Oh dear, oh deary dear.

[lilredmachine]

I just test rode a 3 year old Yamaha XT600 in enduro trim with 3000 miles. All I can say is no wonder it has so few miles on it. About the only thing to like is the riding position fits me, apart from that the suspension too hard and fidgety for the type of bike it is, front brake is essentially non existent (thats saying something when you think I came off a DR350) the motor is totally flat and devoid of 'character'. To make matters worse it is also massively underpowered, I have no trouble believing that the DR would tear it a new arse from a dead stop.

And it's sinfully ugly. I felt like getting off at traffic lights to tell the people who glanced in my direction that i didn't actually own it. Even the fat bird thing doesn't apply here, cos it's not fun to ride either. I'm a tad disappointed by this, if anything I thought the 600 motor would feel a bit stronger than the 350 in my DR. But it doesn't. Maybe I just rode a shit one? Oh well, I look forward to my first meeting with an XR650R, I'm sure that will fill my need for big cube single cylinderage.
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Bikes: too many, too much for one man to maintain anyway.

[stinkwheel]

Sounds like you got a shitter. Or possibly a reduced output one? They usually do horsepower restricted versions of those big singles, I'm not exactly sure why, probably for some enduro race series.

For example, the kawasaki KLX650 comes in a 45bhp version.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[lilredmachine]

That's what I was thinking. I saw the bike when it was first brought into the dealership, it was only 3 years old and done hardly any miles but it looked like it had been dragged through a hedge backwards. This leads me to believe that the previous owner may not have been that diligent in cleaning/maintaining and therefore, running in, the bike. Of course it is quite possible that it's simply a big, undertuned, low compression commuter esque single motor in a heavy bike. If it's pumping out under 40hp and the bike weighs 160 kilos, then compared to the DR at 32hp and 120 kilos there won't be much in it will there?
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Bikes: too many, too much for one man to maintain anyway.

[69.9mph]

I'm looking for a trailie as my current ride is borrowed and have always liked the Yamaha trail bikes but just can't get excited by the XT600. You can get good deals on new WR250's at the moment although it sounds like it may be a bit small for you.

I'll be interested to see what you make of the XR. Have you thought about a DRZ? They appear to be quite good value for money?

[stinkwheel]

Well, in the country where offroad bikes are actually used everyday (Australia), the XT600 is considered THE bike to have.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.