Bennington Triumph Bash

My son has 1 riding season behind him on the KLR250. He is looking to upgrade and has it down to either the KLR650 or VStrom 650. He is interested in more street riding but would like to do dirt on occasion. He's 6'3", about 190 lbs. So which way to go?

I love the KLR

For more dirt and harder trails the KLR rocks, for long ass rides the Wee- Strom is a very capable weapon

Tito


Ton Up!

Hi Tito,
How's the weestrom on the dirt? OK for hardpack trails?
Anyway, you have a Merry Christmas.
Matt

The Wee Strom is incredible, I have taken mine on some pretty nasty 4 wheel drive only roads, it was a lot of work but it made it, the KLR would had done better. On dirt roads not a problem, I also ride my Speed Triple on dirt and break the Ton in dirt every now and then.


Tito


Ton Up!

If the dirt he'll be riding is limited to dirt roads, the Wee-Strom will do fine. But on any sort of single-track, it would be a major handful. Also, the suspension isn't really up to riding really rough dirt roads. And the cast wheels are easily damaged if he hits a large rock or pothole. (Example: when I rode the Trans-Labrador Highway in September, one of the guys with me dented the front rim of his R1200GS in a pothole and damaged it so badly that the tire's bead would no longer seal in the air. We had to install a tube. By all accounts Strom wheels are even more easily damaged than the GS ones.)

The KLR would be a fair amount better on dirt, but not nearly as good as the Strom for long-distance touring on pavement. And it's not really that great in the dirt either, to be honest -- not nearly as good as a Honda XR650L or BMW G650 Xchallenge, let alone a Husqvarna TE610.

Since he's already got a KLR250, my advice would be for him to keep it and add a Wee-Strom. That way he can use the 250 when he wants to go ride rougher dirt stuff, and the Strom for long pavement rides and dirt roads.

--mark

He has to sell the KLR or he can't afford another bike. I might buy a Honda XR650 type or KLR 650 myself for both of us to share.

Lurker here with some advice
I had both a Wee-strom and 2 KLR's.
Good bikes but-
Look closer at the wee if there is lots of slab riding to be done. 6 spd is nice and the ergs are comfortable. The fuel injection worked slick on mine and I had no real issues with the bike other than the instrument cluster (fuel gauge) buggering up.
The KLR is solid and reliable. Great for dirt roads and the occasional foray off road. I hated it on the highway. I got caught up in a lot of wind on a ride to Montreal and felt like I had no control over the front end. A big plus is cheap parts when it does go down in the dirt. The wee- not so cheap- trust me.
The wee was a 2005 model (brand new) and the KLR's were 2002 (new) and a used 2005 sold this year.
Oh I sold the Wee 'cause I couldnt stand looking at it- well one of the reasons(I ended up with a Bonnie 2001)

Geez Glen, did you steal your bike back when I wasn't looking? Even more impressive since it's cryo-sealed in my shed and not even I can access for a while .

How's the hack coming along? Dreaming of Triumph again? No, you can't have it back.

I was wondering when Id hear from ya!.
Nah the T is safely ensconced in that beauty garage out w'Boro way... I have a semi reconditioned velorex and a very scared Honda 185 next to it (nah, I wont hitch that poor thing to it)
Actually they should have company as I should have a 10 Kilo coffee roaster and all the junk chugging away in the garage pretty soon so everything will smell like Starbucks (god help us)

Actually, if I can swing it, I may go the Enfield way. If I cant swing that, it'll be any "cheap" bike that can haul the hack- albeit with the cafe' treatment (excuse the pun).. Truth be told, that Bonnie is missed.. Damn you (hahaha!)

What mischevous stuff do you have planned for the T this winter. (as for me- check out the CMG test of the DN.. I had a hand in it!)

OK now-
Thread thrown back to the OP !