What Kind of Bike to Get?
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xr650 is a great choice. tons of parts. easy to work on. a little heavy and slower than supermoto bikes that are current but easy to convert and still have fun on.
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911 Posts
I have a friend who has an XR 650, he has two sets of wheels for it, one with 17'' diameter and street tires and the original set with knobbies, the swap only takes a little bit of time with practice, and he has a very versatile set up that way, and man, he can fly on the street and the dirt! Good luck. By the way he is about your size.
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11,488 Posts
Really? Please, tell me where I can obtain one for $2500 or less, and I'll buy TWO of 'em!
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6 Posts
can't go wrong with a klr 650. they have made the same bike for almost twenty years without any changes. must be something good about it. plenty available for $2000.
take a poll of klr owners and see what percentage recommend one. I bet it would be 95%.
take a poll of klr owners and see what percentage recommend one. I bet it would be 95%.
Good Advice here...
Except the clowns who reflexively post "SV650" to every "which bike should I get?" questions like they have some kind of motorcycling Tourette's syndrome.
-Any SV650 you find for under $2500 will be kind of clapped out (and you're not talking Canadian dollars are you, Ben?).
-The SV is great on the freeway but maybe not-so-good on dirt roads, especially if you want to "upgrade" from an XL250.
We here at MO recently rode a DR650, and we've ridden the Honda XR650L frequently as well. You can check this review out: http://www.motorcycle.com/mo/mccompare/opendp.html.
Our latest review of the DR is pending. In any case, I think the DR, A Honda XR, or a DRZ-400 would be fine. However, I don't know what you mean by "well on the highway". Do you mean fast enough to keep up with out shaking you to bits? Or do you want wind protection and lots of comfort? For the latter, you need to forget about the more dirt-worthy DP bikes and think about a KLR650.
Anyway, whatever you choose be sure to check out this site :crazedlist.org. It lets you search every Craig's List Site all at once and should help you find a bike easier.
-Gabe
Except the clowns who reflexively post "SV650" to every "which bike should I get?" questions like they have some kind of motorcycling Tourette's syndrome.
-Any SV650 you find for under $2500 will be kind of clapped out (and you're not talking Canadian dollars are you, Ben?).
-The SV is great on the freeway but maybe not-so-good on dirt roads, especially if you want to "upgrade" from an XL250.
We here at MO recently rode a DR650, and we've ridden the Honda XR650L frequently as well. You can check this review out: http://www.motorcycle.com/mo/mccompare/opendp.html.
Our latest review of the DR is pending. In any case, I think the DR, A Honda XR, or a DRZ-400 would be fine. However, I don't know what you mean by "well on the highway". Do you mean fast enough to keep up with out shaking you to bits? Or do you want wind protection and lots of comfort? For the latter, you need to forget about the more dirt-worthy DP bikes and think about a KLR650.
Anyway, whatever you choose be sure to check out this site :crazedlist.org. It lets you search every Craig's List Site all at once and should help you find a bike easier.
-Gabe
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1,900 Posts
Re: Good Advice here...
So, you aren't going to push the ZX-14 with the Scorpion Syncs for trail riding?
+1 for the KLR650. It has the ability to cruise at 70-75 and enought tank range to do it for 3+ hours. The springs on both ends should be fine for 175lbs unless jumps are in your near future. Stoppies are not going to be on your daily list of things to do. Tire choice is good for street or dirt and everything in between.
So, you aren't going to push the ZX-14 with the Scorpion Syncs for trail riding?
+1 for the KLR650. It has the ability to cruise at 70-75 and enought tank range to do it for 3+ hours. The springs on both ends should be fine for 175lbs unless jumps are in your near future. Stoppies are not going to be on your daily list of things to do. Tire choice is good for street or dirt and everything in between.
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3,875 Posts
Re: Good Advice here...
I second the DR-Z recommendation. I have one, and it is excellent for most everything. It will cruise at 80 MPH if you gear it up, and is competent in the woods. You can get a excellent one for $2500 with alittle searching.
The DR650 is a fat pig. Just my opinion.
I second the DR-Z recommendation. I have one, and it is excellent for most everything. It will cruise at 80 MPH if you gear it up, and is competent in the woods. You can get a excellent one for $2500 with alittle searching.
The DR650 is a fat pig. Just my opinion.
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11,488 Posts
Dang. I thought mebbe you knew something I didn't.
I bought a used 97 Suzuki DR650 a few months ago to get back into dual sporting and it's been a blast! Here's a range of possibilities, generally going from more street oriented to more dirt. Each bike has advantages and disadvantages:
Kawasaki KLR650
Suzuki DR650 ('97 or newer)
Honda XR650L
Suzuki DRZ400S
Honda XR650R (converted to street legal)
Note that you can usually modify these bikes to be more of what you want. Add some DOT nobbies, firm the suspension, plus a bit more power for better off-road performance. Add a rack, bigger tank, and some extra wind protection for long adventure tours. Or do a little of both. More than any current class of bike I know of they're a blank canvas and you can really tweak them to what you desire - that's half the fun...
Kawasaki KLR650
Suzuki DR650 ('97 or newer)
Honda XR650L
Suzuki DRZ400S
Honda XR650R (converted to street legal)
Note that you can usually modify these bikes to be more of what you want. Add some DOT nobbies, firm the suspension, plus a bit more power for better off-road performance. Add a rack, bigger tank, and some extra wind protection for long adventure tours. Or do a little of both. More than any current class of bike I know of they're a blank canvas and you can really tweak them to what you desire - that's half the fun...
Get a high milage used SV! I bought my SV on Ebay in good shape with 45,000 miles for $2,200, no one was bidding on it because of the mileage. I have 62,000 miles on it now. A good friend of mine had over 100,000 miles on his. Randy O has over 123,000 miles on his. I think you can easily expect to drive an SV650 for 100,000 miles with normal upkeep. For long term riders you will be happy with an SV they are simply great fun! I have 700,000+ miles on bikes and it's my favorite of all time.
Here's a link to big mileage on SV650s
http://forum.svrider.com/index.php?topic=56191.0
Zak
Here's a link to big mileage on SV650s
http://forum.svrider.com/index.php?topic=56191.0
Zak
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