YAMAHA XT660R 2014 Adventure Touring Enduro

The Japanese factory offers a wide range of allroad touring enduros such as YAMAHA XT660R 2014 which is a simplified version of the brother model YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2014 without the ABS and taller wind coverage. The 660R is a quite old model which has been updated with graphics and color schemes for some time. It is not very light or agile. The 660R is from the heaviest end of the light weight adventure touring enduros. Still it handles a lot from the typical adventure touring and routing scenario perspective. The 660R is designed for reasonable speed below the highway limits and therefore small country and fire roads are natural surfaces for it. With proper tyres, the 660R is good for light trailing too, but the handling is not offroad oriented. Even though it has 21 inch front wheel, cross spoked rims and no ABS.

The YAMAHA XT660R 2014 is perfect companion for solo adventure riders that are planning to ride mostly in the outback exploring remote locations and enjoying small roads. On the other hand, the 660R is also a very practical and simple everyday bike as long as the highway is not on the regular menu. The 660R is not an offroad dirt bike what so ever. It is simply too heavy for the most demanding offroad conditions and softest surfaces. Never the less the 660R has a lot offroad capabilities for adventure touring. The resilient 660R single cylinder engine provides very practical and smooth torque which is perfect for gravel & dirt road riding. YAMAHA engines are know from reliability and the 660R is no exception. The YAMAHA XT660R 2014 is very simple to ride, has good riding ergonomics and is therefore a good choice for beginners too. The 660R engine is not powerful enough for high speed riding.

YAMAHA XT660R 2014 Features

The YAMAHA XT660R 2014 provides very little wind coverage which is just fine for the hottest conditions and a reasonable speed. When the average speed is mostly below 90KMH or 56MPH the modest fairing is a small issue. Perhaps for everyday riding, it would be interesting to have also a slightly taller windscreen. The overall 660R -weight is rather high, but as long as it is used in the natural touring environment and everyday riding, it`s not a problem what so ever. The 660R -frame and riding ergonomics are not very large or typical offroad size. The 660R -seat is relative low and taller riders may need foot peg and handlebar adjustments, in order to find better riding postures. On the other hand, the one piece seat is long and ables movement back and forward during the ride, but there are no seat adjustment nor alternative OE -seats.

The traditional YAMAHA XT660R 2014 fuel tank offers modest 15L (3.96 USgal./ 3.3 UKgal.) capacity and reserve canisters such as ROTOPAX would be necessary for longer LEGs. Unfortunately by placing the reserve canisters at the back with the luggage, the weight balance becomes slightly challenging and the front wheel light. Note that the fuel tank at the front is placed traditionally quite high and not low on the sides like the competition which makes the 660R with a full tank less agile than otherwise. One thing that speaks a little bit against the remote destinations, is that the 660R has no low octane fuel settings. The 21 inch front wheel is good for offroad riding, but the YAMAHA XT660R 2014 gear ratio is designed for road use and the first gear is slightly too long for slow maneuvering. The ground clearance is modest 210 mm. or 8.27 inches which is not much and on top of that the exhaust pipes run below the engine. Therefore investments to proper engine protection are in order.

The YAMAHA XT660R 2014 payload capacity is relative good, but at the limits the right weight balance becomes the challenge since the reserve fuel and the luggage tends to go at the back. The 660R has traditional 10 000km service interval which is not a lot, but adequate for touring purposes. Fortunately the simple engine structure makes the 660R easy to service by any handyman, even on the road as long as the tools are available. Such features are always beneficiary for an adventure touring enduro since they should be able to take you there and back no matter what. The key YAMAHA XT660R 2014 features are:

The YAMAHA XT660R 2014 has been in this condition at the market for some years. Therefore it has no surprises and it simply works. There is no sophisticated riding aid systems, not even the ABS which means that the 660R is very solid technology and if something comes up, the fix can be made almost anywhere. This makes the 660R basically very fit for adventure touring outside the western countries.

YAMAHA XT660R 2014 Instrumentation

The YAMAHA XT660R 2014 instrumentation is very modest. There is no tachometer neither. There is only a small LCD display with warning lights and a segment display which can be controlled with 2 function buttons. Typically there is no fuel gauge either. Instead there is a reserve trip counter (5L / 1.32USgal / 1.1UKgal) and therefore the 660R -rider has to take care of fuel monitoring with the trip counters or using a GPS navigator with fuel tracking features such as GARMIN Zumo 350LM. The key YAMAHA XT660R 2014 digital LCD display features are:

YAMAHA XT660R 2014 Equipment Accessory

The factory has basically nothing to offer for the YAMAHA XT660R 2014 tuning. Therefore I would recommend to turn to the equipment producers side right away. When taking the 660R offroad, more protection for the engine, cooler, exhaust pipes below the engine is very much required. Proper hand guards would be also in order. Equipment manufacturers offer solid pannier sets, but a saddle bag such as GiantLoop would be also a good choice, but note that better heat shielding may be necessary with the tail bag. The center stand would be good for chain maintenance and log term parking. A slightly taller windscreen would offer more protection which is interesting at least from the everyday biking perspective. The standard foot rests are not good for dirt roads and wide offroad foot pegs would provide much better support and grip when riding in muddy conditions. A mud guard extension along a tall engine guard would also cut some of the dirt which is otherwise sprayed on the engine hindering the cooling.

There should be no need to upgrade the YAMAHA XT660R 2014 too much and if there is, I recommend to choose the brother model YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2014. The Tenere has tall DAKAR -style wind coverage and bigger fuel tank. They are otherwise alike. The 660R is slightly more modest and proper choice for poor roads and hottest temperatures.

YAMAHA XT660R 2014 Comparison

Compared to the KTM 690 Enduro R 2014, the YAMAHA XT660R 2014 is more comfort and road oriented. They both have the same tyre size and cross spoked rims, but the 660R has no ABS -fuss. The 660R is 34kgs (75lbs.) heavier, offers 14kgs (30.9lbs.) less payload, 19HP less engine performance and 50 mm. less suspension travel and ground clearance, but 3L (0.8USgal – 0.66UKgal.) more fuel capacity and 45 mm. or 1.8in lower seat height. The 660R is less aggressive, sporty and agile in offroad riding. The suspension and the gear box is better for the roads than trails or very slow maneuvering. The 660R seat is more comfortable, but hardly good for static riding on a long term at high speed. The 660R has no low octane fuel settings like the 690R.

The KTM 690 Enduro R 2014 has a lot equipment alternatives and it can be built for the extreme adventures. The YAMAHA XT660R 2014 not so much, but there are enough universal and few model specific parts to complete the bike. Although the travel scenario should be slightly less ambitious and the riding style less aggressive.

VS YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere ABS 2014

Compared to the brother YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere ABS 2014 -model, the YAMAHA XT660R 2014 is 34kgs (75lbs.) lighter and offers 2Nm. more torque due to different exhaust, but it also offers 2kgs (4.4lbs.) less payload capacity, 8L (2.1USgal. – 1.76UKgal.) less fuel capacity and far less comfort. The XT660R has no DAKAR -style wind coverage and is therefore less comfortable in touring. The Tenere has also much better instrumentation with a fuel gauge and a tachometer. The biggest difference is with the fuel range and the payload distribution. The XT660R is a better choice for demanding adventure touring at lower speed ranges using the smallest roads and trail network. The rider seat height is the same, but the XT660R has no bump which is good for active riding and rider movement back and forward on the seat. The YAMAHA XT660R 2014 model has it`s limitations, but there are so many preferences and destinations that for sure there are adventure riders interested in the XT660R too. The YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere ABS 2014 is better for high speed roads, everyday biking and slightly less aggressive routing, but it`s also more interesting and versatile option from the equipment and tuning point of view.

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