"the limitations in suspension (read safety), performance, and comfort just aren't worth it when there are other bikes with more modern engineering that are far more fun to ride, easier to ride (read safer), just as -if not more- reliable, for not much more up-front cost."
Kawasaki KLR 650, unsafe, un-reliable and essentially unchanged for, decades, and millions of miles.
I also agree with MtB and wasn't going to add to a beat dead horse of a subject, but I can't help it because if there is a category that the KLR can and will win is in the reliability and maintenance depts. How many KLR owners actually do the valve mntce schedule in a timely fashion, not many, as it never seems worth the effort as there is rarely adjustments to be made, you will find countless stories of "oh I never check it" and the tens of thousands racked up just the same (hello Lars, booger), how many 10 min. Wally World parking lot oil changes have been done? (1 filter and it's right there), I havent been shopping lately but which alternative is it that is competitivly priced with the KLR at about 7 grand out the door? comfort?, I've seen many other colored bikes with aftermarket seats but not many KLR's (maybe to cheep to buy one, or to difficult to build one out of plywood?)
It's true, they don't handle particularly well, don't bounce real well, not terribly powerful, and don't stop worth a damn, but it will perform that badly for you over and over and take you quite literally anywhere in the world.
