Whats the best big single trailie?

[hairycanary]

Hello there,

i'm after a nice big, one pot trailie, and only have the experience of riding a 1985 XL600LM, which i liked very much. However that particular bike is quite rare in ol' england. Reserching for alternatives seems to have clouded my decision making rather than honed it. So if you have experience of these bikes and a moment to spare please help!

I am looking for:
a simple, very reliable engine (prefer AC but maybe a LC engine is worth the extra work servicing and potential for faliure)
good range (upward of 20L tank)
reasonable pull and cruising speed
usage would probably be 98% on and 2% off road
price under £1500
economical to run

models i am considering, in order of current preference are:
honda XL600LM (85/86)
Kawasaki KLR650 (oldest i can find)
Suzuki DR800 (91 ish)
Yamaha XT600/660 tenere (late eighties)
XL600 transalp (without the V in name from late eighties, is this a single?)

i'm sure there are also many other similar bikes around that i'm unaware of.

I found a DR800 that is at 28K and looks very tidy, but note a low used value of DR's and have read that their engines are reliable up to 30K. On another hand the XLs seem to hold a better used value. KLR's seem tasty and all reviews are good.

Any tips or experiences relating to this type of bike would be greatly apreciated.

l8rz and happy biking!

[hugo-a-gogo]

honda nx650 dominator is the best on-road, and has a good bit of off road ability too
____________________
"There are some things nobody needs in this world, and a bright-red, hunch-back, warp-speed 900cc cafe racer is one of them - but I want one anyway, and on some days I actually believe I need one. That is why they are dangerous."
Hunter S Thompson
clicky 4 bikey

[G]

Note that the klr and dr800 are in no way big trail bikes really.

The klr aint too bad for the road, top speed a smidgen under 100, though there's a lot of wind blast at those speeds (more than on a sports bike at 160+).

The others are more trail orientated, ie you can reasonably take them off road and have a bit of fun ... and even be able to pick it up if you drop it. I believe the klx650 is supposed to be a bit better.

I've got a dr600 at the mo that seems quite nice. Moderately light (134kg dry versus the 160ish-kg of the klr I did have) and goes not to badly, though not quite got the power of the klr. It does have a a very nice torque 'curve' (or straight line it feels like )... ie really smooth stepless spread of power. With trailace tyres it handles pretty well; enough to get your knee down and a bit more .
Only slight niggle is kickstart only; if you're under 12st or so you probably won't be able to start it!

For £1500 you should have quite a decent choice; my dr cost me £600. Though the previous owner /seems/ to have rebuilt the engine with instant gasket , so it's leaking oil and the camchain is now on it's way out.

[stevo as b4]

As a great compromise between size and power and weight, then id say the XT600 takes some beating. The Older Tenere Models with the big capacity fuel tanks look the best, and they are pretty bullet proof, as are most of the others. Id steer clear of a DR800 as they are huge and heavey, and the 800cc doesnt make it go any faster than a 600cc motor, but probably just vibrates alot more. Older XR600's are nice if you find one thats decent, The KLX650 Kwak is lighter than many but it is more suited to off road use than most other trailies, so that means it aint very comfortable to ride on the black stuff!

[hairycanary]

Thanks for adv.

Yeah i wondered why the 800 DR actually has a lower top speed to similar 600s! I guess it would be better at pulling a trailer though.
I have found a promiosing 1996 XTZ660 which looks good. And sounds more practical than the DR.