Yamaha XT 600E

XT600E. If the only thing that puts you off big trailies is the seat height and kickstart, then this is the bike to tempt you. Peter Comely reports from Spain.

The XT600E is really an attempt to increase the range of potential Yamaha big trailie customers via a reduced seat height and an electric start. According to Yamaha research, high seats and/or

kick starters have kept many people away from the big, dual-purpose bike scene. Yamaha's earlier XT500/550/600 bikes have all had either one or both of these potential drawbacks, and the same applies to the

competition. The only possible alternative until now is Yamaha's own TDR250 but I hope they thought of that before they built the XTE.

The seat height/starter combination is really the most

significant thing about the 600 because the rest of the package is a very straightforward motorcycle with only a few concessions to 1990s technology.

Fortunately for the world's bike press Yamaha launched the XTE in a mountainous region of Southern Spain somewhere near the Costa del Sol. The terrain in this particular area of the world gives an intense opportunity to evaluate trail-bike potential.

Getting on to the XT for the first time the overwhelming impression is of how small it feels: a bit like an XT350 with 771bs of lead strapped to the motor. The handlebars and tank are set low in comparison with all previous big trail bikes (except Honda's Dominator), and the suspension doesn't sink much as you sit on it. The overall riding position is comfortable and a good on/off road compromise.

On the road the XTE gives a very direct feel of the surface, not unlike trail bikes did ten years ago. By comparison the other 600 trailies (again, excluding the Dominator), have a much softer, wallowy feel, which although a little more refined for road use, is more susceptible to wandering in a straight line at speed.

Riding the XTE off-road is again like going back in time. The low seat height and firm suspension give a lot of feedback and for me  a relatively inexperienced and reluctant off-road rider  was less intimidating than my own KLR600 Kawasaki. The real off-road aces seemed to like it.

The tubular steel monoshock chassis is conventional contemporary trail bike design, apart from the lower part of the exhaust silencer being a stressed member of the rear subframe. I hope it has good paint because trail bike exhausts tend to go rusty. The luggage rack has four large and proper bungee hooks, but there is no pillion grab rail.

The motor is a modified version of the '89 XT's 595cc, air-cooled, four valve lump, first used in 1984. Changes include a 20% increase in air box volume, a change from wet to dry air filter element, a 20% increase in muffler capacity, transistorised digital ignition, altered carburettor dimensions and a modified piston with beefed-up con-rod and big ends.

Most of these mods are aimed at improving low to mid range power. The XT certainly responds well at low rpm and will wheelie off the throttle in first without you having to dump the clutch. It doesn't have a rev counter, but a red warning light comes on when you reach 7000. Peak power is at around the 6500rpm mark, so there isn't much point going beyond 7000 anyway.

Gearshift and clutch are light so manic, off-road, up and down changing is no problem. Braking is no problem either with a twin piston caliper up front and a single at the rear. Two fingers are sufficient to work the front and the forks dive a lot less than on the taller trail bikes. The rear will happily lock-up if desired, but has plenty of feel.

The standard Bridgestone tyres were adequate for well-surfaced Spanish roads in 85° of sun, but on this country's crap, wet and greasy ones, I suspect there are better alternatives (see trail tyre test, PB July '89). In dry off-road conditions I find it very hard to evaluate a tyre's dirt performance, so I'll say they were OK.

The tight mountain roads of Spain gave us little chance to evaluate the XT's top speed potential, but on a quick blast down the N340 motorway I got just over 135km/h (85mph) on the speedo with me upright. Top gear feels very tall. Over the day's 150 mile on/off road riding the seat was reasonably comfortable although some complained it was a bit narrow. The tank needs reserve after around 100 miles.

One of the advantages of trail bikes — or disadvantages depending on which way you look at it — is that they're not much good over 90mph, 'cos you get sucked off the back. This is one good way to keep your licence.

At the root of the appeal of the XT is definitely its simplicity. It has the basic construction of a field bike with lights, doesn't (apart from the junior mountain bike style stickers) have any superfluous gimmicks and is a perfectly adequate on/off road compromise. It won't win any prizes in the style/performance stakes and I don't suppose you will be killed in the rush to by one, but it's good to see a new, basic, middle-of-the-road motorcycle at an almost realistic price.