Go Back   EcoModder Forum > EcoModding > Motorcycles / Scooters
Register Now
 Register Now
 

Reply  Post New Thread
 
Submit Tools LinkBack Thread Tools
Old 09-18-2012, 06:31 PM   #21 (permalink)
EcoModding Apprentice
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: San Francisco, CA USA
Posts: 142
Thanks: 6
Thanked 53 Times in 31 Posts
Generally, dirt bikes handle much better on pavement than pavement bikes do in the dirt. I've raced (and raced against) MXers and dirt trackers in club roadraces and they usually work pretty well, once you sort out appropriate brakes and rim sizes.

cheers,
Michael

__________________
http://www.eurospares.com
  Reply With Quote
Alt Today
Popular topics

Other popular topics in this forum...

   
Old 09-18-2012, 06:32 PM   #22 (permalink)
EcoModding Apprentice
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 233

Black Beauty - '13 Hyundai Elantra
Thanks: 71
Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
But here's the thing. I'm not doing supermotard, I'm riding on the streets and it would be a nice bonus if I could ride on trails as well.
  Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2012, 08:53 PM   #23 (permalink)
EcoModding Apprentice
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: San Francisco, CA USA
Posts: 142
Thanks: 6
Thanked 53 Times in 31 Posts
I think you are missing my point. A dirt bike put on pavement is going to do much better than a pavement bike put on the dirt. Sure, you can take a Gold Wing on a wide/smooth dirt road, but you probably won't enjoy it that much. Instead, put dual-sport tires on a dirt-oriented bike and gear it up enough so it isn't laboring at highway speeds. You'll have a much happier time in the dirt that way. If your one bike is going to run dual-sport tires the dirt bike is going to be a better "all arounder" than the street bike.

Street bikes are probably going to be heavier, wider, have inadequate ground clearance, inadequate suspension travel and wheel-rates, too much front-end weight bias, poor foot and bar positions and possibly a lot more expensive stuff that gets broken when (not if) you fall down.

You might look at something like a DR350 Suzuki. That's an early 1990s model, but it was an aircooled single and pretty popular and reliable. I've seen them in full dual sport trim and I've also seen one that was fitted out with GS500 wheels/brakes and run on the street. It will have enough power to do freeway speeds.

Here's a couple for sale for around $2K.

1991 Suzuki DR350S STREET LEGAL
Suzuki DR350 dual sport

Or consider an XL500/600 or XT500/600 if you want something bigger for higher sustained freeway speeds.

The dirt bike can handle well on both pavement and dirt. The street bike is unlikely to be terribly happy in the dirt, or at least that should be true for what I've seen of modern street bikes. You should see about borrowing someone's street bike and try to ride it on trails, things should become a lot clearer after that.

But you should be prepared to fix the crash damage.

cheers,
Michael
__________________
http://www.eurospares.com
  Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2012, 09:37 PM   #24 (permalink)
EcoModding Apprentice
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 233

Black Beauty - '13 Hyundai Elantra
Thanks: 71
Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
I think I actually did get the point, but it's definitely clear now. I was making the counterpoint that I would be doing almost exclusively road riding. Given how emphatic you are about it though, it makes me think that I'm probably better off abandoning that idea altogether and getting a cbr 250 or something like that.

Edit:
I do love the dr200 and concede that a dr 350 would make perfect sense if I were doing any sort of regular trail riding.
  Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2012, 09:54 PM   #25 (permalink)
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: na
Posts: 1,025
Thanks: 277
Thanked 218 Times in 185 Posts
Riding trails, just mild ones and gravel dirt roads is a huge bonus IMO when learning. Since I don't know your phyical size & strenght a 250 dual sport DR250se xt250 (225's kind of weak for freeway speeds) XL250's haven't been made in a long time, or KLR250 are great bikes, if pretty athletic agile I don't think you'll have a problem with the 650's. Each one has it's advanatage.

KLR650 6.1 gallon fuel tank, water cooled, put 20,000 mile on mine and run like day I bought it. Little heavy for hard core dirt, but I road it with my oldest on her xr50 just fine, best HWY dual sport, poorest dirt bike, heaviest. Not hard to empty the tank without stopping.

DR650s air cooled, lowest seat height, smaller tank, soft sprung, soft seat, middle of the road 50%dirt 50% street 650 dual sport about 3 gallon tank so half range of Kaw.

Honda XR650l, highest seat height, air cooled, most dirt bike to come with lights of the 3, just my opinion, but seems to be some people have problems with them coming from factory a little lean, 3 gallon tank, can get aftermarket big tanks, but if what a big tank buy a KLR.

KLR has been same basic bike since 1987, xr650l about 1993 or 1985ish, dr probalby about the same. All tried and test designs.

Check out the Versys, cool bike, same engine ast Ninja 650 but better suited, Weestrom (dl650) is nice, a guy just up the road and his son road their 650 & 1000 to Alaska and back.

KLR650's can be lowered cheaply I have a 5'9 friend that has one 2" lowered and likes it enough he's thinking about selling his ST1100.
  Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2012, 09:55 PM   #26 (permalink)
EcoModding Apprentice
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 233

Black Beauty - '13 Hyundai Elantra
Thanks: 71
Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
You can think of me as a relatively tall skinny ninja. It's a lot closer to the truth than you'd be likely to believe.
  Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2012, 10:02 PM   #27 (permalink)
EcoModding Apprentice
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 233

Black Beauty - '13 Hyundai Elantra
Thanks: 71
Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by roosterk0031 View Post
KLR650 6.1 gallon fuel tank, water cooled, put 20,000 mile on mine and run like day I bought it. Little heavy for hard core dirt, but I road it with my oldest on her xr50 just fine, best HWY dual sport, poorest dirt bike, heaviest. Not hard to empty the tank without stopping.
Yeah, this is the type of thing I was thinking when I said a road bike that can be taken on trails. I like my Dad's KLR650 quite a bit, but it's a little more bike than I need and I'd like a little cheaper and better mileage.

That's why I was hoping they made something like that in a 250-400 size, but unfortunately they don't seem to exist.
  Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2012, 10:58 PM   #28 (permalink)
EcoModding Apprentice
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Airdrie, AB
Posts: 146

KLR650 - '10 Kawasaki KLR650

6.4 - '19 Ram 3500

All Black - '19 Kawasaki Vulcan S
Thanks: 4
Thanked 18 Times in 14 Posts
It's better to have a little more bike then you need.

And the cbr250/600 is just too small for my frame. Same with most small displacement bikes.
__________________
If you're in Nebraska and the wind stops or you see a tree, pull over immediately and take a nap. You're having road hallucinations.

  Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2012, 11:35 PM   #29 (permalink)
EcoModding Apprentice
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 233

Black Beauty - '13 Hyundai Elantra
Thanks: 71
Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Hahah, you guys are making this so difficult. Although, I've ridden a new cbr and don't remember feeling terribly crunched. It was only a short while though, so no idea how it would be for long term comfort.
  Reply With Quote
Old 09-19-2012, 03:11 PM   #30 (permalink)
EcoModding Lurker
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: South Puget Sound
Posts: 4
Thanks: 1
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
I ride and commute with a 2009 KLX250s. It's a fine bike but a fuel hog. 55 mpg is normal for my 8 miles each way commute.

__________________
2000 F350 7.3 powerstroke diesel
2009 klx250s dual sport motorcycle
  Reply With Quote
Reply  Post New Thread


Thread Tools




Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.5.2
All content copyright EcoModder.com