KLR vs WR

[The Yeti]

i'm so sentimental about klr's that i just hate to see one leave the ddsr family.  they are just the perfect bike for the kind of riding we do in the hills (in my humble biased opinion).

Not to crap on Hank's thread OR beat a dead horse (I know I do go on about my bike), but IMHO the WRR is the perfect bike for the riding I do in the hills!  The KLR just feels like a BIG PIG in comparison....sorry.

BTW, this a GREAT deal on a KLR (if you were so inclined)! I owned one, and loved it while I had it, but the one you love most is almost always the current ride.  

[Hank]

The KLR is like a hundred pounds lighter and has much better suspension than the WR, so I can't imagine what the hell you're talking about.

[loingrader]

but IMHO the WRR is the perfect bike for the riding I do in the hills!  The KLR just feels like a BIG PIG in comparison....sorry.

you're right yeti.  the wrr is probably the perfect bike for riding in the hills.  but i wouldn't want to drive one from watertown and  it would be hard to find one for $2k either.

[The Yeti]

You're right, used 08's are still going for around $3500-$4000 depending on farkles....but that is probably comparable to used 08 KLR pricing.  AND, until you ride one down the road, don't diss the WRR's road-ability.    With stock gearing, she'll do 80-85mph all day long, and if you put a windscreen on, I'd dare say more comfortably than any KLR.

[Hank]

But since we're trying to sell a KLR here, lets just talk about how good they are......


split and moved

[loingrader]

ok yeti.  (i love klr debates!)

pack up and ride a bone stock wrr to alaska, ride logging trails, mountain vistas and then ride it back.  then ride a bone stock klr to alaska, ride logging trails, mountain vistas and then ride it back and get back to us on which is better for "dual sporting." 

if i lived in the hills, even though i love the bulletproof, tank like ability of my klr, i would probably get rid of my klr and my kdx (it hurts to even think of it) and get a wrr.  i am so very impressed with those wrr's

the klr argument goes away when cost is not considered, but nice klr's can be had for $2k (mine was $1200) and it's hard to get a better dual sport bike for the money.  until the wrr has shown it's virtues for 20 years (like the klr) i will keep singing the mighty klr's praises.  they just flat out work, and on the cheap.

[Hank]

I have to side with Brett on this one, at least for my type of riding.  
I haven't ridden a WR, but I KNOW it can't have the bottom end grunt of a KLR.   I like bottom end power.   My KLR that is for sale, with the Big Gun exhaust is really a stump puller.  I rode it back to back with Ryan's stock (+ .22 cent mod) and his seemed to have more top end but the low end throttle response and grunt on mine with the pipe is fantastic.

That said, I personally think the DRZ400 is my pick for the riding I do (when combined with my other bikes).

The DRZ has 5-7 more peak hp than the WR, only about 2 less than the KLR and still makes great low end.   It's also nearly as light as the WR.    I'm sure the suspension isn't quite as good as the WR, but its worlds ahead of the KLR.  

For Alaska though, I'd still take the KLR.  I LIKE the mass of the KLR on the road, and its plenty good off road.    

If I could have one, and only one bike, it would be a KLR for where I live.  If I lived in the hills, probably something else.

[loingrader]

If I could have one, and only one bike, it would be a KLR

no matter where i lived, if i was in a situation where i could only afford 1 bike, it would be  a used klr

[Dustin]

I've never ridden a WR so I can't say anything bad. But I do have a KLR and love it! It's the most versatile bike I've ever owned. I have no problems riding down the highway @ 65 all day or taking it on crazy single track stuff in the hills. As far as I'm concerned this is the most fun, cheapest bike that I've ever owned.

[The Yeti]

But since we're trying to sell a KLR here, lets just talk about how good they are......


split and moved

Yeah, sorry 'bout that Hank, thanks for moving it to the appropriate place.  You got your KLR on ADV as well?  Post a link so I can give you a bump or two. 

pack up and ride a bone stock wrr to alaska, ride logging trails, mountain vistas and then ride it back.  then ride a bone stock klr to alaska, ride logging trails, mountain vistas and then ride it back and get back to us on which is better for "dual sporting."

Well, if I was going to Alaska, my dual sport of choice would be a 950A for sure. But if I had to choose between the KLR and the WRR....sorry, the WRR would win for me. More room from seat to pegs (great for us tall folks), less vibes, better mileage, EFI - no carbs to fuss with, better clearance, easier to pick up and stuff doesn't fall off nearly as often. 

I KNOW it can't have the bottom end grunt of a KLR.   I like bottom end power.

Maybe not as much grunt, but with my lower gearing on the WRR, I can almost come to a complete stop in first gear with no clutch. I certainly could never do that on my KLR, but to be fair, it had stock gearing.  When I first got the WRR, I thought that it was lacking in first gear grunt, but I just had to learn how to handle her and now I can get through much tighter stuff than I ever could on my KLR or the 950.

Now, to be completely fair, I must admit that my KLR was my very first dual sport and my first time ever riding off road, AND I did all my riding on it alone. So, I never really pushed the envelope on the KLR and I probably don't know all that it can do.  What I do remember most is the "sluggish" feeling trying to manuever it in tight stuff, and it never felt very planted in high speed off road either.  IMHO, the KLR is a bike that is good at everything, but never great at anything. The WRR struggles a bit on the pavement, but once you get off, it is just fan-f*ckin-tastic!  The "fun factor" alone is worth the cost of admission.

You can take all that for what it's worth coming from my (compared to you guys) *very* limited dual sport experience...you guys probably know way better than me, so what do I know!    All I know is, when the weather cooperates, you can find me out having fun on my WRR...5k miles in 5 months last year just foolin' around in the hills.

I'm kind of planning a solo trip to the Rockies this summer, so we'll see how the WRR does in the mountains then. Although, I plan on trailering down and back...I'm gettin' too old to enjoy riding a small dual sport on the slab, no thank you.  What I need is a GL1800 with a trailer for the WRR! 

[Hank]

....

Well, if I was going to Alaska, my dual sport of choice would be a 950A for sure. ...

I thought that for the longest time, but when I had my 2nd waterpump failure at 8K miles, and after spending 8+ hrs doing a valve check, I came to appreciate simplicity and anvil reliability     For the sake of comparison it took me less than 30 min to check the valves on my DRZ the first time I did it.

I did pick up a '92 TDM850, cuz I had to have some kind of big bore adventure bike after the KTM went down the road.   Now its not in the same class, or even close off road, but I still think its cool (and cheap).   I'm in the process of fixing it up real nice.. but that's a story for a different thread.

[loingrader]

i'm excited to see that thing when it's done.  puttin some nobby-ish tires on it?

[plumber mike]

Bret should buy your KLR to keep it in the "family"

After seeing what you guys did on yours when we rode this fall,I think I might want one. I drive old trucks with 350's in them for the same reason. That said it has no sex appeal like a KTM,Husa or similar semi exotic. Like the buttaface in high school vs the head cheerleader

[loingrader]

Bret should buy your KLR to keep it in the "family"

my klr is not going anywhere mike.  you should buy HANK's klr to keep it in the family

Like the buttaface in high school vs the head cheerleader

priceless mike...