What a good reply from Richyroo,
.
A breath of fresh air this thread
.A breath of fresh air this thread
Husky TE610
- Thread starter Snoopy
- Start date
That's the last thing you would want on a RTW bike.................an immobiliser
Snoopy....................you crack me up
Micky did 19000 miles on the RTW 650 Dakar across Russia, Mongolia and the 'Stans - with no problem
You buy it..................take it to Newcastle and you let it get nicked within 6 months
It's either your bad luck or lack of planning and awareness
We did the trip from Devon to Cape Town in 1991/1992 two up on our R100GS. Two up was the big issue and the bike was chosen accordingly. The bike was unmodified and proved ideal for the trip. There are still basically only two routes available - east side via Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya or west side through Morocco etc. I've been back to Kenya since and the roads had really gone downhill so I'm aware that nothing stays the same for long but on our trip we really had to search out the 'off road' as opposed to unpaved roads. Obviously crossing the deserts was challenging on a very heavy bike but the vast majority of the mileage was on perfectly good surfaced or unsurfaced roads where your enduro bike is least happy.
Besides all the mpg and purchase price stuff which is completely spurious, I wouldn't use a KTM 690 enduro just because of the lack of a rear subframe (I own a 690 and it is a good bike but the subframe is the one thing I've come to dislike), the TE 610 is completely unsuitable for all the reasons mentioned. Apart from airhead BMWs which would still be my choice but would be a complete disaster in Snoopy's hands (based on past record) the best bike out there is the Africa Twin, it's relatively low tech, reasonable off road and doesn't need any modification. Any Yamaha XT600/660 would also be suitable.
If you can't find a suitable secondhand or new Husky surely that must tell you something about the spares backup and aftermarket parts availability. Large threads on Adv Rider do not necessarily mean that it's a good bike - have you seen the thread about using the KTM 525 as an adventure bike!
Besides all the mpg and purchase price stuff which is completely spurious, I wouldn't use a KTM 690 enduro just because of the lack of a rear subframe (I own a 690 and it is a good bike but the subframe is the one thing I've come to dislike), the TE 610 is completely unsuitable for all the reasons mentioned. Apart from airhead BMWs which would still be my choice but would be a complete disaster in Snoopy's hands (based on past record) the best bike out there is the Africa Twin, it's relatively low tech, reasonable off road and doesn't need any modification. Any Yamaha XT600/660 would also be suitable.
If you can't find a suitable secondhand or new Husky surely that must tell you something about the spares backup and aftermarket parts availability. Large threads on Adv Rider do not necessarily mean that it's a good bike - have you seen the thread about using the KTM 525 as an adventure bike!
This man talks much sense.......................read and learn, Snoopy...........read and learn
Alright Richy been a while.
At this rate I'll be narrowing it down to a bicycle.
KTM 690 is out, I'd heard about the rear sub-frame issue already.
I wont touch the Africa Twin, far too heavy (I've rode one loaded up and it was appallingly top heavy and just ... foookiing hell heavy
).
Newcastle ... if it ain't bolted down ...
So left with ...
KTM 640 Adv ... would you trust the engine?
XTZ660Z ... everyone that takes them on adv trips thinks they are crap.
(older bikes) ... XR650L, XTZ600 ...
BMW 800GS ... expensive and that's without replacing the cheese rims
DRZ400E ... hateful on the motorway but great everywhere else
At this rate I'll be narrowing it down to a bicycle.
KTM 690 is out, I'd heard about the rear sub-frame issue already.
I wont touch the Africa Twin, far too heavy (I've rode one loaded up and it was appallingly top heavy and just ... foookiing hell heavy
).Newcastle ... if it ain't bolted down ...
So left with ...
KTM 640 Adv ... would you trust the engine?
XTZ660Z ... everyone that takes them on adv trips thinks they are crap.
(older bikes) ... XR650L, XTZ600 ...
BMW 800GS ... expensive and that's without replacing the cheese rims
DRZ400E ... hateful on the motorway but great everywhere else
xr650l it is then
bloke in Leicester imports them from America for Ebay, there are a couple on as we speak
Chris Scott used one for a hardcore Algeria trip in 2003 - improve the jetting, bigger tank, inline fuel filter or 2, definately soft luggage and off you go
On his Desert Riders website (might be called something else) he lists all the mods and the unpleasant truth is that most of the modifications buggered things up in some way and original was virtually always best. This is easy to prove because they had 3 similar bikes so it was easy to judge modified v standard.
£4500 gets one virtually brand new
£3700 gets one with around 5k miles
It ticks all the boxes except kick start
Have fun
Dommie engine basically - the
bloke in Leicester imports them from America for Ebay, there are a couple on as we speak
Chris Scott used one for a hardcore Algeria trip in 2003 - improve the jetting, bigger tank, inline fuel filter or 2, definately soft luggage and off you go
On his Desert Riders website (might be called something else) he lists all the mods and the unpleasant truth is that most of the modifications buggered things up in some way and original was virtually always best. This is easy to prove because they had 3 similar bikes so it was easy to judge modified v standard.
£4500 gets one virtually brand new
£3700 gets one with around 5k miles
It ticks all the boxes except kick start
Have fun
Dommie engine basically - the
You may have already done this but if you go to http://www.adventure-motorcycling.com/trip/, filter by make of bike and read some of the reports from XT riders you get a brief summary of the bike mods, strong points and weak points from people who've actually used them. Most of them say they would take the same bike again so it can't be that crap.
For the record I've not had a problem with the KTM rear 'subframe'. By preference I'd take a bike with a steel subframe that can be bodged up/reinforced by your average African welder available in any village
But, but, but post 25 on this thread says not a problem -
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2292546&postcount=25
Perhaps I should keep and use the 1200GS. I'm put off by the servo brakes but I've owned it for the last 14k and it's ran perfectly - now on 39k and solid as a rock. Even if the servo's were to go it would still be ride-able. It's also well sorted; adv tank, Ohlins and 10kg of weight saving measures so about 189kg dry. Lace up an 21" HP2 wheel and off I go?
I didn't think so hard when I was 22yrs with the 1150.
Plenty of time to make a decision.
I didn't think so hard when I was 22yrs with the 1150.
Plenty of time to make a decision.
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