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Lovable Loner
by Stevechol
YAMAHA XT660R
The Yamaha XT660R, and it’s supermoto
sister the XT660X were released in 2004. The model reviewed here is
a 2006 model, bought and registered in May 2007.
The XT660R is not a real ‘offroad’
bike. It is too heavy and unwieldy to be your first choice if you
need to regularly hustle quickly through severe terrain. Having said
that it is more than capable of tackling green lanes and gravel
roads. In fact I think it would be the perfect bike for some
overland expeditions due in no small part to its simplicity, comfort and
reasonable build quality. In my eyes the ‘offroad’ styling is also
very attractive and looks a lot meaner and meatier than many bikes, it’s
more Mad Max than World Superbike but all the better for it in my
opinion. Not everybody is a fan of the styling but in my eyes,
especially on the model shown, with some additional modifications fitted,
it looks great.
Where this bike excels is as a day to day
bike for commuting and generally having fun. It features a single
cylinder engine which although only giving around 45 bhp, is very torquey
and capable of propelling the bike up the motorw... er, autobahn at an
indicated 110 mph. On the motorway with the standard screen it
is hard work at anything over 80 mph. The addition of a larger
screen and hand-guards makes it much more bearable at speed and in wet
weather conditions.
Being a big single it does vibrate
quite considerably but this is only really noticeable on longer trips and
I don’t find it unacceptable. The seat is high and the riding
position is very upright giving a commanding view of the road. Even
with my 6ft and 200 lbs this bike still feels quite large and comfortable,
and although the seat can feel slightly hard after 50 miles or so, I have
easily completed several 330 mile runs, only stopping twice for fuel.
The bike shown averages around 57 mpg
and around 120 miles can be done before the fuel light comes on and the
digital display starts counting up the miles you are doing on your reserve
fuel. Approximately another gallon is available after the fuel light
comes on.
The instrument cluster is pretty good,
especially for this type of bike, and features two trip counters as well
as a digital speedometer, a clock and all the appropriate warning
lights. What would be nice is a rev counter and gear indicator, it’s
probably just me but I often find myself trying to kick it up into a
higher gear, even when running in top !
The single biggest fault of this bike
is the low speed fuelling. At low speeds around town the throttle is
very much either on or off and a lot of clutch slipping can be necessary
to make smooth progress. Wet roundabouts are not much fun
either. This is a well documented fault with this model and the guys
and gals on www.xt660.com have come up
with some simple modifications that can help with this problem.
Ultimately though I think it is necessary to invest in a Power Commander
and some dyno time to cure this properly.
Speaking of the www.xt660.com forum, this is a great,
informative, international and high volume forum that is almost worth
buying an XT for. Highly recommended for anyone who has either of
the XT660 models.
In my opinion another area in which
the XT660R suffers is the front brake. This uses standard rubber
hoses mated to a single disc. It seems to stop ok although the
brakes are not at all re-assuring, with a lot of lever movement and
suspension that seems to sink to the floor with only the slightest
pressure on the brakes, no kidding this suspension is softer than a blind
man in a porn shop. If the front suspension wasn’t so weak then the
brakes would not feel so bad. Braided Hoses, decent pads and
upgraded front suspension is on my list of upgrades as the bike is so much
fun to ride that not having confidence in it’s stopping abilities is a bit
of a downer.
The bike is a lot of fun to
ride. The high position, wide bars and responsive motor mean that it
is difficult not to thrash it point to point, especially on the nice bendy
B roads that are so often seen in Derbyshire. The suspension means
that it will handle the worse roads without too much trouble and as long
as you don’t expect sports bike cornering abilities you will have a whole
lot of fun .
This particular bike has been fitted
with some additional items, mainly to prepare it better for some overland
travel in Europe planned for next year, but also because in most cases
they add to the looks and/or practicality of the bike. Luckily there
is no shortage of suppliers of accessories for the XT660.
The modifications that have been made
are as follows:
RAM Mount for Sat Nav
Garmin Nuvi 310 Sat Nav
Kedo Sump Guard
Yamaha Hand Guards and Spoilers
Puig Screen
SW Motech Centre Stand
Touratech Kickstand Switch Cover
Touratech Right Heel Guard
Touratech Left Heel Guard
Touratech Rear Brake Fluid Reservoir
Cover
Touratech Strong Luggage Rack
Touratech Silencer Covers
Touratech Shaped Underseat Bag
Touratech Chain Guard
Metal Mule Radiator Guard
If you need to carry a pillion
anywhere but locally and then only on an irregular basis, you should buy a
different bike. The low speed fuelling, shape of the seat and crude
suspension make carrying a pillion an experience you probably will not
enjoy. It’s great that it’s possible but leave it for the odd trip
only.
In summary I would say that this is a
cracking little bike with a couple of flaws but a loveable personality,
guaranteed to put a grin on your face. I will be buying another bike
soon, bit bigger, bit faster, bit more practical for carrying a
pillion, but this one will be staying as well, she has her niche and
besides I couldn’t bring myself to get rid. She’s great.
Text and original images copyright of
the author. © 2007 Tricky Imp Productions
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