anyone own a KLR650 kawasaki on/off road?

[cookiedough]

My kid, age 23, is buying right about now a used 2009 Kawasaki KLR650 on/off road cycle.  Done some research on them and are pretty reliable, cheap to own/buy,  and rugged although not the best on anyone thing, just all around ok.  Is a single cylinder thumper motor only around 40hp but wants/needs something bigger than 250cc since most will be using is ON road vs. OFF road just a tiny amount.  Will do 85 mph and has a bigger/wider comfier seat than most smaller on/off road cycles.  Read reviews all say is very heavy at 450lbs. but they have NOT ridin a Valk yet. LOL

NO idea how he came to want an on/off road cycle though but he has been going on off road bicycle trails with an old beat up bicycle where he lives so maybe he got the itch to do more off roading from his bicycle riding trails where he lives?  

He is buying it from an older guy who just bought a new BMW on/off road cycle and guess 1st thing prior owner told him he is the maintenance and labor costs of his new BMW is thru the roof.   Going from probably one of the most basic/cheapest parts, etc. Kawi klr650 out there since are TONS for sale right now locally to a BMW will be a sticker shock for sure.   Seen some for sale even from 1990's exact same engine until around 2021 or so when they came out out with same engine just fuel injection vs. what was always a single cylinder CARB cycle.  

there are a few forest road ATV routes up in northern WI I know of that are mostly crushed gravel that go on LONG ways that allow both off road cycles and ATV/UTVs so we might have found a new joint outing together next year.  I doubt I will be riding his KLR650 though the seat height is darn too high for me not sure even with new hips come 2025 I will be able to swing my leg OVER that taller seat?  I will stick with my ATV or UTV for any off road use.  I think a few ATV trails even allow dirt bikes up northern WI but not many that I know of.

[flsix]

I owned two of them in the past. None were newer than 96. I did mostly off road riding and the assessment that the KLR is just ok at most things is spot on. It never left me stranded in the woods but that large gas tank up there sure made it top heavy.
I sold the last on in 2005. I don't bounce as well as I used to and it takes a day or two to recuperate after a good day in the woods.

[POPS 57]

I owned a 650 KLX Almost the same bike Just a little sportier. It was a great bike you could go from hwy. to backroad. There were only two things I did not like. The seat height was too high for a person with a 28 inch inseam. The next issue was it took too much effort to get the front wheel to come up. When going down a trail and you come up on a branch it's nice to be able to slide back and hit the throttle lift the front  tire. I had a Yamaha XT 500 before the Kawasaki it was way better at the two issues. But it was not as fast or smooth on the hwy.

[cookiedough]

thanks for comments.   Interestingly enough I called around and did not know that the 130 or so clark county ATV trails  up north of black river falls WI is open to licensed/plated on/off dual sports as well as ATV/UTV's.  In all the times up there not once saw a dual sport on the ATV trail they go on the 12 or so miles of dirt bike ONLY trail called knobby ridge runs right along the ATV trail.   

Also found out that same thing applies to Harrison hills (lincoln county) and Langlade county ATV trails as long as plated/licensed dual sport can take on the ATV trails in both counties up there north of Merrill/Wausau WI. 

Pays to do the research just wish I knew that 20 years ago I would have bought a dual sport on/off road cycle but in mid 50's not so agile anymore nor probably want to go very far bouncing on a skinnier seat and tall seat height even for me at a whopping 30 inch inseam-lol..  My kid is taller in the legs same avg 5ft 10 inch height at a 32 inch inseam and he did a video of him sitting/riding on it and even for him the 2009 KLR650 he is on his tippy toes not flat footed.  I weight more than he does 40lbs. heavier so maybe I can squat the rear end down some lower the shock setting and hopefully NOT bottom out the rear suspension to get on the thing if I wanna try it out in 2025.

Called around and found a few dirt roads near a county forest land about 30 miles away for him to take it out tomorrow high 82 out record high before the bottom drops out being in low 50's for highs after tomorrow. 

[cookiedough]

one thing I found impressed with is the KLR650 has a 6.1 gallon gas tank almost on par with our Valks but the 650cc single cylinder gets around 53 avg mpg (above 50 usually) which is impressive to be able to go 300 miles on one tank of gas, vs. our say 200 mile range, give or take, on our Valks. 

that being said, as was mentioned, all that 6 gallons up top sure makes it a tad top heavy being 450lbs. already if going off road.  My kid has no issues with the weight though being a powerlifter he says feels like a 125cc cycle to him flicking it around can bench 550lbs, deadlift 625, and squat over 700lbs.

[flsix]

You can also loosen the triple tree clamps and slide the forks up an inch to lower the front end too. It will change the handling a little. My BIL is around 5'7" and that helped him get toes on the ground.

[Jopson]

I ride a KLR nearly everyday back and forth from the house to the farm, actually put more miles on it than my Valkyrie in all honesty!
Best way to describe them, is they don’t do 1 thing excellently, but they will do everything well.
It’s good cheap fun, mine is a 2003, it will do 80, but it’s quite a scary 80! With it being a single cylinder thumper, vibrations can be an issue at speed running joke on the KLR groups is KLR stands for Keep Locktite Ready!
They can burn a little bit of oil too, so important to keep an eye on oil level.
But you can’t kill them! And if it does die, they’re ridiculously easy to work on.
I keep telling my wife that I’ll get a nicer/newer one when this one finally dies, but it’s like a damn cockroach!

[luftkoph]

A lot of bikes have passed through my garage, but the KLR has stayed through all of them, put away wet and muddy and seldom washed, it doesn't care.

I've a first gen. and the brakes were less than impressive, a 320mm rotor and sv 650 Suzuki caliper with an eagle mike bracket gives 2 finger braking.

A KLX jet kit from eagle mike makes the throttle response a lot better.

Deep sand it is a handful, being so heavy it wants to plow with the front tire, but on gravel roads or two tracks it's a great bike for cruising through the woods and light exploring. 

[cookiedough]

A lot of bikes have passed through my garage, but the KLR has stayed through all of them, put away wet and muddy and seldom washed, it doesn't care.

I've a first gen. and the brakes were less than impressive, a 320mm rotor and sv 650 Suzuki caliper with an eagle mike bracket gives 2 finger braking.

A KLX jet kit from eagle mike makes the throttle response a lot better.

Deep sand it is a handful, being so heavy it wants to plow with the front tire, but on gravel roads or two tracks it's a great bike for cruising through the woods and light exploring. 

that is what my kid is doing right now took off work 1 hour early to explore some back forest roads I found for him where he lives within 30 minute drive away.  What is nice I did my research here in WI and besides the 4 ATV trails ONLY allowed as well for licensed/plated dual sports, somewhat close (1-2 hours away,  I forgot he is within 1 hour drive to the largest on/off road cycle ONLY track in WI being the Crawford Hills county atv park that has over 30 miles on cycle only trails south of Neillsville WI off hwy. 54 which also crosses the Jackson County ATV trails he is also allowed on since licensed/plated dual sport cycle over 100 miles of ATV trails fully legal.  Plus,  head south a tad closer to Black river Falls 1.5 hours south of him and a nice 12 mile or so of cycle only trails called Knobby Ridge. 

Speaking of sand, I know the Crawford Hills cycle area is full of sandy areas will be interesting come next year when he does it on his KLR650 if he can push it out or drive thru 12 inches of sandy areas?  If anything like the ATV trails I went on with my ATV, almost need 4wd in over 12 inches of sand to get thru well.  2wd barely got me thru the deep soft sand on an ATV having 4wd on was much quicker and easier revving on the ATV's thru deep sand.

[Weezyrider]

I bought my 07 klr new in 08, and aside from trading it away for a couple years have owned it ever since. I've taken it about everywhere and done everything with it, but avoid deep sand.  It can be done but it's a lot of work and not fun at all. I got a paddle tire for it for the dunes, but decided against it because sand gets in everything and ruins bearings, etc.  I have a bmw gs, a valk tourer, and a gsx1100g currently and if i could only have one it be tough but I'd likely keep the klr.  People say klrs are pigs, but in my group of bikes it's like riding a mini bike. Mines not lowered, but I have had a Corbin seat, which was 2 inches lower and I easily could flat foot with my 32 inch inseam.  I don't recommend lowering links because they reduce suspension travel and make things scrape on pavement. I'm guessing your son is already having a blast on his 09, and will love it's versatility.   One thing with an 08 or 09 I'd keep an eye on oil level as they were known to burn it due to improper piston rings for those years.  My cousin has a klr in Northern wi that he rides many trails on, I hope to get my old girl back there and explore someday soon. He's sure not coming to AZ haha.  Great choice tho, on the klr, tons of online support if ever needed, and makes the ride about the experience and not so much the bike. That's my 2 cents plus.

[cookiedough]

I bought my 07 klr new in 08, and aside from trading it away for a couple years have owned it ever since. I've taken it about everywhere and done everything with it, but avoid deep sand.  It can be done but it's a lot of work and not fun at all. I got a paddle tire for it for the dunes, but decided against it because sand gets in everything and ruins bearings, etc.  I have a bmw gs, a valk tourer, and a gsx1100g currently and if i could only have one it be tough but I'd likely keep the klr.  People say klrs are pigs, but in my group of bikes it's like riding a mini bike. Mines not lowered, but I have had a Corbin seat, which was 2 inches lower and I easily could flat foot with my 32 inch inseam.  I don't recommend lowering links because they reduce suspension travel and make things scrape on pavement. I'm guessing your son is already having a blast on his 09, and will love it's versatility.   One thing with an 08 or 09 I'd keep an eye on oil level as they were known to burn it due to improper piston rings for those years.  My cousin has a klr in Northern wi that he rides many trails on, I hope to get my old girl back there and explore someday soon. He's sure not coming to AZ haha.  Great choice tho, on the klr, tons of online support if ever needed, and makes the ride about the experience and not so much the bike. That's my 2 cents plus.

well said,  thanks for updated on oil level something my 2 kids do not check as often as they should on their (well mine I paid for them) vehicles they are driving currently.    He texted me got home just at dark today and said had a blast doing the chippewa county ATV routes all dirt roads and pretty smooth but scenic for sure woods/swamps/small lakes all around  by Bloomer WI area.  Will let him know about the deep sand and try to avoid it as much as possible.