Comparative test: Road enduro

The Yamaha XT is to blame

Actually, the first reason for this test was the presentation of the new Yamaha XT 660 R. The legendary "mother enduro" has not undergone such radical changes for a long time. At least since the beginning of the XNUMX's, if my memory serves me. The stringent environmental requirements have forced Yamaha to abandon the tried and tested air-cooled unit and replace it with a newer, more modern one.

This is exactly what they did and more. Last but not least, it would be a shame to end such a magnificent tradition, or rather the XT dynasty. Just to keep things simple: The XT 500 was the motorcycle they traveled extensively across the Sahara 20 years ago. So, the concept of endurance!

Thus, this season the XT 660 R introduced a completely new engine with a new liquid-cooled engine capable of delivering 48 hp. at 6000 rpm and 58 Nm of torque at 5250 rpm. Much to the delight of connoisseurs, they have retained the classic enduro look with a high front fender, single headlight with classic enduro mask, and they also nicely elevate the rear with a twin tailpipe.

So the new Yamaha XT 660 is not only beautiful but also a pleasure to listen to. As befits an enduro, it sings with muted single-cylinder bass when you push the throttle, and it sometimes cracks gently through the exhaust pipes as the throttle is vented.

The remaining three motorcycles are already our old acquaintances. Well, the youngest is the BMW F 650 GS in the Dakar version (50 hp at 6500 rpm), which sits higher, has an off-road suspension, is slightly stronger than the road F 650 GS and has a more aggressive shape. with a large inscription Dakar. A few years ago, BMW won three times in a row the most difficult rally in the world - the legendary Dakar - on such a (very modified, of course) motorcycle. We were also happy that they did not forget about it after four years, because the GS Dakar performed well on the field.

The Honda Transalp 650 (53 hp @ 7500 rpm) and the Aprilia Pegaso 650 (49 hp @ 6300 rpm) are also very well known. Like BMW, Aprilia mainly has a Rotax engine, the development and roots of which are common to both brands. The Transalp, on the other hand, boasts a proven two-cylinder V-engine that also dates back to the mid-XNUMXs when Honda won the Dakar as a joke. The engine, as well as the overall design of the bike, turned out to be such that Honda repeatedly decided it was not time for the Transalp to say goodbye.

Of course, such a comparison test would be incomplete without these two bikes, as they were so heavily marked by the motorcycle that we shouldn't have missed them.

Adventure Time

When designing the route, the editors agreed that we should turn from ordinary roads to rubble, a cart path, and for dessert, not counting the more difficult passage on the water and testing the skills of "climbing" the rocky slope. This is how the idea of ​​crossing Istria was born. This beautiful peninsula has been unjustly overlooked many times over.

Namely, it hides paradise rubble and traces of a cart, and at times, due to its favorable coastal position and Mediterranean growth, it even resembles Africa. Can you imagine a prettier testing ground for these touring enduro motorcycles, each in turn related to the African continent? For all those of you who might not have known, Aprilia also spent her time in Africa with the Touareg and today they are organizing adventure trips to Tunisia for Pegasus and Caponord owners.

But before we start about the terrain, let's first tell you how the selected bikes performed in the city and on rural roads, where in the first place all four also belong the most. In a crowded city, the Yamaha and Aprilia were the ones that delighted us the most, as the bikes are suitable for driving in heavy city traffic. The BMW is a bit tall, which posed problems for shorter drivers when waiting for a green light in front of a traffic light, and its higher center of gravity required more concentration and more decisive movement from the driver.

Honda, which is also a rather bulky motorcycle with armor, easily moved in a crowd, a little more attention (compared to others) was required only during narrow passages between standing cars. Well, make no mistake, none of the four enduros are bulky or difficult to control, and there are a few small differences either way.

On the road, when the speed increases, the story twists a little. Undoubtedly, Honda shone the most. The powerful unit develops a speed of just over 175 km / h, which does not interfere due to very good wind protection. On a cold morning, we were also very pleased with the plastic hand guards, which also worked well in the field, where we made our way along narrow paths through thorny bushes.

Transalp is followed by GS Dakar. It is capable of speeds up to 170 km / h and is surprisingly good at wind protection, in addition to this it has a model of rally bikes, hand and handlebar protection and decent (on cold and rainy days) heated levers. The XT 660 and Pegaso are very close in top speed as we both were aiming for 160 km / h, but it is true that Yamaha accelerates better and the Aprilia needs to shift more and accelerate to higher revs.

On the other hand, Aprilia quickly notices good wind protection (in addition to the armor as well as hand protection) as it also provides higher travel speeds. It's logical that Yamaha is in last place, as instead of armor, it only has a front grill, which has a good aerodynamic design. In practice, this means that you can effortlessly accelerate to 130 km / h, and for a comfortable ride at higher speeds, we recommend a slightly more closed (aerodynamic) position.

There is no real loser or winner in a series of turns because all four compete well in turns. Only on BMWs did we notice the effect of a slightly higher center of gravity (due to the greater distance of the engine floor from the ground), which meant that quicker force or a more determined driver's hand was required to drive quickly out of a corner. into the corner. It's the same with braking, where the Honda with the twin disc brakes stands out a bit in a positive way.

On the field, the bikes have exceeded our expectations, and we are not shy about admitting that. Well, they also have a little thanks for the dry surface, which off-road tires are great for. We didn't throw ourselves in the mud with them, because it would be like digging in muddy puddles with our boots on every day. This is something to think about before anyone decides to go on an adventure.

The Yamaha in this kind of terrain (be careful, we didn't ride hard enduro!) Lives up to its name. It's controllable, lightweight, yet well-made, spring-loaded and with such engine power that even when cornering, it doesn't cause a nightmare, but delights both her and the driver. Yamaha allows for even more moderate jumps, but we do not recommend overdoing it, otherwise the fork and rear shock may hit each other to extreme compression. All we lacked was the engine protection from stones and boulders that the other three had.

BMW also performed very well on the field. It is more than obviously very tough, secure enough and tough enough not to be intimidated even in the most challenging terrain. We were only concerned about the high center of gravity, which meant that the driver had to work a little more in technical areas and in very closed corners.

Despite the plastic protection and armor, Honda has established itself as a well-controlled and lightweight enduro motorcycle. Not a single piece of plastic fell on our way. We really enjoyed! She also impressed us with her reliable position on the crushed stone roads.

Last but not least, Aprilia Pegaso! Ask a friend who rides such a motorcycle how many times he rides on a gravel road. Probably never. Well, it could have been! The Pegaso's soft exterior can really make it feel more like a city bike, but it also works well in smart hands like an enduro on the ground.

But this was not yet the last surprise for Pegasus. If you look between grades and points, you can see that the difference between all four is not very large. The Pegaso may indeed end up in last place in our performance test, but like everyone else, it scored four points. It only lost a few points in design (years known) and performance.

They are followed in a very close sequence by BMW, which is somewhat expensive and tall compared to the others, but on the other hand offers a very interesting choice for on-road and off-road use. We would come up with two sets of tires, for road and off-road, and replace them if necessary.

A small surprise came from Honda, which, despite the years, is holding up very well - mainly due to the excellent two-cylinder engine, very good driving characteristics and ease of use. It can be an SUV, a city engine, for work or a trip for two. He lost a few points due to the design (long known, no major changes) and price. Thus, we found a winner who ran very little to score "excellent" (5). Maybe ABS, trunk, engine protection, lever and windshield.

We were in awe of the Yamaha XT 660 the moment we drove it for the first time and then just enjoyed the ride. Ideal in the city, on country roads, as well as in the field. Yes, the legend lives on!

1st place: Yamaha XT 660 R

engine: 4-stroke, single cylinder, liquid-cooled, 660cc, electronic fuel injection, 3hp at 48 rpm.

Energy transfer: Transmission 5-speed, chain.

Suspension: classic hydraulic telescopic forks at the front, single hydraulic shock absorber at the rear.

brakes: front spool with a diameter of 1 mm, rear spool with a diameter of 298 mm.

Tires: front 90/90 R21, rear 130/80 R17.

Wheelbase: 1.505 mm.

Seat height from ground: 870 mm.

Fuel tank: 15 l, 3, 5 l stocks.

Mass with liquids: 189 kg.

Represents and sells: Delta Team, doo, Cesta Krških žrtev 135a, Krško, tel .: [phone].

We praise and reproach

+ price

+ usability

+ modern enduro design

+ motor

- little wind protection

– without the trunk

Points: 424

2nd city: Honda Transalp 650

engine: 4-stroke, two-cylinder, liquid-cooled, 647 cm3, carburetor f 34 mm, 53 hp at 7.500 rpm.

Energy transfer: Transmission 5-speed, chain.

Suspension: classic hydraulic telescopic forks at the front, single hydraulic shock absorber at the rear.

brakes: front spool with a diameter of 2 mm, rear spool with a diameter of 256 mm.

Tires: front 90/90 R21, rear 120/90 R17.

Wheelbase: 1.505 mm.

Seat height from ground: 835 mm.

Fuel tank: 19 l, 3, 5 l stocks.

Mass with liquids: 216 kg.

Represents and sells: AS Domzale, doo, Blatnica 3a, Trzin; tel .: [phone].

We praise and reproach

+ powerful engine

+ wind protection

+ suitable for travel (even for two)

- needs rejuvenation

– price

Points: 407

3rd place: BMW F 650 GS Dakar

engine: 4-stroke, single cylinder, liquid-cooled, 652cc, electronic fuel injection, 3hp at 50 rpm.

Energy transfer: Transmission 5-speed, chain.

Suspension: classic hydraulic telescopic forks at the front, single hydraulic shock absorber at the rear.

brakes: front spool with a diameter of 1 mm, rear spool with a diameter of 300 mm.

Tires: front 90/90 R21, rear 130/80 R17.

Wheelbase: 1.489 mm.

Seat height from ground: 890 mm.

Fuel tank: 17, 3 l, 4, 5 l stocks.

Mass with liquids: 203 kg.

Represents and sells: Avto Aktiv, OOO, Cesta v Mestni log 88a, 1000 Ljubljana, tel .: [phone].

We praise and reproach

+ appearance

+ reliability

+ broad applicability

– price

– high center of gravity

- seat height from the ground

Points: 407

4th place: Aprilia Pegaso 650 ie

engine: 4-stroke, single cylinder, liquid-cooled, 652cc, 3hp at 48 rpm, electronic fuel injection.

Energy transfer: Transmission 5-speed, chain.

Suspension: classic hydraulic telescopic forks at the front, single adjustable hydraulic damper at the rear.

brakes: front spool with a diameter of 1 mm, rear spool with a diameter of 300 mm.

Tires: front 100/90 R19, rear 130/80 R17.

Wheelbase: 1.475 mm.

Seat height from ground: 810 mm.

Fuel tank: 20 l, reserve 5 l.

Mass with liquids: 203 kg.

Represents and sells: Auto Triglav, Ltd., Dunajska 122, 1113 Ljubljana, tel .: [phone].

We praise and reproach

+ wind protection

+ ease of use in the city and on

+ rural roads

+ price

- the engine must be running

– Brakes could be a little better

Points: 381

Petr Kavchich, photo by Sasha Kapetanovich

• Technical information

  engine: 4-stroke, single cylinder, liquid-cooled, 652cc, 3hp at 48 rpm, electronic fuel injection.

  Energy transfer: Transmission 5-speed, chain.

  brakes: front spool with a diameter of 1 mm, rear spool with a diameter of 300 mm.

  Suspension: classic hydraulic telescopic forks at the front, single hydraulic shock absorber at the rear. / classic hydraulic telescopic forks at the front, single hydraulic shock absorber at the rear. / classic hydraulic telescopic forks at the front, single hydraulic shock absorber at the rear. / classic hydraulic telescopic forks at the front, single adjustable hydraulic damper at the rear.

  Fuel tank: 20 l, reserve 5 l.

  Wheelbase: 1.475 mm.

  Weight: 203 kg.

We praise and reproach

rural roads

usability in the city and on

broad applicability

reliability

appearance

suitability for travel (even for two)

windshield protection

powerful engine

engine

modern enduro design

utility

price

brakes could be a little better

the engine must be running

seat height from floor

high center of gravity

price

needs rejuvenation

he has no trunk

little wind protection