We borrowed three pre-loved machines and hit the trails…
You dont need a brand new bike to have a lot of fun.
The used bike market is doing exceptionally well right now and this story is a case in point as to why that is. Every month, we try to find an interesting pre-owned bike to ride. This month, we decided to get three bikes instead of one late model big pre-owned adventure machine and took them for such a LEKKER ride…
Why three?
You and two of your mates can all ride together.
OR you can keep all three and rotate them on a daily basis.
How cool is that?
The bikes we chose came from the Bikeshop group, a 2015 BMW GS650, a 2015 Yamaha 660 Tenere and a 2010 KLR 650.
How did we choose them – easy! We wanted older big-bore single cylinder machines that were cost effective – and these three were just waiting for us.
Mileage wise, the Yamaha sits at 54700, the BMW at 48000 and the older KLR at 43500 KM’s on the clocks.
The KLR will cost you R50K. The G650 GS BMW came in at R69990 and the XT660 at R85990.00.
Add that all up and you get a sum close to R206 000. For 3 bikes…. Not bad.
Where we went.
We had no real plan – what we wanted to do was just ride, so we called up Don from The Bike Show to join us and pointed the bikes away from the shops and off in the direction of the muddy farmlands for a fantastic day of many laughs, and a great ride.
Of course we compared the bikes relative to the money that you pay for each.
Were they good in the dirt? Yes!
Were they cool on the tar?
Absolutely and we rode through some nasty traffic as well as on wide open roads.
The thing about older models is the simplicity of the bikes. No rider modes and only one of the three with some electronic aids.
That bike is the little GS.
We say little because with its smaller wheels it is physically the smallest bike of this batch. More so because of the setup on this specific machine – it seems to us that the seat has been cut and the levers are placed quite close to the handlebars. We reckon that maybe this bike used to belong to a lady.
The GS 650 makes perfect sense for the manic traffic in JHB, small and nimble with a meaty, fuel injected Rotax engine that was significantly more peppy and fast than the other two bikes on the day.
The BMW is also slightly higher tech with ABS and heated grips.
Noice! This one also has a belly pan, brush guards, headlight protector and a Go-Pro mount on the fuel tank.
Sitting in traffic, the cooling fan quietly ticked on and off and she didn’t skip a beat as we headed for Bikeshop Boksburg to collect the Kawasaki KLR650.
Bikeshop Boksburg had just taken delivery of this bike, the oldest of the three and they were understandably reluctant to let it out without first putting it through their workshop. We haggled a bit, promised to behave, checked the oil levels and headed out…
We’ve had three of these bikes in our lives – and climbing aboard feels just like visiting an old friend. Spacious, comfortable with the long stroke single cylinder just booming the rider along without any fuss. It’s very possibly the simplest bike of the three, with a good old fashioned carburettor, no ABS, no traction control, just a throttle hand to keep everything in check.
Extras on this bike include a big box mount and SW Motec crash bars. She also wore oldish looking brush guards, handlebar raisers, a belly pan – and for the discerning buyer – spoke straws.
Sadly, the KLR was discontinued into SA due to homologation laws, which was a shame really, but there were so many sold that parts should never be a problem. Good news is that the new KLE 500 is due to arrive any moment now, so Kawasaki will, once again have a middleweight adventure machine…
This is the “New shape” KLR – the last model to be imported into SA.
We waited for Donovan (there’s a theme here) who was tasked with collecting The XT660 from bikeshop Rivonia.
The XT 660 Tenere’
Eventually we hear the thumpety-thump of a big single as Don arrived on that cool looking blue number. It’s not that different in styling from the current T7 if you think about it, the most aggressive looking of the three bikes with far more Rallye attitude.
Nice!
This bike has the longest travel suspension of the three and it’s powered by Yamaha’s legendary fuel injected (It also powered their Raptor quad and the first Yamaha Rhino’s) liquid cooled 660 mill and it has a few enticing extras like the Givi top box mount, pannier racks and crash bars. The spotlights, handguards and the bash plate are great accessories. The previous owner even mounted a little charging port front and centre. Cool.
All three bikes were running well. A 650 trailie is actually a great size for economical commuting, easily keeping up with and overtaking the traffic and running at the national speed limit with ease. On the trails, they are exactly what you need too.
We took off along the well beaten paths and trails that we know in our area with a mixed bag of riders. The day was spent negotiating slippery pathways and roads, trundling through mudholes and skirting along the edges of the mealie fields.
After our little adventure we all sat around chatting and here’s what we have decided:
The Japanese bikes appear to have aged better than their German counterpart.
There was nothing inherently wrong with the little GS, but it felt older and perhaps a bit more used. In saying that – and we alluded to this before, although there is a distinct buzz throughout the bike, it has the strongest engine of the three and with the smaller wheels was quite possibly the easiest to ride when the going got sticky. It’s a lot of fun and we understand why BMW sold so many of these bikes.
Omission: No fuel gauge, just a warning light.
The KLR was the choice of two of our riders who simply could not fault it. On the road, it has that famous KLR weave when you head north of 120, but we know that it’s easily solved by fitting an aftermarket front fender. The seat is really soft, you’d need to get used to it. It’s so easy in the dirt with big wheels while it is not overly tall. The huge tank ensures that you’ll go far, the pegs are wide and the suspension is sprung soft and plush. It’s just so easy to ride – well everywhere.
We know that the 650’s are absolutely bulletproof, this bike, specifically, is a great choice.
Omission: No fuel guage. Just a reserve tap.
The more dirtbike oriented of our little posse chose the Tenere. Why? You ask.
Well, it’s the most offroad oriented of the bunch with long travel suspension that is slightly stiffer than the other two. It looks properly modern, is geared more towards torque than top end and it has the best brakes of the three.
Besides that – well just look at it. Even after all these years it really does look the part. You sit on the bike, it’s more aggressive than the other two and it goes where you point it. It’s ready to take on that magic cross country trip…
This bike has a fuel gauge. Can you believe it!
Here’s something:
Nobody crashed. Nobody fell over. Nobody managed to get stuck.
That in itself says a lot!
It was in fact the opposite. A few near slips and slides and close-ish calls, but all three of these bikes behaved like absolute gentlemen despite our obvious lack of any kind of talent.
There were a few times that we thanked the previous owners for fitting decent tyres to the bikes – and that’s a big deal.
That‘s a big thing when you are getting into this lifestyle – choose a bike that fits.
Don’t listen to your buddy who tells you to buy the biggest, baddest fire-breathing machine on the market – it’s almost a guarantee that things could end badly. Start on a smaller machine, then sell that on and upgrade as your skills increase.
These three were a LOT of fun and there were a few times that we sat grinning at each other saying “Man I’m glad we aren’t on bigger bikes.”
There really is a great variety of pre-loved motorcycles out there – and that means that you don’t have to break the bank. A dual purpose makes sense because you can use them – well anywhere!
Oh yes! Rope your buddies in and convince them to buy. Riding with your mates is the best stress relief on earth.
The GS and the Tenere came from Bikeshop Rivonia.
The KLR is from Bikeshop Boksburg.
Watch the ride on TV:
The Bike Show weekly broadcast times
On IgnitionTV DStv channel 189
Monday (premier): 08:30, 17:30 & 22:00
Tuesday: 14:30
Wednesday: 00:30 & 10:30
Thursday: 04:30 & 12:30
Friday: 20:30
Saturday: 12:30
Sunday: 18:30
