Help me pick a dual sport bike

[dmh2000]

I'm thinking of getting a street legal dual sport bike and I would like to get recommendations. my choices are wide open.  give me your recommendations. the list in the poll are just examples. feel free to recommend others.

I want to be able to ride dirt roads and trails. not motocross. maybe some pretend flat tracking. probably not much jumping. Reliability is more important than performance. the street legal part is so I can get there from here without a trailer.

I'm a large fellow so 250's are probably the minimum.

[Adiggity]

I can't really comment on anything other than looks since I don't have any experience with any of them but with the choices you gave I'd pick the Beemer. I did find this for you though. The Aprilia is sexy as hell and the Buell actually doesn't look bad either.

http://www.dsadventures.com/dsbikes.htm

[Sierra Slider]

dmh2000,

PM me in two weeks. I have a boat load of experience in the Dual Sport discipline of motorbiking. : : :
Alaska bound '09 on a DS.

[jlavallee]

Well, I have a DR650 and it's a great do anything bike. A buddy of mine has one also and likes it. His girl at the time had a DRZ400 and he wanted to get one to ride with her. After riding both he got the 650. A DR650 is not the lightest bike but it’s about 35-40 lbs lighter than a KLR and similar power. Both will do a little over a hundred tapped out on a decent day and are ok on a fire road. Compared to the XL650 and KLR650 the DR650 is marginally worse than the XL off road but a lot better on road. The KLR is better on the highway but much worse off road.

The setbacks are that you won’t do any jumping on either and if you’re really off roading with minimal pavement the DRZ400 might be better. You’ll wind the hell out of it though.

I did the following to my DR and am happy with it:
- 5 gal IMS tank and petcock (the stocker is 3.2)
- DRZ250 tail light to get rid of the ugly stocker
- Put spacers in the front forks to preload the springs
- Cut the airbox intake to open it up more
- Rejetted the carb
- Changed the pipe to an FMF Q (This saved 16 lbs!)
- Added a tach
- Added braided brake lines
- Tusk hand guards and shields
- Electric vest outlet

Really I should re-spring the thing as I'm 250 lbs but it's ok wound down. The seat will make you numb on long trips and if you’re doing a lot of highway you might want a windscreen but for 5 grand new they’re quite the bikes. The beamer is great but what does it cost?

This is a pic from a camping trip. That's about all any true dual sport is good for as far as dirt goes. Even putting good dirt tires on means they wear out in no time. Buy for what you need and be honest about how much off road you really do. It's like having a 4x4, most of the time you never use it but if you really want to go somewhere you can.

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[MotoPutz]

I know my friend Daron loved his WR450, took some time to dail the suspension but he said it worked great after. A few motor mods, YZ cam and you'll never be happier.

[Oneup]

I'd recommend the KTM 450 EXC or the KTM 525.  The 450 is more sport oriented and will do better in the tighter stuff but will not be that great on the actual street (think vibration).  The 525 is a little heavier but will be much more comfortable on the street. 

These bikes would be my top picks only if you plan on doing minimal street riding.  Both bikes were designed for the dirt but include just enough stuff to make them street legal. (especially the 450 EXC)

I also really like the Aprillia but it has some inherent problems and I wouldn't recommend for most situations.

[1960apache]

OK, maybe I am biased, but I would highly recommend finding a good deal on a used 2004+ BMW 1150GS or 1200GS! I have a friend who is a big guy, he actually looks like he should be riding a Harley, he rides the BMW1200GS Adventure from Arizona all the way to Rio in Brazil, every year!!! Call me insane, but is that a hardcore, dedicated biker?
Anyway, there are a lot of good deals out there right now, plus the BMW Dealers usually let you demo the bike to see if you like it or not! And, when you get it all loaded up with 2 weeks of gear, (if you ever decide to ride to Alaska or something crazy) it really doesn't affect the handling, you will always have plenty of power, and still get 45-55mpg!

[Justin]

I also have a lot of experience with DualSport bikes.
I'd check out adventure rider.   ADVRIDER.com but you will spend weeks trying sort through the opinions.
I currently have a Suzuki DR650 with a 6gallon acerbis tank.  It depends on what you want to do on it.
the DR400 is my first choice. I definitely would NOT consider the larger BMW's even though the 800 looks awesome. The 650 are really large in general (forest service roads) 400 is too small for the highway for any distance but fine if you're jumping on 395.  I think you'd be miserable pushing a 400 up 80 to truckee. 
What do you see yourself doing with this bike???
Sierra Slider does know A TON about this subject.
Justin

[Justin]

Ewan McGregor did ride a GS1200 around the world, but he was also Obi-Wan Kenobi, and i think he "used the force" for much of the trip.

[jlavallee]

The GS1200 is a freaking awesome bike. I have to admit that if I had a job with lots of time off and a buddy in the same situation to travel with I'd probably have one. Since bikes from the WR250 to BMW800 were mentioned I'm guessing that long trips are not really part of the plan.

Long Way Round and Long Way Down would of made me a GS rider if I had 20k laying around. 

[JetdocX]

Ewan McGregor did ride a GS1200 around the world, but he was also Obi-Wan Kenobi, and i think he "used the force" for much of the trip.

IMO, wrong size bike for the trip.  But they got them free, so they rode them.

If you want to spend the coin look at a BMW650 XChallenge, but also, the bang for the buck is not there with BMW.  The suspension on all BMW's is crap out of the box.  Suspension work is pricey.  I'd love to have a DRZ 400 or an XR650.  You don't have to push a DRZ up 80 to Truckee.  Take the back way through Verdi.

The KTM's have great suspension out of the box.  Offroad, properly dialed suspenders can turn a difficult ride into a walk through the park.  As long as long trips are out, look at the 525 and smaller.

Lots of good options for you.  Go ride a few and see what works for you.  Lots of great deals to be had now as well.  Every time I open craigslist, I find myself drooling.

My tastes run more toward the larger touring ds bikes, but if long trips are out for you, go smaller.  It's no fun wrestling a large pig up a hill.

edit:  I'd also add Thumpertalk http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/ as well as ADVrider to your list of homework sites.

[cobra23]

I was in the same frame of mind a few years ago.

Always hated heavy bikes in the dirt, so i bought a KLR 250. I called it the "giggle Bike". On a SMALL fireroad (the dirt roads around here are like interstate highways compared to Washington Forest Roads) it was a total gas. I could hold my own against KTM after getting the suspension dialed in. The bike did not overpower the surface (dirt). i remember being embarrassed when XR 200's would go by me on a road for the same reason. All I did was rooster tail and slide the heck out of the CR unless there was real good traction available.

On the highway it was pretty smooth and comfortable, I would head up to work, and just hold it wide open. Usaully topping out at 80 mph.

That was great fun, but I tried to do some steep single track trails, and nooooo wayyyy did it have the grunt to climb stuff we would have laughed at when I rode the 78 ( I am so dam old) CR250R.

I am in agreement with the DR 650 guy. I have an XR 600, it makes me giggle and it has the poop to climb. Water cooled Dual sports would be great if you did not plan on too much tight trail riding. A guy at work just sold his for around 3K so they are a good buy too.

A coulpe guys at work had the DR 400 in Washington. They were disappointed until they put exhaust and Jetting into them. Then they got horrible mileage on the street, 30-40 mpg.

The air cooled Honda has tons of aftermarket stuff available. Mine handles pretty good, but I dont know what they would be like on the street.

DR 650, XL 6..what ever they are now I think 650.

[Yard Sale]

I used to do serious dual sport riding on Yamaha XT600s and a Suzuki DR350S. I now have a Yamaha WR250X, the Supermoto version of the WR250R. I would definitely get the WR250R over any of the other bikes to ride dual sport.

Anything 300+ pounds is at best a fire road bike and will suck on the trails.

The Yamaha is 280 pounds, has six speeds, has fuel injection, goes over 26,000 miles between valve checks, 3,000 miles between oil changes, 6,000 miles between oil filter changes, has an easily accessible foam air filter, has decent suspension, outputs 350 watts, carries 400 lbs, has great fuel economy, and makes really nice power for a 250 thumper.

[live2ride]

how come no mention of the crf250/450x?  I think if you want a good trail bike but one thats easy to make a dual sport that wont cost a fortune I would go either the crf250x or the wr250f(or 450's).  I bought a crf250x from bvh a little over a year ago at a great price and after jetting it, it didn't dissappoint me at all and I did have it as a dual sport for a while.  It topped out at around 75-80 on 395.  I think they have fixed most of the earlier issues too with the valves and stuff.  I took mine to moonrocks and followed my friend who has a cr250r.  It lacks in the power a little(compared to a cr250r) but it only weighs 260lbs compared to even the xr650 at 370 or a bmw 1200 is over 400. I could follow my friend everywhere he went and he rode it and liked it a lot, he dessert races and was pretty impressed with the bike, still bone stock. overall its a great bike and the crf450x has won the baja race the last two years, however highly modified, but that can show you how much performance it has and the reliability.  I think if your going to do more trail riding go with the wr250/450f or crf250/450x and for the price compared to the the bmw ya.  I dont think there is much difference between the two bikes more which brand you like.  They dont come street legal ready though youll have to make them street legal which isnt too hard baja designs makes kits you can find for like $400 and then you just need to get it approved and BVH can do that or RMS.  And as you say the point of the dual sport is just so you dont have to have a trailer to get where you want to ride then I would go with these bikes.  (but if you have a hitch I have a hitch hauler single carrier for a dirt bike if you want to buy it then you dont have to worry about that)

You can look at their specs and see how much the bike really offers.  I originally bought my bike to dessert race and what really interested me in the bike is the wide ratio 5-speed transmission  its nice for those open roads and the freeway and if you do some work to it im sure you can top out over 100 if you really want to go that fast.  Also the bike is basically the crf250r as yard sale pointed out just kind of a supermoto version or an enduro version.  The first thing is to get an IMS tank or other brand so you can actually get to where you want to ride and actually ride.  Just my opinion about the bikes though.  I no longer have it someone actually from SSA has it maybe she'll speak up about how she likes it so far.  The reason I sold it is I bought a street bike so really no reason for the dual sport and my boss offered me a deal for a cr250r that I couldnt pass up.  Hope this helps.

[dmh2000]

live2ride : i have considered the 450x and its a contender. its a great looking bike. one thing i have read is that it is set up for competition and that the engine will need more service over time than a milder tuned bike. what is your take on that? The KTM 450/530 EXC is similar but is street legal off the shelf. it is in the same class.

on an aside, i like BVH and have had good luck with them. any thoughts on the KTM dealer? i hear good things.

thanks to everyone for the responses. it's helping. there are many good options.