I have an 06 KLX250s. I HAD a KLR650 a few years ago.
I am going to get another KLR650.

I am going to just have to bite the bullet and keep two bikes.

The KLX250s is a great bike. I have two cons:
1) the seat comfort on long rides. I am talking about 4 or 5 hour rides. After that long it is literally torture for my butt. I am hoping that corbin will eventually make a seat for the KLX.
2) It is a little strained at hi way speeds. But will run 65 OK.

I know you asked about the KLR650 and I am getting to that.

I did not appreciate what I HAD with the KLR. It is just an all around awesome bike. My butt never hurt. It will run 80 all day. The fuel capacity is perfect. I have ridden with my wife two-up for short trips and it did fine. It will not handle the trails that a KLX will but it is perfect for dirt roads. Anything you would drive a pickup on.

It is just a fact that NO bike does it all. There is always a compromise. For me it will be the KLR650 & KLX250s

If you do get a KLR650.................keep it. It will grow on you and you will go back to it again and again.

Good luck
Doug

 

I will have to agree with maxrates, the bike will grow on you. This was my first bike, and I absolutely love it. Its not the smallest bike, and if I were you, I would shoot for an 07, the 08 gained about 50 pounds.

I have done a little off road riding on it, and after I took it in the sand once, and got ejected, I vowed never to return. I have found that I am most comfortable on hard dirt, and back roads. I routinely carry a passenger, and it has plenty of tourqe to hall my 240 pounds and a passenger very well. I always hit the dips as fast as I can, and go through corners like I was in a race, I love the corners on this bike!

I have jumped it a little in the dirt, and whenever I can find something on the pavement, and it has soaked up 3 ft flat hits without bottoming out, but I am no expert rider, I just wanted a bike that was like me, I try to do a little bit of everything, but don't claim to be great at any of it. I used to get 55 mpg until I sold the crotch rocket, which left my need for speed unfueled, and now I get around 48-50.

Unless your an avid dirt rider, I would say buy one, just make sure you tighten everything down, my bolts seem to be falling out all over the place, but they only had an hour to put it together, they weren't expecting me to buy it that day apparently.

 

i just bought an 08 klr650 , i love it, yeah it's a little heavier, and feels tall at first, but after the first days riding, you'll notice it seems to shrink, i lve in eastern NC so i see alot of loose sand, if you know how to ride you know you have to hit it with speed, and power through or yourgonnaget ejected, you say your old school dirt rider, if that means the same to you as it does to me, you'll have no problem, i grew up in PA riding old twin 350 street bikes through the mountians,because i couldn't afford a dirt bike, so i'm 6 ft. 250 and can ride anything anywhere, but regardless once you build confidence in the bikes abilities, you'll find it does alot of things much better than people think