all time top 5 thumpers

[Deon]

Watter tipe ouens ry nie 'n XR650 R nie?  Manne wat dit nie kan bekostig nie!  Soos ek.

As jy wil enduro ry met van die thumpers en jy het nie 'n 650 R nie, moet jy maar die XR600 of TT 600 gebruik.

Die rede hoekom die TT600 so swak gedoen het, is omdat niemand dit ken nie.  Dit was 'n bike wat 'n copy was van 'n XR600, sonder die skyf remme.

XR650 R = 120 kg.
XR600 R = 126 kg, myne is 120 kg met aftermarket pyp.
TT600    = 125 kg

Die verskil tussen 'n TT en 'n XT is dat 'n TT het maklik gestart.  Altyd.

[Rooivark]

XR650R,XR650R,XR650R,XR650R en XR650R.
Kyk maar net na die BAJA 1000 en watter bike het die race oorheers vir 11 jaar.
Toe word die reels verander.

[Beserker]

XR650R

Maar hy is 'n kak commuter...rerig kak en duur.

Sorry...busy commenting on a what bike thread as well. 

[lecap]

Why are so many people voting for the XT500? You must be looking at the past with rose tinted glasses

The XT500 is the one that started it all. It has legend status. I would not really want one today unless money and garage floor space weren't issues. But I also would not want to live in a world that never had XT500's.
If you ride an XT today: Yes the brakes are crap and it does not have the performance of a KTM690 but you will still be surprised as how easy it rides and how nimble it handles compared to some of the tanks which call themselves dual sport bikes today.

[Vintage_Mania]

Neeman. Die lys is turbo bias. Net 1 Honda???

Die 80/81 Honda XL500s is 'n XT500 se baas!!

[Beserker]

The XT500 is the one that started it all..... But I also would not want to live in a world that never had XT500's.

Very well put   

[Sparky]

Nou presies wat maak die XRR  so wonderlik ?  

(Ja, ek het al een gery .)

[lecap]

...

the DR650SE is not much different to the XR650L

so not sure it can be listed as years ahead of the XR650L

...

Differences: The XR650L is a much more radical concept: You are lost if you're short and better have a savings plan in place to be able to afford frequent drive chain & sprocket replacements (I did ride an XR600 which also does not have a cush drive damper).

Ther DR's front brake is more than sufficient for a bike of this class, even after a 17 year production run which you can't really say about the undersized and fading prone Honda front stopper.

The DR is very happy on tar and as a commuter whilst still outperforming a lot of other DS bikes when it gets dirty.
The XR650L's qualities clearly lie on the dirty side of life.

The DR's headlight is ok. The Hondas headlight is a joke. Make sure you're home before dark.


The DR engine is about a decade ahead of the XR600 / NX650 / XR650L engine: SACS air / oil cooling and coated aluminium cylinder vs. air cooled & sleeved cylinder. The Honda RFVC concept is overly complex and did not stand the test of time.

[lecap]

BTW I voted for the KLR too.

It was a very bold move to introduce a water cooled DOHC four valve design in a DS single in the same year that saw the first water cooled 16valve inline four motorcycle (Kawasaki GPZ900, 1984).
Kawasaki was years ahead of the main DS bike competitors which stuck to air cooled singles for almost another decade.

Despite the sad doohickey story which IMHO is unworthy of not just a Japanese manufacturer a 29 year and counting production run of the KLR600 / KLR650 series is proof that the concept was right. Thanks to Eagle Mike who saved the worthy concept for all KLR owners.

[alanB]

What criteria do use to make this choice?

I voted based on bikes that I would want to own out of that list? ie
1) 610
2) XR-R
3) 690
They are all obviously very similar bikes to some extent.

I ignored popularity, or icon/legend status or anything else.

If I had to use the criteria of which bikes had the most impact on the market over the years, then I wold vote differently.   Then I would suppose it would be:
1) XT500
2) BMW Dakar
3) XR-R?

[Rooikat]

Neeman. Die lys is turbo bias. Net 1 Honda???

Die 80/81 Honda XL500s is 'n XT500 se baas!!

I've had two XL500S'. Thirty years apart, and I'd still take it over XT500. Even BMW Xcountry is crap in comparison off road! 


(If I was younger, a lot younger, I would pick the XR650.)