Big Singles
BIG SINGLES
The Kawasaki KLR650, the Suzuki DR650S and the Yamaha XT600 are today’s dualpurpose warriors. Which one is best?
IT'S QUITE CLEAR THAT SOMEONE needs to write a dual-purpose rule book. We didn't need one before. In the Sixties and Seventies, if it looked like a Yamaha DT-1 it was a dual-purpose bike. If it didn’t, it wasn't. And in the midEighties, it had to look like a Honda XL600 or it quite obviously wasn’t dual-purpose material.
But now that the Nineties are here, anything goes. Fairings or number-
plates? Either way. Electric start? Kickstarter? The old rules have broken dow n and now it seems anything can be a dual-purpose bike. And nowhere is that more clear than with these three big Singles. Just look at the lineup. First of all, there’s the Suzuki DR650S, which is the most traditional of the three. The DR is very similar to a bike called the SP600 that made the rounds in the U.S. back in the mid-Eighties. But now7 the DR has grown to 640cc and it uses SACS (Suzuki Advanced Cooling System) like Suzuki’s GSX streetbikes. This means that tiny jets squirt oil at hot spots within the engine for more-effective cooling. The DR also has an updated carburetor, a beefier clutch, a disc rear brake and an assortment of other, smaller changes. But in its overall mission, the DR still is a big, kick-start Single in much the same mold as the SP and the old Honda XL600.
Kawasaki's KLR650. on the other hand, is a very different type of motorcycle in both concept and in execution. From its steering-headmounted mini-fairing to its electric starter, the KLR has set the tone for the new age of D-P bikes. The KLR is a streetbike that can be taken offroad. rather than vice-versa. This year, the bike is absolutely unchanged compared to last year’s model.
The moQ-changed award goes to the Yamaha XT600, a bike that tried to position itself on the safe ground between the KLR and the DR. Its styling is middle-of-the-road, with
KINNEY JONES neither a fairing, nor the cobby look of the Suzuki. But for this year, the Yamaha incorporates electric starting, as well as new7 brakes and gear ratios. Plus, its oil is now carried within the frame rather than in a separate oil tank.
That makes the Yamaha the biggest news of the bunch. But not all of the Yamaha’s changes are improvements. It’s high on weight (about 50 pounds up on the previous XT600) and low on horsepower. Sure, we know7 its 595cc engine is smaller than either one of the others, but the new XT is slower than even an oldermodel XT. Back in 1984. Cycle World tested the XT and came up with azzz quarter-mile time of 13.79 seconds. This year’s model turned a 14.67. Admittedly, the two tests were on different strips with different riders, but still .... Second place in the dirt war goes to the Yamaha. Despite not having much low-end grunt or top-end punch, the XT has enough power to get by, and it handles fairly well. It feels much smaller than the DR or the KLR, primarily because of its smaller fuel tank. Besides being less bulky, this lets the rider move forward and weight the front tire in turns to lessen the semi-knobby’s tendency to wash-out. The Yamaha’s biggest handicap is its suspension, which is both undersprung and underdamped. Even with the singleshock rear suspension set to the stiffest of its four rebound-damping positions, the XT springs offbumps like a overweight kid off a worn-out diving board. But the Kawasaki’s suspension isn't any better for off-road tasks. The Kawasaki is far too soft for all but the lightest riders at the slowest paces. Making matters even more difficult is the front end, which rarely feels secure in turns.
In horsepower, the KLR does somewhat better than the XT, but hardly is overwhelming. The Kawasaki is smooth and its power hits gradually, but for a 650, you'd think it would have more steam. The only machine of the bunch that makes enough horsepower to lift an eyebrow or two is the Suzuki. The DR rumbles into its powerband at heartbeat-slow rpm and revs out to a healthy top-end. For what it’s worth, the DR is the most-powerful singlecylinder streetbike currently sold in America. We know, that’s a little like saying someone has the best complexion in the whole leper colony— but take our word for it, the DR650S has a strong motor.
That horsepower is combined with surprisingly good off-road manners. Looking at the bike, you would assume that it’s a big, clumsy dump truck that’s impossible to handle on anything but the smoothest dirt road. But in reality, the DR is a big, clumsy dump truck that does okay on smooth-to-rough dirt roads, and can even tackle some simple trails. The DR. while still heavy, is lighter than the other two big Singles and has the stiffest suspension. This, combined with its healthy motor, easily puts the DR ahead of the other two bikes offroad.
If it sounds like even the best of these bikes is flawed as a true offroad machine, well, that’s pretty much the picture. All of them are too heavy and lack good off-road tires. But as streetbikes, that's another story. On the pavement, all are lightweights, and are exceptionally easy to ride despite their intimidating seat heights. And once again the Suzuki ranks as the best. Its horsepower makes it more fun than the others, and its stiff suspension keeps it stable in the turns. The Kawasaki's soft fork and shock make it a plush ride around town, but when the cadence increases on twisty roads, it tends to move around a bit too much.
On the street, the Yamaha’s only real disadvantage, once again, is that it can't keep up with the other two. It also doesn't offer its rider much in the way of wind protection, while the other two have plastic handguards and small (very small in the case of the Suzuki) windshields.
While we're nit-picking: The Kawasaki can't be started in gear; it has to be in neutral with the clutch out. The Yamaha's electric starter will work with the clutch in and the bike in gear, which is a more convenient arrangement. We’re still looking for the Suzuki’s starter button.
That is, in fact, the biggest shortcoming on the DR. In every way, it’s the best bike of these three, but we suspect it will do a spectacular belly flop in the middle of Suzuki showrooms this year, simply because it doesn’t have that button. It actually starts quite easily with its manual compression release, but the time for electric-start dual-purpose bikes—at least in the big-bore division—is here and now.
Indeed, the dual-purpose bike of the Nineties is quite different than its counterpart of the Eighties. Today's bike is much more street-oriented—a 1985 Honda XL600 is a virtual motocrosser by comparison. In the years since that bike was discontinued, we’ve seen more and more of the dual-purpose bike's ofl-road skills sacrificed as manufacturers went after an audience that rode primarily on the street. Now, it appears that the pendulum has started to swing in the other direction. Perhaps what we’ll end up with is a mixture of the two extremes, a nimble, lightweight motorcycle with dirt capabilities and an electric starter.
For now, the DR, KLR and XT are good streetbikes that can be taken on the dirt, and for the most part, do quite well there. If you want to call them compromises, you certainly can, but we prefer to think of them as streetbikes with extended possibilities. And even though it lacks the magic button, the DR650 still has the most possibilities of these three.
Kawasaki KLR65O
$3899
Suzuki DR65OS
$3599
Yamaha XT600
$3799
