Thanks for this comparison. I still remember seeing the KLX650 in magazines and showrooms when they were in production. Some years later when I was old enough for a license, I bought a KLX250. It was a great learner bike. I also like the KLX450r in particular given it can still be bought new and the old school tech (carb, no abs,tcs assists etc) really appeals to me as well as a backup kickstart as I've been left stranded a couple times due to dead batteries. Always seems to happen when you're riding alone and at the bottom of a gully or in soft sand. What can you say about the maintenance schedule/reliability of the KLX450r? The maintenance schedule looks pretty intense, but I imagine that's more for racing use.
The KLX450r, has a much more enduro maintenance schedule, according to the ‘book’ its a new piston at 1500km, how ever i suspect this might be if used for race / events, its not going to enjoy the open highway, sustained speed, in my opinion, but for inner Urban, bush/trailer single track, and time at the MX track its on point. Simple, design, minor changes in 2010, and graphics etc since then, bunch of crew have set them up as an ADV option, although i have not, and the KLX650 works a treat on the open highway, Motard set up, and the bush, similar in many ways to the DR650, given the low tech set up. Large tank and good to go.
Thanks for this comparison. I still remember seeing the KLX650 in magazines and showrooms when they were in production. Some years later when I was old enough for a license, I bought a KLX250. It was a great learner bike. I also like the KLX450r in particular given it can still be bought new and the old school tech (carb, no abs,tcs assists etc) really appeals to me as well as a backup kickstart as I've been left stranded a couple times due to dead batteries. Always seems to happen when you're riding alone and at the bottom of a gully or in soft sand. What can you say about the maintenance schedule/reliability of the KLX450r? The maintenance schedule looks pretty intense, but I imagine that's more for racing use.
The KLX450r, has a much more enduro maintenance schedule, according to the ‘book’ its a new piston at 1500km, how ever i suspect this might be if used for race / events, its not going to enjoy the open highway, sustained speed, in my opinion, but for inner Urban, bush/trailer single track, and time at the MX track its on point. Simple, design, minor changes in 2010, and graphics etc since then, bunch of crew have set them up as an ADV option, although i have not, and the KLX650 works a treat on the open highway, Motard set up, and the bush, similar in many ways to the DR650, given the low tech set up. Large tank and good to go.