Which bike should I buy?

[kenkarg]

i just moved here from manitoba and used to ride a HD sportster 1200 custom but am thinking that the best way to explore around these parts is dual sport! used to ride dirt bike as kid and have 4 seasons of street experience but not sure what dual sport i should be looking at. are the 250's too small? i'd like to spend more time on the trail than on the road but will need to get around on the road as well. 650 seems a bit to big to me to be aggressive on the trail and the suzuki 400 looks like a good in between but not sure if its too big for my skill level in the trail. what are your opinions? what is your advise? hope to do some ridin' with ya'll soon!
ken

 

[Mad Max]

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A 400 is aSUPER choice.Cheap insurance and not too heavy and still OK on the highway.

Have fun

Max

 

[franhoser]

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here is advice I wish someone could've given me from 3 years ago and saved me the natural progression of dual sport bikes. Most people start out with either a 650 or 400 bike, typically dr650 or klr650 and then go to something like a drz400.

Save yourself from buying and upgrading these bikes once you figure out their limitationsjust go for the best right off the start and save yourself a ton of money.

Buy either KTM, Husky, Husaberg. Don't screw around with Jap dual sports cause they each have their shortfalls.

If you don't like dual sporting, at least you've had the best and selling it won't be an issue.

If you want a true dirt bike then the Jap bikes are great for that but for some reason they don't really make good dual sport bikes. KTM seems the choice of most with either 450 or 530 EXC. If you really get into it you will just come full circle to these bikes naturally anyway.

 

[kawi_klr]

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i have the 2010 klr 650... i like the way it looks. its comfortable to ride. easy on fuel
and there are many accesories and addons for this bike...plus the low maintaince cost is a plus.
best bang for the buck in my view

 

[250ccforme]

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Whatever you get make sure it is a "TYPE MC" not a dual-sported off road bike. There seem to be some "good deals" popping up on the net and in the papers for these as people realize thatthe sun might be about to set on their"on road" life.

Edit:Franhoser makes a good point. My getting a 250 was in part not having the coin for a Katoom & just getting back to a motorcycle after many years of absence; with previous MCs also having been small displacement.

 

[marcveinotte]

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Welcome Ken, we moved here from Winnipeg 2 years ago this summer. I'm sure you'll love the riding

I agree with Franhoser..get a KTM 450...or a 530..only real diff will be maybe 5-10 hp in the exact same bike.

Might be more $ out the door..but it will be worth it.

 

[bigwavedave]

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welcom ken. I moved hear a few years ago as well and there is lots of riding to be had on the island. I don't have a ktm, but I do have a dual sported honda XR650R that will probably not be legal for long. it is an awesome bike and depending on your size, could be a great choice. however, as much as I love my bike, I have ridden ktm exc 450's and 525's or 530's quite a few times, and in my opinion, there is no better street legal dirt bike. (of course I am sure that a husky or husaberg would be right there with it, I just haven't ridden one.) electric start is awesome! especially off road. just my opinion.

dave

 

[motorambler]

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Dual-sport bikes cover a large spectrum of bikes. It all depends on what you want the bike to do for you -- there's not one bike that does everything well. Knowing what I know now, I'd look for a last year (2009) clearance model Yamaha WR250R (or a used one) & have the dealer install the Athena 290 big bore kit. This bike will allow you to explore all but the gnarliest parts of this province & still leave you with great reliability, very long service intervals, & excellent fuel economy. I've had a couple conversations with Mark Samson (a highly respected member over at advrider) & even to this day he still has no regrets about replacing his Husky TE610 with the WR250R.

 

[malachi]

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franhoser wrote:

here is advice I wish someone could've given me from 3 years ago and saved me the natural progression of dual sport bikes. Most people start out with either a 650 or 400 bike, typically dr650 or klr650 and then go to something like a drz400.

Save yourself from buying and upgrading these bikes once you figure out their limitationsjust go for the best right off the start and save yourself a ton of money.

Buy either KTM, Husky, Husaberg. Don't screw around with Jap dual sports cause they each have their shortfalls.

If you don't like dual sporting, at least you've had the best and selling it won't be an issue.

If you want a true dirt bike then the Jap bikes are great for that but for some reason they don't really make good dual sport bikes. KTM seems the choice of most with either 450 or 530 EXC. If you really get into it you will just come full circle to these bikes naturally anyway.

A DRZ400 will go anywhere offroad, and then log serious kms on the street...which the bikes youlisted cannot. Show me one ktm 450/530 that has even close to 30 000kmson the motor with no engine work been done......my drz sees mx tracks, tight single track, long km offroad rides, and lots of street use. I'm nearing 30k and I've beat the piss out of it.The valves havenever needed adjustment (checked 3 times...all in spec) and it still runs like a top.It's not the lightest or most powerful, I'm well under 200lbs so the suspension works awesome.It gets my vote becauseit is a true dualsport, not a racebike with lights that you have to tinker with constantly to keep on top of maintenance. Ken, do you like to ride, or tinker

..unless of course you can find a BMW G650X-Challenge...totally bulletproof, maintenance friendly motor as well...but they were only sold for 1 or 2 years:mad3:

 

[kawi_klr]

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the parts availiblity for suzukis and kawis ect is much better.... and most of the time prices reflect that.
my kawi might not be the fastest thing on two wheels. but i always get there in one piece

 

[franhoser]

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We can debate pro's and con's of each bike. I just gave him my opinion based on my exp. It was listening to guy's like you about how great the drz's were that made me buy it originally. Iowned a drz for about 6 month. the supspension was not bad but the way it's designed and balanced sucks. it's not about power, maintenance or anything like that it's just they way it handles. No bike is perfect but I think the Euro's are pretty close right now.

 

[Strongleftleg]

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I'm always puzzled when guys tell me the DRZ400 is good on the street. I had one for about a year and from my experience it was no better than a high-performance Euro-bike (eg. KTM exc). Any 300lbs dirtbike with knobbie tires and minimal wind protection isn't too great for the street. Add in the DRZ's 5-speed gearbox and I wasn't impressed. I will say the DRZ400 is stone-axe reliable, and yes it can handle alot of hours before motor work. The reality is that the high-performance bikes aren't that far behind in this department. The KTM RFS engine is good for 20,000kms before work. I had 8,000 on my Husaberg before I changed the cam chain for $80 and an hour of my time. I took the head off for fun and the piston, cylinder looked brand new.

If you can afford the higher performance bike, it's a better way to go. If not, alot of guys have a good time riding the balls off the DRZ.

Aaron

 

[mint400]

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I chose a new DRZ ; my thinking was liquid cooled, lighter weight than 650s, cheap insurance, uber reliable, common knowledge / parts with many other riders.

In hindsight I should have purchased a slightly used DRZ fully modded for 6K or so... this lowers resale losses (about 3K) and setup hassles.

The DRZ is uncomfortable on road after an hour or two and a wee bit heavy to pickup off road. But is undeniably good at both for learning bike / off road use.

KTM530/450 is likely a best choice but there is some recurring costs such as insurance rate, maint and parts, and of course the initial investment.

 

[franhoser]

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mint400 wrote:

In hindsight I should have purchased a slightly used DRZ fully modded for 6K or so... this lowers resale losses (about 3K) and setup hassles.

This is true with any bike.

Most guy's a are starting to wise up now and seeing that they don't get a full return on their $$$ of aftermaket investments so they stripthe bike back to stock and sell things seperatley. Especially big ticket items like dampers, rekluse, large tanks, seats, etc.

 

[sueandal]

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franhoser wrote:

mint400 wrote:

In hindsight I should have purchased a slightly used DRZ fully modded for 6K or so...  this lowers resale losses (about 3K) and setup hassles. 

This is true with any bike.

Most guy's a are starting to wise up now and seeing that they don't get a full return on their $$$ of aftermaket investments so they strip the bike back to stock and sell things seperatley.   Especially big ticket items like dampers, rekluse, large tanks, seats, etc.

Franhoser of course this is your point -get the bike you want, so you don't need to change up.

here is your 2 answers
#1 2007 KTM 450/525 exc if you can afford extra $ this bike is THE way to go.
full accessories available factory street legal proven RFS engine.
the six speed w/r tranny is a luxury you get used to real quick.

#2 DRZ/KLX400 less $ and less bike-great budget bike. You will be hunting for 6th gear ever time you are on the street.

al

 

[Roasted Knobbie]

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It all comes down to cash.

If you want to "cruise" gravel and load er up for a good camp out with everything but the kitchen sink....Best $$ value is the KLR 650. Stay away from A routes and timidly venture into a B loop as you feel more comfortable and you have a new set of knobbies installed.

Then because you love this sport so much, buy a toy that will do the A and B and keep the old faithful for those laid back, I just want to camp and take pictures kind of ride.

I've got the KLR 650 and the EXC 525 for extreme fun. I am very content.

 

[Tonyw]

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Must t have more than one bike, I have a 07 Honda 650l and had a blast, for two years, tooa nd from work, camping and b routes.

Would like to sell it, for a Berg.

Don't try your friends bikes you might like it.

 

[Buckethead]

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My $0.02:

The best bike, or the best bike for you?

To try out dualsporting a years ago I bought a used KLR. It was cheap, tough, versatile, and I had a great time. As my offroad riding skills improved, and I learned what kind of riding that I enjoyed most I became more and more aware of it's limitations (poorly suspended, heavy, low power). I don't really miss it, but I'm glad I owned it.

I now have a DRZ S that is becoming an Adventure-E a few pieces at a time. My friends have also been kind enough to let me ride their Euro bikes and there is no doubt that they surpass my DRZ in some respects. Definitely drool-worthy.

I'm not trading in my DRZ anytime soon, though. For me it's a great compromise between the opposing forces of performance, maintenance, longevity, reliability, versatility, cost (both purchase and maintenance), parts availability, aftermarket support, ect.

I look at it like this: A DRZ is 60-70% of the cost of a comparable Euro bike (both initial and ongoing), and delivers 70% of the performance, with increased reliability, longevity and versatility. For me this translates into more time to ride, and more $ for customizing the bike to fit me (which I would do to any bike), and for taking a bike trip every year (Moab last year). This comes at the cost of not having race winning performance (though my bike is still more capable than me 95%of the time), and not knowing the secret pumpkin handshake. Well worth it.

Cheers,
Matthew

 

[North]

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Just get a Bike and have fun. :hb:


My choice for the best all around dualsport Bike would be a 610 Husky, but the stock suspension needs work. The Euro 530s or 450s being 60 lbs lighter, are easier to ride off road.

Lots of guys have drz400's and they go were the Euro's go. There is all kinds of kit and mods for them.

If you like to ride aggressively, hard, and like doing wheelies with a flick of the wrist. Then get a Euro (racing) dualsport Bike.


The bottom line is that there is no perfect dualsport Bike. Some do come closer than others. It depends on what kind of riding you want to do. Long rides, hiway and good forest roads. Just riding to the trails and than all off-road. A Bike for riding around town and than trails on the weekends. The list is endless.

Most guys start out with one Bike and than get the Bike or Bikes that suit their riding needs. I personal find that there is no substitute raw power, it just brings a big smile to my face. But yea, I can't use it all. But who cares.

 

[biker]

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This is probably a dumb question but why the 2007 ktm 450 and not a 2009 or 2010.