Other reviewers have pretty much covered it but I would add. I have owned a Triumph sprint 955i sports tourer and a KTM 450 exc racing enduro. But, if you want a bike that can tour and get on the dirt this is the bike for you. It does all that without costing the earth.
It is also a very reliable bike. In 6years I have never had any problems and I give it a hard life.
I have a large Touratech bash plate (a must to keep pipes safe) but looks cool to
Throttle surge has never been a problem I always ride with two fingers on the clutch. A tiny squeeze and its sorted. Furthermore, it only happens at low speeds. But if it bothers you there are fixes to be had.
The only thing negative I would say is. This is a one up tourer only. Unless your wife is built like a 10 year old. Short local rides two up with lots of stops fine.
I have pondered getting a two up bike like BMW 1200 GS or KTM 990 ADVENTURE and still do. But I have had mates who have had both those bikes. But whether on a twisty road or a dirt track I can leave all but the most experienced rider standing. It can be thrown into a corner like a supermoto and is confidence inspiring on the dirt.
I am still thinking of getting a 2 up bike but I think I will still have to keep my beloved XT660r

After ten months of ownership, I just love this bike. I am writing a review that is going to be critical though, to help any prospective buyers, but don't get me wrong....it is an awesome bike.

The press say in the "buyers guides" that these bikes suffer from "fuel surging", which is quite correct. However, it can be easily fixed either with a Power Commander, or a cheaper fuel mod, found on the XT660.com forum. So, lets forget about this, and look at the bike........

(I have owned a Suzuki DRZ400E - which although a good bike, was just plain uncomfortable with any road journey over an hour....the seat was too narrow, and the seat height too high, and the engine was fairly stressed at a 80mph cruise)


This is a bike that you can comfortably ride on the road, and go "greenlaning" on at the weekends.

A weird exhaust design means that the headers run underneath the engine, so a sumpguard is a "must" for any offroad adventures. (or a 2-1 exhaust). But don't let that put you off. The ground clearance hasn't been a problem so far with standard headers, even riding rocky terrains.

The seat is wide and comfortable on longer journeys. The bike feels stable and secure. It also doesn't really show any battle scars from being dropped when offroading.

The rear damper/spring doesn't feel the best- but it does the job.

The engine is sweet. Top speed 106mph, will cruise at 80mph nicely. Unlike a DRZ.. (But I think it is a bit "underpowered" for what I personally like for road riding, and I have done some more extreme tuning which will not be to everyone's need or taste!...and as with other things, all mods are freely available.)

A sixth gear for cruising wouldn't go amiss.....but again, the bike does the job well (are you beginning to see a theme to this review?)

The front brake isn't the best ....

Not great for a pillion......

As a bike that will do for commuting, or a Sunday rider, which would do a bit of offroading too, say 80% onroad/20% offroad...but really any percentage, I think you would have to look very hard to find anything else that is fairly Low Mantainance, Low Cost, Reliable and that has a comfortable seat. There are some XT660R's on RTW trips now, without any hiccups at all. There is an excellent forum for owners, with all sorts of mods you can do.


And if you like Single cylinder engines.......you're just reading the review for your next bike!