Perfect Bike for On - Off Road Touring

[bsacbob]

With the forthcoming release of the BMW 800 GS and hopefully the Kawasaki KLR 650 later this year, what would you consider the best all round play thing for Asia, most of us have laid down a bike on some occasion especially off road riding when weight becomes a major factor.

So what would you consider the perfect do it all machine Below are some claimed WET weights of likely suspects.



Honda CRF250L 147kg


KLX 250S 135 kg


Yamaha WR 250F 133 kg


BMX 800 GS 207 kg


Kawasaki KLR 650 194 kg


KTM 990 242 kg

KTM 1190 250 kg

 

[KTMphil]

You should do the wet weight with the same amount of fuel in each bike (or at least the same range of fuel in each bike)? You are penalized for having big fuel capacity on this basis.




If I have a 40 liter Safari tank addition, specific gravity of gasoline is 0.73, "wet" that will add 30 kg to the "wet" weight.



There's an old thread here too:


http://www.rideasia.net/motorcycle-forum/bike-talk/1289-adventure-bike-choices-south-east-asia.html

 

[bsacbob]

I did say claimed

 

[KTMphil]

I did say claimed

Never been a fan of the wet weight

 

[The Bigfella]

I guess that the off-road inclusion means that the on-road bikes aren't really in the equation.

Best? Wet weight? Supposedly 118 kg

 

[KTMphil]

Even lighter with the engine out for rebuild every 10 hours???

I guess that the off-road inclusion means that the on-road bikes aren't really in the equation.

Best? Wet weight? Supposedly 118 kg

 

[The Bigfella]

Even lighter with the engine out for rebuild every 10 hours???

Now that's a tad unfair. That bike's got about 770 hours on it now... and at the risk of me having my recent warranty claim denied, I probably should admit that running it , albeit for only 15 minutes or so, with a belly full of water might, just might, have contributed to the current minor works. Incidentally, I just got the invoice for the repairs. $1,044... which includes new piston, conrod, bearings and cylinder plating. I was pleasantly surprised.

 

[KTMphil]

Do that 3x and you have a free CRF 250 L

Now that's a tad unfair. That bike's got about 770 hours on it now... and at the risk of me having my recent warranty claim denied, I probably should admit that running it , albeit for only 15 minutes or so, with a belly full of water might, just might, have contributed to the current minor works. Incidentally, I just got the invoice for the repairs. $1,044... which includes new piston, conrod, bearings and cylinder plating. I was pleasantly surprised.

That bike's got about 770 hours on it now.

It spent 2 years in bits?

 

[bsacbob]

The actually weight of a bike is alway's difficult to determine since dry weights generally exclude all fluids inc fork and engine oil's, since all bikes differ in fork and oil capacity and other liquids it very hard to make exact kg comparisons on the readily available bikes in Thailand. But suffice to say i would rather be pulling up a KLX after a long day in the mud over 800 GS

 

[The Bigfella]

Do that 3x and you have a free CRF 250 L










It spent 2 years in bits?

The Honda has its own issues... chief among them being a distinct lack of power... but at least the subframe is weldable, for when it breaks





They'd be Ed's photos, btw

... and I'd rather have a bike in bits occasionally, rather than a garage queen :F

 

[KTMphil]

Did you see what he was carrying!!

 

[The Bigfella]

Did you see what he was carrying!!

I did indeed. I believe he owes me a couple of bottles of fine wine as a result of a bet.

.... but we digress

Any votes for the KTM 690?

 

[bsacbob]

At 139kg exc fuel it's up there with the KLX but three times the price and not available in LOS i believe.

 

[The Bigfella]

Yes, just reflecting on picking up heavy bikes.









That second one would be Phil's photo.

Can I point out that the significantly lighter Super Enduro is rubber side down in both photos?

 

[KTMphil]

Smooth tires didn't help the situation

 

[KTMphil]

& long legs are a huge advantage.

 

[The Bigfella]

& long legs are a huge advantage.

That's similar to something the ladies say....

As for the bikes, its picking them up that hurts