Why does the KLR engine suck in HP

This thread has been interesting to say the least.

I have owned 4 KLR's, my 2011 runs really good. I love them all. I have owned a few KTM's, one Husky, ummm,
yea a few motorcycles. I am mostly a dirt bike rider however, and the KLR is just a big ole comfortable bike, that
I can ride in comfort for miles of dirt roads, and less traveled roads. It is perfect for me for that purpose. I have other bikes which I ride alot more to take care of the whoops, sand, hills, roots, rocks, coyotes, cactus, .....

But what really freaks me out about this photo is I may have that same Cross Roads Cruiser fifth wheel?
And I have that same "life is good" tee shirt! :eek1

Now that is totally "off the grid".

Yes because all the real ADVRiders are annoyed at all the KLR owners complaining about how their bikes can't handle MX track type terrain. You're a complete fucking moron if you think any significant portion of KLR owners believe their bikes should be able to do table tops.

Ha ha nice description of the seat...,

Sent from my ARCHOS 80G9 using Tapatalk 2

That is because there are two types of KTM dealers:

Level I: the dirt bike only dealer
Level II: the full line dealer, which includes the street bikes

I believe the street line dealer has to be accredited to carry the full line of KTM bikes and has to send it's mechanics to the KTM school for certification.

Nice backpedaling job with that Nuke.

Maybe they WOULD sell a lot more if they were crappy.

You be the judge: is Off the grid a orange kool-aid drinking KLR hating troll?

1^st post in this thread:

Stephen King could foreshadow this twisted tale any better...

2^nd post:

How many RFS engines have gone even 30k miles without replacing a single thing in the motor (or as KTM owners love to call it, "preventative maintenance" )? The "KLR miles check-in" thread and the disproportionate number of KTM horror stories to number of KTMs out there makes this troll's beliefs obvious for what they are, complete BS Obviously if you want an orange single with long-term maintenance even remotely comparable to a KLR, you're going to have to look for a LC4 and even owners of those bikes seem to do a lot of "preventative maintenance". But we all know the Euro bikes are dominating the dual sport market with their extremely high sales numbers somehow compared to the well established and going-nowhere Jap dual sport offerings, right!? What a joke. What he's trying to say here is "I'm an orange troll and my obsessions project outward and alter my perceptions of the market place such that they don't reflect reality at all".

His third post in this thread fell into rank like clockwork orange (pun intended):

His fourth post was another solid contribution to KTM egomania:

To think, all those satisfied big bore Stage II KLR owners are actually insane!?

Then he finally came all the way out from under the bridge with his 5th post:

6th post:

I wonder how many other KTM owners would dare describe their bikes as "tractor-like" if not simply for the fact that they wouldn't risk tainting their egos with any phrase that is so plainly associated with the KLR more so than any other bike out there. Such warped perception can only be explained by the presumption that Off the grid must live under a bridge in another universe. Every KTM owner that reads his "tractor-like" KTM description is distancing themselves from this troll.

Sorry for the long post. It's practically takes a good trolling to respond to a good trolling.

I nuked before I knew I had been quoted. I felt so Juvenile

Seemed like good mods to me. But I do more travel then running around the OHV park.

I like my KLR... even if it is underpowered.

I know 2 Class A riders that I used to ride with in the NorthEast with 20k and 30k on their 02 520s that they purchased new in 02. Both are still on their original top ends. The 30k bike needed new intake valves. These are not slow riders like me, mind you, these guys flog their bikes mercilessly.

The bottom line is that almost everyone starts out in the dirt on a Japanese bike because that's what we grew up on, what we knew.

The game has changed. Euro bikes, and more specifically KTM, absolutely dominates the dual sport/enduro market.

Myself and 90% of the people I ride with started out the same....on XRRs, DRZs, etc and moved to KTM RFS bikes, Huskys, etc.

That's the evolution of the sport. Of the equipment. It's not debatable or open to my personal interpretation. It's fact. The Euros are currently producing much better bikes, and have been for over a decade now.

If you think otherwise, you are a Unabomber-esque recluse that rides an XR400 alone through fire roads. Because anyone that attends an organized ride, event, or ADV meet will see this.

Mind you, I have absolutely no issue with those that want to cling so desperately to the "old way" of heavy, antiquated Japanese bikes with teeth-rattling suspension and dangerous brakes.

Hell, I have zero brand loyalty. If the big 4 out East would put out something comparable, I would consider it, but they haven't. And won't. It's not in their corporate plan, and never was.

Lastly, understand that to me, it's just a hunk of fucking metal. Metal, rubber, plastic and fluids. It's not an image, or part of who I am. I want the best tool for the job, like many other people.

Why do I go out of my way to educate people? Because people DO buy KLRs and think they are going to ride cross-country and climb 20 degree hills without limitations. People tend to promote their brand like it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. I wouldn't recommend a Euro bike to a dirt n00b, and never have. But I certainly would not push a 360lb XR650L for someone who has dirt experience and is looking for a bike to do "20% road/80% dirt".

That happens here. More than you know.

Thus, education.

PS: If you are trying to get a rise out of me, you are going to have a do a shitload better than that, Scooter. I'm not new to ADV, and I'm certainly not new to the internet. Don't waste your time.

Ill give ya the seat, all mine have been swapped for aftermarket. Butt, thats nothing new for any bike

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It's been around a fair while. One of the differences to the KLR is that is has been constantly refined, and then finally completely superseded by the 690.

For those that haven't seen this before, enjoy! Typical Aussie wind-up.

If anyone bought a KLR thinking it's the latest and greatest flier then they didn't do any research at all.

I bought mine as a gravel-road bike although it's done some 1,000-mile days and I dropped it yesterday on some single-track that I'm sure other bikes would have cleared.

If I wanted to replace it with something that has better power-to-weight ratio, I'd still probably go Japanese. I'm not going 3-hours each way to Norway for KTM parts or even farther for the other European brands. I can get parts for any Japanese bike fairly close to home and in many rural areas.

I don't see anyone saying the KLR is the latest and greatest. I don't need the latest or greatest and many others don't either.

I have a visitor, I'm bailing out now.

EDIT: Back from having a visitor. There will always be a latest, greatest, fastest, and lightest. Get one and there will be different latest greatest. Declining to pursue that does not make anyone a "Unabomber-esque recluse"

I would love to have this lc4, anybody know what it weighed? I have the light years 88-90 xr600r...but I would agree better off the showroom floor

however anybody know what these cost new versus the xr600 back in the day? the question always remains the same

$$$ vs. performance

cheers

That is fully cool!!! Great ad.


In 1991 I had never even heard of a KTM, they didn't exist in my world.

I'm right there with ya, mate.

I'm older than spit, ride like old people have sex....slow and sloppy.

And that rig isn't mine. It's a buddies. I might mooch a sleeping spot, (beats a tent when it's 40degrees at night) but this is how I show up to rides/events/rallies....

I will tell ya what..... I paid $1500 for my KLR. I spent a fair bit of money building it up. I think I am now totally into it about $6K with motor, suspension, and fairing, total. I can strip it to nuts and bolts on the side of the trail if I need to. I am still into it less than a comparable KTM would cost me. I ride almost every day, when it is not snowing, I ride the dirt and gravel roads of Montana extensively, and I ride single track now with my buddies on KTM 450 trail bikes. I am not nearly as fast, but every time they wait at the top of something help me, and plow right through while they collect their jaws off the ground.

No, my bike isn't a KTM, but it was cheaper to build, is simple to work on, and has NEVER failed me, even when I have screwed up mechanically. Comparing it to a KTM is silly. With a 705 kit, headwork, and some other tweaks, it is one helluva bike. And my butt dyno confirms it has more than enough oomph to get me in trouble.

Bullshit.

I have under $7000 into my 950. Including driving to SLC from Ft.Worth to get it, purchased OCT 2010.

I have $5500 or so into my 2004 525exc including the 540cc kit and dualsport kit. And i bought it in 2008.

Take it shittilly if you want, but you're exactly the guy that perpetuates this crap. Both of these bikes are designed and intended to strip to the frame if needed with not much more than the included tool kit. I've never worked on anything less user-friendly than Kawasaki motorcycles. And I've built everything from backyard gokarts to 3,000hp drag cars and everything inbetween including time as a Lexus Master technician and ALMS car chief. Even the GS is easier to perform regular maintenance on.

Its a free country, but saying you have FAR LESS money in your heavily modded tractor is a flat out lie.

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Wrong. Regular maintenance on a KLR is a one hour valve adjustment, GS is a 16 hour spline lube.

Quality thread guys,i've been checking but only got as far as the 2nd/3rd page, needless to say i missed the cat fights between klr owners and the ktm owners, having just caught up while having tea i can say it;'s been one of the best films i've ever seen, abuse/terror/hilarity/sadness and that was just the ktm owners, gentlemen i salute you.

Wow, yay for you. I looked. I work on all kinds of vehicles too. I said comparing them was foolish. I only compared costs of what I built compared to what I could find. I never said anything else about your precious KTM. In fact, I like them a lot. Just not in my budget.

I am not here to argue. Have a nice day.

It must be hard going through life being so angry all the time.