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1,062 Posts
I was in the same position. It was this, the 690/701 duo, wr250r, drz400, 390 adv, or 790 adv r; huge range of bikes, yes, but such is the definition of 'adventure'. Ultimately I wanted something I could leave home with that would give me an immediate smile, even at low speeds. I needed something I could drop, easily lift in the bush by myself, and still have enough go to keep up with s2s traffic flow.
I originally discounted this bike due to the routine service intervals, however upon further research, I decided I would be willing to compromise. Oil takes 15 minutes including clean up and putting the thing on a stand. Parts are much cheaper than your typical sport bike/euro. I can work on this by myself, and manhandle it around if I need to (I'm a tiny being). With a pipe and computer, this thing will put down 8-10 more whp; guys are dyno'ing whp in the mid-high 40's, which on a 275lb-ish bike (on a small diet), is more than enough pucker training for me. I've never had a proper dirt bike before, but this thing is slick. Incredible build quality, and because much of the money is spent on technology rather than the fluff of the sport bike world, it's amazing to see the engineering subtleties. I can't believe that with discounts, this is less than many of the high-end bicycles for sale nowadays. Incredible.
As to the caveats. Yes, you need to do a top-end at 32k, but I'm not a world traveler nor do I have the time to cross the Simpson or whatever the adv hard-on is at this time. I suspect it will take many many years until I need to worry about it. Per Steve G's point, I see his rationale for having a robust system, but guys ride FI bikes and complicated bikes all over the world and figure it out; hopefully my InReach will work. Regarding range, IMS makes a 3.2 gallon tank, and I can always carry a fuel bladder as backup.
Overall, this is a great platform to build upon, and that's why I bought it. It is the jack of all trades of trail bikes; small mods will make it rip close to the ktm; no it isn't a lightweight race bike, but most of us aren't racers; I actually want something a little softer and more forgiving if I ham fist it! Moreover, Honda has invested significant R&D into this model, I suspect and hope parts will be available for a long time. Much of the CRF parts will fit, and it will only be time until the aftermarket catches up. Hope to see more out there playing in the dirt, I need people to ride with!
