I realized today that it has been four years since since I bought my TR650. It's been a while since someone posted about loving this bike and simply enjoying one of the best 650 ADV bikes in recent history--IMHO. My Bike started life as a Strada, but it soon received a set of Terra spokes, racks, and decent tires. The bike is ridden on loads of dirt and gravel in the Appalachian Mountains, West Virgina, North and South Carolina, Georgia, and has never let me down. I also ride it on the road for longer trips on the highway. With the tall Seat Concepts seat and the MadStad windshield it is a very comfortable machine. Dirty Gertie earned her name because I used to fall a lot when I first got her--she just loved being close to the dirt. She has around 11k miles on the clock, and has had zero issues in four years. Perhaps I am jinxing myself by even mentioning it, but the bike has just been dead reliable despte being ridden all over these mountains. Two times, I've had throttle strangeness (the recall issue we hear so much about), but mostly it has just been an incredibly reliable bike--I'm still on the original battery! My guess is that the recall will go out soon (letters were sent month ago), and those who have had issues will see a significant improvement. The only parts I've had to buy for it were from my own minor get-offs in the bush, and I never waited more than a few days for the replacements. I know others have had issues, but I got a new radiator and a few other bits when I needed them. My buddy has a Sertao, his bike seems noticeably slower and has a completely different steering geometry and suspension feel. The two of us do annual rides where we camp off the back of the bikes, enjoy campfires, and spend whole days where we see only a handful of other folks out on dirt roads. It's been a great release from work stress, and I can honestly say that this is still the most satisfying bike I've ever owned. It just does a lot of things well. It's not as beautiful as my Griso was to look at, or as as crazy fast as my Speed Triple, nor as comfy as the old Nighthawk was on long trips. But it is the adv bike equivalent to my other favorite bike, my trusty old SV650. I usually only keep my bikes 2-3 years, but this one is probably be here to stay. Yes the Africa Twin is amazing, but it weighs a lot more and my wife says we are a one bike family. The last thing I want is more weight when off roading anyway--I'm just not that good of a rider. The KTM 701 is also very nice at just 320lbs, but I paid $6500 for my bike OTD four years ago and it has zero issues, and is fully farkled at this point. Perhaps upon it's death, I will find a gently used 701... or perhaps I will try to find another Tr650 for half the price! Today I had the day off, but it is too cold to ride. As my friend and I plan our next adventure on the bikes for summer 2017 I am reminded how much I have enjoyed the Tr650. If you own one, or are looking, I hope that you have had an experience similar to my own. For the money, I just don't see how the TR650 can be beat. Enjoy the ride!
That's interesting about the battery. I bought my bike new in November of 2014 and I thought I was pushing my luck on the original. It still fires right up so maybe it will get to 4 years like you. Do you use a battery tender? I do not, but I ride it at least every 4 days year-round.
I want to chime in on the love fest this bike rightfully deserves. I too have had mine now approaching 4 years and 13K miles, wow has time flew by. I also tend to keep a bike only 2 years and kind of want to replace it, but there just is not a bike that can do what this does. I also have enjoyed numerous trips to/through the mountains starting from the southern end, Alabama, GA, TN, NC & SC, along with many sandy local runs here in FL. The bike is a joy in the mountains....its tolerable in the sand. I dont want to jix myself either, but I am also on the original/stock battery and have had nothing but 100% reliable service from the bike. I dont use a tender, but do ride it many days to work. While I kind of want to replace it (hey, its been 4 years), it is one of those bikes that I feel I would regret not "just keeping".
It will be 4 years for me this spring for my Terra. Might have to check my battery. Terra has been sitting alot since I bought the Strada. Yes, they are that good that I had to have another. Terra needs better tires. Maybe this spring. I am hoping to do parts of the AZBDR this year. Looks like it is going to be a warm day, may have to go for a ride
No battery tender for me. I just keep it garaged and ride it as often as I can. I think the steady temp in the garage is the key to longevity. Planning to ride mine on the KAT this summer! Glad to hear others are having a similar experience with the TR650. I too suspect I would regret getting rid of it. It is worth more to me than the $5000 or so bucks I would get for it in a private sale--and worth way more than the $2500-$3500 I'd get on a trade.
4 Years 1 month (29000km) for me and still loving it as much as the day i rode it out of the showroom. Aside from the ECU crapping itself on the day i bought it.. no issues. I killed the OEM battery when I left the ignition on overnight a few months ago. The OEM battery in my wife's 2008 BMW F650GS lasted 8.5 years and was only replaced a few months back also. Both bikes kept on tenders.
3 and a bit years for my wife and me, over 66000km. Had a few issues with the electrics on my wife's bike. Mine, as some of you know had a major problem with the crank shaft bearing which was a major pita, but we still both love our bikes and wouldn't swap them for anything else. I even bought another TR650 and will be using my old one for spare parts.
I can concur, I have had my Strada 2 1/2 years and covered 12k+ km on it with no real issues whilst away from home. Yes I have had a few problems, some serious (Crankcase Defect Oil Leak) but most associated with addressing the stalling problems associated with this bike and exacerbated by being in Philippines heat and humidity. My mods and farkles are basically in the fuelling system to cure the stalling (injector etc), change of sprockets to 15/49 and fitting of additional lights and similar goodies. OEM Battery failed after 13 months and I have had a Yuasa YTX-12-BS since then with no issues. In fact the YTX-12 battery is in the Nuda now and I have a YTX-9 in the Strada based upon the fact that we do not need the high Cold Cranking Capacity here, temperatures rarely fall below 25c. With ambient temperatures so high, it is expected that the batteries will not last as long as in temperate climates. Apart from that the bike is pretty much stock and as far as I am concerned it is excellent for my requirements and the crappy roads here. I also have a Nuda 900R but given the choice on a longer run I will always take the Strada. Fully loaded with luggage and 2 persons it copes very well, returns excellent fuel consumption and is a comfortable ride (new custom seat) regardless of the roads we take. So far it has never let me down and hopefully it will continue to be my favourite bike for a trip of more then 200 km.
Still loving mine , now at 19700km , fully stock Original battery , 3 or 4 oil changes, sprockets and chain, Small issue with blowing tail light fuse but otherwise bullet proof. Haven't bothered with valve check and won't be doing so in future . I treat this bike pretty well , no trail ride, endure stuff I mean but Plenty of two track or gravel and loads of highway. Got 15t cog on front , seems to be good compromise. Haven't found the perfect tyre yet but who has , it's fun trying different combos. We all know there is no dealer support for this bike so I figure don't thrash it , that's what drz400s are for. I will never sell this bike . Love it.
Four years with my Terra as well. Super happy with it and it has been relatively trouble free. Frankly, I would be bored with it if it was perfect. Its had a few computer glitches, but it has been easy to remedy by disconnecting the battery for a minute and reconnecting it. It has been on some great trips fully loaded with camp gear, extra fuel and water, tools, and electronic gadgets. It has several modifications and of all the things I have done to it, I gotta say that the heated grips are my favorite. I still need to do the Pod Mod and I'm a little ticked at myself for not doing it yet since it does burn a little oil. My wife confiscated it for her own a couple years ago and I just confiscated it back. She is way more confident and at home on her little Yamaha XT250. We lowered the Terra significantly for her with a smaller wheel set, shaved seat, and lowered suspension. Now I need to put it all back. Instead of having the fork springs and height adjusted, I am going to do a WP 4860PA fork conversion. I was looking for rear shock upgrades, but I haven't found any yet. I pulled it in the shop and the forks will be here today. It really is a great mid weight adventure bike and I'll be glad to get my grubby little paws back on it!
Guys I'm four years in now too. Still enjoy my Terra I have done nearly everything I wanted to make it go and do what I wanted with and enduro. I had to park it for about a year while I got over getting a new hip. This led to some really ill running issues that seem to be getting better....It was not idling and would cut off at every turn starting, stopping. We did get a recall but they have offered no solution as I know of. Do I like the Terra ,yes, would I buy it again ?Sure I would !!! My biggest problem is the stock tire rides well on the road but is not so good off road....Oh well I can put up with that til I find a better solution......
More like 4 months here, with the Terra, and still really enjoy it. Got it 2nd hand with 12,000 kms on it and the key mods done. It's proved to be agile in the bush and that's where I push it. It's been shod with Karoo 2s and 3s and they're impressive. Plenty of dirt grip but also surprisingly grippy cranked over in the twisties. It's a clever design. All round it's refined for a thumper. The Strada is less successful. The cheap suspension shows up sooner and it's a bit twitchy at speed in traffic or on C-grade surfaces. I've just put Shinko 705s on it and they're a bit weird: vibes at 20 kmh and the front wheel doesn't want to tip into turns.
I love my Terra. I'm only going on two years with it, but it has been solid for me. It gets ridden hard off-road and has the scars to prove it. I enjoy that bike more than any other street-legal motorcycle I've owned and can't ever see myself selling it. It is a true dual sport in my mind and offers a better mix of capabilities than anything else I've sampled. Though my Terra shared the garage with Buell XB12X Ulysses that I kept figuring I'd still use it for long-distance stuff and a Yamaha FZ6 that I kept for sporty riding, I'd find myself firing up the Terra regardless of what kind of riding I intended to do. I got rid of the Buell about a year ago after realizing that I had only ridden it once during my first year of Terra ownership. The Yamaha hasn't seen much seat time either. In fact, it hasn't seen any from me in over 6 months, only having been ridden twice since by my brother and cousin borrowing the bike to ride with me. So I'll keep it as a "guest" motorcycle. Only my Beta competes with the Husky for seat time. But don't judge... There are some rides where only 300cc's of 2-smoke fury will do!
34 more day to the 4 year mark. With 43,300 miles same rear sprocket new front. 4th chain now, living the salt life eats them up...even with wax. Running great, little oil burn half QT every oil change. Does not leak a drop. I still cant let it go. 50,000 is the goal.
I'm coming up on 4 years as well, I can remember being on an airplane coming home from a business trip when I spotted the new TR650 ad in Cycle World magazine... I thought to myself PERFECT. Literally on my way home from the airport I called the nearest dealer and they had just received the first one. $500 credit card swipe to hold it and I showed up the next day and rode it home! It's covered nearly 15k miles, gone through one chain and sprocket set, just installed a set of Pulstars, it's on the third set of tires, original brake pads... Spends lots of time on fire roads (which it absolutely loves) and all over the Midwest with me and all of my camping gear loaded on its back. Tall windscreen, seat concepts tall seat, rigid dually aux lighting, motech crash bars, Motorsportz skid plate, nomadic racks rear rack, happy trails panniers, heated grips, GPS and accessory power wiring... it's a "baby" adv bike that tackles some adv rides that would certainly dead end the giant bikes. I've considered adding a slightly bigger bike (2 cylinders) but haven't quite gotten there... my terra continues to keep me entertained!
This rings so true!! I didn't mention it- but after putting the husky in my garage I really just about stopped riding my other machines, eventually selling off my street bikes and keeping only my dirt machines. And FUNNY that you mention the Beta- I'm headed to order a 390rr-s if I can coax myself outside today, next weekend if not today. 4t, but my Gasgas EC250 handles smoker duties!
Three years on my Terra, trouble free (knock on wood). Hard to think of what would replace it, maybe a Beta 500 but it would lack the street manners of the TR650. And cost twice what I've got in the Terra. I probably mentioned this before but my 2-bike lineup is the Terra and a Beta Xtrainer. Seems to have the big thumper dual sport and 300 2-smoker "requirement" nicely covered for me. Hope the Terra continues not to have issues. The KTM/BMW lack of support crap is disheartening - no KTM or Beemer in my future, thank you.
I've become a big fan of Beta motorcycles. Mine is a 2015 300RR Race. I has great components and a perfect engine for the kind of mountain trail riding I do with it. Parts for it are cheap (a pleasant surprise) and it has been very reliable. I hope you enjoy the 390. I haven't tried any of their 4-strokes yet.
Hi everyone, hope you can help with a parts list for my Strada service. It's around 20,000 km and distributor in Mexico City sells parts so expensive!! Sparkplugs, air filter oil filter?
Hi Matinehijo! I hope this helps. Air Filter: Here is a link to a permanent air filter that you can clean in future, rather than replace. It's a little expensive compared to paper, but will last as long as you own the bike. You can also search to learn about the pod mod which would negate the need for this type of cartridge filter. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0030BBHR6/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Oil Filter: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FGJSGQ/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 There are other options for spark plugs, but these are some of the best out there. Brisk Spark plugs: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HASHAD0/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I hope this helps you!
