[ncBiker]

Im thinking of getting a dual sport for my next bike an yea i know im flip flopping butt im sure yall do it too. I was just thinkin that dual sports are lifted 4×4 of the bike world. Im going to be doing mostly on road riding (probably 60/40 road to dirt) and the dirt ridin i will be doing will be light trails. Im not gona ride across the desert or climb up the side of a mountain. I want at least a 650. I plan on doing quite a bit of highway and i want to be able to go on long trips without stopping every 50 miles. Im also not the tallest guy. Im 5′ 9″ with a 30″ inseam so i cant do a rediculous seat height. I want it to be street legal from factory. No dirt bike with a kit on it. Price isnt really a factor bc dual sports arnt exactly the most expensive bikes out there. Of course as with any bike i want it to be reliable. Hopefully this bike exists

[Gary856]

Of the 650 dual-sports from Japan, Honda XR650L is the tallest and considered the most off road worthy, Kawasaki KLR650 is the heaviest and considered the most highway worthy. Suzuki DR650 is in-between in terms of on/off road, and the lowest in seat height; many feel the DR650 is the best compromise, and that’s what I’d get.

I came within an inch of getting a DR650 but the deal fell through. I ended up getting a DRZ400sm instead and have been very happy with it for the type of riding I do – day long ride in the hills on crappy pavement, and the occasional dirt/gravel trails. DR650 is a little heavier, can carry a heavier load, more suitable for highway (due to higher gearing) and long distance touring (higher load capacity). DRZ is more agile and sporty, sexier (especially the SM version), and better off road (due to the lighter weight).

[madjak30]

I think you just described the V-Strom DL650…I think it would be the perfect bike for what you are describing…excellent on pavement and can be used for touring because of the comfort and range of the large fuel tank…and it is good on dirt and gravel roads, not great on trails but it can do it (can do it well if you change the tires to mild knobbies)…seat height isn’t too bad considering what type of bike you are looking at, I think it is 31.5″…you may not be able to put both feet flat, but you should be able to get the balls of both feet down…

As for changing your mind about the type of bike you want….well, have you seen my posts on my next bike?? I still haven’t decided, so I will keep my GS500 until I figure it out.

Later.

Good luck!!

[ncBiker]

The dr650 was one of the bikes i was lookin at. After i posted this i found the bmw F 800 s. What do yall think of this bike? Are bmw bikes as high mantenience as their cars are. Thanks

[TrialsRider]

If you ask; does the dealership charge 100 $ph plus loads of coin for parts, yes. But they are far better bikes to self service and break less, everything fits right and the fasteners are top quality.

[eon]

The F800GS I think is the perfect bike, but it does come at a price.
Gary summed up the 650 dual sports that are biased towards the off road side, madjak the more road biased VStrom. I will also throw out there the Versys which is really just a road bike with raised suspension, but if you are not planning on tackling anything more than fire roads then it’s probably fine.

I would say it all comes down to what “off-road” means to you. From your description it sounds like forest service roads is what you have in mind. For that any of the road biased bikes would be fine and they would have a huge advantage over the more “dirt” bikes on tarmac. At a 60/40 split I would probably go for a KLR. If it was more 80/20 then the VStrom would be more appealing.

Tires make a huge difference when off road so keep that in mind. I have a friend with a KLR who put knobbies on it for a long off road trip but only got about 3000 miles before they were shot. It’s always a compromise between grip and durability.

My perfect setup would be a Versys for every day jaunts and forest roads and a 250cc dual sport (such as KLX) for real off road stuff. Together they would still cost several thousand less than a F800GS.

[TrialsRider]

go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCeC2K_fBUg to see what the BMW can do …notice the rider does NOT put his feet down

[ncBiker]

By offroad i just mean hitin up trails around my area for fun

[Gary856]

Dual-sport bike choice is very simple – how good a dirt rider are you? If you’re an accomplished dirt rider and can handle those big adventure bikes offroad, by all means get the fancy (expensive) BMWs if that’s what you want. I’ve never ridden a real dirt bike and my dirt skills are limited, so for me to have fun offroad, the cheaper/ligher the bike, the better.

[ncBiker]

Yea. I was thinkin that after i watched a vid on youtube where a guy on a dr650 made it up a muddy hill easy and a f800 s didnt make it after several attempts and someone commented how heavy it was. I have 0 dirt experience so ill probably try to sell my bike towards the end of next season and use the cash to get a used dr650 for cheap during the winter and upgrade to something like the bmw (if i decide to stick with dual sports) once i get some more experience and more money. Thanks for all the help

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