I'd love to ask for personal opinions and comparisons between the two bikes, from those who have had good or bad experiences with either, preferably both or even better yet, comparisons of these bikes with KLR's . I don't want to start a war though, so I'll just ask can anybody direct me to a thread where this has been discussed before, as I'm certain it musta been ! Thanks heaps in advance.
Hi. I guess I have to be honest and say most of my riding has been and probably will continue to be 'commuting' ! I wish it was a little more exciting than that, but that's the truth. I'm on KLR now and it is doing the job without even raising a sweat. Truth be told, it's a great bike, has never let me down, is a pleasure to ride and own and is most likely more than capable to do more than I'll ever ask it to do. None of that changes the fact tho that I have a real thing for the 'other two' ! I've read lots of stuff comparing either the Dakar or the 640 to the KLR and my take on it is that it literally comes down to the individual. There's pros and cons, strengths and weaknesses for all concerned. At the risk of sounding like a spoilt brat, I can't help but think the KLR doesn't have the wow factor of the other two and I think that is what is 'constantly' in the back of my mind. As I said, the KLR is great and I truly don't have a bad word for it, it's just that (without knowing for sure) I can't help but think I'm riding the '2nd best bike' around. I feel like I should be lying on the couch for this !!
640 is totally unsuited for "commuting" its an uncomfortable highly vibrating wery off road biased machine...its great bike but not for that situation.. 650dakar is much more softer comfy better milage much better on pavement and more practical.....if i had to decide between two dakar will be the choice..BUT i had a 650GS for werry long time and i recently bought a Dakar version...a 650GS is a great all rounder, and much much better than both for commuting and around the town riding...its still great in fire roads and you can still take it to off road riding..i'd say buy a non dakar GS.. Dakar is less stable, and has less maneurablity in pavement
Maybe a minor point, nothing to do with performance, but if you are on the tall side the Dakar might suit you better. A friend on the tall side of 6' with a Dakar tried my 640 ADV for size and he felt it didn't fit him too well, particularly in terms of leg length. I haven't checked the measurements, but it certainly looked that way.
Try doing a search. There is much ground that's already been covered, and after you've looked at that you'll be prepared to ask more specific questions. Still, I'll summarize what you'll find. F650 is ok on the road, but is the best off-road. KLR is second best on road, and is still very good offroad. The KTM is a pretty bike best used for cruising the streets, but don't get it offroad. And BTW, the KLR has a huge aftermarket, which means that you can spend lots of money on mods, which will demonstrate to the world that you have money and are willing to spend it on the most cutting edge bike to be built in the last 20 years. I hope that helps.
I wrote some stuff about this a while ago http://www.advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4128354&postcount=27
Thanks for the input guys. As suggested, I've had a better look through some old threads, including the ones some of you put links to ( ). I've got the KLR for sale at the moment, but I would be just as happy for it not to be sold and I guess that should tell me something. Still, I got it for a great price, so I have a bit of room to move. After lots of reading, I think it'll come down to the KLR or the Dakar/GS650. The smart money says I probably couldn't go too far wrong with either, it's just up to me to make a decision. Thanks again comrades.
Just thought of another (more appropriate ?) name for my thread - "Does anyone have a Dakar or a 640 purely as a commuter ? If so, tell me your experiences, good and bad ! Cheers all.
I recently had to make a similar choice when I wanted to upgrade from my XT600 Tenere. It was just getting too old. I went with the Dakar because I though I'd get more for my (little bit more) money . Maybe not the suspension, but most other things. ABS (which can be turned off and doesn't kill you brakes when you fry your electrics Charlie), heated grips, FI, very low centre of gravity (make this 40 or so kg heavier then the Tenere feel lighter) killer looks (you mentioned the "wow" factor. KTM looks great from the side, just don't look at the front), comfy seat, strong electrics, plenty of gear available, etc. The basis of the KTM is better, but by the time you feel ready to explore it's full potential on trails, you're on the 450 territory (well in Australia anyway). I had to conclude that 650's are a bit big for proper trail riding so a single bike wouldn't do all. The Dakar is all about getting to the dirt comfortably and then turn off the ABS and rip it up on the single or dual tracks or beaches. Hose it off at home, and go to work on it that Monday. When you want to progress, buy and sell a cheap 250 or 450 I reckon, and give that a beating avoiding trees. Hate to smash up a AU$15k bike which ever make it is. That's why the Japs make bikes. I've got 2 before they're going out of sales, that I'm preparing to take overseas.
I'm using my Dakar mostly for commuting. And do weekend off-road rides and holiday 2-up trips. If you are not too tall GS would be better for commuting. Dakar suspention is too long and soft for city traffic. I also trashed it off-road and it holds pretty good but I wouldn't reccomend that - it hurts your feelings
The F650 is like the hot chick at the bar that looks like all the other hot chicks at the bar, but is boring like all the hot chicks at the bar. The 640R is like the almost as hot chick at the bar that likes the music you like too.