Wanting a dual sport bike: What to get?

I replaced the turn signals, tail light, license plate braket, clutch and brake levers, 3x3 air box mod with k&n air filter, re jetted the carb, un plugged the exhaust... that might be it.

Definitely a great starter bike.. perfect for learning on, or for someone who just wants a fun bike that handles like a dirt bike. I want something that I can go on long trips and have saddle bags though. Triumph Sprint ST will hopefully be replacing the DRZ soon.

 

Nice, just wanted to see if the enduro side is that much different then the street bike side. It doesnt seem to be. As far as the saddle bags and comfort for longer trips. I would do little to the bike, which is the same on street bikes. I would get a good back pack style bag. Definitely not the saddle bags that you mentioned. As far as the seat goes, I am not sure if Corbin makes seats for enduros or dirt bikes but the make a nice gel seat which is much more comfortable then stock. The seat will not effect the bike as much as saddlebags. In this case I mean effect the bike as far as looks. But the bikes that are coming with bags such as the Triumph of BMW, they look good but they are definitely in a different class. Just my .02

 

I guess you've never heard of dual sport tires then.

There's no denying they suck in the mud but they do work. Just like there's no way a knobby is the ideal street tire-you can ride them on the street but they suck.

 

this is why i own one of each

 

Exactly.

 

ima join in here..i thrashed my r6 last year and am looking for a cheap run around bike..low maintnece but the most important im only 5'6'' and wanna be able to put my feet on the ground....any chance theres one ill be able too? my buddy has a drz650 and its way to big for me..my get another gixxer 750 but am thinking id like to try something alil more fun and not as fast

 

They are. A buddy of mine has been to Baja twice on his.

 

WOW, this thread blew up! haha.... cool

SO, Im leaning towards a supermoto, and gonna get a set of wheels and tires to swap out for dirt when I need/want to... What all does that entail? Seems like a pretty easy swap!

Ive been riding dirtbikes since I was a little kid, on my 50, then an 80, 125, 250, etc... havent been on dirt in years, but been on my street bikes for last 5ish years. I can handle bikes well, bigger or smaller, im fine there.

Now Im worried about the maintenance part, didnt really think about that before. I get that supermotos are basically dirt bikes with street tires... Will I REALLY have to be tearing apart the engine all the time? That's kind of a deal breaker for me... someone mentioned every 2-3 rides, Id be changing oil, maybe more? Eesh... Thats nuts! And expensive!!!

This guy wants to trade, like i said before, almost ready to pull the trigger, opinions???? Thoughts? Questions, comments, concerns? Info on this bike? THanks!!
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/mcy/2467040600.html
Worth it? I know the parts are great on it, but I am worried about the constant and ridiculous maintenance...
I'm worried I might be paying too much for the bike, in trading my bike... I know he's got a lot of stuff on there, but it's still a 2001, you know? Opinions on that?

Adamo

 

i say do it

 

Id keep the bike to less than 500, size wise seems like a good ratio to me. I'm 5'9" and 185lbs...

I want a supermoto and then gonna get a spare set of wheels and tires for dirt, better than having the dual sport wheels, not great in dirt, not great on street. Id rather be great at each, you know?

 

great, haha... so not helpful! I always make decisions like this on a whim, just go with what I want right then, lol... sometimes I get screwed later, because the bike or item is really worth half what I PAID, I knew when I bought it, but didnt care because I just HAD to have it, it was worth TWICE as much, in my MIND! haha... SO, value wise, am I dumb for doing this? Or is it worth it?

Adamo

 

Your R6 is worth more in my opinion... I have owned a DRZ 400 SM with a lot of mods to it big bore, jet kit full pipe, flatside carb you name it it had it. Then on the other hand i sold it for a 07 R6 and i just sold my R6 cause i want a Ktm 450 EXC. The R6 is worth more to me i think...

 

Yeah thats what I think too... Its funny. The guy with the other bike feels like IM getting the deal, haha... hes asking 7400, a LOT, but he DOES have quite a bit of stuff on the bike. So I get where he's coming from. Really if I stripped my bike to stock, Id only sell it for 7k or so. Then sell the parts for 2k or so. Damn, dont know what to do here, haha.... I REALLY want that bike! Just look at it!!! Beautiful! Not that mine isnt...

How are the Yamahas on reliability, maintenance, etc... I've heard the KTMs are just more expensive all the way around.

What do you think my gas mileage would be on this bike? Maintenance costs?

Adamo

 

Yea I'm sick of having to wear a backpack when I ride just so I can carry my lunch to work or whatever. Thats just 1 more reason why I want a sport tour instead.

Werent you claiming that you have a supermoto? It's not an SM if you have dual sport tires on it....

To swap out the wheels/tires every time you want to go ride dirt is a bit of work.. I guess its similar to how some guys have a seperate set of wheels and tires for their trucks that they put on everytime they go wheeling.. seems like alot of work to me though.

As far as regular maintenance and all that..
Idk what 06RUBI was talking about with having to change oil every few rides.. I've heard of 2 strokes needing that kind of work, but never 4 strokes.
My SM has the oil changed once a year and no other real maintenance other than visually inspecting it before I ride it.

 

I do have a supermoto and yes, you can run DS tires on them.

 

anyone mention an XR650? I have an R and know guys with the L's and they're pretty comparable. The L came factory plated, the R is more of a dirtbike but I bought mine with a Baja Design Dual Sport Kit (lights turns horn ect) and plated and love it. R's are liquid cooled, L's are air cooled both 650s. L's more suited for passengers because they have a steel sub-frame and will support the weight, R's while some ride with buddy pegs have an alum sub-frame and max out (they say) at ten pounds of cargo weight.

soooo....

XR's are bullet proof, dependable and fun. If you want a daily commuter with some trail riding and plan to ride alone with little gear. The R is the way to go. Super quick and yet will tractor the trails and hills all day.

If you want less trails and more highway, with the occasional long haul with gear or a passenger and aren't planning to creep slowly anywhere where overheating may be an issue the L would be a good bet.


Also, www.thumpertalk.com it's the TacomaWorld of 4 stroke dirtbikes. They even have a "what should i buy" forum. I'm Dustin Mabro there.

EDIT: Oil, I do not change my oil every 2 rides. that's ridiculous. If I ride hard off road, dunes, trail weekend, then I'll change the oil before and after...preventative maintenance, but for rides to work I do it every 500-750 miles, and some will argue that is even to frequent. Rottella T is a good oil for the big bore 4 stroke bikes. no molyB for the wet clutches but a good high compression oil that has always looked good when I changed it.

 

for it to be a super moto it has to have super moto tires... other wise its a dual sport..

 

What ever. It's a sumo despite what you believe. Thanks for playing.

 

nah brah youre missing the point

 

Not at all.

If I followed your logic, putting a street tire on a dirt bike would make it a Supermoto. It's not. It's still a dirt bike with street tires.

A Supermoto is a combination of dirt bikes and street bikes. Usually, a Sumo has smaller wheels--more like a street bike. So whether you run a Q2 or a Scorpion, it's still a Supermoto.

If you want to take your dirt bike and run Q2's on it (assuming you could get them to fit the original wheels), it's not a Supermoto. But if you put smaller wheels and Q2's or Scorpions on your dirt bike, you'd make it a Sumo.

Got it?