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Best year for used?

2K views 9 replies 7 participants last post by  Applepie 
#1 ·
I've been going back and forth between the KLR and the Wee, finally deciding on the we as I'll be 90% road, if not more. I most likely can't get a brand new one..

So what year should I be looking at? I realize that the new ones haven't changed since introduction, but am unsure about the early ones. What mileage should be good? I've been riding off and on for 16 years, but finally decided to get bak into it for good and figured the wee would be a great re-start.
 
#2 ·
There will be defenders of all the model-years. Plenty of good history for all of them, it seems to me.

I myself looked (last year) for '07 and newer to get the 2-plugs per cylinder.

Some (newer) years (just guessing maybe some of the '07s and newer) have ABS.

I myself would look again for '07 and newer, especially since even '07s are now about 6 years old.

Good luck.
 
#3 ·
DL650 Through the Years! shows changes up to 2009(up to 2011 is the same as 2009). Properly maintained Wees commonly get 6 figures in mileage. A maintenance history is more important to me than mileage.
 
#6 · (Edited)
I just read a comparison test in the April 2013 issue of Cycle World magazine. It included the KLR650, and says the wet weight of the KLR is 474 lbs! That means a KLR650 now weighs as much as a V-Strom 650! That was a real eye-opener.

So... tell me... why would anyone get a KLR650? Is it so they can have a bike with half the power of a V-Strom that weighs the same and gets the same gas mileage? Maybe they prefer the wonderful cold-starting issues of having a carburetor instead of fuel injection? Really; what is it? Ignorance of the specs? Memories of when the KLR weighed much less (2007 or older)?
 
#8 · (Edited)
So... tell me... why would anyone get a KLR650? Is it so they can have a bike with half the power of a V-Strom that weighs the same and gets the same gas mileage? Maybe they prefer the wonderful cold-starting issues of having a carburetor instead of fuel injection? Really; what is it? Ignorance of the specs? Memories of when the KLR weighed much less (2007 or older)?
Own an 06 Vee and an 09 KLR. Spend the majority of my time on the Strom. Might not be the case if I were located in area with more off pavement opportunities (NW Akansas comes to mind). Current issue of Cycle World has an "Armageddon comparo" which include high $$ bikes along with the KLR. Guess which one came out on top. :yesnod: As for OP, lot of good advice already provided.
 
#7 ·
Ive got an 08 klr and an 07 wee. Klr is great around town and seems much more capable off-road (though mines not set up as such). Klr is also dirt cheap for parts and has been around for 2 decades.
Wee is a much nicer over-the-road bike. Its more powerful and more complicated, but better mannered on pavement.
Both bikes have given me excellent service over the past few years. The klr was awesome around the town where i went to college, but the wee is the main saddle now that ive got a 40 mile round trip to work. Both bikes get me between 49 and 55 mpg, though the klr seems to get about 1-2 mpg better :thumbup:
 
#9 · (Edited)
I have literally hundreds of kilometres of dirt trails, off-road areas and FSR's on my island, that's why I was looking at a more offroad bike originally. But then I thought about the local riders who run KTM and Husky's more than anything..fast and light. And that my wife would kill me if I went out alone, granted she is right, solo is a bad idea.

Pretty sure the wee is the way to go despite a bit more complicated engine.. That's what service shops are there eh?
 
#10 ·
I say if you want a more dirt-capable bike than the Wee that can still keep up with any traffic on the road, get the DR650.

Had a pre-2008 KLR650 for 8 years before I discovered the DR650. The DR is 100 lbs lighter than the 2008 or newer KLR, thus much easier to handle in the dirt. It's also a smoother and much simpler engine, with a reputation for bulletproof reliability.
 
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