What do you know about Yamaha XT660R ?

[KMD]

I’ve seen a bike for sale locally, an early model Yamaha XT660R. Looks really nice, original and well maintained with 14k miles. Had road biased tyres and doesn’t look like it’s been off road much if at all. I’ve always fancied a bike like this but the only one I’ve ever ridden was a Kawasaki Tengai many years ago. It would be a second bike for solo riding on the Dales ‘B’ roads.

Anyone have experience of the model ? Good bike/bad bike? What’s your opinions please.

 

[John RTW]

An excellent bike, pretty much bulletproof. I bought one in Aus and near enough done a lap of the small island with some big roads across the centre and up to the northern tip, being sand and corrugations it's tough work and the little beauty never skipped a beat. I then dragged it over to NZ for 6 months before it's half lap around South America for another 5 years before my neck snapped. In all this time all I did was change the head bearings and put new seals on the front shocks, I just made sure that I kept my oil changes regular and that was about it. The couple of mods I did was to put a few washers onto the fork springs and fitted the Kev mod which is a fuel mixture regulator. Check out XT660.com, full of advice and help.

 

[KMD]

Thanks John apparently this one already has the Kev mod.

 

[John RTW]

There was also another gadget that helped, (just googled) an o2 sensor, I bought it and fitted it when I bought the Kev mod, it wasn't as necessary but assisted with the engine I think. You might find he has this as well if he has the Kev mod already fitted. Ahhh forgot another mod I did was getting rid of the twin pipes and fitting a single, I think I may have gained some ground clearance by doing this.

 

[Karl P]

KMD, I have the XT660z for similar reasons eg second bike, Dales, North York Moors etc. and I find myself doing much more on it eg Wales, Scotland.
I really enjoy the contrast to my GS.
I ride easy gravel roads but am reluctant to do much more as the xt660z is quite tall and heavy and I'm a newbie at off road stuff.

 

[Poncherello]

My neighbour had one and let me take it out. Can’t comment on anything other than it was an absolute hoot

 

[AustinW]

We had his n’ hers XT660R’s a few years ago. Great bikes I loved mine but wifey didn’t like hers so much: couldn’t cope with the somewhat snatchy throttle and grabby brakes. Also a tad tall for her. She kept dropping it for these reasons. Sold both and bought my first GSA.

But we did a big Euro trip on them - Romania and back the long way plus scotland a few times, oh and Brittany. A bit shit on the motorway/duals but brilliant on smaller roads. Happy all day, day after day at 60-65. Hard work much faster for long. Headlight screen and saddle all indecently good. 60 mpg easily achieved.

Metal mule do a 1:2:1 exhaust but it’ll cook your clutch cable. Akrapovics the best silencers.

 

[Morety]

It's a good bike, very capable for a big single. If considering that and not looking to off road much, then also worth considering the KTM 640 Duke2 which is lighter and an absolute hoot but not much fun to do anything more than hour long stints in the narrow saddle.

I had the bigger brother of the Tenere 660, the XTZ750 twin. It was a capable distance bike but any pretence at being an off roady was something it really wasn't suited to. I took mine off road and found it heavy, tall, ponderous, top heavy and it didn't fill me with much confidence. It was also not that well screwed together. despite keeping it under cover and looking after it, corrosion set in on all the steel bits and it was all really made up from their low budget bin. It also suffered the same fate as a lot of big Yam motors of that era which used sodium filled valve stems and 5 valves per cylinder....valves stretched and burnt out and I had to have top end rebuilds on that and my (then) FJ1100. Put me right off buying another.

The better bikes imho (and it is just an opinion) were the KLE650 (bullet proof and great off road) and the rarer Suzuki DR650 big thumper. Better made than the Yams, reliable and great fun off road as well as on. I know several people who've gone around the world on DR650's. Saying that, the XTZ660 I think was a better bike than the early 750 super tens. Lighter and a genuine dual sport. For my money, I'd have the DR650 given the choice or for more road oriented work why not consider the DL650 weeStrom? I bought one cheaply quite recently and it's been a revelation. Simple but well made, tough, smooth torquey motor and all day comfortable.

 

[AndyB_11]

The engines are good as long as you keep on top of oil and filter changes. Budget for a new rear shock if it’s on the original and check the cush drive rubbers regularly because they wear leading to clunky gear changes and knackered chain/sprockets.

 

[DevonAl]

I had an XT660X Supermoto, pretty much same bike apart from front forks and wheels, loved it and great fun to ride, they do need a few tweeks to make the throttle action smoother( kev mod & air filter & a modi to the twist grip) all quite simple, the cush drive has been mentioned but life can be extended and remove the jerkiness loose rubbers cause by inserting cycle inner tube in the rear hub, I only sold it as I can’t justify 3 bikes, and the vanvan is comfier 2 up when we take away with the van and my wife can ride it as well. I have most of the mods and tweeks saved as files if you decide to go ahead.


Al.