I have been interested in getting a bike for quite some time now. Mostly because I'm tired of spending $150-$200 a month just on gas for my Jeep, not to mention other Jeep related expenses.

I've been looking at KLR650's, checked one out yesterday and the guy said He'll take $1900 cash for it. Registered through next year.





Hasn't been laid down, the broken shroud and headlight fairing are from a pipe flying off a truck in front of the guy, had the scar on his knee to prove it. No scratches on the bottom of the pegs, swingarm, etc. Very mechanically sound, shifted very nicely. It started up rather quickly from cold and had apparently been sitting for a couple of months.

So tell me about them. Reliability, parts support, etc. I would like to turn it into a supermoto, seems like it's not a popular bike to (my guess is because it's heavy), but regardless I'd like to try it.

 

The bike is heavy but that makes it pretty stable on the hwy and at speed which places less strain to the rider. As far as SM? why not. Especially if paved roads is what your riding needs are. I am not sure on what any going prices are, so you would need to decide if that is the ride for you and what your internet searches tell you.

How many miles on the ride?

 

It has just over 12k miles on it, all of it has been highway. There's not a single speck of dirt on it that I could find. Seems like these bikes all are going for around $2000 in similar shape up to about 2008 then the prices start climbing, so I am assuming it's a good price for the bike. Some other KLR owners said they've paid more for a bike in half as good of condition, so I'm pretty jazzed if I can ****** it for that price.

 

Go for it! Stay "jazzed" and just do it already! Good luck

 

Waiting for the bank to get back to me about a loan, anxiously awaiting their reply, and have high hopes. Rather spend $250 a month on a bike I can thoroughly enjoy over spending upwards of $250 ALONE for gas for my Jeep, not including replacement parts.

 

What year is it? That price sounds fair and close to what I paid for my '06 with 10K miles last November. Has the doohickey been upgraded? I'm really enjoying my KLR. Saves on commuting fuel and puts a smile on my face despite its fuglyness. They have great tractor-like torque and are simple, reliable, and well supported on the net and with aftermarket parts. Don't let it run low on oil.

 

Looks like an 05, they are great bikes, I rode an 05 once, lots of power. If it were me I would put 50/50 tires on it and keep your riding options open, because as soon as you put SM tires on it you are going to want to explore that gravel road or trail that you never noticed before. Just sayin.

 

I am thinking it's a 2003 because of the tank decals, it keeps sliding past my train of thought when I was asking about the bike. Bike is 100% stock, nothing has been modified, upgraded, or tweaked. Doohickey has not been upgraded.

If there's a trail around town that I don't know about, it must be brand spankin new because I do a LOT of exploring

Granted I get the loan I was pre-approved for, the plan sofar is to:

-Ditch stock headlight fairing. That is one ugly piece of plastic.
-Ditch stock gauges for an all in one digital gauge, probably a TrailTech Vector.
-Run 2 Baja Designs Squadron LED driving lights.
-Trim rear fender down, replace stock license plate and tail light with an LED unit, run low profile LED blinkers.
-Supermoto style front fender.
-Supermoto wheels/tires.
-Strip the bike of every heavy component and replace with lighter components.

Hoping to shave off a good chunk of weight, bring it closer to 300-325lbs, or close as possible. And of course slap on an exhaust, a bigger carb, cams, etc. The last thing I want to do is bore out the engine, I want the internals of the piston/cylinder to stay as stock as possible. Anyone have any recommendations for carbs, exhausts, and cams?

And not that it matters, but the smack talking from my DRZ400 friends has begun. They firmly believe a KLR650 just simply cannot get any lighter or any more powerful than their DRZ's. I would go with a DRZ, but one just simply cannot find one for a reasonable price around here, everybody is holding onto them.

 

I thought the idea for getting the KLR was for cheap transportation?

 

This hobby is never cheap

That's a long term investment. Right now I seriously need a temporary replacement until I get my Jeep in better shape (and who knows how long that will be, so might as well have some fun with this one).