconceptions of what bikers are all about. However not wishing to re-run this as an argument, I just want to point out 2 simple yet damaging misunderstandings in your piece up there, one being this post aimed personally at you, and the other about me hating talk of other bike makes in this forum. (I think I have already explained this to another member in a different thread) There is place in this forum for talk of other bikes for sure without any opposition from the board, but it has to be appreciated that this place has to be within a confined "off topic" subject, hence an obvious consideration has been given to have this faciltiy in the imminnent future.

The beauty of this forum is that it has a precise place of it's own within a particular group of people, and knowing that not everyone has access to a lot of money to be able to afford or to keep more than one bike, or even to change them often, the core of this thread was to restore confidence in those members who are doubftul about what other bike make could give them similar satisfaction and efficiency within the budget of the average XT owner.
And that, if at all, there is such a thing as an XT Spirit or XT Class of bikes, that this will be difficult to replace or match with something from another brand which is capable of holding heads, on as many grounds as our bikes do, call it an affordable do-it-all or anything you might want.

Now, within this intended place in the world of bikers which we call XT660.com, I can safely say that 90% of us here, are, after all, not just weekend bikers or part time racers that need a racing toy for the track and another for commuting. We are a group of, I would say, mature people with a day job and a motorcycle passion that have made a particular choice and are happy to discuss ways to improve and maintain our bikes in the best way we can.

Last but not least, John, please note in my estimation I higlhy consider you as a great guy and great mate, not just because you have been a star with your software knowledge, but also an invaluable help to others here, why would I directly make a dig at you when talking about people choice of bike changes?

I have always stated that, that door there or in this case the on/off button of everyone's pc, is free for all to use with no commitment, and it is no bother to me who comes, stay or goes as long as they they treat the "house" and it's guests with respect without trying to bring the atmosephere into disrepute, slander or other.

You have never done any such thing, which means I have all the time in the world for you and will still have forever, wishing you to stay around as a friend and a fellow biker for as long as you wish to stay.

There have not been any intended exclusions in place for people who are still members of this forum and have sold their xt for another bike, the choice is left to them to keep posting or not, so it is not correct to state that the very fact that they changed bikes that they are made to feel as outsiders, and have decided not to post anymore, if they do its on their own choice, no one is either forcing them out or making them feel estranged.
What about Tony (Skeeter) for example, has he been treated any differently? Tanya (Biker Biker) never had an XT in the first place, nevertheless she is more than welcome all the same and as popular as anyone else here, and that's not just because she is a lady or any other obscure reasons, she is a mate we have met and enjoyed her company and that is what matters. I have other mates in this forum who are not at all interested in the XT and ride gixxers and R1's they only keep an eye on the events and ride section to see if a ride we organize is appealing to them and match with their time off.

Bob (Grumpy Old Man) was the first to sell his XT and get a KTM, do you think anyone has ever told him to keep away from here or given him the cold shoulder? No way.

I don't like being misunderstood so I have to clarify every points where my intentions are doubted.

I have decided that the "Never Knowingly Understood" words are going to be etched on my tombstone because more often than not people always end up understanding a different meanings to what my real intentions are or one that it is more suitable for them to read in my statements contrary to my genuine motives.

Following this discussion I have decided to give people what they want, to clear any further doubts or accusations about me hating talk of other bike manufacturers. So there you have it!

In the General Discussions and Off Topic you will find a sub forum dedicated to open discussions about other makes of bikes, anyone who wish to discuss their thoughts about this matter is welcome to use it as they like.

http://xt660.com/forumdisplay.php?f=118

Well captain what i have to say is simple , and i am a professional mechanic who works on formula cars, Bosch motorsport ecu and telemetry systems , won asian Championship in 2004-2005 , i am also the data technician as well as team mechanic for a Formula team.Qualified Motorcycle mechanic ,and my experience with my xt660x has been absolutely dreadfull.i have had a lot of motorcycles and each of the one i have owned had something outstanding about them.The xtx 660 (2004) is fantastic with the choke on , thats about 45 seconds before it leans out.See in order to pass euro 3 emissions Yamaha decided to make the lemon of them all ,nothing and i mean nothing in terms of a lemon even comes close to it.Its quite simple to explain if an engine doesnt burn fuel then there is no emission ,Fact.
Another fact is that without the proper amount of fuel , especially in a single , it cannot run properly.
My xt 500 from 1977 has more bottom end, and more midrange and is easily ridable at the speed limit or thereabouts as with the new xtx660 i have to be at least above 80-90 km/h for it to run properly , and in australia thats particularly handy in schoolzones (where the speed is 40) its also fantastic at roundabouts which can only be taken at some very minimal speed and best of all i absolutely love the stalling in between gears especially from 3rd to second where i get to test my skills everyday while my rear wheel compression locks.Its also quite demanding to restart the bike at roundabouts while engaged and with a pillion , never have my riding skill been tested so much in such a short amount of time.Now for now id would be happier and safer to ride my neighbourghs lawnmower,as everytime i take that xtx660 i wonder if i am going to make it back home without getting runover.The bike is still under warranty and is with yamaha Australia wich i am sure are having a very close look at it.and for good measure and in case you havnt noticed on page 7-16 of the yamaha workshop manual cd.the air intake sensor reading according to the manual should be between 2.22-2.69 ohm well that is wrong that should say Kohm that will avoid half the xtx660 owners ordering a new air intake sensor as if it was between 2.21 and 2.69 ohm that means it would actually generate heat...lol!!!!
That having been said Captain everyone is entitled to their opinion i lok=ve the brembo brakes and the small front wheel and the new Michelin pilot i put on for ......20 kms.Thats how long it took me to find out that it was unridable especially in town..total cost for this lemon
purschase price at 8000 kms 7500.00
new tyres Michelin 400.00
new air filter 110.00
rego transfer 200.00
Insurance -Gio wont insure it!!
Kilometers done in unsafe conditions 120 which is 1 full tank for 110.00 kms talk about great economy and value for money.!!!
add all the fluid changes when i got it
brake fluid, coolant, spark plugs, valve clearances check,engine oil , oil filter,and my time for checking ALL fuel injection components etc..Frankly this bike apart from being a lemon is a money pit...The cush drive is almost destroyed due to the ongoing "surges" and guess what i am riding now ??my xt 500 and yamaha Australia including the dealer who originally sold it have had it longer then me now...this bike is frankly a joke...a bad Joke....

Ok :suicide:

DON'T

I swapped my Beautifully sweet-running Fazer 1000 for the XT660R - I can honestly say that I would not swap back. Mebbe I was lucky in getting a (probably - no. starts 11 ecu 00) 2004 prereg 2006 in 2007 which has engaged my attention and made me want to buy it presents to improve its looks, weight, performance and tractability - just like a new gf (not the weight bit!)

Good job we're all different. :icon_bigsmurf:

You certainly come with the credentials. What work have you done on your XT to fix the problem?

We have known about the air temp sender for well over a year & a half now.

As we know the 2004-2005 ECU with the part number ending with 00 has a mapping problem, they have increase fueling & reduced the timing curve on the 2005-2006 01 ECU, there is a recall for the TPS for cutting out.
In the end I had to sort out my own XT, Yamaha Australia realy did nothing. Tell them you want the 01 ECU & the TPS that has a A2 stamped on it. I have both these fitted to my 2004 XT & it is now fixed.
Yamaha Australia offer a remapped 00 with a white paint dot on the ECU. I refused the ECU & demanded a 01 ECU for my 2004 XTX. I got it in the end.

And what will be my next bike next year, O yes a new XT660X.

PMSL :rotf[1]:

Here I go again :suicide[1]:

:blahblah: I t's not recommendable to discuss other people's tastes. If everybody would like XT then no other bike would exist. I agree that XT is great bike, especially new 2007 model with modifications and improvements. If someone doesn't like that kind of bike it's useless to present it to them, they would never like it. And you, Bongoman, you said that you are some expert for something?for what? experts doesn't talk this way. Too much subjectivity mate. maybe xt is a bad joke for you, but for majority people here it's not.
I think it would be the best if everybody would ride their bikes or formulas and stay away from this kind of discussions. Let everybody drives what they like.respect! or �iiiivio.
:la:

It's an open discussion, everyone is entitled to their opinion, please do not turn this into an argument, thanks :catfight: :soapbox:

:toothy1::Suspicious_DXD5FP::angel9::bounce016::ju mping0006::D:guitar player::grouphug5::thumbsup[1]:

well i have checked all fuel injection components one by one and they all read ok, the ecu was changed from the 00 ending to the 01 ending made no real difference, the tps as per recall was also changed that made no difference the bike came with a brand new set of staintune pipes wich i took off and replaced with originals and that made no difference either , someone blocked the EGR hose wich unblocked out to original specs,i have played with the c0 adjustement from -10 to 124 and its still not good anywhere,i checked valves clearances as a precautions and they were well within specs.i changed the spark plug,checked high tension lead and caps still no problemo..moving the tps clockwise leans out the bike even more.i have owed the bike for 5 weeks of which yamaha has had if for 3 now...all i have done is with scope of worshop manual instructions,i could change reading from coolant sensor,tps,air temp but then i would be creating 2-3 wrongs to make a right.???yamaha just need to supply every xtx660 owner with the proper mapping simple as that!!!on this particular m/c i cant change really anything but tps position and c0 and that really gives me scope for improving the bike by .00002% and that aint good enough.say if it were on a formula three say an MBE Mugen Honda Engine it would come with the right map From engine manufacturer and the map can be altered infinitly after say giving data back to the engine maker.the he come back and say let lean it out between such and such rev by say 2% and increase advance by .25 of a degree between such and such.here the map is all out and not by very small measurable and changeable parameters but by heaps evrywhere from timing ,to mixture , to all diffrent engines parameters the ecu globally needs to be completely remapped properly.like when i bought this xtx660 i thought it would be way way better then my xt 500 and it is a lot better in the braking and handling departemnt , engine wise , torque wise,flat spot wise it just cannot be compared,i am so hunhappy with it i would be more then happy to let it go for what i paid for and ill even give a brand new set of staintune cans for good measure, i still have my xt 500 and in the supermotard version i might add with the road tyres..i did forget to mention that the bike is running so poorely that with a full tank i do 110 kms that just reflects that i am cranking the throttle open for... nothing just for waste....so to answer your question about fixing the problem i have just followed instructions from yamaha and technically there isnt a problem with the bike evry component is withing specs...so the problem entirely lies with poor mapping , poor design ,and no regard whatsoever for rideability..Please dont take me the wrong way as a winger...but this bike has been hell from day one and the only options to fix it is to bodge it...and i aint bodging it...
i am now just waiting for yamaha to call me (its been 3
weeks) to tell me that its fixed wich is very unlikely i havnt heard any set of positive phone call yet...steff

We are sorry to hear that, I mean it, we are. Though there is the fact that you must be one of the very few unlucky ones which have got a bike with a serious terminal problem. You could sit here and read months worth of posts and you will learn that 80% of people in this forum has had more or less same problems you are having but out of those 80% all of them had the issue rectified either by replacing both ECU and TPS or fitting (accurately) a fuelling device, either a PCIII or a Kev Mod. Yet, so far 2 people could not have that issue resolved for reason beyond our understanding. One was a guy who managed to get a full refund from yamaha bought himself a TDM, moved on.
You are the other one, I hope for you that you achieve the same as this guy, get a refund, buy yourself another bike, and live happily ever after.

Cheers

oi its not that i dont like it . its my dream bike allright but the way its is tuned or should i say untuned makes it unridable, its not a question of taste its just a fact, how would you like to ride "any "bike that stalls unpredictably at roundabouts, at low speed?would you find that personal taste?how about using 10 litres per 100 kms do you find that a matter of taste also?please everyone dont get me wrong i respect what anyone rides to me any rides is a good ride but this particular bike model has a huge problem, taste doesnt come into the equation here.its obvious you did not understand what i am trying to say...if that bike performed properly it would be soo soo sweet...and please so everyone can feel it for themselves i am happy to let anyone from this website test ride the bike if i get it back from Yamaha to see exacltly how it performs.. and by the way it cannot be a question of taste yamaha has had the bike longer then i have!!!!i love it!!!!

I would say there is definately something wrong as your fuel consumption is far more than mine. I got 110 miles until my fuel light came on and I rode my bike absolutely flat out one night.

When speaking to Yamaha UK a couple of days ago I was told that not every bike is the same and sometimes you can get a duffer. Sounds to me that you've got one. You could get 10 XTX's all set up exactly the same, all to spec and they may all run differently. Height from sea level can make a difference as well with the difference in air pressure. There are so many contributing factors to the running of your engine.

Anyway, I hope you get to the bottom of your problems and don't forget to let us all know how you get on. Nobody is snubbing you, we are all very interested.

i will keep you updated.. for sure thank you for your understanding...i can just imagine how good i would be if it was just right......lets face it for an hard core xtist here having brembo's, fuel injection, better suspensions,4 valves,the smaller front wheel the extra front fork travel..should be the best bike in the world.. to me anyway....
steff

xt660x back after getting it back from yamaha factory
 

Got my bike back today from yamaha Australia my yamaha dealer got the bike back and i went to check it out..i took it for a Burn i let it warm up the guy who owned the dealer told me hed been speaking to yamaha and it was fixed and surely enough took it for a ride told me it was great to ride now and all fixed , for good measure told me he has it going at 90 km/h ...
the problem aint at 90 km/h but between 0 to 80 km/h mainly at low speeds..anyway the bike was elegantly fixed . it idles now at 1870 rpm so i guess it wont be stalling anymore!!!!!!! the co at idle i am told has been also fixed its now set at -5 .. yes i am not joking..-5 apparently that was set with a prong in the engine exhaust.. after all what do i know?????????
what a great fix!!!!

So are you a happy bunny now or is that sarcasm in your post?

If it is fixed then good. Hope you enjoy riding it, at last.

Pleased to hear you can now join in with appreciation of what a great little bike this is. In my half-century of riding I haven't had more fun than with this one.

Good Result - one up to Yam + your dealer. :thumbsup[1]:

Scary when claim to be a mechanic, no offence but so... yeah, what exactly do you know, huh? :laughing9: :laughing9: :laughing9:

it is sarcasm...i mean so it doesnt stall they have uped the rpm from 1500 to 1850 .they didnt need the bike for a month to do that did they?i took the bike to a friend who owns a bike shop all up i have travelled 120 kms and it cost me 7500 +400 for tyres and 100 for an air filter.so i aint a happy bunny at all. in fact i am extremely disapointed they does and will not ever run the way it should...and its still under warranty..i get 110 km with on full fuel tank and not going fast at all.

what do i know simple after changing all these bit tps, and ecu made no improvement so what i am saying i got a dud..and whatever i did could not get it to run any better...the scary part yamaha had it for 5 weeks and neither could they..i mean putting the idle up from 1500 to 1870 so it wouldnt stall isnt an elegant fix..is it...i know one thing for sure this bike is very poorely mapped ,has almost no bottom end,in common terms its called a lemon...and as far as claiming top be a mechanic i have done evrything i could and perhaps more then the average guy...i just hope that when you take your bike for service you get a mecanic thats on half as sharp as i am at least when i gave my bike to yamaha no bolts were missing , which is not the case when i got it back...scary it is, i chose to become a motorcycle mechanic cause when i got my bike back the rear brake hadnt been bolted back on,the carby same..and buy the way my team won the asian formula 3 championship in 2005 with one driver ,1 engineer and 1 mechanic(me).so i sincerely hope you get someone whoi looks after you and thats cost effective...scary it it..

Well we are very happy your bike is back and performing well, this is what all these bikes should behave like, enjoy it and let us know how you get on :smilies0944:

"carby"??????? mine has got fuel injection, are you sure you are not on the :wrongforum:

oops... another blooper go to :smilies0211: no pass go!!

:rankn-cpo: :043:

So thats that 1 sorted then, im glad everyones happy now.
Its Strange, if a bike had given me that much grief, i would have got rid of by now. Or is it just a case of being happy when you are moaning. Theres nothing wrong with that, my dads a moaner.
Im intreged at your patence. Hope you get it sorted soon anyway, cant take much more abuse.:runaway:

my xt 500 has a carby so did my xt 500 and my xtz 750..only the xt660x has fuel injection...

i had to get rid of it .. i am still riding my xt 500 at the moment has no flatspots idles perfectly at 1250 rpm and use half as much petrol . the only thing on the xt 500 that would be awesome would be Brakes!!!!

Playstation or Nintendo?

http://www.asianf3.net/article/articleview/142/1/12/