Story: Simon Swan
Photos: Phil Smith

So you want it all - a bike that can impress on the bitumen and venture off-road. Yamaha claims it has just the bike you're after. And at a budget price too...

In a similar way to how Bill Clinton struggled to explain the term sexual relations - and Saddam Hussein cannot correctly define the words weapon of mass destruction - I am having comparable woes defining the role of Yamaha's XT600E.

Yamaha's marketing division proclaims the XT600 as being four bikes in one: a Supersport for weekend fangs with your mates, a cruiser for evening outings, a motocrosser, and enduro - one bike for all occasions it claims.

So can one motorcycle really keep you satisfied in almost every biking category? Can you enjoy a relaxing 100km ride on the freeway before turning off and riding like a fiend through tight trails in the bush, dodging tree stumps and kangaroos? Enough of the rhetorical questions. Time to find out...

GOOD VIBRATIONS
On the freeway the 595cc, four-stroke, single-cylinder powerplant can sit quite comfortably at 100km/h. The air-cooled engine displays no signs of stress or overwork.

Acceleration is not breathtaking, but it's still quite adequate for dealing with traffic and overtaking, and shifting through the short and positive five-speed gearbox is swift and glitch free. The clutch is light too, making the XT a gem around town.

The riding position is upright and comfortable, but without the protection of a full fairing you can be subjected to a little buffeting from the wind. The plastic 'race plate' around the headlight acts as a worthwhile wind deflector at highway speeds though.

The only real cause of discomfort comes from the vibrating pegs and handgrips. At first the small tingle through my feet felt quite soothing, but the further I ventured the more I cursed the oscillating pegs. At lower speeds (below 80km/h) or around town it isn't noticeable, but sit in top gear at 100km/h on the freeway and it can soon begins to aggravate... not a cruiser then.

CITY SLICKER Riding in the city is effortless on the nimble, lightweight XT. The slim design means getting through traffic is uncomplicated - ideal for couriers or commuting.

Speaking of design, for a bike that first saw the light of day way back in 1984, the latest incarnation of the XT still looks quite handsome with its blue livery.

There's ample suspension travel from the 41mm air-adjustable forks, which means bumping up kerbs and parking outside the local coffee shop is a doddle! Cup of tea anyone?

You won't disturb the pigeons either as noise from the asthmatic exhaust (read heavily muffled) is as disappointing as a toy saxophone. Still, the XT is an air-cooled single and it does have to meet ADRs.

The seat is wide, well padded and comfortable. Riding with a pillion is 'no worries' given the saddle's substantial surface-area.

Seat height (855mm) is perfect for my 180cm frame, but could prove troublesome for a shorter rider in the stop-start-foot-down world of rush-hour city traffic.

The XT would be ideal for a city commuter who wants to escape the encapsulation of driving to work every day in a car and needs a simple, uncomplicated motorcycle to get from A-to-B throughout the week. Then, when the weekend comes, fun can be had disappearing for country rides on light off-road trails.

FARMING TYPES
Yamaha is keen not to pigeonhole the bike as a commuter's rocket - it's a whole lot more than that. A considerable proportion of the motorcycling community could easily own the XT as their only bike. Agricultural and livestock folk would benefit from the on/off-road capabilities, as would many that live in remote areas where sealed roads are less common.

I'm fully aware of the fun to be had on unsealed roads after the demented editor 'Adolf' von Wooseburger took me on a 'gentle' meander deep into Victoria's Great Dividing Range on a couple of large-capacity roadbikes last year (Vol 51 No 23) - my first time on the loose stuff. This time around I knew what to expect, and the XT600 proved a highly competent weapon in this environment.

It lapped up the ball-bearing-like dirt surface with a big grin under its headlight. It's not one for the motocross track, but it is amicable enough when the going gets rough.

Feel from the single front brake-disc is good on the loose stuff. The chunky dual-sport tyres and suspension also aid the braking ability in this terrain.

On the bitumen, braking is slightly underpowered compared to all-out roadbikes - although, after riding the Yamaha for a while you soon adapt to where the braking limit is.

CHANGING DIRECTION
The times I did outbrake myself running deep into a corner I was surprised at just how well the XT turns. It's no monster of lean, but it is fun - and with the right pilot at the controls the odd numpty on a Supersport machine could be in for a surprise.

The dualsport Bridgestone TW48 rubber offered plenty of grip on the bitumen, encouraging quite a spirited pace through the twisties. I was surprised just how quickly the XT could be punted. I have already used the word fun twice in this article, and it seems to sum the XT up well. It is practical and functional - yet fun. So can it live up to its advertising claims? Is it four bikes in one?

I have to disagree slightly. For sure bikes like the XT600E can dabble a little in each sector of the market - you could ride it through town to the motocross track, getting it dirty before heading home the back way on your favourite set of twisties.

But you wouldn't be having exactly the same experience as someone on a full-on motocross bike or Supersport machine. But you would be having fun and - for the parsimonious amongst us - at $8299, you get a lot of bike for the money.

Up against the XT600E in this price-concious user-friendly market segment are Kawasaki's $8090 KLR650 and Honda's more off-road oriented $9990 XR650L - although Yamaha has its own $9299 TT600R to target the latter.

With Honda's Dominator (NX650) and Suzuki's DR650 no longer available Down Under, Yamaha's venerable XT600E is a true survivor in this category - so much so that it's entering its 20th year on the local market in 2003.

I'll let Yamaha off the advertising claims. Originally I was going to give the company a harsh assessment of its PR blurb, but the bike's abilities surprised me. And I did have great fun riding it. Not quite four bikes in one. Maybe two and a bit.

Source Bikepoint