That is exactly what I heard!

All I know it that my XR650L has 8K on it and is just starting to break in!

i would rather have a 450X turned into a street legal motard 450...call it the 450SMX...has a ring huh?

paulklx250 said:

I have read of a few instances of worn out splines on the CS. I have read of more instances of worn out CS splines on bullet proof 650ls.

Two stroke KTMs on the road are rough on the splines without a doubt but still last a long time and are easy to swap.

I think/fear companies read threads like this looking to justify the path of least resistance & then bring forth turds like the CRF230...it is what they want, kinda, at least it is air cooled!!!

Would you rather change a WP seal ev ery few years or live with 24 HP??? Mine needed one too, after 6 years of racing/trailing & street riding. That engine is a rock. Antifreeze leak or not, LOL.

I have over 45,000 dualsporting miles on my 2001 ktm 520 mxc (close ratio 6 speed). The top end was done 30,000 miles ago. It performed flawlessly and got me a finisher plaque last saturday on the Big Bear trail riders 186 mile dualsport extreme trail ride.
I ride 10,000 dualsport miles a year from tight colorado singletrack to open desert to occasional sections of freeway.
I adjust valves once a year whether they need it or not and change oil every 500 to 1000 miles. Bike still runs strong and is a mellow torque monster in the tight technical singletrack.
This bike replaced my dualsported xr-600. There is no comparison and I would never go back to an air cooled overweight pig like that.
The people that think ktms are a delicate high maintenance machine are severely misinformed rumor mongers

Guess that kinda puts a period on the sentance, thread, topic, lol.

[quote name='jjm525']I think/fear companies read threads like this looking to justify the path of least resistance & then bring forth turds like the CRF230...it is what they want, kinda, at least it is air cooled!!![/QUOTE I know....whats up with Honda?..I was allways a Honda man till i wanted to buy a DS.....not much of a choice there!

I'm a happy camper for $4,400 and $400 into pipe, jetting ,air box mods and gearing changes. Top speed onthe highway is about 80 with it geared down.But it really shines off road and I wll take it anywhere my KDX would go.This bike was disappointing in stock form just whittle away at the mods and you've got an inexpensive and reliable bike.

shultsy said:

It doesn't get any better than that! I love my klx:banana:

firffighter said:

Hard to get one bike to do everything you laid out above.

I liked this post, kind of says it all:

jjm525 said:

First off, stricter emissions are a reality we will not escape .... unless you move to Mexico!
Over all over the years the Japanese have done a great job. And now companies like KTM and Husky are doing even better.

I pick a bike for the ride. I would never expect a bike to be able to do ALL kinds of riding! Just ain't gonna happen.
As a kid I could put up with a lot and "ride around" bike deficiencies pretty well. At age 14 me and my buddy rode our Honda 50's all
over N. Baja looking for Surf spot and camping out. Later, rode all the way down (in the 1960's) before the road was even finished, on
a Honda CL175. These were do it all bikes. But as I've gotten older and slower and more spoiled, I find a need THE RIGHT BIKE FOR THE RIDE!

I used to have lots of bikes. Can't afford them any more. I've narrowed down to just three. For what I do with bikes,
this is the minimum ... for me!

Single track, technical stuff: WR250F

Dual Sport/some Baja adventure touring, and even long road trips: DR650

Sport touring/ Adventure touring: Triumph Tiger 1050

Of the three the DR650 is easily the most versatile. I've done two Baja trips on the DR where I rode the
bike from San Francisco to Mexico, did 2000 more miles in Baja, then rode back. Last day, 1000 miles
from Guerrero Negro to San Fran in one go. Only stopping for gas/food/bathroom. Try that on a 530 KTM !!
Rode the DR out to Moab. Did 500 miles off road, then road all over Colorado's mountains and back
to San Francisco. About 4000 miles in 4 weeks, about 1000 miles off road in total.

The WR250F makes life easy for me in technical riding ... but I wish I had bought a 450 instead. I bought
the 250 because I thought the 450 would tire me out. Not true. The 250 turns better but the 450 torque
makes life easier in tough up hills. On the 250F I have to hit these sections hard and aggressive.
Some days, I'm just not good enough any more. (retired AMA B enduro rider)

The Tiger is just the latest in my long string of fast sport touring bikes I've had for over 20 years. Ninja's (five),
VFR Hondas (2), Vstrom's (2), Tiger's 2 before this one.

The new Tiger is wonderful and perfect for rides I do with my street riding buddies on GS's, KTM 990's,
and various other Hooligan machines. The Tiger fits right in for doing those 700 mile days.

54321 said:

1000 miles in one go on a 650 thumper?! You are a SAVAGE!

msm650 said:

I know, crazy son of a bitch, I know. But it was an emergency ... my Dog was very ill and I wanted to be there. I didn't make it.
She died a few hours before I got home. Did my best.

Funnily enough, on the ride back from Colorado, my 3 rd day started in Knabb, Utah. I rode through Arizona (very hot), into Vegas, on through Death Valley in 118f temps and up to Bridgeport, CA. Camped there. About 750 miles in all.

Sometimes you just kind of get into the Zone! Can't explain it. But my Corbin seat makes it all possible. Just amazing. I did not eat much but drank water (Camel Back) continuously. I could have stopped at any time, but for some reason, just felt like riding. It was a LONG LONG day. I left Knabb about 7am after GOOD coffee. Took many breaks for stretching and relaxing. Arrived in Bridgeport
at 10:30 PM. Long day.


DR650 On the road .... Burr Trail, Utah.

jjm525 said:

I love my "turd" CRF230 with Works shock. Went out today on 40 mile single track ride. Two KTMs & XR400 upside down in creek, two CRF230s just rode across. My friend said we should stop laughing, we were on cheater bikes. Oh yes I had chain saw on Motobillet rear rack and back pack with gas and oil.

Also love my TE610 off trails.

Countdown said:

I think what jjm meant was that Honda could do much better than the 230,which was actually my first choice when i was shopping,it fit me nice,looked nice too!,,,was gonna buy it till i saw the klx...I think what it all boils down to is what bike fits YOU best for your type of ridding and skill level..... one size does not fit all for sure.

I'm sure a Rokon would suit what you were doing just dandy on that trip. As would a Chinese copy of a XL125... The CRF230 is just a few clicks less advanced than a few XR200Rs from waaaaaaay back in the day. Wasn't 1984 the "hot" one???

As an appliance I'm sure it is wonderful. If I needed a bike to mend fence or herd goats it would be considered, I guess??? I'd rather be crashing my EXC than puttering a 230 anyday.

If you had to choose between the 610 and the 230, the 610 can do far more, including utilitarian chores. The 230 could never do what the TE is capable of in terms of performance, speed, etc. I missed the memo that it was "better" than an XR400? Not by my measures & I don't regard the 400 too highly...

Seems Honda has the tools & probably even builds the bike, (but won't bother to import it here), that could compete with a 610. I can't see the 230 as a real threat in the DS world in 2009.

I'd like to see more street machines between 300 and 600 ccs in various engine configurations, right now, you can find 250 singles and twins, 500 singles twins and 650 twins. 550+ you get inline fours (with a few DS singles).
All I want is something aa little peppier than a 250 (I'd like some go when I'm doing 75, not just a very slight acceleration) but under 500 so I don't have to pay so damn much for insurance. It's a commuter bike, $25 less per year buys two or three tanks of gas.
If I'm lucky, I can find a pre-1985 machine in that class, but not much modern stuff and when is available is super rare.
Nobody makes it cause there's not enough demand.
Pick a manufacturer who makes what you want in another country. Get all your buddies both on TT and in person to write the manufacturer to import that here. You might see it in a couple years. Otherwise, it ain't gonna happen unless you import it yourself. Think Tecate. In fact, that might be up your alley, if you're willing to ship it from the UK/Europe to the US.

There would be nothing wrong with a 499cc SOHC 4 valve thumper with a

W I D E ratio 6 speed at or below 300 lbs. The Husky is the closest thing at 570cc.

firffighter said:

The DRZ 400S is very capable and underated.

hey,we can allways build our own right?