[Rick's wife]

Ok guys...talk to me like I am 10 years old here because I know VERY little about dirtbikes.

I am trying to stay off the raod as much as possible and my comprimise to buying another streetbike this year is to get more into dirtbiking.

Thing is, I would like the option of going on the road once and awhile.

I have been shopping around and most of the dual purpose bikes seem like beasts to me, especially Honda. A few people have suggested getting a dirtbike and making it street legal, but is that a good idea ???

I tend to veer towards yamaha for any bike, but i am open to any suggestions. It's time to get out there again.

 

[gsxr_45]

May be try finding a XT350 yamaha if you want a bit of both street/ dirt and ok at hiway speeds , or a DR 350 . there a bit heavier than just the hard core dirt bikes , get a 250 or 200 if you are gonna be doing mostly woods riding , buget is a big one the older good xt/ dr can be had for 2k- 3k .that's good cause you get a multi mission bike , the do it all, and the little bit older bikes can get all sorts of nice extras . Have fun , enjoy and happy shopping .

 

[Mr.Sushi ya ha]

Hi, There are a lot of questions you need to ask yourself before you can pick a bike that is a dual sport. Unlike a street bike that is made specifically for one use, dualsports can lean better for the road not so good in the trails/better in the trails not good for the road. I have yet to find a perfect dual sport thats why I own both street bikes and dirt bikes.

The next thing is your size and strength a small enduro will be nice and light and easy to touch the ground where a large one will be heavy and high.

If you have a group of people who have them and are going to be riding with them then get the bike that suites that crew. You should never ride in the bush alone.

Some of the bikes that I have ridden and like and I think will fit your needs would be A yamaha DT200,or TTR225, Kawasaki KLR250, Suzuki DR200, Honda XL 250. All are nice smaller lighter bikes more suited for trail riding and can go for short freeway rides but are very good for around town or to blast out to Harrisson and ride the forestry roads.

Then there are the larger bikes that can do freeway speeds but would be a handfull in anything more than an easy Jeep trail are Suzukis DRZ400S , Hondas XL650, KAwasakis KLR 650.

The best thing is to get your thoughts on what kind of use you want then go to the bike show and look around and sit on them. If I am around I would be glad to intoduce you to all the dealers I know and show you some bikes.

 

[J1k]

definatly look at what your gonna do most,if ya get a solid dual sport then it will be a handful in the dirt.but i know a few people that are doing the crf230's and getting them done so they can be licenesed etc...the ttr230 is another good one to do as well.

if ya wanna come out dirtbiking sometime we usually have one of each model of bikes out there between all of us,be good to try them for power and size etc...munchkins welcome

janet,(flyfishinwoman here)has a couple crf230's shes gonna get done.

john

 

[5thgear]

I have a TE 250 Husky at the shop which is perfect. Light weight electric start 4 stroke and it's streetlegal. It's also the only bike out there with a 6 speed transmission with a top gear that can go on highways. Compared to all the other bikes everyone has listed it has the lowest center of gravity. Which means in the tight stuff it feels lightweight. If you want to motard it it's easy and cheapest of all the bikes to convert over.

That and we'll haul it around for you anytime.

 

[Rick's wife]

I have a TE 250 Husky at the shop which is perfect. Light weight electric start 4 stroke and it's streetlegal. It's also the only bike out there with a 6 speed transmission with a top gear that can go on highways. Compared to all the other bikes everyone has listed it has the lowest center of gravity. Which means in the tight stuff it feels lightweight. If you want to motard it it's easy and cheapest of all the bikes to convert over.

That and we'll haul it around for you anytime.

Maybe I should come have alook. How much ????

 

[Rick's wife]

Thanks for all the tips. I need to get out and try some more I guess to really get an idea of what I need.

Definately staying away from the big ones that don't handle well. Didn't like those so much !

Rachel

 

[scooter]

Rachel

As your understanding you have to define your needs tighter. Get yourself a price point too. Do you want a Dual Sport or a Dirt Bike.

I have ridden the adventure bikes for a while and have enjoyed them.

I wanted to get into the dirt more but wanted to have the capabilities of riding on the hwy for a brief time.

I looked at bikes like the KLR, DR650, XR650E but I felt these were more road oriented then off road, plus the technology in these bikes have not improved in many years. They weigh around 320lbs.

My altimate goal is to trailer a dual sport down to the Baja, so I needed a bike that could carry some gear and have a strong subframe.

I have choosen the DRZ400S as a comprimes between being able to ride it from Vancouver to Pemberton on the Hwy and still be off road capable.
The true dirt bike riders will have negative opinions of these bikes and say they are not capable in the technical stuff. Either get a dirt bike and trailer it or a dual sport and ride it to the location of choice. It all depends on the type of riding you want to do. I have no interest in doing MotorX. I'm also very tall and weighty so the middle weight Dual sport was my choice.

My friend purchased the XR650R, so I will have people to ride with. His bike has a weeker subframe and has to have lights outfitted to it to ride on the street. I'm concerned about the possibility or easy of these bikes being stolen. His bike has no key and no steering lock. I now this is no big feature but it gives me a slight piece of mind that I could ride the bike to say a corner store, park it and let it out of my sight for a brieif moment. Where the ones with the kick start can be just crank over. Once again I know this is not a big feature but I like that the DRZ at least has this.

These middle weight bikes weigh 280lbs compared to the 320lbs of the bigger thumpers.

I have sportbike ridden a lot of BC's roads and have become bored with BC. Once I was taken into the back country it opened up a whole new oppertunity to see the real BC. I enjoy very much traversing up a mountain and looking back into the Valleys.

Ah good old consumerism to many choices.

I have heard good opinions of the Huskies.

After looking at the posts again, Rachel I think a big factor for you would be the seat height.
Some of these bike are very tall.

 

[oldgixxer]

Any of the dirt or dual purpose bikes 400cc and up are tall bikes. You can get them lowered.

Kawasaki Super Sherpa is a nice little 250 with six speed tranny and dual overhead cam engine. This bike is light and nimble with a low seat height. It is capable of sustained highway speeds. Expensive at $5600 new and hard to find used. I know ... the wife has one. Good, peppy, little bike which I enjoy taking out for a burn.

Yammy makes the Xt 225. Six speed tranny and single overhead cam engine. Not so peppy and not great for much highway use. Then again, it is a lower and lighter bike. Cheaper than the Sherpa but a lot less bike too.

Why not a lowered Klr (kawasaki) 650? Cheap to buy, and is a go anywhere machine. Definately better on gravel and highway than full blown dirt use. Best value bike here at $6500. There are usally a few used ones around. Price of a good used klr is around $3800.

Good luck.

 

[Mighty Kentor]

Kawasaki's KLX250 is the one I've seen which most fits what I want.

I'd be interested in seeing one of Bill's Husky's too.

Here's a 138 pages of KLX reporting on ADVrider.com. Clicky.

Those Husky's look sweet!

 

[flyfishinwoman]

A bike that merits consideration is the Honda CRF230. I just bought one, and find the seat height low enough even for my short little legs. I also bought the baja kit that has lights/signals, and will register it for the street to be able to ride it anywhere (many logging roads require a vehicle to be plated).

Why I chose this bike is for the bulletproof engine, simple maintenance, versatile trail capabilities, and the non-high strung nature of the machine. Plus, it has 6 speeds, so can go on-road without a problem (mind you, I'm not intending to ride on highway, that's what the trailer is for). Good luck, and I hope to see you out on the trails with the growing dirt group we have here.