Hi everyone, hope this is an appropriate section to post this very wide ranging question.


Ive been reading the forum over the past few days since deciding to get an 'adventure' bike. Ive been riding for a fair few years, sportsbikes, cruisers, muscle bikes etc and recently got into greenlaning.


My first dirtbike was a KTM400 exc, a machine I both loved and loathed in equal measures. It was way too much machine for me, way too fast and eager, but it got me into offroading. I sold it and bought a little CRF250l (from KTM, the irony) which is a fantastic little bike and perfect for the greenlaning and offroading I do with my wife (whos on an xt125r).


I took a KTM 1190 Adventure for a test ride and is probably the most accomplished bike I have ever ridden. Close to perfect, but since riding the crf Im under no illusions that I could ever take something that large and heavy on any serious adventure. Ive seen videos of Chris Birch on the new 1090 doing ridiculous things in places I probably couldnt even walk to. But that sort of riding is beyond my skill. And bank balance. Also I love the thought of having a 690 enduro or 990 adventure, but the constant attention my EXC needed has put me off KTM (even the 1190 I took out for a test ride had been sent back to KTM, TWICE, for an engine rebuild then swap). In fact the most reliable thing I got from KTM was my Honda (and the mug they gave me, infact, thanks to KTM in Braintree, nice bunch of lads).



So looking around has brought me to the xt660. I commute about 15-20 miles every day, and would very much like to switch to the bike for that, easy, sweeping A roads, no major traffic, little bit of town riding and rural routes. I love the dakar look, the xt660z to me looks brilliant.


The reason Im also drawn to the 660r is price. Already since looking Ive seen several low milage ones well under 3k. Thats pretty much my budget, funded by the sale of my Daytona 955i, which is simply too small for me now. I could buy an r, upgrade the suspension (as much as I would love to go usd, for the looks, I think ill go the emulator route. I have them on my vl1500 and they are very impressive), fart about with the engine and such, exhaust etc. Thing is Id really, really like something with a dakar look. The OTR fairing is close. Ive seen a few guys on here with what look like 990 adventure style fairings that look the nuts, but while Im good with the spanners and have access to some machining, Im no fabricator or welder, and wouldnt know where to start with that. Ive seen the r is a bit lighter than the z, but I wonder how much of a difference there would be after a rally fairing and large tank etc...



Im also not kidding myself that in reality the probability of me going on 'adventures' is pretty small, but to climb onto something like the z or a rallied up r and pretend would be good enough for me. Id probably end up going down some of the easier green lanes locally on it, infact one of our little group often comes on his xt600 which is astonishing to watch.



So Im asking which one would you advise I go for. The r, which is considerably cheaper for the milage, and spend the rest of the budget on bits or wait and go for the z?


Any and all help greatfully received,

Regards,
J