WR250R fits the description except #3
Acerbis has a 6.6 gal tank. Problem solved.
I've been eyeing the Husky TE610/630
KTM's scare me from an ease/frequency of maintenance standpoint.
The Husky is gorgeous... a CRMO steel frame with an awesome 6-speed, if only it
weighed less than 300 lbs.; and had a kickstarter and a carburetor for my agricultural needs.
A KTM 690 Enduro sounds like exactly what you're looking for.
314 lbs. Dry! (3 lbs. lighter than the TE630!)
For comparison: The 'Curb' weight for the KLR is
432 lbs. not much lighter than most multi-cylinder ADV big bikes; and the F650GS is
395 lbs. Dry. These are Manufacturer quoted numbers.
Per the cliche statement:
"Every motorcycle is a compromise." From a purely utilitarian perspective, ignoring aethetics and 'soul'; the key criteria for each individual should be:
- Cost (Accept total financial loss, if it's not your primary means of transportation, it's just a hobby)
- Size (Your ability to pick up and handle the motorcycle alone. The bikes loadbearing capacity or GVWR are above your body weight and load requirements)
- Comfort (How much saddle time do you need to be able to bear? IronButt eligible?)
- Durability (Can the bike withstand the loads and terrain you plan to travel on?)
- Reliability (Can you depend on the machine to get you to your destination safely?)
- Simplicity (Can you repair it if it breaks down?)
Road use: How much road do you intend to ride your Dual Sport on, and at what (safe) top speeds? This becomes an issue with gearing even with a wide ratio 6-speed gearbox. Interesting
thread on 5-speed vs. 6-speed with
comparison of wide-ratio transmissions by make/model may be helpful. Do you need to ride high speed US highways for prolonged periods, or can you plan alternate back road routes (65mph max speed)? Can you easily swap out countersprockets for practical dirt and pavement final ratios?
Another consideration for road use is the rear hub: Does it have a cush drive to absorb engine torque? This is a key difference between the KTM 450/525/530 (highly tunes and without cush) and the 620/640/690 LC4 (detuned and with cush).
Fuel Range: Do you plan on trucking/trailering your bike to the riding area and limit your rides to 100 mile loops to and from your support vehicle/refueling points?; or will you ride 300+ miles of pavement and dirt. Are there OEM or aftermarket 4+ Gallon fuel tanks for your make/model to provide 250+ mile fuel range?
JustGasTanks will provide a short list of eligible candidates.
Field Expedient Repairs: What will be your access to technical or dealer support on your trips? How isolated will you be? Example: What if the EFI or fuel pump fails; or a radiator is punctured? Unfortunately, I've suffered the experience. If you ride in austere and isolated conditions: it would be prudent to adhere to the K.I.S.S. (Keep it Stupid Simple) principle: Air-cooled, Kick start (even if you have a magic button), carbureted, 5K mile oil change intervals. The larger tubed tires with stiff sidewalls for heavier bikes (140/80-17 and larger) are a pain to manually change with tire irons. The adage: if you can't fix it yourself, you have no business taking it into isolated areas. Note: You can transfer this risk by purchasing insurance with air-evacuation/transportation service.
Manageable Weight: This topic is never portrayed realistically in the Manufacturers' marketing 'Hype' on ADVenture Bikes ("Tourers") which include motorcycles the media have misleading dubbed as 'middleweights" like the BMW Triumph 800XC (
473 lbs. Wet), or "lightweights" like the KLR or
390 lbs. Dry BMW G650GS Sertao. The truth is, even if you are a very strong and skilled rider, all of these these models are a handful in the dirt.
Carl Adams, the author of
The Essential Guide to Dual Sport Motorcycles defines the Dual Sport categories grouped by weight and intended purpose:
- Lightweight dual-sports weigh about 250 to 300 lb (110 to 140 kg). They have high fenders and ground clearance plus long travel suspension, and usually come with aggressive dirt oriented 'knobbies'. Lightweights are closest to pure dirt bikes and are most at home on rough trails and two-track roads with occasional forays onto pavement.
- Middleweight dual-sports weigh about 300 to 350 lb (140 to 160 kg). They usually have less suspension travel and ground clearance than lightweights, and often come with tires that offer a compromise between dirt and pavement performance. Middleweights are most at home on smooth trails, graded dirt roads and pavement.
- Heavyweight dual-sports weigh over 350 lb (160 kg). They are designed primarily for riders who want to travel long distances on pavement with occasional forays onto dirt roads. They usually come with smoother tires that perform better on pavement. These motorcycles are also called adventure or adventure-touring bikes by some manufacturers.
Since you own the "heavyweights":
491 lbs. GSA and a
472 lbs. Weestrom, I assume you are very much aware of the traction and handling limitations in the dirt (even w/ TKC 80's).
I've owned 300+ lbs. Dual Sports: a XR600 and a KTM LC4 in the past. Unless you're built like Scott Summers (AMA GNCC), although great in the desert, they are unweildy for my 5'8", 150 lbs. Welterweight frame in the woods or single track. Any bike that weighs more than 300 lbs. quickly becomes a liability in sand, mud, and single track trails; and will quickly overwhelm the suspension in rough terrain. If you plan on motorcycle camping, then you have to either minimize your load ("Travel light, Freeze at Night") or compromise and opt for larger bikes (nee "Middleweight") and avoid difficult terrain.
This video is a statement against the stereotype ADV/DS motorcycle:
[YOUTUBE]ThO-w9SCM8I[/YOUTUBE]
If I ride my uberbeast; I have to carefully plan the routes based on my limitations. To the shock (disgust or pity) of many of my American friends on KLR650 and DR650; I frequently ride my 250cc lightweight (<300 lbs. wet and laden) Dual Sport comfortably, with camping gear, to and from riding areas (250+ mile round trips including highway speeds on knobbies), rather than trucking/trailering. Riding a <250cc motorcycle on 2-lane highways is a common sight in most developing countries. I've discovered the light bike can tackle most terrain, distances, and blends in on trips South of the Border. Once in the dirt, the light weight and handling, and manageable power become a significant advantage over the much heavier KLR650, DR650, and F650. I personally prefer riding the small bike much more than the big bike, which is reserved for 75mph+, North American, super slab, multi-day trips.
Contrary to the Ewan McGregor/Charley Boorman image; the opinion for smaller bikes is shared by many RTW and Transcontinental motorcycle travelers that have experienced 'managing' the big bikes outside North America/Western Europe; general consensus (
H.U.B.B.), once you learn how to pack just what you really need, you don't need more than a 400cc motorcycle for a RTW trip. (Mondo Enduro, Lois Pryce, etc.).
Payload: Depending on the frame and the engine performance, two motorcycles with identical weight may have different Gross Vehicle Weight Ratings (G.V.W.R.). The GVWR is provided on the DOT required placard. A KLR GVWR is 738 lbs.; only 306 lbs. margin to include the rider(s), 6.1 gallons of fuel, and luggage. In comparison the GVWR of a 348 lbs. KTM 640 Adventure is
803 lbs.: providing a payload of 455 lbs. Aluminum subframes are at a disadavantage. in fact Aluminum twin-spar frames often weigh more than their tubular steel counterparts, (KTM, Husqvarna).
How modern? Highly tuned 4-stroke engines designed to be raced competitively require frequent oil changes, and valve clearance adjustments; and are not designed for durability in the context of a detuned engine designed for commuting (100,000+ miles.) Efficiently 'laying down the power' in limited traction (dirt) conditions becomes difficult as you appoach or exceed 40HP (It's actually limited by the torque). Even in the context of detuned enduro engines; the rideability of an off-road bike is not simply the subject of horsepower; but the tractability and handling. Any bike can and should be upgraded with properly tuned modern suspension, less unsprung weight, ergonomics comfortable for the rider, appropriate final drive (sprocket) ratio, and efficient brakes.
What are you really looking for?: If your requirements and disposition lean towards a 'trailer queen', local area rides, and not much travel in austere condition: you'll probably be happiest with a "plated dirt-bike": highly tuned (40+ HP), <500 mile oil change intervals, EFI, <250 lbs., etc. (Husaberg, KTM, Husqvarna, Aprilia, GasGas, Beta, etc.). This scenario leads to a slippery slope with the argument that you might not even need the license plate, just a Green Sticker (but not Red). The 209 lbs.
KTM 200 XC-W has a cult following for a reason.
It seems to me that the "plated dirt bike" crowd embrace a culture for fashionable exotica; which is quite the opposite of motorcycle travelers. Reliability and durability are defined in polar opposite terms by the divergent communities. For example: Motorcycle travelers define engine durability in terms like: Will it last 100,000 miles? or Simplicity: Can the local mechanic in Peshwar rebuild the transmission? Analagous to the comfort criteria for Repli-Roadracers vs. Touring bikes.
You did mention Motard conversions, which is an additional constraint... and also assumes that the risk of frequently laying the bike down in both dirt and pavement, and the negative impact to cost and resale value; is acceptable.
I think that most of the 'more modern' 6xx-class thumpers with fuel injection and 6-speed gear boxes would offer better highway performance, and most of them are lighter than a KLR. 
